Samford University Orchestra concerts

Samford University Orchestra performed last night The Two Thousand Twelve Concerto-Aria Concert, conducted by Brian Viliunas at the Wright Center.

The Samford Orchestra performed on March 6. Photo by Keith McCoy.

Upcoming performances with the Samford Music Department are “Songs of Struggle, Songs of Faith” March 11 at 2:30 p.m., Samford Faculty String Quartet March 13 at 7:30 p.m. and the Wind Ensemble/Symphonic Band March 15 at 7:30 p.m. All three of these events are at Brock Recital Hall.

Workday at the Catherine Sims Garden

Homewood neighbors gathered at the Catherine Sims Garden in at 908 Highland Road in Edgewood on Saturday, March 3 for a workday. Residents and the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham-Southern College have been working on the garden since the fall.

Neighbors work to spread much on a pathway and plant bulbs at the Sims Garden. Photos by Madoline Markham.

Kelly Smith plants a yellow bloom.

Homewood Middle School seventh graders and members of Girl Scout Troop 152 Sarah Tyndall, Elise Bals, Molly Hughes, Sally Smalley and Jacq Wood take a break from working in the garden for a photo.

Garden designer Arnie Rutkis delivers mulch for a pathway through the garden.

A fateful day in France

Bill Massey, who lives at Brookdale Place in Homewood, points to the pilot compartment of the B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft that he flew in WWII. Photo by Rick Watson.

By RICK WATSON

June 19, 1944 stands out in Bill Massey’s mind as though it were yesterday. The B-17 bomber pilot had flown four missions into Berlin and flown over Omaha Beach with a bird’s eye view of the D-Day invasion, but this day was different.

It was the day the Air Force was supposed to promote the now Homewood resident to captain. And it was the day he would fly over France at 26,000 feet—without a parachute up in 25-degrees-below-zero temperatures.

Massey’s crew had been about 30 minutes from their target in Bordeaux, France when they encountered anti-aircraft flak so thick that it actually turned day into night. At that moment, a round hit his plane’s hydraulic system and the cockpit quickly filled with acrid black smoke.

His 10-member crew couldn’t extinguish the fire, so Massey gave the order to bail out. But before he could snap his parachute to his harness, the oxygen tanks in the B-17 exploded and ripped the plane apart.

Historical markers for Edgewood homes

Derek, Vanessa, Genevieve and Vivienne Champigny of 212 Peerless Avenue, formerly the R.E. Griffin House c.1924.

By MARY ELLEN SNELL

Bungalow cottages popular in Homewood’s early years still stand out with their charm in Homewood’s historical neighborhoods. Some homes in the Edgewood community were built in the early 1920s even before Homewood was incorporated as a city in 1924.

Derek and Vanessa Champigny are owners of one such a home, a bungalow in Edgewood on Peerless Avenue.  After two years of living there, the Champignys were intrigued by its unknown history and set about to discover its past. The Champignys suspected one owner had been a milkman because the shed in the back housed a small one-horse stall, and a horse could have been used for milk deliveries. (The Champignys’ shed was later remodeled to house their modern horsepower in the form of a garage.)

Dawson’s new children’s building opening

BY BROOKE BOUCEK

Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Edgewood will at last open its Edgar M. Arendall Children’s Educational Building on Sunday, March 4.

“The new building will allow us to better minister to smaller children and their parents while continuing to provide a secure, safe environment,” Senior Pastor Dr. Gary Fenton said.

The three-floor, 45,000-square-foot building has been under construction since groundbreaking last February. It will house students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade.

D1 Birmingham: Business Spotlight

Geoffrey Connor, MD. Photos courtesy of KC Projects.

In his words, Dr. Geoffrey Connor enjoys being close to the action. And as a founder of Homewood’s D1 Sports Medicine; a physician at Alabama Orthopedic, Spine and Sports Medicine Associates at St. Vincent’s East; the team doctor for the HHS football team; not to mention a husband and father-of-two; it’s safe to say action is a part of his daily routine. He’s also extensively published, well traveled and fluent in Italian.

Connor landed in Homewood by way of his residency and internship at UAB, and more importantly, through meeting his wife, Tammy, who grew up here. They have settled in Hollywood, making his commute to D1 about a mile, and Tammy’s interior design business is just down the road on Oxmoor.

“My grocer, dry cleaner, pharmacy, and favorite places to eat are all basically on the same couple of streets,” said Connor. “My wife’s family lives right around the corner.  We are pretty much Everybody Loves Raymond come to life.”

The D1 sports training facility opened near Brookwood Medical Center in June of 2010 and is co-owned by former Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle and linebacker DeMeco Ryans along with UAB Olympian Vonetta Flowers. This location is the tenth opening of the nationwide D1 franchise, which was founded by Will Bartholomew in Franklin, Tenn.

Community Thanksgiving Service location update

UPDATE: The Community Thanksgiving Service on page 6 of our November issue is now taking place Sunday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, 1114 Oxmoor Road, 871-7324—not Trinity United Methodist as stated in the paper.

Several area churches will take part in the service, and all are welcome to attend.

Mark your calendar to attend!

September issue now available

The September issue of The Homewood Star is hot off the presses. Check your mailbox this week to read about Samford football coach Pat Sullivan, new phases of the Shades Creek Greenway to be built soon, rezoning of property on Lakeshore Drive for Samford, locally created Dat Good barbecue sauce, a couple that made Homewood home again and more.

Then come back here and tell us what you think about out stories. We want your input to make this your paper!

You can also view the full issue online.

Lake Lovers Photo Contest winners

Here are our winners and runners-up. Thanks to everyone who submitted photos!

BEST ACTION PHOTO by Tricia Peterson

BEST FISHING PHOTO by Traci Vella

BEST KID PHOTO by WIlliam Middleton

BEST PET PHOTO by Shari Schaefer

August issue now available

The August issue of  The Homewood Star is hot off the presses. Check your mailbox this week to read about the new Jimmie Hale Mission Thrift Store, boot camps around Homewood, a student granted a special Make a Wish wish, and Jennifer Andress’ debut on the cover of Runner’s World and more.

Then come back here and tell us what you think about out stories. We want your input to make this your paper!

You can also view the full issue online.