City Council Ward 1 Representative Anthony Smith

At last night’s council meeting, Ward 1 City Council representative Anthony Smith has announced his resignation effective Feb. 29 .

“It has been an honor and privilege to represent Ward 1 on the Homewood City Council for the past 7.5 years,” Smith wrote in an email.  “However, as most of you know, Shirley and I have been trying to sell our home for several months now.  Although we have not yet been able to do so, we went forward with our purchase of a new home last month that is located in Ward 4.  We have spent the past few weeks slowly transitioning to our new home.  While we have not yet completed that process, we are now closer to the end of it than we are to the beginning.”

Smith encouraged others in Ward 1 to apply for his vacancy. Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to Linda Cook, the City Clerk, at Linda.Cook@homewoodal.org beginning March 1.

A ward map is available on the City of Homewood’s website.

Editor’s note: We were grieved to learn that Jake Monte passed away Feb. 11, only a few days after we published his and his wife’s seven-decade-long love story.

As a writer for The Homewood Star, I have an opportunity to interview the most interesting and extraordinary people. A few months ago, my editor asked me to interview Jake and Margaret Monte. Jake was 98 and Margaret was 92.

As I got ready for the interview, Margaret fetched me a cup of coffee, and I settled in.

Some interviews are more difficult than others, but with Jake and Margaret, I simply asked them to tell me their story.

Jake, who had some difficulty hearing at times, would ask Margaret to repeat what she’d said. Then he’s smile and nod his head.

The story was set to run in The Homewood Star in the February edition to coincide with Valentine’s Day.

Since the couple had been married 71 years, we thought they’d make a perfect story for the cover.

Jake talked about his time in the Army during WWII and made a point of giving me a tour of the bedroom where pictures, awards, and other mementos hung on the walls.

His granddaughter, Jacqueline DeMarco, had worried that I wouldn’t be interested in seeing his collection, or that it would take too much of my time, but the short time I spent with them was delightful.

The story came out Feb. 1 and encouraged many comments from our community. The picture of the two smiling and holding hands looked like a postcard.

Then on Saturday, February 11, I got an email from Jacqueline saying that Jake had passed away.

She went on to say that he was proud of the story, and thanked me for writing it.
The thing is, it’s having the opportunity to talk to gems like Jake and Margaret Monte that makes me realize I have the best job on the planet.

Rest In Peace, Jake.

Ruth Chris Steakhouse serves a taste of their menu at last year’s Taste of Homewood at Rosewood Hall in SOHO.

Love for Homewood can usually only be rivaled by love for a a Pastry Art baby bite, Demitri’s barbecue, a Pinches taco, a Nabeel’s gyro, an O’Henry’s coffee, a Jackson’s Cookie Dough Egg Roll, an Urban Cookhouse orange roll, or whatever your favorite Homewood dish may be. Fortunately, we can get a taste of all Homewood’s dining scene in one place once a year.

The annual Taste of Homewood event will take place Thursday, Feb. 23, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Rosewood Hall in SOHO.

There will be food and drinks from around 50 vendors. Entertainment will be provided by Alan Barlow.

“Taste of Homewood gives you the opportunity to experience Homewood’s best in food service and catering vendors and an opportunity to socialize with other folks from Homewood,” said former Homewood Chamber of Commerce president Phillip Poole. “It’s a wonderful showcase for what our city is all about.”

Residents and restaurant owners both anticipate the annual event.

“Taste of Homewood allows us to see our customers and gives us an opportunity to showcase things that we do that other stores don’t do,” Andy Virciglio of Piggly Wiggly said.

Last year at the event the Pig introduced their new house line of wines and offered a tasting of crab cakes and remoulade sauce.

“It’s a great forum to introduce your food to a lot of people who haven’t tried it yet,” said Pinches Tacos owner Ty Taylor. “I also really enjoy the great atmosphere and great energy there.”

The Chamber started the Taste of Homewood 11 years ago with only a few restaurants participating, and it really started to grow after finding a new home at Rosewood Hall.

“Since I started (as chamber director) four years ago, we’ve tripled the attendance and grown our number of vendors,” said Homewood Chamber of Commerce Director Tricia Ford.

This year the Chamber anticipates hosting around 500 guests and 50 vendors. Ford said there is also increased interest in the event from all over Birmingham and the state.

All money raised will go back to the Chamber to support local businesses.

“My favorite part is seeing how much fun everyone else is having and what a celebration of Homewood it is,” Ford said. “Even the vendors have a good time.”

Tickets to Taste of Homewood are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, located in the Homewood Library; at BB&T Bank, 1900 29th Avenue South; or online at www.homewoodchamber.com.

For more information on Taste of Homewood, call Tricia Ford at 871-5631.

Margaret and Jake Monte have been married for 71 years and have lived in Homewood for 54 years. Photo by Rick Watson.

The seven-decade-long love story of Jake and Margaret Monte fills volumes.

Margaret keeps the letters and love poems Jake wrote to her while he was abroad in the Army during World War II in a box and re-reads them from time to time.

The two, who have lived in Homewood since 1954, celebrated their 71st anniversary on Jan. 30.

The couple married January 30, 1941 and welcomed their first daughter, Concetta, the following year before Jake went off to war.

Some of the words in his letters were cut out by Army censors who feared the information might fall into enemy hands.

When Margaret told Jake about the omissions, he started making up code words whose meaning she quickly caught on to. His letters stopped being censored.

When Jake returned from the war, the two wasted no time getting back to the family life. They had two more daughters, Josephine and Marguerite. They also had their only son, Dominic. Today, the Montes have 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Margaret was born in Ensley in 1919, and Jake was born in Cardiff, a town just west of Birmingham, in 1913. Jake was a bread delivery man in 1940, and Margaret worked in her father’s grocery. He took notice of her while making his rounds at Ragusa’s store. They hit it off and married soon thereafter.

“We didn’t have a big fancy wedding,” said Margaret. “There were only four people in the wedding party, but our whole family came.” Afterwards Jake and Margaret headed off to Texas on their honeymoon.

After the war, Jake remained in the food business as a bread salesman and later as a milkman. “He never made big money,” said Margaret. “But he always had a job, and we got by just fine.”

Jake went to school with Joe Bruno, who was the patriarch of the Bruno’s (and later Food World) grocery chain.

“It didn’t hurt being Italian and being in the food business,” Jake said.

Jake and Margaret raised their four children in Homewood, where they attended Our Lady of Sorrows and John Carroll Catholic Schools. Their granddaughters J. Shay McNamee and Jacqueline Dillon DeMarco now reside in the area, too.

The couple are longtime members of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, are active at the Homewood Senior Center and have always frequented the Homewood Pool with family members. Jake is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion and VFW.

When the subject turned to what makes a marriage last, Margaret raised a conspiratorial eyebrow and smiled: “It takes a lot of patience.”

“We learned to put up with each other,” Jake said. “You can’t go running to mama when the other one makes you mad.” Margaret also said that trusting the Lord is essential.

Jake and Margaret don’t dish out advice to younger folks. “Most of them don’t want to hear what we have to say,” she explained.

But DeMarco said her grandmother gave her good matrimonial advice: “Don’t do anything on the first day that you don’t want to do the rest of your life.”

“I used to polish Jake’s shoes every morning, but that wasn’t something I wanted to do,” said Margaret. So Jacqueline was forewarned.

Jake, 98, and Margaret, 92, are not as strong as they once were. For many years, she cooked dinner for the entire family every Sunday, but it got to be too much. The family still gathers on holidays, but everyone pitches in with the cooking chores.

“We have Grandma’s recipes, but the food doesn’t taste as good as it did when she cooked it,” said DeMarco.

Jake has a hard time hearing these days and doesn’t get around as well as he once did, according to Margaret: “He spends most of his days napping by the window in his recliner.”

He’s fallen several times so he moves around the house on a walker. Margaret also uses a device when she walks.

But they still live alone in their Homewood cottage.

“We’re at a point in our lives where we can’t take care of ourselves, so we take care of each other,” she said. “We lean on each other’s shoulder.”

Grandma Margaret Monte’s Chili

In the cold winter months what is better than warm homemade chili? Margaret Monte has passed down her Italian chili recipe to her granddaughter Jacqueline DeMarco, and they graciously share their recipe with us:

1 Zeigler’s Chili Con Carne Chili Brick

1 Package Mild Chili Seasoning Dry Mix

1 Pound Ground Chuck (Use ground turkey for a healthier option)

1 Chopped Onion

1 Large Can Tomato Sauce

2 Cans Chili Beans with Sauce

Red Pepper or Hot Sauce

Cooked Rice or Oyster Crackers

Brown onion and ground chuck in skillet.

Remove browned chuck and onions from skillet and place on paper towels to drain excess grease by blotting with paper towels.

Move browned meat and onions to the large pot on low heat and stir in 1 Large Can of Tomato Sauce. Stir in Zeigler’s Chili Brick. Stir in two cans of Chili beans and Package of Dry Seasoning Mix . Add red pepper or Hot Sauce to taste. Add small amount of water if needed to desired consistency.

Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.

Serve over rice or oyster crackers.  The chili tastes even better if served the next day.

Blogger and photographer Virginia Jones in Paris at the Eiffel Tower.Virginia Jones loves shooting kids picking out cookies at Savages. Photos courtesy of Virginia Jones.

Virginia Jones started posting a photo a day to her Birmingham blog in June 2008 and quickly made friends all over the world.

“My blogger friends were amazed at how beautiful Birmingham is,” said the retired Shades Cahaba Elementary third grade teacher. “They had preconceived notions of Alabama until they saw my photos. They said they always thought it was just an old steel town.”

Today her Birmingham Alabama Daily Photo blog has 1200 readers a week, where Jones adds her own flavor and voice to each shot she shares of her city and of Homewood.

“I love shooting places and people in Homewood,” Jones said. She especially likes to photograph Sweet Peas garden shop, kids looking through the glass at smiley face cookies at Savages, Homewood parades, the star on 18th Street and anything in Homewood at night.

Without fail a new photo appears on Jones’ blog each day—even when she is traveling and shooting abroad.

Although she had always photographed her students for an end-of-the-year slide show, Jones had never enjoyed sight and street photography until she traveled abroad.

“The first time I went to Paris was in 2007, and that was the turning point for my photography,” Jones said.

Her Paris photo journal, ParisThroughMyLens.blogspot.com, has now been going three years strong and featured on several French websites, including myfrenchlife.org, parisiensalon.com, and belleinspirationmagazine, an online magazine. She has published many of her images in a new book, Paris Rouge Through My Lens.

Jones’ interaction with her blogging friends extends beyond the sphere of the internet. She met up with blogging friends in Paris in 2008, and one blogger friend from Florida was so amazed by Jones’ blogs that he gave her a round trip ticket to Paris.

“My experiences in Paris have been a testimony of the power of blogging on the internet,” she said. “I have yet to meet a blogger that isn’t what they seem to be. We all laugh about how each personality is the same in person as it is online.”
For Jones, making friends all over the world has just been one facet of her adventures in photography.

“Since retirement my life has completely surprised me with more than I ever expected,” Jones said. “Photography has allowed me to reinvent myself and now it is my passion. C’est magnifique!”

Ever the educator, Jones now teaches a five-week “From Snapshots to Photographs” class for the amateur photographer who wants to improve the quality of their shots. To inquire about classes, visit her website.

Jones’ photos can be seen on birminghamalabamadailyphoto.blogspot.com.

Homewood Gourmet owner Chris Zapalowski with a king cake. Photo by Brooke Boucek.

Traditional New Orleans king cakes are available around Homewood.
The cake is traditionally  eaten forthe Feast of Epiphany in January through the Mardi Gras Day, the day before Ash Wednesday. The hollow, circular shaped cakes represent a crown and are decorated with purple, green and gold colored sugar. These classic carnival colors represent justice, faith and power.

Inside each cake, a small prize is hidden, usually a plastic baby, pecan half or a dried bean. According to tradition, the person who finds the small prize is to provide the king cake at the next party.

Homewood Gourmet sells authentic King Cakes with an older Creole tradition prize of a half pecan. The plain cakes with cinnamon brown sugar are $25, while the cream cheese cakes are $30. The cakes are 16 inches and should serve about 15 to 20 people. Call 871-1620 to place an order.

Savages Bakery sells king cakes for $17.95 that should serve 6 to 8 people.  The cake comes in cream cheese or cinnamon with the baby and decorative beading on top. Call 871-4901 to place your order.

Publix on Green Springs will be selling two different sized king cakes. The large ($7.49) serves about 15 people, and the smaller cake ($5.49) should serve 8 to 10 people. For more information, call 944-1101.

Sweaty moms Julie Croushorn, Jennifer Andress, Mary Ben Fitts, Jen Jackson, Marian Dill. Photo courtesy of Wynter Davis.

It’s ironic how an off-handed comment can sometimes fuel a brilliant idea, even a new business endeavor. That is exactly how it all began for the Homewood moms of “Sweaty Moms Running Club.”

Five women, four of whom are Homewood residents, began their “club” with the original goal of simply running faster. Their quest brought them together once a week on the track where they focused on intense speed training.

“We are serious runners who don’t take ourselves too serious,” founder Mary Ben Fitts said. “Being moms we all wear many hats, one of which is now a runner. In the process of multi-tasking, sometimes running has to be squeezed in between the kids’ school, sports and after-school activities.”
The story began when one of the moms in the group rushed in a run during her child’s after-school activity. Another mom later heard this mom referred to in conversation as always being “so sweaty,” and thus the name was born.

Fitts says they are not ashamed of the title but proud to earn their “sweaty” status. The group’s philosophy has now evolved into being about community.

“It’s about pushing beyond your physical limits,” Fitts said, “and replacing ‘I can’t’ with ‘Look what I just did.’ ”
Sweaty Moms Running Club participates in several race expos each year in Birmingham and surrounding cities. They have even developed a line of t-shirts with various slogans including ”Sweaty, the new hot.”
For more information on products and ordering information or how to become part of the Sweaty Moms Running Club, visit www.sweatythenewhot.com.

Giani Respinto (left) owns Edgewood’s GianMarco’s with his brother, Marco, and father, Giovanni (right). Photo by Madoline Markham.

There’s a reason you have to call GianMarco’s at least two weeks in advance to get a dinner reservation and that it filled up for Valentine’s Day around the first of the year.

The white tablecloth restaurant, hidden among Edgewood homes on Broadway, is known for its lively, energetic atmosphere as well as its upscale authentic yet innovative cuisine.

“It’s Italian-based, but it’s not your typical Italian restaurant,” owner Giani Respinto said. “We do Asian dishes. We do whatever we feel like doing. You can have spaghetti or lasagna, or you can have olive oil-poached sea bass.”

The menu is always evolving but is always guaranteed to have some favorites such as pan-roasted grouper, lunch pizzas and fettucine alfredo with gulf shrimp.

“We are always trying to get better, but the basic idea will never change,” Respinto said.

Respinto owns the restaurant with his brother, Marco, and father, Giovanni. The New York-native brothers were raised in Giovanni’s restaurant, Rocco’s in Greenwich Village.

“Where I grew up, every neighborhood had a restaurant,” Respinto said. And 10 years ago this March, he brought a new restaurant to his new-found neighborhood: Homewood.

Respinto originally moved to Birmingham from south Florida to open a location of East City Grill at Colonial Brookwood Village. He ended up liking the city enough to get his brother and father to join him here and open a restaurant together.

Today he lives next door to GianMarco’s, and his kids attend Edgewood Elementary. His father also lives in Homewood.

Respinto said he loves having his dad around GianMarco’s and that everyone else who comes in the restaurant agrees.

“There aren’t many 77-year-old guys still working,” Respinto said. “No one should retire.”

GianMarco’s has never advertised but still draws diners from Atlanta or the beach or Montgomery to eat.

“We love the loyalty of our customers,” Respinto said, recalling how he has seen many people come in for a first date then get engaged and later have children. “Over the years they become part of you.”

Wanting to build on their reputation for an expansive wine list and perceived value, GianMarco’s opened a wine shop and bar behind the restaurant in the fall. It’s in a quaint building on the creek that seats about 28.

Everything on their restaurant wine list is available there for retail price. You can drink a bottle there or take it home with you. The full restaurant menu is also available at the bar.

The bar offers a different selection of wine by the glass than the restaurant.

“Between the front and the back, we offer about 100 wines by the glass,” Respinto said.

The wine shop is open from 11 a.m. until close, Monday-Saturday.

After living in Birmingham more than a decade, Respinto has learned to talk Alabama football, but he said he was neutral in the Alabama-LSU national championship game.

“I was glad Alabama won though,” he said. “It’s good for business.”

You can view GianMarco’s menu online and keep up with their latest updates on their Facebook page.

GianMarco’s
711 Broadway Street
871-9622
Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Monday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.

Julie Webb, DMD and Deanne Vail, DMD of Homewood Cosmetic and Family Dentistry. Photo by Anna Cate Little.

Customers age two to 98 come to Homewood Family & Cosmetic Dentistry for everything from routine cleanings to veneers, whitening and implants. Homewood resident and mom-of-four Deanne Vail, DMD and her partner, Hoover resident Julie Webb, DMD have been in practice on Oxmoor Road since 2006. While February is officially “National Children’s Dental Health Month,” this Homewood business is dedicated to children’s (and adults’) oral health each and every month.

“February is an optimal time to reinforce the importance of good oral health,” said Vail. “We always stress to our patients that regular dental cleanings and checkups every six months are vital to maintaining the health of one’s mouth.”

Each February, the staff visits local elementary schools and preschools to educate kids on proper brushing and flossing in both technique and frequency. They also discuss the importance of a balanced diet in minimizing the effects of dental decay.

“Our goal in February (and all year-round) is to teach these children that good oral health starts early,” said Vail. Among the schools they will visit are Shades Cahaba, South Highland Presbyterian and The Exceptional Foundation.

Vail is no stranger to the threat young kids have on their developing teeth and jaws. With four young boys all involved in sports, she stresses how important a role mouth guards play in contact sports. With this in mind, Vail and Webb have taken on a major charitable service to all Homewood residents, whether or not they are patients.

“We are offering free custom mouth guards to our Homewood athletes,” Vail said. “We’re doing what we can to help prevent any injuries to their developing teeth or jaw growth.”

Parents can simply call to make an appointment. An impression of the teeth is made, which only takes about five minutes, and within a day or so, the parent can come back by to pick up the custom-made mouth guard. Already, 300 members of the local recreation basketball league have signed up.

“We are dedicated to these kids,” said Vail.

As a full-time dentist, not to mention a wife and mother, Homewood is fortunate to have both a resident and business owner committed to working overtime to serve our community.

“I lived in Homewood during dental school, and [my husband and I] loved it so much that we decided to make Homewood our [permanent] home,” said Vail.

As for their business, “Dr. Webb and I both felt like Homewood is such a central location that not only would allow us to serve our community here but also allow us to serve surrounding communities as well, which it does,” Vail said.

Homewood Dentistry prides itself on being family friendly while offering life-changing cosmetic procedures. Flat-screen plasma TVs and relaxing gas make regular visits as comfortable as possible. Yet, the art of porcelain veneers, dental implants or complete restorative dentistry is what gives patients something to truly smile about.

“Dentistry is certainly an art that can absolutely change someone’s life,” said Vail. “We’ve seen so many times over the years the increased confidence that patients get from having a pretty smile. Honestly, your smile leaves a lasting impression, so it makes a big difference in your overall attitude and confidence level.”

Homewood Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, LLC
1752 Oxmoor Road
868-4577
www.homewooddental.com
Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Topics covered include departmental overview; budget; officer selection; tour of headquarters, patrol, communications, corrections, jail, traffic stops, arrests, investigations, narcotics; tactical team demonstration; and a range day where participates will be able to shoot various police department weapons.

For an application and class schedule contact Sergeant Greg Brundage at 332-6864, greg.brundage@homewoodal.org.