A farmhouse wedding close to home at the Sonnet House

The Sonnet House in Leeds is a popular wedding venue. Photo courtesy of Ann Wade Parrish.

By CRAIG KLEIMEYER

Destination weddings don’t have to be in Hawaii or the Virgin Islands. The Sonnet House, located about 10 minutes from Highway 280 off Highway 119 in Leeds, gives couples the feeling of a “destination” close to home.

At the Sonnet House, you feel farther away than you are in a good way, Owner and Manager Jared Heaton said.

“It’s not as far away as it seems,” Heaton said. “When I heard about it being in Leeds, I was like, really? You never know what you’re going to fall in love with.”
Jordyn Culbreth Farris and her husband, David, recent Auburn University alumni as well as Oak Mountain High School graduates, held their reception there on March 11.

“We really loved the house,” Farris said. “We liked that it’s a really big space for people. And, it’s beautiful on its own, or you can add a twist to it.”

The couple took photos before the wedding at the house and had their reception mostly outdoors, where guests dined on Momma Goldberg’s fare.

“We had food in the chapel and in the main house, but we danced on the back porch,” she said. “The outside was perfect for our reception.”

Absent no more: How Ward Williams is equipping a community of fathers

Ward Williams with his wife, Suzanne, and children, Carter, Sarah Paige and Tate. Photo courtesy of Melissa Elise.

By RICK WATSON

Ward Williams knows what it means to have an absent father.

His own dad walked out on him and his four siblings when he was young.
“My mother struggled to make ends meet without any support, financial or otherwise, from my father,” he said.

Luckily for Williams, his coaches, teachers and pastors stepped in and helped him through those difficult times.

He realized early on that he would not make the same mistakes his father made and has committed his adult life to equipping men to be fathers nationwide and especially in Shelby County.

Williams knows children in homes with absent fathers are more likely to live in poverty, become involved in drugs, commit crimes and become pregnant. As a remedy, he is reaching out to the community to help men become involved, committed and responsible dads in his role as Executive Director of Vineyard Family Services (VFS), based out of Inverness Vineyard Church.

What’s new at Oak Mountain State Park

Oak Mountain State Park Superintendent Mike Jeffreys stands in front of the new Pump Track in the BMX area. Photo by Rick Watson.

By RICK WATSON

May brought people from all over the world to Oak Mountain State Park for an XTERRA world triathlon championship. The park had new trails and other features to welcome them—and to welcome anyone living close by to hike, bike, swim, fish, golf or play there.

Thanks to the efforts of Birmingham Urban Mountain Peddlers (BUMP), the park has opened two new mountain biking trails.

A legacy of marches, mentorships and Durenisms

Oak Mountain Band’s Jim Duren set the bar high

Jim Duren at his final concert conducting the OMHS Band. Photo courtesy of Alan Jones.

By MADOLINE MARKHAM

Jim Duren never accepted limitations of directing a high school band. His ensembles played professional and orchestral-level music like Don Juan by Strauss, Mendelssohn’s Metamorphosis and pieces by Tchaikovsky.

“As he likes to say,” said Helen Caldwell, last year’s head drum major at Oak Mountain High School, “‘We’re not just playing “Here We Go Up the Road to the Birthday Party.” If we were playing that, we wouldn’t have to practice.’”

Duren is a legend in the band world for getting such high quality musicianship out of such young people in his nationally recognized programs.

Since the school opened in 1999, his bands at OMHS have never received less than a superior rating at any festival. In 2010, both the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble concert bands performed at Carnegie Hall. Duren retired in May after a nearly 40-year career.

Full Moon Bar-b-que: Restaurant Showcase

Terry Taylor and Willie Bradford have worked in front of Full Moon’s wood burning barbecue pit since the location opened in 2001.

At Full Moon, barbecue and sports stars go hand in hand.

Charles Barkley comes by the 280 location regularly to eat ribs back in the kitchen. Gene Bartow was known to have eaten at the original location downtown at least twice a week. Local favorite Bart Starr is a fan.

Photos of football greats and other sports memorabilia line the walls of the restaurant.

“I know a majority of the people in here,” said David Maluff, who owns the restaurants with his brother, Joe.

Highland Lakes resident helps with Project Night Night

Julie Wahnish prepares to deliver “Night Night” bags to Safe House of Shelby County. Photo courtesy of Julie Wahnish.

By CRAIG KLEIMEYER

Children have always been a priority for Julie Wahnish. The mom of six and grandmother of 10 first read about a cause close to her heart, Project Night Night, in Traditional Home magazine.

“It just stuck with me for several months and I looked it up on the internet and saw that they were really making a difference,” said the Highland Lakes resident and Double Oak Community Church member. “I just kind of said, ‘I can do that.’”

Project Night Night collects donations, assembles and delivers “Night Night” packages to local homeless children.

Area high school graduates plan ahead, dream big

By KATHRYN ACREE

The class of 2012 has recently bid a fond farewell to the halls of their local high schools. 280 Living checked in with some area graduates and asked them to share their thoughts on looking back at high school and their road ahead.

Oak Mountain graduate Caroline Beauchaine

Caroline Beauchaine
Oak Mountain High School
Caroline graduated in the top five percent of her class and plans to attend Auburn University to pursue a pre-med degree in biomedical science. She served as president of the school SGA, and was also involved in Key Club, Spanish Honor Society, FBLA, Soccer Sweetie, NHS, Mu Alpha Theta, Peer Assistant, Oak Mountain Master, and Con Brio Showchoir. She was selected as the ABC 33/40/America’s First Federal Credit Union First Class Student, and a PEO Star Student. Active in her youth group at Shades Mountain Baptist, Caroline was a Shelby County Distinguished Young Woman finalist and participated in Youth Leadership Shelby County.