Hoover Sun November 2016 by Starnes Media

Sun Neighborly news & entertainment for Hoover

Volume 5 | Issue 2 | November 2016

Executive director retiring after 29 years

Hoover Executive Director Allen Pate oversaw construction of Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1988 and has been instrumental in keeping the stadium updated over the years. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

By JON ANDERSON When Allen Pate ﬁrst came to work for the city of Hoover in February 1988, it was supposed to be a oneyear job of overseeing construction of Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. But former Hoover Mayor Frank Skinner saw Pate had more to offer the city. He put him in charge of other projects, such as the construction of Hoover Fire Station No. 4 off Municipal Drive. By the time the Hoover Met was

completed, Skinner asked Pate to stay on as director of operations. Pate ended up staying with the city for nearly 29 years, serving most of that time as the city’s executive director — a position similar to city manager. He announced in mid-September he is retiring. He left the ofﬁce in late October and is ofﬁcially retiring at the

See PATE | page A30

READY to RUN By SYDNEY CROMWELL

mily Knerr has blown the air horn to start the Head Over Teal race, benefiting ovarian cancer awareness, for the past seven years. When the 13-year-old Ross Bridge resident started the race in September 2015, she had no idea she was less than two months away from her second fight with ovarian cancer. The Knerr family, including parents Ryan and Amanda and Emily’s sisters Anna and Casey, moved to Ross Bridge from Miami in 2009. When then-6-year-old Emily started to have body pains and weight loss, the family attributed it first to anxiety about the move,

See KNERR | page A29

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit #54

Emily Knerr sounds the air horn to start the 2016 Head Over Teal race in September. Emily, a Ross Bridge resident, is an ovarian cancer survivor. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

INSIDE

Sponsors .............. A4 City ........................ A6

Chamber............... A11 Business .............. A12

Events .................A20 Community .......... B8

School House ..... B12 Sports .................. B18

Real Estate......... B25 Calendar ............. B26 facebook.com/thehooversun

Ivey Reﬂects

Glass Master

As Mayor Gary Ivey prepares to pass the torch, he reﬂects on his term and what was accomplished.

Artist Sherri Van Pelt brings happiness to herself and others through her colorful glass artwork.

See page A17

See page B1

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HooverSun.com

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Hoover Sun

About Us Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell I hope you’re not tired of me talking about elections, because I’m about to do it again. First I want to officially welcome our new mayor and council members to their new positions and congratulate them on the upcoming inauguration. The staff of the Hoover Sun looks forward to working with you as you determine the policies and direction of our city for the next four years and beyond. It’s also time to vote in our national elections, so be sure to head to the polls on Nov. 8. I don’t intend to use this space to tell you which presidential candidate to pick. I simply encourage you to research the current field and pick the person who best represents your vision for the future of our nation and who is best suited to take us in that direction.

However, I do want to call your attention to two parts of the ballot. First, don’t let the congressional elections be overshadowed by the presidential race. If one of your Senate or House of Representative seats is up for election,

the person who fills that spot will also play a role in making your voice heard on a national level. Be informed, and choose wisely. Second, there is an important amendment to the Alabama Constitution up for vote on the ballot. Inside this issue we have a breakdown of the amendment and how it affects Hoover, so take time to brush up on that before Nov. 8. Elections are critical to the United States’ success and democratic identity, from Hoover City Council chambers all the way to the Oval Office. Do your part, and go vote!

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Rosie was able to hitch a ride from her mom, Karen Bevill, as she walked throughout the Uncorked on the Green festival Oct. 8. Photo by Lexi Coon.

Sun Publisher: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Director of Photography Director of Digital Media: Sports Editor: Page Designers: Community Editor Community Reporters: Staff Writers: Copy Editor:

Dan Starnes Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams Sarah Finnegan Heather VacLav Kyle Parmley Cameron Tipton Emily VanderMey Erica Techo Jon Anderson Lexi Coon Jesse Chambers Emily Featherston Sam Chandler Louisa Jeffries

Advertising Manager: Matthew Allen Sales and Distribution: Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith James Plunkett Jon Harrison Gail King Eric Clements

Contributing Writers: Rachel Burchfield Alyx Chandler Tara Massouleh Chris Megginson Grace Thornton Sarah Tuttle

For advertising contact: dan@starnespublishing.com Contact Information: Hoover Sun PO Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@starnespublishing.com

Please submit all articles, information and photos to: sydney@starnespublishing. com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253

Published by: Hoover Sun LLC Legals: The Hoover Sun is published monthly. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Hoover Sun is designed to inform the Hoover community of area school, family and community events. Information in The Hoover Sun is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of The Hoover Sun. We reserve the right to edit articles/photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

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City

City leaders eye short-term losses, long-term gains for sports complex By JON ANDERSON The $80 million sports complex being built next to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium is expected to lose money each of its first five years but reap longer-term rewards, according to projections from the company managing it for the city. Sports Facilities Management expects the complex will lose about $746,000 its first year. Operating losses are expected to lessen to $600,000 in the second year, $417,000 in the third year, $264,000 in the fourth year and $169,000 in year five, said John McDonald, a regional director for SFM. However, with lots of out-of-town guests expected for sports tournaments and other events, the complex is projected to have a direct economic impact of $14 million its first year, $24.4 million its second year, $27.7 million the third year, $31.8 million the fourth year and $33.4 million the fifth year. Councilman Gene Smith said the projected losses are a little higher than he anticipated, and he did not expect them to extend out five years. However, he and Councilman John Lyda both noted that all that money the complex’s visitors will spend on hotel rooms, restaurants, gasoline and shopping will translate into extra sales and lodging tax money for the city as well. Lyda estimates the additional sales and lodging tax money will more than cover the losses by the second year of operation. “Show me another business that can have

The $80 million sports complex being built next to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium is expected to lose money each of its ﬁrst ﬁve years but reap long-term rewards in the form of economic stimulus, city leaders say. This photo shows the indoor event center and surrounding property under construction in early October. Photo courtesy of Bluff Park Drone.

that level of proﬁt in two years,” Lyda said. “It’s pretty remarkable.” The operating budget and revenue projections shared by SFM show that the council made the right decision to hire SFM to manage the sports complex, Lyda said. “These guys

know their business,” he said. They know the marketing strategies needed to make the sports complex successful, he said. Smith said that, in the long term, the city is going to be glad the sports complex was built. “I think it’s a good match to the [Hoover]

Met,” he said. “The Met — right, wrong, or indifferent, has been greatly underutilized since the [Birmingham] Barons left. I think this is going to bring more activity to the city for years and years to come — decades and decades.” The sports complex will include a 155,000-square-foot indoor event center, five NCAA regulation-size soccer/football/lacrosse fields, five NCAA regulation-size baseball (or softball) fields, 16 tennis courts with a pro shop, a 2-mile walking track, playground, splash pad and large event lawn. The indoor event center is scheduled to open by May 2017, and the athletic fields are slated to open by February 2018. The Hoover City Council has approved spending $1.2 million to get the complex up and running between now and May 2017. That’s in addition to construction costs, which are being paid with proceeds from a $69 million warrant issue. Hoover Councilman John Greene asked SFM how accurate the revenue projections are. Steve Goris, a vice president with SFM, said the company has met or exceeded its revenue projections for every facility it manages. Greene said he would have liked to have seen higher revenue projections, but he guesses the revenues are probably as good as could be expected, given the large scale of the complex. The council is also working on a new name for the complex after negative public response to the Alabama Sports and Event Center, nicknamed “The Bam.”

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A7

Hoover to help pay for private road in return for land donation By JON ANDERSON The Hoover City Council has agreed to pay a private company to build an access road across cityowned property to reach adjacent land owned by that company off John Hawkins Parkway. A company called C.M.N.L.L. Inc., represented by Pat Lynch plans to have a car wash and restaurant on land the company owns off John Hawkins Parkway between the Medical West freestanding emergency department and Alacare The Hoover City Council is helping pay for Home Health and Hospice building. construction of a private road to a car wash and restaurant site in return for a developer giving up That company previously gave land for a turn lane along John Hawkins Parkway. Map up some of its land fronting John courtesy of Robert P. Kirk & Associates. Hawkins Parkway so the city of years ago by paying $875,000 to buy 2.4 acres Hoover could build a right-turn lane onto Medford Drive, leading to Medical West’s of land that contains the road leading to the new freestanding emergency department, said Medical West emergency department and other adjoining commercial property. The city also Rob Rosenberg, an attorney for the city. In return, the company asked for permission paid for construction of that road, called Medto put the driveway to its land over city prop- ford Drive. City attorney Charlie Waldrep said if Lynch’s erty, plus for the city to pay the company either $150,000 or the appraised amount for the land company had not agreed to make its property available for a turn lane, the city might still be given up for the turn lane, whichever is less. The council on Oct. 17 voted 6-1 to authorize tied up in the condemnation process and the the mayor to approve a contract to that effect, freestanding emergency department might not with Councilman John Greene voting against be there today. The city land over which the access road the action. Greene asked if there was a precedent for will be built is of no real value to the city, the city to essentially help build a private road city ofﬁcials said. It’s about 1,000 feet long leading to a private development. Councilman and has power lines and gas lines crossing it, John Lyda said the city did exactly that three they said.

Photo by Jon Anderson.

Amendment would keep 600 local laws on the books By EMILY FEATHERSTON When voters head to the polls early this month, there will be several things to consider. In addition to the presidential and congressional elections, as well as a few circuit and district judge races, Alabamians have to vote on 14 amendments to the state constitution, covering a range of topics including impeachment, age restrictions for ofﬁcials and the allocation of state park funds. Of those amendments, Amendment 14 could have a direct impact on dozens of municipalities across the state. “Everybody in the state will be impacted by this amendment one way or another,” said State Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster). Ward was the sponsor of the bill passed during the August special legislative session that brought about the vote. Ward explained that the bill comes from an inconsistency between the state House of Representatives’ procedure and the state constitution regarding the required majority to pass a local bill before the state budget is passed. In December 2015, a Jefferson County court ruled the process itself violated the constitution. That decision is in the appeal process and set to go before the state Supreme Court, but should the court let the ruling stand, more than 600 local laws would be “thrown out” due to a technicality, Ward said.

The amendment would rectify the procedural inconsistency, and would grandfather in any past local bills that would otherwise be affected. “Every county in the state has some sort of local bill that would be affected by this,” Ward said. Bills as far back as 1985 could be considered unconstitutionally passed, and any local laws affected would have to go back through the Legislature in order to be back on the books. For Hoover, that would include the 1998 ad valorem tax increase that helps fund the school system, the 2015 alcoholic beverage provision allowing for entertainment districts within the city and several county issues, such as the occupational tax and the setup of the transit authority. Hoover school board member Craig Kelley said the impact of the ad valorem tax being ruled unconstitutional would be signiﬁcant on the school system. “To suggest to the public that they not vote to pass this I think wouldn’t be smart,” he said. However, Kelley — speaking of his own opinion and not that of the school board — said he has concerns over the sales tax law that was the subject of the court case. He said that issue is something that will need to be resolved, and that if the tax law could speciﬁcally be pulled out of Amendment 14, he would suggest voting against it. The vote on the amendment is part of the Nov. 8 general election.

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Hoover Sun

Residents fight changes in Trace Crossings zoning plan By JON ANDERSON A large group of residents from Trace Crossings and other communities off South Shades Crest Road are fighting USS Corp.’s efforts to amend the development plan for Trace Crossings. USS Corp. has asked the city to change the zoning plan so that vacant property now zoned for restricted industrial use could only be used as commercial or office space. Normally, people prefer commercial and office space over industrial, but not in this case. Residents showed up by the dozens to an Oct. 10 Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to voice their objections. The case was tabled for a month. The land in question is in two locations. One area is at the intersection of Brock’s Gap Parkway and South Shades Crest Road (on both sides of South Shades Crest Road), and the other is along Stadium Trace Parkway, directly across from Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Molly McGregor, a resident of the Chestnut Ridge portion of Trace Crossings who served as a spokeswoman for many residents, described the USS Corp. proposal as an outrage. Residents can embrace a small neighborhood shopping center at the intersection of Stadium Trace and Brock’s Gap parkways, but they do not want to see general commercial development that deep into Trace Crossings, McGregor said. Yes, the new $80 million sports complex being built next to the Hoover Met is going to create more demand for hotel space in Hoover, McGregor said, but hotels and the developments that come with them don’t belong in the middle of neighborhoods. They belong in a commercial corridor, such as John Hawkins

USS Corp. is asking the city of Hoover to amend the Trace Crossings development plan so that land currently zoned for restricted industrial use could only be used for commercial or ofﬁce property. Part of the land, in blue on the left, is at the intersection of Brock’s Gap Parkway and South Shades Crest Road. The other portion is along Stadium Trace Parkway across from Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Map courtesy of city of Hoover.

Parkway, she said. Several residents said they fear hotels and other 24-hour businesses will bring more crime. And both Stadium Trace Parkway and South Shades Crest Road already are too congested with trafﬁc, residents said. Donald Barley, who lives in the Creekside section of Trace Crossings, noted the Hoover City Council in April of last year denied U.S. Steel’s attempt to rezone 26 acres at the intersection of Brock’s Gap Parkway and South

Shades Crest Road to make way for a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Nothing has changed, Barley said. “It’s never going to be a good idea.” Warren Kuntz, a resident of the Willow Lakes community off South Shades Crest Road, was the only resident to speak in favor of the proposed changes at the Oct. 10 meeting. He believes the changes might enhance residents’ property values, he said. He also noted that Stadium Trace Parkway is not a residential street.

Justin Armstrong, manager of commercial sales and development for U.S.S. Real Estate, said he can’t understand why people would prefer industrial property next to their homes over commercial or ofﬁce space. Armstrong noted that a comprehensive planning committee for which McGregor served as chairwoman for the city of Hoover in 2003 recommended the property at the intersection of Brock’s Gap Parkway and South Shades Crest Road be zoned commercial. Armstrong also said a Walmart is no longer in the plans. Regarding the property along Stadium Trace Parkway, he noted that any buildings would have to be at least 200 feet off the property line and would be down the hill from Chestnut Ridge. “Nobody’s going to be in anybody’s backyard,” he said. Planning Commission Chairman Mike Wood said residents should understand that the property as currently zoned could be used for warehouses, manufacturing, fabricating, woodworking, assembly plants, print shops or other light industrial uses. “It’s not like it’s going to stay woods,” Wood said. “It’s too valuable a piece of property.” If they successfully defeat commercial and ofﬁce uses, “they’re rolling the dice,” Wood said. McGregor said residents understand the risks, but they believe the land is much more likely to stay undeveloped if it is zoned for restricted industrial uses. At Wood’s suggestion, the zoning board tabled the matter until Nov. 14 to give the parties a chance to work out a compromise. A meeting on the matter is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, in the banquet room at the Hoover Met.

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November 2016 • A9

New capital plan includes $6 million for Hoover High band building By JON ANDERSON The Hoover school board has approved a new capital plan that includes spending $6 million for a new band room for Hoover High School and nearly $2.2 million for new tracks and artificial football turf for Hoover and Spain Park high schools. The capital plan also includes $2.9 million for a host of maintenance issues, including roofing and painting work and replacement of heating and air conditioning systems at various schools. Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy said Hoover High School badly needs a new band room because it can’t fit its entire band in the same room for rehearsals. Hoover High band director Ryan Fitchpatrick said this year’s marching band has more than 300 members, including the auxiliary teams. And with the number of band students at Simmons and Bumpus middle schools who will be moving up to the high school, he expects the band to be around 400 members in three to four years, he said. That’s about the size of the Million Dollar Band at the University of Alabama, he said. “The facility we’ve got now isn’t designed for a band of our size,” Fitchpatrick said. It’s not just a matter of having space for all the band students to be in the same room, Fitchpatrick said. There also is a significant lack of storage space for all the band equipment, he said. Murphy said school officials plan to build a 10,000-squarefoot facility for the band program at Hoover High. The $6 million figure is just a cost estimate, she said. They hope to be able to build the facility for less, but they’re trying to be conservative with their estimate, she said. Fitchpatrick said this is a wonderful problem for a band program to have and that he is happy that Hoover students and parents continue to put their faith in the band program at Hoover High and take advantage of all the opportunities offered in music education. The capital plan approved Oct. 17 also included $782,000 for new artificial turf at Hoover High’s football stadium, $745,000 for new artificial turf at Spain Park High’s football stadium, $452,000 for a new track at Hoover High and $200,000 for a new track at Spain Park High. The current turf at Hoover has been there since 2005, while the turf at Spain Park has been there since 2007, Murphy said. Many artificial turf experts say that if you can get 10 years out of turf, you’ve done well, she said. Hoover officials are considering buying the more expensive concussion padding with

Equipment ﬁlls the band room at Hoover High School while the 300-plus-member marching band practices outside. School ofﬁcials plan to build a 10,000-square-foot band building that is expected to cost about $6 million. Photo by Jon Anderson.

the new turf, which is very important for the safety of players, Murphy said. While the Hoover High varsity team plays its home games at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium instead of the on-campus artiﬁcial turf stadium, Hoover High Principal Don Hulin noted that the junior varsity and freshman football teams play at the on-campus stadium. Lacrosse teams also play there, and lacrosse likely will be sanctioned by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, he said. The track surface at Hoover High has been there since 2000, and the subbase has been there since 1994, Murphy said. The track surface at Spain Park has been there since 2007, and the

subbase has been there since 2001, she said. Hulin said state track officials have said Hoover can no longer host regional track and field meets because of the condition of the turf and track. School board member Craig Kelley said the track is in terrible condition. “It’s almost dangerous,” he said. All of the money for the band room and athletic expenditures are slated to come from the $11 million the Hoover school board received from the Vestavia Hills Board of Education for the former Berry High School campus, said Tina Hancock, the school system’s chief financial officer. Money for the roofing, painting and heating and air conditioning projects will come from other capital funds, Hancock said.

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Hoover Sun

Hoover’s new executive director ready for ‘homecoming’ challenge By JON ANDERSON The new executive director for the city of Hoover is no stranger to the city. Allan Rice served 15 years with the Hoover Fire Department before taking over as head of the Alabama Fire College in 2007. Hoover Mayor-elect Frank Brocato said retiring Executive Director Allen Pate has big shoes to fill, but the 45-year-old Rice is the man for the job. “He has the skills we need,” Brocato said. Brocato said Rice did a wonderful job when he served in a command role with the Hoover Fire Department and has done a great job leading the Alabama Fire College the past nine years. He lives in Hoover, and he’s familiar with the community and is a first-class individual with outstanding character, Brocato said. “He’s just the type of person you want to be associated with and you want to serve in a leadership role with the city,” Brocato said. Brocato, who served 42 years with the Fire Department before retiring in February 2015 as fire marshal and chief of operations, said fire officials recognized early on that Rice had leadership potential. During his 15 years with the Fire Department, Rice held assignments as a firefighter/ paramedic, lieutenant, fire inspector/investigator, public educator/public information officer and captain. He was assigned to the high angle and hazardous materials teams and worked extensively with law enforcement as a medical support officer, according to his biography on the International Association of Fire Chiefs website.

Allan Rice, who spent 15 years with the Hoover Fire Department before being named executive director of the Alabama Fire College in 2007, is returning to Hoover as the city’s executive director on Nov. 7. Photo by Jon Anderson.

Rice also served as the program coordinator for fire science and emergency medical services at Jefferson State Community College and as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, teaching both on that campus and throughout the United States. He has taught numerous courses pertaining to firefighting, emergency medicine and hazardous materials and has previous experience as a trauma and flight nurse. Rice received his paramedic certificate and

undergraduate degree in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and holds a graduate degree in public and private management from Birmingham-Southern College. Brocato noted Rice took over the Alabama Fire College at a time it was in the “depths of despair” and helped turn it around to the point that it has received positive international recognition. “I think the citizens will be very happy to communicate with Allan Rice, as they were with Allen Pate,” Brocato said. “Allan Rice

shares the same love for our city as Allen Pate.” Rice said he has mixed emotions about leaving his job at the Alabama Fire College. He was not looking to leave, but this opportunity came up and seems like a great challenge, he said. “It’s a homecoming, no doubt,” he said. “Hoover is my home … I could not envision leaving for any other municipality.” Rice said he rented an apartment in Hoover 24 years ago on the same day former Fire Chief Tom Bradley hired him. When he got married three years later, he and his wife, Kelly, settled in Hoover and have never left, he said. Their older son is a freshman at Auburn University, and their second son is a freshman at Hoover High School. Rice said while he knows Hoover and the people in it, there are aspects of the executive director job that will be new to him, and he finds that both challenging and exciting. “Hoover has so many resources, primarily the people who live here,” he said. “A clear message has been sent by the voters in the city. Now it’s time for our professional staff to work to help implement the vision of the new elected officials.” Rice said it’s the job of the elected officials to determine the mandate from the voters. His job will be to help implement a clear vision, provide enhanced communication and help develop plans to move Hoover forward over the next 20 years, he said. “Hoover’s a changing city. There’s no doubt about that,” he said. “It’s our place to manage that change responsibly.” Rice will begin his new job Nov. 7, the same day Brocato and the new City Council take office. His pay will be $188,000 a year.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A11

Chamber

Preview of

Tourism industry outpacing state economy, Director Lee Sentell says

Luncheon

Alabama tourism director Lee Sentell shows the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce a graph illustrating how the growth of the tourism industry in Alabama is twice the growth rate of the general economy. Photo by Jon Anderson.

By JON ANDERSON The tourism industry in Alabama is growing twice as fast as the state’s general economy, state tourism director Lee Sentell told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce at the group’s October luncheon. Sentell, who has been director of the Alabama Tourism Department since 2003, spoke Oct. 20 to about 160 people at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Wynfrey Hotel. State lodging tax revenues going to the General Fund have risen by 105 percent since 2003, from $24 million to $50 million, Sentell said. He also mentioned that the state’s overall General Fund has grown by 47 percent since 2003 (to an estimated $1.8 billion in ﬁscal 2016), Sentell said. For people who think tourism doesn’t matter, the taxes that tourism brings into the state saves the average Alabama family $405 in taxes a year, he said. “Tourism is working for you.” Sentell praised the contributions of Aldridge Gardens CEO Tynette Lynch, calling her “an important pillar for the tourism industry in the state of Alabama.” He also noted that some of the barbecue chains in Hoover, such as Full Moon BBQ and Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ, are routinely on the top 10 lists of barbecue chains in the country. The state Tourism Department promoted 2015 as the “Year of Barbecue,” featuring the best places to ﬁnd barbecue ribs, pulled pork and chicken and the best barbecue festivals around the state. The campaign won a

national tourism award. “Birmingham is the hub of good barbecue for the whole country,” he said. Sentell said when he became tourism director, he kept hearing from people in Birmingham that they weren’t getting any attention from tourism ofﬁcials because there is no beach, battleship or rockets in Birmingham. So he decided to change the conversation and created the “Year of Alabama Food” campaign, featuring the best places for country cooking, barbecue, ﬁne dining and seafood. As part of that campaign, the tourism department created a brochure of “100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die.” A

TV commercial included four restaurants in Birmingham and three in Tuscaloosa, he said. A travel writer from the Atlanta Journal Constitution took the brochure and toured the state to sample 100 Alabama dishes in a week. He published a series that “went on and on” about the food offerings in Alabama. “He said Birmingham has the kind of restaurants Atlanta wishes it had,” Sentell said. Sentell also praised the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham. “It’s the only place in the world where you can see a thousand different motorcycles in display,” Sentell said. “What George [Barber] has done there is just phenomenal.”

November Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy is scheduled as the speaker for the Nov. 17 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel. Murphy, Murphy who has been superintendent since June 2015, is expected to give an update on the school system and announce the 2016-17 Hoover City Schools Employee of the Year. Networking for the monthly luncheon begins at 11:15 a.m., and the meeting starts at noon. The cost is $20 for members or $25 for those without reservations. Reservations can be made through Nov. 14 by calling 9885672 or emailing Lisa Dunbar at lisa@hooverchamber.org.

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Hoover Sun

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Now Open Bluff Park Realty is now open at 760 Valley St. The real estate company lists properties around the Birmingham area. 979-5000, bluffparkrealty.com

Chick-ﬁl-A’s new restaurant at The Grove, 5658 Grove Blvd., opened on

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October 6. 989-1701, chick-ﬁl-a.com Swamp Monster BBQ is now open at 1843 Montgomery Highway, Suite 105. 403-2076, swampmonsterbbq.com

119

H&M is now open in the Riverchase Galleria, 2000 Riverchase Galleria.

This is the ﬁrst Birmingham-area location for the popular retailer of men’s, women’s, teenagers’ and children’s clothing. hm.com

Coming Soon 5

East 59, an Eastlake-based café and vintage store, will open a coffee shop

inside the Hoover Public Library, 200 Municipal Drive, later this month. 838-0559, east59.net CircusTrix, a national operator of extreme recreation parks, will open Next Levl at 7155 Cahaba Valley Road in the Tattersall Park development, the company has announced. The multilevel facility will house

HooverSun.com a ﬂying trapeze, an American Ninja Warrior course and many more attractions. The facility should be open sometime in 2017. circustrix.com

Relocations and Renovations Outback Steakhouse has moved from its previous location in Hoover Court to 3440 Galleria Circle. The restaurant demolished the former On Tap building and built a new restaurant, which opened in mid-October. 979-7585, outback.com

New Ownership My Chiropractor, 2801 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 129H, is now under the ownership of Dr. Craig Catalfu. 444-0727, mychiropractorhoover.com

News and Accomplishments Chay Watkins, a State Farm Insurance agent with an ofﬁce at 2163 Clearbrook Road, was recently named to the board of directors of the Birmingham Committee on Foreign Relations. 824-4663, chayismyagent.com

The Walmart Supercenter location at 5335 Highway 280 is now offering online grocery orders at their store. Customers can visit walmart.com/grocery to choose items that will be available to be picked up at a later time. walmart.com/grocery 10

Hirings and Promotions Alan Martin has been hired as executive chef at Greystone Golf & Country Club, 4100 Greystone Drive. 986-5120, greystonecc.com 11

12 LAH Real Estate, 2 Chase Corporate Drive, Suite 15, has hired Kaneshia Sims Hudson as a Realtor. 440-4740, lahrealestate.com

November 2016 • A13 Child’s Play Therapy Center, 3057 Lorna Road, Suite 220, has hired Susan Jones as an occupational therapist. During her 11-year career as an occupational therapist, she has focused on brain injury, autoimmune diseases, orthopedic injuries and visual deﬁcits. 978-9939, childsplaytherapycenter.com 13

Anniversaries The Comedy Club Stardome, 1818 Data Drive, celebrated its 33rd anniversary in October. 444-0008, stardome.com 14

J. Dawson Salon, 2539 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 125, celebrated its fourth anniversary in October. 989-9868 15

Tip Top Grill, 588 Shades Crest Road, celebrated its 13th anniversary in October. 978-8677 16

Greystone Shell, 5408 U.S. 280, is celebrating its third anniversary in November. 991-5322 17

Discover Information Technology & Training, 3 Riverchase Ofﬁce Plaza, Suite 114, celebrated its ﬁfth anniversary in October. 989-4944, discoveritt.com 18

TherapySouth, 3421 South Shades Crest Road, Suite 107, celebrated its 10th anniversary in October. 987-6501, therapysouth.com 19

Danberry at Inverness, 235 Inverness Center Drive, celebrated its seventh anniversary in October. 443-9500, danberryatinverness.com

Closings Freek on a Leesh Pet Bazaar, 1960 Braddock Drive, Suite 100, closed at the end of August.

A14 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Soul food

Swoul Food

Former Alabama track athlete opens healthy meal-prepping business By SARAH TUTTLE Isaac Robinson said he always knew he wanted to own his own business, but he never thought it would be in the food industry. Robinson and his spirit of entrepreneurship went full-speed ahead with his custom ﬁtness meal solution business, “Swoul Food,” in 2015. The business began out of his house, then moved to Chef’s Workshop and now has its own storefront in Hoover, 3439 Lorna Lane. Robinson always has been consumed with health and ﬁtness. He attended the University of Alabama and ran track. After graduating in 2003, he went to the Olympic trials in 2004. He then moved on to bodybuilding after retiring from track. That’s where his passion began for prepping and portioning his own meals. During that time, Robinson started working for the Birmingham Fire Department. He also opened up his own gym out of his home, all while keeping his meal-prepping lifestyle. In 2013, one of Robinson’s clients at his gym asked him to start making his meals for the week. His client had seen his meals every day, and the client did not have time to prep healthy meals on his own. Robinson began sharing the pictures of his meals, and word got out through social media and friends about his meal solutions. “I realized I was getting on to something when I had about a hundred meal boxes stacked up in my kitchen,” Robinson said. The inspiration for Swoul Food came from Robinson’s dad, who owned a restaurant

Isaac Robinson is the founder of Swoul Food, based on healthy meal preparation. Photos by Sarah Tuttle.

called Soul Food Express when he was growing up. He tweaked the name of his father’s Georgia-based restaurant to express the ﬁtness aspect of the company. After two years of business, Swoul Food is thriving, with some customers ordering 40 meals a week. “The way I did it when I started is like the ice age compared to what I am doing now,” Robinson said. “It is night and day.” The Lorna Lane store has only been open for about a month and already is helping the business grow. Robinson opened the store because

he noticed people wanted fresh food right away, and they were skeptical about ordering food online. “I want people to know that they can come by and see that the food is cooked right here out of Birmingham,” he said. Swoul Food started out aimed toward bodybuilders and the ﬁtness community. Now, Robinson wants customers to know it is not just for people who are looking to gain muscle or lose weight. Customers of all types can come in with a preset meal plan, or they can sit down with

Robinson, and he will make a custom-meal plan with them. “Eating ﬁt and well is for everybody, so I am showing people that eating like this is for everyone and not just athletes,” Robinson said. “Everyone has to eat and eat healthy.” Robinson said he is looking ahead and eager to keep his business growing. “I have been working on making this a repeatable process for someone else to franchise it, but that’s a long ways away,” he said. For more information, go to swoulfood.com or check out its Facebook page.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A15

Cajun cuisine meets Southern barbecue By ALYX CHANDLER There’s a new alligator in town, and its name is Boudreaux, the mascot and official “swamp monster” of Swamp Monster BBQ’s kitchen. It’s been a busy few weeks behind the grill for him, especially as of Aug. 15, when Swamp Monster BBQ officially opened its doors to its first brick-and-mortar store in Hoover at 1843 U.S. 31. Swamp Monster BBQ co-owner Michelle O’Connor also calls her co-owner husband, Michael O’Connor, the “swamp monster” of the grill, since he grew up in New Orleans and has continued serving Cajun-style food to friends, family and now, customers, over the years. “We wanted to barbecue, just in a different way. Barbecue is very Southern, but we wanted to bring in some of those New Orleans roots, as well,” Michelle O’Connor said. As far as the name goes, Michelle O’Connor said it’s a play off the logo of their “lovely alligator,” Boudreaux. When they first decided what to call themselves, they talked about how the New Orleans heritage is something that sticks with you through the years. It’s just very memorable, she said. Plus, the pork Boston butt can be a “monstrous” amount of food to eat. “We do try to have larger than average portions, and most of the time they are huge,” Michelle O’Connor said, laughing. “We don’t want anyone to leave hungry.” Swamp Monster BBQ has been catering in the Birmingham area for more than five years now. Although the owners live in Pelham, Michelle O’Connor said the amount of traffic and general love for the Hoover area and their Hoover friends drew them in. “There’s so many businesses in the Hoover area, we really wanted to cater to them with something different to eat,” she said. It all started out at their Smith Lake house, when Michael O’Connor would grill for

Swamp Monster BBQ • WHERE: 1843 U.S. 31, Suite 105 • HOURS: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. • CALL: 403-2076 • WEB: swampmonsterbbq.com

Swamp Monster BBQ co-owners Michelle and Michael O’Connor with their daughter Caitlyn inside their Hoover restaurant. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

everyone over the weekend. As he tried to ﬁgure out how to feed massive numbers of people without a huge time commitment, he began to routinely throw a Boston butt on the grill and experiment with various seasonings until he eventually perfected his own dry rub. After someone asked if they catered, the business took off from there. “Honestly, we were just trying to enjoy some time with family,” Michelle O’Connor said. “But word of mouth is really how it grew. We got some good, loyal clients that liked the product, sold the butt to friends and then they would have people over, and you know, there you go.” Michelle O’Connor did admit the last few weeks have felt like a crash course in having

a brick-and-mortar store. The key, she said, is taking it one day at a time. “We went through a big process tasting the pre-made stuff and sampling, and nothing was really our concept,” she said. “So we just decided that we would get into the kitchen and just ﬁgure something out.” The O’Connors serve house-made items such as a Cajun potato salad with Creole mustard and what they call “the Pirogue,” which is a 100-percent Kobe beef hot dog on Gambino’s French bread. There’s also complimentary Cajun-style pork rinds made fresh. As far as Michelle O’Connor knows, Swamp Monster BBQ is the only barbecue place around town that serves red beans and rice. They are made

in-house, like most everything else on the menu. Michelle O’Connor said the “uniqueness” of their Cajun Creole-style food has made them stand out as a new business. But, if you only had time to try one item off the menu, she said she would definitely have to recommend the pork. “Because of that rub,” Michelle O’ Connor said. “It’s Memphis-style because of the dry rub on it. But also the ribs, too. We’ve had an enormous amount of people just love the ribs because they’re not covered in sauce, though there is sauce you can put on them. But he puts the dry rub on them. It’s just a really good flavor.” Then if you’re feeling particularly hungry, she said definitely go for what’s been dubbed “the Monster.” This New Orleans-style muffuletta sandwich can really feed up to four people, Michelle O’Connor said, and it includes two sides. Although they do some to-go and catering orders, they plan to beta test a quicker online ordering system within the month. They have an in-store express menu and provide catering via phone and email. “We’re just kind of easing ourselves in right now. We’ve done a simple menu. In the future though, we look to have things like a crawfish boil or have certain specials at different times of the year,” she said. Plus, she added, they’re definitely going to have king cake during Mardi Gras.

A16 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

A new take on tacos By TARA MASSOULEH “Not just an ordinary taco.” That’s the motto behind Hoover’s newest food truck, Taco Tech. With options such as jerk chicken tacos, Thai beef tacos and Buffalo chicken tacos, owner Kadek Sudarsana’s tacos are as innovative as they are delicious. Since opening at the end of January, the Taco Tech food truck has been making the rounds. It has frequented the Lake Cyrus and Ross Bridge farmers markets, as well as multiple ofﬁce locations on Blue Lake Drive, Ball Park Drive and U.S. 280 and Lakeshore Drive. Sudarsana said he got the idea for a taco truck in two parts. One part came after eating at the taco truck frequently parked on Green Springs Highway. The other was after he and his partner opened Shiki, a Thai and sushi restaurant in Homewood. Shiki is where the former Pinches Taco was, and Sudarsana said both these things got him thinking. He wanted to open a taco truck, but he knew he had to do it differently. “I knew I could not compete with the food truck on Green Springs because they’re from Mexico, and I can’t compete with authentic Mexican tacos,” Sudarsana said. “So I was like, ‘I’ll cook something else with an Asian twist to it.’” Sudarsana, a native of Bali, Indonesia, said Asian fusion was an obvious choice given his background and experience cooking different Asian cuisines. He has the equivalent of an associate’s degree in cooking from Indonesia, then worked as a chef at a Chinese restaurant, Thai restaurant and Japanese hibachi before opening Shiki in December and Taco Tech the following month. Prior to moving to the U.S. in 2001, he worked as a chef on a cruise ship. “That’s why I have a little of everything on the menu,” he said. For Sudarsana, a little of everything means

Above: Taco Tech nacho salad with tortilla chips, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pickled jalapeno, cheese and ginger dressing. Left: Kadek Sudarsana opened Taco Tech food truck in Hoover this past July.

his tacos represent food from around the world. On the Asian side, he does a beef bulgogi taco with pickled carrots representing Korean cuisine. He also makes a Japanese taco featuring teriyaki chicken and roasted cabbage, as well as a beef rendang taco — spicy braised shredded beef in coconut curry, a favorite from his home country of Indonesia. On the other side of things, Sudarsana has a crispy shrimp taco with remoulade sauce, based on a New Orleans style po’ boy and a Jamaican jerk chicken taco. He also prepares a few traditional taco offerings including pollo and carne asada with onion, cilantro and two types of salsa.

All Sudarsana’s tacos are served on fresh corn tortillas, and he offers tempura battered green beans and queso waffle fries as sides. In addition, Sudarsana makes traditional quesadillas and a nacho taco salad with ginger dressing. Menu items average $6 for two tacos or from $5 to $8 for a quesadilla. With all of his recipes, Sudarsana said packing intense flavor is most important to him. “I love playing with seasonings,” Sudarsana said. “All of my tacos have strong flavors.” He said with offering a new take on tacos, it’s important to impress customers with flavor from the first taste. “Nowadays, people want to try something

different,” he said. “The way I look at it is, if you have something different and it tastes good, they’ll go for it, but if you have something different and it’s bland, they’ll probably try one and not give it another shot.” Despite the risks and challenges of owning a food truck, Sudarsana said he is happy to be on the road. “We’re literally going to the customer, not waiting for them to come to us,” he said. Eventually, he said he would like to open a Taco Tech storefront in Mountain Brook, Homewood or Hoover. To ﬁnd out where Taco Tech will be, follow them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A17

Ivey reﬂects: ‘I’m proud of what we did’

“”

By JON ANDERSON Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey may have lost his re-election bid this year, but the 61-year-old city leader said he has no regrets about his 12 years as an elected official. “I’ve enjoyed serving this city,” Ivey said as he prepares to pass the torch to incoming Mayor Frank Brocato on Nov. 7. “I wish Frank the best in his oncoming term. I’m not bitter about it. Anything I can do to help with the transition, all he’s got to do is call me.” Ivey, who served seven years on the City Council and five as mayor, said he was disappointed in the turnout for this year’s election, given the city’s population. The U.S. Census Bureau last year estimated Hoover had about 85,000 residents, yet only 13,761 people voted in the mayor’s race. Ivey said the city election this year “became a schools vs. sports deal, and the sports people didn’t get out” to vote. He focused his campaign largely on the city’s plans for the $80 million sports complex being built next to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and the city’s ability to maintain a strong financial position and balanced budgets, but it wasn’t enough, he said. School supporters wanted a tremendous amount of money for Hoover schools, and he thought other city needs were more important, he said. Schools are an important part of the city, but so is public safety, garbage pickup, streets and sanitation, parks and courts, he said. “I think you have to fund all of that,” Ivey said. There’s a tremendous amount of work and money that goes into maintaining a balanced city, and “I’m proud of what we did,” Ivey said. “I’m proud of the way we left the city.” That said, he wishes the new mayor and City Council success with the projects they want to undertake, he said. “I’ve known Frank for 30 years,” Ivey said.

I hope we made a difference up here. I feel like we have.

GARY IVEY

Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $80 million sports complex being built next to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on June 14, 2016. Photo courtesy of Lance Shores/City of Hoover.

“I wish Frank the best. I hope he does well with it, and I’m sure he will.”

BEST MEMORIES

Some of Ivey’s best memories in city government include the development of Veterans Park, construction of the Hoover Senior Center and additions to the Hoover Public Library, he said. He also is proud of the sports ﬁeld built at Hoover Sports Park East for children and adults with special needs. “I think that’s incredibly special and badly needed,” he said. Other accomplishments he regards as significant include the widening of U.S. 31 between Interstate 459 and Data Drive and helping important private-sector projects become a reality. Some of those projects include the renovation of the Riverchase Galleria and the construction of the Field & Stream store in Patton Creek and two freestanding emergency

departments, he said. Allen Pate, who is retiring as the city’s executive director, said each of the ﬁve mayors with whom he has worked has been a good mayor in different ways. Ivey was not as outspoken and in the public eye as much as his predecessor, Tony Petelos, but he has a great business mind, Pate said.

FANS AND CRITICS

Tynette Lynch, the CEO of Aldridge Gardens whose husband contributed to Ivey’s campaign, said she thinks Ivey has done an excellent job as mayor. “He represented the people well,” she said. “I think he represented businesses, small businesses and large businesses, well.” As the president and CEO of Crest Cadillac, he knows the challenges facing businesses, she said. Ivey loves the city and wants to continue to

see it flourish and grow, Lynch said. “I think he’s been a great leader and a strong leader.” Others, such as Bluff Park resident Dan Fulton, have been more critical of Ivey. Fulton said Ivey for too long failed to acknowledge the financial problems facing the Hoover school system. “That was a top priority for the residents of Hoover,” Fulton said. But Ivey took no initiative to address the failed plan to eliminate school buses or help with financial issues, he said. “I believe if he had showed more interest in helping schools, the outcome might have been different.” The Hoover City Council in December passed several measures to increase the city’s contribution to schools by an estimated $1.3 million to $1.5 million a year, but it wasn’t enough to address the problems, Fulton said. “It just seemed like a drop in the bucket. It didn’t seem sincere,” he said. Ivey was counting on the new sports complex to get him votes, but Fulton believes it didn’t work because of the way it was pushed through with little public input and public notice. “I think that’s what really did him in,” Fulton said. The public was irate at the lack of transparency and failure to communicate, he said. Ivey is convinced he did what was best for the city as a whole but said he accepts the election results and will plug himself back into his car dealership. “I hope we made a difference up here,” he said. “I feel like we have.”

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A18 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Taste of Hoover Offerings from Sprouts Farmers Market at Taste of Hoover included cheese, fruit and sushi. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

2016 event offers smorgasbord for hundreds at Aldridge Gardens By JON ANDERSON

he fifth annual Taste of Hoover event, a fundraiser for Aldridge Gardens, drew about 350 people to the gardens on Oct. 6. Guests had a chance to sample food from 26 restaurants and four catering companies all in one place for three hours. The event raised about $8,000 for the facility, said Tynette Lynch, Aldridge’s CEO. Tickets were $30 for members of the gardens and $40 for everyone else. “People have said to me, ‘This is the best one ever,’” Lynch said. Last year, the Eternal Word Television Network bought about 200 tickets for people attending a conference at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel, and fewer tickets were available for people from the Birmingham area, Lynch said. This year, more local people had access to tickets, she said. About 330 tickets were sold to individuals in advance, Lynch said. Online ticket sales were halted about 3 p.m. as organizers feared they were getting close to their limit, she said. They did not want to run out of food. They did allow about 20 walk-up guests to buy tickets, she said. Jean Butterworth of Bluff Park came with four other women. It was her third time to come to the fundraiser. “It’s been a wonderful experience,” she said as she was leaving. “The weather is just gorgeous, and the food was just absolutely delicious.” She particularly liked the collard greens, sweet potatoes and pork short ribs from Jake’s Soul Food Café, she said. She wasn’t familiar with that restaurant at all, she said. “Us ladies — we eat out a lot,” she said of her friends. “We’re delighted to find new restaurants when they appear.” Paul and Nova Biggs of Mountain Brook said this was their first visit to the Taste of Hoover event, and they really liked it. Firebird’s Wood Fired Grill had some excellent lobster queso, and the wine provided by International Wines and Craft Beer was good, too, Nova Biggs said. The Jefferson State Community College Culinary and Hospitality Institute had fabulous desserts, and “you could smell the chocolates,” she said. Paul Biggs said he liked the samples from Repicci’s Italian Ice & Gelato and Happy Catering Co. “Everything they had on their table was fabulous,” he said. “There were a lot of things we didn’t get to try because there was just too much.” Dennis and Betty Daigle of the Bridgewater Park community off John Hawkins Parkway said this event is always a great opportunity to get together with friends and see other people from the city. It’s also a great value, they said.

“I ate more than I paid for my ticket,” Betty Daigle said. Her husband said he likes it because he can eat dessert ﬁrst if he wants. Plus, they got to try food from some restaurants they didn’t even know were in Hoover, he said. One of those was Swamp Monster BBQ, which recently held a ribbon cutting for its new restaurant in Riverchase. The restaurant’s New Orleans bread pudding was delicious, he said, noting he and his wife are from New Orleans and Baton Rouge and “we know the real thing.” Michael and Michelle Pollo Lucas grilled chicken. O’Connor, owners of Swamp Monster BBQ, said it was indeed a New Orleans family recipe. The Taste of Hoover was a great opportunity for them to get their restaurant some recognition and let people see what they have to offer they said. Plus, they want to help give back to the community, Michelle O’Connor said. “We’re excited to be in Hoover.” Dennis Daigle said he also tried some rice water from the Pollo Lucas restaurant off Lorna Road. “It’s like drinking cake,” he said. “It is so good.” Here’s the complete list of food and beverage vendors that took part in this year’s Taste of Hoover: ► Bare Naked Noodles ► The Boot ► The Cajun Cleaver ► Capers on Park Avenue ► Chicken Salad Chick ► Coca-Cola Bottling Company United ► Cowboy Chicken ► Dale’s Southern Grill ► Edgar’s Bakery ► Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes ► Firebird’s Wood Fired Grill ► Five Star Event Catering ► Galleria Woods Retirement Community

► Gigi’s Cupcakes ► The Happy Catering Co. ► International Wines and Craft Beer ► Irelish Catering ► Jake’s Soul Food Café ► Jefferson State Community College Culinary & Hospitality Institute ► Joe’s Crab Shack ► Juice Bar Chase Lake ► Merk’s Tavern ► Newk’s Eatery ► Pollo Lucas ► Repicci’s Italian Ice & Gelato ► Royal Cup Coffee ► Salvatore’s Pizza and Pasta ► Savoie Catering ► Sprouts Farmers Market ► Swamp Monster BBQ ► Taziki’s Mediterranean Café ► Tortugas Homemade Pizza ► The Whole Scoop ► Yellow Bicycle Catering Entertainment for the fundraiser was provided by Jacob Edwards. The Hoover Sun was a partner in the event.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 â&#x20AC;¢ A19

A20 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Events Duo sells out Hoover Library Theatre again The Dailey & Vincent bluegrass, country and gospel duo are scheduled to perform at the Hoover Library Theatre on Nov. 16-18. Photo courtesy of Hoover Library Theatre.

By JON ANDERSON The Grammy Award-winning Dailey & Vincent bluegrass, country and gospel duo has done it again — quickly selling out three performances at the Hoover Library Theatre. The two musicians and their accompanying band sold out all three shows set for the 250seat theater on Nov. 16-18. But the theater maintains a waiting list and sometimes has tickets returned, library Fine Arts Director Matina Johnson said. Dailey & Vincent did the same thing when they opened the Library Theatre’s 2013-14 season in September 2013. They originally were scheduled for only two shows in Hoover that year, but a third show was added when those shows sold out quickly and there were more than 250 people on a waiting list. The third show sold

From left: Debbie Rogers (Stein Mart boutique consultant), Elaine Thompson, Ann Taylor, Roberta Atkinson, Colette Scott, Jennifer Gregory, Virginia Barksdale, Rhonda Boyd and Darlene Real Higginbotham. Photo courtesy of Kay Franklin.

out immediately, Johnson said. Dailey and Vincent have won nine Grammy Awards individually and three as a duo since they came together in 2007. They also have won 35 International Bluegrass Music Association awards. Since they performed in Hoover in 2013, they started a national cable music and entertainment series called “The Dailey & Vincent Show” on the RFD-TV cable channel aimed at rural America, and their PBS special, “Dailey & Vincent ALIVE – In Concert,” has aired in more than 84 markets. The special later was released as a live CD that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard bluegrass charts and a DVD that debuted at No. 2 across all genres on the Billboard music video sales chart. To get on a waiting list for Dailey & Vincent shows, call the Hoover Library Theatre box ofﬁce at 444-7888.

Service Club fashion show fundraiser returns to Hoover Country Club By MARYELLEN NEWTON Football. Friends. Food. These are words associated with fall. On Nov. 10, the Hoover Service Club will add another word to the seasonal picture: fashion. The club will host a fashion show directed by Darlene Real Higginbotham. The event will be at the Hoover Country Club and is open to the public. People will meet at 10:30 a.m. to network and have coffee before the meeting at 11, said club President Betty Daigle. Daigle said the main purpose of the fashion show is to encourage people interested in the club to come and learn more.

Daigle said the club promotes the fashion show for a few reasons. “It’s a great way to get to know us and have a great time at the same time,” she said. The show is the event that gives the Hoover Service Club the most publicity, Daigle said. The club raises money through a large gala in February. Through these funds, it awards $24,000 in scholarships to Hoover and Spain Park High School seniors and $23,000 to community service organizations including Oak Mountain Missions Food Bank, Hoover City Schools Foundation and Green Valley Food Bank. An $18 lunch is optional. For reservations, call Daigle at 821-8021. For more information, go to hooverserviceclub.com.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A21

Hoover to honor veterans throughout November Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Beaty, chairman of the city of Hoover’s Veterans Committee, presents a U.S. ﬂag to a veteran during 2015 Veterans Week activities at the Hoover Public Library. Photo courtesy of Hoover Public Library.

By JON ANDERSON The city of Hoover will hold numerous activities in November to celebrate veterans. The kickoff event will be Nov. 6 in the newly renovated theater level at the Hoover Public Library and will include a program at 2 p.m., musical presentation by the Alabama Youth Symphony at 2:45 p.m., a reception at 3:15 p.m. and a flag-folding ceremony at the flagpole in front of the library at 4 p.m. Additional flag-folding ceremonies will be each day from Nov. 7 to Nov. 10 at 4:45 p.m. On Nov. 7 at 9:30 a.m., Aldridge Gardens is officially opening and dedicating its Veterans Memorial Arbor and Pentagon Plaza at the dam in the gardens. The Pentagon Plaza will include busts of three service members from Hoover who were killed in action, said Aldridge Gardens CEO Tynette Lynch.

Also on Nov. 7, Jerry Desmond, executive director of the Birmingham History Center, will present a presidential trivia program at 10 a.m. in the library’s theater level meeting

rooms. The library will show a documentary about American military life and families called “The Homefront” in the Library Theatre at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

City adds life-size ‘snow globe’ for 2016 Christmas tree lighting By JON ANDERSON The city of Hoover’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony is set for Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. at the Hoover Municipal Center. The event usually draws hundreds of people to see the switch ﬂipped that turns on 65,000 lights on the 32-foottall tree at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Municipal Lane. This year, people will have the opportunity to get inside a giant inﬂatable “snow globe” for individual or family pictures, said Erin Colbaugh,

the city’s events coordinator. “That will be a great, fun addition that people will want to stop by and check out,” Colbaugh said. There also will be entertainment provided by about 80 members of the Spain Park High School band and a choir from Green Valley Elementary School. Santa is supposed to arrive on a Hoover ﬁre truck and be available for pictures with children, and a snow machine will spray artiﬁcial snow into the air, Colbaugh said. The city also will provide hot chocolate and cookies for guests, as well as

commemorative Christmas tree ornaments with the city of Hoover’s logo, she said. The event takes place in the parking lot at the Municipal Center, so parking is available across the street at the Hoover Public Library. The city will close Municipal Lane to trafﬁc at 4 p.m. for guests’ safety, and the library will close early at 3 p.m. The organized program with music by the students usually lasts about 30 minutes, but the event as a whole runs about 90 minutes as people mingle, eat refreshments and take pictures.

On Nov. 10, the Hoover Senior Center has scheduled a Veterans Celebration at 1 p.m. Then on Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. in the theater conference room at the Hoover Public Library, people will be able to Skype with Siobhan Fallon, author of “You Know When the Men Are Gone,” a fictional story about the lives of military families at the Army’s Fort Hood in Texas. The library’s November Monday at the Movies presentation is “The Monuments Men” on Nov. 28 at 2 and 6:30 p.m. The library also will have several displays to celebrate veterans, including a patriotic book display, Wall of Honor, flag and uniform displays and a Prisoner of War/Missing In Action display. Children also can visit the Kids’ Zone to make a craft for a veteran, enter a poster contest and receive a flag during storytime programs.

Reina and Alize have pictures made with the Grinch and Cindy Loo Who characters at the city of Hoover’s 2015 Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Hoover Municipal Center. Photo by Frank Couch.

A22 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Memorial arbor for veterans to be unveiled this month

The Veterans Memorial Arbor will ofﬁcially debut Nov. 7 at 9:30 a.m. Along with the arbor, the area will include Gateway Pentagon Plaza, which will pay tribute to local veterans. Photo by Sarah Cook.

By SARAH COOK Tucked behind a shaded walking trail, a yellow ribbon is tied around an old oak tree at Aldridge Gardens. The ribbon marks the site of the soon-to-be Veterans Memorial Arbor, where locals can pay tribute to those who defended the nation and its freedoms. Military veteran and Aldridge Gardens board member Mark Davis said the idea for the arbor came about a couple of years ago, and since then, he’s worked to make the vision come to fruition. “I put my heart and time into this, and I just wanted to honor those who serve and let them know that we haven’t forgotten about them,” Davis said, who worked on nuclear submarines during the Vietnam War. “It’s become a labor of love.” Leading up to the arbor, which crosses over a dam and has 16 columns all dedicated to those who have served, visitors will see the Gateway Pentagon Plaza — a sitting area lined with benches representing the ﬁve military branches. This area, Davis said, will also serve as a memorial site to two local men who died while serving. When Hoover resident Marynell Winslow found out about the arbor’s construction, she said she thought of her son who left home nearly 10 years ago and never came back. Her son, Ryan Winslow, was 18 years old when he enlisted in the Marines. He was 19 when he died. “His lifelong dream was to become a police ofﬁcer, and he felt like the best training he could get for that was to join the Marine Corps,” Marynell Winslow said.

Now, almost 10 years after Ryan Winslow was killed by a bomb in Iraq (he was only three weeks into a seven-month tour), Marynell Winslow will be able to see a bronze rendering of her son at the arbor’s Gateway Pentagon Plaza. Ryan Winslow’s bust will be displayed at the entrance of the plaza. “The greatest fear of a Gold Star family is that their child would be forgotten,” Marynell Winslow said. Since her son’s death, Marynell Winslow said she and her family have received an outpouring of generosity from the city. And now, with Aldridge Gardens debuting the Veterans Memorial Arbor, Marynell Winslow said she has no doubt her son — and other local veterans — won’t be soon forgotten. “Until you’ve actually experienced it, you really don’t have a deep understanding of what it is,” Marynell Winslow said of what it’s like to lose a child. “Aldridge Gardens doing this, it means a lot — it’s a way for others to say ‘thank you’ for the sacriﬁces that have been made.” Charon Rivers knows all too well what

Marynell and her family have been though. Like Marynell Winslow, Charon Rivers lost her son, Thomas Rivers, when he died in Afghanistan on April 28, 2010, while serving in the military. Thomas Rivers was 22 years old when he died. “There’s just always going to be a hole in your heart. It’ll never go away,” Charon Rivers said. Since her son’s death, Charon Rivers, along with her husband and daughter, has spearheaded Support Our Soldiers, a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to those serving overseas. The family currently sends about 75 boxes a month. When Charon Rivers learned about the bust being erected at the arbor in memory of Ryan Winslow, she thought of her son who also died while serving. However, the price tag for the bust was something she couldn’t afford. After learning of Charon Rivers’ interest in the memorial, Davis took matters into his own hands and paid a visit to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Davis told the school’s engineering and art

departments about Charon Rivers and the arbor, and after UAB applied for a $5,000 grant, the bust of Thomas Rivers came to form. “It turned into something pretty special,” Davis said. Now, with renderings of Ryan Winslow and Thomas Rivers ﬂanking the gateway plaza — and a long list of other local veterans’ names adorning the arbor’s bricks, pillars and benches, Davis said the Veterans Memorial Arbor became something better than he could have ever imagined. “We have people from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and the wars we have now,” Davis said. “It’s really a beautiful thing.” Marynell Winslow and Charon Rivers said they both plan on attending the unveiling, continuing to honor their sons who died ﬁghting for one of life’s most precious rights — freedom. “I’m glad Ryan’s and Thomas’ (busts) will be there, but what I really hope for the community is that this serves as a reminder of the huge price that has been paid,” Marynell Winslow said.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A23

The Big Fake Wedding brings together vendors to throw a complete wedding ceremony and reception. Photos courtesy of Morgan Trinker Photography.

Big Fake Wedding bridal show comes to town Nov. 3 By SYDNEY CROMWELL Hundreds of future brides will gather at Park Crest this month to watch a “fake” bride take a walk down the aisle. It’s part of The Big Fake Wedding, a bridal show that travels the country with a different approach to showing off its vendors’ work. The show is coming to Park Crest Events, 2030 Little Valley Road, Nov. 3. Marketing Director Johna Castro said The Big Fake Wedding was created in 2008 by Callie Murray, a wedding photographer looking for a new way to show her work. Rather than sitting at a convention hall booth, she decided to gather a group of wedding service vendors and put together an actual ceremony. Castro

said they now host about 30 events a year. “They [Big Fake Wedding attendees] are able to really experience the vendors in live action. They’re able to taste the cake and try the ﬂowers and listen to the bands,” Castro said. About 30 vendors come together to build the 20-minute ceremony and the dance party and reception that follows, including ﬂorists, caterers, DJs, musicians and photographers. Vendors for Hoover’s event include Southern Bridesmaids, I Do Linens, Facetime Photobooth, Cakes by Kim, Exchange Vintage, pianist Jenn Brooker, Southern Cotton Photography, TheBirminghamBride.com and Black Sheep Bride. Each fake wedding has its own theme for the vendors to design around. The theme for the Hoover event is called “Crisp Copenhagen,”

focusing on minimalism, light and a color palette based on snow, birch trees and pine needles. Castro compared it to a “walk through Pinterest in real life.” There is time before and after the wedding itself for couples to talk to the different companies in the “Tunnel of Love,” where the vendors set up booths. “It’s a lot more organic way to really get a real glance at the vendors,” Castro said. This is the third time The Big Fake Wedding has come to the Birmingham area, but its ﬁrst outside of downtown. Castro said Park Crest was chosen as a good nontraditional venue that’s close enough to pull interested couples from throughout Birmingham. While the event is a chance for local businesses to show off their talents, Castro said The Big Fake Wedding staff

wants to give couples inspiration not only for their wedding ceremony, but for their marriage as a whole. To that end, the couple chosen for the ceremony is always a local married couple. They do a vow renewal instead of wedding vows, and Castro said it can be an emotional time for the future brides and grooms in the audience to reﬂect on their commitment. “A lot of our guests have just said that it’s an experience like no other,” Castro said. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the ceremony begins at 7 p.m. It is followed by a dance party and reception with light food and desserts with a grand exit at 9 p.m. Tickets to The Big Fake Wedding are $25. To learn more, visit thebigfakewedding.com.

A24 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Moss Rock Festival to charge an admission fee, add new features By JON ANDERSON A few changes are in store for the 11th annual Moss Rock Festival in The Preserve subdivision this month. For starters, festival organizers for the ﬁrst time are charging an admission fee to help cover their costs. Admission at the gate will be $7 for adults, but people can buy tickets in advance online for $5. Children ages 15 and under are free, and other students and senior citizens can get in for $3, said Alex Kunzman, a co-director of the festival. Organizers would have liked to keep the Nov. 5-6 event free, but they have obligations and funding challenges and want to make sure the event continues with great programs and experiences, Kunzman said. The Moss Rock Festival bills itself as an “eco-creative festival” that features environment-friendly art, design concepts and smart living ideas. One of the main highlights of the festival is the artist expo that includes 100 artists whose works are primarily inspired by nature, depict nature or are created using natural materials such as wood, clay or glass, or recycled and repurposed materials. This year’s featured artist is Paul Cordes Wilm, a Birmingham painter who creates folkpop art using 90 to 100 percent recycled materials, from found wood to used house paint, recycled computer ink and junk mail. Wilm’s art is inﬂuenced by Andy Warhol and Mose Tolliver and includes bright colors, satirical juxtapositions, whimsical characters and humor. He has been a frequent exhibitor at the Moss Rock Festival and has art on display at numerous Birmingham businesses and in front of the Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The festival also features innovative yet functional design concepts meant to help people live in a way that promotes the sustainability of

the planet. For the past two years, the festival has featured designs for “tiny homes” that promote simpler ways of life, often in spaces less than 1,000 square feet, Kunzman said. This year, there will be two tiny homes on site, so people can tour the real thing, he said. Many of these “tiny homes” can be hooked up like trailers. “It’s an interesting way of living and being mobile,” Kunzman said. One company that will be featured at the festival is Earth Creations, which makes clothing out of sustainable ﬁbers such as hemp and organically grown cotton. A “smart living” area will include companies such as Sprout and Pour, a Birmingham-based business that turns fresh, local, organic and seasonal produce into fresh coldpressed juices, and Emerald Coast Perfumery, which develops, blends and bottles handcrafted, all-natural perfumes with no manmade additives or ﬁxatives. Tameron Honda and Tameron Hyundai will have some of their most eco-friendly vehicles available to test drive on site. To give festivalgoers a little more bang for those extra bucks they’re spending to get in, the festival this year will include a greenways/ pathways expo area that helps people connect with nature and park and outdoors groups such as Red Mountain Park, Ruffner Mountain Park, the Freshwater Land Trust and Zyp BikeShare. Another new feature will be an aspiring gardeners tent offering tips from gardening experts, Kunzman said. A WonderKid Studios area gives children a chance to participate in interactive art workshops that use the observation of nature as a starting point for creative projects. That area also will feature sculptures made of recycled materials, crafted by students from six Birmingham area schools. The festival also includes outdoor activities, such as guided hikes in the adjacent 350-acre

Paul Cordes Wilm, a Birmingham painter, is the featured artist for the 2016 Moss Rock Festival at The Preserve subdivision. Photo courtesy of Moss Rock Festival.

Moss Rock Preserve, yoga instruction in quiet parts of the nature park, ﬂy ﬁshing workshops, geocaching and a new rock climbing wall, Kunzman said. The event also features a beer garden where people can pay to taste craft beers from 22 breweries across Alabama and a few other states, a “sweetery” that includes goodies from eight to 10 bakers and chefs, and a “Café by the

Woods” with numerous food trucks. Live music will be provided both days. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 5; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 6. Parking is at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, with free shuttles to The Preserve. Alternatively, people are encouraged to ride bicycles to the festival. For more information, go to mossrockfestival.com.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A25

Two Hoover citizens receive Vulcan Awards By GRACE THORNTON Kim Mitchell said there’s one thing she can count on — her son, James Strong. And he doesn’t miss a day of living up to his name, she said. “He’s had more than 20 operations on his brain and spinal cord,” she said. “With every surgery, every hospital stay, every bad news update to where they’ve counted him out and said he has a limited chance of survival, my strong one has persevered and beat the odds through the grace and mercy of God.” On Nov. 3, he’ll be one of two Hoover residents honored at the third annual Vulcans Community Awards, presented by Vulcan Materials Company. Award winners are selected from a pool of nominations from the seven-county Birmingham metro area and honor local residents who embody civic pride, leadership and progress. At every opportunity, Strong, a 15-year-old Spain Park High School student, has mentored other kids with disabilities, inspired his mom to keep pursuing her professional goals and encouraged everyone he meets with his infectious personality, she said. “He’s a strong kid who has done everything in his own time regardless of what doctors said he could or couldn’t do,” Mitchell said. He’s played wheelchair basketball. He’s been the Alabama Champion for the Children’s Miracle Network. He’s never stopped pursuing his dreams. Strong’s commitment to himself and others is what got him nominated for the award. “With nominations submitted by individuals from throughout our metro region, people whose good work may otherwise go unnoticed will be recognized for their contributions to the betterment of life in our community,” said Darlene Negrotto, president and CEO of Vulcan

Park Foundation. The five award categories are Lifetime Achievement, Servant Leadership, Hero, Game Changer and Newcomer. Strong was named a Hero, and Hoover resident Jarralynne Agee was named a Game Changer. Jarralynne Agee’s designation came from her work starting the All Access Sports Medicine Camp, a three-day summer camp in July that gave 50 students in Birmingham City Schools the chance to be exposed to sports medicine and emergency management. Jarralynne Agee said over the course of his career, her husband, Dr. Robert Agee, was able to James Strong, left, and Jarralynne Agee, right, will be honored at the third annual Vulcans Community Awards on give a lot of young Nov. 3. Photos by Sarah Finnegan. people a jump start better and do more can be a true game changer to a sports medicine track by letting them So she sought funding and drew up a profor our community,” Ashley Thompson wrote. shadow him. posal, and the All Access Sports Medicine “After all, the students of today make up the “But we realized that a lot of these students Camp was born. adult community of tomorrow and what difwere coming from over-the-mountain schools “We wanted to set the expectation for them to ference this program can make in inspiring and and that students in Birmingham … weren’t think about these things as careers,” Jarralynne shaping our future.” getting the same opportunity,” Jarralynne Agee Agee said. “It’s been pretty powerful to see how For more information about the awards or said, noting that the programs could be costly. it impacted them even the ﬁrst year.” the awards ceremony, go to visitvulcan.com/ “We wanted to give them the chance to be The writer of her nomination agreed. the-vulcans or call 933-1409, ext. 111. exposed early to sports medicine.” “This small act of inspiring students to be

A26 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

The end of an era Linda Andrews to retire after 33 years as Hoover Public Library’s only director By JON ANDERSON When the Hoover Library Board ﬁrst asked Linda Andrews to be director of the Hoover Public Library, she turned it down. The year was 1983, and she was director of the Birmingham Public Library branch at Eastwood Mall. The population of Hoover was less than 30,000, and the city seemed like such a long way from Birmingham, Andrews said. Plus, there was no Hoover library yet to manage because it didn’t exist. But then the mayor of Hoover at the time, Frank Skinner, paid her a visit and persuaded her to change her mind. “We were very grateful she did,” Skinner said. Andrews said she liked the idea of starting something from the ground up. She took the nonexistent Hoover Public Library, and over two decades, turned it into the library with the highest circulation of any single location in the state, according to the Alabama Public Library Service. When Andrews started the Hoover library, it had 5,000 books in a 4,000-square-foot space in the River Oaks Village shopping center off Lorna Road. Today, there are more than 293,000 books, audiobooks, movies, music CDs and other items in the collection in an 85,000-squarefoot building. In 2005, the Hoover Public Library became the ﬁrst single-location library in the state to circulate more than 1 million items in a year, according to the library’s website. In 2015, circulation exceeded 1.4 million items,

“I don’t have as much energy as I used to have,” the 69-year-old Andrews said. She looks forward to being able to get up in the morning, have some coffee, read the newspaper, go for a walk and relax on her front porch, she said. She also wants to spend more time with her husband, children and four grandchildren, ages 3 to 18, and to have the freedom to travel more, she said. Eloise Martens, a Hoover Library Board member who helped hire Andrews 33 years ago and who remains on the board today, said she’s sad to see Andrews retire. “She’s been the heart and soul of this library since we ﬁrst started,” Martens said. “She’s a very hard and dedicated worker and has been for all of these years.” The original Library Board hired her because of her enthusiasm and the way she related to people and her vision to make the library more like a bookstore, Martens said. Skinner said Andrews brought a lot of energy to the job and was not a traditionalist. She is creative, innovative and thinks outside the box, he said. She also had a vision for making the Hoover library top quality and user-friendly, and she accomplished that, Skinner said.

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY

Linda Andrews started the Hoover Public Library with 5,000 books in a 4,000-square-foot space in the River Oaks Village shopping center off Lorna Road. Today, it has more than 293,000 items in its collection and the largest circulation of any single library location in the state. Photo by Jon Anderson.

representing 26 percent of items checked out of the 40 libraries in the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, records show.

HEART AND SOUL OF LIBRARY

Andrews in September announced she is retiring at the end of this year after 33 years

at the helm in Hoover and at least 40 years as a librarian. Andrews said she loves her job, but she believes her work is done, and it’s time to allow others with new vision and new ideas to move the library forward in the 21 century and keep it vibrant.

Under Andrews’ leadership, the Hoover library has embraced technological advances and amassed a collection that includes more than 22,000 electronic books, more than 10,000 audiobooks on tapes and CDs, more than 5,000 digital audiobooks, more than 23,000 DVDs and 5,600 music CDs. The library also has more than 80 electronic readers that can be checked out, as well digital hotspots for people who need portable access to the internet. The library has a technology hub, numerous computers and computer classes, online research databases and free Wi-Fi service, and it was one of the ﬁrst libraries in Jefferson County to offer self-checkout machines. People also can renew books online. One of Andrews’ proudest accomplishments

HooverSun.com is the opening of the Library Plaza, a 5,000-square-foot space that includes a café, comfortable sofas and chairs, a reading room with a ﬁreplace, a newsstand with magazines and newspapers, a small bookstore and a stage for music performances and artist demonstrations. Pat Ryan, executive director of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, said Andrews has created a brilliant model for other libraries in the state and the South. “Linda’s impact has been phenomenal,” said Ryan, who was the second or third person hired to work at the Hoover Library and who served as youth coordinator there for 14 years. “It was just an amazing experience to be part of the growth of Hoover and to be on that team.” Andrews is really big on customer service and constantly promotes that with her staff, Ryan said. She’s also open to new ideas on how to serve the public, Ryan said. Andrews was on the original executive board for the Jefferson County Library Cooperative when it incorporated in 1985 and served as its president for many years, Ryan said. She and her staff have been an integral part of the cooperative, Ryan said. “It’s the end of an era,” Ryan said. “We’ll all miss her.” Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey noted that under Andrews’ leadership, the library in 2009 was named runner-up for the Library of the Year award by Library Journal, second only to the 62-branch Queens Library in New York. “I think that kind of says it all,” Ivey said. The number of people served by the library (more than 500,000 visitors a year) is incredible, he said. In 1995, Andrews was named Librarian of the Year by the Alabama chapter of the National Librarians Honor Society, and in 2009 the Alabama Library Association gave her the Eminent Librarian Award.

PROMOTER OF THE ARTS

Elaine Hughes, a retired English professor from the University of Montevallo who served as chairwoman of the Alabama Humanities Foundation for several years, said Andrews has

November 2016 • A27

Hoover Library Director Linda Andrews poses on a piece of construction equipment at the 1999 groundbreaking for a 35,000-square-foot expansion of the library that nearly doubled its size. Photo courtesy of Hoover Public Library.

been a great promoter of the arts. She founded the 250-seat Hoover Library Theatre, which brings in world-class musicians, plays and other performing artists, and

in 1993 started the Southern Voices Festival, which began as an authors conference and has expanded to include a musical act and visual artist each year.

Andrews also brings scholars into the library for talks on important issues, sometimes controversial, Hughes said. “She’s just a very ﬁne person, and I think she has been a tremendous asset not only to Hoover, but to the arts and libraries in all of Alabama,” Hughes said. “She has a masterful gift for administration. She is very adept at working with people and getting people to work with her.” Andrews said she is most proud that she has been able to hire the right people to do jobs. “That is the key to everything. That is the No. 1 important thing, and I think that I have an instinct for that,” she said. The Hoover library has about 100 employees, about half of whom are full time, she said. She looks for people who smile and are friendly because so much of library work is about customer service, she said. From 1986 to 1996, Andrews served as the chairwoman of the Alabama Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. “I have always been a strong advocate of not censoring and banning books,” she said. She also is proud of the library’s outreach to diverse cultures, including English classes for the Hispanic community and others who wish to learn English. Some people have predicted that libraries will become obsolete due to technology advances, but Andrews said she believes there will always be a place for libraries as long as they are sensitive to the needs of their communities. Library Board member Michael Krawcheck said Andrews has kept the Hoover library on the cutting edge of library technology, but she never lost the art of providing personal service. Board member Hal Humphrey said Andrews leaves behind a legacy of compassion, care, respect and public service. Andrews said she’s thankful she had the opportunity to work with a fantastic staff and looks forward to working with the Library Board to transition to new leadership. Her retirement won’t take effect until Dec. 31, but Andrews likely will use a lot of vacation days in December and hopes the Library Board can pick a replacement before Dec. 1, she said.

A28 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Saying yes to the

By ERICA TECHO When Caroline Bagwell first saw a Hoover Belle, she was only 4 years old. Her mother, Donna Bagwell, remembers how Caroline and her two older sisters would admire the Belles. “It was wonderful,” Donna Bagwell said. “One of the things that they looked at when they were little, they would always look at the girls in the big dresses. When they finally got to be the age to be a Belle, it was really cool to see it all come full circle.” Caroline Bagwell, who is in her second year as a Belle, said seeing her older sisters serve was inspiring and solidified her desire to apply. Over the last year, Caroline Bagwell said she has grown in confidence and enjoyed interacting with the community as a Belle. “Being a Hoover Belle, it’s an honor because there are so many girls that try out, and a lot of them unfortunately don’t make it because it is very prestigious,” Caroline Bagwell said. Each event offers a new opportunity, she said, and she has especially enjoyed working with children. In addition to events, however, she said the clothing is another favorite aspect. “The dress, that’s one of my favorite parts, too,” Caroline Bagwell said. “The little girls look at you, and they think of you like a princess.”

While serving as a Belle helped each of her daughters grow into conﬁdent and poised young women, Hoover Belles also offered a chance to bond, Donna Bagwell said. While mothers are typically involved in dress making decisions, Donna Bagwell said she enjoyed an extra level of involvement — she made the dresses for all three of her daughters. “My girls just loved the hoop, the bigger the better, getting to walk around in hoop skirts,” Donna Bagwell said. The process included shopping for fabric together and selecting a style of dress, which Donna Bagwell said was enjoyable because each daughter selected a different style. An average dress requires about 15 yards of fabric and between 10 to 40 yards of lace and ribbon, but the variety of styles means these numbers easily can change. The time that goes into a dress varies, and Donna Bagwell admitted she lost count over the years, but said each hour was one of joy. “When they would put it on, when it was almost complete, just the look on their face when they saw themselves in the mirror — they would seriously dance,” Donna Bagwell said. “It’s special regardless of who makes it, but it really just made me so happy to know they felt beautiful in their dresses.” Linda McIntosh also made her daughter’s

Caroline Bagwell in her Hoover Belles dress, which her mother made. Photo courtesy of Donna Bagwell.

Hoover Belles dress nearly 20 years ago, and she has continued to work with the Hoover, Vestavia and Birmingham Belles since. “I made her dress and two of her friends’ dresses,” McIntosh said. “It just kind of started spreading by word of mouth.” For a few months out of the year, Belle dresses are McIntosh’s focus, as are the girls who will wear them. “I really look at is as a mission,” McIntosh said. “For the girls who I sew the dresses for, I pray for them while I’m sewing for them because that’s such a hard age, and I don’t know what they’re going through.” Each dress starts with a consultation, where McIntosh will show different dresses she has made and allow the Belle to select the style she

wants. It is hard to put a timeline on the dressmaking process, McIntosh said, but most girls can come in for a first fitting after a few days. “When they come here, at least for me, I have the dress pretty much completed except for putting the zipper in and putting the final touches in,” she said. Mothers typically accompany their daughters to each fitting, and McIntosh said she can see the excitement on both of their faces when a dress is finished. Those looks, she said, remind her of her daughter’s time as a Belle. “It meant a lot,” she said. “It was fun to see her getting ready, and the excitement that she had. If she was excited, that always makes the mama excited.”

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • A29

KNERR

CONTINUED from page A1 then to appendicitis. Instead, they found a nearly 10-centimeter tumor on Emily’s ovary. “I never heard of ovarian cancer in a 6-yearold. It was very scary. She had a 96 percent mortality rate,” Amanda Knerr said. As a former nurse, Amanda Knerr said she felt like she should have recognized the signs in Emily sooner. The October 2009 diagnosis — ovarian small cell carcinoma with hypercalcemia — was rare and kicked off five rounds of chemotherapy as well as stem-cell treatments, radiation and surgery over 15 months. Amanda Knerr said she can remember everything about that first battle with cancer, from the number of treatments to the way her daughter’s mood would get worse on the days when treatments were affecting her. Emily, on the other hand, said her main memories are of little things like her friendships with nurses at Children’s of Alabama or painting for the art wall in her ward. “I remember the major things, but I mostly remember the good times. I don’t remember much of the bad stuff,” Emily said. After finishing treatment, Emily was cancer-free for five years. Her parents tried not to let the cancer diagnosis in her past affect the way they raised Emily compared to her sisters. “Except, the only thing is I’m probably a little bit more mature than everybody else,” Emily said. “And I hang out with adults more, too. But other than that, I’m completely normal.” “I don’t know how normal you are,” Amanda Knerr teased. But in November 2015, things changed. “Two days before her 13th birthday, she was having some symptoms, and we went in and had an ultrasound, and she had another tumor,” Amanda Knerr said. Though the second ovarian tumor was smaller, Emily had to be pulled out of classes for the rest of the school year to treat the relapse with surgery and more chemo until her small body could no longer handle it. Other than a brief scare in June due to spots on her liver, which turned out to be benign, Emily is on a maintenance treatment plan and is showing no signs of the tumor returning.

Bumpus Middle runners support Emily Knerr at the Head Over Teal race. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

Unlike the first time, when the Knerrs had just relocated, Emily’s second battle with ovarian cancer triggered an “overwhelming flood” of support from friends and neighbors, her mother said. Among them was Bumpus school nurse Melanie Schmith, who had heard Emily’s story even before she entered middle school. “I know from a mother’s heart how hard it is to have a chronically ill child, as I have one as well. Then I saw Emily’s fighting spirit come through. She faced her challenges with such a ferocious tenacity and never played the victim or pity role. Watching her inspired me beyond measure,” Schmith said. Schmith decided to run in Emily’s honor in the recent Save the O’s race, another run in support of ovarian cancer, over the summer. “[It] seems like such a small way to show how much you admire someone’s courage and bravery, but it was the least I could do. After all, she loves to run, and she runs her race well,” Schmith said. When she began treatment again, Emily was concerned she would lose some of her friends by being homebound the rest of the year. But there was nothing to worry about. “They have just stood by her. It was incredible to see,” Amanda Knerr said. Once she returned to school, Emily said the

question she heard from classmates wasn’t about why she had lost her hair; it was why she wasn’t taking the opportunity to wear a mohawk instead. “The first time I walked into school, like for the first time back, it was during the changing period and everybody ran up and gave me a hug. It was like I didn’t even know what was going on, all I knew was everybody was up against me hugging me,” Emily said. “She had no hair and no lashes or eyebrows. She looked very sick, but the kids were great. The kids were like the best part,” Amanda Knerr said. Emily has since joined the cross-country team and is building up her strength. She started the season unable to run a full lap around the football field track, but now can complete a 2-mile course. “I have a bunch of friends on the cross-country team. It’s just a fun environment to be in,” Emily said. She keeps an undaunted, cheerful attitude for a young person facing such a rare diagnosis. Emily and her mother can laugh about the times they went to the grocery store during treatment, and Emily would forget why people were staring at her. “Oh, wait. I don’t have any hair. That’s

probably why,” Emily remembers thinking. Amanda Knerr said they don’t have a lot of answers for what Emily’s future might look like. Having been diagnosed so young, Emily said she’s a sort of a “guinea pig” for the doctors who have treated her. “Her tumor’s so rare, and it’s such a late relapse, and she’s so young, and there’s just so little research done on this tumor. Like our doctors say, ‘We’re writing a book on this,’” Amanda Knerr said. “There’s nothing telling us what to do right now. We’re making the best choices with the best information we have.” Amanda Knerr works as the executive director for the Hope for Autumn Foundation, which raises funds to support pediatric cancer patients and awareness, and Emily continues to be involved with the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation’s Head Over Teal race. After two rounds of cancer, the Knerrs say the biggest change in their family is that they don’t put off things they want to do for another day. Emily said when she sees something she wants to experience, the Knerrs think, “Why not?” “You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so you have to live for today,” Amanda Knerr said. “I’m still struggling with that. She [Emily] has it down pretty well.”

A30 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

PATE

CONTINUED from page A1 end of January after taking unused vacation and leave time. “I have enjoyed working with all the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years,” Pate said, but he thinks it’s time to let someone else come in with new ideas. Pate, who turned 73 in May, said his wife, Edna, retired a year and a half ago, and “if I’m ever going to have any time while I’m still in reasonably good health, I need to do it.” Pate has served five mayors and seen many City Council members come and go, but he’s been a consistent presence at city hall and played a major role in the city’s development over the last 29 years. “He built this city,” said Councilman Jack Wright, who announced in July he was not seeking re-election after 20 years on the City Council and who served with Pate on Hoover’s Industrial Development Board prior to joining the council. “Allen Pate is really the inside mayor. He’s the one who runs the city on a day-to-day basis and has for probably two decades,” Wright said. “It makes the council’s and mayor’s job much easier.”

CONSTRUCTION GURU

Pate, a construction guru, has overseen the development of new roads, parks, athletic facilities and city buildings, Wright said. “He’s extremely smart. He’s extremely lowkey. You never seen him beat his chest or take credit for anything. He always gives credit to his team,” Wright said. “He’s got a very small ego and a very big capability.” Skinner said he knew Pate from church when he hired him nearly three decades ago. The city needed professional help to oversee construction of the Hoover Met, and Pate was a natural fit, he said. Pate started his career with Brice Building Co. and then served as director of the Birmingham Carpenter Apprenticeship Training Program for 11 years. Former Gov. George Wallace made him the state’s labor commissioner from 1983 to 1987. Pate said he took the job to oversee construction of the Met because he knew it would be a challenge. He had 14 months to get the stadium built and ready for the Birmingham Barons’ first game there, he said. “There were no utilities here, no nothing,” he said. Art Clarkson, the former owner and general manager for the Birmingham Barons who moved the baseball team from Birmingham to Hoover, said that without Pate, it would have been difficult to get the Hoover Met built, but Pate got the job done. “He is one special human being,” Clarkson said. Skinner said Pate did such an outstanding job, he decided to hire him permanently to help tackle other projects for the fast-growing city. Not only is he knowledgeable, he also knows how to deal with people, sometimes in adversarial positions, Skinner said. Pate is a fair, understanding person, but he doesn’t lose sight of the mission that needs to be accomplished, Skinner said.

‘INCREDIBLE NEGOTIATOR’

Mayor Gary Ivey said Pate’s retirement is a great loss for the city. He has tremendous knowledge and extensive contacts and is an incredible negotiator, Ivey said. He has been the go-to person when the city interacts with outside entities, such as state agencies, other cities and organizations such as the Southeastern Conference and Alabama Sports Council, Ivey said. “He was an incredible asset to me,” Ivey said. “He’s an incredible man and does an incredible job for this city.” Frank Brocato, the retired Hoover fire marshal who takes over as mayor Nov. 7, said he has worked with Pate for 29 years and watched his demeanor, the way he handles people and puts deals together. The city is losing a lot of institutional knowledge with his departure, Brocato said, but it’s good to know he will be nearby and available for consults as needed. Pate said his departure had nothing to do with the change in administration. He started thinking about retirement well over a year ago, but Ivey asked him to stay on until after this year’s election, and he agreed. “I would have thoroughly enjoyed working

Allen Pate was hired by the city of Hoover to oversee construction of the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1988. He eventually became the city’s executive director and in September of this year, not long before he announced his retirement, the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board put his name on the press box. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

But Pate was convinced it would be a good addition to the city, and the deal eventually won approval. Getting approval for the Patton Creek shopping center also was a challenge, particularly because the owners of the Riverchase Galleria didn’t want the competition, Pate said. “I did lose a friend for a period of time, but I got him back,” Pate said.

SURVIVOR

“

Pate, executive director for the city of Hoover, announces his retirement during a meeting of the Hoover City Council in September. Photo by Jon Anderson.

Allen Pate is really the inside mayor. ... He’s extremely smart. He’s extremely low-key. You never seen him beat his chest or take credit for anything. He always gives credit to his team. He’s got a very small ego and a very big capability.

”

JACK WRIGHT

with the new mayor,” he said. However, he knows it’s time for him to go, Pate said.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CHALLENGES

When asked what makes him most proud, Pate said the Hoover Met. He has worked hard to keep the stadium in good shape and keep the SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover the past 19 years. The 155,000-square-foot indoor event center being built next to the stadium helped convince the SEC to keep the tournament in Hoover at least another three years. But the new $80 million sports complex being built next to the Met is most important

because it alleviates a shortage of athletic fields in the city, Pate said. That is one area where the city has not kept up with its population growth, he said. Pate also is proud to have played a part in getting the Riverchase Galleria renovated by negotiating a tax incentive deal to encourage investment in the mall. More than $120 million was spent to redevelop the Galleria campus in recent years, and the city agreed to rebate 50 percent of extra sales taxes generated on the campus over 10 years. The total rebate cannot exceed $25 million, but Pate expects it to be much less. He’s also proud the city was able to complete almost all the projects in the 2010 traffic plan that was created in 1995, he said. That includes the Interstate 459 flyover exit to John Hawkins Parkway, the extension of Stadium Trace Parkway past the Hoover Met and a new connection from Chapel Road to the Riverchase Galleria. There are a few projects Pate said he regrets have not gotten done, such as a new I-459 exit near South Shades Crest Road, but Pate said he is encouraging Brocato to breathe life back into that project. He also wishes the city could have gotten the Hoover school board to add lights to more athletic fields and allow the city to use them when schools are not, he said. Perhaps the toughest challenge he faced in 29 years was getting approval for the Colonial Promenade at Hoover shopping center (including a Walmart Supercenter) on John Hawkins Parkway, he said. “The community was totally opposed to it,” he said.

Pate also has been a survivor, keeping his job through five different mayors. He said the key was just learning to adjust to each one, all of whom were good mayors in different ways, he said. All had their way of doing things, Pate said. Brian Skelton, Tony Petelos and Gary Ivey all were satisfied if Pate kept them informed and called them when he needed them, he said. Barbara McCollum, when first elected, took a more hands-on approach, Pate said. She insisted that department heads report directly to her, then gradually over time shifted responsibilities back to Pate as he gained her trust, he said. “For most of 3½ years, we had a good working relationship,” he said. Some residents have criticized the city for its fast growth over the years, but Pate, who also has served on the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission, said he believes the city has for the most part made sure its infrastructure kept up with the growth. About 10 years ago, the city was adding about 900 single-family houses a year, which may have been a bit too much, Pate said. The downturn in the housing industry put a big dent in that, but Hoover still maintained no less than about 200 new houses per year, he said. More recently, the city has been adding about 425 houses a year, which is about where it needs to be, he said. Pate expects to see the city’s growth slow down some, both residentially and commercially, but he hopes new city leaders continue to promote commercial growth. “I think when a city stops growing, it starts declining,” he said. However, he’s excited about Hoover’s health, both financially and otherwise, he said. The city’s roads are in good shape, and money has been set aside to handle all capital projects that have been approved, he said. The city’s finances are excellent, he said. Even though the city just borrowed $69 million to build the new sports complex, it’s annual debt payments will drop from about $9.5 million now to less than $7 million in just a few years, he said. Pate said he has thoroughly enjoyed his time with the city of Hoover and will miss negotiating deals and being able to work with so many good people. “The city has been good to me and my family, and I wish them the best in the future,” he said.

HooverSun.com

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Sun B SECTION

NOVEMBER 2016

master OF HER

TRADE

Artist brings happiness to herself, others through self-expression By SARAH COOK “Practice what you preach” is a saying that rings true for Sherri Van Pelt. Spending most of her life as an occupational therapist, Van Pelt encouraged her patients to use art as a form of therapeutic self-expression. Now, Van Pelt is taking her own advice and ﬁring up with creativity. For about six years, Van Pelt has been making kiln-formed glass inside her garage. Almost every color of the rainbow can be found in her workshop, where she houses multiple kilns, saws and

power tools to create a wide range of products. Standing a little taller than 5 feet, Van Pelt’s petite frame shows no struggle when lifting a clunky tool or pulling a heavy mask over her face to shield her from temperatures that climb as high as 1,700 degrees. “I didn’t start off doing it to sell it,” Van Pelt said of her distinct artwork that features swirling hues of radiant colors along with delicate designs and whimsical motifs. “I just wanted to know how to do it, and so I would

See GLASS | page B24

Community B8 School House B12 Sports B18 Real Estate B25 Calendar B26

While Sherri Van Pelt said she enjoys the process of creating glass artwork, she also said she enjoys the effect her “happy glass” has on others. Photo by Sarah Cook.

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HOOVER HOMECOMING

Hoover High School football players and cheerleaders sing their alma mater at the homecoming pep rally. Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • B5

Clockwise from left: A Hoover High School student pies a teacher in the face during homecoming week at Hoover High School. Students could pay $5 to walk up to a teacher and pie them in the face. All proceeds went to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Photo by Sarah Finnegan. The Hoover High School marching band drumline performs during the homecoming pep rally. Photo by Sarah Finnegan. Caroline Willoughby and Kholbe Coleman Abrams were crowned homecoming queen and king. Photo by Barry Stephenson.

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B6 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

CARE GONE

Wild

Alford Avenue Veterinary Hospital treats wildlife in addition to household pets By RACHEL BURCHFIELD

ogs, cats and other house pets aren’t the only animals receiving treatment at Alford Avenue Veterinary Hospital. Dr. David W. Friddle and Dr. Haley F. Burke see dozens of wild animals in their practice each month, Friddle said. “It is still far less than our regular pet population that we see, but it keeps each day exciting when they come in,” he said. Friddle said he has been working with wildlife since before he graduated from veterinary school at Auburn. His involvement with wildlife began while working with Dr. J.D. Nall at Nall Animal Hospital in Homewood. “He was the part-time zoo veterinarian at the Birmingham Zoo at that time, and I helped him there when possible,” Friddle said. One of the zookeepers was Anne Miller, who Friddle said had a passion for starting a

rehabilitation program for native wildlife of Alabama. “Since Dr. Nall had a pretty full plate, I was given the task of helping her with veterinary support for this program,” Friddle said. “It started as the Wildlife Rescue Service and has gone through a few transitions through the years and is now known as the Alabama Wildlife Center.” Initially, he said the AWC worked with raptors, songbirds and wild mammals including deer, beavers and rabbits. “As long as they were native to Alabama — no pigeons, starlings or sparrows,” he said. About seven years ago, the AWC limited their work to avian species — raptors and songbirds, Friddle said. “The void for native mammals was soon filled by Amy George and a few former AWC workers as they started the Wild Mammal Care of Alabama,” he said. Friddle is one of the veterinarians in the area who helps these organizations with the veterinary support that is needed – and they

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November 2016 • B7

Dr. David Friddle performs a rountine check up on a blue heron in his ofﬁce at Alford Ave Veterinary Hospital. Photos by Sarah Finnegan.

do so out of the kindness of their hearts. “These services are entirely voluntary as a way the veterinary community can give back to these programs,” he said. Friddle said his practice sees wildlife from both services on an almost daily basis. From AWC, they see birds that have been hit by cars, caught in pole traps, tangled in ﬁshing line or discarded plastics, as well as birds that have run into reﬂective glass windows, have had wind-turbine blade collisions and have been attacked by predators. “Our job involves initial triage for the injuries, as well as determining if the birds can be returned to the wild,” Friddle said. “If they are irreparably damaged, then they are humanely euthanized, as a permanently

injured wild bird cannot be kept as a pet.” After an initial physical exam and assessment of injuries, Friddle said he takes radiography when indicated, does initial treatment, and a treatment regimen is prescribed. Sometimes surgery is needed, and the animals are scheduled for that. “We get them back periodically for rechecks until they are ready for release,” he said. From Wild Mammal Care of Alabama, Friddle sees raccoons, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, beavers, woodchucks, opossums and bats. The procedure for these animals is oftentimes similar to the animals that come in from AWC — an initial examination and triage, radiography when needed, and

beginning a treatment regimen for injuries or other treatable illnesses. “After that, the rehab teams take over, and they are reexamined as needed prior to being released,” Friddle said. The main goal when treating wildlife is to keep both the wildlife and the handlers safe, he said. “Special training is offered throughout the year for volunteers with each service, and it is highly recommended before getting involved with either organization,” Friddle said. “We keep them [the wildlife] separated from other pets and people at our hospital to minimize any stress.” Stories can be told about each animal that comes through the hospital, Friddle said.

He remembers a black vulture that had been imprinted — raised by people so that he didn’t realize that he was a bird — and he stayed after rehabilitation at Anne Miller’s place on the lake. “A neighbor called her one evening to complain that he had gotten loose and was visiting them at their barbecue and was trying to steal stuff off the grill,” Friddle said. Highlights of working with wildlife include being able to personally release some birds back into the wild, Friddle said. He takes pride in his work with them and all other wildlife that he treats. “I count it an honor and privilege to be able to handle many of God’s creatures that others can only dream of doing,” he said.

B8 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Community HHS sophomores participate in 3rd annual Baking Up a Cure for Childhood Cancer bake sale

This photo of Hannah Baker, a HewittTrussville Middle School student, and Hoover High School junior Kari Balazs was recently selected from 2,000 entries to be featured in the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual Times Square Video presentation in New York. Photo courtesy of Lori Balazs.

Trussville, Hoover students featured in National Down Syndrome Society video Top row: Abbi Pearman, Anne Stewart, Celia Simpson, Gigi Bajalia, Natalie Smith and Audrey Colabrese. Bottom row: Hannah Pope, Erin Williams, Katie Cohen, Jessica Johnson, Madi Ellis and Haley Stallworth. Bakers not pictured: Noel Rengering, Allie Couch, Brynn Parker and Anna Self. Photo courtesy of Tricia Simpson.

A group of Hoover High School sophomores joined efforts for the third consecutive year hosting a bake sale to raise money for Open Hands Overﬂowing Hearts (OHOH),

funding pediatric cancer research. The event was held on October 2, and the girls raised $1,040. – Submitted by Tricia Simpson.

Hannah Baker, a Hewitt-Trussville Middle School student, and Hoover High School junior Kari Balazs were recently featured in the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) annual Times Square Video presentation in New York. The photographs in the video highlight children, teens and adults with Down syndrome, as well as their contributions and milestones.

These collective images promote the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome, which is the mission of NDSS. The photo of Baker and Balazs shows the friends on vacation in Florida’s Gulf Coast, and was selected from 2,000 entries. The video kicked off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. – Submitted by Lori Balazs.

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November 2016 • B9

Hoover students take part in Red Mountain Theatre gala

Members of the Red Mountain Theatre Company Conservatory perform at the nonproﬁt’s annual gala. Photo courtesy of Beth Allen.

Several Hoover students participated in the Red Mountain Theatre Company Gala this April. The students are part of the RMTC Conservatory, which includes musical theater performers ages 6 to 18. RMTC’s annual gala took place April 9 at Old Car Heaven and honored Alabama Power Company for its contributions to RMTC as well as the overall community. The night included food, drinks and a live auction. There were also performances from the Conservatory and guest performers. Proceeds from the event went toward RMTC’s musical theater productions and

educational programming. Hoover students involved in the Conservatory included Berry Middle School students Emily Goddard and Jazzmin Pride; Bumpus Middle School student Katie House; Green Valley Elementary School student Sophie Temple; Hoover High School students Grace Vaughan and Annaliese Chambers; Simmons Middle School student Ross Cooley; and Spain Park High School students Anna Claire Morgan, Victoria Yeager, Jordan Graham and Hannah Goddard. – Submitted by Beth Allen.

Hoover Belles recognized at mother-daughter senior luncheon The Hoover Belle committee recognized 29 girls at the annual Mother-Daughter Senior Belle luncheon. Graduating Hoover Belles were honored for their past two years of service as hostesses for the city of Hoover. In total, the 2016 class completed 1,216 hours of community service. Katherine Elizabeth Splawn received an engraved silver tray as the graduating Hoover Belle who earned the most community service hours. In appreciation for their service, all senior belles received personalized certiﬁcates and an engraved keepsake box. The belles also shared their favorite memory from the last two years and their plans for after high school. Several belles planned to attend University of Alabama, Auburn University, UAB and University of South Alabama. A few of the girls planned to attend Mercer University, Furman University,

Hoover Belles Mary Kathryn Savage, Ashleigh Rye and Haley Fullman.

Louisiana State University, Chicago College of Performing Arts – Roosevelt University, Samford University and the University of Mississippi. – Submitted by Vickie Gord Grifﬁth.

Mothers and daughters Amber Teter, Lauren Teter, Ashleigh Rye and Stephanie Rye pose at the annual Mother-Daughter Senior Belle luncheon. Photos courtesy of Vickie Gord Grifﬁth.

B10 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

From left: Alyssa Chavez, Benjamin Phillips, Amelia Johnigan, Abhinav Gullapalli, Je’Tori Samples and Sophie Mayhew.

From left: Claire Hardy, Rachel Blackerby, Holly Dunbar, Meredith Vines, Christian Smith, Katherine Crowley, Tyler Greengard, Grace Huldtquist and Hoover High Principal Don Hulin.

Service Club bestows annual awards At their May 12 meeting at the Hoover Country Club, the Hoover Service Club recognized several members of the community: ► Margaret Alford Community Service Award winner: Caitlin Saenz, a Spain Park High School graduate attending University of Alabama. ► Flora Mae Pike Award winner: Paula Campbell. ► Citizenship awards: Alyssa Chavez (Simmons Middle), Amelia Johnigan (Bumpus Middle) and Je’Tori Samples (Berry Middle). ► Scholarship awards: Benjamin Phillips (Simmons Middle), Abhinav Gullapalli (Bumpus Middle) and Sophie Mayhew (Berry

Middle). ► Hoover High Scholarship winners: Claire Hardy, Rachel Blackerby, Holly Dunbar, Meredith Vines, Christian Smith, Kerri Tang, Katherine Crowley, Tyler Greengard, Jimmie Johnson and Grace Huldtquist. The Service Club also inducted its 2016-17 ofﬁcers: ► President Pam Edwards ► First Vice President Paula Campbell ► Second Vice President Elaine Thompson ► Third Vice President Judy McDaniel ► Corresponding Secretary Vicki Nutter ► Recording Secretary Jill Irwin ► Treasurer Lori Callahan – Submitted by Jennifer Gregory.

Caitlin Saenz, left, and Paula Campbell. Photos courtesy of Jennifer Gregory.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • B11

Signature Homes CEO joins council Dwight Sandlin, CEO and co-founder of Hoover-based Signature Homes, was appointed to the Human Capital Advisory Council this year. The council helps to further the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s knowledge and development of the labor and workforce, according to a release, and helps researchers better understand the short-term ﬂuctuations and long-term structural issues related to labor markets. It includes 10 education and industry leaders, employment agencies and others throughout the Southeast. All members serve a three-year term on the council. “In the case of Mr. Sandlin, we received a recommendation from our Center for Real Estate Analytics,” said Whitney Mancuso, senior economic analyst for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Sandlin has been working in housing markets since 1974, when he worked in real estate lending. When he left the banking aspect of the market, he was a senior vice president at BancBoston Mortgage. Sandlin has served on several boards throughout his career, including serving as past president of the Birmingham Homebuilder’s Association. He is now

Sandlin the chairman of the Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board. “Being appointed to the Human Capital Advisory Council is a monumental honor, and I hope to provide valuable insight and data so the Advisory Council can have an analytical impact,” Sandlin said. – Submitted by Nikki Aldrich.

Junior League’s Market Noel changes location, dates Shoppers can ﬁnd accessories and apparel from Hoover boutique Majestees at this year’s Market Noel. Photo courtesy of Junior League of Birmingham.

Big changes are coming this year for one of the Birmingham area’s biggest holiday fundraisers. The Junior League of Birmingham is moving its Market Noel shopping event back to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. The return to this larger shopping venue will feature more than 100 vendors, including several local businesses from Hoover. Christian apparel and accessories store Majestees is a returning Market Noel vendor from Hoover. Every year the Lorna Road business packs up its merchandise and heads to the Junior League’s largest fundraiser. “This show always offers such unique gifts from great shops and small businesses from the area and throughout the southeast,” said Mimi Avery, co-owner of Majestees. “We are proud to be showing our products alongside them.” Shoppers visiting Market Noel can expect to see other unique, handcrafted art, clothing and goods from across the South. Market Noel will run from Nov. 30 through Dec. 3. Proceeds from Market Noel will beneﬁt the Junior League of Birmingham’s 35 community projects that work to improve the lives of women and children throughout the Birmingham area. The shopping begins November 30 at 7 p.m. with the Preview Noel party with hors doeuvres, signature swag bags, private shopping and a silent auction featuring big ticket

items from Bromberg’s and Alabama Outdoors. Diamonds Direct will sponsor the popular Diamond Drop, where one winner will walk away with a diamond pendant valued at $5,000. While the ladies shop, the men are invited to a biergarten in the “Man Cave.” The biergarten will feature regional craft beers and hometown favorite, Good People Brewing Company. Those looking for something a little harder can enjoy a bourbon tasting provided by Dram restaurant. General admission shopping takes places Dec. 1 through Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Highlights of the week include a girls’ night out with a beauty bar from Tonya Jones Salon and a chance to win a treatment package from Dr. Jason Jack of Plastic Surgery Specialists at Market Bliss on Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A fashion show, “Rock the Runway – Couture for a Cause” will be hosted by Lilly Pulitzer and will take place Saturday. Visit marketnoel.com to purchase tickets and review a complete listing of participating merchants and event details. Follow on Facebook at facebook.com/MarketNoel, Instagram @jlbmarketnoel and on Twitter @JLBirmingham. Tickets are available at the door. All special event tickets include admission for shopping. Regions is the presenting sponsor of Market Noel. – Submitted by Junior League of Birmingham.

B12 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

School House E ON THANKSGIV K A T S ’ N E R I NG CHILD By SARAH TUTTLE These Hoover kids share what they’ll be grateful for at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

“Piggies, fruit and candy.” ELLA MARTINEZ, AGE 3 “Jesus and making funny faces.” MILLER MUNDIE, AGE 2

“‘Meows’ [kittens] and candy.” VIVIAN MARTINEZ, AGE 3

HooverSun.com

“Mommy, food and chicken and fries from Chick-ﬁl-A.” ADDISON BARRICK, AGE 3

“Watermelon, books, ‘Honey’ [his grandmother] and ‘PawPaw.’” ANDERSON JAMES, AGE 4

November 2016 • B13

“Sno-Biz and Ninja Turtles.” JAYCE SEARCY, AGE 5

“Toys, mommy and daddy, my brother and my Nina and Papa.” JACK HOUSER, AGE 4

B14 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

2nd Hoover Helps fundraiser doubles 2015’s donations

Photo courtesy of Greg Bishop.

Hoover Helps, which provides backpack food programs and other initiatives to help food-insecure children at Hoover City Schools, held its annual fundraiser at the Sept. 9 football game between Hoover and Spain Park high schools. Students and fans were invited to donate and outraise their rival school, with cheerleaders from Hoover’s middle and high schools volunteering throughout the game. After raising $4,281 at last year’s inaugural fundraiser, this year’s goal was to raise $5,000. Hoover Helps exceeded that and raised $8,419. The Buccaneer fans won for the second year in a row, raising $4,975.09 compared to the Jaguars’ $3,434.66. Get involved with Hoover Helps at hooverhelps.org. – Submitted by Greg Bishop.

Simmons choir performs at 9/11 Patriot Day ceremony A choir of Simmons Middle School seventh- and eighth-grade students performed at the 9/11 Patriot Day remembrance ceremony Sept. 12 at the Hoover Fire Department’s Station No. 2. The ceremony included the Pledge of Allegiance, a ﬂag presentation, a bell ceremony at the time of the collapse of the South Tower, a moment of silence to recognize those who were lost and the national anthem performed by the Simmons Middle School choir. The students who participated in the ceremony included: Alexis Aspito, Riley Brophy, Mary Buford, Kaitlyn Caldbeck, Paula Calderas, Matthew Casey, Cheyanne Chadwell, Kathryn Chambers, Rebecca Clark, Aryona Clay, Brady Coltrane, Ross Cooley, Chloe Cope, Sadie Cope, Kennedi Crum, Aulana Dudley, Christopher Dutton, Anna Lane Elmore, Grifﬁn Feazell, Natalia Ferrer, Allie Ford, Madee Frier, Karina Garcia Martinez, Blakley Glover, James Haberland, Hunter Hallmark,

Liam Harrell, Shekinah Harris, AJ Hazel, Taleen Hejazen, John Hickman, Amiya Holt, Paine Horton, Ali Hyde, Mary Grace Isbell, Alexis Johnson, Elsa Johnston, Aarian Jones, Camden Jung, Ella King, Adam Lepkowski, Brooke MacQuarrie, Hannah McCain, Luke McNeill, Kelsey Minor, Madalyn Minor, Lily Morgan, Annabelle Morrison, Ella Nunn, Mena Orso, Caroline Owen, Jonica Owen, Matthew Parrish, Veronica Patrick, Kaelin Pettit, Emma Pittman, Justin Rau, Trey Rayﬁeld, Amelia Richey, Morgan Riley, Haley Robinson, Patrick Roper, Hannah Roquet, Maria Rumore, Aiden Rupp, Olivia Sasser, Peter Shen, Abigail Shipley, Makele Silas, Allie Simmons, William Simpson, Noah Small, Mary Claire Vaughan, Angelina Venters, Jasmine Wadsworth, Jackson White, Wyatt Wilbanks, Crystal Williams and Alexis Williams. They are under the direction of Choir Director Dan Cater. – Submitted by Michelle Berg.

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A choir of seventh- and eighth-grade students from Simmons Middle School performed at the 9/11 Patriot Day remembrance ceremony Sept. 12 at the Hoover Fire Department’s Station No. 2. Photo courtesy of Michelle Berg.

HooverSun.com

Simmons Middle math teacher honored at school board meeting Kent Haines, an eighth-grade math teacher at Simmons Middle School, was recently recognized at the Sept. 12 Hoover School Board meeting for being one of 11 teachers nationwide to be named a Heinemann Fellow. Jason Gaston, the district coordinator of media/public relations for Hoover City Schools, presented Haines with a certiﬁcate of appreciation from the school district. More than 130 applications were submitted for the Heinemann Fellowship’s two-year program. The program is for classroom teachers who are interested in doing research within their own classrooms and using the Heinemann platform to share their results. The group will meet twice a year in person to share their developing research plans and brainstorm the next steps. Participants will have a conference call every six weeks to check on progress. Haines will also be writing four blog Kent Haines, an eighth-grade math teacher at posts for the Heinemann site for each Simmons Middle, was recognized at the Sept. 12 Hoover School Board meeting for being selected year of his fellowship. as one of 11 teachers nationwide to be named a Haines’ particular interest is in researching how kids can develop a Heinemann Fellow. Photo courtesy of Michelle Berg. deeper understanding of algebraic expressions and equations. Heinemann is an educational publishing “I think a lot of kids can read expressions company that develops new ways to teach such as 4(3x-7) in the same way that I can read literacy and math. Haines’ favorite math a Spanish newspaper,” Haines said. “We both book, “Extending Children’s Mathematread phonetically, meaning that they can pro- ics,” is about fractions and is published by nounce ‘four times 3x minus seven,’ but can’t Heinemann. tell you what that means or what the expression Because he has been a longtime fan of could represent. So I am trying some new tasks Heinemann, he decided to apply for the and activities that I hope give kids a deeper way program. to ‘read’ expressions and equations.” – Submitted by Michelle Berg.

November 2016 • B15

B16 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Eagle Scream Fun Run races to new heights

Berry Middle School students work on the school’s literary magazine, The Phoenix. Photo courtesy of Dianna Minor.

Berry Middle School makes changes to literary magazine Teacher sponsors Daniela DeLuca and Dianna Minor wanted to make the Berry Middle School’s literary magazine, The Phoenix, more student-centered while integrating writing and technology at the same time. Since the district has a one-to-one device program with Chromebooks, they knew they could implement the change. In August, the women developed a student writing staff and an art editing team made up of advanced eighth-grade art students. The student writers were recommended by English/Language Arts teachers and were

students who were winners in the schoolwide poetry contest last spring. The goal is to publish two digital editions (fall and winter) and one printed edition in the spring. DeLuca and Minor are excited about the changes and hope that increasing the number of publications during the year will encourage creativity thus resulting in more students submissions. Students can submit poems, short stories, ﬁction and nonﬁction, and original artwork. – Submitted by Dianna Minor.

Beckett Finn runs with the American ﬂag. Photo courtesy of Sarah Simmons.

Gwin Elementary School held their ﬁfth annual Eagle Scream Fun Run on Sept. 29, 2016. The event, put on entirely by Gwin parents and staff, has become a lively competition on campus and manages to pull in enough money each year to be Gwin’s only fundraiser. Following an Olympic theme this year, classes showed their patriotic spirit as they ran for gold. And gold they found: This year students, with the help of family and friends, as well as local businesses, raised over $40,000. This money will be used by the PTO to enhance the learning environment at Gwin and to fund special projects. It will be handed out as mini-grants for innovative classroom projects. – Submitted by Sarah Simmons.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • B17

Painter Sidney Carter of Powder Springs, Georgia, won the best in show award at the 2016 Bluff Park Art Show on Oct. 1. Photos by Jon Anderson.

Georgia painter wins top prize at 2016 Bluff Park Art Show

By JON ANDERSON

Cori Clark of Trussville checks out the pottery of Eric Strange of Tucker, Georgia, at the 2016 Bluff Park Art Show.

A painter from Georgia walked away with the top prize at the 2016 Bluff Park Art Show, held Oct. 1. Sidney Carter of Powder Springs, Georgia, received $3,500 for winning the Bluff Park Art Association Permanent Collection Purchase Award for one of his paintings called “The Harvest.” It was one of 15 awards given out at the 53rd annual show at the Bluff Park Community Center. This year’s show featured 145 artists from 10 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina,

Tennessee and Texas) and Washington, D.C., said Trish Hoover, an art enthusiast from Crestline who was one of three main organizers of this year’s show. Most of the artists had been in the show before, but this was the ﬁrst time for 38 of them, Hoover said. Ninety-one were from Alabama. A screening committee picked the artists after they submitted samples of their work in May, she said. The show included paintings, jewelry, clay, woodworking, ﬁber arts, sculptures, metalworking, digital imagery, glass and mixed media, Hoover said. The Bluff Park Art Association got 20 percent of the sales, with proceeds going to support the arts in the greater Birmingham area.

B18 • November 2016

Sports Spain Park combo guard Jamal Johnson committed to Memphis in September and will play for legendary coach Tubby Smith. Photos by Ted Melton.

Hoover Sun

MEMPHIS on his MIND Present, future on court bright for Jamal Johnson By KYLE PARMLEY Tubby Smith probably didn’t think he had a shot at Jamal Johnson. The coach who won the NCAA Championship in 1998 as the head coach at the University of Kentucky was on the Spain Park High School campus last year, at the time coaching at Texas Tech. He was primarily looking at Austin Wiley, the talented 6-foot-10 forward who is committed to Auburn University and attended Spain Park through last school year. “They were really here looking at Austin, then they saw Jamal play, and they were like, ‘Dang, who is this guy?’” recalled Spain Park head coach Donnie Quinn. That impression of the athletic combo guard for the Jaguars stuck with Smith, who was hired at the University of Memphis in April. One of the first things Smith did upon getting the job was call about Johnson. “When they got the job at Memphis, they offered me right then,” Johnson said. Johnson took an official visit to Memphis the first weekend of September, a trip that left no doubt in his mind about his future.

HooverSun.com “It was a great visit,” he said. “I bonded with the team well. Coach Tubby and (assistant) coach (Joe) Esposito, I just felt like I could trust them the most. I feel like this team was the best fit for me, and I just wanted to make it happen.” Josh Pastner spent the previous seven seasons as the head coach at Memphis before taking the Georgia Tech job in early April. In those seven years, Pastner won plenty, but the Tigers never regained the success as in John Calipari’s years as head coach, when they went to the Elite Eight twice and the national championship game in 2008. Calipari’s team only lost 14 games total in his final four years before he accepted the Kentucky job. Johnson said he feels like he is part of the solution to restoring the Memphis basketball program to its previous heights. “Memphis is a big basketball school and a big basketball city,” Johnson said. “I feel like with coach Tubby and his staff, they can turn it back around and make it better.” Johnson’s current coach is happy with the decision for a pair of reasons. It is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal for Johnson, and allows him to focus solely on basketball in his senior season. “I’m just proud for him because it’s been his ambition since he was a little kid,” Quinn said. “If anyone deserves it, it’s him. He’s worked really hard. I think Memphis is glad to have him. I think they’re lucky to have him.” Speaking of focusing on his final high school season, Johnson faces a bit of an adjustment. During the 2015-16 season, Johnson, Wiley and Justin Brown were the focal points of the team, especially offensively. If defenses planned on shutting down one or two of those three, any of the three proved more than capable of carrying the team on his shoulders down the stretch of a game. The Jags advanced to the state semifinals and finished with a 23-10 record. Wiley led the team in scoring, averaging a double-double with 21.7 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Johnson averaged 18 points per contest, seven rebounds and four assists. The third force in that potent offense was Brown, who chipped in 12.5 points per game.

“

November 2016 • B19

Jamal Johnson averaged 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a junior. Now as a key returner, Johnson said he feels like the upcoming season has a good chance of being successful.

Brown graduated, and Wiley transferred to The Conrad Academy in Orlando, Florida, leaving Johnson as the unquestioned leading returner. Despite that fact, Johnson feels like the upcoming season has a good chance of being successful. “We made it pretty far last year, and we got a lot of players back,” Johnson said. “I feel like we can make another run for it. Everybody’s focused and determined to try to get back to that stage and to try to win it all this year.” Johnson will be the focal point of every opposition. To counteract that, Johnson said he has to “keep progressing as a player.” He also emphasized playing together as a unit and not attempting to carry the load on his own. “I think that we’ll be a better team if we’re

all as one instead of one player being a great player,” he said If that team concept is to come to fruition, Johnson will have to be the one to take the bull by the horns, according to Quinn. “It all comes down to leadership,” Quinn said. “His leadership skills, if they can be better, he can really lead our team and have those guys play around him and for him. That’s what’s going to be the difference for us. I think we’ve got a really good team, some really good players, but will they jell? Will they play well together? Will they have the same goal as each other? If they do, we’ll be fine.” Some of those players who will aim to provide production around Johnson are Xavier Blanchard, who was ineligible last year,

I’m just proud for him because it’s been his ambition since he was a little kid. If anyone deserves it, it’s him. ... I think Memphis is glad to have him. I think they’re lucky to have him.

”

DONNIE QUINN

forwards Justice Canady and Ronald Fortson, Parker Boswell and Johnson’s younger brother, Trey. “They’re sleeping on some of the guys on our team,” Johnson said. “Once (other teams) realize that they can step up, they’re going to have to guard these players on our team, too.” Quinn also noted the team’s game plan has always been built around Johnson to a certain extent, so he does not envision the team’s playing style to change dramatically. He also does not worry about Johnson potentially pressing or trying to do too much. “I don’t think pressure bothers him,” Quinn said. “I don’t see that as an issue for him. I think he looks forward to that, actually. That doesn’t concern me at all.” If there is one guy who can prepare Johnson for what is to come this year, it’s his father, Buck Johnson, who starred at Birmingham’s Hayes High School from 1979-1982. He won “Mr. Basketball” his senior season and then went on to play at the University of Alabama from 1982-1986. He was drafted in the first round by the Houston Rockets and spent seven seasons in the NBA. “He’s been my only consistent trainer,” Jamal Johnson said. “He has been telling me to stay aggressive and to keep a positive mindset. With everything that happens, all the little triumphs you have, always keep a positive mindset and stuff will work out for you.”

B20 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Horton’s high energy brings excitement to court By KYLE PARMLEY High school volleyball is played in a best-of-five set format. A team must reach 25 points to win any of the first four sets, while the fifth is played to 15. That leaves the possibility for over 200 points in a tight match. So, why, at 5-4 in the second set, does Spain Park’s Caroline Horton feel the need to scream like her team just won the state championship? “Because it’s exciting,” she exclaimed. “Every single point matters, so you treat every point like it’s game point. You have to get that excited for every point.” Horton, a junior, plays on a Jaguar team that is senior-laden, with eight players who will be graduating at the conclusion of this school year. Due to that fact, her on-court impact will reach its peak next season. That’s not stopping her, though. Any point the Jags win, Horton is out of her seat, celebrating along with the rest of the team. She’s certainly the catalyst behind the spike in the decibel meter after each Spain Park triumph. “I think my personality brings energy to the team,” Horton said. “I’m always enthusiastic and screaming.” Whether on the court or the sideline, junior outside hitter Marlee Johnson contends each team needs the exuberance of every person after a point. “It’s a team sport, more so than any other sport. I get more excited for other people who get kills, because in some way, everyone is a part of that and every point matters,” she said. Johnson also sees the effect on her team when the opposition runs off a few points in a row. “The swing of volleyball is so big

“

When you hear your teammates — who you work hard with every single day — cheering for you when they’re not out there doing it, it makes you want to work even harder.

”

CAROLINE HORTON

from side to side,” Johnson said. “If you don’t have the momentum, you can’t win, because the other team will get in your head.” Horton added, “Energy keeps your team up. If you play without energy, you play dead and it seems like you don’t want it as much.” Horton also knows from experience how gratifying it is to make a big play during a match and to have the bench get excited for her. “Oh, it makes you even more excited and motivated to keep doing great,” she said. “When you hear your teammates — who you work hard with every single day — cheering for you when they’re not out there doing it, it makes you want to work even harder.” Those sideline antics? She admits they are not all spontaneous. “We’re over there saying, ‘All right, next point, we’re going to get up and scream,” she said. “Everybody on this bench better be standing up screaming, slapping the ﬂoor. “That’s what we talk about; how we’re going to get the team excited.”

Caroline Horton, No. 10, brings the energy for the Spain Park volleyball team. Photo by Kyle Parmley.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 • B21

Pickering emerges as a top prep kicker By CHRIS MEGGINSON When his career-best 49-yard field goal cleared the uprights by a good 5 yards or more, fans at Tuscaloosa County High School began asking, “Who is this guy?” Hoover junior kicker Barret Pickering has been a key weapon for Hoover this season, placing more than 70 percent of his kickoffs for touchbacks, punting inside the 20 on multiple occasions, and being on a record-breaking pace for field goals and extra points. Hoover head coach Josh Niblett joked he should have backed up that September kick a few more yards to give Hoover its first 50-yarder. In time, it will come. “Distance doesn’t really matter. I just go out there, and they’re all the same kicks,” Pickering said, who kicked four field goals from 40-plus in September. “He’s just money. He’s a kid that works his tail off every day. He works to master his skill. He’s done an unbelievable job of that,” Niblett said. “Every time we come out, I kind of know where he’s good from. He’ll talk to you and let you know how he’s feeling.” Pickering first saw varsity action in 2015, connecting on 12-of-12 PATs and 5-of-8 field goals, including his first multiple field goal game in the 7A semifinal loss at Spain Park. This year, through eight games, Pickering already had a school record with 16 made field goals and was 100 percent on his point-after tries. His early highlights this season include three field goals against Central-Phenix City, four field goals against both Mountain Brook

Barret Pickering is ranked No. 2 on the KohlsKicking.com list of kickers for the Class of 2018. Photo by Barry Stephenson.

and Spain Park and two against Tuscaloosa County, the 49-yarder to tie for longest in program history. The school record for points by a kicker in a season is 105 by Michael Mahon in 2002, while the AHSAA record for ﬁeld goals made in a season is 22. “I’m not really worried about records in particular. Just making ﬁeld goals is more important,” Pickering said. A soccer player in his early years, Pickering began playing football in middle school. By his freshman year, he decided to step away from soccer and focus on a future in football to play in college and “however long it takes me.” “It was a hard decision to let go of something

you’ve been doing for 12 and 13 years,” he said. His decision has paid off. After attending several national camps in 2015, Pickering, a ﬁve-star recruit, has moved to No. 2 on the KohlsKicking.com list of kickers for the Class of 2018. He’s already attracted attention from Rutgers, North Carolina and Notre Dame, which he unofﬁcially visited Sept. 24. “He’s got a great opportunity in front of him. He’ll stay hungry, and he’ll stay humble, because that’s the kind of kid he is. I think he’ll be a special player for anybody, because anytime you pass the 30-yard line and give that guy an opportunity, he’s going to put it through the uprights,” Niblett said

The biggest key for Pickering is consistency and his “just kickin’ it” attitude, as his Twitter proﬁle reads. “My personality in general is pretty laid back. I don’t overstress on kicks or anything, and it just helps me play better,” he said. “He’s a kid that doesn’t let anything rattle him. He’s locked in and focused on what he’s got to do, and the thing about it is he doesn’t change anything,” Niblett said. “He kicks extra points and ﬁeld goals the same way. He’s just smooth. He takes a good swing at it. He’s got a great, powerful leg.” Pickering said he hopes to have plenty more kicks this season, which he hopes continues all the way to the Super 7 in Auburn.

B22 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Playoffs an annual tradition for Bucs, Jags By KYLE PARMLEY Hoover and Spain Park’s high school football programs have each experienced more playoff success than the law of averages suggests they should. According to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society, the Buccaneers have reached the state playoffs 32 times, including this year. In the previous 31 appearances, Hoover has lost just 20 times. That means the Bucs have received a state championship trophy in more than 35 percent of their trips to the postseason. Last fall happened to be one of the 20 times Hoover has fallen short of the pinnacle, as the Bucs lost to crosstown rival Spain Park in the Class 7A semifinals, 7-6. Last season was also the first time Hoover has not advanced to at least the state championship game since 2007, making it the first time a Josh Niblett-coached Hoover team failed to reach that mark. However, the 2016 edition of the Bucs looks more than capable of making it back to that point. “Sometimes you’ve got to lose something before you appreciate how much you enjoyed having it,” head coach Niblett said before the season. “You hate to see it happen that way, but it did.” Hoover locked up the Region 3 championship Oct. 7, with a dominating win over Huffman. As the season has progressed, the offense has looked more comfortable under the guidance of quarterback Garrett Farquhar each week, and the defense has shut down opponents with frequency. Spain Park has only fielded a football program since 2002, so the Jaguars have not had the same amount of time as Hoover to build up as extensive of

a resume, but their first nine playoff appearances since the formation of the school have been nothing to turn a nose up at. According to AHSFHS.org, the Jags are 14-9 all-time in the playoffs, meaning they have not been able to achieve the ultimate goal of a state championship. They have been on the doorstep twice, reaching the title game in 2007 and 2015, dropping low-scoring affairs in both situations. Last fall, the Jags dropped a tight 14-12 decision to McGill-Toolen in the Super 7, but the rebound this year has been different than the season following Spain Park’s first state championship showing. After reaching that point in 2007, Spain Park trudged to a 4-6 record in 2008 and failed to qualify for the postseason. Head coach Shawn Raney alerted his team of that piece of history during the summer, determined not to have that happen again. Back-to-back losses to Hoover and Mountain Brook following a 3-0 start put the Jags in a tough spot, prompting Raney to emphasize to his team that the Huffman game on Sept. 30, coming off the team’s bye week, began the “playoffs” for Spain Park. Given that mindset, the real state playoffs will not require any shift in focus for the Jags. The Hoover Sun will continue to have in-depth online coverage of the Hoover and Spain Park football teams as the season progresses into the state playoffs at hooversun.com. The first round of the playoffs is set for Nov. 4. Also, be sure to like The Hoover Sun’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter, @HooverSun, to stay up to the minute on all the action.

Hoover has won an incredible 11 state championships in 31 playoff appearances. Photo by Barry Stephenson. Spain Park was determined to not have a down year following a state championship appearance in 2015. Photo by Ted Melton.

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HooverSun.com

November 2016 • B23

Opinion LETTER TO THE EDITOR Amendments to give communities control

Hoover High School junior John McCrackin will try and help his Bucs claim their ﬁrst state crosscountry title since 2007. Photo by Sam Chandler.

Hoover cross-country readies for shot at elusive title By SAM CHANDLER Hoover High School head cross-country coach Devon Hind believes the Class 7A boys cross-country team that wins a blue trophy on Nov. 12 won’t be the one with the most talent. Rather, it will be the team that demonstrates the coolness, grit and ability to execute under pressure. Hind has prepared his Bucs to be that team. That’s why they traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to compete in the Brooks Twilight Classic. That’s why they traveled to Boise, Idaho, to compete in the Bob Firman Invitational. That’s why Hind — well before the season started — charted out a schedule that would make the state meet feel like a step down in competition. “We’ll be running against much better competition at these other meets,” Hind said in July. “If they can do well there, there’s no reason why they can’t

think, ‘Hey, we can do it here.’” To clinch their ﬁrst state title since 2007, the Hoover boys will have to best Mountain Brook — a team they’ve played teeter-totter with all season. As of Oct. 17, the Bucs had gone 1-2 in head-to-head matchups with their nearby rival, but neither victory was convincing enough to make the Spartans an outright favorite. On state day, the Bucs will need to perform when it counts. The Hoover girls, on the other hand, face a steeper challenge to procure a blue trophy. Although the Bucs have two front-runners in Sydney Steely and Ava Weems, they lack the depth possessed by teams such as Mountain Brook and Huntsville. Both schools pose obstacles that will be difﬁcult to overcome. The AHSAA State Cross Country Championships are Nov. 12 at Oakville Indian Mounds Park near Moulton.

Four state amendments that will give control of local government to the communities involved will be on ballots in November. State amendments 3, 4, 5 and 6 resulted from a statewide nonpartisan commission chaired by former Gov. Albert Brewer. Amendment 3 restricts legislators from forcing all voters in the state to vote on an amendment that affects only one county. In the ﬁrst vote on a local amendment, legislators will decide if the amendment has merit. If they approve the amendment, then they will vote on whether it will be on the ballot of only the county affected. This is a change from current practice in which a single legislator voting against the merits of a local amendment forces it to a statewide vote. Amendment 4 gives components of local government to the communities by allowing counties to establish programs, policies and procedures related to county government. The amendment will not allow counties to increase or levy new taxes, nor will it allow counties to amend or repeal an existing local law. This is a change from current practice in which local governments

must rely on the Legislature, through constitutional amendments, to establish programs and procedures related to county government. Jefferson County is exempt from this amendment because of legal activity still pending about the sewer rate schedule, but the amendment will be on Jefferson County ballots even though it won’t apply to Jefferson County. Amendment 5 will simply modernize the language in the Constitution by renaming the “departments” of governments into “branches.” Amendment 6 provides that two-thirds of the Senate must vote to approve an impeachment, a change from the current constitutional language which does not specify the percentage required for impeachment. Amendment 6 also will bring the Constitution in line with current practices by limiting the list of those who may be impeached to elected ofﬁcials, removing an appointed position from the list. We hope your readers will vote “yes” on all these amendments. Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform ► Brunson White, Vestavia Hills ► Lenora Pate, Birmingham ► John Northrop, Homewood ► Nancy Ekberg, Vestavia Hills ► Kate Nielsen, Mountain Brook

Offer Expires 11/30/2016

B24 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Above: Along with making tabletop items, Sherri Van Pelt said she also likes to experiment with creating jewelry. Left: Van Pelt said she enjoys mixing colors and creating new designs with kiln-formed glass. Photos by Sarah Cook.

GLASS

CONTINUED from page B1 make it, and I would open up the kiln, and I would say ‘Oh, this is so beautiful.’” Van Pelt was ﬁrst introduced to the art of kiln-formed glass by friend Mary Aiken, who made the stained-glass windows in the chapel at Children’s of Alabama. “She showed me how to cut glass in her studio, and she gave me a bunch of scraps,” the artist said. “She said, ‘You can’t do anything wrong.’” After seeing the result of the process, which yielded a collage of colors, Van Pelt went out the next day and purchased a kiln for herself. “I didn’t have a clue what I was doing,” she said with a laugh.

It didn’t take long, however, for Van Pelt to master the trade. One kiln quickly turned into ﬁve, and shipments of glass began to roll in from 18-wheeler trucks. The endless possibilities of color, form, light and texture when working with glass appeal to Van Pelt. With a penchant for infusing bright, vibrant colors in her work — which run the gamut of tabletop items to jewelry — Van Pelt said people have begun coining her artwork “happy glass.” Van Pelt said she doesn’t mind the name. “When I started doing shows, people would tell me, ‘Oh, your colors just make me so happy,’ and they started saying it over and over, so I said, ‘Well, I’m just going to call it happy glass,’” Van Pelt said. Along with the joy she ﬁnds from producing a variety of products, Van Pelt admitted she also

ﬁnds solace in the hobby. “When I’m doing it, it’s all I can think about,” she said. “I’ve spent so much of my career talking about the therapeutic value of the arts. I would use art with my patients to help them physically and emotionally.” Even before Van Pelt began working with glass, she gravitated toward the arts as a form of self-expression. Especially in some situations, she said, art provided a needed escape. “Twelve years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and so art was an important part of my journey there,” she said. “I did some drawings, paintings — just kind of part of the process.” Now cancer free, Van Pelt said art continues to provide an outlet for creativity and expression. By experimenting with different forms of glass, she said, she is able to see

how the material reacts and blends under high temperatures. Sometimes, Van Pelt said she surprises herself with the outcome. “It’s so beautiful, but it’s a long process,” she said. “There is nothing fast about it.” Throughout Van Pelt’s Hoover home, which is covered almost wall to wall with art from local and regional artists, Van Pelt displays some of her work — each piece with its own special story to tell. Her work, she said, is inspired by a little bit of everything. “Everything I look at now, I think about glass,” Van Pelt said. “When I’m outside and I see birds and ﬂowers, I think they’re so beautiful. And the colors God put on the birds and the ﬂowers, I mean, you can’t do any better than that.” For more, visit sherrivanpelt.com.

HooverSun.com

November 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ B25

Hoover Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

764536

35226

2460 Brookline Drive

New

$699,987

765042

35226

1201 Deer Trail Road

New

$244,900

764997

35226

532 Clearview Road

New

$224,900

764954

35226

527 Park Avenue

New

$292,500

764895

35226

2026 Waterford Place #2026

New

$115,000

764877

35226

1629 Stonewall Drive

New

$309,900

764865

35226

2140 Chapel Road

New

$239,900

764826

35226

131 Ridge Pass

New

$419,828

764742

35226

3949 Haddon Circle

New

$629,900

764723

35226

1308 Patton Creek Drive #1308

New

$88,000

764707

35226

2612 Montauk Road

New

$450,000

764681

35226

309 Shadeswood Drive

New

$285,000

764556

35226

1340 Chester Street

New

$249,000

764552

35226

2410 Huntington Glen Drive

New

$429,900

764875

35226

4312 Village Green Way

New

$399,000

764397

35226

408 Highland Cove Drive

New

$175,000

764382

35226

616 Village Crest Circle

New

$225,000

764316

35226

4360 Abbotts Way

New

$389,900

764268

35226

2449 Hawksbury Lane

New

$159,900

764267

35226

1574 James Hill Cove

New

$399,500

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on Oct. 17. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

2460 Brookline Drive

4312 Village Green Way

B26 • November 2016

Hoover Sun

Calendar Hoover Events Tuesday nights: Kids eat free at Vecchia Pizzeria & Mercato. 610 Preserve Parkway. (One child per adult.) Visit vecchiabirmingham.com. Nov. 3: Economic Development Committee Meeting. Hoover Chamber of Commerce. Nov. 3: The Big Fake Wedding Birmingham. 7 p.m. Park Crest Events. For brides and grooms-tobe. Nov. 5-6: 11th Annual Moss Rock Festival. The Preserve in Hoover. An eco-creative festival exploring Nature, SmartLIVING, Art + Design. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. $7 adult day, $10 adult weekend. $5 seniors & students with valid ID. Kids 15 & under are free. Free parking and shuttle at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. MossRockFestival.com. Nov. 7, 14 & 21: After School Clay Class with Lana Hobbs. 4 p.m.-6 p.m. For ages 8-12. $125 for

three weeks. Visit artistsonthebluff.com.

Creek. Book signing at 5:30 p.m.

brarytheatre.com.

Nov. 8, 15, 22 & 29: Hand Building Class with Lana Hobbs. 9:30 a.m. Artists on the Bluff. $200 for 4 weeks. Visit artistsonthebluff.com.

Nov. 11 & 15: Beginning Zentangle with Darla Williamson. 2 p.m. Artists on the Bluff. 2 p.m. Supplies included in $35 fee.

Nov. 10: Hoover Chamber Coffee & Contacts. 7:30-9 a.m. Park Crest Events, 2030 Little Valley Road. Visit hooverchamber.org.

Nov. 15: Horizons Luncheon. 1 p.m. Hoover Senior Center.

Nov. 17: Hoover Chamber Luncheon. Hyatt Regency-The Wynfrey Hotel. 11:15 a.m. networking, noon luncheon. Call 988-5672 or email lisa@ hooverchamber.org for reservations. Visit hooverchamber.org.

Nov. 10: Birmingham Teenage Republicans Club Meeting. Logan’s Roadhouse, 100 Resource Center Parkway, Highway 280. Speaker: Young Boozer, State of Alabama Treasurer. Nov. 10: Veterans Celebration. 1 p.m. Hoover Senior Center. Nov. 11: Santa and Elf Magic Elves. 1-5 p.m. Wrapsody, 161 Main St., Patton Creek. Free. Nov. 11: Book launch. Barnes & Noble at Patton

Stardome Comedy Club Nov 1-6: Jen Kober. Tuesday-Friday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Sunday at 6:30 p.m. $9.75/$16.50. Nov. 9: Drew Lynch. 7:30 p.m. $23. Nov. 10: Darren Knight (a.k.a. Southern Mama). 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Thursday. $25. Nov. 11-12: James Gregory. Friday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and 8:45

p.m. $21.50. Nov. 15-16: The Midnight Swinger. 7:30 p.m. $9.75. Nov. 18-20: Deon Cole. Friday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. $23. Nov. 29-Dec. 1: Shaun Jones. 7:30 p.m. $9.75.

Nov. 15: The Hoover Historical Society. 1:30 p.m. Hoover Library. Terri Hicks, executive assistant at the president emeritus ofﬁce at Birmingham-Southern College, will speak on the origins of holiday traditions followed at our own antebellum house Arlington and across the South. Nov. 16: Chamber Ambassador Meeting. 4:30 p.m. Hoover Chamber Ofﬁce. Visitors welcome. Visit hooverchamber.org. Nov. 16-18: Dailey & Vincent. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. $25. Visit theli-

Nov. 19: Members Only Guided Bird Walk. 8 a.m. Aldridge Gardens. Free. RSVP. Nov 19: USATF Regional Junior Olympics XC Meet. All day. Veterans Park, Valleydale Road. Visit hooveral.org. Nov. 20: Handel’s Messiah. 3 p.m. Riverchase United Methodist Church. Presented by the Alabama Civic Chorale. Free. Nov. 29: Pottery Christmas Tree Trio Workshop with Lana Hobbs. 6:30 p.m. Artists on the Bluff. $45. Visit artistsonthebluff.com.

Hoover Public Library Kids

a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Mondays: Together with Twos. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Thursdays: ExploraStory. 10:30 a.m.

Mondays: Story Lab. 4 p.m. Ages 3-8.

Thursdays: PJ Storytime. 6:30 p.m.

Tuesdays: Mother Goose. 9:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Nov. 18: Tween Scene: Pokemon. 4 p.m. Ages 10-13.

Tuesdays: Early Birds. 10 a.m.

Adults

Wednesdays: Rockin’ Tots. 9:30

Tuesdays, Nov. 1-29: Adult

English Classes. 6:30 p.m.–8 p.m. Theatre Level Meeting Rooms. Free basic or intermediate English classes. Thursdays, Nov. 3-17: English Conversation Club. 6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Library Plaza. Informal English practice for speakers of other languages. Nov. 3: First Thursday Fiction Book Group. 10 a.m. Adult Program Room. The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure.

HooverSun.com

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Nov. 3: Grand Opening and Celebration for East 59 Café. 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. East 59th Café on the Library Plaza. Free samples and door prizes. Nov. 6: Veteran’s Reception. 2 p.m. Library Plaza. Join us as we kick off the 12th Annual Thank a Vet Week. Reception at 2 p.m. followed by a musical concert with the Alabama Youth Symphony and then a ﬂag folding ceremony at 4 p.m. Nov. 7: Friends of the Hoover Library. 10 a.m. Library Plaza. Presidential Trivia with Jerry Desmond, director of the Birmingham History Center Museum. Refreshments at 9:45 a.m. Nov. 7: The Homefront. 2 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. The Library Theatre. Film tells stories of America’s modern military families. Free admission and refreshments. Nov. 7: Discoveries in the Making. 6:30 p.m. Theatre Level Meeting Rooms. Two topics: “The Science of Distracted Driving” and “Driving through the Lens of Autism.” Presented by the UAB Graduate School. Nov. 8: The A, B, C & Ds of Medicare. 1 p.m. Adult Program Room. Get simple and straightforward answers about Medicare at this educational workshop. Nov. 8: Spanish Conversation Club. 7 p.m. Library Plaza. Practice your Spanish and celebrate the culture! Adults 17 and up. Nov. 9: Culinary Herbs: Medicine from the Spice Cabinet. 6:30 p.m. Adult Program Room. Spices are not only nutrient dense, but contain powerful properties that go beyond seasoning. Presented by Antonia Viteri.

Nov. 13: How to Find Grants. 2:30 p.m. Training Center. See Nov. 12 for more information. Nov. 14: Helping Hands. 3:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Adult Program Room. Drop in to make newspaper rolls for a local humane society. Adults and teens. Nov. 15: Glue Gun Gang: Sock Snowman. 6:30 p.m. Adult Program Room. Do you want to build a snowman? This adorable craft makes a great gift. Adults only. Free! Reservations required. Nov. 15: French Conversation Club. 7 p.m.–8 p.m. Library Plaza. Practice your French and celebrate the culture. Nov. 16: Thank a Vet Fiction Author Skype. 10 a.m. Adult Program Room. Skype with Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men are Gone. Discuss these short stories about the wives of deployed soldiers based at Fort Hood, Texas. Nov. 16: No Jacket Required Nonﬁction Book Group. 10:30 a.m. Adult Program Room. This month’s genre: Military History & War. Nov. 17: Glue Gun Gang: Sock Snowman. 10:30 a.m. Adult Program Room. See Nov. 15 for more information. Nov. 18: After Hours @ the Plaza: Game Nite. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Library Plaza. Put your game face on and team up with your fellow gamers. Nov. 19: Write Club. 10:30 a.m. Adult Program Room. Share and network with other aspiring writers.

Nov. 10: Second Thursday Fiction Book Group. 10 a.m. Adult Program Room. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Nov. 19: International Games Day @ Your Library! 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Library Plaza. Sponsored by the American Library Association a day of gaming will include game demos and door prizes.

Nov. 12: How to Find Grants. 10:30 a.m. Training Center. Learn how to use the Foundation Center Cooperative database to ﬁnd grants for nonproﬁts and individuals. Reservations required.

Nov. 21-27: Thanksgiving Week Color & Chill. Open–Close each day. Adult Program Room. Drop in any time to relax during this adult coloring event. All supplies provided. Adults and teens.

Nov. 12: Purl @ the Plaza. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Library Plaza. Winter is coming. Join others who love to knit, crochet or embroider.

Nov. 28: Neuroscience Cafe: Your Brain on Estrogen. 6:30 p.m. Theatre Level Meeting Rooms. Presented by the UAB Comprehensive Neuroscience Center.

Nov. 13: Corey Nolen featuring Ashley Spurling. 2:30 p.m. Library Plaza. Singer/songwriter and 2015 winner of the “Make Music Alabama” competition.

Nov. 28: Monday at the Movies. 2 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. The Library Theatre. Free admission and refreshments.

Area Events Nov. 1: 10th Annual Out of the Darkness Walk, 2:30 p.m. at Heardmont Park. Registration at 1 p.m. Nov. 2: Dia de los Muertos Festival. 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Cahaba Brewing Company. Day of the Dead Festival. Visit barehandsinc.org. Nov. 3: 27th Annual Wine Auction Beneﬁting Alabama’s Children. 6 p.m. Wine tasting and silent auction. $75 per person. Visit tumtumtreefoundation.org. Nov. 3-6: Christmas Village Festival. BJCC Exhibition Halls. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. $12 adults, children 6-12, $5, 6 and under: free. Visit christmasvillagefestival. com. Nov. 4: Bonnie Raitt. 7 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. Tickets $129 and up. Visit vividseats.com. Nov. 4: Jeff Dunham Perfectly Unbalanced Tour. 8 p.m. BJCC Legacy Arena. $51. Visit jeffdunham.com. Nov. 5: Vulcan Run 10K. 8 a.m. Boutwell Auditorium. $40 race fee. Visit runsignup.com. Nov. 7: BAO Bingo. 7 p.m. Birmingham AIDS Outreach. $15 for 5 games. Visit birminghamaidsoutreach.org. Nov. 7: Brand New. 7:30 p.m. Alabama Theatre. With guests The Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball. $31-$46. Visit ﬁghtoffyourdemons.com. Nov. 9-12 and Nov. 16-18: Vinegar Tom. 7:30 p.m., Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. Nov. 11: Veterans Day Parade. 1:30 p,m, Downtown Birmingham. Visit nationalveteransday.org. Nov. 11: Gucci Mane and Friends. 7 p.m. Legacy

Arena at BJCC. $28.50-$78.50. Visit bjcc.org. Nov. 11: Kip Moore with special guest Jon Pardi. 8 p.m. Alabama Theatre. $28.50-$32.50. Visit alabamatheatre.com. Nov. 11: Magic Men Live! 8 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. $22-$77. Visit magicmenlive.com. Nov. 11-12: RMTC Veterans Day Celebration. RMTC Cabaret Theatre. Performance by Three on a String and The Seasoned Performers. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $15. Visit redmountaintheatre.org. Nov. 14: Carrie Underwood. 7 p.m. Legacy Arena at the BJCC. $44-$74. Visit carrieunderwoodofﬁcial. com. Nov. 15: Bob Dylan and His Band. 8 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. $62 and $92. Visit bobdylan.com. Nov. 23: The 1975. BJCC Concert Hall. 8 p.m. $39.50-$52. Visit the1975.com. Nov. 25: Festival of Praise Tour 2016. 7:30 p.m. Legacy Arena at the BJCC. $29-$59. Visit festivalofpraisetour.com. Nov. 25: Casting Crowns with Matt Maher and Hannah Kerr. 7 p.m. Boutwell Auditorium. $25-$75. Visit premierproductions.com. Nov. 25: Moon Taxi with The Soul Rebels. 8 p.m. Alabama Theatre. $25.50-$35.50. Visit ridethemoontaxi.com. Nov. 27: Goo Goo Dolls. 7:30 p.m. BJCC Concert Hall. $36-$61. Visit googoodolls.com.