Hoover Sun December 2022

CREATING TECH HOT SPOTS CREATING TECH HOT SPOTS

Hoover hopes to transform Meadow Brook, Inverness office parks into mixed-use innovation centers

By JON ANDERSON

s the office market deals with high vacancy rates, Hoover officials are developing strategies to help re-energize and potentially transform some of the city’s office parks into

mixed-use centers, particularly in the U.S. 280 corridor.

The city is focusing on Meadow Brook Corporate Park and Inver ness Center North, both of which have large office buildings available

Hoover rings in the Christmas season

By JON ANDERSON

December is a busy time of year, with lots of Christmas-themed activities across the city. Neighborhoods get decked out with lights and other decorations, friends and families throw parties and many churches have Christ mas pageants, cantatas, nativity scenes and candlelight services.

Here are a few specific events happening in Hoover, with more details on pages A30-A31:

► Fire Department Toy Drive

New PTO Presidents

– mid-November through mid-December ► Gifts of Art at Aldridge Gardens – Dec. 1

Santa’s Circus – Dec. 1-2

Aldridge Greenery Sale – Dec. 1-3

Bluff Park Christmas Parade – Dec. 3

Christmas Fair on the Farm – Dec. 3

Ho Ho Hoover – Dec. 4

Jingle Bell Run – Dec. 10 ► Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra –Dec. 11

Basketball Preview

Santa Claus, followed by Mrs. Claus, makes his way down Cloudland Drive on a motorcycle during the annual Bluff Park Christmas Parade in December 2021.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

A birds-eye view of the Meadow Brook Office Park along U.S. 280 Photo courtesy of 58INC.

Children

• Come Home for Christmas - November 30 at 4:45 PMbreakfast for dinner, milk and cookies with Santa

• ADVENTure at Angel Workshop - December 10 at 9 AM - learn about Advent and make crafts

Adults

• Hanging of the Greens - November 27 at 6 PMprepare for Advent with a music-filled service

• Adult Christmas Dinner - December 1 at 6 PMfellowship and dinner with musical entertainment

Music

• Music Ministry Christmas Celebration - December 11 at 9:45 & 11 AM - Feel the joy of the season featuring music from the Sanctuary Choir, Children’s Choir, and a 32-piece professional orchestra.

Christmas Eve

All services feature music, candlelight singing of Silent Night, and Communion.

· Traditional Worship - 3, 5, 7, & 11 PM

The holiday season is here, and we invite you to Come Home for Christmas! Our holiday schedule has been designed with you in mind – something for everyone. So, we hope you’ll be our guest this year at Riverchase UMC as we all Come Home for Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ!

· Modern Worship - 5 PM Nursery provided at 3, 5, & 7 PM www.riverchaseumc.org

Rev. Tony Johnson Senior Pastor

As the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Alabama, the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center provides the most advanced care possible. Using cutting edge research, the latest technologies and a team approach, we’re creating new innovative therapies and more positive outcomes.

onealcanceruab.org

Editor’s Note By Jon Anderson

I’m in the camp of people who usually aren’t ready to celebrate Christmas until after Thanksgiving is over. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, but I like to enjoy Thanksgiving as a holiday unto itself as well.

But now Thanksgiving is over, and the Christmas season is upon us, so you can let Bing Crosby — or who ever your favorite singer is — belt out “White Christmas” all you want. I love to ride around town looking at Christmas lights, go to the Alabama Theatre to catch a Christmas show and attend a Christmas Eve candle light service.

But there is no shortage of holiday events around Hoover.

The city was planning its annual Christmas tree lighting for Nov. 29, and Aldridge Gardens is holding its Gifts of Art sale on Dec. 1 and

holiday greenery sale Dec. 1-3.

The Hoover Public Library has a holiday-themed, acrobatic circus production scheduled for Dec. 1-2, and the Bluff Park community is hosting its annual Christmas parade

and Christmas Fair at the Hare Farm on Dec. 3.

About Us Please Support Our Community Partners

The Hoover Helps nonprofit is having its Ho Ho Hoover fundrais er at the Hoover Randle Home & Gardens on Dec. 4, and the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell 5K Run is at Veterans Park on Dec. 10. Read details about each of these in our Christmas event roundup, which kicks off on the cover and continues on pages A30-A31.

I hope you all have a merry Christ mas and joyful holiday season!

Alabama Dance Academy (A8)

Alabama Goods (A28)

Art House Creative; Austin Freeman (A9)

Bedzzz Express (A32)

Brewer Cabinets (A25)

Bromberg’s (A22)

Brookwood Baptist Health Tenet Physician Resources (A21)

Brookwood Diagnostic Centers (A22)

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Budget Blinds (A11)

Carpet Warehouse Galleria (A7)

Children’s of Alabama (A19)

Clearview Strategy Partners (A29)

Danberry at Inverness (A26)

Dave and Busters (A27)

Edward Jones - Joe Prokop & Timothy “TJ” Dolan (A9)

Enroll Alabama (A11)

ENT Associates of Alabama (A28)

Etc. (A13)

French Drains Pro (A19)

Gardner Landscaping (A6) Groome Transportation (A17)

Issis & Sons (A21)

Kete Cannon, ARC Realty (A7)

Las Garzas (A14)

Legend Windows (A12, A27)

Luckie’s Pinestraw (A1)

Medical West Hospital (A5)

Mr. Handyman of Birmingham (A10)

One Man & A

Toolbox (A14)

Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (A29)

Red Mountain Glass and Mirror (A16)

Riverchase United Methodist Church (A2) ROME Study, UAB Division of Preventative Medicine (A24)

Signature Homes (A23)

Sikes Children’s Shoes (A16)

Southern Home Structural Repair Specialists (A26)

Southlake Orthopaedics (A12)

Sovereign CPA (A24)

The Tanner Foundation (A8)

TherapySouth Hoover (A23)

Truewood by Merrill (A15)

Truitt Insurance & Bonding (A1)

UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center (A3)

Vapor Ministries/Thrift Store (A11)

Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (A17)

Window World of Central Alabama (A15)

Foundation for Suicide Prevention at Veterans Park. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Primary and Specialty Care

near you.

At Medical West, we understand the importance of convenient, quality care. Our team of medical professionals in the Hoover area are here to serve you and your entire family’s healthcare needs. For more information about the Medical West Health Centers near you, scan the QR code above or visit us online at medicalwesthospital.org.

PRIMARY CARE

205.421.1032

SPECIALTY CARE

205.481.7750

Medical West Brock’s Gap Health Center 1001 Brock’s Gap Parkway, Suite 101 • Hoover, AL 35244 P: 205.421.1032 • F: 205.421.1040

Medical West Hoover Health Center 5310 Medford Drive • Hoover, AL 35244 P: 205.820.8440 • F: 205.820.8449

Jody Gilstrap, MD Medical West Brock’s Gap Health Center Family Medicine

Allyson Gilstrap, MD Medical West Brock’s Gap Health Center Family Medicine 205.421.1032

Kelly Petrovics, CRNP Medical West Brock’s Gap Health Center Family Medicine 205.421.1032

Bonnie Moore, CRNP Medical West Brock’s Gap Health Center Family Medicine 205.421.1032

Harveen Sodhi, MD Medical West Hoover Health Center Family Medicine 205.820.8440

Cynthia Brown, MD Medical West Hoover Health Center Medical West OB/GYN

Michael Latshaw, MD Medical West Hoover Health Center Medical West Otolaryngology 205.481.8620

Scott Seibert, MD Medical West Hoover Health Center Medical West Orthopedics 205.481.8570

The Hoover City Council approved a plan for artificial turf on 11 baseball and softball fields, including seven in city parks and the varsity fields at both Hoover and Spain Park high schools.

City, school system plan artificial turf for 11 fields

By JON ANDERSON

Hoover city and school officials plan to add artificial turf fields on 11 baseball and softball fields in the city.

The Hoover City Council approved a plan to pay an estimated $9 million for artificial turf on seven fields at Hoover city parks and the varsity baseball fields at both Hoover and Spain Park high schools.

Meanwhile, the Hoover Board of Education agreed to pay for artificial turf on the two high schools’ varsity softball fields.

The city fields slated to get artificial turf will be two large baseball fields at Hoover, Sports Park East, two large fields at the city’s Spain Park sports complex, two softball fields at Hoover Sports Park Central and one large baseball field at Hoover Sports Park West (also known as Shades Mountain Park), City Admin istrator Allan Rice said.

The artificial turf should allow for more extensive use of the fields because the wear and tear won’t be as bad, Rice said. Also, both the city and school system won’t have to wait as long to use the fields after rain events because they won’t have to worry about mud, he said.

That potentially could help lessen the number of times kids have to be up late on school nights trying to squeeze in makeup games, Rice said.

Also, the large fields actually can be broken up into smaller fields for younger children, allowing for even greater use, he said.

The artificial turf fields, while expensive, cut down on maintenance costs because they don’t require all the water, fertilizer and mowing that natural grass fields require, Rice said.

Plus, “we’re pretty sure that moms all across the city will rejoice in not having to wash clay out of white ball pants,” Rice added.

The reason the city is agreeing to pay for turf

on the varsity baseball fields that belong to the school system is because the city of Hoover actually uses those fields more than the schools do, mostly for tournaments being put on by groups such as the Perfect Game organization, Rice said.

While a high school team might play 15 games on its field in a year, the city and its management partner at the Hoover Metropol itan Complex, Sports Facilities Management, program hundreds of games per year on those fields, Rice said.

So it makes sense for the city to participate in the cost of the turf, he said.

The city plans to use money that currently is allocated for debt payments, Rice said. That money no longer will be needed to pay off a particular bond series because that existing debt likely will be rolled into new debt the city is planning to undertake, he said.

The turf should be a good investment

because it will allow the city to schedule even more activity on the baseball and softball fields, expanding sports tourism and bringing in additional tourism dollars, Rice said.

On a related note, the Hoover school board already has budgeted $1.2 million to add new restrooms at the varsity baseball and softball fields at both high schools, said Matt Wilson, the school system’s director of operations.

Currently, the press boxes at the varsity fields have two single-use restrooms, but the new restroom facilities to be built each will have six stalls for women and three stalls and three urinals for men, Wilson said. Those restroom facilities are under design, and school officials hope to build them this coming spring, he said.

Timelines for construction of the artificial turf fields are still unknown, Rice said.

Hoover Councilman Steve McClinton said the artificial turf is a great idea that is long overdue.

Photo by Erin Nelson.

Mayor’s Minute

By Frank V. Brocato

When I took office in 2016, activity was abuzz at the Hoover Met Complex. The sta dium was enjoying success as home to the SEC Base ball Tournament.

Construction had just begun on the 83,000-square-foot Finley Center. It was obvious my predecessors had great vision for that area, but I’m not sure anyone would have envisioned it to be all that it is today.

The complex has eight distinct areas: the stadium, the Finley Center, five baseball/softball fields, five multipurpose fields and a 15-hard court tennis complex. The universally designed Explore Playground allows children to have a good time, and the Splash Pad just a few feet away only adds to the fun. There’s the 170-space RV Park, which, for many years, has served as a place of refuge for those fleeing the threat of hurricanes from nearby coastlines. Lastly, I am happy to announce the reopening of Hoover Heights! This simulated rock climbing center provides a great time for the entire family.

The complex is managed by an organization called Sports Facilities

V. Brocato

Management. Re cently, they released data for fiscal 2022, and the numbers are impressive! Over 500,000 people attended events held on the Met grounds during this time. That included those who took part in the SEC Baseball Tournament, USA Pickleball’s Indoor National Champi onship and women from all over the world who played in the World Games softball compe titions. All of that activity resulted in an economic impact of more than $55 million injected into the city and surrounding metro area. And after all bills are paid, it’s projected the complex will have a net income of $1.13 million.

Truly, many across our country are finding great benefits in this wonderful facility. It’s my hope you will, too. Whether it’s a sporting event, a trade show or a weekend outing with the kids, check out the Hoover Met Complex. I think you’ll be impressed with what we have right in our own backyard.

Frank

City to obtain $239,000 recreational amenity study

By JON ANDERSON

The Hoover City Council has agreed to hire a North Carolina-based company to do an inventory of recreational facilities in the city and help the city craft a strategic plan for improving those amenities, expanding them or adding to them with amenities in new locations.

That study, to be done by LandDesign, will cost $239,000 and will be funded in part by a $50,000 donation from Signature Homes, which suggested the inventory be done.

LandDesign will hold town hall meetings to seek public input as well as listening ses sions and meetings with the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department, Hoover Parks and Recreation Board and recreational leagues in the city, City Administrator Allan Rice said.

Public meetings should start in the first quarter of 2023, and the goal is to have a final plan in place by early fall of 2023, he said.

There already were talks about doing such a study for the Hoover Metropolitan Com plex, but this will expand that effort to include the whole city, Rice said. The city won’t be able to do everything in the plan at one time, but it will help establish priorities, he said.

In other recreation news, the City Coun cil approved final documents to pay $58,675 toward construction of a fitness court at Veter ans Park as part of a joint project with Shelby County and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.

The total cost of the fitness court will be $167,350, with Blue Cross providing a $50,000 grant and Hoover and Shelby County each paying $58,675, Parks and Recreation Director Erin Colbaugh said. The fitness court will be a 40-by-40-foot pad with fullbody workout stations, City Planner Mac Martin said. Sample drawings provided to the Hoover zoning board showed workout stations designed for core exercises, squats, pushups, lunges, pullups, agility movements and bends.

Hoover’s Abby Gobbels returns the ball in a match against Vestavia Hills’ Madison Standifer during the Class 7A tennis sectionals at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on April 12. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Business Happenings

NOW OPEN

Dr. Lindsay Floyd, a Hoover resident who graduated Hoover High School in 1999 and the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007, has founded a new business called Compassionate Crossings that offers pet euthanasia services in the home of pets. The service operates primarily on weeknights, weekends and most holidays and give pet owners an option for this service when their primary veterinary clinic is closed. 205-317-6747

Mandy Davenport has opened her first full-service hair salon called Smoke & Mirrors Parlor at 710 Inverness Corners. The salon is open Monday through Saturday. 205-813-2391, smokeandmirrorsparlor.glossgenius.com

205-988-8444, hyatt.com

Business news to share? If you have news to share with the community about a brick-and-mortar business in Hoover, let us know at hooversun.com/about-us

Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram has torn down its sales and office buildings at 1624 Montgomery Highway and plans to build a two-story, nearly 21,000-square-foot building in the same spot. The new building will include a showroom and sales support offices, an expansion to three service lanes, a new service lounge and parts bou tique. The facility also is expanding from 31 to 37 service bays. Construction is estimated to be complete the third quarter of 2023.

205-545-8074, hendrickchryslerdodgejeepram.com

Vapor Thrift Store’s Greystone location is back open after recently undergoing a remodel. The Westover loca tion at 11271 U.S. 280 will remain open. Store hours and drop offs are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with Westover staying open until 7 p.m.) 205-639-1077, vaporthrift.com

NEW OWNERSHIP

Glennis Tillman of Douglasville, Georgia, has bought the Painting with a Twist franchise with locations in The Village at Lee Branch in Hoover and in Pell City from Hemen Patel. Her daughter and son-in-law, Kiondre and Eriel Dunman are managing the locations. They held a ribbon cutting for the Hoover location on Nov. 15. 205-637-7777, paintingwithatwist.com/studio/ birmingham-hoover

Most recently, he was the vice president of commercial banking for CommerceOne Bank in Birmingham. Phillips has worked in both consumer and commercial lend ing since beginning his career in the financial services industry in 2019. Most recently, he was the assistant vice president of commercial lending for Listerhill Credit Union in Muscle Shoals. Milton has been with Avadian for four years.

205-985-2828, avadiancu.com

Apex Roofing & Res toration, based at 4601 Southlake Parkway, has hired Timothy Burke as its chief financial officer. Burke started his career as an investment banker and has since managed a family office, sat on boards, facilitated pri vate equity investments and served in executive management roles such as chief operating officer and chief financial officer. Apex Roofing & Restoration has operations in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

205-685-0040, apexroofs.com

The Pants Store has opened its new location in Stadium Trace Village at 1005 Marble Terrace, Suite 101, and is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. 205-829-1188, pantsstore.com

Vinny Chiaramonte has opened the Bluff Park Vintage store at 736C Shades Mountain Plaza, offering vintage merchandise such as furniture, clothing, comics, vinyl, books, magazines and decorations. He also does resto ration and refinishing work. 205-419-8763, Bluff Park Vintage on Facebook

StoreEase has opened as a climate-controlled storage facility with 24/7 access at 2175 Alabama 150. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. 205-964-9660, storeease.com

Gail and John Kirkpatrick have opened B Photo, Sup plies, Framing, Printing & Studio Rental in The Village at Lee Branch at 1401 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 109. They held a ribbon cutting on Nov. 3. 205-968-1234

COMING SOON

K & J’s Elegant Pastries in Birmingham’s Uptown District plans to open a second location in Ross Bridge in the former location of Dreamcakes Cafe at 3601 Market St., Suite 101 by the end of this year.

205-663-4827, kjselegantpastries.com

RELOCATIONS AND RENOVATIONS

The Hyatt Place hotel at 2980 John Hawkins Parkway has completed a renovation that included an overhaul of guestrooms, public space and the exterior of the hotel. The hotel has 126 suites, a free hot breakfast buffet, free wifi, full bar, outdoor pool, fitness center, business center and 1,200 square feet of meeting space spread over

NEWS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Werkplas, a coworking space in The Offices at 3000 Riv erchase office tower, has opened an event space called The Horizon Room on the 14th floor of the tower at 3000 Galleria Circle. 205-578-8505, werkplas.com

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama won a 2022 BMC Innovation Award from BMC, a software solutions company, for spearheading a digital modernization strat egy focused on becoming more agile to improve custom er experiences. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama realized immediate cost reductions through increased automation and efficiency gains to help attract the next generation of developers to support the business, according to BMC. 205-220-2100, bcbsal.org

Robert and Lulu Regard say they would like to sell their Crazy Cajun’s Boiling Pot restaurant at 125 Inverness Pla za and retire from the restaurant business after 25 years. 205-408-0630, Crazy Cajuns on Facebook

PERSONNEL MOVES

Avadian Credit Union, which has its headquarters at 1 Riverchase Parkway S. and branches in Hoover at 4720 Chace Circle and 420 Old U.S. 280, has expanded its business services lending team. The team will be led by Larry Uptain, who was promoted to commercial lending manager, and includes Blake Watkins, Clint Phillips and Quintin Milton. Uptain has been at Avadian since 2019 and has nearly three decades of experience in the financial services industry. Watkins was hired as senior business loan officer and Phillips as a business loan offi cer, while Milton was promoted to business loan officer. Watkins will serve the Birmingham market, while Phillips will serve the Huntsville and north Alabama markets and Milton will serve south Alabama. Watkins, who has 15 years of business services experience, previously was at Avadian as a business loan officer from 2014 to 2019.

Dr. Erin Nelson plans to join Kasey Davis Dentistry at 589 Shades Crest Road A in January. Nelson graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School in 2000, the University of Alabama in 2004 and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry in 2009. She has been practicing general dentistry for 12 years and will be working at Kasey Davis Dentistry on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

205-822-7277, kaseydavisdentistry.com

Madison Gaines in September joined Starnes Media as a business development representative. Gaines gradu ated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in May. She previously worked as a social media marketing specialist and sales representa tive for the Gaines Family Farmstead in Birmingham and a part-time leasing agent for College Station Properties in Tuscaloosa. Starnes Media, based in Homewood, publishes the Hoover Sun, The Homewood Star, Vestavia Voice, Village Living, 280 Living and Cahaba Sun news papers and websites and other publications such as The Birmingham Bar Bulletin. 205-313-1780, starnesmedia.com

Dr. Jonathan Isbell has joined Southlake Orthopaedics and will see patients at both the MedPlex office at 4517 Southlake Parkway and Grandview office at 3686 Grand view Parkway. His specialties are sports medicine and orthopaedic surgery. He offers expertise in adolescent and adult sports medicine, including complex shoulder, elbow and knee injuries, as well as cartilage restoration procedures. He also offers hip arthroscopy. Isbell is a graduate of the UAB School of Medicine and did his residency at UAB Hospital and a fellowship in sports medicine and shoulder and elbow injuries at OrthoCaroli na in Charlotte, North Carolina. 205-985-4111, southlakeorthopaedics.com

Real estate agent Anita Kilpatrick has moved her real estate license to Lake Homes Realty and will specialize in lake homes and land on and around Lake George and Catoma Lake. 256-510-1984, lakehomes.com

Alabama

By NEAL EMBRY

Alabama Goods, a store in Home wood and Huntsville that sells Ala bama-made goods, gifts, food and more, has signed leases to expand its operations in Homewood and open a new store in Hoover.

Beth Staula, co-owner along with Sherry Hartley, said the new Hoover shop, to be located in Stadium Trace Village, was a long time in the making.

“It’s a location we’ve been consid ering for years,” Staula said.

Using website data that provides shoppers’ information, Staula and Hartley can tell that many Hoover residents shop at Alabama Goods, making it a no-brainer to open in the city. The owners are also very num bers-driven, allowing them to base these decisions on historical infor mation, not just feelings, Staula said.

Still, being able to open in her hometown, in a place she loves, is special, Staula said.

“I’m a Hoover girl; I grew up there,” Staula said. “I feel like I’m in my backyard.”

Staula said the Hoover store’s products will be mostly the same (around 80%) as those sold in Homewood. The difference will be the Hoover-centric products, like gifts and other items paying tribute to Hoover icons such as the Hoover Met or Aldridge Gardens and items with Hoover zip codes on them, she said.

In the 15 years since Alabama Goods started as an online busi ness, it has never seen such heavy

response in the way of messages and feedback as it did when the Hoover store was announced, Staula said.

The Hoover store is shaped dif ferently than the Homewood store, but the floor plan, displays and light fixtures will be the same, Staula said. The store is set to occupy about 2,500 square feet, according to a news release.

“We are very excited to be part of the Hoover community,” Hartley said in the release. “We think that Hoover residents and Stadium Trace are an excellent fit for our store.”

expanding to Hoover

The store offers pottery, food, gift baskets and packages, T-shirts, hats, jewelry and more, all made in Alabama. Many shoppers will come in and tell staff they didn’t realize certain items were made in the state, Staula said.

While the store does not yet have an address, it is located across the street from ARC Realty and near MELT.

Only one to two employees from the Homewood store are making their way to the Hoover store, so more employees will be hired closer

to opening, Staula said. Originally set to open in July 2022, the opening was pushed back due to construction delays.

The plan is to break ground in December, with seven to eight months of construction to follow, Staula said. The hope is for the store to open in summer 2023, she said.

The store has benefited from posi tive press lately, being named a Gold Retailer of the Year by the Alabama Retail Association.

“It’s tremendously exciting,” Staula said. “Doing this job every

day is what brings me joy.”

The store is also expanding at its operations center in Homewood, having recently signed a lease to double the size of that space, which is located in West Homewood. The operations center manages online and corporate sales for the company.

The expansion has doubled its original size to prepare for the gift-giving season.

“Corporate sales have increased to the point where we were bursting at the seams,” Staula said. “We are thrilled to have the extra space.”

This rendering shows what the Alabama Goods store coming to Hoover will look like. Rendering courtesy of Beth Staula.

Hoover couple seeks to serve up milkshake ‘magic’

By JON ANDERSON

There soon will be a new place to get milk shakes and other treats in Hoover.

Lake Cyrus residents Monti and Shana Osman are opening a shop called Magic Milk shakes & More in Galleria Trace Plaza, the shopping center on John Hawkins Parkway right across from Academy Sports. They hope to open the first week in December.

The 2,500-square-foot shop is in the spot formerly occupied by Pivot Fitness, before it moved to The Grove shopping center. It’s right between Tortugas Pizza and Platinum Federal Credit Union.

Monti Osman said he and his wife don’t have any experience in the restaurant industry; they’re just a couple who saw what they con sidered a void in the market and decided to try to fill it themselves. They and their two boys, ages 11 and 7, always like to get a treat after they eat dinner, and they don’t think there are enough options for that in Hoover, particularly for milkshakes, Osman said.

They tried out milkshake recipes at home and had friends try them out, too, and they’ve come up with 15 “signature milkshakes,” he said.

His favorites are cookies and cream and chocolate mixed, he said. Others that he said have gotten good reviews include “The G.O.A.T” (which is a combination of Reese’s Pieces, butter crunch and Dutch chocolate) and “Mayhem Meets Madness” (which combines homemade vanilla with crunched-up Oreos and a fudge brownie with chocolate syrup and choc olate pearls).

Magic Milkshakes & More also will offer customers the option to build their own milk shake with a variety of ingredients, Osman said. The shop also will offer other types of desserts, such as brownies, he said.

Osman said he and his wife wanted to keep the milkshakes affordable and have priced them from $9.95 to $11.95. They’re making all the milkshakes 16 ounces to keep it simple, he said.

The Osmans will own and manage the shop and plan to open from 2 to 9 p.m. every day.

Shana Osman, who is director of ambulatory services at UAB’s Kirklin Clinic and has been in the nursing profession for more than 20 years, plans to open the shop in the afternoon. Monti Osman, who manages taxes for Vulcan Materi als, plans to come join her after work.

They both have some flexibility with their jobs and believe they can maintain both jobs, but they’ll have other employees as well, Monti Osman said.

The Osmans have lived in the Birmingham area since 1999 and moved to Lake Crest in Hoover in 2011 and then to Lake Cyrus in 2015,

he said. They chose this location for the milk shake shop because it’s close to where they live, shop and do other activities, he said.

They think the location will do well because it’s convenient to so many people and they know a lot of people around the metro area, especially in Hoover, Monti Osman said. They also envision their shop being a place that kids will want to come hang out after school, he said.

The shop also is convenient to hotels that are nearby and will be an ideal spot for visitors who come into town for all the sports tournaments and other events at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, Osman said.

However, their main target audience will be

people who live in Hoover because they want to have repeat customers, he said.

For more information, go to magic milkshakesmore.com.

Monti Osman pours the base for The G.O.A.T. milkshake, a butter crunch and Dutch chocolate ice cream base with a vanilla icing ring and Reese’s Pieces topped with whipped cream, more Reese’s Pieces and Reese’s Cups and chocolate syrup into a cup as the Osman, as he and his wife Shana, left, perfect milkshake recipes for their new business, Magic Milkshakes & More, at their home on Nov. 9. Photos by Erin Nelson.

BY MERRILL SENIOR LIVING

Schoolhouse

By JON ANDERSON

Students in Hoover City Schools showed “astounding” improvements in their academic test scores this past spring, the system’s chief academic officer said.

The percentage of Hoover students at or above grade level increased by 11 percentage points in math, 5 percentage points in science and 4 percentage points in English, Chief Aca demic Officer Chris Robbins said.

That was more than twice the level of growth compared to the state average growth rate in each subject area between the spring of 2021 and spring of 2022, he said. Statewide, the gains were 5 percentage points in math, 2 percent age points in science and 2 percentage points in English.

More specifically, the percentage of Hoover students deemed proficient in math grew from 45% in the spring of 2021 to 56% in the spring of 2022, while the proficiency rate in science grew from 55% to 60% and the proficiency rate in English grew from 66% to 70% of students, Robbins said.

Also, a national study by Stanford and Har vard universities showed that while the average student nationally lost more than half a year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in read ing from 2019 to 2022, Hoover students showed gains of three to four months in both reading and math, Robbins said.

Alabama students as a whole ranked among the top 10 states that either improved or lost the least amount of learning in math and reading, and Hoover’s results were better than the state average as well. Statewide, Alabama students lost about 1½ months of learning in math and

had a negligible loss in reading, Robbins shared.

Students in the Hoover school system also landed on four national Top 10 lists for districts with substantial learning gains for students in poverty, black students and Hispanic students.

While those groups of students nationally had greater learning losses than white students, that wasn’t the case in Hoover, Robbins said. In

Hoover, students in poverty, black students and Hispanic students showed the same or greater than their average classmates’ progress over the past three years, data shows.

In particular, Hispanic students in Hoover showed a full year’s worth of growth in read ing, compared to three or four months’ worth of growth for the general student population.

Students in poverty in Hoover also showed more growth than the average student in Hoover, with four to five months’ worth of gains in both read ing and math, Robbins said.

“That’s really extraordinary,” Robbins said. “Hoover City Schools students are making uncommon gains as compared to area districts, to our state and across our nation. We have a

Have a schoolhouse announcement? Email Jon Anderson at janderson@starnesmedia.com to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming issue.

Students in Brook Lee’s sixth grade math class work on prime factorization at Berry Middle School on Oct. 28. Photo by Erin Nelson.

lot to celebrate.”

Only about 15% of students in the nation attend school in a district that showed gains in reading from 2019 to 2022, and only 2.5% of students in the nation attend school in a district that showed gains in math during that period, Robbins said.

The gains in Hoover are the result of the col laborative efforts of everyone in the district — from the support staff and district leadership to the principals, teachers, students and families, he said.

School board member Craig Kelley said he believed the fact that Hoover schools were prepared for remote learning with technology played a big role in Hoover students’ progress and kept learning losses from being worse than they were during the height of the pandemic.

Despite the recent positive news, there still are areas for growth, Robbins said.

While Hoover is in the top 10 school dis tricts statewide in terms of proficiency in math, science and English, Hoover continues to rank behind many of the over-the-mountain school districts with which people often make

comparisons, including Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and Homewood, state data shows.

For example, the percentage of Hoover students deemed proficient in math was 56%, compared to proficiency rates of 77% in Moun tain Brook, 72% in Vestavia Hills and 59% in Homewood.

In science, 60% of Hoover students were deemed proficient, compared to 81% in Moun tain Brook, 79% in Vestavia Hills and 68% in Homewood. In English, 70% of Hoover stu dents were deemed proficient, compared to 84% in Mountain Brook, 83% in Vestavia Hills and 75% in Homewood.

“We’re not going to stop here,” Robbins said. “We’re going to work hard this year and in subsequent years to continue to show growth in these areas.”

The national comparisons were based on research done by Stanford and Harvard univer sities, using the National Assessment for Educa tional Progress and state assessments such as the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program. The study covered 3,700 school districts across 29 states and Washington, D.C., Robbins said.

Meet your 2022-23 PTA, PTO, PTSO presidents

Here are the presidents of the parent organi zations at each Hoover school and what they said about their goals and plans for the 2022-23 school year:

BLUFF PARK ELEMENTARY

► PTA President: Fran Morris

► Contact: bluffparkpta@gmail.com

► Goals: Bluff Park Elementary started out strong this school year. We kicked off the year with our annual "yearlong sponsor ship" fundraiser. It was a huge success with over 50 local businesses and fam ilies supporting our school. Many of our favorite events were able to be brought back this year, including our outdoor social in October. This is always a favorite event at our school and in our community. We had a successful and fun Class List Day, Outdoor Classroom Cleanup and Walk to School Day as well. We are looking forward to a great December. We are already working on our spring fundraiser, our beloved Panther Prowl. This is another big school event each spring that brings our community together. Our PTO mission is to support BPES through schoolwide initiatives, classroom projects, events and more. Through these efforts, we pro vide support to our teachers, students and staff, as well as fund enhancements to our school. It is our privilege to partner with BPES!

DEER VALLEY ELEMENTARY

► PTO President: Liz Conboy

► Contact: eaconboy@gmail.com

► Goals: To begin this year, we were excited to have our annual coin drive, Change for Cheetahs, which through the wonderful generos ity of DVES fami lies was successfully completed in October. An additional import ant focus for this year is completing an upgrade to our outdoor classroom to include a shade structure. Beyond this goal, the PTO board wants to continually support our amaz ing staff, teachers and administrators. We are excited for all that can be accomplished in the 2022-2023 school year!

GREEN VALLEY ELEMENTARY

► PTO Presidents: Lindsay Parker and Jennifer Schreiber

► Contact: ptogves@gmail.com

► Goals: One of our main goals is to help with an outdoor classroom at the school. We have a great outdoor space picked out for it, and we’re really excited to get started! We’re also hoping to freshen up the front of the school. After unveiling the new sign at the front of the school last year, we want to update the front awning with a fresh coat of paint. We’re looking forward to bringing back a favorite event for our community — Party on the Play ground — and to continue supporting our amazing teachers and staff. Additionally, we’ve loved being able to

provide food for our new STEAM Kitchen. Our students love getting to make different dishes in the kitchen, and we’re excited to be able to provide ingredients for their culinary creations!

GREYSTONE ELEMENTARY

► PTA President: Susan Hays

► Contact: greystonepta@gmail.com

► Goals: Our year at Greystone Elemen tary has gotten off to a great start. This year we added a Serve Day component to kick off our Leave a Legacy fundraiser week and did lots of sprucing up around the school grounds. We were very excited to meet our fundraising goal and have started putting the funds to good use for the students and school. This year we were able to add a second check-in station to expe dite the process for visitors at school events. We have been able to fund faculty grants and spon sor Kindness Week. Also, we have monthly lunches to show our teachers and staff how much they are appreciated. In the spring we will sponsor an Enrichment/Young Authors Week with fun activities for each grade level. We are so thankful for the support of parents and for our wonderful faculty and staff.

GWIN ELEMENTARY

► PTO President: Rebecca Whittle

► Contact: whittle.rebecca@gmail.com

► Goals: Due to the amazing support of our families and community, we were able to raise the most we ever have at our annual Gwin Fun Run this year! We have already used some of that money to award a record amount of teacher grants, including classroom curriculum and needs, front office essentials and an author visit. We are excited that we will also be able to continue to help improve our school with noise absorption panels in the cafe teria, additional seating in our outside area with picnic tables and umbrellas, and contribute to a new school sign. I am so grateful for all of the incredible staff that pour into our children daily at Gwin. We truly have an amazing school!

RIVERCHASE ELEMENTARY

► PTO President: Lauren Strickler

► Contact: laurenstrickler@gmail.com

► Goals: This year, the Riverchase Elementary PTO’s top priority is fundraising for a brand new play ground. Supporting any initiative at RES is important, but the playground project is so much fun! The cur rent playgrounds are original to the school, and while they have been well-loved over the years by many stu dents, it’s time for an update. From Boosterthon to movie nights to golf tournaments and silent auctions, we are well on our way toward reach ing our goal and securing the funding needed to make this dream a reality by the start of the 2023-24 school year. We are always so thankful for the support from our RES families, staff and the Riverchase community.

ROCKY RIDGE ELEMENTARY

► PTO President: Amberly Burrow

► Contact: rrespto@gmail.com

► Goals: One of our main goals at Rocky Ridge this year is to revamp and improve our

house system. Houses are such a fun way to build community (and a little friendly competition) among our students, and we really want to see the whole school excited about houses! We have several ideas that the kids will see come to life through out this school year!

Another area we are focusing on is our green house. Last year through Boosterthon we were able to purchase a greenhouse for RRES. This year we will be purchasing all the things needed to let students plant, grow and learn through the greenhouse. We can’t wait to see all the beauty they create!

SHADES MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY

► PTO President: Jeanell Irish

► Contact: smes.pto.president@gmail.com

► Goals: Shades Mountain Elemen tary School is a small school with a great sense of commu nity. One of our big goals for this year is to increase our com munity involvement. We believe that our SMES family would be even closer if we gave them the oppor tunities to get to know each other outside of school and fundraisers. We have already had two community events where we involved food trucks and games, and we plan to have two more fun events in the new year. Another goal of ours for this school year is to raise funds for new playground equipment. Our annual fun run raised over $34,000 this year! We are so proud of our students and families for that and cannot wait to provide them with more fun during their recess times. One thing we did last spring was provide each child in the school with $10 to use for the spring book fair. It was such a hit that we plan to do that again for our December book fair and the one that is held in the spring. We are very pleased to be able to financially provide each child with that again.

SOUTH SHADES CREST ELEMENTARY

► PTO President: Holly Turner

► Contact: sscpto@gmail.com

► Goals: South

Shades Crest is a sweet little school for sweet lil folks, and we are working hard to spread this sweet ness to all of our staff and families this year. Volunteerism is a big focus, and we want our wonderful families to know that not only can they be involved with the school, but that we want them involved. There are so many opportuni ties this year, including carpool, library helpers, lunchroom volunteers and many more. A great way to participate in a child’s learning is to be involved, and we strive to help our families get connected with their children, with the school and with our amazing teachers. In addition to volunteerism, we are investing a lot of energy into fundraising. We’ve had a great start with a record number of sponsorships this year. The outside courtyard is getting a “makeover,” thanks to one of our sponsors who provided flower beds and umbrellas for the seating area. This is a great space for families to have lunch with their children and for STEAM projects. In addition to the courtyard, the reading nook will also receive a makeover. This area serves as both an individual and group learning area for

our SSC children. It is a great spot for reading by themselves or working with a book buddy. The nook also supports group activities and col laborative learning. South Shades Crest — how sweet it is, thanks to amazing teachers, staff and families.

TRACE CROSSINGS ELEMENTARY

► PTO President: Mark Craig

► Contact: marcraig245@gmail.com

► Goals: As always, our goal each year is to help support our teachers, students and parents through out the school year. Moreover, the PTO is excited to help in two special projects for this school year. Trace is celebrating a special milestone as the school turns 30 years old! We look forward to being a part of the celebration this school year. We will also be raising funds this year to help with the play ground replacement project. The original play ground is set to be replaced, and we hope to raise enough money to enhance the playground with additional equipment. We look forward to a great year ahead!

BROCK’S GAP INTERMEDIATE

► PTO President: Katie Mundie

► Contact: kmundie84@gmail.com

► Goals: We want to continue to support our amazing faculty and staff daily, in ways that are both practical and helpful. We have approved several grants this fall, allowing teach ers to purchase new materials to further enhance their instruc tion. Our team has created a welcoming space for teachers to stop in daily, grab coffee or a treat, and just feel appreciated. We are also working to create sev eral multi-purpose areas within the school — spaces that can serve as volunteer work areas, as well as small group instruction space.

BERRY MIDDLE

► PTO President: Samantha Ferguson

► Contact: smsferguson@gmail.com

► Goals: The 2022 23 year of the Berry PTO is off to a great start this year with a brand new teachers and staff lounge that was funded by corporate donations. Before this year, the teachers didn't have a lounge. Now our teachers have a room where they could take a few minutes to relax, con nect with other teachers and feel appreciated! We are currently working to build a list of community sponsors to stock the room during the school year. The teacher feedback has been incredible. They are enjoying the space and feel more equipped to return to the classroom refreshed. One big vision for this school year is putting into place community building activ ities. Our school population is large and spans a huge geographic region. Many parents do not get the opportunity to know other parents from different parts of town. We are working on adding more events that bring our parent and student population together from our dif ferent parts of Hoover. After taking time off during the COVID season, the teacher's grants program is back this year! The armchair fund raiser funds the teacher's grants to facilitate the educational programs that our teachers are

Morris

Conboy

Schreiber

Hays

Whittle

Strickler

Burrow

Irish

Turner

Craig

Mundie

Ferguson

Parker

passionate about for our students. I am excited to see the ideas our teachers have to supplement their lesson plans!

BUMPUS MIDDLE

► PTO President: Jill Hunter

► Contact: bumpuspto@hcs-students.net

► Goals: This year we’ve already completed our big fundraising efforts by having a very suc cessful Color Run. We are able to fully fund our budget and are working closely with the administra tion to address any additional needs with our excess funds. We will continue to raise money by selling spirit wear, hosting spirit nights and through PTO donations.

SIMMONS MIDDLE

► PTO President: Sheli Phebus

► Contact: shelip@hotmail.com

► Goals: We are excited to welcome our new principal, Mr. Walter Womack, to Simmons and look ing forward to con tinuing the transition with any help PTO can provide. SMS has such wonderful support from our fam ilies that we have met our fundraising goals for the last two years making it possible to fund many, many teacher grants and upgrades around the building. The upgrade PTO is most excited about is a completely new sound system for our football stadium with funds raised last year. As every year, Simmons PTO’s main focus is to support the students, faculty and staff with vol unteers when needed while fostering a terrific working and learning environment. I consider myself beyond lucky to have this opportunity.

My personal goal has always been to leave our fabulous school even better than the day before so everyone can go out there and be awesome. Because at Simmons Middle School, that’s just what we do!

HOOVER HIGH

► PTSO President: Starla Wilkins

► Contact: starladwilkins@icloud.com

► Goals: This year our PTSO would like to focus on grow ing the number of members our organi zation has and getting the word out that we operate on dues and donations only (no fundraising). Dona tions will be used to provide special equip ment, various class room supplies, for sponsoring various class activities and staff recognition.

SPAIN PARK HIGH

► PTSO President: Susan Walker

► Contact: spainparkptso@gmail.com

► Goals: This year the Spain Park PTSO is focusing on community engage ment and commu nication. We have added two spirit liai sons to our board, focusing on fine arts and athletics, with the goal of making sure we are supporting all aspects of our school.

We are also introducing a Lunch & Learn Series, which will allow parents to learn about various educational opportunities at SPHS. There is so much Spain Park has to offer our students, and we hope to educate our parents on those offerings. Lastly, we are already approv ing teacher grants and hope to fulfill them all. We would love to partner with companies to help fund these projects and more.

Events

Participants compete in the 2019 Meadow Brook Runs 5K and 1-mile run event. This year it will take place on Dec. 17 beginning at 9 a.m.

28th annual Meadow Brook Runs return

By ERIC TAUNTON

One of the longest running traditions in the city, Meadow Brook Runs, is return ing for its annual 5K and 1-mile fun run at Valley Bank on Dec. 17.

The 5K will be at 9 a.m., and the 1-mile fun run will begin at 10 a.m., with an awards ceremony for both races at 10:30 a.m.

Proceeds from the runs will go to four nonprofits, including First Priority, Adult and Teen Challenge of Alabama, Young Life and The Jesus Video Project of Ala bama, a nonprofit organization that mails DVDs of the 1979 “Jesus” film to people.

The 28th annual race will feature its annual Taste of 280 offerings from several restaurants, including Jimmy John’s, Chickfil-A, Golden Flake, Bud’s Best Cookies, Smoothie King, Ashley Mac’s and Full

Moon Cookies, among others.

Runners of each race will also have the chance to receive first-, second- and thirdplace medals as well as gift items from sev eral of the race's sponsors, he said.

Cosby said he got the idea for the race when he was on a run one Saturday before Christmas.

“It was a gorgeous day, and I thought to myself, someone ought to do a race the Saturday before Christmas,” Cosby said.

“My thought process was that, one week before Christmas, we wouldn’t have much competition with other races because the race directors and volunteers wouldn’t want to work that close to Christmas.”

Tickets for the 5K and 1-mile fun run are $25.

For more information, visit meadow brook-runs.org.

Services are FREE and confidential. Services provided by phone are not medical advice and should not be considered as such.

Services are provided via telephone by licensed mental health professionals who recommend the most appropriate mental health resources.

PIRC is available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The PIRC is generously supported by funding from the Anne B. LaRussa Foundation of Hope, United Way of Central Alabama, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama and the Walker Area Community Foundation.

Hunter

Phebus

Wilkins

Walker

Photo courtesy of Suman Silwal.

Photos by Erin Nelson

MOSS ROCK FESTIVAL

Above: Decadent candied apples by Dipped and Dashed, made by Ashley Snody, at the Moss Rock Festival. Right: Mikayla Williams, 11, and her sister, Everly, 7, look at the butterfly art by the Planet Project

People peruse the various booths at the Moss Rock Festival at the Hoover Met Complex on Nov. 6

Left: Norman Morgan works on a jewelry piece. Above: The Dala Dance Company performs.

Bucs volleyball wraps season at state tournament

By KYLE PARMLEY

The end result wasn’t what the Hoover High School volleyball team hoped for, but the Buc caneers’ final match of the season epitomized what they were about.

Hoover fell to Enterprise in a thrilling fiveset match (25-23, 22-25, 25-27, 25-22, 15-12) in the opening round of the Class 7A tourna ment Oct. 26 at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

All five sets of the match were played within three points.

“I could not be more proud of them,” firstyear Hoover head coach Amanda Wood said. “I’ve never had a group that has worked so relentlessly and never gave up. I would give anything to have one more round with that group.”

Hoover took two of the first three sets, but Enterprise rallied back to take the fourth and looked poised to run away with the fifth. But the Bucs refused to wilt, turning a 7-3 deficit around and even taking the lead for a few points.

Wood was not surprised at her team’s resilience.

“I’m not ever really too concerned with a fifth set,” she said. “After being down 9-3 versus Vestavia in an area match, we can come back from anything. That was a huge thing to understand, that they can do hard things.”

In the match, Raegan James led the Hoover attack with 15 kills and 17 digs. Setter Maggie Harris notched 50 assists, while libero Bella Guenster racked up 50 digs. Adair Byars had 12 kills and 6 digs, while Alanah Pooler tallied 8 kills and 4 blocks.

All five of those players are seniors. The Bucs have nine on the roster, with Peyton David, Lauren Ware, Elise Hart and Reese Hawks all

concluding their Hoover careers this season. After being led for years by the dominance of Rya McKinnon, that senior class was tasked with learning how to step up and lead as a unit. Once they did that, Wood said, things came together masterfully.

“We spent the beginning of the season trying to figure out who was going to step up into that role,” she said. “Our turn in the season was when they realized it didn’t have to be one person, that we could all step forward and be

that person. They showed a lot of grit today.” Hoover advanced to the state tournament by finishing second in the 7A North Regional tournament in Huntsville. The Bucs finished the season with a 35-16 record in Wood’s first season at the helm.

“I’ve never worked so much in my life and I’ve never had more fun. It’s going to be a tough one to replace,” she said.

Spain Park, the 2021 state champion, was defeated by Sparkman 3-2 in the North

Hoover’s Raegan James (3) hits the ball at the net in a match against Enterprise during a quarterfinal game in the Class 7A state volleyball tournament at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Oct. 26. The Bucs lost to Enterprise 3-2. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Regional, putting an end to the Jaguars’ campaign.

The Jags were a strong team all season in 7A, sweeping through Area 6 and winning the regular season and tournament and area titles.

Head coach Kellye Bowen’s team had eight seniors, with Lilly Johnson, McKinney Shea, Emily Breazeale, Brooklyn Allison, Nora Dawson, Ashley Fowler, Macie Thompson and Haley Thompson playing their final years in the blue and black.

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The more we know about your health, the better we can help you. Make an appointment at an imaging center near you:

Diagnostic Center, Suite 110 Vein Center, Suite 201 205-682-6077

5295 Preserve Pkwy. Hoover, AL 35244

Bucs have high ceiling in 2022-23 season

By KYLE PARMLEY

If the young Bucs stay together, there’s no telling what they could accomplish this season.

Hoover High School’s boys basketball team has a chance to be one of the best in the state, given the talent assembled on this year’s roster and the motivation created by last season’s dis appointing finish.

“It’s refreshing to come to work with these guys every day,” third-year head coach Scott Ware said. “They show up every day with a willingness to get better than they were the day before.”

Hoover held a 16-3 record at the turn of the calendar last season but finished just 5-7 down the stretch and was eliminated in the area tourna ment. This year’s returning players have not for gotten that and have no intention of repeating it.

“They were a little disappointed how we fin ished the season last year, so they’ve taken that in the offseason and really pushed themselves,” Ware said.

The Bucs have five seniors this season who are looking to reverse the team’s fortunes this time around. Collectively, Ware praised the seniors’ leadership abilities. He characterized the group as one that isn’t necessarily the most vocal but sets a positive example every day.

Elijah Herron contributed some last year and will take on a bigger role this year. Jake Hatch has a chance to make a big impact after battling an injury last year. Noah McAfee returns, and Garian Denson will make a big impact once he fully assimilates into the team after the football team’s postseason run. Jonathan Caicedo moved in from Florida and adds to the roster in a sig nificant manner.

Three sophomores will have a huge impact on this year’s team, as Jarett Fairley, Salim London and DeWayne Brown are back after contributing in a major way as freshmen. London was honor able mention all-state, Brown had a big season despite battling ankle injuries, and Fairley was a key cog as well.

Elijah Thomas and Bradley Shaw are the

team’s juniors. Thomas had a big junior varsity season last year, eclipsing 30 points a few times. Shaw will also get back into the swing of things following football. Seneca Robinson and Cam eron Torbor are sophomores.

“We’ve got talent,” Ware said. “Our goal is to try to take that talent and put it together in a way that’s best for the team.”

Hoover competes in Class 7A, Area 5, along

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“Everybody has really good coaches, really good players,” Ware said of the area. “If you don’t show up every night and play your game, you will lose.”

Hoover is also making a trip to Orlando for a tournament and will host the annual Big Orange

Classic in December. There are other high light games throughout the schedule, including a game against Grissom at Wallace State and games against Huffman, Spain Park, Huntsville and Homewood.

“As always, we have high expectations for ourselves,” Ware said. “That’s every year around here. That goes with the beast of working here at Hoover.”

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with Vestavia Hills, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County, three teams that ought to be formidable this season.

Hoover’s Salim London (14) dribbles the ball downcourt guarded by Oxford’s Mike McGraw (10) during a game at Hoover High School in November 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Jags looking to continue run of success

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Spain Park High School boys basketball program has had a great run of success over the last couple of years.

In each of the last two years, the Jags have advanced to the Class 7A final four, where they have fallen to the same Enterprise team in the semifinals.

In 2020-21, Spain Park entered the season with high expectations and reached those. Last winter, it was largely expected the Jags would take a step back, but they defied the odds and got back to the same level.

This year, expectations are probably some where in between.

“Every year is a new season and a new jour ney,” Spain Park head coach Chris Laatsch said before the season at Birmingham Media Day at Thompson. “You lose some guys from the year before, and we’re excited about who we have in our program.”

Laatsch, as one can imagine, spends little time worrying about his team’s external expectations. His favorite part of the season is showing up to work with his group of guys every day.

“I love going to the gym every day and seeing them because I know what I’m going to get from them,” he said. “I don’t have to poke and prod or try to motivate them to work hard. These guys bring it every day, so it’s a lot of fun.”

Spain Park has the requisite talent to achieve a season similar to the last two. The Jags fin ished each of those campaigns with 27 wins. In order to do that, or even go further, the Jags will have to excel in two specific areas.

“One of the things we’ve got to do is increase our toughness and grit,” Laatsch said. “We’ve got kids that want to do right, they want to do the right things, be in the right spots, doing the right things.”

Zach Gray and Sam Wright are the two play ers Laatsch brought with him to Media Day, for good reason. Both are key players for this Jags

team who play hard every night and are strong leaders for the team.

Gray is a guard who has a reputation for being a shooter, so he said he has worked to develop his ball-handling and rebounding to increase his value to the team even if the oppo nent attempts to shut him down on offense.

Wright will anchor the post presence for the Jags, a strength of this year’s team.

“When you have bigs, you’re going to try

to play through them,” Laatsch said. “We have bigs that can play, so they’re going to get

will

provide depth at forward. Korbin Long also played big minutes last season.

Spain Park’s Zach Gray (22) shoots a 3-pointer guarded by Enterprise’s Kenneth Mitchell Jr. (5) in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A boys state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 3.. The Jags fell to Enterprise 7358. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Lady Bucs aim to make history

By KYLE PARMLEY

The Hoover High School girls basketball program has accomplished quite a bit since the turn of the century.

The Lady Bucs have won eight state cham pionships in that time, including three in the last four years.

But one thing that has not been accomplished yet is Hoover finding a way to win three consec utive state titles. That’s what the Lady Bucs are striving for this season, after going a combined 65-4 over the last two seasons and winning Class 7A titles in each.

Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson posted a quote on social media recently, which read, “To do something you’ve never done, you’ve got to do some things you’ve never done.”

“This program, as great as it is, has never had a three-peat,” she said. “We’ve been at the door step of getting this before, but they’ve never gotten it. That’s what keeps them motivated, knowing that the 2023 class can make history.”

The Lady Bucs will enter this season with expectations befitting a team of their caliber. One glaring difference on this year’s team will be the absence of Aniya Hubbard, who grad uated and is now playing at Florida Atlantic University.

“We all know we lost great players and lead ers,” Johnson said. “We can’t assume people are going to automatically fill those roles. It’s overall leadership and presence, and we do have the people that can do that.”

There are seven seniors on this year’s team, headlined by star guard Reniya Kelly, who recently signed with the University of North Carolina. Kelly has been a major contributor for the program since she was in middle school and knows what it takes to go all the way. She said a key for this year’s team is everyone learning their new roles and accepting them.

Kelly and Hubbard worked seamlessly together, with neither caring who scored the most on a given night or who received the

accolades. Now, Kelly will become the focal point of every defense.

“She has always been a ‘do whatever you need me to do’ type of point guard,” Johnson said. “She understands she’s going to have to do more because Aniya left, but it’s in her nature to keep her teammates involved.”

Alanah Pooler, who came over from Spain Park in the middle of her high school career, played in the North-South All-Star Game over the summer with Kelly. She said the team needs

to be confident and the older girls need to set a good example for the next wave of talent.

Kristen McMillan has been on varsity since she was a freshman and just signed with Cen tral Arkansas. Layla Etchison, Kennedi McCray, Jamiyah Hill and Alicia Reyes are also seniors.

Kamryn Lee, Jillian Clark Williamson, Katie Ridgeway and Ariana Peagler are juniors, Layla Cannon is a sophomore, and freshmen Khloe Ford and Aaliyah Blanchard will make their varsity debuts this year.

Hoover’s Reniya Kelly (10) takes the ball downcourt guarded by Vestavia Hills’ Jill Gaylard (2) in the second half of the girls Class 7A state championship game at the BJCC on March 5. The Bucs defeated the Rebels 7364 to claim the Class 7A state championship a second year in a row. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Hoover will compete in Class 7A, Area 5 with last year’s runner-up Vestavia Hills, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County. Outside of those games, the Lady Bucs play a challenging schedule. They will face Sparkman, Huffman, Carver-Montgomery and Hewitt-Trussville in addition to playing in multiple out-of-state tournaments.

“It’s all about not getting complacent, build ing habits and knowing you have to play hard every night,” Johnson said.

Lady Jags starting long-term plan

By KYLE PARMLEY

This season begins a two-year journey for the Spain Park High School girls basketball program.

The Lady Jags have that luxury because this year’s roster contains no seniors and only one junior. Zyian Heyligar is the oldest player on a 10-player roster largely devoid of any sig nificant varsity experience.

“We’re going to get to the point where when she’s a senior, we’re going to be as good as we can be for her,” Spain Park head coach Mike Chase said. “We’ve got a big core group of sophomores that are on a three-year plan.”

There are only 10 girls in the high school program this year, so Spain Park won’t have the luxury of fielding a junior varsity squad. Chase credits that issue to Spain Park’s other girls sports succeeding at such a high level in recent years and the pressure to specialize in a single sport.

For example, Heyligar plays lacrosse, flag football and basketball, but she has loved bas ketball since she began playing and is deter mined to excel.

“Ever since I started playing, I’ve been hooked on it,” she said. “I’m very competi tive, and I know what I want.”

Charlee Bennett is one of six sophomores on the team and is the only returner that earned some starting experience last year. She is also a high-level softball player and said time management is the biggest key to juggling everything successfully.

A new label that Spain Park is working with this year is that of underdog. The Lady Jags won state championships in 2018 and 2020 and have been one of the state’s top programs consistently under Chase.

“There’s no expectations,” Chase said. “We’re going to be the underdog in most games that we play. I like those situations.”

Aside from Bennett, Trinity Daniels, Tori Flournoy, MC Hunter, Campbell Busby and

Jordyn

The team’s lack of experience has invigo rated Chase in some ways, forcing him to be more intentional with his teaching of the game in practice and in games.

“We all have to be able to work together,” Chase said. “It’s helped me, and they’re helping me because they’ve been really good

about coming in and being ready to go.” Chase admitted the schedule will look a little different this year, designed to give this year’s players a chance to have games that will help them grow into the season as they gain experience.

“Every time we step on the floor, we’re going to get better, and our ceiling is going to be a lot higher than everyone else,” Chase said.

Spain Park will compete against perennial power Hewitt-Trussville, Oak Mountain and Chelsea in Class 7A, Area 6. Hewitt-Truss ville will be one of the top teams in the state, but Chase expects for his team to have a chance to advance out of the area.

“Our goal is to get to those six January games [area games] and stay out of the No. 4 spot,” he said. “Then, I feel like we’ve got a shot. That’s what our goal is.”

Corey are the team’s sophomores. Allie Whitaker, Kaden Philpott and Teagan Huey are freshmen.

Spain Park head coach Mike Chase talks with the Jags during a timeout in a game against Pelham at Spain Park High School on Jan. 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.

HOT SPOTS

for lease, with a total of more than 600,000 square feet of vacant space, according to property owners and the city.

Meadow Brook Corporate Park has about 281,000 square feet of vacant office space, said Greg Knighton, the city of Hoover’s economic development manager.

Slightly west, Inverness Center North has two completely vacant 150,000-square-foot buildings and a third similar-sized building with about 35,000 square feet of vacant space, said Randy Thomas, executive president for NAI Chase Commercial, the leasing agent for the owner, In-Rel Properties.

Despite a challenging office market, Hoover economic development officials say they see potential ways to make those office parks more attractive so the existing tenants can expand and building owners can reel in tenants and jobs that help stimulate the economy.

City officials have identified five target growth sectors: information technology, life sciences, freight and logistics brokers, automotive research and development, and corporate headquarters.

There is a strong desire to amp up Hoover’s technology sector, but to do so, economic development officials say some adjustments may be in order.

The large, legacy office parks built in the 1980s and 1990s were good for a season, but many companies today are looking for some thing different, said Knighton, who has been in the industry for nearly three decades.

Instead of being surrounded by trees and isolated from other businesses, many technol ogy companies of today are looking for inno vative campuses in high-density areas where their employees can interact and collaborate with other technology workers, Knighton said. They want to be surrounded by innova tive startup companies that create disruptive technology and knowledge spillover from one business to another, he said.

Many companies today want to have a lot of amenities close by, within walking distance

for their employees so it’s easy to walk down stairs and go to a coffee shop, restaurant, gym or retail store, said Jackson Pruett, an eco nomic development coordinator for the city.

“STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workers want amenities,” he said.

“If it’s not a cool environment in which to work, they might prefer to work from home.”

Pruett added that many technology com panies attract young professionals who like the idea of living within walking distance of their jobs, so providing housing alternatives in close proximity also is a need.

“This is a really cool opportunity to bring innovation-minded economic development and commercial real estate together,” he said.

If the city can work with current property owners to create a cool, dense, mixed-use space, it will help support the technology companies that already are there so they can continue to attract knowledge workers and simultaneously give economic developers something to attract companies that currently

are outside the market, he said.

“We’re not just generally selling the city, but we’re selling specific nodes of innova tion and technology that we think could be a really competitive advantage for us,” Pruett said. “It gives this park or other areas of the 280 corridor a unique identity as an innova tion center for the region, which is a huge need.”

The good news is that Meadow Brook Corporate Park and Inverness Center North already have some of the outdoor amenities that companies like, such as lakes and walk ing trails, Knighton said.

Also, the 35242 zip code that includes Meadow Brook and Inverness has the highest concentration of technology workers in the entire Birmingham-Hoover metro area, he said.

What’s missing right now is the housing component and easy, quick access to restau rants, coffee shops and services such as a gym or dry cleaners, he said.

Building 42 is one of two completely vacant 150,000squarefoot office buildings in Inverness

MEADOW BROOK

At Meadow Brook Corporate Park, there are a lot of restaurants and retail opportunities directly across U.S. 280 in Brook Highland Plaza, but getting there on foot or in a vehicle isn’t the easiest task, especially with new modifications to U.S. 280 that eliminated one of the direct crossover points, Knighton said.

Having those kinds of amenities mixed in on the Meadow Brook Corporate Park campus could be a huge selling point, he said.

“Building an environment like that is super critical,” Knighton said. “Employers and employees crave that sort of atmosphere. You’ve got the workforce built in. You’ve got the bones built in. It’s really taking an office park that has great bones and adding amenities to it.”

The city’s comprehensive plan that was approved in 2019 advocates the idea of taking some of the unused parking areas and green spaces in Meadow Brook Corporate Park and adding housing and retail amenities.

Center North. Photos by Erin Nelson.

Now, it’s time to take a deeper dive into that mindset and see what it would really take to make that a reality, Knighton said.

Knighton favors starting with Meadow Brook Corporate Park because that park already is seeing a lot of momentum with the recent addition of companies such as McLeod Software (which already has close to 600 employees on site) and Lake Homes Realty (which plans to add about 350 jobs there).

“If we want to build on this innovation, there's a real opportunity to take that park to the next level,” Knighton said.

The city’s Industrial Development Board and new Commercial Development Authority have advised Knighton and his team to move forward with finding a leading real estate and economic development advisory firm to develop a more specific market analysis and business plan.

The Hoover City Council set aside some money in the city’s 2023 budget to help pay for such a study, but Knighton said Shelby County’s economic development agency, 58 Inc., and landowners and existing tenants in Meadow Brook Corporate Park could be potential funding partners.

Knighton said he has been encouraged by his conversations with some of the property owners thus far.

“These property owners are very interested in seeing a metamorphosis occur in their locations to include mixed-use activities and more connectivity and activities to create a technology ecosystem,” he said.

SDM Partners, an Atlanta-based real investment firm, bought four of the large office buildings in Meadow Brook Corporate Park about five years ago. SDM sold the 145,000-square-foot 100 Building to McLeod Software and renovated the 128,000-squarefoot 1200 Building and leased about 90% of it, said Steve Martin, the managing principal for SDM Partners.

The 135,000-square-foot 500 Building, formerly home to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, has about 45,000 square feet still vacant, and the 101,000-square-foot 300 Building, also formerly used by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, has been vacant about 10 years, Martin said.

Martin said his company is on board with the idea of transforming Meadow Brook Cor porate Park into more of a mixed-use center that includes housing and retail options. SDM Partners already is exploring the idea of tear ing down the 300 Building and redeveloping the 5.9-acre site for multi-family housing, he said. They’ve been bringing in food trucks for office tenants in other buildings but would love to have a food hall or coffee shop on site, he said.

INVERNESS CENTER NORTH

Inverness Center North has been mostly vacant since Southern Company Services vacated its three office buildings there around 2017 to move to the Colonnade.

In-Rel Properties bought the office park at auction in July for about $16 million, said Thomas of NAI Chase Commercial. That was a bargain considering the previous owner bought it for $68 million, he said. In-Rel paid about $36 per square foot, and comparable office properties in the Inverness area are selling for $140 to $160 per square foot, he said.

Now, there are two completely vacant

150,000-square-foot buildings and a third building with one tenant —FIS (a financial technology firm) occupying about 115,000 square feet, said Thomas of NAI Chase Commercial.

As of late October, there was one new potential small tenant considering a lease for that building and about 16,000 square feet of available space left on the first floor, he said.

Thomas said NAI Chase Commercial and In-Rel share the same ultimate goal as the city of Hoover for Inverness Center North — to bring in new amenities for the campus to attract tenants. Potential ideas include restaurants, an ice cream shop and other retail and service establishments, he said.

However, the owner is not interested in eliminating any of the existing parking lots at Inverness Center North, Thomas said. “We need that parking for the buildings once we’re fully occupied again,” he said.

Instead, In-Rel Properties would favor using about 10 acres on the Inverness Center North campus that originally was planned for a fourth building as space for some type of retail center, Thomas said.

“We have no intention of building a fourth

U.S. 280.

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office building,” he said. “There’s a better use for that dirt.”

In-Rel first must get approval from the group that controls the overall Inverness development plan and then come to the city for zoning changes that would allow a new type of development, he said. Thomas said In-Rel hopes to have a request to the city within the next five months.

Knighton said what Hoover officials are proposing is nothing new. It has worked in other markets such as Oklahoma City; Newton, Mass.; and Richardson, Texas, he said. It’s just going to take a planned approach with both short-term and long-term strategies to get there, he said.

Eight or nine years ago, Inverness and Meadow Brook were seen more as being on the outskirts of the metro area, but with the growth of Chelsea and other parts of Shelby County, more and more businesses are looking south of Interstate 459 as potential relocation spots, Knighton said.

Hoover is seeing more inquiries now due to the footprint of the properties in the city and the talent base, he said. “There’s a lot of excitement about redevelopment in this city.”

A land sale sign for 3.37 acres is seen by the lake in front of McLeod Software at the 100 Building in Meadow Brook Corporate Park off

CHRISTMAS

► Fire Department Santa Run – Dec. 24

FIRE DEPARTMENT TOY DRIVE

► WHEN: Mid-November through mid-December

► WHERE: All Hoover fire stations

► INFO: hooverfire.org

The Hoover Fire Department each year collects toys to be distributed to children of deployed soldiers at Christmas.

People can bring unwrapped toys to any Hoover fire station until a few days before Christmas, fire Division Chief Duane Prater said. If firefighters are out on a call and the station is empty, the toys can be left under a covered area at the station, he said. Deliveries can be made any time, but the preference is for deliveries between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., he said.

The toy drive is coordinated by the Alabama National Guard Foundation, and the toys are delivered on Christmas Eve to children of active duty members of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard.

The Hoover Fire Department has participated in the toy drive for 20 or more years alongside other departments such as the North Shelby and Rocky Ridge fire departments.

GIFTS OF ART

► WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 1, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

► WHERE: Aldridge Gardens

► INFO: aldridgegardens.com

Aldridge Gardens each year holds a “Gifts of Art” event that gives people a chance to shop for unique gift items from artists that can’t be found in typical retail stores.

At least 11 artists are scheduled to come this year, including Walking Tree Bonsai and P.K. Glass, said Rip Weaver, executive director and landscape architect at Aldridge. Artwork usu ally includes things such as textiles, glass, pot tery, metal works, jewelry and woodworking.

“There’s such a wide selection and wide variety,” Weaver said. “You could almost do all your Christmas shopping while you’re here.”

Items typically are priced between $50 and $100 in an effort to provide people with afford able gift options, Weaver said.

Aldridge Gardens gets a percentage of each sale made, with the money going toward the gardens’ art and sculpture committee. Money from the art sale is what allows the gardens to host art receptions throughout the year, he said.

SANTA’S CIRCUS

► WHEN: Thursday and Friday, Dec. 1-2, 7:30 p.m.

► WHERE: Hoover Library Theatre

► INFO: hooverlibrary.org/thelibrary theatre

This holiday-themed circus production at the Hoover Library Theatre is decorated to capture the essence of the season and celebrate its wonder and joy, with a story that includes lots of stunts, magic, illusions, comedy and

unexpected twists and turns.

The 90-minute acrobatic fairy tale is filled with traditional Christmas characters, espe cially Santa and Mrs. Claus. It’s designed both for children and the “inner child” in everyone, promoters say.

The show was founded by producer Fran cisco Santos, who is the eighth generation of a family dedicated to the entertainment business and was the creator of The Vampire Circus.

Santos also worked with Cirque du Soleil as a co-creator of the “Varekai” show, which has

been seen by more than 9 million people around the world.

Tickets cost $32, plus a $3 processing fee, and can be obtained at hooverlibrary.org/theli brarytheatre or by calling the Library Theatre box office at 205-444-7888. Thursday night’s performance is sold out, but some tickets were still available for Friday night as of early November.

GREENERY SALE

► WHEN: Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 1-3, 9

a.m.-3 pm. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m.noon Saturday

► WHERE: Aldridge Gardens

► INFO: aldridgegardens.com

If you’re looking for greenery to help dec orate your mantel, staircase, doors, fence or tables in your house for Christmas, Aldridge Gardens is offering a selection of fresh greenery for people to buy.

The greenery sale has been expanded to three days this year and will take place Dec. 1-3. It will include branches, garlands, other botanical materials and mailbox cover frames.

“It’s going to be super fresh,” said Rip Weaver, Aldridge Gardens’ executive director and landscape architect. “It will be cut that Monday and will go on sale that Thursday.”

The greenery material will be sprayed with a substance that helps keep it looking fresh for a long time, Weaver said.

The sale will take place on the patio next to the Roots store at the gardens. The gardens usually make $500 to $600 off the sale, but it’s not designed to be a big moneymaker, he said. It’s more about providing a service to residents who don’t have access to much greenery for their holiday décor, he said.

BLUFF PARK CHRISTMAS PARADE

► WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.

► WHERE: Streets of Bluff Park

► INFO: “Bluff Park Christmas Parade” on Facebook

The 2022 Bluff Park Christmas parade, which is open to the entire community (not just Bluff Park), is slated for Saturday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m.

As usual, it will begin and end

at the Bluff Park Community Park next to the Shades Cliff

Above: Children wave and toss candy from floats as the Bluff Park Christmas Parade takes place on Cloudland Drive in Hoover in December 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.

Left: Hundreds of toys were loaded onto this rental truck for distribution to children of active duty members of the armed forces in December 2016. The Cahaba Valley, Hoover, North Shelby and Rocky Ridge fire departments worked together to collect the toys. Photo courtesy of Hoover Fire Department.

Below: Santa Claus rides in a Hoover Fire Department truck at the end of the 2019 Bluff Park Christmas Parade in Hoover in December 2019. Photo by Jon Anderson.

pool, said Lori Redding, one of five organizers.

The parade will proceed along Cloudland Drive (behind Bluff Park Elementary School), turn right onto Lester Lane, then turn south on Clearview Road (which turns into Maiden Lane), right onto Rockview Lane, right onto Cloudland Drive and end back at the park next to the Shades Cliff Pool.

Last year, the parade had hundreds of people in it, with about 35 groups taking part, includ ing Girl Scout troops, the Bluff Park Elemen tary teachers, Hoover High School groups, Simmons Middle School dance team and cheerleaders, churches, businesses and groups of family members and friends.

“We had some really great floats last year that were very creative,” Redding said.

The first-place award last year went to ARC Realty, while Green Valley Roofing and Con struction came in second. There was a tie for third between the Dunmore and Shaw family and friends floats.

The top floats again this year will receive gift cards to local restaurants or businesses, Red ding said. The theme this year is “Nostalgic Christmas.” People are encouraged to decorate their floats in accordance with their favorite decade, Redding said.

The fee to be a part of the parade is $40, and there is a link to register on the event’s Facebook page. Parade organizers also are sell ing sponsorships for $80 to help cover costs, such as liability insurance and assistance from Hoover police officers. Money raised this year helps pay for next year’s parade, Redding said.

The deadline to register for the parade is the day before, and the parade will take place rain or shine, she said. Other organizers are Kris ten Fountain, Kristin Mathis, Alli Nations and Lauren Toth.

Organizers ask people driving to Bluff Park to watch the parade to park at Shades Crest Baptist Church and Bluff Park Elementary School. The parade will go behind the school on Cloudland Drive but not by Shades Crest Baptist on Park Avenue.

CHRISTMAS FAIR ON THE FARM

► WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 3, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

► WHERE: Hare Farm, 613 Sanders Road

► INFO: harefarmbluffpark.com

For the third straight year, the Hare Farm in Bluff Park is putting on a Christmas Fair with vendors selling arts and crafts.

This year’s event is set for Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., shortly after the Bluff Park Christmas Parade. In addition to craft and art booths, there will be activities for kids, live music and food trucks, said Elizabeth Pruitt, business manager for the Hare Farm.

Food trucks expected include the Bluff Park Ice Cream Shoppe, Southern Coffee & Waffles and The Recipe (which sells meat and vegetable items, grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, sausages, cheeseburger sliders, chicken tenders, chicken and waffles, and other items).

Hare Farm personnel also will be giving updates about efforts to turn the farm into an event venue, Pruitt said. They have already torn down an older house on the farm and are building a pavilion in its place, she said. Also, renovations are under way in the barn, she said.

“It’ll continue to be a place where we host and do programs for the community,” she said.

They already have had movie nights in the barn and recently hosted a community wiffle ball tournament.

HO HO HOOVER

► WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 4, 2-5 p.m.

► WHERE: Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens

► INFO: hooverhelps.org

The Hoover Helps nonprofit, which provides food and clothing for needy children, is hold ing its third Ho Ho Hoover fundraiser at the Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens on Sunday, Dec. 4.

It’s a come-and-go event that includes hol iday-oriented entertainment from choirs and dance groups from Hoover and Spain Park high schools, refreshments, tours of the historic house and Christmas trees decorated by vari ous nonprofit groups and other organizations in ways that highlight the groups’ missions.

Last year, the Hoover High School tree won first place, while the Hoover Fire Department came in second and the Hoover Service Club won third place. The tree from the Hoover Public Library won the People’s Choice award, and the Bluff Park Art Association won for best craftsmanship.

There already are at least 13 groups sched uled to participate in this year’s Christmas tree decoration contest, said Greg Bishop, co-founder of Hoover Helps.

There also will be a silent auction that includes tickets to Birmingham area sporting events, artwork and hard-to-get alcoholic bev erages, Bishop said. The auction is online, and winners do not have to be present to win. There is a link to the online auction on the Hoover Helps Facebook page.

Tickets to the event cost $15 and are avail able at eventbrite.com/e/ho-ho-hoover-ran dle-tickets-462398756127. Children 12 and younger get in free.

More than 300 people attended last year’s Ho Ho Hoover event, which Bishop said raised about $11,000 for the nonprofit. It’s a great way

to become familiar with many of the nonprofit groups in Hoover, Bishop said.

“So many people are eager to help,” he said. “They just don’t know how.”

JINGLE BELL RUN

► WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 10, 7:30 a.m.

► WHERE: Veterans Park

► INFO: events.arthritis.org

If you like running or walking, dressing up in holiday costumes or both, the Arthritis Foun dation’s Jingle Bell Run may be for you.

It’s a 5K designed to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation and will take place Sat urday, Dec. 10, at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road in Hoover.

The cost to run the race with a timing chip is $45 through Dec. 8, or you can run without the timing chip for $40. Either way, the cost goes up $5 after Dec. 8.

But participants, either as individuals or teams, are invited to raise additional money for the foundation by asking for donations in connection with the race.

People are encouraged to wear festive holi day attire for the run, and each runner will be given a race T-shirt and jingle bells.

The festivities begin at 7:30 a.m. with day-of registration and packet pickup; followed by an opening ceremony at 8 a.m.; costume contest for individuals, groups and pets at 8:30 a.m.; warm-up at 8:45; lineup at 8:50; and the race start at 9 a.m.

Finisher medals will be given to all partic ipants who complete the race, and additional medals will be given out to top finishers in various age groups afterward at the post-race celebration. There also is a reunion planned from 10 to 10:45 for families of people battling with juvenile arthritis.

Dogs and strollers are welcome in the 5K. For more information, contact Kelly Maliska at kmaliska@arthritis.org or 470-440-2856.

ALABAMA SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA

► WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 and 4 p.m.

► WHERE: Riverchase Galleria food court ► INFO: alabamasymphony.org/event/ merrybright2022

The Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra is scheduled to perform holiday tunes twice at the Riverchase Galleria on Sunday, Dec. 11.

The free performances will be at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the food court by the carousel. Each performance should last about an hour, River chase Galleria General Manager Mike White said. Alex Fokkens is the new conductor for the youth orchestra.

The youth orchestra typically has about 70 students, mostly between the ages of 12 and 22. Most typically live within about 50 miles of Birmingham so they can be available for practices.

Sponsors of the event include Publix Super Markets Charities, Vulcan Materials Co., Drummond Co. and First Horizon.

FIRE DEPARTMENT SANTA RUN

► WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 24, 3-9:30 p.m.

► WHERE: Throughout the city

► INFO: hooverfire.org

For kids who want to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, the Hoover Fire Department plans to give the jolly old elf a ride all around town on the night of his big deliveries.

Firefighters will be escorting Saint Nick throughout city streets in their shiny, red fire engines between roughly 3 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. as they help him scout out the neighborhoods.

People frequently come out to the edge of their driveways to see Santa as he rides by in the fire truck, but he has a busy schedule to keep and doesn’t have time to stop for pictures or anything like that, said fire Division Chief Duane Prater.

However, Santa covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time, Prater said. “We hit just about every street in the city,” he said. There are a few dead-end streets that are less easily accessible that may not make the list, but every station in town assists Santa, Prater said.

People can go to the Hoover Fire Depart ment website for an estimated arrival time at various streets, but people should be aware that Santa’s schedule could be interrupted if firefighters are called to respond to an emer gency, he said.

In the event of very bad weather, Santa may stay at Hoover fire stations for visits from kids, but notices to that effect will be posted on Christmas Eve if that becomes necessary, Prater said.

Above: Aldridge Gardens held their Christmas greenery sale, selling the perfect additions to any holiday floral arrangement. File photo.

Top: Silas McDaniel, 6, poses for a photo with Santa Claus at the 2021 Ho Ho Hoover fundraiser for the Hoover Helps nonprofit at the Hoover Randle Home & Gardens in December 2021. Photo by Jon Anderson.

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