Gardendale Magazine - January 2022

JANUARY 2022

THE

HISTORY

MAN

RIM

RUNNERS A RUN THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON

PAGE 18

PAGE 10

a TASTE

Home of

CHILEAN FAMILY SHARES THEIR HERITAGE THROUGH FOOD

PAGE 12

KERMIT DOOLEY AND HIS DEDICATION TO PRESERVING OUR PAST

Quality Amenities for Locals to Enjoy Parks Splash Pad Civic Center Hiking & Biking Trails

Local & National Restaurants Convenient & Unique Shopping

Coming 2022 · The Crossings at Magnolia City Place · · A Premier Development for Restaurants and Retail ·

The Medical Mile The Gardendale Medical Mile is an innovative collaboration of healthcare businesses focused on providing exceptional care and wellness services. It’s an accomplishment that reflects the success and development of our humble city! The Mayor and Council have worked hard to establish Gardendale as the medical hub of North Jefferson County. Join us!

Coming 2023

Bill Noble Park 9 Synthetic Turf Baseball & Softball Fields 1 Synthetic Regulation Football/Soccer Field Playgrounds

Walking Trails Basketball Court Beach Volleyball Pickelball Tennis

There’s so much to enjoy and experience in Gardendale that you will need to experience it for yourself to believe it!

www.cityofgardendale.com | Phone: 205-631-8789 | Address: 925 Main St, Gardendale, AL 35071 [ 2 ] Gardendale magazine

Gardendale magazine [ 3 ]

/ Table of Contents /

10/

18/

Rim Runners: 2 local men run the Grand Canyon from rim to rim

History Man: Kermit Dooley is devoted to preserving Gardendale’s history

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14/

Community News: Local happenings, announcements and reader pictures

16/

Taste of Home: Local baker brings a taste of her home country to the city

20/

Walking Through History: Answers from the Gardendale Historical Museum

/ Table of Contents /

22/

26/ 30/

Team Player: Merritt Beason works to build volleyball’s profile

24/

Nonprofit spotlight: Just Keep Smiling helps paralyzed teen be more mobile

28/

Recipe of the Month: Ring in the new year with a new take on traditional favorites

New Businesses: City rings in the new year with a bevy of new businesses and expansions Calendar: Don’t miss these events

Gardendale magazine [ 5 ]

/ About Us / On The Cover / Who We Are Gardendale Magazine is published monthly by JBMC Media, a Birmingham-based publishing company.

The magazine is mailed directly to 8,600+ homes and businesses within the city of Gardendale, and it is solely supported by advertisers within the pages of this magazine.

Gardendale Magazine is 100% local; the stories and photos are all about the city of Gardendale, its residents, its businesses, its schools, and its cultural institutions.

It’s our promise to you that we will always keep it this way, so that the content and stories are relevant to everyone who calls Gardendale home.

About the Cover Olivia Hawkins enjoys a donut at Monita’s Bakery in Gardendale. The bakery features donuts and fritters, as well as favorites from the owners’ home country of Chile.

Cover photo by Ron Burkett

CORRECTION: The photo on the cover of our November issue was incorrectly credited. It was taken by Emily Hill of Vera Ruth Photography. We apologize for the error and are happy to set the record straight.

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It’s never easy asking businesses to invest in advertising, so we want to give a VERY special thank you to these businesses. Please, support them!

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Matthew Allen Publisher (205) 617-9609, matthew@jbmcmedia.com Rachel Davis Karr Content Director (205) 613-7850, rachel@jbmcmedia.com Lori Kinney Marketing Consultant (205) 447-1164, lkinney1215@gmail.com Chris Shelton Marketing Consultant (205) 541-9663, chris@jbmcmedia.com Anthony Bratina, Shweta Gamble Graphic Design

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/ Editor’s Note / I have loved hearing story ideas from all of you over the last few months.

This issue is made up mostly of story ideas that came to us from YOU, our readers. From the pastor who ran the Grand Canyon rim to Merritt Beason’s record setting freshman year in college, these are the stories you told us you wanted.

I have enjoyed learning the stories that I didn’t know, but my favorite story idea from this issue was just a question. I received several emails and texts that said, essentially, “what is that THING on Tarrant Road/” I immediately knew what they meant and who I needed to call.

Kermit Dooley has long been one of my favorite people in Gardendale.

Kermit has interesting stories about everything and is passionate about preserving history, particularly in the city he loves. I was able to meet up with Kermit at the Historical Museum that now bears his name and he told me more history about Gardendale and the surrounding area than I could put in a year’s worth of magazines.

The museum is a collection of local and even national history items. The Gardendale Historical Society members have devoted a lot of time to collecting items and giving them context–displaying old photos with information about where those buildings stood. If you haven’t visited the historical museum, I strongly encourage you to make time to visit one they reopen in the Spring.

In addition to those stories, I stopped by and talked to the owners of Monita’s Bakery on Main Street. Ariel and Monica and their family immigrated here from their native Chile for Ariel’s job, choosing Gardendale specifically for its supportive community and family-friendly environment. Hearing how they chose Gardendale as their home was just another illustration of why I love the people here.

Our cover model, Olivia, quickly informed me that she has been to Monita’s before, with her nana. I told her I thought nana spoiled her and she quickly told me “no, she doesn’t! … what does that mean?” After I told her it meant she got her what she wanted and let her get away with anything. ”Oh, well, then, yeah, she does,” Olivia agreed. Her nana, Lisa, devoted her life to serving others as a nurse and is now battling cancer. I hope finding Olivia’s smiling face in her mailbox will be a pleasant surprise for her.

We are so happy to still be bringing you this magazine in 2022, after shipping delays caused issues late in 2021. Hopefully these magazines will find you all happy, healthy and well in the new year.

Rachel Davis Karr, Content Director

Gardendale magazine [ 7 ]

/ Mayor’s Corner / Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and getting together with their families. Now, it’s time to get back in the saddle as we head into 2022. Reflecting back, 2021 has been a year of challenges and uncertainties, but also a year of many blessings. I’m saddened by the thoughts of the many special people that we have lost in our community. Personally, I have so much to be thankful for. A loving wife, family, friends, my church family and my health. And, the opportunity to serve my seventh year as mayor of my hometown, that means so much to me, with a “sense of community“ that’s not found in every city.

As a city, even in the middle of uncertainty and the pandemic, our city has continued to grow and prosper. We exceeded $1 million in monthly revenue for every month of the year for the first time in the history of the city. For the year, sales tax revenue was up almost 11%. Thank you for supporting our local businesses!

As we enter 2022, I’m excited what the new year will bring. As I type this, bulldozers are moving across the new interstate development off of Fieldstown Road. Site work has begun and pads will soon be ready for the construction of two restaurants that our residents have requested for many years, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse. They will anchor the 26-acre site and negotiations with future possible tenants are well underway. Additional announcements will come when I have been released to talk. Also, Shrimp Basket will be opening in January as we gladly welcome them back. Having them and Taziki’s open will bring additional visitors down Fieldstown Road.

One little teaser for you is that we are about to announce another restaurant that will make lots of people happy so stay tuned.

On the medical side, we recently closed on a piece of property with UAB that will expand their footprint here locally. They purchased property directly behind their medical office building with hopes to bring additional needed medical services to our area. No construction date has been announced but I will keep you posted. This is a wonderful addition to the Gardendale Medical Mile as we continue building on the fact that Gardendale is the medical hub of north Jefferson County.

Then as promised, in February we will break ground on the new Bill Noble park that will give our local children a new place to play that will be second to none. Turf fields, new playgrounds, tennis, pickleball and much more. I can’t wait to see it start coming out of the ground.

Other things are in the works and I hope to be making additional announcements in the very near future. New opportunities, new developments and quality of life improvements. In closing, like I’ve said many times, I stand on God’s promises and firmly believe, “Greater things have yet to be done in our city!”

From our family to yours, God Bless and Happy New Year!

Stan Hogeland, Mayor City of Gardendale

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/ Feature /

Rim Runners

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN PARRISH

By Rachel Davis Karr Many people have never visited the Grand Canyon, much less gone to the bottom of the canyon and back up on foot. Two local men, John Parrish and Chris Nelson, ran from one rim of the canyon, down to the bottom, up to the other rim and back in less than 24 hours. The extreme run isn’t for the weak and isn’t even technically allowed by the park system because it is so dangerous for those who attempt it without proper preparation. .

To run the canyon rim to rim to rim in less than a day is physically, mentally and emotionally draining, Parrish cautions. The idea is to run from the south rim of the Grand Canyon to the north // Continued on Page 11 // [ 10 ] Gardendale magazine

rim, which is 1,000 feet higher than the south rim.

Then run back. The round trip is 50 miles and has to be completed in less than 24 hours. It begins in the wee hours of the morning in total darkness at an average of 30 degrees. Descending into the canyon in darkness requires the runner to stick to the trail and use a headlamp or other light source to light their path. Then, by the time they reach the bottom, it is daylight and closer to 70 degrees.

When they get to the top of the north rim, it’s once again 30 degrees and there can be several inches of snow on the ground on the higher side. Then, they refuel, change their socks and start the return down into the canyon and back up. After more than 20 hours on their feet, five temperature changes and

/ Feature / // Continued from Page 10 // 50 miles, the runners arrive back where they started. It is physically, mentally and emotionally draining for the runners. The area is so treacherous that there are only a few weeks a year where the run is possible, with extreme heat and cold making it impassable. In the dead of winter, the north rim is actually closed due to the extreme snow and ice it can experience.

Several years ago, John Parrish’s children wanted him to swing on a rope swing and he knew he couldn’t do it because he wasn’t in good enough shape. That was a wake up call to him.

“I didn’t ever want to not be able to do

something because of decisions I’ve made,” Parrish explained.

As the pastor at Gardendale Church of the Nazarene, Parrish had a lot of people counting on him. He started working to get healthier by running. As time went by, he pushed himself to run farther and farther.

Then, in 2019, he heard about a group of other Nazarene pastors doing the Rim to Rim run at the Grand Canyon and decided to join.

or tired runners back around the expanse.

But he was hooked and determined to complete the run in future years.

The first year Parrish attempted it, he made the 25 mile run from south to north, but did not return, instead riding back in the van that ferries supplies and injured

Nelson’s path to running was a little different. He had been a high school athlete and had remained in good shape, but watching his dad die from pulmonary

When Parrish’s daughter came home to tell him that her friend’s dad was also a runner, Parrish brushed it off.

“It was like, ‘ok, lots of people run, but he’s not crazy,’” Parrish said with a laugh.

“Then I met him and was like ‘oh, you’re nuts. You are one of my people.’”

// Continued on Page 12 //

Gardendale magazine [ 11 ]

/ Feature / // Continued from Page 11 // fibrosis was what kicked off his extreme running career. He first wanted to run the Mercedes half-marathon, but then just kept increasing how far he ran.

“We tell our kids to set goals and stick to it, but we don’t show them that,” Nelson said. “Rather than pointing to someone outside the home who reaches their goals, show them. When I get to that point when I hurt, I keep my dad in mind. He worked so hard just to eat. I can do this.”

Last year, just prior to the Rim to Rim run, Parrish lost his mom to COVID and he decided not to attempt the run because of the extreme emotional and mental toll it can take. Nelson made his first attempt last year and completed it well under the 24-hour mark. This year, both men were ready to take on the challenge again.

It isn’t as simple as deciding you are going to run the canyon. The trip can be dangerous for runners who approach it too casually and descend into the canyon unprepared. For this reason, rangers in the area often check on the runners and ensure they are prepared and realistic about what they need to do, in order to avoid a potentially life-threatening issue. // Continued on Page 13 //

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/ Feature / // Continued from Page 12// In preparation for the grueling run, Parrish runs five to six times a week and amasses 35-40 miles a week, then increases that to 50 miles a week for six weeks before tapering off for the two weeks prior to the run to allow his body to heal. Since his motivation for running is largely being present for his family, Parrish works hard to ensure that his extensive running doesn’t take away from family time. He’s often in the woods before the sun comes up.

Parrish said he has been nicknamed “Data” by the other runners because of his meticulous attention to detail and facts and figures. He can easily rattle off the science of exactly how many calories he needs to intake every hour and how to manage his liquid intake to maximize use for his body. He also carefully calculates what he needs to pack into his bag, along with additional supplies in case other runners get into trouble.

With all the dangers and the extremes, why do they do it? The men both shrugged, trying to describe the spiritual experience they have had in those moments of exhaustion and beauty.

There is something about being in those moments of pain where you know you’re alive. We don’t know what it’s like to be uncomfortable anymore.

You have to decide “am I going to let being uncomfortable take over or am I going to find a way out of it?”

“There is something about being in those moments of pain where you know you’re alive,” Nelson said. “We don’t know what it’s like to be uncomfortable anymore. You have to decide ‘am I going to let being uncomfortable take over or am I going to find a way out of it?’”

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Gardendale magazine [ 13 ]

/ Community News /

Young commits to play at Arkansas Dallas Young, Gardendale’s 4-star cornerback in the class of 2023 is ranked as the fourth best player at that position in the country and recently committed to play ball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. “I have really known it was going to be Arkansas since November, but I waited to commit on Dec. 29, my grandmother’s birthday,” he said, via On3 Sports. “I prayed about it, it felt like home, and the vibe was right for me at Arkansas.”

Gardendale Public Library Food Pantry

Because of so many in need during the holidays, our little library food pantry is depleted. The immediate needs are items like chili, beef stew, hearty soups, crackers, fruit and jello/ pudding cups, spaghetti and Alfredo sauce, canned meats and fruit cups.

We do not need any canned green beans or mixed vegetables. We also have ready made bags to take which have a grocery list/toiletry list on them, so feel free to drop by and grab one to fill up. Thanks so much for all who have brought food!

[ 14 ] Gardendale magazine

/ Community Feature / News /

Gardendale rings in 2022 with snowfall We asked you for your best snow pictures from the second day of the new year. Here are some of our favorites.

Gardendale magazine [ 15 ]

/ Feature /

Bringing the taste of home to her new home Story and photos by Rachel Davis Karr When Ariel Parra was offered a new job in Alabama, he and his wife, Monica Gallardo, moved their family from their native Chile and began looking for a place to make their home. They wanted to be near a larger city, they wanted an area with good schools for their sons, Lou and Max, and a community environment the family could enjoy. They decided Gardendale was the perfect place and bought a home in the city.

The family settled into Gardendale, enjoying the family atmosphere and supportive community they had chosen to be their new home. They only had one complaint. The desserts they could find locally were just sugar and flour, not the flavorful cakes they were accustomed to in Chile. So, during the pandemic, Monica started baking the cakes from her homeland. As word spread, demand for the unique desserts grew and she increase her baking skills and recipes.

Then, in July of 2020, the small donut shop on Main Street became available. The couple and their sons jumped at the chance.

The longtime donut shop has had a few names and owners over the years, but has consistently provided the city with fresh donuts, fritters and other baked goods. The family has kept those traditional offerings from the donut shop, but also added new // Continued on Page 17 //

Ariel Parra, Monica Gallardo and their son, Max, can usually be found hard at work in their family donut shop on Main Street. [ 16 ] Gardendale magazine

/ Feature / // Continued from Page 16 // goodies for people to try.

The new name of the bakery is “Monita’s Bakery” because Monita is a nickname for Monica and also means “little monkey” which has been incorporated into the logo as well.

Starting a new business during the pandemic wasn’t easy, but once again, Ariel said the community rallied around them and supported their efforts. Some regulars have incorporated the shop into their regular weekly routine, others use it as a reward for their kids or sweet treat for their coworkers.

“Everyone has been very supportive,” Parra said.

“We found in Gardendale exactly what we were looking for.”

The most popular items in their case are Strawberry shortcakes and apple fritters, but the Chilean cakes and tres leches are also popular choices. And of course, the donut cases are always a draw for the kids, with unique and brightly colored decorations.

Their son, Max, works the front of house. His face is the usually the first thing customers see when they visit the shop and he helps them select just the right pastry or coffee or latte or specialty drink. He has even learned the regulars and usually knows what new offering they will enjoy. That personal touch is what the Monita Bakery family wanted for their business all along.

“I just like to see people and provide the best customer service I can,” Max said.

Since the shop was already home to a pastry shop, extensive remodeling wasn’t necessary, but the family did want to brighten up the colors to match Monica’s cheerful, sunny disposition. The pastel pinks and blues of the shop are pulled from the logo.

There is also an Instagram-worthy wall outside the door that proudly proclaims “I love donuts.”

“We just want to continue to provide the best service and product,” Parra said.

The store is open from 5:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

They are closed on Sundays.

Local children love choosing their favorite donuts from the case at Monita’s Donuts.

Gardendale magazine [ 17 ]

/ Everyday Folks /

History Man

Kermit Dooley has devoted the last few decades of his life to preserving the history of the city he loves. The Gardendale Historical Museum is now named in his honor.

Story and Photos by Rachel Davis Karr If you want to know anything about the City of Gardendale, you ask Kermit Dooley.

The historical museum is named for him, because of his dedication to preserving the history and stories of how Gardendale came to be what it is today. It’s almost impossible to separate his personal history from the history of the city these days.

Kermit will turn 82 this year and he has lived in Gardendale most of his life.His parents moved him to Pineywoods Road when he was about two year old. His dad built their next home while working at Chicago Bridge and Iron.

Throughout his childhood, Dooley remembers stories of how Gardendale was when there was no interstate and the area was built around coal mines.

“Most of the men out here, if they had a job, it was likely in the mine, because that was the industry out here. Or they were making liquor for the miners,” Dooley said laughing.

“My mom had a brother who lived down what is now Tarrant Road, named John Henry Wolfe. We used to walk through the woods to his house and I remember mom would always warn me and my brother to be very quiet, don’t say a word or look up. Look straight ahead. And the reason was, the

// Continued on Page 19 // Kermit Dooley preserves the history of his hometown.

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/ Everyday Folks / // Continued from Page 18 // local moonshiner had a still on the side of the hill and they were up there working just about every day. But I did look up.”

Dooley said he often saw the men running their still but they never bothered him or his brother as they passed through. He said the main moonshiner in the area was a church regular who paid his tithe and helped families who were down on their luck.

“You could stop by his house and he would be sitting on his front porch in a pair of overalls,” Dooley remembers. “You could stop by there and get whatever you needed.”

The moonshiner also loved baseball, he remembers. In fact, the man recruited many baseball players to play in the local mining camps.

Dooley also remembers a neighbor, Mr. Mobley, who had lost a leg in a mining accident and walked with a heavy wooden prosthetic. The man took Dooley under his wing and that’s where he saw his first television set as a child.

Eventually Dooley’s parents saved enough money to buy 40 acres of land off what is now Minor Road.

“He cut that timber with a one-man crosscut saw and then he bought this pitiful old mule.

When he’d cut a tree down, he would trim it up, drag it out and eventually have it milled,” Dooley remembers. “Me and my brother used to ride that old mule all the time.”

Eventually the land was cleared and the lumber milled. Dooley’s father and two grandfathers built the block house in 1947.

“They fought like cats and dogs, because one would say his dimensions were right and the other would say ‘no, this is so-and-so,’” Dooley laughed. “I don’t know how they ever got that house built, but they did.”

The family moved to the Minor Road property when Dooley was just seven. He would later start school in Ms. Minnie Nations first grade class. That class picture (as well as many more) are now part of the Kermit Dooley Historical Society Museum.

Dooley also remembers that his dad was able

to buy a truck after the war, but couldn’t get a bed for it until later because of steel shortages left over from the war efforts.

So his dad made a temporary wooden bed for the truck and hauled materials in that.

It was just one of the things that locals struggled with in the wake of WWII and the Korean War. Dooley attended school originally back when it was on what is now Mitchell Hill Road.

This was where he met Joyce Elaine Parks, his junior-high sweetheart who eventually became his wife.

At the time, there was no Gardendale High School so students headed into high school would either go to Phillips Vocational School, Tarrant High School or Mortimer Jordan High School. Dooley and Parks graduated from Mortimer Jordan and soon found himself thrown into the workforce.

He had a chance to go to college, but couldn’t walk away from the money he was making working in the service station business. It was there that he met a woman named Ruth Ann, who worked at Southern Line Material Company (eventually McGraw Edison) and helped him get a job there.

“I couldn’t even read a blueprint,” Dooley remembers. “I had never seen a blueprint before.”

Before long, he was leading his own team

and then he was made foreman in the industrial engineering department.

The 1960s brought the space race and Dooley’s production team had an integral role in the process.

“Back then, NASA was wide open,” Dooley said. “They were shooting rockets off down there. We made these things called capacitor banks, and that’s what they used to fire those rockets. We were shipping those things right and left. We couldn’t make them fast enough.”

After his retirement, Dooley focused on his family and helping the city create a historical society to preserve and record the important facts and interesting stories from the city’s early days.

Kermit and Joyce had two sons, Troy and Shaun, and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The couple was married for 56 years when Joyce died in 2018, after a long battle with autoimmune disease.

These days, Dooley is still the go-to resource for historic facts or questions and helps out with the museum and other historical society business, when health allows. For anyone interested in learning more about the museum, visit the Gardendale Historical Society page on Facebook.

Gardendale magazine [ 19 ]

/ Feature /

Walking Through History Finding the answers to historic questions in the Gardenale Historical Museum

PHOTOS BY RACHEL DAVIS KARR

Over the years, many residents and passerby have wondered what the large cylindrical rock structure on Tarrant Road was and how it came to be there. Kermit Dooley had a quick, easy explanation for it.

“It was a cistern,” Dooley explained. “Brother Ray Moore’s daddy had a truck farm on about five acres there, and he built it to hold water for his crops.”

Dooley went on to explain that Moore had a system set up to collect rainwater and store it in the cistern, as well as a system set to pump water front he well at night when

[ 20 ] Gardendale magazine

the family wasn’t using it. Then there was a sprinkler system that watered the crops from the cistern storage tank. It was an elaborate system for its time and allowed the farmer to keep his farm operating. Most of the other work on the farm was done by Mr. Moore with the help of his hired hand and an old mule who plowed the fields. But it wasn’t all work around the farm.

there and get under the sprinkler,” Dooley

“The Flints lived across what is now Tarrant Road, it was just an old dirt road back then.

Gail Flint always talked about when he would turn the sprinkler system on, they’d put their bathing suits on and run over

and other historical artifacts that give a

remembers with a laugh.

The story of the cistern is just one of the questions about historic Gardendale that members of the Gardendale Historical Society have collected at the Kermit Dooley Historical Museum in Gardendale. The museum features a number of photos, items glimpse into the city’s origins, the notable figures who have shaped the face of the city and the impact decisions have had on the city to this day.

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/ Student Athlete /

TEAM PLAYER

Merritt Beason hopes to encourage others to follow in her footsteps Growing up, Merritt Beason had dreams of being a gymnast. In sixth grade, it became clear that was not her future, as she towered over her classmates. At that point, she got involved with club ball for volleyball and then, in seventh grade, she tried out and made the middle school volleyball team.

“When I started playing volleyball, I just immediately knew I wanted to take it as far as I could,”Merritt said.

Colleges came calling early and by her sophomore year in high school, Merritt was committed to a scholarship to play for University of Florida. At that point, Merrit’s future was set. But she’s never been one to only worry about herself. She devoted her last two years of high school to growing the school program and working to ensure younger players had all the advantages and experience she had. // Continued on Page 23 //

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/ Student Athlete / Volleyball is such a tactical sport. The more reps you get, the better you’re going to be. Honestly, passing a ball against a wall in your driveway is going to make you better than trying to mimic these other girls. You’ve got to start somewhere.

// Continued from Page 22 // “I ended up making the decision to come back and play school ball because I wanted to grow the sport of volleyball in Gardendale,” Merritt explained. “I mean, no one really knew that was a thing and that was a pathway to college if you wanted it. So that was my goal, I started training little girls in my driveway.”

Her first in college has been productive, with her team making it to the Sweet 16 and making an impressive showing. In her usual fashion, when she arrived at Florida, the team needed a right-side hitter. Merritt had been an outside hitter her entire career, but she quickly transitioned to the new position, even though it meant relearning all of her movements and footwork were completely reversed. For a player who says her favorite thing about the sport is the team aspect, it isn’t surprising that she was willing to do whatever was best for her team.

Just a few weeks after the elimination of her team in the Sweet 16, Merritt came home for the holidays and put together a camp for 50 local girls hoping to follow in her footsteps

at high school. She taught a two-day camp for girls second grade and up. She hopes to continue to grow the camps when she’s home to keep the sport she loves alive in her hometown.

“I really want to make it a bigger thing, be able to take more girls,” Merritt said. “Maybe one day even go to the next step and even own a volleyball gym here in Gardendale, who knows.”

Her best advice to little girls who want to follow in her footsteps?

“Volleyball is such a tactical sport,” Merritt said. “The more reps you get, the better you’re going to be. Honestly, passing a ball against a wall in your driveway is going to make you better than trying to mimic these other girls. You’ve got to start somewhere.

That’s why it works in my driveway because all we have to do is reps and you can already see the improvement.

Longterm, Merritt hopes to help her team at Florida win a national championship, making her coach the first female to ever

do so. After college, she hopes to play professional indoor volleyball or take her fifth year and play beach volleyball and then maybe pursue professional beach volleyball. Either way, she has bigger plans for Gardendale after the pros.

“I don’t want to play pro for too long,” Merritt explained. “I want to come back and start my life, start a family. I am studying to be an elementary school teacher. I have always wanted to be an elementary school teacher, ever since I could remember. I used to make my brother play school with me. Maybe open up a volleyball gym, maybe keep coaching.”

Whatever the future holds, there is one ultimate goal in her mind and heart.

“Ultimately, my goal of playing volleyball and playing at the highest level I can, is to bring glory to God’s name,” Merritt explained.

“He’s blessed me with height and physical attributes, as well as the opportunities that he’s already given me. That’s my goal and my hope, is that in everything I do, I’m bringing glory to his name.”

Gardendale magazine [ 23 ]

/ Nonprofit /

PHOTO COURTESY OF JUST KEEP SMILING

Just Keep Smiling Just Keep Smiling is a nonprofit organization based in Gardendale that helps families in the state who have children in medical crisis. They have helped people with small items like gas cards to get to and from medical treatments and much larger items like vehicles. Since it was founded in 2005, Just Keep Smiling has helped hundreds of families.

“A lot of the people we help and we never even know them,” Sue Jeffreys of Just Keep Smiling said. She said social workers of patients at Children’s of Alabama often contact the group about a need and they try to meet it, even if they never know the name of the patient. // Continued on Page 25 // [ 24 ] Gardendale magazine

The nonprofit raises money via donors, sponsorships and a series of fundraisers throughout the year, including the annual Merry Market at Gardendale Civic Center.

The program is run by volunteers who are committed to the cause.

This year, just before Christmas, the group was able to provide a local family with a wheelchair accessible van. When Hunter McNamara was 12 years old, his life changed forever when his brother shot and killed his dad and then turned the gun on Hunter. The teen was left paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair after the shooting.

When Hunter McNamara was 12 years old, his life changed forever when his brother shot and killed his dad and then turned the gun on Hunter.

/ Nonprofit / // Continued from Page 24 // Rick and Linda McNamara, Hunter’s maternal grandparents, were living out of their camper, traveling the country when the shooting happened. They sold their camper, moved into the home and began caring for Hunter, trying to give him as normal a life as possible. In the two years since the shooting, the small family has figured out their new normal, but the struggle of getting Hunter into the couple’s car had gotten increasingly difficult. Rick had to lift Hunter out of the wheelchair and place him in the car and then from the car back into the wheelchair, which will only get more difficult as Hunter continues to grow.

“They changed their whole lifestyle to care for Hunter,” Jeffreys said. She said the group was excited to be able to provide this vehicle and the families reaction was the best part of Christmas for the group. A video of the family receiving their van is posted on the organization’s Facebook page.

The van with the wheelchair ramps allows Hunter to get into the vehicle without having to be lifted, reducing the risk of injury to Hunter and Rick.

To make a donation to Just Keep Smiling so they can continue to help families with medical needs, visit www.justkeepsmiling. org/donate/ or mail check to: Just Keep Smiling, PO Box 1565, Gardendale, AL 35071.

Gardendale magazine [ 25 ]

/ New Businesses /

Gardendale rings in new year with business growth, expansion news Story by Rachel Davis Karr Photos courtesy of The City of Gardendale The end of 2021 signaled a banner year for Gardendale businesses, with one making plans to expand, one opening, two new chains announcing their intent to build and an old favorite returning to the city.

There is no question the UAB development has changed the landscape of the city, anchoring Gardendale’s “Medical Mile” and bringing emergency and specialty care to the city. Mayor Stan Hogeland said he considers the facility to be the most significant in the city’s development. Hogeland recently announced UAB has purchased 6.5 additional acres adjacent to the current

medical facility to expand the offerings in Gardendale.

A list of what offices will be included in the new facility has not yet been released, but it is expected to bring even more state-of-the-art medical technology to the city. While the announcement that UAB is investing more in its future in Gardendale is significant for the city, Hogeland realizes that it doesn’t.

“We found our niche with the ‘Medical Mile’ here in Gardendale,” Hogeland said. “But that doesn’t garner the excitement of other announcements in the city.”

The expanded medical offerings have brought with them retailers and restaurants who know that people often go eat or shop after medical visits. Without a doubt that was part of the decision for Taziki’s to // Continued on Page 27 //

[ 26 ] Gardendale magazine

/ New Businesses /

// Continued from Page 26 // open in the building with the Brookwood Baptist office just off Fieldstown Road. And it was certainly a part of the recent announcement that Olive Garden and Longhorn Steak House will be opening restaurants in Gardendale. Construction on those projects is expected to begin early this year, with a groundbreaking expected in mid- to late- January, although a date has not been set.

The new mixed-use development that will be anchored by Olive Garden and LongHorn will forever change the face of Gardendale along the I-65 Corridor. The city began that project almost 10 years ago, purchasing and moving the houses that sit between I-65 and Odum Road and increasing the visibility of the properties from the interstate.

“If Gardendale was ever going to have an interstatevisible development, it was going to be right there,” Hogeland said.

Hogeland said the restaurants’ announcement was almost made before the pandemic put everything on hold, adding additional difficulty to what was already a lengthy process to attract businesses.

Hogeland said that, even for serious conversations with interested businesses, it very often takes two

years to get them to this point.When the pandemic put all of the city’s plans on hold, Hogeland said he watched all of the work they had done “evaporate,” and was glad the developer and businesses remained committed to the city.

A final site plan for the development has not yet been approved, although several preliminary site plans have been considered. No other businesses have been announced for the development, but Hogeland said there are conversations happening and he hopes to have other commitments soon.

A recent announcement was also made that Shrimp Basket will be reopening in its former home on Fieldstown Road. Crews put the Shrimp Basket sign back up in December and they are currently renovating the building to reopen in early 2022. No reopening date is set, but is expected to be later this month.

With all of the new businesses, expansion and returning businesses, Hogeland is excited about the direction the city is going in and hopes to be able to make at least one more new business announcement in the coming weeks.

Gardendale magazine [ 27 ]

/ Recipe of the Month /

Enjoy Shortcut Turnip Greens Soup in minutes or make ahead in the slow cooker!

We Southerners love our greens-turnip greens, collard greens, and even mustard greens. We also grew up growing and shelling beans so beans and greens are a natural pair. The addition of chopped ham pretty much rounds out this perfectly Southern, pantry-friendly dish.

This 4-ingredient soup will surprise you­­—I know it did me! Two sweet ladies, Deanna and Martha, always brought it to our church potlucks. I tried it one time and was hooked!

SHORTCUT TURNIP GREENS SOUP We Southerners love our greens-turnip greens. This dump and stir soup gets you in and out of the kitchen but tastes like you cooked them low and slow all day.

Prep Time: 3 mins / Cook Time: 10 mins / Total Time: 13 mins Soup Servings: 6 cups Calories: 140kcal Ingredients 1 27 oz. can of seasoned turnip greens 1 15.8 oz. can Great Northern or Navy beans, drained 1 10 oz. can tomatoes and chiles Rotel

When I asked for the recipe, I was shocked that it was made with canned turnip greens. I thought canned turnip greens were mushy, drab in color, and flavorless.

Combine all ingredients in a 6 quart soup pot or slow cooker. In the

My only experience with canned greens was a can of whole leaf spinach many years and I wasn’t impressed. Kinda grossed out, actually.

For the slow cooker, cook on LOW for 3 hours or until heated or

But this soup was so yummy-full of flavor. It just couldn’t be made with canned greens, I thought.

You literally dump and stir the cans of vegetables and package of ham into the soup pot or slow cooker ... well, wait­—I do like to drain the beans, first.

Just heat and eat. How’s that for a shortcut Southern soup? Easy peasy. [ 28 ] Gardendale magazine

1 6 oz. package diced ham, about 1 cup

soup pot, bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes.

HIGH 1 hour until heated.

It is ok for the soup to cook longer in a slow cooker but not necessary.

Note: This soup can be served as a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Kathleen is a food blogger, food stylist, cookbook author, and former Oxmoor House test kitchen director (Southern Living cookbooks). On her food blog, GritsAndGouda.com, she creates Southern shortcut recipes. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Celebrations SHARE YOUR

IN GARDENDALE MAGAZINE

Engagements

Weddings

Birthdays

Anniversaries

Share your moments with all of Gardendale. Engaged? Recently married? Celebrating a special birthday or anniversary? Share it with us so we can let everybody in town know about it! Here’s what to do: • Email a high-resolution photo, 50-75 word description, and the name(s) of the people in the announcement to celebrations@jbmcmedia.com.

• Choose from one of two sizes to share your celebration: a 1/4 page space ($95) or a 1/2 page ($190). Payment can be made with debit or credit card, or through PayPal or Venmo.

• Your announcement will also be shared on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

• Deadline is the 5th of the month prior to the issue you wish the celebration to appear in.

Gardendale magazine [ 29 ]

/ Calendar /

[ 30 ] Gardendale magazine

/ Calendar /

// January 18

// January 25

Coffee and Christ: 10 a.m. at Gardendale Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church

Coffee and Christ: 10 a.m. at Gardendale Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church

City Council Meeting: The Gardendale City Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Gardendale City Hall (925 Main Street)

Family Night Story Time: Join Ms. Ashley at 6 p.m. in your PJs for bedtime stories and silly songs for the whole family.

Family Movie Night: Bring the family to movie night at the Gardendale Public Library at 6 p.m. for a G- or PG-rated movie and popcorn.

// January 19 Story Time: Join Ms. Ang for stories and silly songs for all ages at the Gardendale Public Library, 10 – 10:45 a.m.

STEAM Lab: 3:30 p.m. Ages 4-10 explore science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in a fun, hands-on way.

There are limited spaces available and parents must preregister by calling 205.631.6639.

// January 20 Game Day: Every third Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at Gardendale Mt. Vernon on the 3rd floor near the student room,

// January 20-21 “Hamlet”: The Gardendale High School Rocket Theatre presents “Hamlet” from 7 to 9 p.m.

Stuffie Sleepover: Bring a stuffie (favorite stuffed animal) to drop off at the Gardendale Public Library. Drop off is January 25 anytime from 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. When you pick up your stuffie you will get a book that tells you of all the fun your stuffie had. Pick up will be January 26, 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Please do not bring a stuffie your child cannot sleep without. Once the library is closed, we will no longer have access to the stuffie.

// January 26 Story Time: Join Ms. Ang for stories and silly songs for all ages at the Gardendale Public Library, 10 – 10:30 a.m.

// January 27 Chamber Banquet: The annual Gardendale Chamber of Commerce Banquet will begin at 6 p.m. at The Club in Birmingham. Tickets are $55 each and drink tickets are available for the cash bar. Email info@gardendalechamber.com for more information or to purchase tickets.

// Every Tuesday Breastfeeding Support Group: 9 - 11 a.m. at Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church. Princeton Baptist hosts the support group and has their International Board Certified Lactation Consultants on hand to answer questions for new mothers.

Support group visitors do not have to be patients at Princeton to attend the group.

Gardendale magazine [ 31 ]

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID ALEXANDER CITY AL PERMIT NO 11

ECRWSS LOCAL POSTAL PATRON

We make people feel better.™

FULTONDALE After Hours Care Natasha Workman, CRNP (205) 250-6424 339 Walkers Chapel Plz., Ste. 115 Fultondale Internal Medicine Dr. Doug Alford Troy Henderson, CRNP (205) 849-9811 1604 Stouts Rd. Imaging (205) 250-6830 339 Walker Chapel Plz., Ste. 101 Plaza Internal Medicine Dr. Kelli Grinder (205) 250-6400 339 Walker Chapel Plz., Ste. 115

BIRMINGHAM Alabama Neurological Surgery and Spine

Dr. Robert Robinson Dr. Blake Pearson Dr. Walter Haynes Dr. Elizabeth Kuhn Wendy Conner, CRNP Analyn Blair, CRNP (205) 250-6805 3535 Grandview Pkwy., Bldg. 1, Ste. 150

[ 32 ] Gardendale magazine

Bariatric and Robotic General Surgery Dr. Andrew DeWitt (205) 502-4400 2660 10th Ave. S., POB I, Ste. 222 Brookwood Clinic Dr. Mark Adams Dr. Walter Dunn Jenna Bosch, CRNP (205) 250-8100 513 Brookwood Blvd., Medical Office D, Ste. 200 General Surgery Dr. Raleigh Kent III (205) 250-6068 513 Brookwood Blvd., Medical Office D, Ste. 200 Ophthalmology Dr. John Owen (205) 250-6042 One Independence Dr., Ste. 700 Pulmonology Dr. Karl Schroeder (205) 250-8910 3570 Grandview Pkwy., Ste. 100

GARDENDALE Gardendale Clinic Dr. Fred Patton Dr. Elizabeth Carstensen (205) 631-5671 527 Fieldstown Rd., Ste. C Gardendale Primary Care Dr. Gilbert Douglas IV Emily Snider, CRNP (205) 631-0055 313 Fieldstown Rd., Ste. 103 North Gardendale Primary Care Dr. Alan Hanley (205) 631-2124 2650 Decatur Hwy.

norwoodclinic.com (205) 250-6000