The Administration office of the city of Gardendale is located inside the City Hall building at 925 Main Street. The Administration office of the city is responsible for various internal support and external support functions for city operations, employees, and citizens.
The first priority of our office is to provide great customer service to all residents, businesses, and taxpayers in the city. Citizens should contact the administration offices with any city concerns, questions, or comments. If our staff is unable to help directly we will gladly place citizens or taxpayers in contact with the appropriate party. The administration office can help with general inquiries and information regarding city services available to the public and help solve or troubleshoot when problems arise. The public facing side of administration is also referred to as “license or revenue office” as staff is responsible for the collection and enforcement of business licenses and taxes for companies that operate inside the city. The taxes collected by the city is the main source of income that allows the city to operate and offer city services including public safety, parks, and public works, and other city services. Please support your city and local businesses by shopping local as your tax dollars directly affect the ability of the city to continue offering services expected and wanted by our citizens.
The administration office also acts as an internal support of other departments in the city by providing functions such as accounts payable, employee benefits and payroll, accounting, and IT functions.
The City Clerk’s office within the Administration office is also responsible for public records requests, legal documents of the city including ordinances and resolutions and meeting minutes. The City Clerk office also is responsible for financial processes, including financial reports, investments, and bids and contracts for city services.
Our offices are the first point of contact with many coming into or calling the city for information. Please contact us by calling 205-631-8789.
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.
PIRC is NOT a crisis or suicide hotline. Call for mental health resources.
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.
Some years ago, I worked with someone who told me he never made resolutions, but rather he and his wife chose something each year to learn. One year it was the guitar, another it was historic events surrounding a specific war, etc. That resonated with me more than making a resolution.
But, I have to admit, as I spoke with the people we featured in the story on sticking to resolutions, they were inspiring and passionate, and I could see how someone could make the decision to start fresh in the new year. If that’s the path you’ve chosen, there are a lot of people in the area who are standing ready to help you succeed.
Speaking of inspiring, we are launching a new series that you will see every month honoring local “makers,” those people who have learned a craft or used their creativity to create something. I couldn’t have imagined a better first profile than that of Billy Whaley. The Gardendale resident learned to make stained glass to decorate the large windows in his home. Twenty years later, his talent is incredible and his home is filled with magnificent creations. He isn’t a fan of the spotlight, but agreed to be our first maker because his mom is an avid reader of our magazine and he thought it would be a nice surprise for her to see him featured in these pages.
The Maker series isn’t our only new monthly feature. I’ve always loved the Gardendale Historical Society and written before about my admiration and affection for the man who was the driving force behind the group for years, Kermit Dooley. While his health has made his participation difficult recently, the group has reorganized and is doing some exciting new things. As part of that, we have developed a partnership with the group to bring you a historical story each month. This month, we started at the beginning, with how the city of Gardendale got its name. It’s a story that is familiar to many of us, but will still be news to some of our readers. In future months, we will tell the story of the history of landmarks and notable places around the city. If you have any suggestions for places or stories we should look into, please let me know.
I hope you all have a wonderful new year in 2023 and keep enjoying the stories we bring you.
Rachel Davis Karr, Content Director
Gardendale Magazine is published monthly by JBMC Media, a Birmingham-based publishing company. The magazine is available at nearly 90 locations throughout Gardendale, free of charge, and is supported by the advertisers within the pages of this magazine. Subscriptions by mail area also available for $35 per year. Email matthew@jbmcmedia.com for more information.
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.
Ashley Boudreaux is a group fitness instructor at 24e Gardendale. We take a look at different gyms around the area to help you reach your fitness goals this year.
Staff
Matthew Allen Publisher (205) 617-9609, matthew@jbmcmedia.com
Rachel Davis Karr Content Director (205) 613-7850, rachel@jbmcmedia.com
Michelle Salem Haynes Marketing Consultant (205) 381-1311, michelle@jbmcmedia.com
Anthony and Shweta Bratina Graphic Design
As January brings the beginning of an exciting new year, it’s important we take a moment to reflect on all the City’s accomplishments from 2022. I am so amazed at what all we as a city have accomplished this past year, and I am looking forward to all that is to come in 2023! None of the progress toward our goals would be possible without the determined and hardworking City Council members and our dedicated city staff. I am so proud of the entire team and all the work it takes to run a city and achieve our goals for the betterment of our community.
With hard work and a strong community mindset, below are just a few of the acheivements and steps the City took in 2022:
- Designed and planned for new The Crossing at Magnolia City Place - Coming 2023!
- Reached 100+ medical businesses, making Gardendale the medical hub of North Jefferson.
- Welcomed many new businesses with several more currently under construction!
- Managed growth in a thoughtful and strategic manner.
- Began development on Bill Noble Park, a new state-of-the-art recreational park that will host visitors from all over the Southeast.
- Given more than $1 million to the 4 schools in our city to better the daily lives of our students.
As I look eagerly ahead at this exciting year, it is my goal and hopes that 2023 is filled with opportunity, teamwork, and joy, and that we can celebrate another wonderful year together as a community in our beautiful city. Greater things have yet to be done in the City of Gardendale; 2023 will prove just that.
Sincerely,
Gardendale High School Senior Ian Vinziant walks to school and to work every day. In addition to walking 1.5 miles to school each day, Vinziant also walks about two miles to work at Buffalo Wild Wings, works almost 40 hours a week and walks back home. His perseverance and attitude caught the attention of some of his coworkers, who hatched a plan to change VInziant’s life. They wanted to get him a car for Christmas.
In the GoFundMe, Hannah Graham and Rileigh George wrote:
“Hi everyone! I’m a server at Buffalo Wild Wings here in Gardendale. We have a worker that is 18 and works so hard! He works around 40 hours a week and juggles school, all while paying bills for his family. This Christmas, we want to bless him with a car! He walks everywhere he goes and still manages to be on time or early! You never hear anything negative from his mouth no matter the situation and he is more than deserving of this! Please help us
make this possible for him! Thank you all for the help and support! Merry Christmas!”
Their fundraising efforts fell a little short, with the campaign only raising a little more than $1,100. But, Lisa Easterwood had seen it. She didn’t donate money though, instead she donated a car. According to Easterwood, she got the car during a difficult season of her life and wanted to pass the blessing along to someone in need. She said she had been praying for someone to come along who would be blessed by the car. Vinziant was the perfect person. Since Easterwood donated the car and refused to take any money for it, the money raised will be given directly to Vinziant to help pay for costs like a tag, insurance and other necessities.
Grant and Lindsey Jenkins help make sure local foster families have what they need to make the children in their care as comfortable as possible.
The North Jefferson Foster Care Closet, housed at Enon Baptist Church, provides help for foster parents who need items to help care for children placed in their care. These may include emergency placements, where the parents don’t have time or access to items they may need for a middle-of-the-night or holiday placement. Parents with older children may not have diapers for an emergency nighttime placement, or may not have the right sizes. And, sometimes, these children are removed with only the clothes they have on their bodies.
“We provide items like backpacks, diaper bags, diapers, wipes, clothes, hygiene items, sippy cups, bottles, blankets, stuffed animals, shoes, undergarments, baby items, toys, books, etc. for new and or existing foster care placements in the North Jefferson area,” organizer
Lindsey Hill Jenkins said. “When a foster family gets a new placement, I encourage them to reach out to me so we can provide as many resources for them as possible because the kids usually come with very little to no belongings. If we don’t have it in the closet, I try to find what they need or send them a gift card. This ministry’s goal is to support our local foster families in all ways, including prayer and support. Foster care is hard, so I’m striving to support them the best we can. We are a foster family too, so I understand the struggles.”
Jenkins and her husband, Grant, hosted a foster family Christmas party late last year and work continuously to support foster families who are working hard to alleviate the strain on the foster care system and give comfort to children who have been displaced. They began organizing these resources and the closet in late 2021, and have helped a staggering 50-60 children already.
The foster care closet accepts new or gently used baby or kid items. They also accept money or gift card donations that can be used by organizers or foster parents to purchase items they may need to care for the child and make them as comfortable as possible. And, it isn’t just new placements that the closet works to support, Jenkins also wants longer-term placements to know they have a support system if something is needed.
“I often deliver diapers, wipes, and other items to current placements to know that we still support them,” Jenkins said.
For more information about how you can help, contact the North Jefferson Foster Care Closet on Facebook or Enon Baptist Church.
The new Bill Noble park will change the look of Highway 31 by welcoming visitors to the new complex.
The redevelopment of Bill Noble Park on Moncrief Road has been a long, laborious process, but it is nearing completion. The park will now expand all the way to the intersection of Highway 31 and Moncrief Road, where there will be a large entrance sign announcing the complex.
The $30+ million dollar renovation and expansion of the older park into a massive sports complex is beginning to take its final shape. When completed, the park will have space
for Gardendale’s park and recreation teams to play, as well as recreational facilities for citizens and will enable the city to host large tournaments on the weekend, producing a new revenue stream for Gardendale hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
In announcing the project in 2021, Mayor Stan Hogeland said the park had grown dated, telling the city members that the fields were the same ones he grew up playing on and managed for years at the city’s Park and Recreation Director. The reopening of the park will mark the first time
in years that the boys baseball and girls softball teams had the space to all play at the same location at the same time.
When the project is complete, the complex will be home to nine baseball/softball fields, eight tennis courts, 11 pickleball courts, a football field, a basketball court and a playground that will be accessible for all the children in the city. There will also be pavilions and extensive walking trails.
City leaders were adamant that this was a renovation and expansion of the existing park and would retain the name of longtime Gardendale mayor, Bill Noble.
To celebrate the completion and opening of the new complex, the city is planning a parade and opening ceremony on Saturday. March 11.
In late November, the Gardendale Historical Society hosted a presentation at the Gardendale City Hall on the history of New Castle. Much of the research had been done in previous years by the late J.D. Weeks and President Kermit Dooley, but members Josephine Martin and Linda Weeks helped with the newest research project, which was spearheaded by Joyce Fields Blankenship.
The research took months, but the final presentation included a panel of nine people who grew up in New Castle, 130 images of citizens, buildings and the mines in the area. The presentation took more than two hours to complete, but gave an in-depth look at how the mines formed the area that became New Castle and how life was for those in the community. The panel consisted of Blankenship, Josephine Martin, Donald Hogeland, Charles Colvert, Brenda Leslie, Shelly McGowan, Jerry Coleman, James Sprouse, Peggy Holmes and Euel Fountain, Jr.
The first part of the presentation focused on John Turner Milner, who founded the New
Castle Mines in 1873. After his death, the mines went into bankruptcy and were sold to B.G. McCormack and Erskin Ramsey. Many of the legal documents, recovered by society member Vicki Lasis, were found under the name “The Ramsey Papers,’ related to the second owners.
A few years after opening the mine, Milner moved his wife and children to New Castle, where he lived until his death. Milner, who is considered an influential figure in the Birmingham area, owned iron ore mines on Red Mountain and was eventually elected to two terms as a state senator. James Sprouse, whose father owned Sprouse’s Butcher Shop on Tarrant Road for many years and had a portrait of Milner hanging on the wall in the store. He presented the framed portrait to the Historical Society at the meeting to be displayed at the Kermit Dooley Gardendale Historical Society Museum. Milner had grown the mining community to more than 300 mining homes, as well as community buildings, the first school in Gardendale and much more. He started with approximately 2,000 acres for the mining area, by the time of his death it was over 6,00 acres.
Under its second owners, the mining community flourished, according to research the historical society members uncovered. The miners were happier, pay rates were up and they had safer working conditions and access to medical care. In its heyday, there were six different mines burrowing into the mountains and hills of New Castle. From 1923 to about 1936, it appears life was good in the area. Then, in 1949, the community members were surprised to find out that the mines were closed, without hope of reopening. The two new owners were also forced into bankruptcy, blaming decreased coal orders and increased demand for diesel, but others said the issue was the mine owners not keeping the mining equipment in good condition.
The equipment and community buildings were sold, the entrances to the mines were imploded and the coke ovens and other mining items were torn down. The new owner, Mark Lavine, purchased the entire mining village and all the equipment for $80,000. He then began selling the homes to interested families for $400 to $1,900 each.
What’s in a name? Well for the city of Gardendale and at least one of its early residents, pride.
When Gardendale first began, it was a tent city out in the Snow Rogers area, according to local historian Doris Hopper. The tent city was a place of poverty and hunger as families ate whatever they could find to ward off starvation. But, notable Gardendale names like the Moncrief and Nations families got their start in this settlement, and the beginnings of the city were formed.
After the Civil War, the coal mining industry began to boom in areas all around Gardendale, drawing new settlers and other industry to the area. Schools and other civic and business organizations began to form around the area and it began to look like a real community.
In the late 1800s, a jug factory was located near where the Village Green Shopping Center is currently located. Because of the prominence of the factory, the area was named “Jugtown.”
A young teacher in the early 1900s, Hettie Thompson Cargo, felt it was embarrassing to have to tell people she taught in “Jugtown” and endeavored to have the name changed. Eventually Thompson Cargo prevailed and a new name was chosen. The finalists were Thompson Cargo’s suggestion of “Gardendale” and the alternate option of “Gardenville.” It was decided that the new name would be chosen from a hat at the city’s social center–at the time, Kimmons Store (which sat in the area where CVS and Walgreens are currently located).
The name “Gardendale” was chosen from the hat in 1905, and that’s where the story often stops. But, according to Hopper, not everyone was thrilled with the name change. She said that some residents refused to recognize the change and continued to refer to the area as “Jugtown,” even going so far as to put up a banner near the store declaring the city was still “Jugtown.” The opposition even showed up in some maps, with the area labeled “Jugtown” on maps that were drawn and distributed years after the change was made, according to documents found by the Gardendale Historical Society members.
Despite the resistance, by the time the city was incorporated in 1955, it was named Gardendale, and “Jugtown” took its place in the history books.
*Editor’s Note: This monthly feature is created in conjunction with the Gardendale Historical Society. For more information on the group, visit its Facebook page or reach out to the Kermit Dooley Gardendale Historical Museum for information.
“This year will be the year where I get in shape,” “This year I’m going to lose the weight” or “This year I’m going on a diet!” Sound familiar? Losing weight or getting in shape are among the most common resolutions made each year, yet statistically, about 8 percent of those resolutions fail in the first four months of the year. Fortunately, if you’re in the Gardendale area and have decided that 2023 will be the year for you, there are a variety of options and experts ready to help you.
If you want someone who has been exactly where you are, 24e Gardendale’s Group Fitness Manager Tracy Bailey said she first entered the gym as a “resolutioner.” She was pushed to the resolution by her health–borderline diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.--and finally decided she needed to change things. So, she joined a gym and forced herself to go, at first, until it became a habit and she started seeing and feeling the results.
“I just kind of fell in love with it,” she remembers. “There was an accountability factor to it with the group fitness. If I had to go and work out alone on the floor, I would never ever go to the gym. And I know that’s some people’s thing, and that’s fine. But having those group fitness classes, there is that accountability.”
It might have started with someone dragging her through the doors of the gym in 2010, but it quickly became one of her favorite things. Bailey said that once she got involved in the group fitness element, they became family to her. Her fitness groups checked on her when her mom was sick and when she had things come up in her personal life. That showed her that they truly cared about her and gave her a support system, but also helped keep her coming back to the classes.
Every year since, Bailey said she has seen others come in a give up before they see results, so she is always looking for ways to help them stay on target.
“It happens every year, they might make it to February or March, and then you never see them again. Or you might see them a little before Spring Break, or when there is pressure to get in shape,” Bailey said.
To combat that burnout and keep people coming back, This year 24e is doing a contest called “Winter Meltdown” and those who are interested compete against other locations from January 16 to March 13. The fee is $30 to enter. That also includes two body composition scans. Every time they come to a class, they get counted. The winner and top two alternates will win free gym memberships for six, three or one month and other prizes will also be awarded.
24e Gardendale will also launch all the new Les Mills releases the week of Jan. 14th, and all the launch group fitness classes are free to nonmembers that week. The gym offers a variety of Les Mills classes, including BodyPump, BodyCombat, BodyStep, BodyAttack, BodyFlow, RPM, and Grit, as well as Zumba, Bootcamp, Yoga, Silver
The hardest part is walking in the door. Just don’t be afraid to walk in the door. And realize that exercise can be fun. Once you start seeing those results and feel the results, that will motivate you.
Tracy Bailey, 24eTracy Bailey and Shweta Bratina launch BodyPump release 120 in April 2022 at 24e Gardendale. The gym launches the new releases every three months.
their goals.
Sneakers, and Cycle.
“That’s just kind of another way to keep people accountable for more than just January so they start building those friendships and those connections and seeing results,” Bailey explained.
See the group fitness schedule at https://www.facebook.com/groups/24egroupfitness and learn more about 24e at 24ehealthclubs.com.
Alyssa Colvin, who owns TriStar Fitness with her husband, Chris, said they also see a big uptick in membership in January and February, but, by March, a lot of the newbies have stopped coming.
“If they stick around until April, they usually stay,” Colvin explained. “They are seeing results, their family and friends are seeing results.”
TriStar is starting a BootCamp and group class program in 2023 to help encourage others to join and stay involved with being more active. That includes classes for all ages, interests and fitness levels. The gym also participates in the Silver Sneakers Program that can help seniors get reduced or free memberships to the fitness center.
If you’re looking for a chance to try out a number of different types of classes, the Gardendale Civic Center has multiple classes a week that cater to different fitness levels and different interests. These include: BodyPump, Spin, BegAsh Yoga, Total Body Weights, Zumba, Body Bootcamp and many more. For a complete list and schedule, visit the Civic Center’s Group Fitness page or website.
Making
Heather Lebischak, Gardendale Civic Center
Alyssa Colvin, Tristar Fitness
I would say make [your resolution] challenging, but attainable. It needs to challenge you or you’re going to get bored with it, but it also needs to be attainable.
a resolution to lose 20 lbs in a week isn’t attainable.
Avoid the scale, it’s always going to lie to you. Instead, take pictures once a month to see your progress.
What I tell people to do is to make one goal. Make it a small goal. Like eating more vegetables or not drinking soda. If you do everything at one time, it gets very overwhelming and you quit.
Hayden Setser, Crossfit MephobiaThey also have a unique option coming up for those who are interested to check out the different classes.
“Something we’re doing in January that might be good for someone who is intimidated by group fitness, is a fitness showcase,” Lebischak said. “The classes are only like 20 minutes apiece, so they are like teasers. You can come try out a class without going full-force into it, because some people are worried ‘Can I make it an hour?’ ‘Can I make it 45 minutes?’”
The Showcase is scheduled for January 21 at the Civic Center. For more information, you can visit the group fitness page on Facebook or call the Civic Center.
Hayden Setser bought Crossfit Mephobia in 2018, after almost a decade in the fitness industry in other areas. She knows that Crossfit can be intimidating to a lot of people, but says that she thinks it’s ideal for beginners because of the level of personal interaction that the trainers have with each member of the group. She said the most important thing for keeping a resolution is to set something attainable so they don’t get discouraged.
“Don’t make a New Year’s resolution to ‘get fit,’” Setser said. “Because you go all in on day one, and, by day seven, you’re done. What I tell people to do is to make one goal. Make it a small goal. Like eating more vegetables or not drinking soda for a month. Or, if it’s going to the gym, make it going to the gym for more than a month, but focus on small goals you can accomplish. If you do everything at one time, it gets very overwhelming and you quit.”
She also said the same thing Bailey said, that the groups end up bonded and hold each other accountable for coming to workouts and being consistent.
For more information on Crossfit Mephobia, visit them on Facebook or check their website.
Don’t make a New Year’s resolution to get fit. Because you go all in on day one and by day seven, you’re done.
In 1999, after his wife died, Billy Whaley moved to a new house that featured huge glass windows that looked out on his front and back yard. Since he had always loved stained glass, he thought that would be a natural and beautiful way to highlight his large windows.
“I’ve always liked stained glass,” Whaley explained. “I’d walk into a room and see a lamp or something and just be drawn to it. When I bought this house, I wanted some stuff to hang
in the windows and I was on vacation over in Savannah and there was a man over on the Riverwalk there who had a shop and you could watch him through the window doing the glass. He has stuff for sale, but they were $800-$1200 for a regular size piece. I came home and found a lady over in Pleasant Grove who taught classes. I took a two-day class and went from there.”
Twenty years later, Whaley is a master at his craft, but he understands the Savannah craftsman much more these days.
“I didn’t realize why it was so expensive until I started doing it,” Whaley laughed.
The cost is one of the things that keeps Whaley from selling many pieces, he doesn’t want his favorite hobby to turn into something he dreads. He has sold some items, but mostly has given them as gifts or kept them for his house.
“I don’t want it to be a job,” Whaley explained. “I don’t want to do it and think about ‘I have to do this many per hour.’ I may end up selling some stuff when I completely retire, just to finance the habit.”
In the early days of his glass work, Whaley would buy patterns he liked and learn how to cut and shape glass. Eventually he learned to create his own unique patterns, because what he wanted to make didn’t exist. In those early days, stained glass was an evening and weekend hobby, but when he retired from the Postal Service after 34 years, he was able to spend more time on his passion. Now, he delivers auto parts a few days a week and spends the rest of his time working on his creations.
The windows that originally inspired him to take up stained glass are adorned with some of his favorite
pieces and his living room is a mix of his creations and lamps and other items he has rescued from thrift stores and sales to repair and refurbish.
“It’s sort of my therapy,” Whaley explained. “I can go down in the basement and just lose myself in it and not have to think about anything. It’s good for me. And I love to make other people happy with it.”
One person he definitely made happy was former Gardendale High School Choir teacher, Ginny Hughes. Whaley’s granddaughter and nephew each had Hughes for four years. When she retired, Whaley created a custom piece for her based on the song the choir always opened and closed with, “On Eagle’s Wings.” That was the first piece he ever had featured in “Stained Glass News,” but there have been many others since then.
Other custom pieces included a light featuring Gardendale native Chris Fryar on his drums and a University of Alabama banjo. He also creates custom Christmas ornaments each year and gives them to family, friends and customers along his route. One of his favorite pieces ever was a pattern he created by tracing one of Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” line drawings. That piece has a position of honor in one of his large front windows.
The Birmingham Community Concert Band gave its annual Christmas Concert at the Gardendale Civic Center. It was made possible by the City of Gardendale and the Gardendale Arts Council.
Musicality hosted a series of Christmas concerts just before the holiday to allow its students to showcase their talents and what they have learned.
Smiles Forever hosted a ribbon cutting at their new location. The new opening coincides with its anniversary of being in business for five years.
ENT Associates of Alabama collected items for Christmas for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. These included blankets, towels, beds, bowls, litter items, collars and leashes and cleaning items, as well as toys and other comfort items.
The Gardendale Arts Council produced The Best Christmas Pageant Ever just before Christmas. The shows were held in the Gardendale High School auditorium and featured a number of local students and residents. For more information on the Gardendale Arts Council at gardendaleartscouncil@gmail.com.
Bragg Middle School won second place at the Christmas Slam. The individual winners were:
1st place: JT Boone, Aaron Head
2nd place: Parker Howell
3rd place: Tristan Buckelew, Dominic Soriano
4th place: Colton Morton, Caleb Combs
Several other students won matches, but were just out of placement contention.
Congratulations to Mrs. Emily Mars. She is the Gardendale Elementary School 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year! Mrs. Mars is a fourth-grade teacher at Gardendale Elementary. Congratulations Mrs. Mars and thanks for all the wonderful things you do for our students.
The Bragg Middle School girls choir performed for the Jefferson County Board of Education just before the holiday.
Congratulations to the 2022 Gardendale Elementary School Spelling Bee winner, Makenna Smith, in fourth grade. There was a tie for second place, Sarah Kate Hillis and Ethan Wright.
Made with frozen tilapia filets! No need to thaw first.
Prep Time: 3 mins / Cook Time: 7 mins /Total Time: 10 mins
Main Course Servings: 2 servings Calories: 206kcal
Equipment: air fryer
▢ 2 thin tilapia filets (about 4 ounces) fresh or frozen (times given for both below)
▢ Olive oil pump spray not aerosol or 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (optional)
▢ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
▢ 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Place the frozen tilapia filets on an aluminum or stainless steel baking pan while preheating air fryer and measuring ingredients.
Crazy Good Tip: These few minutes on the baking pan will ever so slightly thaw the filets just enough to allow the breadcrumbs to stick to the oil on them.
Preheat air fryer to 390-400 degrees for 3 minutes. Most air fryers preset “air fryer” button is 390F to 400F degrees.
Spray or coat fish filets with olive oil sprayer or mister or brush with
olive oil. (Not Pam aerosol vegetable cooking spray)
Sprinkle both sides of filets with salt and if desired, pepper.
Sprinkle the top side of filets with Parmesan cheese.
Place the dry breadcrumbs on a plate and gently press the fish into the breadcrumbs to coat them. If you have trouble getting the breadcrumbs to stick to the fish, wait just a few minutes or I like to spray the breaded fish again on top with a little bit of olive oil spray (again, not aerosol)
Frozen fish: Air Fry at 390-400 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes, without turning, depending on thickness of fish until fish flakes easily in the center.
Fresh fish: Air Fry at 390-400 degrees for 7 minutes, without turning, depending on thickness of fish until fish flakes easily in the center.
Carefully remove the fish with a silicone coated spatula to prevent scraping the nonstick surface.
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.
January 16, 6 p.m.: The Gardendale City Council will hold its regular meetings on these dates at the Gardendale City Hall Building.
The Gardendale Historical Society is turning 16! The group will celebrate its birthday with a celebration in the Gardendale Library on January 21 at 10 a.m. Come celebrate the occasion and learn about the group and the work they do to discover and preserve the history of the city.
The annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet Fundraiser is scheduled for January 26, at 6 p.m. The banquet will be at The Club in Birmingham. There will also be a silent auction benefiting the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Gardendale Chamber of Commerce or visit GardendaleChamber.com.
The city’s leaf vacuum service is still operating until the end of the month. To use this service, call (205)631-3394. After January 31, leaves will need to be bagged for pickup.
The annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast will be February 24 at 7 a.m. at the Gardendale Civic Center. The speaker will be Mike Lutzenkirchen, so make plans to join us to celebrate our great city!
The annual Magnolia Festival is set for April 21-22. Applications for sponsors, vendors and scholarships will be available beginning January 2. For more information, find them on Facebook or visit MagnoliaFestival.org.
The Kermit E. Dooley Gardendale Historical Museum will be open to the public every Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To have an item added to our calendar, please send information to rachel@jbmcmedia.com.
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
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
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 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
