What does Public Works do?
Qua was born with tricuspid atresia that required a series of open heart surgeries as an infant. But as a teen, his health took a dramatic turn. Qua’s pediatrician and cardiologist recognized something wasn’t right with his heart and sent him to Children’s of Alabama. Our team was standing by when he arrived by helicopter, and within two weeks he received a new heart. He rebounded quickly and was back at home a few weeks later, thanks to the expert heart team here at Children’s of Alabama.
In a Pickle: Pickleball finds local popularity
8/ 16/
School News: What’s happening at local schools
Citizen Profile: Mechell Ballard impacts generations of Boy Scouts
Makers: Heather Lebischak keeps hands busy with knitting 26/
Recipe of the Month: Kathleen gives tips for quick, simple biscuits 30/
This issue is special to me for a lot of reasons. None of them are closer to my heart than the citizen profile. Mechell Malone Ballard is one of the best people I’ve ever met. She has been a tireless cheerleader for so many in this area—Scouts and nonScouts alike.
Whenever I was looking for photos of any local event, I would always ask organizers “do you have any Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts in the group?” Because I knew, if they did, Mechell would be there cheering her boys on and taking pictures to document the occasion. In fact, those who love her have hundreds, if not thousands, of photos Mechell has taken over the years of various events, but struggled to find photos of her for this story. That’s who she has always been—a tireless support system for others, while never asking for anything for herself. Now, facing serious health issues, Mechell has continued to be a bright spot and inspiration for all of us online.
Our Maker’s features have been well-received and I hope to be able to find even more local people who have interesting hobbies and create interesting items.
We have added a new salesperson to our team. I know she has already introduced herself to a lot of you and will be making the rounds to the rest of you in the near-future. But, if you are interested in advertising, please reach out to her and help support the magazine.
We are also launching a new feature in this issue, Kids Who Shine, aimed at profiling kids who are doing special and important things in our community. For some that may be a unique hobby, volunteering to help those in need, starting their own business, doing exceptional things in school, or any number of other things that make them stand out. If you know a kid who meets these criteria, let me know.
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.
Cover photo by Rachel Karr
Jackie Cantelmo, Ellen Edmonson and Pam Edmonson are the driving forces behind bringing pickleball to Gardendale and growing the sport’s popularity.
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!
Ace of the South
Children’s of Alabama
City of Gardendale
Deo Gloria Wood Works
Kemp’s Kitchen
Magnolia Festival
Monita’s Bakery
Norwood Clinic
Smiles Forever of Gardendale
State Farm - Scott Cantrell Agency
Total Dermatology
Village Dermatology
Vulcan Termite & Pest Control
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
P.O. Box 26432, Birmingham, AL 35260
Bragg Middle School announced its February Students of the Month. These students were chosen by their teachers (one student from each team) for their hard work, great display of character, and their willingness to go above and beyond. Students of the Month are treated to lunch, courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings in Gardendale.
• 6th Grade Maroon
I.J. Smith
• 6th Grade Gray
Harmony Shepherd
• 7th Grade Maroon
Ah’Daija Headen
• 7th Grade Gray
Melissa Whittington
• 8th Grade Maroon
Eli Mathews
• 8th Grade Gray
Chris Kennedy
6A Team title, followed by Gardendale High School’s Wrestling Team won second place in the AHSAA 6A State Wrestling Championship. Individual wrestlers also brought home honors:
• In the 106 lb class, Coreu Powe won 3rd place
• In the 120 lb class, Demarcus Powe won 2nd place
• In the 145 lb class, Isaiah Powe won 1st place
• In the 152 lb class, Daishun Powe won 1st place
• In the 182 lb class, Jackson Stanford won 6th place
• In the 195 lb class, C.J. Donaldson won 6th place
North Jefferson Pediatric Dentistry visited Gardendale Elementary School to teach the kindergarteners proper tooth care.
Snow Rogers Elementary had 20 students run in the Mercedes Marathon last month in Birmingham.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and Vulcan Realty partnered to serve the school staff.
Gardendale Elementary School’s Rocketbots Bready and Ethan Wright competed at the state competition in Auburn.
Snow Rogers Elementary honored its January students of the month.
Anne Stewart Rogers, the Distinguished Young Woman of Jefferson County and the Runner Up in the state of Alabama, visited Snow Rogers Elementary School to speak to the young ladies in 4th and 5th grade. She spoke about “Being the Best You.”
Gardendale Elementary announced the Character Award winners for the month of January for Knowledge.
By Rachel Davis Karr
What is pickleball? That’s the first question the organizers of Gardendale’s growing pickleball community expect when they talk to someone new about the sport.
Pickleball was created by a group of dads with bored kids in the 1960s. They created the game with homemade equipment just to entertain their kids with a simple, fun game. The basics include hitting a wiffle-type ball over a net with a paddle. It is often considered a cross between tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It can be played on an indoor or outdoor court and can be played as doubles or singles.
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All of those facts about the game explain what it is, but not what makes it the faster-growing sport in the country.
“Pickleball is just welcoming,” Jackie Cantelmo explained. Often, when they are playing, When people approach them while playing, they often invite them in for a quick lesson and to let them know about the local pickleball community. Through the pandemic, the community blossomed by being able to play outside and socially distanced.
Cantelmo first learned about the sport from a coworker and it wasn’t long before she was hooked. The only issue was that she had to drive to Shelby County or Trussville to play.
Cantelmo, Pam Edmonson and Ellen
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Pam Edmonson shows off her serve while playing a weekend game at the Gardendale Civic Center. When the new park opens, many games will be able to move to those 11 courts.
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Edmondson have worked tirelessly to secure places for local pickleballers to play in the city–including temporary courts at the Gardendale Civic Center, Gardendale First Baptist and other locations around town. Then, in 2019, they also approached Gardendale Mayor Stan Hogeland about providing pickleball courts at Bill Noble Park and the Civic Center. They asked about including six pickleball courts in the new Bill Noble Athletic Complex. Because of the popularity of the sport, it was decided that more courts might be needed. When the complex opens on March 11, it will feature 10 regulation pickleball courts, as well as a championship court.
““The timing was just so great. Gardendale has been so pro-pickleball. Our mayor and city council have been so supportive,” Cantelmo said. At the original interest meeting for pickleball in Gardendale, more than 50 people attended.
Pickleball is popular in part because of the small investment required to get started in the sport and the ease with which people of all ages can participate.
“It’s a multi-generational sport,” Pam said. “There are grandparents playing with grandkids. It’s just a lot different than other sports, in a way. You can play it your entire life. All you need is a paddle and court shoes. You don’t have to invest a lot of money.”
In fact, there are efforts underway to expand Gardendale’s senior pickleball players, but the group hopes to attract players of all ages and activity levels. They have even started a pickleball club at Bragg Middle School.
“If you’re athletic and competitive, you can love it,” Cantelmo said. “If you just want to get out— that’s what most people said—it just gets you off the couch.”
The next step for the group is to officially form a club and begin hosting events. The group will be called “North Jefferson Pickleball Club” and will be based at the new facility at Bill Noble Athletic Complex. They already have an accountant and will find a lawyer to officially organize the club.
“There is so much more than you can do when you are organized in your community,” Pam said.
By Rachel Davis Karr
CJ Sanderson loves cars. Mustangs specifically. For years, his family pulled Mustangs from the scrap yard to save them, creating something of a Mustang graveyard. But one specific mustang caught CJ’s eye—a Calypso Green 1993 Mustang. According to CJ’s father, Chris, the car had been sitting there for about 7 years when he decided he wanted to save it.
“The color and the sunroof caught his eye,” Chris said. After some minor repairs in the field, CJ was able to drive the car from the backyard so they could begin the overhaul.
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They removed the original 4-cylinder engine and replaced it with a V8. He also ripped out and completely replaced the interior, fixed the body issues and got it repainted. He did much of the work himself with his dad’s help.
“I wouldn’t work on the car unless he was with me,” Chris said. “He actually built the engine in it, he put the engine together, he bolted the transmission on, he put the hood on, he put the interior in it. I did the radio, but he was there and he helped me do that. His hands were all in the car the whole time we were working on it. If he had baseball, or he wasn’t there with me, I wouldn’t work on the car. It’s his car, not mine.”
CJ won his category, Super Street, at the recent World of Wheels. He only finished work on the car the weekend before the show. While they are excited about the car’s win, they still have more plans to tweak a few things on the car before the next show. The plan for this car is to be a show piece, while he has a newer Mustang that he drives everyday.
Even as a kid, CJ loved to race Hot Wheels and the family even has a 30-foot long Hot Wheels track in the garage that kids and adults love. Chris also plays baseball, drag races a 1983 Mustang, helps his dad coach sports for younger kids. He’s a black belt in taekwondo. He also takes auto body classes at Gardendale High School and hopes to study welding after high school so he can use his skills to restore old cars. Overall, his dad is proud of CJ and all the things he has done and plans to do, but more than anything, he is proud of who CJ is.
One of his dad’s favorite stories, CJ was on his way to spend some of his birthday money on a bow, but in the parking lot was a man selling boxer puppies. CJ fell in love with the runt and decided to buy the puppy instead of the bow and arrow. That runt had numerous health problems, but turned into a monstrous 110 lbs. Chris said that’s how his son always has been—eager to help wherever he can.
“He’s just a good kid,” Chris said.
Friday: 5pm-10pm
*Carnival
*1 Stage Entertainment
*Food Vendors
Saturday: 10am-5pm
*Midway Carnival
*170 Vendors *Food Vendors
*2 Stages Live Entertainment
*Free Kid Zone
*Car Show *Pooch Parade
*Ponies/Petting Zoo
*Free Art Classes
Location:
Gardendale Civic Center
Gardendale First Baptist
MagnoliaFestival.org
By Rachel Davis Karr
“Never measure your life by possessions, numbers and materialism. Measure it by the hearts you touch, the smiles you create, and the love you share.” -L.C. Tang
By that measure, Mechell Malone Ballard is one of the richest people you’ll ever meet. As a Boy Scout leader for more than 18 years, Ballard has impacted the lives of countless young men, their parents and many others in the community with her selflessness.
One of Ballard’s former scouts, Grayson Phillips, remembers how she poured herself into every scout that walked through the doors to a meeting.
“She’s generous,’ Phillips said of his friend. “She’ll give you the shirt off her back, even if she didn’t have anything, she’d give you what she had. She’s always been a big encourager.”
Even when he got older and busier and wanted to put Scouts on the backburner, he remembers she wouldn’t let him.
“She was like a second mom to me growing up. Pretty much every weekend, we were doing something. She’s actually the reason I stayed in Scouts when I wanted to quit,” Phillips remembers.
In fact, whenever Phillips got discouraged, he knew he could count on a text from Ballard that read “meet me at Waffle House.” By the end of their meeting, he would be energized and excited again.
Phillips finished his Eagle Scout project and earned scouting’s top rank.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without her,” Phillips said. “I don’t know what I would be doing now without scouting, so I’m very glad she kept me in it.”
But Ballard’s support for her scouts extended far beyond meetings and camping. In fact, years after Phillips finished his Eagle Scout rank, Ballard still showed up to support him.
“She came and visited me when I was renovating my house and she did anything she could to help with my house,” Phillips remembered.
“She has dedicated her life to so many young Scouts,” Phillips’ mom, Kathleen said. “She has sacrificed her time and money to encourage these boys and give them lifelong skills and confidence. She attended every school and life event those boys participated in, in addition to all the Scout activities.”
In 2019, Gardendale’s City Council honored Ballard with a proclamation recognizing her for more than 14 years of service. In part, that proclamation read: “Mechell encourages our youth to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful,
Snow Rogers Elementary School was originally built in 1913 on land donated by Thomas Snow Rogers of Morris. Rogers donated approximately two acres of land for the purpose of building a school for the community. In 1974, the new school building was placed on that land, plus the additional 8 acres that were purchased by the school board. The school property was annexed into Gardendale City in 1985.
The original school in the community was named Linder School and was supported by the community members through a giving method known as “subscription papers.” Despite the community’s work, there were other challenges to the school— no permanent building, poor roads and families who were mostly poor farmers and needed their children at home to help. At the time, there was no tax support for schools or laws that required children to attend school, so the effort was entirely driven by the community’s desire to have their children educated.
As buildings would deteriorate, the school would move to other locations. Eventually the school began to meet at Ebenezer Church, but needed a dedicated building for the students. Residents began looking for a place to build a new school building.
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Thomas Snow Rogers, of Morris, was dedicated to education, in addition to donating the land, he was a member of the Jefferson County Board of Education. He owned a sawmill and other businesses and wanted to ensure his employees’ children would be educated. He donated the land for the school and assisted in securing funding for the building. The community paid ⅓ of the cost of the school, the county paid ⅓ and the state paid the remaining ⅓.
A paper written by Elizabeth Mason Ware that is housed at the Kermit. Dooley Gardendale Historical Society Museum said, “This Snow Rogers School did not just happen to be here. Many efforts from many
people were slowly helped in the struggle to better conditions here. Mr. Joseph Loveman of the Loveman’s Mercantile Firm several times said. ‘Citizenship can be promoted in small country schools where the teacher is acquainted with each family and every individual receives special attention as his needs demand it.”
In many ways, Snow Rogers has remained the same, even more than a century later. The smaller of the two Gardendale Elementary Schools, the principal and staff know the students and most parents by name and still relies heavily on the community for support.
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friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent and also embodies these values herself every day…Mechell is a positive influence on the youth of our city; both guiding and empowering them to be the leaders of tomorrow.”
Over the years, Ballard made sure the Scouts were involved in every city event and even worked with the city to renovate an old building at Kenneth Clemons Park into a Boy Scout Hut. The project is ongoing, but many strides have been made, giving the Scouts a place to call their own. The impact Ballard is making on Gardendale’s future through her investments in its youth will be felt for years to come.
LOCALLY MADE | LOCALLY SOURCED
cutting boards | Charcuterie trays
bathtub caddies | bed swings
stovetop covers | tables | planters
shelves | bookcases
custom orders accepted
facebook: @deogloriawoodworks
Instagram: @deogloriawoodworks
Heather Lebischak is in constant motion—riding her bike around town as the Gardendale Chamber of Commerce director, teaching fitness classes at the Gardendale Civic Center, finishing her masters degree or making memories with her husband and son. Even when she sits still—in line somewhere, during a ballgame or even by the pool on vacation, she can’t just sit still. So she knits.
“The whole ‘idol hands are the devil’s tool,’” Lebischak said with a laugh.
“It’s our outlet, it’s our therapy,” Lebischak said. “I do it a lot during sporting events. Like during my son’s soccer games or a close Alabama football game, I’ll be knitting because it calms me.
A couple of years ago, we were on a cruise and it was the Iron Bowl— // Continued on Page 27//
we were in the middle of the Caribbean and we wanted to watch the game but no TV we could find was showing it, so we were just literally watching the ticker at the bottom. I just happened to be walking down the hall and saw a group of people watching it. So I popped my head in and asked ‘is this a private event’ and she was like ‘no, we’re just all big ‘Bama fans, come on it.’ So we went with them and I was knitting the whole time and the game was getting close and as it would get close people would yell back ‘knit faster!’”
Lebischak learned knitting basics as a child, but didn’t keep up with the hobby. She took a class with her relative and enjoyed it, but she put it down shortly after and didn’t go back to the hobby until much later when she was inspired by a coworker.
“For me, it’s really a hobby that got out of control,” Lebischak siad. “A friend of mine was a huge crocheter, and I had started knitting with a great-aunt when I was really little—I went to a class with her. My mom still has the first thing I ever knitted—it’s horrible. But I never learned how to take it off the needles so I just kept knitting indefinitely. It’s like the world’s longest scarf.”
As an adult, Lebischak had the advantage of YouTube tutorials so she learned basics she didn’t have before— new stitches and how to “cast off” to finish a project. She began making small projects for herself, then for friends and family, then as gifts. Eventually, she enjoyed it so much that she began making items and doing craft shows around the area. These days, she’s so busy that she mostly makes items as gifts or to donate. Recently she donated hats and scarves to a charity drive and is currently making hats for preemies at local hospitals.
Lebischak and her son also do “Random Acts” day each Christmas Eve, where they go out with pizza and serve homeless people in Birmingham’s Lynn Park. Last year, because of the freezing weather, they served at a local warming shelter and spent time with the people seeking shelter there. This year, in addition to serving pizza, Lebischak hopes to be able to hand out knitted gloves and hats as well.
Donating her work is more rewarding to Lebischak these days, rather than trying to value her work to sell it. She says that is always a struggle for crafters and artists.
“The first thing I knitted was a thick cowl scarf and it took me FOREVER,” Lebischak said. “I posted a picture of it on Facebook because I was so proud of it, and a friend said ‘how much would you charge to make me one of those’ and I was like ‘$20,000 because it took so long.’” I’ve gotten faster, but it gave me new respect for artisans and the fact
that most of them do not account for their time. You see this high price tag and you’re like ‘oh I could go to WalMart and buy a hat for $5,” and you could. But there is probably 2-3 hours in that and, at $5, that’s not even going to pay for the yarn it took, much less the time. Doing craft shows, I realized most of these artisans don’t properly value their time. It’s because they know what they are competing with, and I get that. But it has made me very mindful when I’m at craft shows. A $10 hat? I KNOW the time that went into that, and I know that the yarn skein was probably $6 of that at minimum. It has made me more aware of the cost of ‘made locally’ and local artisans. So, if it’s $50 for an item, but it took 10 hours to make— would you work for less than $5 an hour?”
The annual Gardendale Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast was held in February at the Gardendale Civic Center. This year’s speaker was Mike Lutzenkirchen.
Gardendale Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts gathered for their annual blue and gold banquet. Guest speaker Gardendale Mayor Stan Hogeland told his life story and what’s happening in Gardendale.
Bragg Middle School hosted a career fair for the eighth grade with support from local businesses and the Gardendale Chamber of Commerce.
Smiles Forever of Gardendale was voted Gardendale Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month for February.
The Arts in Gardendale hosted a charcuterie class at the Gardendale Civic Center. Katie King from Graze Together taught the class.
The sign for Olive Garden went up in late February. The opening date of Olive Garden has not been set, but is expected later this year.
Gardendale Chick-fil-A hosted a trivia night on February 21. Watch the Facebook page for future events.
Strawberries are in season in March so my Strawberry Freezer Jam and 2 Ingredient Biscuits are a perfect pairing. Visit GritsandGouda. com for the jam recipe. No need to cut in butter with a fancy pastry cutter!
2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream (plus 1 tablespoon if needed)
2 tablespoons melted butter or more whipping cream to brush tops (optional)
Preheat oven to 450°
Stir together flour and whipping cream in a medium size bowl just until flour is moistened with whipping cream. Your dough should look “shaggy”-not too dry.
Dump it out onto a lightly floured counter.
Gently press pieces of dough together to form a loose ball. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of flour and using fingertips press dough halfway flat. It will not be a pretty shape at this point.
Take one side and bring it up and over to the edge of the other side and gently press halfway down. Turn the dough a quarter of a turn and repeat procedure twice. You are incorporating air into the layers you are pressing down which gives you the flakiness you want.
Press the top down until it is 3/4- inch tall. Using a 2 1/2-inch circle cookie cutter, cut out 4 biscuits and place in a lightly greased 8-inch cast iron skillet or heavy, cake pan.
Press together remaining dough scraps and pat down again and cut 2 more; place in the pan. Be sure they are slightly touching each other. They help each other in the oven to rise to their tallest potential if they are touching!
For golden tops, brush 1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter or heavy whipping cream over the tops. This is not necessary, but added yum factor. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
For buttery tops, brush additional melted butter over the tops. Bake for 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
Kathleen Phillips 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.
The official opening of the new Bill Noble Athletic Complex will be March 11, beginning at 9 a.m. There will be a celebration for the community, as well as opening day festivities for baseball and softball.
The annual Strike Out Cancer event benefiting the American Cancer Society of North Jefferson will be March 18.
The Gardendale Miracle Mile Health Expo, sponsored by Mills Pharmacy, will be Friday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gardendale Civic Center.
Magnolia Festival
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.
April 29, from 8 to 11:30 a.m., at the Gardendale First Baptist South Campus on Main Street. There are also sites in Irondale and Bessemer. Items such as batteries, appliances, prescription drugs and other items can be disposed of at the event. For more information, visit the city’s Facebook page. The event is open to all Jefferson County residents, and requires proof of residency.
THe Gardendale Farmer’s Market will be reopening on May 18 with a new market time. This year, the market will be each Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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.
A community kickball game is starting every Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Gardendale soccer fields. Anyone who is interested is welcome.
To have an item added to our calendar, please send information to rachel@jbmcmedia.com.
