WestJeff Magazine - May 2024

AS USUAL (not)

PAGE 10

PAGE 22

SPLISH

Splash

Bessemer is home to Alabama’s largest water and theme park

PAGE 14

MEDALS

SPRING INTO ACTION

Spring is here which means warmer weather and getting outside to enjoy running, biking, gardening and all the outdoor things! Are you ready?

not, herapySouth has movement experts who will work with you to develop an individualized exercise program to help you feel stronger, move better and avoid injury

Business News

An update on road projects in West Jefferson County

Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure

One of Alabama’s largest theme parks calls Bessemer home

COLUMNS Recipe

Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Bacon

Summer Recreation Gude

plethora of outdoor activities to keep

busy this summer

from our local schools

around the community in May

The West Beat

Chambers’ monthly column

Sean of the South A good word from Sean Dietrich

Experience the ease of mobile banking with us. When you have a checking account with UnionState Bank, it’s a breeze to manage your finances on the go. Traveling this summer? No problem! Check your balance, transfer funds, make a deposit...all using our convenient Online and Mobile Banking features!

Find WestJeff Magazine at one of these locations in your community!

ADGER / NORTH JOHNS

Kimbrel’s Grocery

North Johns Community Center

ALLIANCE / BIRMINGPORT

Buddy Vines Fish Camp

S&W Red Top Grocery

BESSEMER

Alex Barber & Style Shop

Bessemer Area Chamber

Bessemer City Hall

Bessemer Family Eye Care

Bessemer Hall of History

Bessemer Public Library

Bessemer Recreation Center

Bistro on 19th

Bob Sykes BBQ

Bright Star

Deb’s Hot Dogs

El Comal Mexican Restaurant

First Financial Bank

FMS Pharmacy

Hinkle Pharmacy

BESSEMER (CONT.)

Legacy YMCA

Los Sombreros Mexican Restaurant

Pediatrics West

Roller Motion Skate Center

Simmons Sporting Goods

The Hangar Bar & Grill

Wagon Wheel Deli & Grill

BRIGHTON

Bre’s Gourmet Restaurant

Brighton Community School

CONCORD

Concord Community Center

Hill’s Carpet & Floor Coverings

HUEYTOWN

American Pride Trophies & Awards

Cinco de Mayo Mexican Grill

Day Dreams Boutique

Fast Pace Urgent Care

First Financial Bank

Food Giant

HUEYTOWN (CONT.)

Highlander Foodland

Hueytown Area Chamber

Hueytown City Hall

Hueytown Hardware

Hueytown Public Library

Pharmacy Xpress

Piggly Wiggly

Speedy’s Mexican

The Leopard Lilly Boutique

Uncle Sam’s BBQ

Venue 3131

Virginia Mines Grocery

Weldon Pharmacy

McCALLA

Chick-fil-A

First Financial Bank

Pediatric Smiles

Pediatrics West

Piggly Wiggly

San Antonio Grill

MULGA

Mulga Town Hall

OAK GROVE

Warrior River Water Authority

PLEASANT GROVE

Dieguez Smiles Orthodontics

Hill’s Foodland

Jack’s Restaurant

Olipita Mediterranean Grill

Pleasant Grove Public Library

Union State Bank

Val’s Print and Copy Center

ROCK CREEK

All American Metal Components

Rock Creek Pharmacy

SYLVAN SPRINGS

Allstar Diner

Old Southern Feed and Hardware

Sylvan Springs Community Center

Sylvan Springs Town Hall

On the Cover

Who We Are

WestJeff Magazine serves the communities and people of West Jefferson County. Published every month, the magazine is available for free at more than 100 locations in Bessemer, Hueytown, McCalla, Pleasant Grove, Concord, Oak Grove, Sylvan Springs, and other areas.

Subscriptions are available for $35 per year.

Email subscribe@jbmcmedia.com for details on how to subscribe or send a gift subscription.

Does your business want to connect with West Jefferson County residents? Email us: advertise@jbmcmedia.com, and let’s talk!

All content in this magazine remains the property of JBMC Media, LLC. Any requests to reprint or republish should be directed to matthew@jbmcmedia.com.

Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

Photos courtesy of Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure

Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure will celebrate their 26th anniversary in 2024. The amusement park and water park, located in Bessemer, bring in more than 200,000 visitors per year, providing the West Jefferson area with a strong economic impact.

Advertising Partners

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, and mention you saw their ad in WestJeff Magazine!

If you would like to support this magazine through advertising, contact Michelle Salem Haynes michelle@jbmcmedia.com.

Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure

American Pride Trophies & Awards

Children’s of Alabama

Deo Gloria Wood Works

First Financial Bank

Gaynell Hendricks - Jefferson County Tax Assessor

Hill’s Carpet & Floor Covering

Hueytown Chamber of Commerce

Jefferson County Commission

Jimmie Stephens, Jefferson County Commissioner

Parrot Structural Services

TherapySouth

UAB Medical West Hospital

Union State Bank

The West Beat

BY JESSE CHAMBERS

Summer is a special time for me and always has been. I still remember the feeling of liberation I experienced as a kid each year in May when school was over.

Even after all these decades, the coming of warm weather brings that feeling of liberation rushing back to me in an almost magical way.

Summer seems to offer a palpable sense of rebirth, and my thoughts turn to freedom and independence.

The warm weather means you can go outside anytime you want, and the longer days dramatically extend the time available for outdoor activities.

It’s a perfect season for all of us to get outside and have some adventures, to add a little excitement to our lives.

That’s a big reason why we chose to feature outdoor recreation so prominently in this second issue of WestJeff Magazine.

Our cover story previews the upcoming summer season at Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure, a water park and amusement park in Bessemer that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The June issue also features an extensive guide to summer recreation opportunities in Western Jefferson County and a few other locations nearby.

All of this content serves as a sort of clarion call to adventure. If you haven’t already, it’s time to go outside and walk and run and climb, to feel the warm sun on your skin, to feel the breeze in your face.

Perhaps this call to the wild is heightened for me because of my age. In April, I turned 67 years old, which absolutely blows my mind.

As a young person, you think you’ll never get old. Sure, you may acknowledge the prospect from an intellectual standpoint, but it seems so remote and you tell yourself that you have plenty of time to get ready for it.

But it’s like a montage sequence from an old movie. The pages fly off the calendar until, one day, you look in the mirror and see someone you barely recognize.

There are some compensations, of course.

As I get older, I find that I’m more at peace and more content than I used to be and that I try to appreciate and enjoy each moment to the fullest.

I’m grateful for every day, every moment, every blessing, and I also cherish the people in my life that I love and care about.

I’m also trying to take much better care of my health by sticking to a diet, drinking water, getting regular check-ups and, of course, exercising.

Like all of us, I need to run and walk and jump and feel my heart pump fresh blood through my veins

So check out the summer recreation guide and perhaps visit a park or green space you have never been to before.

Go swimming, shoot a basketball or swing a golf club, and remember that exercise, especially outdoor exercise, has a restorative power that is psychological, not just physical.

Enjoy the warm weather – every last minute of it – before this happy season disappears into fall.

Here at WestJeff Magazine, we say to you all, “Happy summer!”

What do you want to read about in an upcoming issue?

We want to hear your story ideas, info about your business or organization, events or fundraisers.

I don’t know how I got into this. No, wait. I remember.

My wife, that’s how I got into this. That’s how every crazy, halfcocked idea in my life starts. With her. Bungee jumping in Mexico is only one example.

Right now I am at a Birmingham hotel, with a lot of other insane people who are filtering into the lobby, carrying heavy duffle bags of hiking gear and expensive all-weather clothes. These people are all in very good shape and have no adipose tissue.

Make a Wish

We are all here because tomorrow we will be hiking 26.3 miles up a mountain.

It’s important to note, we are not in the military. Nobody is holding a bayonet to our backs and forcing us to march onward. In fact, we paid good money to be here. Take my wife. Her hiking boots alone cost more than a three-bedroom beach condo.

“Are you ready to hike?” says a trim, super-peppy fitness-looking guy, clapping my shoulders violently, and smiling like he’s having a febrile seizure.

This man is a complete stranger.

“I’m ready,” I say.

“I can’t hear you!” he shouts.

“Then get hearing aids.”

Tomorrow morning, hours before sunup, 268 clinically deranged Alabamians will be awoken by an alarm, whereupon we will all be taken to the Pinhoti Trail, riding in Soviet style buses, and dropped off naked, in the remote darkness of the mountains, just outside Talladega, whereupon we will hike until we are either dead or sincerely wish we were.

We are doing this hike for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alabama. This organization grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses.

This Alabamian hike raises more money than all the other Make-A-Wish organizational hikes in the nation. By far. These people are doing some real good stuff.

When the Alabama Trailblaze Challenge hike started in 2017, there were less than 75 hikers, and they raised about $200,000.

The hike has since grown considerably. Last year, the Trailblaze Challenge enrolled enough hikers to fill up a small city, and they raised 1.2 million for kids in need.

This year, my wife and I are two such hikers.

Tonight is the pasta dinner before the event. We hikers need carbohydrates because carbs are fuel. And we all need fuel so that we can walk a very long trail which has no restaurant or bar at the end of it.

I will say this, however: These are some committed hikers.

They’ve come from all over. I meet one woman from North Alabama. She is here because her son once received a wish.

“It changed our lives.”

Another man has come from Gulf Shores. He knows multiple kids who have received wishes.

“When you see a terminal child receive his lifelong dream; when the child knows he’s going to die; when everyone else knows the kid is going to die; and still everyone comes together to make the boy’s biggest dream come true, it alters the lives of everyone involved.”

I meet Tina, an on-call nurse who has been hiking with the Trailblazers since the hike began. Tina is the woman who will resuscitate me on the trail tomorrow provided my wife doesn’t sign and submit a DNR request.

“It’s fun,” says Tina. “I started hiking this event after my son and my sonin-law died two weeks apart. I was a wreck, mentally. I hiked this trail to honor their memory.

“After that, I was hooked. So I go out there and make sure novices who look like they won’t finish the trail don’t die.”

“How about me?” I say. “Do I look like I’ll finish?”

She smiles. “Don’t leave your group.”

I meet lots of people like Tina tonight. People who just want to help others. These are ordinary people who raised millions for kids with serious illnesses. And they’re excited.

There is a lot of laughter around bowls of penne pasta. And I am surrounded by a lot of folks who are much better human beings than I am.

At one point after supper, my wife leans over and says, “Did you sign the waivers?”

“What waivers?” I said.

“The stack of papers in the lobby. You were supposed to fill out the death waiver.”

Then she laughed until her gums bled.

“Don’t worry,” says a fellow husband. “This hike is actually pretty fun. You definitely won’t regret it. If you live.”

Pray for me.

Illustration by Sean Dietrich

Road projects coming along in Bessemer, McCalla

At WestJeff Magazine, we strive to provide comprehensive coverage of business activity of all kinds in Western Jefferson County. This includes real estate, construction and infrastructure projects. We want to hear news and updates about all of the businesses in the area, both large and small. Please send us any tips, releases or other information you have to jesse@jbmcmedia.com.

Widening Bell Hill Road

In August, UAB Medical West Hospital is expected to open its new facility at 4501 Bell Hill Road in McCalla. A $400 million project, the facility is another chapter in an ongoing building boom in McCalla and Bessemer. But the hospital will create more car traffic,

Photos courtesy of Jefferson County Roads and Transportation Dept.

Work continues to realign Bell Hill Road in McCalla near the entrance to UAB Medical West Hospital.

Continued from Page 10

so the Jefferson County Roads and Transportation Department is at work to improve access to the facility.

The county is adding more lanes to Bell Hill Road, which connects Pocahontas Rd with Eastern Valley Road. The road, which currently has two or three lanes, will become a fivelane. The county is also installing a roundabout.

Chris Nicholson, Jefferson County’s Director of Roads and Transportation and County Engineer, told WVTM TV-13 on March 25 that work on the project should be completed by the fall or winter.

“Currently we are putting down crushed aggregate base and next we’ll be paving the new section of Bell Hill Road,” Nicholson said. ‘We’ll call it the New Bell Hill Road, and we’ll move traffic over to that section. Then we’ll complete the existing section to complete the five-lane area.”

The county offered a further update on the project in a news release in late March. Traffic will be changed over to the new section of Bell Hill Road in the coming months to allow for other utilities and roadway buildup to occur, the release states.

The Roads and Transportation Department is trying to limit any road closures at inconvenient times by working with school schedules and scheduling night work periodically to avoid travel delays as much as possible.

Roads & Transportation

Parkwood Rd Bridge Closure & Detour

JOHNHAWKINSPKWY

“Coordination with the community and the utility relocations have been a massive undertaking, but all critical deadlines are on track for completion,” the release states. “There have been several unforeseen construction discoveries that required more attention and response for all parties involved, but the contractors and utility crews are making this project their priority.”

The utilities are power, internet, cable, sewer, water, gas and stormwater drainage.

Replacing Parkwood Road bridge

“Phase 1 of the utility work and access to the new UAB Medical West Hospital will be ready in May so staff can prepare for the grand opening in August,” the release states.

Jefferson County temporarily closed the bridge on Parkwood Road in Bessemer in February, and the closure will continue until September 30, according to a March 25 update from Helen Hays, the county’s Director of Public Information. All traffic on Parkwood Road from Alabama Highway 150 to Morgan Road is required to take an alternate route. The bridge project involves replacing the concrete superstructure, bridge approach work, installing guardrails and implementing erosion control measures at the bridge abutments. To do this the old superstructure has to be taken out.

Awaits Adventure

Entering its 26th year, Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure continue to grow.

Alabama Adventure Helps Families Make Memories

by JESSE CHAMBERS

Tens of millions of Americans flock to amusement and theme parks each year, and many of them drive or fly hundreds or even thousands of miles to enjoy such famed attractions as Six Flags Over Georgia, Busch Gardens, Disneyland and Disneyworld.

However, families in the Birmingham area seeking a fun, affordable summer diversion don’t have to travel that far or spend that much money,

Instead, they can visit Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure, an amusement and water park located in Bessemer off Interstate 20/59.

Originally called Visionland, Alabama Adventure has a colorful history, to say the least.

The late, legendary politician Larry Langford, who served as mayor of Fairfield in the 1990s, convinced 11 Jefferson County municipalities to spend about $60 million to build Visionland.

The facility opened in 1998 to great fanfare. However, the park went bankrupt in 2002.

The park was purchased out of bankruptcy and reopened, but it struggled to find stability over the next decade while being operated under several different names, formats and ownership groups.

Finally, in 2014, the facility was purchased by the Koch family of Indiana, who have roots in the amusement business going back to the 1940s. They operate Alabama Adventure as Koch Family Entertainment.

Alabama Adventure & Splash

To improve the facility, the Kochs have added numerous new rides and water slides.

They also say that they’ve sought to offer their guests a clean facility, a friendly staff and a good value for the ticket price.

In 2023, Alabama Adventure celebrated its 25th anniversary and now draws an average of more than 200,000 people per year. This includes visitors from neighboring states like Mississippi and Georgia, said Alex Ramsey, the facility’s human resources and marketing manager.

Alabama Adventure begins a new season on Saturday, May 11, giving the staff another opportunity to help make the summer break a special time for children and their families.

“Our goal is to make sure families have fun, and they have an affordable place to have fun,” Ramsey said.

“We want every guest who comes through the park to have an incredible experience every single time they come, at least that’s our goal,” he said.

This kind of laser focus was not necessarily present at the facility in the years prior to its purchase by the Kochs.

“There was a real lack of vision for a long time,” Ramsey said.

The facility was also not cared for properly, Pat Koch told Birmingham Watch in 2018.

“This place was a mess,” she said. “It took a lot of work to get it back in shape.”

The Kochs had a five-year plan and invested more than $7 million to purchase and improve the park, according to a 2014 report by AL.com.

“We’re going to make this place hum,” Dan Koch – Pat Koch’s son – told the outlet.

Their efforts seemed to bear fruit. In 2017, MSN picked Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure as one of the best theme park deals in all 50 states.

In 2018, Birmingham Watch reported that “the facility has seen a turnabout under the Koch family.”

However, the Kochs also had to fight the poor reputation the park had acquired in the years before they took over.

“I tell people who come here, ‘Please tell your friends,’” Pat Koch told Birmingham Watch. “If I had a dollar for every person who’s told me they came a long time ago and didn’t come back — and I hear it over and over and over.”

“I feel like the community was kind of burned with the park by the previous owners,” Ramsey said.

The Koch family has added, on average, at

Continued on Page 18

Rampage getting a reboot

Rampage, the big, wooden roller coaster at Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure, was built in 1998 and is one of the original rides at the park. It is 120 feet tall and has a top speed of 56 miles per hour. The Koch family refurbished and reopened Rampage in 2015, after it had been closed by a former owner of the park.

“It’s a great ride,” Dan Koch told The Tuscaloosa News.

However, Rampage will be temporarily out of commission for the 2024 season. The ride has been expensive to maintain, with owners spending about $500,000 a year to keep it running smoothly and safely, Ramsey said.

Over this offseason, during routine safety checks, the park found that Rampage needed even more extra work to keep it operating. “We’re looking for a solution that will make the ride better than it ever has ever been – better than when it first opened – but also reduce our long-term maintenance costs,” Ramsey said.

The owners will go through a process with Rampage called retracking and reprofiling in which they will replace some of the wood with steel and make some of the turns bank a little bit more to reduce the force on the structure. This extensive process, which will cost more $3 million, “will also make the ride more smooth and fun and fast,” Ramsey said.

The park staff anticipate that Rampage will be reopened for the 2025 season.

Continued from Page 16

least one new attraction each year, Ramsey said. The COVID year of 2020 was an exception.

“There have definitely been years where they’ve put in like three attractions,” he said.

In 2021, the owners added Rocket Racer, the largest waterslide in Alabama, and spent about $1 million to improve Rampage, the park’s wooden roller coaster. In 2022, they added a new steel roller coaster, The Cheddar Chase. The water park added Cocoa Island, a colorful slide structure, last year.

A new attraction at Splash Adventure for 2024 is a water slide called The Slidewinder that stands over 50 feet tall. The tubes on The Slidewinder accommodate four people at a time.

“It’s the only slide in the park where the whole family gets to ride at the same time,” Ramsey said. “It’s going to be a cool kind of unique experience.”

The Slidewinder features a conveyor-belt system that will bring the tube back up to the top of the tower for you.

“You don’t have to drag the tube up the stairs,” Ramsey said.

Alabama Adventure management also seeks to be value-conscious for guests, who receive free parking, free tubes, free shows and free soft drinks.

“The idea is we want you to come here and have fun and not focus on having to take your wallet out every five minutes,” Ramsey said. “The

owner’s focus is on the guest, not on money.”

The park will introduce “a bunch” of new food items this summer,” Ramsey said.

The new items include Totchos, which are like nachos made with tater tots and served with a choice of several toppings. Turkey legs will be added to the park’s menu, as well.

“When people come to visit us, they love the fair food, anything that’s kind of out of the ordinary, and they love our funnel cakes and fried Oreos,” Ramsay said.

The park is reopening a food location – The Rocket Rooster – that was not open for 2023. By adding a new place for guests to get food, the park hopes to shorten the food lines.

“It will let people get their food faster and get back to the fun part –riding slides and rides – more quickly,” Ramsey said.

Splash Adventure will again offer live entertainment – its popular AllAmerican Dive Show and the Aqua-Batic Stunt Show.

As part of the dive show, which is located near Splash Island, performers jump from a 90-foot tower into 10 feet of water. In the last show of the day at 5 p.m., they light themselves on fire before they dive.

“It’s a really cool, unique show with a lot of comedy and excitement,” Ramsey said. “Very few parks these days have a really cool dive show.”

The Aqua-Batic Stunt Show is a trampoline stunt show and is found near Castaway Island and the Twister and Freefall slides.

Continued on Page 19

Park owners have added numerous attractions over the last decade, including several new water slides.

In the offseason, the small full-time park staff of about 12 to 15 people take part in “a very long process” to evaluate every aspect of the facility’s operation, Ramsey said.

This includes the attractions, the food, the performance of the park’s cleaning service – even how many trash cans are needed in a particular area.

“There’s so many aspects to what we do to make that experience happen,” Ramsey said. “Countless hours go into it.”

However, Ramsey said that all of the work is “totally worth it” during the season. “You see a kid crying because they don’t want to leave at the end of the day or passed out asleep in the stroller because they’ve been playing so hard all day.”

To ensure safety, technicians thoroughly inspect each ride at the park during the offseason.

“We pretty much take apart every single ride and look at every single nut and every single bolt,” Ramsey said. “We calibrate the brakes. We do extensive refurbishments on all of our rides to make sure they are running safely and correctly.”

When the park opens for the summer, it hires about 400 seasonal employees, Summer is a special time for park staff, even though the season is certainly not a break for them.

“Summer is still as special for us as it is for a lot of kids because it’s that time of year when we get to provide an opportunity for families to come out and make memories that will last a lifetime,” he said.

“Working at the park is a cool, unique experience where you get to see all that stuff first-hand,” Ramsey said. “You see those kids who maybe are in a wheelchair and still get the opportunity to ride a ride and feel like they can fly even if they can’t walk. That’s something that’s really important to us.”

In 2022, Pat Koch, who has spent a lot of time working at the park, told WVTM13 that it’s fun and rewarding to meet the park’s guests.

“They love the park, and we love them,” she told the station. “And they always just greet me with open arms and so much love.”

Moving forward, the owners want to continue to build the community’s trust in the park.

“The Koch’s big focus has been changing the image of the park, making sure families feel like this is a family park,” Ramsey said. “This is a safe place for them to be. The focus has been getting that message out to the community.”

Continued from Page 18

Alabama Adventure opened in 1998 as Visionland but went bankrupt in 2002 and attracted some poor visitor reviews. The current owners, the Koch family, say they’ve worked to improve the park and its image.

Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Bacon Recipe

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, YouTube and Pinterest.

I could eat an entire bag of sour cream and onion potato chips if left to my own devices! I developed this potato salad with the flavors of my favorite potato chip in mind. I don’t peel the potatoes for two reasons: saves time and adds color and fiber.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Cooling and chilling: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Course: Salad

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 190 kcal

Ingredients

8 medium size red potatoes unpeeled (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Instructions

Wash the potatoes and cut off any blemishes. I do not peel the potatoes but it is an option.

Cut potatoes in about 1/2 –inch cubes and place in an 8 cup saucepan or pot. Cover potatoes with water and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 20 minutes or just until tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Let the potatoes cool to room temperature.

Stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and add to the potatoes. Add bacon and green onions. Stir gently until the potatoes are coated. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Notes

Make Ahead Plan:

Cook potatoes one day and bacon one day

Toss it all together another day

Serve it on the third day. The flavors meld together best if made the day before serving.

Time for a getaway

A summer recreation guide

by WESTJEFF STAFF

Summer officially begins on June 20, but Americans know that the real beginning of summer comes sooner than that. It really starts when kids get out of school for the summer break and the nation celebrates the Memorial Day weekend. That’s why our May issue includes our first-ever summer recreation guide, which includes golf, hiking, biking, fishing, amusement parks and other diversions located in or near Western Jefferson County. Did we miss any of your favorite recreation spots? If so, please let us know so that we can include them next year! You can reach us at jesse@jbmcmedia.com.

GOLF

Bent Brook Golf Course

7900 Dickey Springs Road, Bessemer 205-424-2368

bentbrook.com

Bent Brook Golf Course, founded by owner Jimmy Lee in 1988, is a public course that offers club-quality golf, as well as beautiful views and a pleasant atmosphere. Bent Brook consists of 27 holes on three courses – Graveyard, Brook and Windmill – and is enjoyable for players of all skill levels. The facility was fully renovated in 2016, and all of the greens offer AU Victory Grass bent grass, according to the course’s website.

Continued on Page 23

Walkers enjoy the natural beauty at Red Mountain Park in Birmingham.

Photo by Graham Yelton, courtesy of Red Mountain Park.

Woodward Golf Course in Bessemer. Photo courtesy of Woodward GC.

Frank House Golf Course

801 Golf Course Road, Bessemer’

205-424-9540

bessemeral.org/frank-house

Since it opened in 1972, the 100-acre Frank House Municipal Golf Course has given golfers in Western Jefferson County an enjoyable, low-cost alternative to more expensive courses. A par 72 regulation-length course, Frank House has Bermuda grass greens and tee options for all skill levels. It has a reputation among some golfers as a challenging course. “If you can play this course, you can play anywhere,” a local golfer told AL.com in 2013 while playing a round at Frank House. “There’s a lot of elevated greens. It’s a nice golf course.” Hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday 7 a.m.-5 p.m., including holidays

RTJ Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley

100 SunBelt Parkway, Birmingham

205-942-1177

rtjgolf.com/oxmoorvalley

Sculpted from the peaks and valleys of the Appalachians on former mining land, the courses at the Oxmoor Valley facility offer a beautiful setting, with scenic forests and numerous creeks. The Ridge Course offers numerous elevation changes and heavy tree cover, including to the facility’s website. Completely renovated in 2021, the Valley Course features new tees, bunkers and beautiful TifEagle greens. A third course, The Back Yard, is another fun option, with nine par 3 holes that play in a range from 60 yards to 132 yards. The Back Yard is a walkingonly course with no water hazards and just a handful of bunkers so that even a novice golfer can enjoy a game.

Woodward Golf & Country Club

2141 Wheel Drive, Bessemer

205-424-5500 or 205-428-0307

golfwoodward.com

Woodward Golf & Country Club is a par 71 course that is 6,500 yards from the championship tees. It has a natural, flowing terrain that accommodates golfers of all skill levels, according to the facility’s website. The course is affordable and only about 15 minutes from downtown Birmingham. The course is “challenging” and “requires accuracy off the tee and the ability to hit every club in your bag,” said David Walls, the facility’s board president. “It’s not your cookie-cutter golf course.” Woodward has small greens and ‘tests your short game,” he said. The course “has five tee boxes to make it playable for golfers of all skill levels,” said club professional Greg Kennedy. Woodward was designed in 1916, making it one of the oldest courses in Alabama. “Woodward is the only course in the area that is not surrounded by houses and neighborhoods,”

The natural beauty at Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. Photo courtesy of Park Superintendent Lisa Carroll.

A streambed at Moss Rock Nature Preserve in Hoover. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia user Eric Ericson.

Kennedy said, calling the course a “unique natural experience.” More than $300,000 in improvements have been made at Woodward over the last two or three years, Walls said. The course is also “a bargain – laid back and fun to play,” Kennedy said.

NATURE PRESERVES

Moss Rock Nature Preserve 617 Preserve Way, Hoover 205-739-7141

hooveral.org/214/Moss-Rock-Preserve

The City of Hoover’s Moss Rock Preserve is a beautiful 349-acre nature preserve with such natural features as forests, streams, waterfalls and large rock outcroppings, as well as wildlife. The Preserve offers nearly 12 miles of hiking trails, and Boulder Field is a favorite among rock climbers. Moss Rock is “a great escape into nature,” wrote outdoor travel writer Breanna Wilson in Forbes magazine in 2020. “You have boulders. You have waterfalls. You have it all on this trail,” she said, suggesting that you “pack a picnic and bring the entire family.”

Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge

Thomas Spring, Bessemer fws.gov/refuge/watercress-darter 256-848-6833

mountainlongleaf@fws.gov

To get away from the daily grind and be inspired by nature, you can visit the Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge at Thomas Spring in Bessemer. Measuring 23 acres, this unique facility is the smallest national wildlife refuge in America. The watercress darter was discovered in Bessemer in 1964 at Glenn Springs by Samford University biologist Mike Howell and lives only in a handful of streams in the Birmingham area. It was listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1970. Activities at the refuge include photography and wildlife watching, The refuge, which borders Eastern Valley Road near Jonesboro Elementary. is unstaffed and is managed by Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge in Anniston.

TRAILS & HIKING

Red Rock Trail System

Various location in Jefferson County 205-417-2777

freshwaterlandtrust.org

Red Rock Trail System is a network of trails, parks, bike lanes and sidewalks in Jefferson County. The system helps protect the county’s waterways and promote healthy living and alternate modes of transportation. As of May 2023, nearly 130 miles of trails had been completed, according to the Freshwater Land Trust website. Bessemer, Midfield and Fairfield are all part

of the system. “These trails are important assets for these communities,” said Anna Massa Pires, Red Rock trail and development coordinator at Freshwater Land Trust. “They provide residents with accessible venues for activities like walking, running, and biking, encouraging fitness and well-being.” The users also “value the social aspect of trails, where they can connect with others and enjoy outdoor activities, as well as the opportunity to spend time outdoors,” Pires said. For an interactive map showing the trails in Bessemer, Midfield and Fairfield – and all the other Red Rock trails in the county – go to freshwaterlandtrust.org/find-a-trail.

Bessemer Rail Trail

Trailhead: Fairfax Avenue.

The Bessemer Rail Trail sits on top of an old elevated mineral railway with plenty of shade and great views of the surrounding area. The

multi-purpose paved trail measures 0.6 miles and has benches, lighting, picnic tables and safety fencing. This trail is the first of several rail trails the City of Bessemer plans to build. Some parking is available along Fairfax Avenue.

High Ore Line Greenway

(Midfield)

Trailheads: 600 Doctor M.L.K. Jr. Dr., Midfield (North) and 890 Wenonah Road, Birmingham (South).

This paved greenway runs for nearly three miles along a former railroad grade that Tennessee Coal and Iron used to move ore from Red Mountain to their Ensley furnace. Bridges along the route offer views of Valley Creek and the Bessemer Super Highway. Parking is available at the Jefferson County Western Health Center or the Venice Road Entrance to Red Mountain Park.

An aerial view of the High Ore Line Greenway, a 2.9-mile trail that connects Midfield to Red Mountain Park. Photo by Airfowl Photography, courtesy of Freshwater Land Trust.

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MLK Jr. Drive Greenway (Fairfield)

Trailheads: 7201 Aaron Aronov Drive and 6501 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, both in Fairfield.

This concrete trail runs for nearly a mile parallel to Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. in Midfield and Fairfield and is one of several Red Rock trails that follow old streetcar lines. Parking is available at Western Hills Mall

Red Mountain Park

Entrances: 2011 Frankfurt Drive and 2019 Venice Road 205-202-6043

redmountainpark.org

At Red Mountain Park (RMP), you can walk, hike and mountain bike on 16 miles of multi-use trails that wind through 1,500 forested acres. Remy’s Dog Park – called one of the “10 Great Southern Dog Parks” by Southern Living – actually contains three dog parks featuring both open areas for playing and shaded benches. The historic site of RMP contains iron ore mine entrances and other relics of Birmingham’s 19thcentury mining past. There are lots of reasons to visit RMP, according to Lauren Spalding, the Membership and Community Engagement Coordinator for Jefferson County Greenways Coalition. These include “outdoor recreational activities, such as hiking and mountain biking; connecting with friends and family while enjoying nature; exploring history and the outdoors; and experiencing the mental and physical health benefits of being in nature,” she said. The park also offers lots of special programming each month. “These range from guided history tours, animal ambassador programs, native plant tours and workshops to mindful nature walks and more,” Spalding said. RMP opens at 7 a.m. seven days a week.

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park tannehillstatepark.org

12632 Confederate Parkway, McCalla 205-477-5711

Tannehill has over 1500 acres of beautiful hiking and biking trails, as well as camping and rental cabins, and is the historic birthplace of the iron and steel industry in Alabama. “Tannehill Is a great place to spend the day with lots of things to see and do,” said Park Superintendent Lisa Carroll. “It is a quiet getaway but still in the heart of things.” The park offers special programming, including the Creek Kids Program that is open to the public June 13-14 and July 5-11 for only $5 per person. “It’s a great program that lets kids learn about things found in Roupes Creek,” Carroll said. There are also numerous special events at the park, including the Howard Hill Archery Classic from May 30-June 2, an Independence Day fireworks show on June 29 and the unique Volksjam car show the last weekend in August. Tannehill will again host its longpopular Trade Days each month through November, Over 300 vendors take part, with items ranging from garage sale finds to boutique clothing. Dates will include May 18-19 and June 15-16, from 8 a.m -4 p.m.

OTHER DIVERSIONS

Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure

4599 Splash Adventure Parkway, Bessemer 205-481-4750

alabamaadventure.com

For more information about this popular amusement and water park, read our cover story in this issue.

Bessemer Recreation Center

100 14th. St., Bessemer 205-425-0655

bessemeral.org/recreation-center

Bessemer Recreation Center offers membership plans for all ages and features such amenities as a pool, an oval running track, a fitness area and a gymnasium. Roosevelt Park, which is located adjacent to the Recreation Center, offers a walking trail, tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, an amphitheater and picnic pavilion. The center’s hours of operation Monday through Friday, 6 a.m.8 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Debardeleben Park

1623 Second Ave. N., Bessemer 205-965-5624

bessemeral.org/parks-and-recreation

DeBardeleben Park is a historic, 3-acre public park in downtown Bessemer that is a great spot to eat your lunch or meet a friend or just sit and enjoy nature. In 2013, Chris Eiland – curator of the Bessemer Hall of History Museum – told AL.com that the park is “a natural oasis in the middle of the city.” The park features Bessemer’s World War I monument, “Spirit of the American Doughboy,” and is used for lots of events, including the Bessemer Christmas Parade and the Bob Sykes BBQ & Blues Festival. Park hours are Monday through Sunday, 6 a.m.-9 p.m., including holidays, according to the city’s web site.

Fishing

Various locations

No recreation guide in the Deep South would be complete without fishing. In fact, in 2022, the travel website guidesly.com called Bessemer a great destination point for anglers seeking to enjoy the bounty that Central Alabama offers. “Bessemer offers a conveniently located gateway to some of the state’s most prized water bodies, including the Black Warrior River and its tributaries, the Cahaba River and more,” the site said. Mud Creek in Tannehill State Park is cited as one of the “Top 16 Places to Fly Fish Alabama’’ by the fishing website drifthook.com. The website fishingworks.com lists numerous fishing spots in Western Jefferson County, including several in Concord and McCalla. And don’t forget the longpopular Buddy Vines Fishing Camp near Bessemer, which WestJeff Magazine profiled in our April issue.

The Watercress Darter has a national wildlife refuge in Bessemer.

Photo by Jeffrey Drummond, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Hueytown High Student honored

Hueytown High School student Malaya Paul was recently named Student Citizen of the Year by the Hueytown Chamber of Commerce at their annual awards banquet. “I am so honored to have received the Student Citizen of the Year award,” Paul said. “Not only did I receive something so amazing, I believe I was the first student to ever receive the award. This will be treasured forever and is surely appreciated. I want to thank my amazing teachers for noticing me and the Hueytown Chamber for the opportunity.” Paul is a participant in the school’s Career & Technical Education program. Coach Pat Coyne is the school’s Career Tech Teacher.

Pleasant Grove Elementary Career Fair

Pleasant Grove Elementary School was scheduled to host its 2024 Career Fair on April 19. At press time, the school was seeking professionals willing to man booths at the fair and discuss their jobs with students, including such aspects as the salary, educational requirements and pros and cons of their careers. Also on April 19, the PGES PTA was scheduled to host the Sneaker Ball for children in the third through eighth grades at the Brookline Community Center in Hueytown.

Mcadory Middle Teacher Honored

Jessica Kelley has been named Teacher of the Year for 202324 at McAdory Middle School in McCalla, where she teaches eighth-grade English Language Arts. Kelley “has aspired to be an educator who makes a lasting impression on every student she encounters,” according to a biography submitted by the school. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Jacksonville State University, a Master of Education degree in Secondary Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and is a certified career development facilitator. After working for three years in career services through Job Corps and the Alabama State Department of Education, Kelley wanted to impact the common academic barriers faced by students transitioning into the workforce. She began teaching English at Talladega County Central High School in 2016. Beyond English Language Arts, her nine-year educational career has included serving as the English instructor, Spanish facilitator and STEM coordinator for the Central Alabama Community College TRIO Upward Bound program and donning many extracurricular hats, including dance team coach at Nichols Lawson Middle School, Future Problem Solvers coach at Erwin Middle School, and the debate team coach and National Junior Honor Society sponsor at McAdory Middle School.

Hueytown Middle Teacher Appreciation

Hueytown Middle School will host its Teacher Appreciation Week from May 6-10. “This is an annual event where our state recognizes classroom teachers,” said HMS Principal Serra H. Peterson. “This is an opportunity for our communities and stakeholders to recognize and appreciate our teachers.” HMS will hold its annual Eighth-Grade Transition Ceremony on May 14 at 6 p.m. at Hueytown High School. “This is our opportunity to recognize our eighth-grade students as they close their middle school experience and transition to their high school journey,” Peterson said.

West Jefferson Elementary celebrate Read Across America

The schools in Jefferson County celebrated Read Across America Week March 2-6, a part of National Reading Month. Terry Black of the Southern Company came to West Jefferson Elementary to read to the students, according to the WJES Tiger Tidbits newsletter. The school also named its February Students of the Month: Kindergarten, Annaleena Davis; First Grade, Bradley Boyd; Second Grade: Lucy Mann; Third Grade, Brandon McKinney; Fourth Grade, Tripp Noe; Fifth Grade, Jameson Wyatt; Sixth Grade, Camare Smith.

Malaya Paul and Coach Pat Coyne. Photo Courtesy of Pat Coyne.

Hueytown Primary School

Charles F. Hard Elementary School Spelling Bee Winners

Delylah McCall recently won the Spelling Bee at Charles F. Hard Elementary School in Bessemer, with Heaven Armstrong as First Alternate and A’Meria Allen as Second Alternate. The three students will represent the school in the district Spelling Bee competition in May, according to the school’s website. In other news at the school, Paraprofessional Patrick Evans was recently accepted as a Thurgood Marshall TQRP Fellow. This prestigious fellowship includes a 10-day, all-expenses-paid Summer Institute in Houston, Texas, a generous stipend, extensive professional development opportunities and 5 years of mentorship from teacher leaders across the United States.The Thurgood Marshall TQRP Fellowship is designed to empower educators, enhance their teaching practices and build stronger learning environments for future leaders

Photos courtesy of Hueytown Primary School Principal Felisha Reid A student at Hueytown Primary School enjoys an exercise in art class to teach students about the color wheel.

Students at Hueytown Primary School have fun working on their projects on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Day.

The popular Pokemon character Snargg, a dog-like alien, stopped by Hueytown Primary School in March to visit all of the classes and motivate the students to do their best on their annual Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) testing.

Events Calendar

Western Area Events

May 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29: West End Crocheters. 10-11:30 a.m. West End Branch Library,1348 Tuscaloosa Ave, Birmingham. Learn to crochet or work on a project of your own while enjoying snacks and making friends. Free admission. 205-226-4089. cobpl.org/locations/ branch/WestEnd.

May 2: Mayor’s Community Prayer Breakfast. 7 a.m. North Highlands Baptist Church, 4851 15th St. Road, Hueytown. Former University of Alabama football great and motivational speaker Jeremiah Castille will deliver the keynote address. For more about Castille, call 205-737-3662 or go to castillefoundation.org. For details regarding the event, call the Hueytown Chamber of Commerce at 205-491-7010.

May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: District 8 Walking Group. Birmingham Crossplex, 2331 Bessemer Road. Each Thursday at 8 a.m., meet at the CrossPlex Starbucks for a coffee and a casual 1.5 mile loop. Walkers of all abilities and speeds are welcome. Sponsored by the Freshwater Land Trust. freshwaterlandtrust.org/get-involved/events.

May 6: Fairfield City Council. 6-8 p.m. Fairfield City Hall, 4701 Gary Ave. The Fairfield City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. 205-788-2492. cityoffairfieldal.org

May 13: Midfield City Council. 6 p.m. Midfield City Hall, 725 Bessemer Super Highway. The Midfield City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

May 20: Fairfield City Council. 6-8 p.m. Fairfield City Hall, 4701 Gary Ave. The Fairfield City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. 205-788-2492. cityoffairfieldal.org

May 27: Midfield City Council. 6 p.m. Midfield City Hall, 725 Bessemer Super Highway. The Midfield City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

May 6: Pleasant Grove City Council. 6 p.m. Pleasant Grove City Hall, 501 Park Road. The Pleasant Grove City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. 205-744-1723. cityofpg.com.

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Fans of crocheting say it’s fun, relaxing and creative. Find out for yourself at the West End Branch Library on Wednesdays. Photo by Wikimedia user Kravk.

Photo courtesy of Jeremiah Castille. Former Alabama football star Jeremiah Castille will speak in Hueytown May 2.

May 7: Brighton City Council. 6 p.m. Brighton City Hall, 3700 Main Street. The Brighton City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. 205-428-9547

May 7: Bessemer City Council. 6 p.m. Bessemer City Hall, 1700 Third Ave. N. The Council meets the first Tuesday of each month in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall. 205-424-4060. bessemeral. org

May 14: Bessemer City Council. 9 a.m. Bessemer City Hall, 1700 Third Ave. N. The Council holds a planning session on the second Tuesday of each month in the multi-purpose room on the first floor of City Hall. 205-424-4060. bessemeral.org

May 14: Hueytown City Council. Hueytown City Hall, 1318 Hueytown Road. The Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The pre-meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. 205-491-7010. hueytownal.gov.

May 15: Wylam Book Club. 11 a.m.-noon. Wylam Branch Library, 4300 Seventh Ave, Wylam. Attendees at this monthly book discussion read novels from varying genres. Admission free. 205-785-0349. cobpl. org/locations/branch/Wylam

May 20: Pleasant Grove City Council. 6 p.m. Pleasant Grove City Hall, 501 Park Road. The Pleasant Grove City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. 205-744-1723. cityofpg.com.

May 21: Bessemer City Council. 9 a.m. Bessemer City Hall, 1700 Third Ave. N. The Council meets the third Tuesday of each month in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall. 205-4244060. bessemeral.org

May 21: Brighton City Council. 10 a.m. Brighton City Hall, 3700 Main Street. The Brighton City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. 205-428-9547

May 28: Hueytown City Council. Hueytown City Hall, 1318 Hueytown Road. The Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The pre-meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. 205-491-7010. hueytownal.gov.

Ongoing: Exercise classes. Legacy YMCA, 1501 Fourth Ave S.W., Bessemer. Legacy presents a wide variety of exercise classes for members year round, including swimming, aerobics, aquacise, yoga, cycling, Zumba and Power HITT. Legacy also offers lots of youth sports, camps and health and wellness programs. For details, call 205-426-1211 or go to legacyymca.org

Ongoing: Classes and workshops. Bessemer Public Library, 400 19th St. N. Bessemer. The library presents a wide range of classes, workshops and other activities for children, teens and adults. Adult classes include nutrition, computers and self-publishing. 205-428-7882. bessemerlibrary.com

Continued on Page 30

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Your phone number and email address will only be used to contact you to confirm that your subscription has been started, and to inform you when it is up for renewal. Your contact information will never be shared with anyone else.

from Page 29

Other Area Events

May 2-5: Bluegrass & Gee’s Bend. Alabama Folk School at Camp McDowell, 105 Delong Road, Nauvoo. The Alabama Folk School presents one of its most popular workshops with bluegrass music classes and Gee’s Bend quilting. It is an immersive experience with a fun, enthusiastic community of musicians and artists. For information, including fees and lodging, call 205-387-1806 or go to campmcdowell.org

May 4: Birmingham Folk Festival. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Avondale Park, 4101 Fifth Ave. S. The Birmingham Folk Festival is a family-friendly musical event with bluegrass, gospel, blues, Americana, African drumming, mariachi, hip-hop and a marching band. The festival will also feature food, arts and crafts, vendors, dance and other activities. Admission free. birminghamfolkfest.org/festival

May 10: Magic City Pop-Up Plaza. 3-7 p.m. Railroad Park, 1600 First Ave. S. A wide variety of food trucks and retail vendors from the Birmingham area will set up on the Plaza at Railroad Park downtown. Admission free. 205-521-9933. railroadpark.org

May 11: Birmingham Kidney Walk. 8:30-11 a.m. John Carroll High School, 300 Lakeshore Pkwy., Homewood. The annual Birmingham Kidney Walk raises funds for the Alabama Kidney Foundation and raises awareness about kidney disease in the state. The morning will include breakfast, door prizes and children’s activities. For details, go to birminghamkidneywalk.org.

May 11: Spring Family Day. 1-4 p.m. ArtPlay House, 1006 19th St. S. ArtPlay Community Art Education at UAB presents this familyfriendly event at the ArtPlay House near Five Points South. Children and adults can expand their imaginations as they explore a wide range of art activities and enjoy story time. Admission free. 205-975-4769. alysstephens.org

May 19: Thievery Corporation. 8 p.m. Iron City, 513 22nd St. S. The iconic American electronic music duo, featuring Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, is known for their eclectic blend of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music. 205-761-5100. ironcitybham.com.

Thievery Corporation will perform at Iron City on May 19.

Photo by Wikimedia user Vincent & Bella Production

Continued from Page 30

May 20: The Moth StorySlam. 7:30 p.m. Saturn Birmingham, 200 41st St. S. The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night’s theme. The theme this time is snooping – e.g., eavesdropping, meddling, sneaking around or internet stalking. For tickets, go to themoth.org/events/snooping-birmingham-2024.

May 28: Lionel Richie And Earth, Wind & Fire. 7:30 p.m. Legacy Arena, 1898 Ninth Ave N. International superstar and Tuskegee native Lionel Richie has sold 125 million albums and won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and four Grammy Awards. Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially popular funk bands of the 1970s. $36.95. For tickets and more information, go to bjcc.org.

Through August 18: Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume. Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd. Featuring 70 costumes from nearly 50 years of Disney films, this show highlights the innovative ways the studio’s iconic characters are brought to life on screen. $30. 205-2542565. artsbma.org

A performer takes the stage at a Moth StorySLAM event. Photo by Denise Ofelia Mangen, courtesy of The Moth.

Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire will perform at Legacy Arena on May 28. Photo by Wikimedia user Raph_PH.

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