Mobile Bay July 2018
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES
SUMMER FUN ISSUE
Sweet SUMMERTIME! SNAPPER
SEASON
IN THE KITCHEN WITH FOUR TOP CHEFS
next stop
FOLEY
OLD SHELL ROAD
REBORN
Make the most of the season with cold treats and hot eats!
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FEATURES JULY 2018
A SODA JERK BUILDS AN ICE CREAM SUNDAE AT STACEY’S REXALL DRUGS AND OLDE TYME SODA FOUNTAIN IN FOLEY. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
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VOLUME XXXIV / ISSUE 7
40
Snapper Season The seasons and limits may be controversial, but fresh Gulf red snapper is always a good eat. Whether you bait the hook or swing by the grocery counter, get equipped to prepare a winning fish dinner.
46
Destination: Foley Foley is well-known for its historic heritage and railway roots, but new developments and community initiatives are transforming the town into a family hub and a tourist destination.
ON OUR COVER
6-year-old Margaret Browning looks like the perfect picture of summer while enjoying a cool, fruity soda in her mother’s blue gingham dress. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
Prepare your (extended!) snapper season bounty in new and impressive ways with the help of four local chefs, who know a thing or two about plating a good catch, page 40.
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DEPARTMENTS JULY 2018
VOLUME XXXIV / ISSUE 7
20 21
18 23
LEFT Playa, a waterfront kitchen with a surfer vibe and Caribbean flavors, serves up its baked blue crab dip and chips. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU RIGHT Lochlan Kinder giggles with glee after a sip of his dad’s house-made root beer float. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 REACTION 13 ODDS & ENDS 14 GUMBO Summer Reading List Local parenting expert Dr. Katie Penry shares kids book picks for all ages. 16 THE DISH 18 TASTINGS Playa From the Fisher family comes a beach shack atmosphere with Caribbean flavors.
30 AMAZING LIFE Frye Gaillard Glance at the life and impact of an activist writer with storied perspectives.
36 GUMBO Old Shell Road Today The historic road is quickly becoming a hub for community growth.
74 HISTORY A Mobile Classic Turns 70 “Remember Mobile” revisits the city’s origins through story and art. 78 JULY CALENDAR 84 ASK MCGEHEE What’s the history of the building on Broad Street that once housed the Red Cross? The Delaney name still lives on long after the days of the car dealership and appliance store.
21 BAY TABLES Play it Cool Beat the summer heat with frozen treats the whole family will love.
72 BAY LIFE Night Fishing Experience a coming-of-age moment on the shores of Mobile Bay.
86 IN LIVING COLOR Young Oyster Tongers, 1911 A supposed 14-year-old digs for oysters in the Bay.
35 LITERATURE A Good and Decent Man Read an excerpt from Frye Gaillard’s newest book, “A Hard Rain.”
Old Shell Road began as a shell-paved stretch in the mid-1800s, but look at it now! The area’s well-established neighborhoods teem with excitement as new businesses, featured on page 36, continually boost the area to greater success.
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Mobile Bay VOLUME XXXIV
No7
JULY 2018
PUBLISHER T. J. Potts Stephen Potts Judy Culbreth EXECUTIVE EDITOR Maggie Lacey MANAGING EDITOR/WEB Abby Parrott EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hallie King PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Gin Mathers ART DIRECTOR Laurie Kilpatrick EDITORIAL INTERNS Katherine Schulte Jessica Sullivan
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Joseph A. Hyland Adelaide McAleer Anna Pavao
ADMINISTRATION CIRCULATION Anita Miller ACCOUNTING Keith Crabtree
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Tommy Atkins, Mallory Boykin, Jill Clair Gentry, Roy Hoffman, Tom McGehee, John Sledge CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Colleen Comer, Elizabeth Gelineau, John Nelson, Keyhole Photo, Elise Poché, Chad Riley, Laura Rowe, Michael Thomas ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICES
3729 Cottage Hill Road, Suite H Mobile, AL 36609-6500 251-473-6269 Subscription rate is $21.95 per year. Subscription inquiries and all remittances should be sent to: Mobile Bay P.O. Box 923773 Norcross, GA 30010-3773 1-855-357-3137 MOVING? Please note: U.S. Postal Service will not forward magazines mailed through their bulk mail unit. Please send old label along with your new address four to six weeks prior to moving. Mobile Bay is published 12 times per year for the Gulf Coast area. All contents © 2018 by PMT Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Comments written in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the ownership or the management of Mobile Bay. This magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. All submissions will be edited for length, clarity and style. PUBLISHED BY PMT PUBLISHING INC .
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EXTRAS | EDITOR’S NOTE
SEEING STRIPES INSPIRED BY THE FESTIVE SUMMER OUTFIT ON COVER GIRL MARGARET, WE SHOPPED THIS ADORABLE GIRLS TOP AT GIGI & JAY’S IN FAIRHOPE. JUST RIGHT FOR YOUR NEXT BARBECUE!
Sweet summertime
E
[LOVE THIS ISSUE]
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT NOTHING IS AS QUINTESSENTIALLY MOBILE BAY AS THE OLDFASHIONED FLOUNDERING LAMP. POWERED BY PROPANE, IT CREATES LIGHT FROM TWO DELICATE CERAMIC MESH MANTLES THAT GLOW WITH THE BURNING HEAT. LOOK OUT, FLOUNDER. THERE’S NOWHERE TO HIDE NOW.
PHOTO BY KEYHOLE PHOTO
ugene Walter once famously said, “Down in Mobile they’re all crazy,” and it’s probably true. And if anything could be blamed for this area-wide eccentricity, it would be the summer heat and humidity. It is here to stay for the foreseeable future, folks. And yet, amid our craziness, we have found a million ingenious ways to stay cool and not just endure the summer but embrace and enjoy it. Beginning in the days of old, we built homes with deep, shady porches and windows as tall as the 12 foot ceilings. We wore seersucker, whose undulating stripes served to keep the fabric off our skin for better circulation. We donned straw hats and took every opportunity to take a dip in the obliging seas around us. Most of this, I still indulge in all summer long. Call me old fashioned, and then make me one, please! While our city may be changing before us — even a touch progressive these days (gasp!) — some things don’t change that quickly. We are never too old, too progressive or too civilized to strip down to our bathing suits and take a long run off a short pier. We make small talk under ceiling fans and eat ice cream with a giddiness normally reserved for small children. We fish until we can fish no more — or until the authorities tell us no more, anyway. And we cook those fish up and share them with friends in this gloriously miserable heat. Summer makes me think of children first and foremost. School lets out with a shriek of glee and parents must come up with a million novel ways to entertain, challenge or otherwise just babysit their little ones for three long months. It can be a tall task, but we peppered these pages with ideas to make the days a little sweeter, from good summer reading to tasty cold treats. Take your kids outdoors, heat be damned, and enjoy the simple pleasures of summertime life in the Deep South. Happy summer, Mobile Bay.
TURN THE PAGE READING TO AND WITH YOUR KIDS IS SO IMPORTANT. I LOVE THE “LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG DREAMS” SERIES, RECOMMENDED TO US THIS MONTH BY LOCAL PARENTING EXPERT DR. KATIE PENRY. WE HAVE THIS CUTE COCO CHANEL BOOK AT OUR HOUSE AND IT’S A HIT WITH MY DAUGHTERS!
Maggie Lacey EXECUTIVE EDITOR
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
maggie@pmtpublishing.com
July’s cover girl, Margaret Browning, was
as sweet as the treats she taste tested for MB! She’s wearing a vintage pinafore dress that belonged to her mother, Margaret Sue Browning, as a child. Passing down little girls’ dresses is one of those Mobile traditions that we can’t get enough of.
GO FISH IT’S SNAPPER SEASON, AND ANGLERS ALONG THE GULF COAST ARE GEARED UP AND READY. DON’T FISH? PICK UP A FEW FILLETS AT YOUR LOCAL MARKET AND GET COOKING WITH SPECTACULAR RECIPES STRAIGHT FROM FOUR LOCAL CHEFS.
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EXTRAS | REACTION
Tell us how you really feel... ACROSS THE NATION On May’s “National Geographic Revisited” During a recent visit to Little Rock, I was amazed at the massive azaleas in older neighborhoods. I thought, “This is what Mobile used to look like.” I agree with Tom McGehee’s comment in the NatGeo article, it is time for Mobile to recreate the splendor of what once set the Azalea City apart.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL THOMAS
- Lee Sentell, Director, Alabama Tourism Department
POUR ME SOMETHING, MISTER
MISSING THE PARTY
On May’s cover, featuring Lesley Rainosek
On May’s “When the Dealin’s Done”
Oh my gosh, what is that she’s drinking ... I need it and it is only midday Monday.
Great article. If only I was at home, I would love to do this.
Thanks for the trip down Mobile’s memory lane. I am a 1968 high school graduate and began attendance that fall at the then very young University of South Alabama. I remember driving on the painted pink stripe on the streets of Mobile to see the gorgeous azaleas in the spring. I kept a copy of that 1968 issue of National Geographic for many years. Thanks for the “then and now” comparisons — it brings back lots of memories. You do a great job of telling Mobile’s stories.
- Jennifer Ervin Swann
- Rod J.
- Susan Stein
What’s the recipe for the drink she’s drinking? Looks delicious!
THE BEAT OF HIS DRUM
- @rmb083
On 2015’s “The Amazing Life of Jabo Starks”
A FEASTING FIESTA
This makes me sad (he passed)! He was a great drummer. Played with James Brown and many others!
Interesting read. However, one small correction is called for. In the old city commission government, the commissioners each served an 18-month term as mayor since their terms lasted four years.
On May’s “Tastings” at El Papi We enjoyed El Papi when we went in March ... so good!
- Claiborne Schley Walsh
- Angela Hayles
HOMEGROWN STORIES
They had me at top-notch cocktails.
On our June issue
- Megan Bennett
[Hurricane] Katrina did her pretty rough, but she looks great now.
I have been an avid reader of your magazine for many years. I really enjoy it and the local articles, especially the ones on my native Mobile and now my hometown of Baldwin County. The June issue was especially exceptional with all the articles on our local farmers. Keep up the hometown articles.
- Kristen Perez
- Delores Zimlich Majors
A STATELY MANSE On our photo of historic home, Royal Oaks, in May’s “Down in the Bayou”
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- John Robb, Branch Manager, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. I spent the day with Joe Scherschel and this bunch of beautiful Azalea Trail girls. The 1920 Marmon touring car was their carriage for the day, and I was the chauffeur! The National Geographic photographer made my day by giving me many pictures of the event. - Jean-Pierre Fontana
Want to share your thoughts and reactions to this issue with us? Email maggie@pmtpublishing.com.
[MORE ONLINE]
Find additional local stories on mobilebaymag.com. Here’s what’s new on the website! Living for Summer Summer means endless impromptu gatherings with friends and family. We’ve compiled a collection of our favorite indoor and outdoor living spaces from local homeowners. Get inspired by their easy entertaining styles and designs!
Best Summer Bites
PHOTO BY CATHERINE ARENSBERG
You simply can’t survive summer on the Bay without seafood or snow cones. Go online to see which local dishes top our musthave list.
Upgrade Your Outdoor Space Every month, local exterior designer Catherine Arensberg shares tips for maximizing your outdoor space, perfecting your green thumb and more. Find her column on the “style” page of our website.
Join Our List Get the latest in fashion, food, art, local history and events delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for our email list at mobilebaymag.com.
july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 11
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EXTRAS | ODDS & ENDS
Seize the Summer text by HALLIE KING
JULY IS
155
NATIONAL
ICE CREAM MONTH
On July 23, 1904, Missouri native Charles E. Minches was credited with filling a cone-shaped pastry with two scoops of ice cream at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, therefore inventing the ice cream cone. However, many other vendors from the same fair claimed credit for the cone as well, so we might never know the truth about this popular summer sweet!
MILLION
hot dogs are consumed in the USA on the Fourth of July each year. In addition, $92 million is spent on chips, $167.5 million on watermelon and $341.4 million on beer.
91 PERCENT
of children are more likely to finish books that they choose themselves, and
86 PERCENT
feel a sense of accomplishment once the book has been completed. Need fresh ideas for a good summer read? Get psychologist Dr. Katie Penry’s summer picks for kids on page 14.
[ JULY 25TH ] Marks 150 years since Alabama rejoined the Union. In 1868, Alabama senators George E. Spencer and Willard Warner took their seats in Congress for the first time since 1861.
One disc-throwing summer pastime might owe some credit to a tasty treat. From the early to mid-1900s, William Russell Frisbie baked pies at Frisbie Pie Company in Connecticut, and his employees would toss around the metal pie tins on breaks. The game’s popularity spread from elementary schools to colleges, and by 1957, Wham-O Toys acquired the rights and sold similar-sized plastic rounds as Frisbee discs, spelled differently to avoid trademark issues.
47 DAYS
in the 2018 snapper season The Alabama recreational red snapper fishing season is extended to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from June 1 to Sept. 2. The entire week of Fourth of July (June 30 - July 8) will also be open, as well as Labor Day on Sept. 3. This is up from 42 days in 2017 and the three-day season allotted before then.
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GUMBO | COLLECTIONS
Summer Reading List Long summer days are the perfect time to foster a love for reading in our kids. With the help of local psychologist Dr. Katie Penry, sideline the screens and check out these books instead. text by JILL CLAIR GENTRY
R
eading a book that isn’t followed by an Accelerated Reader test or book report makes reading more appealing to kids of all ages. Summer reading can be whatever kids want it to be, and it’s every parent’s dream to find their child absorbed in a book of his or her own choosing. On their own or as a group activity, reading is a great way for kids to occupy their summer days. Reading together fosters parent-child relationships, says Dr. Katie Penry, a psychoanalytic psychologist in Daphne who specializes in the relationship between mothers and infants. Penry is also the creator of A Friendly Affair, an online community that offers parenting courses focused on child development, newborn behavior and healthy expectations for parents and children. The site's Instagram feed offers a treasure trove of children’s literature reviews and recommendations. “What I want to see more than anything is hospitality and conversation between parent and child,” Penry says. “Reading helps accomplish that.” According to Penry, the routine of reading with a parent every day has widespread and numerous benefits for a child’s emotional, cognitive, social and academic development. “Reading builds the language centers of a child’s brain, and adding reading to the daily routine increases your child’s experience of safety and security,” Penry says. “Feeling safe increases a child’s ability to learn.” Penry’s favorite 2018 summer reading picks feature big themes — empowerment, diversity and overcoming adversity. “Nonfiction anthologies that feature diverse, world-changing folks are definitely what is hot this summer,” Penry says. “There are many inspiring nonfiction books flooding the market.” Recommend these inspiring fictions and nonfictions to your children for a summer of reading pleasure. 14 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
DR. KATIE PENRY, a licensed clinical psychologist located in Daphne, dedicates her work to the well-being of children and adults. PHOTO BY LAURA ROWE
PRESCHOOL / ELEMENTARY “Little People, Big Dreams” Series ∙ Isabel Sanchez Vegara Explore the stories of fascinating women like Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie and Audrey Hepburn. “These books are great for even the youngest reader,” Penry says.
“The Book of Mistakes” Corinna Luyken This beautifully illustrated picture book guides children through the creative process and teaches them that mistakes can turn into something beautiful.
MIDDLE GRADES “Hello, Universe” Erin Entrada Kelly Relatable and adventurous, this book tells the story of the unexpected friendships that develop among four misfits living in the same neighborhood. “Hello, Universe” addresses important topics like self-acceptance, bullying and friendship. “I’m a sucker for the unlikely friendships found in good middle-grade literature,” Penry says.
YOUNG ADULT “The Hate U Give” Angie Thomas This novel follows 16-year-old Starr Carter as she navigates two starkly different worlds: her low-income neighborhood and her suburban high school. “‘The Hate U Give’ has more awards than Michael Phelps and truly is stunning,” Penry says. “It totally deserves the hype.”
“Ebb & Flow” ∙ Heather Smith Written in verse, this novel exposes budding readers to poetry as well as real-life issues.
“The Fates Divide” Veronica Roth Written by the author of the “Divergent” series, this epic fantasy love story is the second installment in the “Carve the Mark” novel series. “Tweens and teens will eat this up,” Penry says. MB july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 15
FOOD | THE DISH
Bite of the Bay MB’s contributing food fanatics share the local dishes that made them hungry for more.
NOAH THOMPSON, Musician, Roman Street
TAMALES AT CAFE DEL RIO “At Cafe Del Rio on the Causeway, the house tamales are a favorite. Tasty pork is wrapped in freshly steamed husks and covered in your choice of Tex-Mex chili, queso or Tijuana cream sauce. They have a nice kick to them, and when paired with the view and a couple of margaritas, I end up one happy guy.” CAFE DEL RIO • 1175 BATTLESHIP PARKWAY, SPANISH FORT • 625-2722 • CAFEDELRIO.NET
MUSSELS BRODETT FROM OSMAN’S. PHOTO BY ELISE POCHÉ
MICHON TRENT, Senior Director, Civic Engagement, The City of Mobile
SUNSET DINNER AT THE RIVER SHACK “I like to head to The River Shack, located right on Dog River, for an evening of fun on the water. I usually stop in for a great end-ofthe-day bushwhacker, and order my favorite fried pickles and the grilled shrimp po’boy. I can’t get enough of the rustic patio and the live music at sunset, the perfect atmosphere for a laid-back evening.” THE RIVER SHACK • 6120 MARINA DRIVE S 443-7318 • FACEBOOK.COM/PG/THERIVER-SHACK-RESTAURANT-AND-OYSTERBAR-113710248709153
JAY WATKINS, Managing Shareholder, Mobile Office of Maynard Cooper & Gale
OYSTER SALAD AT FISHER’S UPSTAIRS “Fisher’s at Orange Beach is always a great spot, but in the summertime, it is even more fun. I always look forward to starting my meal with the oyster salad. Cold, crisp spinach leaves with hot, juicy fried oysters and sharp bacon vinaigrette make the perfect summer bite. If there were not so many other great dishes on the menu, I would probably try to get them to double the size and make it my entree. Definitely a great way to start what will always be a wonderful meal.” FISHER’S AT ORANGE BEACH - UPSTAIRS
LUCY ROUSE WRIGHT, Volunteer, Christ Church Cathedral
MUSSELS BRODETT AT OSMAN’S “Osman’s is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. We just don’t get there enough! I could write about everything on the menu, such as the eggplant, fresh fish, veal, lamb or gorgonzola anything. However, the Mussels Brodett is an absolute must. The delicious Canadian mussels are served in a silky tomato, wine, caper sauce with lots of garlic and onion — it is literally liquid gold. We transport the leftover elixir for shrimp or orzo later. The wine list is also outstanding. The house Slovenian Pinot Noir is a real sleeper.”
27075 MARINA ROAD, ORANGE BEACH
OSMAN’S RESTAURANT • 2579 HALLS MILL
981-7305 • FISHERSOBM.COM/UPSTAIRS
ROAD • 479-0006 • OSMANS.US
What dishes made you drool and left you hungry for more? Share them on our Facebook page! 16 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
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FOOD | TASTINGS
Playa text by MAGGIE LACEY • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU
T
he folks who first brought the attention of the prestigious James Beard Awards to our little stretch of the Gulf Coast are now injecting a jolt of Caribbean energy into Terry Cove in Orange Beach. The talented Fisher’s team recently decided they were ready to tackle their next adventure, so they brainstormed about up-andcoming opportunities on the culinary horizon. What was missing at the beaches? And more importantly, what was this group of foodies and chefs jazzed up about eating? The concept started as a daydream about Havana between owner Johnny Fisher and executive chef Bill Briand (a three-time James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef in the South), then expanded to thoughts of Jamaican fares, mouthwatering Bahamian food and the vibrant culture of the Yucatan. All of these islands, cultures and flavors are rolled into one beautiful package at Playa, where beachgoers can enjoy a casual meal of the highest quality. Fisher and business partner Bennett Long hired David McMurphy to redesign an existing restaurant space, an effort that brought in tons of light and added sweeping views across the water to Perdido Pass. Interior designer Cindy Meador added gobs of white paint, shiplap siding, oversized modern raffia light fixtures and cool
touches galore. “The vibe is inspired by a renovated 1970s California beach shack,” describes Fisher, who has a great design aesthetic of his own that really drove the surfer look. His buddy Johnny McElroy, longtime owner of Blonde John’s Surf & Skate, loaned a vintage Ocean Pacific surfboard to the cause. Overall, the look is clean and bright, with plenty of Latin touches. Briand keeps his foot in the kitchen of all three Fisher’s restaurants these days, so he hired chef Will Sams to run the fires day-to-day as chef de cuisine. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Sams sharpened his knives at Cochon in New Orleans before making the leap to the Alabama coast. The two chefs crafted recipes that offer both familiar and exciting new flavors that won’t disappoint die-hard foodies or laid-back tourists. With this culinary team, it goes without saying that the seafood is fresh and the produce is seasonal. Nothing is sacrificed, the flavors are nuanced and the cocktails are perfectly balanced, even though you’re dining in your flip-flops. “We have a ‘love all, serve all’ mantra here,” Fisher says. “We didn’t want this to be fancy, highbrow cuisine. We’ve got that covered at Fisher’s Upstairs. This place has something for everybody.” The upstairs alfresco bar, where breezes from foreign shores drift onto the Alabama coast, will be the hangout spot of the summer. MB
Playa • 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. M - Th, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. F - Sa, 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Su • 27842 Canal Road, Orange Beach • playaoba.com 18 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
FOOD | TASTINGS
CONCH FRITTERS
[ ON THE MENU ]
CONCH FRITTERS
PINK PINEAPPLE COCKTAIL
STREET TACOS
GRILLED SWORDFISH
Welcome to the islands, mahn! Crispy nuggets of Caribbean goodness, above, rest on a smear of roasted pepper aioli, with a grilled lime half at the ready for the perfect pop of acidity.
A frosty tiki glass holds tequila and vodka blended with cactus, pear and pomegranate juices for a dreamy frozen island sipper, with an environmentallyfriendly paper straw.
Tender roasted pork, charred corn salsa, fresh cilantro and lime sour cream are cradled in the softest flour tortilla, handmade on-site by Baldwin County tortilla queen Gabby Griffin. You choose your side.
A hearty grilled fish steak is served over a fiery blend of smashed Baldwin County red potatoes, bell peppers and smoky chorizo sausage. A tomatillo salsa verde adds a tangy and bright finish.
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FOOD | BAY TABLES
Play it Cool South Alabamians know a thing or two about summer heat, but we also know how to cool off in style. These local moms and dads share their sweetest recipes to chill out the kiddos. text by MAGGIE LACEY photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU
ELLENJAY BIRTHDAY CAKE ICE CREAM SAMMIE recipe on page 23
LAUREN K APELUCK AND HER CHILDREN, 2-YEAR-OLD LILY AND 6-YEAR-OLD SAM, MUNCH ON DESSERT. MEANWHILE, 6-YEAR-OLD CORA SCOOPS ICE CREAM ONTO ELLENJAY COOKIES WITH MOM JENNIFER CONRAD.
The Sweet Life When your company slogan is “Nothin’s gooder than sugar,” you know a special treat is never far away. Lauren Kapeluck and Jennifer Conrad launched ellenJAY, a boutique bakery in Midtown, just 4 years ago, and it has already transformed the way local moms celebrate every occasion. Lauren and Jennifer bonded while in the trenches of life with newborn babies and found they shared a mutual love for stylish events and decadent treats. The business was the next to be born, and the pair has never looked back. When Lauren’s son, Sam, uttered 22 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
those adorable words about his love for sugar, the slogan became a hit. The bakery makes everything from perfectly decorated sugar cookies to cake balls, whoopie pies and towering cakes. But the ice cream sammies — Cammie’s Old Dutch ice cream sandwiched between two ellenJAY cookies — are a summertime favorite. They are even popping up on restaurant menus around town! When not at the office, Lauren can still be found in her home kitchen whipping up yummy treats with 6-year-old Sam and 2-year-
FOOD | BAY TABLES
BIRTHDAY CAKE ICE CREAM SAMMIES MAKES 9 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup rainbow jimmies, divided 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided 1/2 gallon Cammie’s Old Dutch birthday cake ice cream
old Lily. “These two are pastry chefs in the making!” she laughs, and they certainly come by it honestly. Meanwhile, Jennifer’s daughter, 6-year-old Cora, loves dreaming up elaborate dessert tables for her birthday every year. It’s a world full of sprinkles, rainbow frostings and chocolate chips that would make even Willy Wonka a tiny bit jealous. At ellenJAY, mom life and bakery life are oh so sweet!
1. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until wellcombined. 2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. 3. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture on low speed until well-combined. Mix in the jimmies and chocolate chips. Chill dough for 1 - 2 hours or overnight. 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to place round balls of dough on cookie sheet spaced 1 - 2 inches apart. Gently flatten the dough balls with your hand. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. 5. Let cookies cool and freeze in an airtight container until firm, about 1 2 hours. 6. Use ice cream scoop to dip a ball of Cammie’s birthday cake ice cream onto one cookie. Grab a second cookie and place on top of scooped ice cream to create a sammie. Roll sammies in rainbow jimmies or mini chocolate chips to garnish (optional). 7. Continue with remaining cookies and enjoy immediately or freeze until firm.
ELLENJAYEVENTS.COM
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LOCHLAN KINDER, AGE 4, SCOOPS MEXICAN VANILLA ICE CREAM FOR DAD’S FLOAT
FOOD | BAY TABLES
Carefully Crafted You might not think of cocktail bars and the family life as going hand in hand, but Kyle Kinder, curator of Tongue & Groove Drinkery in downtown Fairhope, manages both with aplomb. He says it’s about nurturing your family as well as your clientele with love and attention to detail. Each week, Kinder cooks dinner for family and friends, which he calls “family fellowship time.” He also uses downtime for regular “bro-downs” with son Lochlan, age 4. The father-son activities include driving go-carts, jumping at trampoline parks and swimming. His wife Heather, Lochlan and baby No. 2 (arriving soon!) are at the top of Kinder’s list of blessings.
HOUSE-MADE ROOT BEER FLOATS MAKES 2 Tongue & Groove Drinkery is a craft cocktail bar in Fairhope that prides itself on creative, scratch ingredients. For you grown-ups, Kinder says you can add 2 - 3 ounces of aged light or spiced rum to each bottle of root beer before carbonating to recreate their popular boozy sodas. 1/4 cup natural sassafras root extract 1 cup fresh mint (plus more for garnish) 2 tablespoons natural sarsaparilla extract 1 tablespoon natural anise extract 2 - 3 vanilla beans, split and scraped 3 tablespoons fresh ginger 1 teaspoon juniper berries 1 tablespoon rainbow peppercorns 1 - 2 cinnamon sticks 1 cup unrefined cane sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw) Cammie’s Old Dutch Mexican vanilla ice cream
1. Bring 2 1/2 quarts of water to a boil and stir in all ingredients except sugar and ice cream. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove spices. Add sugar to hot liquid and stir with a whisk until dissolved. Refrigerate overnight. 2. Use a sparkling water maker to carbonate the root beer and store in a glass bottle with a rubber, lockable stopper. Refrigerate the soda for at least a day (preferably three) before opening to allow the flavors to develop. Kinder says, “The longer it sits, the better it gets!” 3. Place two large scoops of ice cream into a beer stein or other tall glass. Top with root beer, garnish with mint sprig and enjoy!
His intimate, upscale watering hole focuses on curated cocktails with fresh, local ingredients and creative techniques. You can be sure to find unheard of (in these parts, anyway) elements such as coriander, fresh honeydew juice, Aztec chocolate bitters, strawberry juniper compote and even dried habanero foam! But nothing is quite as popular as Tongue & Groove’s boozy sodas. Kinder crafts creative soda flavors, carbonates them and adds the strong stuff before bottling. Each week is different, and a recent offering featured fresh pineapple juice, mango juice, Chilton County peaches, fresh sage and Tito’s vodka, bottled and bubbly! Emphasis on the fresh.
JOHN GARZA ADDS FROZEN MANGO TO THE BLENDER WHILE MOM LIZ DROPS IN THE PINEAPPLE
FOOD | BAY TABLES
The Fruit of Our Labor Liz Garza never thought she would one day be a health food guru for Mobilians looking to change their lifestyles, but FOY Superfoods in downtown Mobile has established her and husband John as the area’s go-to source for the paleo diet. Way back when, before the couple ran their commercial kitchen, they were blown away at how adopting a healthy lifestyle at home improved John’s diabetes. They shared this knowledge and passion with everyone they met, beginning initially with subscription meals at their first food business, Balanced, and culminating in a quick-stop cafe on Dauphin Street that helps Mobilians fill up the right way. In addition to grain bowls, tacos and salads that will keep your diet on track, FOY is well-known for cold-pressed juices, which take hours to create. The smoothie bowl featured below, however, packs a wallop of vitamins and nutrients with just a few seconds of prep! A quick whirl in the blender is all it takes to get fresh, tropical flavors. Liz loves to work in the kitchen with her 5-year-old son, John, a rising first-grader at St. Ignatius Catholic School. The pair creates delicious meals that pack in as many fruits and vegetables as possible. “It can be a challenge to encourage children to eat right every day,” Liz says, “but it is so important to expose them to fun, healthy food early on.” She hopes to develop her child’s taste buds so that he’ll seek out fresh flavors as he continues to grow. Cold smoothies are a sneaky way to tuck in nutrition, and they’re a great treat when it’s hot out.
TROPICAL MANGO SMOOTHIE BOWL MAKES 2 1 cup frozen pineapple 1 cup frozen mango 1 banana 1 teaspoon unsweetened coconut flakes, plus more for garnish 1 teaspoon honey 1/4 cup coconut water 1/4 cup hemp and flax granola, such as Nature’s Path sliced banana, strawberries, blackberries and chia seeds for garnish
1. Combine pineapple, mango, banana, coconut, honey and coconut water in a blender. Blend until smooth and very thick. Pour into two serving bowls and arrange the granola, fruit, chia seeds and coconut flakes on top. Serve immediately.
FOYSUPERFOODS.COM
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MANDEE CONKLE PREPS WITH SON DYLAN
The Healthy Rundown Mandee Conkle grew tired of hearing people say there was nothing to do around Mobile. The University of South Alabama graduate knew her hometown had enough events and activities to accommodate an even larger city, but she found that many organizations had a hard time getting the word out. That’s why, seven years ago, she and husband Brooks decided to create a one-stop solution — a weekly email wholly devoted to getting Mobilians out of the house and attending activities around the Bay. And thus, The Mobile Rundown was born.“It has grown organically,” she says. “Readers each week look for things to do and ways to get involved in our community.” The couple lives in Midtown with their son Dylan, who is a 12-year-old student at St. Paul’s. Dylan is active in sports and is an outdoorsman, but his mom says she sometimes has to come up with creative ways to get him the energy he needs and nutrients from fruits and vegetables. “These frozen bananas are a sneaky way to get him to eat healthy!” This cool summer treat, with only fruit, nuts and a drizzle of dark chocolate, will enhance a healthy diet. THEMOBILERUNDOWN.COM
DARK CHOCOLATE FROZEN BANANAS MAKES 12 6 bananas 12 ice pop sticks 1 10-ounce package dark chocolate melting wafers, such as Ghirardelli 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, sprinkles or other toppings of your choice
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Peel each banana and cut in half. Insert ice pop stick carefully into one end. 2. Put chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe cup or mug and heat for 10 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted. 3. Spread any optional toppings on a small plate. Dip each banana in chocolate. Hold the chocolate-dipped banana over the plate of toppings and sprinkle toppings over all sides of the chocolate until well-coated. Place on the cookie sheet to dry. Freeze for 1 hour, then enjoy or place in a plastic bag for storing.
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FOOD | BAY TABLES
MALLIE KENNEDY, AGE 2, HELPS DAD PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON A STRAWBERRY POP WHILE BIG BROTHER MITCHELL, AGE 4, WAITS FOR THE REWARD
A Growing Family’s Growing Business What started as one guy making ice pops in Gadsden, Alabama, has, in just a few short years, grown into a burgeoning cold treat business with almost 50 locations across the Southeast and beyond. Fairhope was one of the first locations outside of Gadsden to embrace Frios pops, and the loyalty in the Mobile Bay area is strong. The little carts and mobile pop stands can be seen everywhere from Bebo’s Spring Hill Market to the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, and even poolside at the Country Club of Mobile and the Grand Hotel. Cliff Kennedy was all too familiar with Frios pops, having a 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter who enjoy sweet treats all year long. But just this summer, Cliff decided to buy the Mobile, Daphne and Pensacola locations of the brand. “I wanted to get involved in the business to help it grow. My partners and I are excited to share these Alabama-made pops along the Gulf Coast. You can’t beat a cold pop on a hot summer day!” Cliff and wife Abby, who started dating during their senior year at UMS, are expecting their third baby this fall. “We try our best to make sure the kids eat healthy.” But, they admit, there is always room to splurge. MB
STRAWBERRY POPS MAKES 6
While Cliff says he can’t give away the secret Frios recipes, which feature local and seasonal fruit and all-natural sweeteners, he says this easy recipe is the perfect make-at-home version! 2 pints fresh strawberries 2 tablespoons raw sugar
1. Put strawberries and sugar in blender and mix until smooth. Pour mixture into ice pop molds and insert wooden sticks or handles. Freeze for at least 3 hours. 2. To release pops, submerge molds in room temperature water until you are able to pull the pops out, then enjoy!
FRIOSPOPS.COM
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PEOPLE | AMAZING LIFE
Frye Gaillard A pen for social justice. text by ROY HOFFMAN • portrait by CHAD RILEY
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W
hen Frye Gaillard was 16, on a trip to Birmingham, he was within a few feet of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was being arrested. “I couldn’t get that image out of my mind. The dignity of Dr. King, the sadness in his eyes as he was being roughly hauled off to jail. I couldn’t escape the question, ‘What’s going on here?’” That question became a catalyst for a lifetime of writing about civil rights. Although Gaillard is among the South’s most accomplished and prolific authors — his latest is a memoir of the 1960s entitled “A Hard Rain” — in person, he is humble and gracious. With forebears who were antebellum planters in South Carolina, and a grandfather and father who were distinguished lawyers in Mobile, his courtly manner comes by tradition. But his genteel presence — a tall, eloquent professor and grandfather — belies a fierce determination to address society’s ills. “For those of us who grew up with privilege,” Gaillard tells me over lunch in downtown Mobile, “there’s a lot about social justice that we need to care about.” Since his first book 40 years ago, Gaillard, 71, has borne out this conviction. “I’m fascinated by people who stand for justice and progress,” he explains, “what Lincoln called ‘our better angels.’” He’s shone light on those better angels — and our nation’s contrasting “dark side,” as he calls it, which he fears is again resurgent — through an array of genres. His latest book
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PEOPLE | AMAZING LIFE
ABOVE AND RIGHT In March 1968, a young Frye Gaillard introduced Robert F. Kennedy to Vanderbilt students, inspired by the chance to hear and interact personally with the political and civil rights legend. OPENING PORTRAIT At his home study, Gaillard writes at a desk that belonged to his attorney grandfather, S.P. Gaillard, in a chair that was in the courtroom of his father, Alabama Circuit Judge Walter Gaillard.
— which clocks in at 673 pages — is his 26th, adding to a rich collection including essays, memoirs and even two children’s book. In 2004, after a career in North Carolina with the Charlotte Observer, Gaillard returned to Mobile with his wife Nancy, a career educator, and settled into a house on Fowl River. That year also marked the publication of his book “Cradle of Freedom,” a heralded history of the civil rights movement in Alabama. At age 60, he was named “Writer in Residence” at University of South Alabama — a role that has “reenergized him,” he says. While at the university, he has written several books, including a soul-searching trip through the letters of ancestors who fought for the Confederacy. This “nimble parsing of memory and myth,” wrote USA professor Steven Trout in the foreword to the resulting book, “Journey to the Wilderness,” resulted in Gaillard’s discovering “that little … fits the Lost Cause version of history that he inherited, like family china, from his Southern elders.” 32 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
A documentary based on the book, directed by Mike Letcher, is scheduled to air this summer on Alabama Public Television. Gaillard says that “Journey to the Wilderness,” like “Cradle of Freedom” and his newest, “A Hard Rain,” is “popular history,” meant to engage the reader with the sweep of story and high drama, often with a personal viewpoint. “I want to write not only about what happened,” he explains, “but how it felt.” But for all his outpouring of print, Gaillard is more than an artist in the garret. “Frye unselfishly takes the time to share his perspectives, abilities and dedication to improving our world with nearly everyone he meets,” USA president Tony Waldrop tells me. “Through his writings, classroom discussions and public lectures, Frye inspires students and citizens alike with his authentic commitment to social justice issues and a personal knowledge that brings these historical topics to life.” In this role of public intellectual, Gaillard
“I’ve never seen such joy, passion and urgency in a crowd.” He likens it to the experience of a Bruce Springsteen concert. finds himself crisscrossing the state and region, visiting schools, sitting on panels and reflecting on topics from voting rights to the Vietnam War. He’s engaged in dialogues on religion, too, and its mandate, from his perspective, for social action. Gaillard is guided, he says, by Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, with its emphasis on empathy, compassion and service to others, and lines from the Book of Amos — “Let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” On April 4, 2018, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King, Gaillard was asked to join the roster of speakers at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. He reflected in his
talk on the last three speeches King gave, the final one on April 3, 1968. In the Montgomery sanctuary, he repeated King’s prophetic words from that Memphis speech: “I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” “It was a singular honor,” Gaillard says, “to speak in King’s church.”
Kennedy at Vanderbilt Meeting Bobby Kennedy while Gaillard was a student at Vanderbilt was part of the inspiration for Gaillard to write “A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s, Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost.” It was a period of rapid change and turmoil. The first black students were admitted to Vanderbilt during Gaillard’s freshman year, 1964. President John Kennedy had been assassinated the year before. The Vietnam War was raging. As a college journalist who headed up the campus speakers’ program, Gaillard invited Bobby Kennedy to campus in spring 1968, introduced him and saw magic up close. “I’ve never seen such joy, passion and urgency in a crowd,” he recalls. He likens it to the experience of a Bruce Springsteen concert. When Kennedy was driven to the campus, Gaillard was able to visit with his new hero as the two rode together in the back seat of the car. The murder of Bobby Kennedy on June 5, 1968, not only devastated Gaillard — “it was overwhelming,” he says — but left him with a scene that stays deep in his heart. After shots were fired and Kennedy fell, Gaillard recounts, a 17-year-old busboy at the Ambassador Hotel, Juan Romero, an immigrant from Mexico, cradled Kennedy in his arms, “to protect his head from the cold concrete,” as Romero said. Kennedy, still conscious, asked Romero, “Is everybody ok?” Gaillard recalls. “That image,” Gaillard says of the violence, tenderness and selflessness of that moment, “meant I have to write this book.” july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 33
A Child of the Sixties As we visit, “A Hard Rain” is on the table between us — the title, from a song by Bob Dylan, is superimposed over a photo of young Frye, next to small portraits of John Kennedy, Malcolm X, Joan Baez, Dylan, Gloria Steinem, James Baldwin, Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy — a suggestion of the hundreds of figures from America’s tumultuous decade who are part of this monumental work. While encyclopedic in its reach, it reads not like a textbook but an interweaving of stories. Often, Gaillard, as narrator, finds a way to make a personal connection to the sweep of national events. He writes, “Living in Mobile, Alabama, I didn’t know much about the sit-ins. Not at first. There were newspaper stories here and there and scattered grumblings among friends of my parents. But my contemporaries and I, all of us white and barely in our teens, had other things on our minds. First of all, there was rock ’n’ roll.” The invention of the pill, NASA’s first space expeditions, nuclear bomb scares, gay rights, baseball, literature, soul music and the Supreme Court, as well as a cavalcade of other topics, arranged chronologically into 72 chapters, make “A Hard Rain” Gaillard’s “most ambitious book,” as he acknowledges. Praise for “A Hard Rain” has poured in, and while Gaillard welcomes it, he remains, true to character, self-effacing. “I don’t want to sound, or feel, high and mighty.” He’s already working on new projects, neither money nor fame his goal at the end. What does he wish to accomplish as a writer, above all else? “To leave behind a body of work that matters,” he answers. He will. MB Roy Hoffman, who lives in Fairhope, has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Among his books are the essay collection, “Alabama Afternoons,” and novels “Chicken Dreaming Corn” and “Come Landfall.” His first novel, “Almost Family,” is being reissued fall 2018 in a 35th anniversary edition. On the web: royhoffmanwriter.com
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THE ARTS | LITERATURE
A Good and Decent Man In just seconds, the death of Robert Kennedy extinguishes the hope of a nation. excerpt from A HARD R AIN by FRYE GAILLARD
A
s Kennedy passed through the kitchen, he paused to shake hands with the hotel staff, including Juan Romero, a seventeen-year-old busboy from Mexico. Two nights earlier, Romero had delivered a room service meal to Kennedy’s suite, and was forever impressed by Kennedy’s response — the strength of the grip as they shook hands, the respectful kindness of Kennedy’s manner as the two of them chatted briefly. “He made me feel like a regular citizen,” Romero said later. “He made me feel like a human being.” Finally, around midnight, Kennedy arrived in the ballroom and began to thank everybody he could think of … He talked about the members of his staff and the black and Latino citizens of California … the list went on like some kind of acceptance speech at the Oscars, until he ended finally with words that would soon be broadcast again and again: “So my thanks to all of you, and on to Chicago, and let’s win there.” As he turned and reentered the hotel kitchen, Sirhan Sirhan, an angry Palestinian whose motives for the deed were never clear, waited for him with a .22 pistol. Juan Romero, in a rush of exuberance, reached out to shake Kennedy’s hand again, and in that moment he heard a popping sound. He saw the man who had made him feel human slump to the floor. As others wrestled the gun from Sirhan, Romero knelt beside Kennedy, who looked up at him and spoke
his last words: “Is everybody okay?” People have struggled in the months and years since then to describe the import of those final seconds. I remember thinking, like Romero, of a tiny personal moment — a time I shared the backseat of a car with Kennedy and his friend John Glenn on a twenty-minute ride to Vanderbilt University. Somehow, I had known that one of his sons — I think it was Matthew, but can’t remember that for sure — had been sick, and I asked Kennedy how the boy was doing. “He’s better,” the senator said. “He’s had a rough time, but he’s doing better.” As the conversation began to drift to other topics, Kennedy turned back to me. “Thank you for asking that,” he said. It was, of course, a small and ordinary exchange, but somehow for me it injected something personal into the hemorrhaging sadness I shared with millions — with the tens of thousands of every race and class who lined the tracks as his funeral train made its way into Washington; with Sen. Edward Kennedy who choked out a eulogy at the funeral: “My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.” For me, the most wrenching summation came from Romero — the busboy who knelt in the blood of Robert Kennedy because, he said, “I wanted to protect his head from
the cold concrete.” Later, he told the Los Angeles Times the truth of what he learned in that moment — a truth from which the country has not yet recovered. “No matter how much hope you have, it can be taken away in a second.” MB Taken from “A Hard Rain” by Frye Gaillard Copyright © 2018 by Frye Gaillard. Published by New South Books.
“A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s,
Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost” by Frye Gaillard hits the shelves August 1, 2018 and is available anywhere books are sold.
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GUMBO | OBSERVATIONS
A New Old Shell Road Old Shell Road has come a long way since its 19th-century origins as a country road paved with shells. The historic thoroughfare, now one of the most well-traveled routes between downtown and West Mobile, is home to countless beloved businesses, schools and neighborhoods. And thanks to a handful of nonprofits, developers and business owners, it’s in the middle of a major revitalization. text by JILL CLAIR GENTRY • illustration by COLLEEN COMER
It Starts with Sidewalks Attracting businesses and residents to properties along Old Shell Road, which spans almost 11 miles and runs through countless residential areas, requires walkability. That’s why the nonprofits The Village of Spring Hill and Midtown Mobile Movement are making sidewalks a priority. “When we asked 600 Spring Hill residents in 2008 what projects we should prioritize for the master plan, the No. 1 request was sidewalks,” says Linda St. John, board president of The Village of Spring Hill, which was founded in 2006 to improve the pedestrian, aesthetic and commercial amenities of the Spring Hill community. Since then, four sidewalk projects along Old Shell Road have been completed, and two more are slated to be finished by the end of
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this year. These projects also revitalize streetscapes. Flowers, trees, pavers, crosswalks, lighting and benches have been added. “I’ve had people tell me they never knew their neighbors until we put the sidewalks in, and then they met on a walk and are now great friends,” St. John says. “There’s a freedom they didn’t have before.” Infrastructure improvements are also proven to reduce crime. “Nobody is going to rob a store when the area is well-lit and people are constantly walking by,” she says. “Sidewalks really do improve quality of life.” Sidewalks and beautification also attract young families, who want walkable communities. “There has been a huge opening up in the Spring Hill real estate
market since we started the sidewalk projects,” St. John says. “People look at certain areas differently now because of the connectivity.” Renovations are also in the works for the Rouses shopping center at the intersection of Old Shell Road and McGregor Avenue. Details are still being finalized, but developer Philip G. Burton of Burton Property Group says he hopes to begin work on the project by January 2019. “As a fifth-generation Mobilian who has lived in Spring Hill and shopped in that shopping center my entire existence, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to take this great piece of real estate in a wonderful community and give it a facelift,” Burton says. “We are looking forward to unveiling our plan soon.”
Burton says there will be more space for new tenants as well as improvements to the appearance of the shopping center. “We are excited to work with Mr. Burton to help him tailor his redevelopment into a village concept that works with the Village of Spring Hill master plan,” St. John says. When The Village of Spring Hill finishes its projects, there will be a complete sidewalk network on both sides of Old Shell Road from I-65 to University Boulevard.
Midtown Revival Traveling east of I-65, Midtown Mobile Movement, a nonprofit working toward similar goals for Midtown, has secured grant
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funding for sidewalk projects of its own as part of its Design Old Shell Road initiative. “We’re trying to create a solid, safe connection for pedestrians from I-65 all the way to downtown Mobile,” says Sam Dennis, cofounder and board member of Midtown Mobile Movement. “We’d like to cut down on the distance people have to drive. We want to accommodate the vehicle and the pedestrian.”
Dennis says it was important for his organization to make sure its plans for Old Shell Road fit with the rest of the city and that improvements are built to last. “Patience is key with these kinds of big projects,” Dennis says. “You’ve got to do it right or it’s a 50-year mistake. We want to do it right the first time.”
Rester Brothers At the top of Spring Hill across the street from Lavretta Park sits a ’40s-era garage. After years of vacancy, Rester Brothers Auto Repair building is being repurposed into a breakfast and lunch restaurant called Maple Street Biscuit Company. Owners Todd and Jeff LaCour of C’est La Vie Holdings say Spring Hill is in need of a family-friendly breakfast spot. Maple Street Biscuit Company has more than 20 locations all over the Southeast and is well-known for its use of quality, house-made ingredients and for tailoring each location to fit the community surrounding it. “We are excited to be part of something that will continue to transform the area into a more family-friendly, walkable community,” says Todd LaCour. “It’s going to be amazing to see more families use
Bluebird Hardware The iconic Bluebird Hardware building was designed by famous Mobile architect Arch Winter and built in 1955. It operated as Bluebird Hardware and Seed until 2000 and has been vacant since. In 2016, Bill and Erna Whiston purchased the property with a dream to create a community gathering place while maintaining the building’s history and integrity. “I was running with a group one morning, and we met at UMS,” Erna says. “I’m not from here originally, so I asked the group why that interesting building was just sitting there. They told me it had been vacant for 15 years. They saw an eyesore, but I saw an incredible opportunity
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the new sidewalks to walk to the restaurant and Lavretta Park.” The building will maintain its service station architecture but receive a complete renovation, including a new roof and an additional 1,500 square feet. The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall. “We definitely believe this is something people are going to be proud of and really enjoy having in their neighborhood,” Todd says.
to create a space that could bring everyone together.” It took several years of environmental studies as well as meetings with city and state groups and politicians before the Whistons were
able to purchase the property. Then, they hired McNair Historic Preservation and embarked on the painstaking process of renovating the historic building and qualifying it to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. “We achieved that goal, and what that means is the property qualifies for state and federal historic tax credits,” says Stephen McNair, owner of McNair Historic Preservation. Renovations included a new roof and a complete gutting of the building. The project will be finished this summer. “We took the building down to the cinderblocks,” Erna says. “We wanted it to be fresh and clean, but really wanted to maintain the
Florida and Old Shell With the addition of a new Publix, spaces for several retail shops and improvements to infrastructure, the intersection of Florida Street and Old Shell Road is set to become a popular destination for Midtown residents. “Once all of the tenants move in, it will be the place to be on
Old Shell Lofts The school building that now houses Old Shell Lofts was originally constructed in 1915. From 1989 to 2012, it was home to Old Shell Road School of Creative and Performing Arts. After Pace Burt & Associates purchased it, the building underwent a complete renovation and was repurposed into high-end housing. Old Shell Lofts opened in January 2017 and has 23 occupied units, with each classroom serving as an individual apartment. “When we started the project, we quickly realized how meaningful the school building was to everyone in the area,” says Taylor Atchison of Atchison Properties, who was part of the project’s development team. “It seemed like everyone had a relative or someone they knew with a connection to the school.” The nostalgia associated with the building and its turn-ofthe-century architecture inspired the team to retain as much of the building’s original framework and character as possible. “We were able to maintain the scale of the classrooms and hallways — each apartment has 12-foot ceilings, exposed brick and huge windows,” Atchison says. “Then we added
original structure and character. I had three different contractors tell me I should just bulldoze it, but we didn’t listen and got it done.” The building has over 13,000 square feet of space and room for at least eight tenants. Space is still available, and the Whistons are searching for businesses that will create a community atmosphere, such as restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries or salons. “So many people are excited about this project,” Erna says. “I had no idea the building meant so much to this community when we started this journey.” And what about the little boy painted by Priest, a local graffiti artist, on the side of the building? Erna says he’s definitely staying put.
a Friday night — there are some really cool concepts on the way, including Taco Mama, the first Alabama location of Simple Greek, a pizza place and a coffee shop,” says John Vallas, a real estate broker and developer. “Publix will generate at least 2,000 customers a day, and all the other tenants will benefit.” Vallas says it has traditionally been difficult to attract tenants to developments east of I-65 because traffic studies don’t reveal the unique potential of the Midtown area. “There are stretches along Old Shell Road in Midtown where population density is as high as anywhere else in Mobile, along with incomes that are very appealing to national retailers,” Vallas says. “And more people are wanting to move to Midtown. Old Shell Road is the next big opportunity to invest in the community. There are more projects happening right now on a 4-mile stretch of Old Shell than just about any other area in the city.”
really modern finishes to create a comfortable space.” Old Shell Lofts is so successful that the owners decided to add four additional buildings, creating 48 more units. “We’ve been at 100 percent occupancy since we opened the doors,” Atchison says. “It’s popular with young singles, medical students and even empty nesters looking for a simpler lifestyle.” MB
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SNAPPER
SEASO
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ON R
Whether you prefer to head offshore and catch your prize, or simply pick it up at a local seafood market, red snapper season has arrived in South Alabama and dinner plates everywhere are rejoicing! text by MAGGIE LACEY food photography by ELIZABETH GELINEAU
ed snapper season is underway in the Gulf of Mexico, with anglers of all ages enjoying the thrill of the catch and the reward of the meal to come. And while the seasons, limits and regulations are a hot topic, about which many will never agree, the fish itself are a real crowd-pleaser. The seasons and quotas for recreational fisherman have long been under the control of the federal government, specifically the National Marine Fisheries Service. But after years of work, things are changing in 2018 thanks to local groups and activists who represent the Gulf Coast, like Republican congressman Bradley Byrne, who has long championed the issue. The Department of Commerce through the National Marine Fisheries Service granted Alabama an extended fishing permit, meaning that the state would take over, for two years only, the ability to monitor and regulate its recreational snapper season. Proponents argue that those of us on the ground — er, water — know the health of our local fisheries better than anyone in Washington and are more interested in implementing new and innovative ways to monitor daily catch to ensure the health of the fishery. As a result of this shift in power, last year’s 42-day season has since been extended to 47 by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, allowing local anglers a few more chances to bring home dinner. However, some fishermen are arguing this power shift is bad for business. Captain Chris Garner, who owns and operates The Cotton Patch, a popular charter boat out of Orange Beach, says the exempted permit amounts to nothing more than a power grab by Montgomery. He worries the state is only interested in expanding tourism and gathering tax dollars, and in the end will overfish the red snapper supply that businesses like his depend on. “Charter boat captains have been working hard to stay under our allotted quotas to grow the fishery every single year. We are on our fifth year of expanding our season (which is managed by NOAA separately from recreational seasons) because we’ve been under our number by 25 percent every year. Our industry truly wants to be sustainable.” Meanwhile, the outcome of this shift in snapper oversight is yet to be seen. After just a few short weeks of the 2018 season, the total pounds caught are being reported
to the Alabama Snapper Check Program, which collects data directly from anglers via a smartphone app before the fish even leave the boat. The citizens of the Gulf Coast should be able to monitor the progress — or failure — of the state’s management and take it to folks like Byrne for help. Byrne says that snapper fishing is a long-held tradition for those who grew up on the Gulf Coast, but it goes far beyond just wanting to fish. “This is really about the proper role of the federal government and the fact that those of us on the Gulf Coast — not bureaucrats in Washington — know how to best manage the fishery,” says Byrne. “It’s all about ensuring the tradition continues for the next generation.” As for the experience of reeling one in, Garner says snapper is about as good as it gets. “Snapper get their name honestly. They are absolutely willing to jump into the boat with ya! People from 8 to 80 can experience a good bite and a good pull, and it’s good tablefare.” It’s worth mentioning that not everyone can afford their own fancy center console and an ungodly fuel bill to run offshore for snapper. Has anyone ever done the math on what that cost works out to per fish caught? (Wives of fishermen everywhere are groaning at the thought.) But for “your average Joe,” as Garner puts it, a half day or full day charter is the way to go, giving everyone (the appropriate) access to the fisheries that we all cherish and that so many people are working hard to protect. “My most popular trip is the half-day,” he adds. “You get on the boat in the morning, catch plenty of fish, have plenty of action, and can be back at the condo by lunch to cook your fish and get back to the beach.” And for those who turn green at the thought of spending the day bobbing on the open seas, snapper fillets are easy to find in local seafood markets and even major grocery stores. They are a clean-eating fish and lend themselves well to a myriad of recipes. Continue reading for a few ideas provided by local chefs that will take your fish dinners up a serious notch! The 2018 red snapper season in Alabama runs from June 1 - Sept. 3, but on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. The entire week of the Fourth of July (June 30 - July 8) will also be open. An Alabama saltwater fishing license is required for all anglers over age 16. july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 41
Red Snapper Ceviche with Coconut-Lime Dressing SERVES 2 AS ENTREE OR 4 AS APPETIZER
From the Wash House in Point Clear 1 pound fresh red snapper, diced into small pieces 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice 12 ounces coconut milk 3 limes, juiced 4 tablespoons honey 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1 cup whole cilantro leaves 2 cups canola oil, divided 1/4 pound sweet potato salt, to taste 5 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 cup small diced yellow onion 1 tablespoon small diced jalapeno, seeds removed 1/8 cup chopped cilantro, tightly packed
1. Combine fish and lime juice in a medium bowl. Let marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until fish looks white and no longer raw. 2. While fish is marinating, combine next six ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate dressing until ready to use. 3. To make the cilantro oil, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add whole cilantro leaves and cook for 5 seconds. Remove from heat, drain off hot water and cover cilantro with ice water. When they are cool, squeeze cilantro leaves to remove excess liquid. Add to a blender with 1 cup canola oil and blend on high until oil is bright green. Strain out solids through a fine strainer and set aside. 4. To make the sweet potato straws, cut sweet potato on a spiral cutter, or cut into very thin strips by hand. Heat 1 cup canola oil to 325 degrees and fry sweet potato until golden brown and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt. 5. After fish has marinated, remove excess liquid. Add cut vegetables and herbs and toss to combine. Add enough dressing (you won’t need it all) to coat the fish plus a little extra to pool in the bowl. Drizzle with cilantro oil and top with crispy sweet potato straws. 42 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
Lemon Caper Snapper SERVES 2
From Chuck’s Fish in Mobile This classic French preparation is easy to create at home and makes an elegant presentation. 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons blackening seasoning salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 6-ounce snapper fillets 1 cup white wine (or seafood stock) 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons capers 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, seasoning, salt and pepper on a dinner plate. Dry the fish fillet well and then pat into the flour mixture, being sure to cover every inch. 2. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Place the fish in the pan and do not touch it until you see the edges turn golden brown. Flip the fillet and drain any extra oil from pan. Cook in oven for 9 - 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove pan from oven and set fish aside on a plate. 3. Add the wine and simmer until the alcohol has burned off. You should have a thin, amber-colored sauce. Add lemon juice and capers and turn the heat on low. Add the butter and turn off the pan. Salt and pepper to taste. 4. Add the fish back to the pan to soak up flavor and heat on low for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove fish and place on serving plates, then spoon the sauce over each fillet. Serve over a bed of fresh vegetables.
july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 43
Baked Thai Snapper SERVES 4
From Von’s Bistro in Mobile Cooking a whole fish shouldn’t be intimidating! In fact, it is easier to master than cooking a fillet. The skin and bones keep the fish from drying out too quickly, and nothing impresses like a platter with a whole fish coming to the table. Talk about wow! 3 3 1 1 1
tablespoons soy sauce tablespoons hoisin sauce teaspoon sesame oil tablespoon fish sauce stalk fresh lemongrass, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon store-bought minced) 1 garlic clove, finely chopped juice of 2 limes 1 2-3 pound whole red snapper, gutted and scaled Chopped green onions, mint and peanuts for garnish
1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Cover a rimmed baking pan with aluminum foil and place snapper on it. Cover fish in marinade, making sure to coat the inside as well. Put in refrigerator for 1 hour to marinate. 2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook fish for 25 - 30 minutes, depending on thickness. 3. Gently transfer fish from pan to a large serving platter. Sprinkle green onions, mint and chopped peanuts over the top and bring to table. Use a spatula and knife to portion and carefully remove the fillets to each dinner plate. Once fillets have been removed from one side, flip fish and remove fillets from the other. Dinner guests often love picking at the bones for the tender morsels and sauce that remain! Pictured alongside black forbidden rice.
44 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
Snapper with Skillet Corn and Summer Crab Salad
SERVES 4
From Voyagers in Orange Beach Chef Brody Olive loves using cast-iron pans for dishes like these. “All of mine were passed down from my grandmothers, so every time I cook with them I can’t help but think of all the mouths fed from these pans. I can see my grandmothers shuffling around the kitchen dodging kids and running us out of the kitchen. These ladies were multitasking wizards!� 1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab meat 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar 1 small red bell pepper, julienned 1 small shallot, shaved 1 tablespoon finely sliced chives
2 lemons, zested and juiced salt and pepper, to taste 6 ears local silver king corn 1 small golden bell pepper, julienned 1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cloves garlic, minced
1. Pick crab with your hands to remove any remaining shells. In medium mixing bowl, add crab, 3 tablespoons olive oil, sherry vinegar, red bell pepper, shallot, chives, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper and gently stir to combine. Cover and place in fridge. 2. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remove the corn from the cob and add to the pan along with golden bell peppers, cherry tomatoes (reserve a few tomatoes for garnish), garlic and torn parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring regularly, then reduce heat to low and al-
1 2 4 1 2
bunch parsley, torn tablespoons butter 6-ounce fillets of Gulf red snapper lemon, sliced radishes, shaved
low corn to caramelize for 12 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. In large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over mediumhigh heat. While pan is heating, season snapper fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear snapper fillet for 3 minutes on one side. Flip and cook for about 2 more minutes. (Chef advises you cook fillets for 5 minutes per inch of thickness). Squeeze lemon over fish and remove from heat. 4. Place skillet corn in the center of each plate, and then lay snapper on top. Spoon crab salad over the snapper. Garnish with shaved radish and reserved cherry tomatoes.
july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 45
DESTINATION:FOLEY THE HISTORIC HERITAGE OF FOLEY IS EVER-PRESENT, BUT NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES ARE TRANSFORMING THE DRIVE-THROUGH TOWN INTO A DESTINATION ALL ITS OWN. text by HALLIE KING • photos by ELIZABETH GELINEAU
I
n the words of Foley city administrator Michael Thompson, “Folks don’t know whether they’ve left Foley and gone into Orange Beach or left Orange Beach and gone into Gulf Shores. They just go to the beach.” For most, the city of Foley conjures memories of antique malls, chain restaurants and shopping centers en route to or from a beach vacation. The tiny town at the intersection of State Route 59 and U.S. 98 hardly stands out as a destination of its own upon first glance, but a closer look lifts the veil to reveal a hub of economic development in the center of south Baldwin County. Established by Chicago native John Burton Foley in 1915, the city of Foley had humble beginnings as farmland delivering produce via railroad to hungry consumers in northern parts of the country. Baldwin County was prized for its fruitful harvests, and Foley is still fondly remembered for its railway history. The contributions that early residents made on the overall footprint of Baldwin County make historical preservation a priority for the city. Instead of living in the past, however, the “Forward City” continually strives for an economically prosperous tomorrow. “Longtime Foley residents are very proud of their history, and they want to maintain that history,” says Thompson. “But they also recognize what economic vitality does for a community and the opportunities that it creates for themselves and their children.” The community’s economic viability stems
46 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
CENTENNIAL PLAZA AT HERITAGE PARK
POPULATION
18,000
$43 MILLION REVENUE BUDGET
CITY EMPLOYEES
300
GYPSY QUEEN JAVA
PEACHES AT COASTAL ALABAMA FARMERS AND FISHERMENS MARKET
“IT’S A BALANCE OF PROTECTING YOUR HERITAGE AND FOSTERING THAT, BUT
CHASE MARTINEZ, SHRIMP ON THE GO
MANAGING THE GROWTH IN A WAY THAT YOU GET THE BENEFITS OF THE GROWTH WITHOUT HARMING THAT HERITAGE.” - MICHAEL THOMPSON, FOLEY CITY ADMINISTRATOR
MAYOR TK
FOLEY DEPOT MUSEUM COVERT COMICS
TK PARK
july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 47
from its natural agricultural resources, prosperous downtown scene and geographic location — close enough to the beach but independent enough that a trip isn’t required. Parks, nature preserves, museums, locally owned shops and restaurants bring vibrancy to the landscape of the town, but none of it would happen without the residents and commuters that set the scene. “We’ve got the rivers, we’ve got [Wolf] Bay, we’ve got the Gulf,” says Foley mayor John Koniar, “but the biggest asset we have is our people.” And people they certainly have. Like the surrounding communities in Baldwin County, Foley is growing at a faster rate than ever before. The once-modest 4,000-resident population of the ’80s sits at nearly 18,000 residents currently. Growth is expected to be over 20,000, according to estimates, by 2020. “For several years now, it seems that every day we have guests who come in and tell us that they have visited here for years and now they are moving here,” says LaDonna Hinesley, manager of the Foley Welcome
Center. “People tell us that the reason they like Foley is that the people are friendly, the city is laid-back and there are so many things to do.” The reasonable cost of living and family-friendly atmosphere are also selling points. To accommodate the growing population, more than 600 single-family and 600 multi-family housing units are in development, and a second elementary school recently broke ground. With an enrollment of 1,500 children, Foley Elementary is currently the largest public elementary school in the state. These influxes of new residents bring fresh ideas for the burgeoning destination town. Locally owned businesses find their niches tucked into the quaint streets of downtown Foley, which are being considered for the Main Street Alabama revitalization that begins later this summer. Local ownership draws attention away from the chain restaurants and department stores of old, and fosters community advancement to make the local environment prosperous.
BACKYARD DOG, CHILI DOG AND WACKY MACKY DOG AT THE WACKED OUT WEINER
GRAHAM CREEK NATURE PRESERVE
“WE’RE YOUNG BY EUROPEAN STANDARDS SO WE HAVE SHALLOW ROOTS, BUT WE’RE GETTING DEEPER IN OUR 103RD YEAR. WE’VE GOT A LOT OF ROOM TO GROW.” - JOHN KONIAR, MAYOR OF FOLEY
48 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
MAYOR JOHN KONIAR
STACEY’S REXALL DRUGS
MUST-STOP SHOPS AND SIGHTS HERITAGE PARK, CENTENNIAL PLAZA AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
125 E Laurel Ave. • 970-5020
FOLEY DEPOT MUSEUM & MODEL TRAIN EXHIBIT 125 E Laurel Ave. • 943-1818 Stop in on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to see the model train exhibit or ride the little train around the park.
COASTAL ALABAMA FARMERS AND FISHERMENS MARKET
20733 Miflin Road • 709-4469
SHRIMP ON THE GO
20733 Miflin Road Unit C 979-6757
COVERT COMICS
107 S McKenzie St. • 377-9690 One of their most popular sells was a Star Wars #1 that was originally 35 cents and later sold for $7,000.
FOLEY BIKE SHOP
111 S McKenzie St. • 970-5544
GRAHAM CREEK NATURE PRESERVE 23460 Wolf Bay Drive 923-4267
THE PARK AT OWA AND DOWNTOWN OWA
1501 South OWA Blvd. 923-2111 Stroll through the shops, play in the arcade and snack by the lake in Downtown OWA, then grab tickets for the rides in the Park for a full day of fun! july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 49
“The good thing about local,” says Alescia Forland, manager of the Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market and Forland Family Market, “is that money is staying right there in your community. It’s not going off to a big corporation. You’re helping small people in your small town.” The market is one of innumerable examples of initiatives that circulate income directly back into the area. With a $500,000 grant from BP after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, growers and makers started the market as a place for locals to support other locals. This support and income filters back into the community, which circulates it in a seemingly never-ending pattern. As each new and exciting local business joins its historic neighbors, the community rallies behind them to ensure all-around success. Hordes of these business ventures bring in waves of tourists that benefit the entire south Baldwin community. OWA, with its walkable Downtown and thrilling amusement park, draws a summer crowd that is unmatched by any other attraction in the area. The Tanger Outlets still stand strong as a place to spend a rainy beach day, boasting designer stores such as Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Vera Bradley. The newly expanded Foley Sports Tourism Complex welcomes hundreds of sports teams and their families each year. Diamond sports like baseball and softball as well as soccer occupy the outdoor fields, while indoor sports like volleyball, basketball and gymnastics fill the interior of the new Foley Event Center. These families flood hotel rooms and bring visitors to Foley, the beaches and the entire surrounding Mobile and Baldwin area. The city continues to inch ever forward, building on a history of expansion through creativity and community strengths. “We want to maintain history but be creative about the future, too,” says Koniar. “You either go forward or go backward — you don’t stay the same.” MB
ALESCIA FORLAND
“ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMES IF THERE’S A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE. PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE HERE BECAUSE IT’S A COOL PLACE TO LIVE AND THERE’S STUFF TO DO.” - JUSTIN SHANKS, CHAIR OF THE FOLEY HISTORICAL COMMISSION
THE PARK AT OWA
FISH RIVER FURNISHINGS
JUSTIN SHANKS, FOLEY BIKE SHOP
50 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
CHEF DESMOND JOHNSON’S JERK CHICKEN, JAMAICAN FESTIVAL, RICE AND BEANS
EXCITING LOCAL EATS STACEY’S REXALL DRUGS AND OLDE TYME SODA FOUNTAIN
121 W Laurel Ave. • 943-7191
THE WACKED OUT WEINER
215 E Laurel Ave. 971-9225 Don’t miss the Chili Cheese Dog; the Backyard Dog, with baked beans, barbecue sauce and coleslaw; or the Wacky Macky, with macaroni and cheese, barbecue sauce and bacon.
JOHN’S GYRO
121 W Orange Ave. 970-2268
GYPSY QUEEN JAVA
109 W Laurel Ave. • 943-6112 To walk off the caffeine kick, stroll to owners Lindsay and Greg Driskell’s handmade hardwood furniture store, Fish River Furnishings.
MAMMA MIA PIZZERIA
246 W Laurel Ave • 971-7492
DESMOND’S TASTE OF JAMAICA
214 W Laurel Ave • 970-3287 Jamaican festival is a can’t-miss Caribbean cornmeal dish, somewhat comparable to a sweetened hush puppy.
GELATO JOE’S
202-A E Michigan Ave. 971-5637
july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 51
52 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
LEADERS IN HEALTH MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTY HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO COUNT, BUT SOME STAND OUT AS THE BEST OF THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY. MEET THE LOCAL PRACTITIONERS THAT LEAD THE WAY WITH TOP-NOTCH CARE AND HIGH-QUALITY SERVICE FOR ALL OF SOUTH ALABAMA.
july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 53
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Medspa at the Park MEDSPA AT THE PARK IS A TRAILBLAZING PRACTICE COMBINING THE EXPERTISE OF PLASTIC SURGERY, DERMATOLOGY AND MEDSPA SERVICES TO NON-SURGICALLY REJUVENATE SKIN AND FIGHT AGING.
What is your mission? Our mission is to utilize the combined expertise of a board-certified plastic surgeon (Christopher A. Park MD), a board-certified dermatologist (Kathryn Dempsey MD) and an aesthetic physician (Christina Massinople MD) to provide the most comprehensive, advanced and innovative options to utilize in the nonsurgical fight against aging. There are constant changes in this field and it requires expertise and interdisciplinary insight to provide the best plan for our patients. We organize our schedule so that one of our physicians is available to help patients every day of the week.
What sets your practice apart? This multi-physician approach with different backgrounds allows for collegial exchanges,
inquiries and research to add and modify our services to offer the best and most proven services to our patients. We do all of this with safety and results as our goals. This requires identification of a plan for each patient, open communication and constant reassessment along the way. By having a dermatologist on the team, we are able to optimize medical management of the skin and skin conditions and to better evaluate the science behind products and technologies. And with a plastic surgeon, we are able to include surgical options as part of the plan. Dr. Park is always good at telling a patient when there is more cost efficiency in surgery, with the goal of helping the patient achieve the best results affordably. This team approach emphasizes the patient’s goals and outcome to clarify the best plan for that individual.
How has your business grown or changed and where are you going from here? Our business is constantly changing, evolving, acquiring new equipment, growing and adding new services as they are proven effective by fellow colleagues in The American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Just this spring, we have added Secret ®, an advanced radiofrequency microneedling device that rejuvenates skin with essentially no downtime, PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) which utilizes the patient’s own blood for hair restoration, anti-aging and many other types of rejuvenation, and Pronox® nitrous oxide sedation, which safely allows patient sedation during in-office procedures for those that are anxious or averse to discomfort.
3153 Dauphin Street • Mobile • 251.340.6600 • mprsd.com/med-spa-alabama 54 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Shoemaker Ob-Gyn DR. MARSHALL SHOEMAKER OPENED HIS PRACTICE IN 1998. SHOEMAKER OB-GYN HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE DR. JESSICA JONES, CARLA CORTE, CRNP, AND HEATHER TALBOT, CRNP.
Why or how did you get into your field? Obstetrics and Gynecology is the only field of medicine that allows for surgery and patient care in a strong balance. We take care of our patients for life, which is not the case in other surgical specialties. The field of obstetrics also has a unique patientdoctor relationship that we find rewarding and fulfilling as physicians.
What sets your practice apart? Motivated, caring and friendly physicians and staff that make patient care the No. 1 priority.
How do you make sure patients get the best care/results? We feel the patient-clinic relationship is very important and we are always available to either speak to or clinically evaluate our patients.
What is your mission?
What contributes to your success?
Highest quality, comprehensive and cuttingedge healthcare for women.
Our “patient first” attitude, which begins with our physicians and nurse practitioners and extends to our nurses and entire staff.
Our patients have been and will always be our No. 1 priority.
How has your business grown or changed and where are you going from here? We pride ourselves in having the best trained physicians and nurse practitioners who give quality care to their patients. Our physicians and nurse practitioners have worked together for more than a decade. It is important to our practice to continue education, which is vital to our ability to provide outstanding patient care today and in the future.
188 Hospital Drive, Suite 304 • Fairhope • 251.990.1950 • shoemakerobgyn.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 55
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Eastern Shore Oral, Facial and Implant Surgical Center and Jubilee Family Dentistry PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
DRS. RICHARD CORDERO AND TELKA BARBERI RECENTLY MOVED TO THE EASTERN SHORE. DR. CORDERO IS ORIGINALLY FROM PUERTO RICO AND IS FLUENT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. DR. BARBERI WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PENSACOLA. THEY RECENTLY DECIDED TO MOVE TO ALABAMA TO BE CLOSER TO FAMILY, AS THREE BROTHERS, TWO DAUGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES LIVE IN THE AREA. THEY ARE EXCITED TO BE ON THE EASTERN SHORE AND LOOK FORWARD TO MANY YEARS OF PRACTICE IN THIS AREA.
Why or how did you get into your field? Richard: I shadowed multiple specialties before I found my passion for oral surgery. I obtained a biology degree at the University of Puerto Rico, then completed my degree in dentistry and training in oral surgery at the University of Florida. I now provide a full spectrum of services in oral surgery. Telka: After working for 12 years as a dental hygienist, I decided to go back to school. I thought I would like to teach dental hygiene, but halfway through my studies, I realized that I was up to the challenge of dental school at the University of Florida. I was blessed to find a career that I continue to be so passionate about.
What sets your practice apart? Richard: We have a state-of-the-art facility with the latest technology and digital capability allowing for improved patient
care. We have full anesthesia capabilities that allow us to treat patients within our facility who would normally need to be treated in a hospital setting. Telka: My practice is family-centered. We provide care for all age groups and enjoy the relationships we develop with families. I have a small practice which allows patients to see the same staff over time.
How do you make sure patients get the best care/results? Richard: My staff and I have one priority: the patient. I strive for interdisciplinary communication between all providers involved to ensure we have a well-developed plan that meets everyone’s goals. Telka: I listen to patients and have a desire to educate. I first take time to understand their needs. Then, I aim to teach them modified or new techniques to improve
their dental health during preventive visits. Finally, I inform them of their options and assist them in choosing the best option at that moment.
How has your business grown or changed and where are you going from here? Richard: Reception has been excellent thus far and we hope to continue to strengthen our relationships. Our goal is to collaborate with specialists and providers in the area to assure that people in south Alabama can receive necessary services without having to leave their community. Telka: We updated our computer system for better access to charts, documents and x-rays during appointments. In the near future, we are purchasing digital imaging for better diagnostic radiographic images. One thing that is not changing is the incredible staff. Our patients love them!
Eastern Shore Oral Facial and Implant Surgical Center • 24172 4th Street • Fairhope • 251.333.1700 • Easternshoreoralsurgery.com Jubilee Family Dentistry • 6475 Jordan Road • Daphne • 251.626.6450 • jubileedentistry.com 56 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Southern Cancer Center WITH ACCESS TO THE MOST ADVANCED CLINICAL TRIALS, SOUTHERN CANCER CENTER IS CHANGING THE WAY WE TREAT CANCER ONE PATIENT AT A TIME.
Southern Cancer Center knows that today’s research will guide improvements for tomorrow’s cancer care. That’s why clinical research is an integral part of our mission, giving patients access to the most progressive and advanced investigational treatment options available — treatment options that are right here, right now in our local community. First comes education. Led by our clinical research staff, patients are counseled on the benefits and risks of their trial, along with alternative options. Our research team then walks patients through every step of their journey, attending treatment
sessions and even doctor appointments with them. Patients are always informed of their progress and continuously involved in their treatment plan. Before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a prescription drug, it must first go through a series of clinical trials. Today, pharmaceutical companies fund and manage the majority of these trials. Southern Cancer Center has developed such a reputable clinical research program that we continue to be selected by these companies to host their trials. Furthermore, by partnering with The U.S. Oncology Network and NCI, we
have access to hundreds of additional trials across the country. “We’ve participated in studies for new drugs like Opdivo and Ibrance, both of which are now advertised on TV. The future of cancer care is here, and SCC is playing a major part in it,” says clinical research supervisor Karla Childers. At Southern Cancer Center, we’re advancing science through clinical research and navigating you from patient to survivor.
5 locations in Mobile and Baldwin County • 251.625.6896 • SouthernCancerCenter.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 57
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Springhill Medical Center SPRINGHILL MEDICAL CENTER IS A 263-BED ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL. SINCE 1975, SPRINGHILL HAS GROWN AND EXPANDED ITS SERVICES IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA WHILE MAINTAINING MORE NURSES TO EACH PATIENT FOR A PERSONAL APPROACH.
Known as the hospital “Where Babies Come From,” Springhill Medical Center’s recently upgraded Birthing Suites are no longer the best kept secret in town. Growth of The Birthing Suites at Springhill is ongoing to keep up with demand for our roomy, modern amenities for growing families! When you’re having a baby, you want to know one thing above all else; that you and your new arrival will be given the best possible care. This mission is the foundation for everything we do at Springhill, from our one-to-one labor and delivery nursing philosophy to the childbirth education
classes that prepare expectant parents for an exciting new chapter in life. The Birthing Suites at Springhill aren’t just designed to deliver the best possible care — they’re designed to deliver the best possible experience. With a host of amenities that make a patient’s room feel less like a hospital and more like a hotel, our new moms will feel relaxed, refreshed and ready for the days ahead. And, the physicians who bring our patients’ new bundles of joy into the world have the most years of experience collectively in
the area. A Woman’s Choice, Azalea City Physicians for Women, Bay Area Physicians for Women and Ringhoffer OB/GYN represent the largest number of OB/GYNs on any one hospital campus. Springhill Medical Center supports physicians like these OB/GYNs who seek to offer state-of-the-art technology and advancements in their specialties. It’s our mission to be unmatched in quality where our patients are concerned, especially when it comes to bringing new life into the world!
3719 Dauphin Street • Mobile • 251.344.9630 • springhillmedicalcenter.com 58 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY
ENT Centers of Excellence DR. KEITH KOWAL BRINGS EXTENSIVE EXPERTISE IN GENERAL AND SPECIALIZED ENT, WITH DOUBLE BOARD CERTIFICATIONS IN OTOLARYNGOLOGY, HEAD & NECK SURGERY, AND SLEEP MEDICINE.
Why did you get into your field? Many factors contributed to my decision to specialize in ENT. Among these was the opportunity to take care of pediatric and adult patients throughout their lives. In ENT, I have the privilege to treat patients both medically and surgically— using the latest and most state-of-the-art surgical procedures. My special interest is in treating rhinological and sleep disorders for pediatric and adult populations.
What sets your practice apart? In addition to extensive experience in general ENT, I bring unique surgical procedures that utilize transoral robotic
surgery to treat sleep disorders and head and neck disorders. There are very few surgeons in the United States who are certified to use this technology. This opens the door to treat certain types of sleep impairments with alternatives to CPAP therapy.
How do you make sure patients get the best care/results? Our practice takes painstaking time to treat the patients in a professional, empathetic, and efficient manner. This involves treating multiple factors including allergies, hearing disorders, sinus and nasal disorders and sleep disorders.
What contributes to your success? A very strong team approach within the office. We tap into the strengths of each employee in order to carry out total patient care while the patient is in our office.
How has your business grown or changed and where are you going from here? This practice began in south Baldwin County in 2015. We have expanded onto the Eastern Shore and expect to continue to provide excellent care for patients throughout the county.
1851 N McKenzie St, Ste 106 • Foley and 27961 US Hwy. 98, Ste 24 • Daphne • 251.943.1117 • Entcoe.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 59
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Coastal Chiropractic and Sports Rehab DR. RYAN NOBLES IS THE OWNER OF COASTAL CHIROPRACTIC, A SPORTS MEDICINE AND CHRONIC PAIN-FOCUSED PRACTICE SPECIALIZING IN MULTIFACETED PATIENT TREATMENT.
Why or how did you get into your field?
PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY
Being a part of a large family, most of whom were medical doctors and nurses, patient care was almost always the topic of discussion at the dinner table. During the time that I was training as a physical therapy tech, my brother was a neurosurgery resident at UAB and he was my main inspiration for going to Chiropractic School.
What is your mission? My goal in opening Coastal Chiropractic was to provide the same elite services provided to the pros to everyday weekend warriors and patients suffering from chronic pain. My experience coordinating care for the New Orleans Saints led me to my passion for soft tissue injuries. My belief is that you don’t have to be a professional athlete to be treated like one.
What sets your practice apart? I am trained and certified in Active Release Technique (ART), Graston soft tissue mobilization techniques, kinesio taping and spinal decompression, which are used regularly with athletes to maintain the high level of function and performance that their sport demands. These are the gold standard techniques that every major professional athlete expects and is used in almost every NFL, MLB, NBA and NCAA facility. We coordinate with medical doctors to create the best possible outcome for our patients.
How do you make sure patients How has your business grown and get the best care and results? where are you going from here? I believe that to best treat patients, I should always be learning the latest techniques in my field. I have an unyielding desire to advance my studies. My specialized training has taken me from local races with our patients to the BMX games, the Junior Olympics for USA Track and Field and The Pan American Games to train and treat.
What contributes to your success? I believe that my specialization and multilayered approach to relief contribute to positive outcomes. We are extremely willing and excited to work in coordination with other providers across the medical spectrum, which makes patient care much more comprehensive and thorough.
I started Coastal Chiropractic with a goal, but not much more than that. I’m lucky to now have a dedicated staff and thriving patient base that grows every year. We integrate more therapies and advanced treatments as they come onto the market. From our Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill to an on-staff massage therapist, we try to integrate as many avenues for relief and resolution as possible. I hope to continue this path going forward with our practice. I see us continuing to grow and bring more care providers into our practice to create a fully integrated facility for our patients.
6483 Van Buren St, Suite 101 • Daphne • 251-375-0131 • coastalchiro.us 60 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Azalea City Dental, Dr. Shaun Kern Why or how did you get into your field?
How do you make sure patients get the best care/results?
I have known I wanted to be a dentist since I was 15. I always wanted to be in health care, and I loved working with my hands from a young age. It seemed like a natural fit.
What is your mission?
We take the time to make sure our patient’s needs are met, whether it is their first appointment or they have been longtime patients. We welcome their questions and will take time to listen and address any of their concerns.
To provide compassionate and quality dental care in a friendly and relaxing environment.
What contributes to your success?
What sets your practice apart? We maintain a standard of excellence that we’ve learned by going above and beyond with our continued education and training. We strive to have every patient that is a part of our practice leave with a five-star experience.
My awesome team! I have been working with the majority of my team for 10 years or more. We have a culture at our office where we truly enjoy what we do, and we are passionate about providing a truly awesome experience for our patients.
How has your business grown or changed and where are you going from here? Seventeen years ago, I partnered with two senior dentists out of dental school. We maintained three practices in Mobile and Baldwin counties. During that time, I treated patients at each of the three practice locations. Last year, I had the opportunity to dedicate 100 percent of my time to my practice in Spanish Fort. My wife and I have raised our family in Spanish Fort, and love everything about this community. I still have patients who come to see me from over an hour away, but I truly enjoy practicing in the place where I live. I look forward to continuing to grow my practice here in Spanish Fort for the rest of my career.
6593 Spanish Fort Blvd. • Spanish Fort • 251.300.6100 • AzaleaCityDental.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 61
PHOTO BY DEVIN FORD
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Surgical Association of Mobile, P.A. PROVIDING THE BEST SURGICAL CARE THROUGH CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY
Why choose Surgical Association of Mobile, P.A.? We began practice in 1973 and have grown to include six surgeons. Since the beginning, SAMPA has been dedicated to the art of surgical practice through devotion to scientific principles and attention to cutting edge techniques. In 1977, we performed our first bariatric operation for weight loss. Since then, we have performed over 8,600 bariatric procedures. In 2001, our first laparoscopic bariatric operation was completed. Recently we launched the Gulf Coast Bariatric Institute, the first and only Bariatric Institute on the Gulf Coast.
In April 1989, SAMPA performed Alabama’s first laparoscopic gallbladder removal after noting the use of laparoscopy for gynecologic surgery. At that time, it was thought to be a fringe procedure, but it is now the standard of care.
In 2013, SAMPA began using robotic surgical technology. Since then, we have completed over 1,000 robotic surgical procedures, representing the most in Alabama and the Gulf Coast region since that time.
Since 1973, we have performed over 3,000 colon resections. Our first laparoscopic colon resection was in 1991, and since then we have completed over 650 laparoscopic or robotic colon resections.
The surgeons at SAMPA have 117 years of combined surgical experience. Building on our past experience, we are always looking to the future. To that end, we are excited to add to our group a fellowship-trained colorectal surgeon in August 2018.
Also in 1991, Dr. Snow, the now-retired founder of our group, performed the world’s first laparoscopic removal of an adrenal gland.
3 Mobile Infirmary Circle, Suite 212 • Mobile • 251.433.2609 • sampadocs.com 62 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Haley Dermatology When I opened my practice in 2003, my biggest worry was that I would not have enough patients. Now 15 years later, the biggest complaint I hear is, “I had to wait months to get an appointment with you.” When I started with three employees and just three exam rooms, my goal was to treat all patients to the best of my ability and to enjoy each day. The key difference today is that I have enlisted 30 other women to help me achieve excellence.
How did you get into dermatology? What attracted me to dermatology was the variety. I see all age groups, from infants to the elderly, and a range of issues from simple acne to complex surgery. One of my specialties that I enjoy is correcting signs of aging with minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures.
What sets your practice apart? I have smart, capable employees and an environment where patients feel comfortable and confident in their care. Many patients comment on my terrific staff — from the first phone call, to the front desk receptionist, to the skilled nurses, physicians assistants and doctors. We work together to make each patient encounter the best possible.
What contributes to your success? How has your business changed? My success has happened by “doing what I love and loving what I do.” There is no way I could have projected the growth I have experienced. I opened Clear Medspa in 2007 to provide patients safe, medical-grade skin care and laser treatments. In 2017, I expanded with our new Skin & Body Studio to focus on the growing area of body contouring. I stay up-to-date on trends and devices coming to market and continue educating myself and my staff. I never rush into the newest technology and I always try each new technology before deciding to offer it to my patients. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
How has business changed and where are you going? The biggest complaint I get is having to wait for an appointment, so we are starting an “immediate care” dermatology clinic soon. We will book appointments for the same or next day to accommodate people with rashes or worrisome moles or acne flares. We’ll still schedule full body exams and long-term problems as usual. 202 Rock Creek Parkway • Fairhope • 251-928-3844 • haleyderm.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 63
PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Compound Pharmaceutical Technologies, Inc. (CPT Inc.) CPT INC. IS A NATIONALLY ACCREDITED COMPOUNDING PHARMACY THAT HAS BEEN SERVING THE GULF COAST FOR OVER 11 YEARS BY “CREATING SOLUTIONS AND SOLVING PROBLEMS” IN MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES OF MEDICINE.
Why is compounding important to patients and practitioners? Patients are often faced with difficult medical conditions that require innovative solutions when conventional medications are ineffective or impractical. Compounding solves these issues by allowing doctors to prescribe the right drug, the right way, for the right patient.
Topical pain creams: Practitioners and patients have experienced great results by adding pain creams as part of their pain therapy.
Dermatology: Dermatologists have used compounding to expand treatment options for warts, psoriasis, rosacea, hair loss and others. We also compound tacrolimus, a difficult API to find.
combinations of antibiotics and steroids.
Chronic pain and autoimmune dysfunction:
Hormone replacement therapy for men and women:
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) has been demonstrated toreduce symptom severity in conditions such as fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and complex regional pain syndrome. LDN has also shown benefits in a variety of autoimmune conditions.
Suboptimal hormone levels are associated with low energy, low libido, weight gain, depression, anxiety, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disturbances. Compounding allows both men and women to regain control and improve their quality of life.
ENT-Otolaryngology:
Family practice and internal medicine:
We have worked with countless practitioners and patients to improve outcomes for acute and chronic sinus-related issues by offering “Our focus at CPT Inc. has always been high standards for customer service, safe products and integrity within the industry.” - John Hart, Owner
Compounding can be used in many other areas of practice to meet the specific therapeutic needs of the patient.
Contact - If you are a practitioner or patient and have any questions, please contact us at 866-591-6337 or email us at info@cptinc.org.
1048 Stanton Rd. Suite B • Daphne • 1.866.591.6337 • cptinc.org • info@ cptinc.org 64 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Springhill Medical Center SPRINGHILL MEDICAL CENTER IS A 263-BED ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL. SINCE 1975, SPRINGHILL’S GROWTH IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA IS FOREMOST IN SURGICAL & COMPREHENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES. SMC SURGICAL CAPABILITIES INCLUDE OPEN-HEART AND ROBOTIC SURGERY, AND THE FIRST USE OF THE MAKO SURGICAL ROBOTIC ARM FOR HIP AND KNEE REPLACEMENT PROCEDURES.
Springhill Medical Center is the first hospital in the Mobile area to offer Stryker’s Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted replacement procedures for knees and hips. Offered here since 2017, this latest advancement in joint replacement surgery has transformed the way these procedures are performed. Robotic-arm assisted surgery offers the potential for a higher level of patientspecific implant alignment and positioning. The technology allows surgeons to create a patient-specific 3D plan and perform joint replacement surgery using a surgeon-
controlled robotic-arm that helps the surgeon execute the procedure with a high degree of accuracy.
exclusively at Springhill Medical Center and are the most experienced in the Mobile area utilizing Mako.
Dr. Matthew D. Barber (above right) and Dr. Roger M. Setzler (above left), orthopaedic surgeons with Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic, guide the robotic arm during bone preparation for the implants. By utilizing Mako, they are able to spare the surrounding healthy bone and ligaments and offer a more personalized approach for each patient’s unique needs. These physicians offer the Mako procedures
Springhill Medical Center supports physicians who seek to offer procedures and state-of-the-art technology that significantly improve quality of life for our patients. Its mission is to be unmatched in quality healthcare where patients are concerned, especially when it comes to quality of life.
3719 Dauphin Street • Mobile • 251.344.9630 • springhillmedicalcenter.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 65
PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Glass Orthodontics DR. GLENN H. GLASS IS AN ORTHODONTIC SPECIALIST, CREATING SMILES AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER 15 YEARS. HE SPECIALIZES IN EARLY ADOLESCENT AND ADULT TREATMENT, SLEEP APNEA AND TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DYSFUNCTION.
Why or how did you get into your field? I first became interested in orthodontics in high school, while in treatment myself. I was fascinated by the evolution of each patient’s individual treatment and outcome, and the positive changes in self-esteem that resulted in each case.
What is your mission? Our mission is to give the ideal result for each individual, while creating positive experiences between patient / parents and our team. Our goal is to treat each patient as if they were family, leaving them with a beautiful smile and a functional bite.
What sets your practice apart? We strive for patient satisfaction, through open communication throughout treatment
as well as accessibility to myself and my dedicated staff. Each patient is provided a complete experience at Glass Orthodontics, not only receiving treatment while they are in braces, but by providing initial consultations and evaluations as well as post-treatment care. Over 15 years of service and results in this community, I have had the privilege to work with many dental professionals in our area, creating a more comprehensive approach to treatment, furthering positive treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction.
How do you make sure patients get the best care/results? Communication is a top priority with our patients. During our initial consultation, our goal is to lay out all of the treatment options. Once a treatment plan is
established, we routinely advise and update the patient/parents on how treatment is progressing. Our exceptional, tenured staff educates and motivates each patient along the way, answering all questions and concerns throughout treatment.
What contributes to your success? I love what I do! After 15 years in private practice, I still come to work each day with an excitement for making a difference in the lives of our patients. We are dedicated to the results and overall happiness of our patients. We want each patient to leave our office feeling proud of their smiles and their decision to be part of the Glass Orthodontic family. We take pride in our patient’s smiles, and enjoy the satisfaction of their results and overall experience.
1303 Main St. • Daphne • 251-626-7770 • glassortho.com 66 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Diagnostic & Medical Clinic DIAGNOSTIC & MEDICAL CLINIC IS THE LARGEST MULTI-SPECIALTY CLINIC IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA WITH MORE THAN 75 SPECIALISTS INCLUDING DR. MARTIN LESTER.
How did you get into your field ? I received my undergraduate degree from Auburn University. I went on to graduate from medical school, completed an internship and residency in internal medicine, and a fellowship in cardiology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. What sets your practice apart? I began my practice in Mobile with DMC in 1968, one of the first four physicians in the group at that time. I’ve helped to grow the practice to currently more than 75 multi-specialty physicians, the largest practice in the state.
How do you make sure patients get the best care/results? Relationships and knowing my patients. I
have read more than 250,000 EKGs and have had approximately 200,000 patient contacts, many of which are now fourth generation and one of which is a fifth -generation patient.
What are you most proud of? To be considered a physician in a rapidly changing medical field. Most recently, an added honor and pleasant surprise was being named to the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.
What contributes to your success? Outside of my family, my long relationships with my patients, nurses, office staff and friends that I have come to know through my practice. Mrs. Patricia Sullivan, my office manager, has been with me for 45
years and has never missed a day of work. It’s unbelievable! I have an incredible team.
What are some of your many accomplishments over the years? In 1978, I helped develop the first outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program in the state of Alabama — Operation BounceBack — where I have voluntarily served as the medical director for more than 40 years. The program is still in operation today and has grown to be one of the largest in the nation. I also worked to bring cardiac surgery and cardiac catheterization to Mobile Infirmary.
1700 Springhill Ave. • Mobile • 251.435.1200 • diagnosticandmedical.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 67
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Infirmary Cancer Care INFIRMARY CANCER CARE IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS FIGHTING CANCER THAT IS STILL GROWING. OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF EXPERTS DELIVERS STATE-OF-THEART, COMPASSIONATE, PATIENT-CENTERED TREATMENT.
Dr. Boehm, why or how did you get into your field? I began my interest in medicine while I was an undergraduate student at Duke University. I was pre-med and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1967. I received my medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine in 1971, followed by a surgical internship at the University of South Alabama Medical Center and completed a residency at Emory/ Grady Memorial/VA Hospital in Atlanta after serving as the chief resident (one year).
Our accreditation. Mobile Infirmary was the first hospital in South Alabama to achieve accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC). Currently, only Mobile Infirmary and UAB and hold this accreditation in the state of Alabama. Accreditation by the NAPBC is awarded to breast centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and demonstrate compliance with the NAPBC’s rigorous national standards for treating women with breast disease. It takes a lot of time, documentation and effort by a lot of people within our team to make this all come together.
How do you make sure patients get the best care/results? Through a weekly multidisciplinary breast conference. We worked to develop this conference to advance cancer collaboration
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
What sets your practice/organization apart?
and treatment options for patients along the Gulf Coast. Each week we present breast cancer cases to a diverse panel of physician specialists who analyze complex cases, review diagnostic imaging and pathology reports and discuss treatment options — ensuring patients receive the best treatment plan.
Where are you going from here? Infirmary Cancer Care is growing with the addition of physicians, procedures and technology. Our recent strategic affiliation with UAB Health System will make it possible for us to collaborate on clinical trials and has given us access to some of the latest advancements in technology.
5 Mobile Infirmary Circle, Mobile • 808 Morphy Avenue, Fairhope • 251.435.CARE • infirmarycancercare.org 68 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY CHAD RILEY
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Synergy HomeCare SYNERGY HOMECARE IS A NON-MEDICAL HOMECARE COMPANY SPECIALIZING IN ASSISTANCE WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (ADLS) FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES IN THEIR OWN HOMES. SERVICES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, ASSISTANCE BATHING, DRESSING, TRANSFERRING, RESTROOM ASSISTANCE, HOUSEKEEPING, COOKING, MEDICATION REMINDERS, ERRANDS AND TRANSPORTATION.
Why or how did you get into your field? Caring for our mothers is what led us to Synergy and homecare. We both lost our mothers to cancer and played significant roles in the caregiving during their respective battles.
What is your mission? Our goal and mission statement is to provide unparalleled homecare to our clients, offer professional development to our caregivers and actively serve our community.
How do you make sure clients get the best care/results? We have very comprehensive training and
quality assurance programs that keep us dialed in to the day-to-day of every caregiver and client we work with.
What contributes to your success? Great communication within our agency and with all of the medical partners we work with. We embrace a philosophy called ‘Close the Loop,’ which refers to closing the communication loop between families, doctors and other medical providers. Our average client uses us for over 24 hours a week and those hours are typically the most active hours in the client’s day. So, we serve as the eyes and ears of everyone with a vested interest in the care of our client.
How has your business grown and where are you going from here? We’ve grown considerably every year since we opened in 2013 and we try to stay three years ahead of the growth through our strategic planning. What that means is we make hires for our business in a proactive manner, based on where we plan to be, not where we sit today. In this industry, it is so important to be able to have the bandwidth to handle anything life throws at you as there are so many moving pieces managing the care of hundreds of clients and caregivers. So, staying ahead of the growth is imperative.
1048 Stanton Road, Suite D • Daphne • 251.621.1900 • synergyhomecare.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 69
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Springhill Medical Center SPRINGHILL MEDICAL CENTER IS A 263-BED ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL. SINCE 1975, SPRINGHILL’S GROWTH IN THE SOUTHWEST ALABAMA MARKET HAS BEEN REFLECTED IN ITS SURGICAL & COMPREHENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES. OUR UNIQUE HEART CENTER INCLUDES ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY & HEART CATH LABS, OPEN HEART SURGERY SUITES, & CARDIAC/PULMONARY THERAPY SERVICES ALL UNDER ONE ROOF.
Springhill is home to Mobile’s most experienced structural heart team offering the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure in Mobile. Soon to surpass the 300th TAVR milestone, Springhill Medical Center’s state-of-the-art hybrid Cath Lab has been the setting since 2012 for this advanced technology.
be performed today at Springhill Medical Center.
Dr. John M. Galla, FACC, FSCAI (above), an interventional cardiologist with Cardiology Associates and Dr. Terry C. Stelly, a cardiac surgeon with CardioThoracic and Vascular Surgical Associates, were the first in Mobile to perform this innovative procedure that continues to
Dr. Galla said the procedure is minimally invasive, typically requiring only an overnight stay in the hospital, and recovery time is such that patients are basically back to doing what they want almost instantaneously.
During the TAVR procedure, a patient with a calcified valve has it replaced via a tube placed in the leg, hence no need for open chest surgery. The typical result for a patient is a longer life where they feel much better.
He attributes the success of these hundreds of procedures to the talented structural heart team comprised of cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, SMC’s Cath Lab team and technology, as well as the great support staff of registered nurses and Valve center patient coordinators. As Mobile’s Heart Hospital, Springhill Medical Center supports physicians who seek to offer such life-saving procedures and state-of-the-art technology. Its mission is to be unmatched in quality where patients are concerned, especially when it comes to the prevention of the leading cause of death in America — heart disease.
3719 Dauphin Street • Mobile • 251.344.9630 • springhillmedicalcenter.com 70 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH GELINEAU
SPECIAL SECTION | LEADERS IN HEALTH
Bayside Orthopaedic BAYSIDE ORTHOPAEDIC SPORTS MEDICINE AND REHAB CENTER SPECIALIZES IN JOINT AND FRACTURE CARE, SPORTS MEDICINE AND PHYSICAL THERAPY THROUGHOUT THE BODY. OUR PROVIDERS ARE DEDICATED TO THE HIGHEST QUALITY MEDICAL CARE FOR THOSE WE SERVE.
What is your mission? Our purpose is to provide quality, stateof-the-art orthopaedic care to the whole patient, ministering to body, mind and spirit, being strongly motivated by the sanctity of life and for the pleasure and glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
What sets your practice apart? We have a dedicated team of physicians, mid-level providers, nurses and physical therapists that offer a range of specialties in the major areas of orthopaedic treatment including joint replacements, fracture care, regenerative medicine treatment, sports
medicine and physical therapy. Some of our specialized treatments include direct anterior hip procedures and robotic surgery. We are the first in Baldwin County to offer robotic-guided technology for knee and hip replacement surgery.
How do you make sure patients get the best care and results? Our patients trust that our highly-trained physicians and staff will provide personalized orthopaedic care based on their specific diagnosis. Our state-of-the-art facility offers the most effective and trusted equipment to ensure optimal results.
What contributes to your success? We work closely with each other and our community to provide the best care for our patients in all aspects of life. We collaborate with athletic coaches and trainers to protect athletes and avoid injury on and off the field, and are available to provide immediate care if injury does occur. We also encourage outreach and missions programs to extend our top-quality care not only to Baldwin County patients but to those in need throughout the world.
341 North Greeno Road • Fairhope • 251.928.2401 • baysideortho.com july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 71
PEOPLE | BAY LIFE
Night Fishing A poignant coming-of-age story reflects life on the Bay. text by TOMMY ATKINS
LEFT A confident school-aged Tommy Atkins, who spent his summers on the waters of the Bay. ABOVE Mattie Daves, or “Nana,” relaxes with Atkins as an infant on a Hollingers Island pier.
W
hen I was young, my grandparents T.B. and Mattie Daves — Papa and Nana to me — had a vacation cottage on Hollingers Island by the western shore of Mobile Bay. After school was out, I spent my summer months there, roaming barefoot and free. The shallow Bay waters and shoreline marshes were ideal for all kinds of fishing, but particularly for the kind I came to love most — fishing at night with net and gig. For years, I had longed to go out night fishing, but my grandparents weren’t convinced that I was quite big enough or strong enough or experienced enough to handle a gig without stabbing myself in the foot. Fi-
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nally, when I turned 8 in 1947, I was deemed ready. For me, it was both a rite of passage and a near mystical experience. On an evening with a full moon rising over the Bay, three of us waded into the water, Papa holding the kerosene lamp, his longtime friend and handyman Robert Barnes carrying the gigs and cast net, and I dragging a galvanized washtub tied to my waist. Papa was slender and fit for a man of 57, an age that seemed incredibly ancient to me. I had no idea how old Robert was. He had worked for my grandparents for as long as I could remember, and he was an expert weaver of cast nets and ghost stories. That night, we turned southward along the shore away from the pier, wading
through knee-deep water at the marsh’s edge. Bullbats swooped and flitted through the air, catching insects and emitting their hoarse, frog-like cries. The lights of several other floundering parties were visible along the shore. The Bay was very quiet, though, and sounds carried for long distances across the flat, shallow water — a heron’s solitary croak from the marsh grass or muffled shouts and laughter from children playing tag by the beach. Soon, a host of different fish of all sizes and shapes began to swarm around us, attracted to our light — catfish, pufferfish, croakers and countless minnows. Long, silvery needlefish darted past, hunting prey, while we studied the sandy bottom searching for circular im-
prints, signs of buried flounder. As we were making our way around a wide section of marsh, Robert said quietly, “Watch out.” We had blundered into the middle of a swarm of stingrays. When I saw the flat, barbed fish all around us, I froze for an instant, but Robert urged me to keep moving and reminded me to drag my feet across the bottom instead of lifting them, making sure I wouldn’t step on a stingray. A large black one glided directly in front of me, its fins at least 3 feet wide. I could see the sharp barbs imbedded in its thin, whip-like tail. But Robert and Papa showed no fear, so I couldn’t either and kept walking. The farther out we walked, the quieter it became. The playing children were eventually all called in to bed, and I wished all of my friends could have seen me then, staying out late with the adults. Over our heads, the sky arched like a vast, velvety black bowl dusted with stars. Once, I caught a glimpse of something bright reflected in the water and looked up to see it streak overhead through the darkness, passing across the night sky like a faint trail of sparks — a meteor, I supposed. But when I tried to point it out to Robert and Papa, the light in the sky had already gone. Papa gazed across the Bay. “Your grandma and I used to dance the merengue on the pier at the Grand Hotel.” I liked the word “merengue.” It sounded to me like the meringue in Nana’s lemon meringue pie. Robert pointed at something on the bottom caught in the light. At first, I couldn’t see anything. The flat, sand-colored flounders were hard to spot. Then I noticed a faint shape, a circular outline barely visible in the sand. We crept closer. Robert held out a gig to Papa. He took it but stood still for a moment. Then Papa turned and passed the gig to me. I knew this was my chance to prove myself. Gripping it tightly, I took a step nearer, and as the fish stirred and began to swim away, I hastily plunged the gig, trying to strike the top of the flat head, but I got
nervous and threw the gig to the left of the fish. I felt miserable, knowing that I had let Papa down. But before I could dwell very long on my failure, Robert speared the moving flounder neatly between the eyes and flipped it into the washtub where it thrashed briefly and then lay still, staring up at us with its dark little eyes. Then Robert nudged me and pointed toward another circular imprint in the sand. Taking the gig, I eased closer, telling myself not to be nervous or rushed. As the flounder took off, I thrust toward its head, and this time my gig found its mark. When I pulled the flounder out of the water, I saw that it was a big one. I could tell from their faces that Robert and Papa were pleased with me. I had passed the test. “Looks like a nice fat one,” Papa said. “Gonna taste delicious when your grandma cooks it.” Before long, we found another flounder, and I gigged it, too. At that instant, a school of mullet flashed past us on the edge of our light, and Robert quickly passed the cast net to Papa, who spread it across his right arm and gripped one corner in his teeth, and then in one effortless motion flung it far out toward the school so that the net billowed open to a full circle and splashed loudly in the water. When he and Robert dragged it back, the net was packed with a squirming mass of mullet. As they emptied the fish into the washtub, Robert said, “Ain’t lost your touch. No sir, not one bit.” Until that night, I’d never thought of Papa as anything except old; yet when he threw his cast net, he appeared to have shed years. I could almost imagine him and Nana together at the Grand Hotel, dancing the merengue. Robert handed the net to me to carry. “Your grandpa ever tell you ‘bout his magic trick?” “What trick?” “Makin’ fish jump right into his boat.” I slung the net over my shoulder, wondering about Papa’s magic trick and knowing that letting me carry the cast net was their way of saying I’d done all right tonight. I felt
a surge of pride, and I wanted to leap up and shout, but I kept quiet as we headed home. When our beach came into view, Robert whispered, “Uh-oh.” A figure was standing out on the end of our pier. “What do you boys think you’ve been doin’?” Nana’s tone of voice suggested that we were all in big trouble. Her Cairn Terrier, Quentin, was beside her, peering out at us. “What’re you doin’ up?” called out Papa. “Look at you two,” she said to them, “teaching the boy your bad habits. Pretty soon he’ll be just like you old rascals.” When I lifted the washtub up on the pier, Quentin scurried over and sniffed at the flounders. Nana couldn’t conceal the fact that she was impressed with our catch. “Well, hurry up. Get inside all of you,” she said. “I made some oyster soup.” Later that night, I was too agitated to sleep, so I slipped out of the house and sat on the front porch steps. Quentin came up beside me and nuzzled my hand with his cold nose until I scratched his head. His fur smelled of earth, like he’d been digging in the woods. I looked out at the still waters, amazed at how fast things could change. One day, I was only a kid following Robert as he mowed the lawn and then the next day I was staying out late with the men. I had been night fishing. It was as if I had stepped through a door into another place — I knew I was different — and it made me feel shaky and dizzy, like the world was speeding up. I didn’t quite know whether to laugh or be scared. I glanced up through the pines at the night sky, and at that moment saw something that made me hold my breath. Little streaks of light were falling down the sky — a shower of meteors was flashing by overhead, and in an instant they had vanished. You had to have looked quickly to see them at all. MB Tommy Atkins, a Murphy High alumnus, spent much of his childhood on Hollingers Island. A published playwright and author, his novels include “The Blue Man,” “Spirit of the Jaguar” and “The Bay Road.” He and his wife Mary Ellen now live in Florida.
july 2018 | mobilebaymag.com 73
HISTORY | ARCHIVES
A Mobile Classic Turns 70 “Remember Mobile” — a romantic, affectionate look at our past in prose and drawings — is a book still worth remembering. text by JOHN S. SLEDGE
T
hey were two very different men. The writer was a native Virginian who came to Mobile in 1930, and the artist was a Harvard-trained chaplain who had landed at Brookley Field while serving in the Army Air Corps. According to Caldwell Whistler, the latter’s son, Caldwell Delaney and Clark S. Whistler were “aware of each other’s talents if not exactly buddies.” Nonetheless, something sparked, and they decided to collaborate on a book about the pocketed coastal city they had both come to know. The result was a warm portrait in prose and drawings that celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. “Remember Mobile” is very much in the genre of romantic, localcolor books published during the 1930s and ’40s in other Southern cities. These volumes typically placed heavy emphasis on legend and story, with illustrations — usually watercolors or pen-and-ink sketches — that showcased architectural landmarks framed by familiar flora and foregrounded by quaint figures. They were more notable for their nostalgic tone than their scholarship, and their references to blacks are sometimes insensitive by modern standards. Despite these flaws, such books did much in their day to foster appreciation for historic architecture in their cities, and the historic preservation movement owes much to their influence. By the time he put pen to paper for “Remember Mobile,” Caldwell
ABOVE LEFT Caldwell Delaney, author of “Remember Mobile.” Courtesy of History Museum of Mobile. ABOVE RIGHT Clark S. Whistler, illustrator of “Remember Mobile.” Courtesy of Caldwell Whistler.
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Delaney was thoroughly embedded in the Port City’s distinctive culture and traditions. He was serving as the dean of the University Military School, where he taught a memorable local history course (future historian Walter Bellingrath Edgar was among his students); ran with a crowd that included Adelaide Marston Trigg, Eugene Walter and other Haunted Book Shop regulars; and was an enthusiastic antiquarian. His Black Belt rambles had already produced the 1941 edition of “Deep South,” an affectionate survey of Alabama plantation homes deftly illustrated by Frank Kearley. Whistler was less rooted because of his active military service and, in fact, did the “Remember Mobile” sketches from photographs while serving with the Army of Occupation in Germany. The Haunted Book Shop published the volume in 1948 to appropriate fanfare. The first edition is a glory. Weighing in at better than 3 pounds and measuring over 8-by-11 inches, it features a cream-colored, full-cloth cover, 242 Smyth-sewn high-rag content pages and beautifully clear print. Subsequent editions of “Remember Mobile,” in 1969 and 1980, are of lesser quality but did serve to keep the volume in circulation. Delaney knew how to turn a phrase. In his preface, he acknowledged that there are, in fact, many Mobiles. For some, especially tourists, he wrote, “Mobile is the flaming, neon-brilliant display of azaleas in the spring.” To others, it “is the expectancy that precedes a Mardi Gras parade, and the thrill of the grotesque torch shadows on ancient trees as the great lumbering floats pass by like visions of another world.” To harmonizers, the city “may suggest a tropical moon glimmering across black water,” with “pines silhouetted against the stars and great live oaks dropping their festoons of Spanish moss into the shadows,” and to the practical it “is an industrial center and seaport located at the head of Mobile Bay, 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and at the southern extremity of the Alabama-Tombigbee delta.” Clearly, Delaney recognized all of these Mobiles and knew how to evoke them. Given his tastes, Delaney was especially enamored by the city’s long colonial history. More than half of “Remember Mobile” expounds upon it in florid chapters such as “Days of Blood and Gold,” “The Lilies of France,” “Bienville’s Capital” and “The Castles of Spain.”
The author’s love of romance often clouded the historical reality, as when he wrote of Gov. Cadillac’s early 18th-century tenure: “For the first time in its young life, the capital of Louisiana began to look as well as feel a little like Paris. For Madame Cadillac and her daughters had brought with them the style of Paris as well as the furniture.” To be sure, Cadillac and his family enjoyed amenities unavailable to Mobile’s rude soldiers and coureurs de bois, but the city was no Paris. The book goes on to cover the early 19th century, the cotton boom and the Civil War, concluding with Reconstruction. In a short coda, Delaney highlighted a few enduring customs and a favorite old Mon Louis Island restaurant, alas gone. His descriptions of the gumbo, “platters of fried fish, shrimp creole, oysters creole, fried shrimp, stuffed crabs” and “thick black coffee” practically waft off the page. Throughout the book, Whistler’s wonderful sketches reinforce the romantic tone, even though they aren’t coordinated to the text and, with few exceptions, aren’t even mentioned. They are there rather for effect. For example, an illustration of the Admiral Semmes House on Government Street from
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1858 is placed in the chapter about 16th-century Spanish entradas. All of the buildings Whistler sketched existed when the book was produced, and many still do, such as Barton Academy, the BraggMitchell Mansion, Stewartfield and Washington No. 5 Firehouse. Unfortunately, others have succumbed to the wrecking ball, like a rustic trio of Creole cottages pictured cheek by jowl on a riverfront street. Whistler’s eye for architecture was superb. His sense of proportion was correct, and he precisely depicted historical ornamental details, even the exact number of window panes present in the sashes, which less disciplined or less observant illustrators rarely do. Overall, the artwork is as good as the prose, if not superior given Delaney’s occasional penchant for hyperbole. Because of its errors and insensitivities, “Remember Mobile” cannot be considered a reliable introduction to Mobile history. But it still has value as something of a period piece, an affectionate homage to a very special town. Copies of all three editions of “Remember Mobile” may be found online at sites like AbeBooks and Amazon. Of course, the original 1948 edition is the one to own. MB
John S. Sledge is the author of “Coursing the Furrowed Blue: A Maritime History of the Gulf,” to be published in 2019 by the University of South Carolina Press.
ABOVE A typical page showing the book’s attractive design. FAR LEFT The Staples House, 1852. This house still stands at 1614 Old Shell Road. Courtesy of History Museum of Mobile. NEAR LEFT John Craft House, 1855. Corner of Conti and Jackson Streets. Courtesy of History Museum of Mobile.
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JULY / AUGUST 2018 ON STAGE & EXHIBITS PG. 80 • AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS PG. 82
ALABAMA DEEP SEA FISHING RODEO
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
[ JULY HIGHLIGHTS]
through december 28
july 3 - 4
july 3
Bienville Bites Food Tour
Grand Bay Watermelon Festival
Independence Day Street Party
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sample some of the best bites and historic stories that seven local restaurants have to offer in the 1.4 mile stretch of the LoDa Stroll tour. Tickets: $55.
3 - 7 p.m. July 3. 8 a.m - 4 p.m. July 4. Spend both days enjoying food, arts and crafts and rides, and on July 4, get free watermelon! Admission to the festival: free on July 3, $5 per vehicle on July 4.
DOWNTOWN MOBILE BIENVILLEBITESFOODTOUR.COM
ODD FELLOWS FESTIVAL PARK GRANDBAYWATERMELONFESTIVAL.ORG
5 - 9 p.m. Street Party. 8:45 p.m. Fireworks display. Get the red, white, and blue party started early with fireworks, live entertainment, kids activities, giveaways, a sound and light show and more at The Wharf. Admission is free. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
To have your event included in the online or print edition of Mobile Bay Magazine, email calendar@pmtpublishing.com. 78 mobilebaymag.com | july 2018
july 4 Fireworks on the Fantail 7:30 - 10 p.m. Celebrate the nation’s birthday with a fundraiser at the USS Alabama. The festivities include a fireworks show from the decks. Tickets: adults, $50; children, $25. USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP MEMORIAL PARK USSALABAMA.COM
july 4 Fairhope’s Fourth of July Festival and Fireworks Display 6:30 p.m. Baldwin Pops concert. 9 p.m. Fireworks display. Enjoy patriotic music before and during the fireworks display. DOWNTOWN FAIRHOPE • COFAIRHOPE.COM
july 4 July 4th Celebration Wish the USA a happy birthday under the sun with an infamous bikini contest and fireworks from the Flora-Bama. FLORA-BAMA LOUNGE, PACKAGE AND OYSTER BAR • FLORABAMA.COM
july 10 - 15 Blue Marlin Grand Championship Watch spectacular blue marlin come in at weigh-ins on Friday and Saturday after a week’s worth of fishing festivities and other activities. THE WHARF BLUEMARLINGRANDCHAMPIONSHIP.COM
july 14 Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament Anglers 15 years and younger take a chance at reeling in a winning catch in one of 31 categories. DAUPHIN ISLAND • ADSFR.COM
july 20 - 22 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo It’s time again for the world’s largest fishing tournament. Head to Dauphin Island to see the big ones come in off the boats. Categories include tarpon, king mackerel and speckled trout. DAUPHIN ISLAND • ADSFR.COM
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MOBILE MUSEUM OF ART, “DO IT”
[ON STAGE & EXHIBITS]
ongoing Water’s Extreme Journey Take an in-depth look at the water cycle with hands-on activities that make participants feel as though they are drops of water. GULF COAST EXPLOREUM • EXPLOREUM.COM
through july 1 “do it” The Mobile Museum of Art is giving local artists, individuals and community groups the opportunity to participate in the “do it” competition that originated in Paris in 1993. As part of the competition, participants interpret and complete selected works out of 250+ possible instructions. MOBILE MUSEUM OF ART MOBILEMUSEUMOFART.COM
through july 22 Crazy for the Red, White & Blue: The Art of Celebrating History Relish everything red, white, blue and botanical with collaborative events from the Mobile Museum of Art and Mobile Botanical Gardens. MOBILE MUSEUM OF ART MOBILEMUSEUMOFART.COM
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JASON ALDEAN
through august 26 Ice Age Imperials Travel 20,000 years into the past to explore the animals that inhabited Earth. MUSEUM OF MOBILE • MUSEUMOFMOBILE.COM
july 20 - 22, 27 - 29, august 3 5 “The Skin of Our Teeth“ 7:30 p.m. F / Sa., 2:30 p.m. Su. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play features George and Maggie Anthrobus, their perfect children and their vampire maid. Tickets: $18. THEATRE 98 • THEATRE98.ORG
july 20 - 22, 27 - 29, august 3 - 5, 10 - 12 “Cinderella“ 7:30 p.m. F / Sa., 2:30 p.m. Su. The rags-to-riches classic gets an original musical twist. Tickets: $14 / $16. THE PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK PLAYHOUSEINTHEPARK.ORG
july 23 - 27 Gulf State Park Shark Week Head out to the park for games, activities, crafts and education about all things sharks. GULF STATE PARK • ALAPARK.COM
july 26 Jason Aldean 7:30 p.m. The entertainer brings his unique brand of country music to The Wharf. Tickets: $62 and up. THE WHARF • ALWHARF.COM
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BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME
[AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS]
august 4 Commemoration of the Battle of Mobile Bay 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Remember the historic Battle of Mobile Bay as Fort Morgan comes to life with reenactments. FORT MORGAN • FORT-MORGAN.ORG
august 4 154th Battle of Mobile Bay Commemorative Day 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Festivities honoring the Battle of Mobile Bay include blacksmith demonstrations, the firing of the cannons and more. FORT GAINES • DAUPHINISLAND.ORG
august 6 Founder’s Day / Mr. Bellingrath’s Birthday Celebration 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. In honor of Mr. Bellingrath’s birthday, admission to the gardens is free to Mobile and Baldwin County residents. BELLINGRATH GARDENS AND HOME BELLINGRATH.ORG
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FORT MIMS REENACTMENT. PHOTO BY JOHN NELSON
august 10 - 12, 17 - 19, 24 - 26 “Mamma Mia” 7:30 p.m. F. / Sa., 2 p.m. Su. Relive the original musical in time for the film’s sequel, in theaters this summer. Tickets: $10, $15, $20. JOE JEFFERSON PLAYERS JOEJEFFERSONPLAYERS.COM
august 10 - 12, 17 - 19, 24 - 26 “My Fair Lady” 7:30 p.m. F. / Sa., 2 p.m. Su. Henry Higgins’ transformation of Eliza Doolittle comes to life in this Broadway classic. CHICKASAW CIVIC THEATRE • CCTSHOWS.COM
august 25 Dauphin Street Beer Festival 6 - 9 p.m. Sample microbrews and imports from various local restaurants. DOWNTOWN MOBILE SPECIALEVENTSMOBILE.ORG
august 25 - 26 Fort Mims Reenactment & Living History 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Learn about the pivotal role that Fort Mims played in the War of 1812. FORT MIMS • FORTMIMS.ORG
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HISTORY | ASK MCGEHEE
What’s the history of the building on Broad Street that once housed the Red Cross? text by TOM MCGEHEE
In July of 1947, the building on the southeast corner of Broad and Dauphin streets opened its doors as Delaney’s Inc. It was built to house a car dealership, a gasoline station and an appliance store, as well as space for offices and storage. For weeks prior to the opening, Edgar “Bill” Delaney bombarded Mobilians with advertisements on billboards, the radio and in the newspaper, advising them to “Watch for the Opening of Delaney’s!” Ads also noted that there would be a raffle for a new washing machine and that every customer purchasing five gallons of gasoline would receive six “water glasses.”
A Grand Opening The grand opening brought an estimated 10,000 visitors. Large windows displayed DeSotos and Plymouths at one end while the remainder showcased employees demonstrating the latest washing machines, vacuum cleaners and electric ranges. The gas pumps had a steady line of customers who purchased 15,000 gallons of gasoline and took home 17,000 drinking glasses. Bill Delaney started out as a bookkeeper for Stephen Quigley’s tire store on lower Government Street in the late 1920s. Mr. Quigley later moved to St. Louis Street, where he added refrigerators and a variety of radios to his tire inventory. By the mid-1940s, Delaney had ventured out on his own and was operating several businesses. Delaney Specialty Co. was selling appliances out of a building at 756 Government St., which also housed
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ABOVE This photo from a news clipping, which still hangs in the current Delaney Development, Inc. office, dates to Christmas of 1950, when a giant Santa Claus figurine towered beside the DeSoto window display.
an assortment of his businesses including commercial refrigeration, electrical contracting, plumbing and butane supply. Additionally, he operated two gas stations, one at 401 Government St. and one in Prichard. He obtained the southeast corner of Broad and Dauphin to house his DeSoto / Plymouth dealership. By 1947, Mr. Delaney had narrowed his operations down to Delaney’s Inc. with a staff of 200 employees. Mobilians were hungry for new appliances and cars, which had been nonexistent during World War II.
Westward Shift Delaney’s lasted a little over a decade. In 1950, during a trip to Dallas, Bill Delaney noticed the novelty of suburban
shopping centers, and by 1958 had begun construction on Springdale Plaza. His Broad Street operation dwindled down to just selling appliances. When the sprawling shopping center opened its doors in 1959, the building on Broad Street briefly housed a Rambler dealership. Delaney’s appliance business moved to Springdale, joining 33 other businesses surrounded by a parking lot capable of holding more than 3,000 vehicles. By 1970, the Red Cross had moved its operations into Bill Delaney’s former showrooms, where it would remain for some 30 years. After standing vacant for more than a decade, restoration plans are finally developing for this reminder of a booming postwar Mobile. MB
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END PIECE | IN LIVING COLOR
Young Oyster Tongers, 1911 Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine, courtesy Library of Congress, National Child Labor Committee Colorization by Dynamichrome Limited
The caption card associated with this 1911 photograph from the National Child Labor Committee Collection (NCLC) reads: “Fred, a young oyster fisher, working on an oyster boat in Mobile Bay, the Reef, near Bayou La Batre, said he was 14, but not likely.” A photographer for the NCLC, Lewis Wickes Hine was instrumental in changing child labor laws in the U.S. The Wisconsin native’s job was often dangerous, and he was known to don many disguises to avoid the wrath of factory police or foremen. Hine posed as a postcard vendor, Bible salesman, fire inspector and sometimes an industrial photographer who claimed to be documenting machinery. Hine has been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame.
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