Hoover Sun November 2015 by Starnes Media

Sun Neighborly news & entertainment for Hoover

Volume 4 | Issue 2 | November 2015

DISCOVER THE MANY REASONS HOMEOWNERS ARE GIVING THANKS THIS holiday season. AV

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AT THE LIMIT

See page B4

Sight on success

Students eat lunch at Deer Valley Elementary, which is at about 108 percent capacity. Photo by Frank Couch.

Football coach Josh Niblett hits 100-win mark at Hoover, but it’s a fear of failure that drives him.

See page B14

INSIDE City......................... A6 Business............... A12 School House..... A22 Community.........A28

Sports................... B14 Real Estate.......... B21 Calendar.............. B22

Rezoning a pressing issue for schools at or past capacity By JON ANDERSON If anyone knows about the need to redraw Hoover school attendance zones, it’s Principal Wayne Richardson of Deer Valley Elementary School. Deer Valley added about 35 students over the past year, pushing enrollment to about 885, which school system officials say is 108 percent

of capacity. Due to grade configurations, Richardson said he had to add three classrooms over this past summer, and with more houses being built in his school zone, he expects to have to add at least two more next year. Deer Valley has only two rooms left to add students, he said. A guidance counselor is using one, and the other is being used to store extra furniture, he said.

“We’re overcrowded … We are very, very tight,” Richardson said. “It’s kind of important that something happens.” That’s one reason Hoover school officials were trying to come up with a rezoning plan to redistribute children among schools a year ago, and why new Superintendent Kathy Murphy has

See CAPACITY | page A30

Marine’s death inspires parents to serve others

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George and Marynell Winslow have fond memories of their son, Ryan Winslow, a Marine who was killed in Iraq 9½ years ago. Photo by Frank Couch.

It has been almost 10 years since Hoover native Ryan Winslow was killed by a bomb in Iraq, but the pain of losing him is still all too real for his parents, George and Marynell Winslow. They still vividly remember the day in April 2006 when two Marines in green uniforms came to their door to inform them their 19-year-old son

had been killed just three weeks into a seven-month tour in Iraq. Ryan was one of three scouts for the 2nd Tank Battalion killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Marynell said she gave the two Marines who came to her home a hard time, telling them they must have come

See WINSLOW | page A31

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A2 • November 2015

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A4 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

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Hoover High School cheerleaders charge onto the field during an Oct. 9 game against Tuscaloosa County. Photo by Barry Stephenson.

Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell Editor’s Note Normally, I write this note each month focused on the content inside the pages you’re about to read. However, this month I’m preoccupied with thoughts of my own family. I have a wonderful grandfather. Aside from sharing a name – Sidney and Sydney – some of the best memories of my childhood include him. He was always encouraging me to be adventurous and inquisitive, while also being someone I could look up to. He served in the Air Force, traveled the world, bicycled across states and always looked cool on his motorcycle.

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Now in his 80s, my grandfather’s health recently took a downward turn, so I returned to Tennessee to visit him and my grandmother for a weekend. His face lit up the way it does every time he sees me. We could have talked about how he was feeling or the things he’s now unable to do, but we didn’t. We sat out in the driveway with my father and talked about the places he’s gone and the marathons he’s run. He offered to train me if I wanted to run one, too. When he got tired, we went inside and watched TV together. I know

Dan Starnes Sydney Cromwell Kristin Williams David Knox Cameron Tipton Ana Good Erica Techo Jon Anderson Emily Featherston Lucy Ridolphi Louisa Jeffries Andrew Anderson Matthew Allen Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith James Plunkett Kari Kampakis Rick Watson Leah Ingram Eagle Marienne Thomas Ogle Steve Irvine Rachel Burchfield Chris Megginson Jesse Chambers Grace Thornton Frank Couch Sam Chandler

that when my grandfather is gone, that’s going to be one of the memories I come back to – sitting in the sun, just enjoying each other’s company. Everyone’s been told before to treasure time with their loved ones and hold on to the memories. You and I already know that. But I could have chosen to let my busy life take precedence and stayed here in Birmingham – I almost gave into the thought ‘There’s always another weekend.’ If I had, I would have missed out on that visit with my grandfather. I’m so glad I didn’t.

Sun Contact Information: Hoover Sun PO Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253 (205) 313-1780 dan@hooversun.com

Please submit all articles, information and photos to: sydney@starnespublishing.com P.O. Box 530341 Birmingham, AL 35253

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For advertising contact: dan@hooversun.com Legals: The Hoover Sun is published monthly.

Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without prior permission is prohibited. The Hoover Sun is designed to inform the Hoover community of area school, family and community events. Information in the Hoover Sun is gathered from sources considered reliable but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All articles/photos submitted become the property of the Hoover Sun. We reserve the right to edit articles/ photos as deemed necessary and are under no obligation to publish or return photos submitted. Inaccuracies or errors should be brought to the attention of the publisher at (205) 313-1780 or by email.

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November 2015 • A5

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A6 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

City Brookwood FED nears finish

Driver’s Licenses

Revenue

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Driver’s License queue

The finishing touches are being put on the 24-hour Brookwood freestanding emergency department (FED) set to open at the corner of Alabama 119 and U.S. 280. The building, made distinctive by the two Brookwood blue canopies that mark the ER and radiology department entrances, will have 12 private rooms for emergency patients and a full suite of diagnostic radiology tools. There will also be a trauma room, pharmacy and behavioral outfit rooms. Patients will be brought immediately into one of the emergency rooms and treatment tools will be brought to them. “I’m impressed with it because I was with it from the very beginning when it was just moving dirt,” Administrative Director Conrad Brown said. “I’m very happy with it and pleased with the way we’re headed, and it’s going to be state of the art.” Despite a rain delay early on, Medical Director Jim McLester said the site is “progressing nicely” toward completion. Brookwood has already hired around 50 people to staff the FED, who are currently going through orientation and preparing for move-in day. A widening project on 119 is underway to provide more lanes for additional traffic, and the FED will have entrances from both highways. There will be an ambulance at the facility around the clock and a helipad for patient transport. “The level of care that we can provide with doctors here, present, 24/7 … is far above and beyond what anybody offers before you get to Grandview,” McLester said. As the only emergency department in north Shelby County, Brown said he is excited about “providing a service to the community that was not here at all before us.”

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Existing Sidewalk

Entrance New Sidewalk

New Sidewalk

The satellite office will have 16 windows and separate queues to serve a variety of license and registration needs. Rendering courtesy of Travis Hulsey.

County satellite office sets opening date By SYDNEY CROMWELL Above: The emergency department lobby (shown under construction) will have 12 private rooms for emergency patients to receive treatments. There is also a pharmacy and diagnostic radiology wing in the FED. The Brookwood FED is under construction at the corner of Highway 119 and U.S. 280. It is expected to open at the end of November. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

Progress at the Jefferson County satellite office in Hoover has been slow, but the end is in sight. County Department of Revenue Director Travis Hulsey said he hopes to see the office open for business on Nov. 2. The satellite office, located in Hoover Court Town Center on U.S. 31, received its certificate of occupancy at the end of September, as it was originally scheduled to open in October. However, Hulsey said there are remaining installations of glass and security features, as well as furniture and equipment. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) has also been delayed in installing driver’s license stations. Hulsey said that depending on the final opening date, the satellite office may hold a grand opening without the stations in place. When finished, the satellite office will have 16 windows — 13 for vehicle tags, title registrations and boat renewals, two for driver’s license renewals and one for business license renewals. There will be separate queues for driver’s licenses and other services.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A7

The U.S. Steel-owned land is located near Interstate 459 and Preserve Parkway. Although the land is already zoned for apartments, the city turned down a subdivision plan on the grounds that it was incomplete. Map courtesy of city of Hoover.

Ofﬁcials reject apartment plan Planning commission: US Steel’s bid for housing along I-459 incomplete By JON ANDERSON

for the apartment buildings. David Stovall, an engineer representing U.S. U.S. Steel has 140 acres along Interstate 459 Steel, said his client would be happy to install that it wants to sell for apartment development, whatever turn lanes and guardrails city officials but the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commis- deemed necessary. sion on Oct. 12 denied the company’s subdiviHe said U.S. Steel already has Corps of sion plan. Engineers approval to reroute 6,600 feet of U.S. Steel was proposing to divide the prop- the stream on the property through pipes. erty, located on the southeast side of Interstate However, that permit is set to expire soon, and 459 between Preserve Parkway and the Patton U.S. Steel now has new designs that would Creek shopping center, into three lots that could have much less environmental impact on the hold up to 820 apartments. stream, he said. Most of that land has been zoned for apartBilly Silver, an executive for U.S. Steel, ments for many years, Hoover planning consul- declined to comment after the meeting, referring tant Bob House said. all questions to the company’s public relations Plans submitted to the city, if they had office. been approved, would have allowed for 270 Numerous Hoover residents commented on apartments on the first 40-acre lot, 200 apart- Facebook about how a large new apartment ments on a 32-acre lot and 350 apartments on complex like this would have a negative impact a 58-acre lot, assison the Hoover school tant city engineer system, adding many Chris Reeves said. students. A proposed road Planning commisIt’s our job to make sure that would start at sioner Sammy Harris if residents come into Preserve Parkway said he had heard and stretch all the about those concerns the city, we provide a way through the but they did not school for them. property would have factor into his vote CRAIG KELLEY taken up 10.5 acres, to deny U.S. Steel’s Reeves said. request. Pate said the But the Hoover same. Planning and Zoning Commission voted unani“It’s zoned for apartments. There’s nothing I mously to deny U.S. Steel’s request. can do about that,” Pate said. Hoover Councilman John Lyda, who is the Hoover school board President Derrick council’s representative on the planning com- Murphy and school board member Craig Kelley mission, made the motion to deny U.S. Steel’s both were present at the planning commission request, based on comments from the city meeting. Kelley thanked Harris for his vote engineer and what he deemed an incomplete afterward, but both Kelley and Murphy said application. they were present mostly for informational At least two other planning commissioners purposes. said it appeared U.S. Steel was not fully ready “It’s our job to make sure if residents come to bring its request forward. into the city, we provide a school for them,” City Engineer Rodney Long noted that Kelley said. U.S. Steel does not yet have approval from School officials have to keep up with prothe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make posed developments so they can properly plan adjustments to a streambed that runs through to accommodate students, Murphy said. the property in the way that U.S. Steel plans Stovall said U.S. Steel is aware of the difficulto do it. ties associated with developing the site in quesHoover Executive Director Allen Pate, who tion and the history of problems downstream at also sits on the planning commission, said U.S. Paradise Lake. U.S. Steel is committed to utilize Steel also was only seeking Corps of Engi- measures necessary for good erosion control, he neers approval for the proposed road and did said. not show on its plans where actual apartment The part of this property nearest the proposed buildings and access roads to those buildings entrance off Preserve Parkway formerly was would be. used as an underground coalmine, Stovall said. The city’s engineering staff said they wanted No dwellings would be built on top of that land, to see additional guardrails along the proposed but that land could hold parking areas and a roadroad and right-turn lanes into the parking areas way, he said.

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A8 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Mayor’s Minute By Gary Ivey

all is such a fun and busy time of year! Many people are enjoying high school and college football, as well as lots of outdoor activities and tailgating. One outdoor event you want to be sure and save the date for is the annual Moss Rock Festival held on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7 and 8. You can visit its website at mossrockfestival.com for a complete list of details about the festival. This is a great family event for all ages. The City of Hoover is pleased to welcome our second freestanding emergency department located at the corner of Alabama119 and U.S. 280. This facility will be open 24 hours a day and will be a welcome addition to a very congested and busy part of town. A ribbon cutting will be held mid-November,

and the doors will be open to the public. City officials and staff are here to serve you so please don’t hesitate to call City Hall at 4447500 or visit our website at hooveralabama.gov for details on services, events or just general information. We will continue to try and exceed your expectations! Sincerely,

Gary Ivey Mayor

Gary Ivey

Bluff Park students learn about local environment needs Bluff Park Elementary School first-graders took a trip to the Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham-Southern College. The director of the Southern Environmental Center, Roald Hazelhoff, taught students how to protect and improve their local environment. Photo courtesy of Amanda Briscoe.

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November 2015 • A9

Rusty Lowe, executive ofﬁcer for the Hoover Fire Department, demonstrates how to use a bleeding control kit to save lives. Photo by Jon Anderson.

Preparing for the worst, city mulls lifesaving tool Health advocates propose placing bleeding control kits in public places By JON ANDERSON

Fire Department instructions on how to stop bleeding

It’s very common to see automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public buildings these days to help treat cardiac arrest, and now doctors 280living.com/topics/video http://hooversun.com/news/surgeons-firstand first responders are pushing for people to add responders-push-for-new-tools-to-stop/ more lifesaving tools in public places. About 50 fire, police and corporate officials gathered at the Hoover Public Safety Center all personnel carry tourniquets and hemostatic in September to hear the latest public safety dressing materials to stop bleeding, Bosarge said. They found that the death rate from extremity recommendations. Hemorrhage — or bleeding — accounts for bleeding dropped tremendously, he said. Now, medical personnel want to provide those 40 percent of all trauma deaths, so the medical community is now advocating putting bleeding resources to the general public in hopes that even more lives can be saved by bystanders before control kits right alongside those AEDs. Common tools in the kits include combat professional medical help can arrive. Mo Canady, executive director of the National gauze used to pack wounds, gloves, shears and a tourniquet to stop the flow of blood through Association of School Resource Officers, said it’s important for police and school officials to veins or arteries. The push for these tools was spurred by the get on board with this effort. “It’s critical we make increase in intentional sure we’re equipping our mass-casualty events folks with the right tools such as the Boston and right materials to Marathon bombing This is something deal with that,” Canady and mass shootings in said. schools, theaters and that need to be taken Spain Park High shopping malls, said seriously, and it needs School in Hoover Rusty Lowe, executive installed bleeding conofficer for the Hoover to be addressed here trol kits with its AEDs, Fire Department. in our state. ... I’m and the Hoover school It’s becoming more confident the public system plans to put kits common to have many in all of its schools, people wounded in sitcan do this. Canady said. uations where it takes The bleeding control time to get professional kits help not only in medical personnel on the scene. Some simple actions to stop bleeding mass shootings or other intentional acts to cause can make a world of difference in saving some- harm, but also in natural disasters and industrial one’s life, said Dr. Patrick Bosarge, a trauma accidents, Bosarge said. They also come in handy when dealing with elderly patients who surgeon at UAB Hospital. Bosarge, who has military experience, said the sometimes bleed more easily, he said. “I believe this is going to help people,” BosaU.S. military did studies that found 15 percent of deaths in the field were preventable. Many rge said. “This is something that needs to be soldiers were bleeding to death unnecessarily, taken seriously, and it needs to be addressed here in our state … I’m confident the public can he said. The military in 2005 started mandating that do this.”

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A10 • November 2015

Mayor presents $346,000 in BP funds to area schools By JON ANDERSON Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey recently presented the Hoover school system a check for nearly $346,000 — money the city received from a lawsuit settlement with BP Corp. over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The city actually received $408,095 from BP, but $61,214 was used to cover attorney fees and expenses, according to a settlement statement provided by the city. BP set aside $1 billion for municipalities out of an $18.7 billion settlement agreement with the U.S. government and ﬁve states affected by the oil spill. Hoover attorney Charlie Waldrep said more than 400 cities took part in the settlement, with each city’s allocation determined by a formula established by an appointed three-person panel. Birmingham’s portion was about $1 million, while Jefferson County received about $500,000, Waldrep said. Ivey said city ofﬁcials decided to give the money to the Hoover school system because the city had not budgeted to receive it and the school system is having some budget problems. “This was kind of a windfall for us,” Ivey said. The Hoover school board in September passed a 2016 budget with expenditures exceeding

Cars drive along Grants Mill Road, which will be the subject of a multi-jurisdictional study to relieve trafﬁc on U.S. 280. Photo by Keith McCoy.

Council green lights Grants Mill Road study By JON ANDERSON

Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey presents a check for $345,881 to the Hoover school system during a Hoover City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 21, 2015. Receiving the check were Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy and school board members Derrick Murphy, Earl Cooper and Craig Kelley. Photo by Jon Anderson.

revenues by $10.4 million — the latest in a string of budget deficits. Even though $346,000 is a small portion of the school system’s budget woes, “every nickel counts when you’re talking about education,” school board President Derrick Murphy said. “Any time our city leaders and mayor give money from the city, thinking about the school system, it’s a wonderful thing.” Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy, who began as superintendent in June, said she felt very uncomfortable presenting a $10.4 million budget deficit to the school board for approval and will be working diligently to find ways to cut expenses and increase revenues.

“We very clearly understand you can’t continue to dig into your reserves over an extended period of time,” Murphy said. “You just can’t run a $10 million deficit for almost every year over 10 years without a huge impact.” Murphy said she met with all of the school system’s top central office staff and challenged them to come up with ideas to cut costs and increase revenues and looks forward to hearing their thoughts and ideas. Grants are a potential source of new revenue, but grants typically are for the short term, Murphy said. The school system needs ideas to help stabilize the budget for the long term, she said. “It’s not going to be a quick fix,” she said.

The Hoover City Council on Oct. 5 voted to partner with five other cities, Jefferson and Shelby counties and the Birmingham Water Works Board to pay for a study to find a way to realign Grants Mill Road and take traffic off U.S. 280. Birmingham is paying the bulk of the cost for the study — up to $560,000 — while Hoover, Irondale, Leeds, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Jefferson County, Shelby County and the Birmingham Water Works each would pay $60,000, according to a cost-sharing agreement being considered by each entity. The goal of the study is to look at alternate routes for Grants Mill Road between Alabama 119 and Interstate 459 and pick a preferred route to pull some traffic off the often-congested U.S. 280. The current Grants Mill Road is a narrow two-lane road about six miles east of U.S. 280 that winds from Alabama 119 to Interstate 20 and U.S. 78 in Irondale. Officials from numerous governments want to look at multiple alternate corridors, each about 1,000 feet wide, and find the most suitable one that can move traffic at 55 mph. Birmingham would assume responsibility for management of the study. Hoover Councilman John Lyda applauded Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey for bringing the project to the council. He said this is probably the first time in his lifetime he has seen so much regional cooperation by so many municipalities and governmental entities.

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November 2015 • A11

Chamber

Palmer: Budget most critical hurdle U.S. Representative from Hoover weighs in on economy, reform during luncheon By JON ANDERSON A leadership transition has made the U.S. House of Representatives look like “absolute chaos,” but Washington is “not as messed up as you might think,” U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce at its October luncheon. Palmer, a resident of Hoover, was speaking to about 190 people at a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Wynfrey Hotel. As Republicans grappled over who would become the next Speaker of the House following the resignation of John Boehner (R-Ohio) the debate was not about personalities or even policy, Palmer said. It was about process. A group of conservatives called the Freedom Caucus has been pushing for the House to decentralize power from the hands of a few to the rankand-file members. That involves having bills originate with House members in committees and work their way up to the main floor, where the full House can debate the merits of bills and offer amendments on the floor. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, but “that’s not what’s been happening,” Palmer said. Instead, special interest groups are writing bills, and the House has been voting to limit debate and provide no opportunity for amendments on the House floor, he said. With limited debate, Congressmen aren’t able to fully understand the implications of bills and are in some cases voting on bills they have not been able to read, he said. “We’ve got to stop this.” Despite what some people may say, “there are some incredibly bright people that people around the country have sent to Washington,” Palmer

Rep. Gary Palmer speaks to the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce during an October luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham - The Wynfrey Hotel. Photo by Jon Anderson.

said. They’re working on key issues, including balancing the budget, opening up foreign markets to U.S. oil and reducing government regulation, he said. This year, for the first time in six to eight years, Congress passed a budget that would bring the budget in balance in nine years and provide for a surplus in the 10th year, said Palmer, who

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serves on the House budget committee. He believes the budget is the most critical issue that Congress faces right now. “We’re setting ourselves on a path to get our fiscal path in order and secure the future of this country,” he said. The House on Oct. 9 took a significant step with U.S. energy policy, voting to repeal a

40-year-old ban on exporting crude oil, Palmer said. “We’re the only nation in the world with a self-imposed ban on exporting crude oil,” he said. That’s despite the fact that there are 3 trillion barrels of untapped oil reserves in the western U.S. — more oil than the entire world has ever consumed, oil industry leaders say. If the United States could begin exporting that oil, it could bring in $29 billion in new government revenues next year and $1.3 trillion over 15 years, and create more than 960,000 jobs, Palmer said. Another issue Palmer is pushing is regulatory reform. Government regulations cost the U.S. economy more than $2 trillion last year, which is more than $15,000 per household, he said. That has a disproportionate impact on families with low and fixed incomes, he said. Plus, “it’s a drain on the economy. It only suppresses revenue,” Palmer said. In 2008, there were 100,000 more new companies forming than closing, and last year, there were 70,000 more companies closing than opening, Palmer said. “The single biggest reason people are not expanding businesses or starting businesses is the regulatory environment,” he said. He is talking with other Congressmen about forming small task forces to get rid of obsolete and duplicate regulations and simplify those that need to stay, he said. If the federal government could reduce regulatory costs by 20 percent, that would put more than $400 million a year back into the economy, Palmer said.

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HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A13

Now Open The Allstate Bowlin-Smith Agency is now open at 160 Inverness Corners. The agency offers a full line of insurance through Allstate. 672-8570, agents.allstate.com/kelly-bowlin-birmingham-al.html

Kirkland’s is now open inside the Riverchase Galleria, 2000 Riverchase Galleria. 560-2288, kirklands.com

Coming Soon

appointed to the Alabama Society of Certiﬁed Public Accountants’ life insurance committee and disability and benevolence committee, respectively. 982-5565, bmss.com

Hirings and Promotions Pye Parson has joined e21 Realty, 100 Concourse Parkway, Suite 135, as a Realtor specializing in residential real estate sales. 989-7215, e21realty.com

Sweetspire Gardens will open Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2142 Tyler Road in Bluff Park. The garden store offers quality plants, landscape and garden supplies and horticulture expertise. www.sweetspiregardens.com

Medical West has hired Stephen Gould, MD, as an orthopedic surgeon and director of sports medicine at the new Hoover Health Center, located at the freestanding emergency department at 5310 Medford Drive. 820-8440, medicalwesthospital.org

News and Accomplishments

Anniversaries

CruiseShipCenter, 270 4 Expedia Doug Baker Boulevard, Suite 500, has been named as a finalist for the Birmingham Business Alliance’s Small Business of the Year award. 437-3354, cruiseshipcenters.com/en-US/ GreystoneAL/home Rik Lazenby, owner of Lazenby’s Decorative Arts Studio, 571 Park Ave., has been elected vice president of the International Decorative Artisans League, a multinational nonprofit organization of muralists, faux finishers, stencilers and related areas of decorative finishing. He will serve on the board of directors for three years. 281-5273, lazenbydecorativeart.com

The Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith accounting and business advisory firm, 1121 Riverchase Office Road, has been named on Accounting Today’s 2015 list of the 100 “best accounting firms to work for.” Also, John Shank and Don Murphy have been

Carpet Warehouse, 2711 Alabama 150, celebrated its 20th anniversary. The store, owned by Tim and Tracy Lanier, specializes in carpet and ﬂooring services. 989-5678, carpetwhse.com

Greystone Shell gas station and convenience store, 5408 U.S. 280, is celebrating its second anniversary in November. 802-7500

Haute Couture, 4524 Southlake Parkway, Suite 5, is celebrating its second anniversary in November. 403-4005

The Neighborhood Brew, 5184 Caldwell Mill Road, Suite 206, is celebrating its second anniversary in November. 980-7445, theneighborhoodbrew.com

Closings

Dancer’s Image, 4524 Southlake Parkway, Suite 3, has closed.

Business news

to share? Now Open Coming Soon

Relocation Expansion Anniversary

If you are in a brick and mortar business in Hoover and want to share your event with the community, let us know.

Sun

Email dan@hooversun.com

Hoover Sun

A14 • November 2015

Making connections: By ROY L. WILLIAMS As a longtime mortgage banker, Trey Horton of InterLinc Mortgage Services knows that making connections through networking is essential to success. Horton, who has taught classes on business networking, decided two years ago to create a nonprofit organization to utilize tips he had gained from attending networking sessions. The result was iRefer Vestavia/Hoover, which has met weekly since November 2013 and now has a core group of more than two dozen members. iRefer Vestavia/Hoover has weekly Tuesday morning meetings at Pump House Conference Center, 4012 Sicard Hollow Road, in Cahaba Heights. On the fourth Tuesday of each month, the group instead holds a social networking evening meeting at area restaurants. Horton said he came up with the concept based on years of attending networking sessions, both good and bad. He said in today’s competitive business world, networking is essential. iRefer focuses on providing a positive, supportive and structured environment where professionals can meet and get to know each other without the stress of continual sales pitches, Horton said. “We offer members a chance to share ideas, contacts and business referrals in a relaxed environment once a week,” he said. “We also educate members new to business networking on how to go to other events, make the best use of their time and build relationships that further their business.” One of the keys to its success, Horton said, is that iRefer Vestavia/Hoover is a very diverse group, focusing on getting a variety of professions involved. “Passing referrals on builds relationships, and we show members how to do it right,” Horton said. “We welcome visitors. There is no sales pressure, and we exchange business cards and get to know each other.” At each Tuesday morning meeting, attendees briefly introduce themselves, and on a rotating

iRefer Vestavia/Hoover facilitates business networking events

About iRefer Vestavia/Hoover

What it is: Business networking group When: Meets Tuesdays 8 to 9 a.m. at Pump House Conference Center in Cahaba Heights, evening social meetings on fourth Tuesdays at various restaurants How to join: iRefer Facebook page, or irefer1.com

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Chatting during an iRefer Vestavia/Hoover meeting at Crazy Cajun’s are, from left, Scott Elliott, Stephanie Constantine and Leisa Crossley. Anyone interested in joining iRefer can email treyhorton@gmail.com or visit the group’s website, irefer1.com. Photo by Roy L. Williams.

We offer members a chance to share ideas, contacts and business referrals in a relaxed environment once a week.

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TREY HORTON

basis one individual gets to make a 10-minute presentation to the others. The social meetings are a chance for members to relax after work and get to know each other better. During an Aug. 25 meeting, attendees and visitors spoke highly of how the group had benefited them.

Stephanie Constantine, a registered nurse with Signalling Molecule Biotech Co., has been involved since shortly after Horton formed iRefer. “Trey has done a good job of making the group feel like a family,” Constantine said. “I’ve been to other networking meetings before and have found this one to be more embracing and helpful in getting you referrals.” Scott Elliott is the director of ministry and development at Grace Klein Community, a nonprofit at 1678 Montgomery Highway that gives away food and other items to those in need. He said joining iRefer Vestavia/Hoover seven months ago was one of the best decisions he’s ever made. “Trey found out about us and reached out for me to join, as he wanted an organization to

partner with to help,” Elliott said. “Members have donated canned food for us. The people belonging to this group seem real and have a genuine concern for others. It’s about more than just getting business. They want to give back.” Scott Pylant, who owns The UPS Store locations in Cahaba Heights and 130 Inverness Plaza, said he has gained business through his association with iRefer Vestavia/Hoover. “It’s a great tool for effective business networking,” Pylant said. Horton said anyone interested in joining iRefer can email him at treyhorton@gmail.com or visit the group’s Facebook page or website, irefer1. com. It costs about $100 a year to join, but visitors are welcome to come to a few meetings for free to see how it works and determine whether it fits their needs.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A15

Football fans donate to Hoover Helps Donations for food program more than double goal of $2K By SYDNEY CROMWELL As Spain Park charged to its historic win over Hoover on Oct. 1, fans from both sides of the stadium donated to make sure every child in Hoover has enough to eat. Hoover Helps, which partners with local businesses and religious organizations to provide weekend meals for students considered food insecure, held its first fundraiser at the football game and asked Bucs and Jags fans to compete to see who could donate the most money. Organizer Greg Bishop said he was hoping to raise $1,000 per school at the event. By the end, total donations reached $4,281.47. The Bucs were the off-the-field winners by donating more than the Jags. “It takes just $180 to feed a child with the backpack program every weekend for the entire school year. This money will make a huge difference, and we are putting it in back into the Hoover schools,” Bishop said. Bishop said through Hoover Helps, several local religious organizations have partnered with nearby schools to fill backpacks with food for the weekend. The program is modeled on the existing programs by Green Valley Baptist, which partners with Green Valley Elementary, and Bluff Park United Methodist, which fills backpacks for Gwin, Bluff Park and Shades Crest Elementary. Most of the elementary schools in Hoover have a partner for the backpack program. Brock’s Gap Intermediate School and Crossroads alternative school also have partnerships in place, and Bishop said plans are being made for the remaining elementary and middle schools. Some of the schools may need multiple partners due to a higher number of students needing

Above: While the Jags won the day on the field, the Bucs were the biggest givers to Hoover Helps at the Oct. 1 Spain ParkHoover game. Right: A young Hoover Bucs fan donates to help students at area schools receive food through Hoover Helps. Photos courtesy of Greg Bishop.

backpacks filled. Certain schools have between 75 and 100 students who would qualify for the program. “That may be a little heavy for a single organization to carry,” Bishop said. So far, Bishop said the search for sponsors and partners has been very successful, especially since the superintendent and mayor are among those supporting Hoover Helps. “I’ve been overwhelmed at the generosity. I haven’t asked a church that’s said no,” Bishop said. “Nobody knows the extent of the need, and once they know they want to help out.” To learn more about Hoover Helps, visit their Facebook page.

A16 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

HONORING THOSE WHO SERVED With nearly half of their $100,000 goal reached, Mark Davis, Aldridge Gardens and the Veterans Committee are preparing to break ground on a veterans project Nov. 9. Photo by Sydney Cromwell

Memorial groundbreaking among scheduled events this Veterans Day By SYDNEY CROMWELL The ﬁrst shovel will hit the dirt on Aldridge Gardens’ veterans memorial arbor this month. When it does, Mark Davis will be among those thinking of loved ones who served — and some who never came home. Davis is on the Aldridge board of directors

and a member of the Hoover Veterans Committee. He has also been spearheading a fundraising campaign to build the veterans memorial arbor on the gardens’ earthen dam. With roughly half of their $100,000 goal reached, Davis, Aldridge and the Veterans Committee are preparing to break ground on the project Nov. 9. “Everywhere we go, everybody just loves the

Gallery

idea,” Davis said. “As soon as people hear about it, they want to get on board, and they want to buy one.” The arbor will be made of metal columns and trusses with stainless steel cables, created in a design reminiscent of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It will support muscadine vines that Davis said will help the local bee population. There will also be benches on which to sit and view the lake and flags from each military branch, including a U.S. flag that flew in Iraq during the War on Terror. Davis said the committee is also considering creating a plaza at the entrance to the arbor, as well as a slate wall and chalk for people to write memories or thoughts of military loved ones.

“When we get the arbor covered, it’s going to be beautiful,” Davis said. “Just a beautiful, very serene place.” “Over a period of time, it will be kind of a green tunnel,” agreed Capt. Robert Beaty, chairman of the Veterans Committee. He said the arbor is the “right thing to do” for the veterans of Hoover and Alabama, and he is proud that the city supports remembering its service members. The Veterans Committee wants to fund the whole project through donations. So far, people have donated money for 14 of the 16 columns, two of the eight benches and some of the ﬂags in memory of service members. If they achieve that goal, the

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A17

arbor will be constructed by Veterans Day 2016. Once it opens, Davis expects the arbor to be a venue for weddings, events, peaceful reflection or simply seeing the sun rise over the lake. “It’s a bright star for Hoover, in my opinion, to show that Hoover recognizes its veterans,” Davis said. The groundbreaking will be Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. at Aldridge Gardens. The mayor, city council and Veterans Committee will be among those in attendance, as well as donors. The ceremony for the arbor is just one of many events Hoover will have in November as part of Thank a Vet Week. These include the Veterans Committee’s annual reception on Nov. 1, with a concert by the Alabama Youth Symphony, and flag-folding ceremonies by the Hoover Fire Department from Nov. 2 to Nov. 5. “This is a great time to honor and celebrate the men and women that have served our country,” Mayor Gary Ivey said. Davis said the Friends of the Hoover Library will sponsor a movie and other programs about veterans and military service, including the American Village in Montevallo. Volunteers in Thank a Vet Week will be recognized by the City Council on Nov. 16. The Hyatt Regency Birmingham -- The Wynfrey Hotel is also participating by displaying a Remembering the Fallen exhibit in its gallery for hotel guests and visitors of the Riverchase Galleria. Remembering the Fallen is a national series of exhibits honoring military members who lost their lives in combat. Davis said this will be the first time the exhibit has come to Birmingham. “While the loss of life serving our country is a somber topic, we believe this exhibit provides an excellent opportunity to remember those who lost their lives defending the freedoms we live with every day,” said Paul Dangel, the director of sales and marketing at the Hyatt Regency. Remembering the Fallen will be on display Nov. 1-8, and it will include pictures and stories

Veterans Day events Nov. 1, 2 p.m.: Veterans Reception at Hoover Public Library. Featuring a concert by the Alabama Youth Symphony and a flag-folding ceremony at the library flagpole with the Navy color guard. Nov. 1-8: Remembering the Fallen exhibit at Hyatt Regency Birmingham -- The Wynfrey Hotel, 1000 Riverchase Galleria. Nov. 2-5, 4:45 p.m.: Flag-folding cereof Alabama servicemen and women who have died on duty since 9/11, including two former Hoover residents. Davis said the Hyatt Regency will distribute flyers to its guests and mall stores explaining the exhibit and encouraging them to visit. He thinks the gallery location will

Artist’s renderings, above, display the planned veterans memorial arbor along the earthen dam, viewed at far left. Photos by Sydney Cromwell and renderings courtesy of Mark Davis.

monies at the library ﬂagpole. Local Girl, Boy and Cub Scout troops will participate each day. Nov. 2, 10 a.m.: Friends of the Hoover Library present: The American Village. Reception at 9:45 in the theater level meeting rooms. Nov. 2, 2 and 6:30 p.m.: Monday at the Movies: U-571. The Library Theatre. Nov. 3, 10:30 a.m.: Veterans Re-entering the Workforce. Presentation by the bring in a lot of visitors. “What better place?” Davis said. Beaty will be the master of ceremonies at the reception and said he will be at every ﬂag-folding ceremony and as many of the other events as he can. Having retired from a career as a naval

Construction Education Foundation of Alabama (CEFA) in the adult programming room. Nov. 6, 1 p.m.: U.S.O. Concert at Hoover Senior Center. Nov. 9, 10 a.m.: Veterans Memorial Arbor groundbreaking at Aldridge Gardens. Nov. 11: Veterans Day Nov. 16, 6 p.m.: City Council honoring Veterans Week volunteers. City Hall. aviator, and with two of his four sons currently on active duty, Beaty feels the personal importance of recognizing Veterans Day. “If we don’t keep what they’ve done for us and for the country in the forefront, people will forget,” Beaty said.

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Hoover Sun

A18 • November 2015

Riley White is a 15-year-old Hoover High School student and gymnast. She’s preparing for her first full season of competition in over two years. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

Back on the beam By SYDNEY CROMWELL As she prepares for the upcoming gymnastics season, 15-year-old Riley White has a simple goal: to compete the entire season injury-free. The Hoover High School student has been sidelined by multiple injuries during her past few seasons. “It’s kind of par for the course for higher level gymnasts, you see, you know, injuries here or

there,” coach Dara Lowery said. “Her [Riley’s] problem has been that they’ve all come right in the middle of her season so she hasn’t been able to compete in as many meets as we would like to see.” Riley started as a highly flexible 3-year-old in Mommy and Me classes. Once she began regular gymnastics training, she enjoyed the sport so much that she would come home from the gym and continue to practice in her

living room. Lowery, herself a Hoover resident and 1997 HHS graduate, has been coaching Riley for seven years at her gym, JamJev Gymnastics. Besides her talents as an athlete, Lowery said Riley’s leadership skills set her apart in the gym. “You don’t find many people that at 9 years old, your 16- and 17-year-olds are looking to the 9-year-old to tell them what to do,” Lowery said. “Since the day she walked in the door, she’s

Riley White bounces back from injuries always been that person that naturally people look to.” Though she’s at the gym four hours every day except Sunday, Riley finds time to bring those leadership skills to school, too. She’s a member of the Student Government Association and has been part of the Peer Helpers program and Freshman Faces, a group of freshmen who help their classmates transition to high school. As an eighth-grader, she received a citizenship award

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A19

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Riley has done gymnastics since she was 3 years old and competes at the top level of youth gymnastics.

from the Hoover Service United States. Her coach Club. said reaching that level In the past two and at her age is an “aweSince the day she a half years, Riley has some accomplishment.” dealt with injuries to her “This is a sport that walked in the door, back, feet and wrist that you do it young and you she’s always been that stay with it for a long have prevented her from person that naturally fully competing. Before time,” Lowery said. that, she received multiAfter several months people look to. ple recognitions. At age of slowly training to 9, she participated in the recover, Riley is hoping national Talent Opportuto get back to these nity Program testing and performance levels this scored high enough to be invited to a summer coming season. She competes in her first meet camp at the Bela Karolyi camp in Texas, where in November. Olympic gymnasts train. “Honestly, my goal is just to compete a “It was really fun, and it was something that whole season and just see where I am and what I’m glad I can say I have been to,” Riley said. I need to work on,” Riley said. “I haven’t comAt age 12, she began competing at Level 10, peted a full season in so long that that would the highest level for youth gymnastics in the be awesome.”

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Though she also competes in vault, beam and floor routines, Riley said the uneven bars are her favorite part of gymnastics.

Women of HOOVER Coming January 2016

Hoover Sun

A20 • November 2015

Hendrick Hoover employee in it for the long haul King Kindred, 79, gifted a brand-new Colorado for his 60 years of service By JON ANDERSON It’s unusual to hear of someone staying in the workforce for 60 years, but one employee of a Hoover auto dealership can top that. King Kindred, at age 79, has worked at the same auto dealership for all of those 60 years, even after it moved from Birmingham to Hoover and changed hands years later. The Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall honored Kindred in September for 60 years of service and rewarded him with a brand-new blue 2015 Chevrolet Colorado. Kindred well remembers his first day working for the Don Drennen Motor Co. in Birmingham’s Ensley community. It was Sept. 1, 1955, and his job as a 19-year-old was to wash cars. In 1963, he was promoted to the dealership’s service department, where he prepared cars for buyers. Since then, he has worn many hats, including working in the paint shop, driving wrecker trucks and transferring vehicles to other dealerships. He also held the job of new car service manager. When Don Drennen Jr. moved the dealership to Hoover in 1972, Kindred came with it. He worked for three generations of the Drennen family, including Don Drennen Sr., Don Drennen Jr. and Ward Drennen, and continued with the dealership when Ward sold it to the Hendrick Automotive Group in 2011.

King Kindred, 79, celebrated 60 years of work with the Don Drennen and Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall dealerships by receiving a new 2015 Chevrolet Colorado truck as a gift. Kindred has decided it’s about time to retire but he hasn’t decided when. Photos by Jon Anderson.

Ward, who returned to the dealership for Kindred’s 60-year celebration, said he has had an unusual relationship with Kindred. When Ward was a teenager, it was Kindred who came to rescue him on the side of the road a couple of times after his vehicle had broken down. Years later, he would become Kindred’s boss. They’ve known each other a long time, and Kindred is well loved and “one of my favorite people,” Ward said. He said his youngest daughter, Emily, looked at Kindred as a grandfather figure. Joel Smith, executive general manager of the Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall, said Kindred has been a loyal employee. “He’s the kind of guy you want on your team,” Smith said. “This team loves you to death and

appreciates what you’ve done.” In recent years, Kindred said his job has been to open up the dealership in the morning and do things like making coffee, ordering supplies and changing light bulbs. He works about 70 hours every two weeks, he said. Kindred treats the auto dealership like a second home, Smith said. He knows that, Smith joked, because he has seen Kindred asleep in the lobby numerous times when he arrived in the morning. He was never sure whether Kindred spent the night at the dealership or just fell asleep after opening up the place, he said. Ward Drennen joked that Kindred was the same in his latter years with the Drennen family. Smith said Kindred has decided it’s time to retire, but the details about that retirement are a bit sketchy. “I’m going to work all of this year, and I might work next year. I don’t know,” the 79-year-old said. Ward Drennen said Kindred retired twice with

the Drennen family. “We sent him to Hawaii with his family once and gave him a watch the second time,” Drennen said. “He’s a professional retirer, I guess. He’s very good at it.” Kindred said he tried to retire, but every time he attempted to turn in his keys, the owners refused to let him. When asked why he worked so long for the same dealership, Kindred said he has been treated fairly there. “They don’t push me to do my job because I was going to do it anyway,” he said. Kindred lives with his wife of 42 years, Willie Nell, in Birmingham’s Bush Hills community. They have six children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. When he does eventually retire, Kindred plans to travel to Las Vegas and wants to return to Hawaii and the Bahamas. Maybe he can get those trips when he hits his 70-year milestone at work.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A21

Long-Lewis Ford marks centennial The Burrell family celebrated Long-Lewis Ford’s 100th year in September. From left are chairman Vaughn Burrell, his son and president of the company Dwight Burrell, and grandson Joe Burrell, who just started working at the dealership. Photo by Jon Anderson.

By JON ANDERSON The Long-Lewis Ford Lincoln dealership in Hoover truly is in it for the long run. The dealership recently celebrated 100 years as an official Ford franchise. Ford Motor Co. executives over the Atlanta region, which includes all of Georgia, 80 percent of Alabama and southeast Tennessee, were in Hoover in September to recognize the unusual accomplishment. “This is a really big deal,” said Alan Brauer, the regional manager for parts and service. He has seen only one other dealership reach the 100year mark, he said. Tony Watkins, Ford’s regional manager for sales and operations, said Long-Lewis Ford is one of the better-performing dealerships in the region. Ford has been giving out President’s Awards for outstanding customer satisfaction in sales and service for 30 years, and LongLewis has won the award 29 times, Watkins said. This past year, less than 10 percent of Ford dealerships — about 300 nationally — received the President’s Award, he said. “To win it once is hard, but to win it 29 times — they are a model dealer,” Watkins said. And it is becoming more unusual to see family-owned dealerships such as Long-Lewis, he said. More and more are selling their dealerships to corporate entities, he said. The Long-Lewis car dealership actually began in 1911 when William Long of the Long-Lewis Hardware store in Bessemer added Ford automobiles to his line of Studebaker buggies and wagons, according to the company history on its website. In 1915, Ford began granting franchises, and Long-Lewis Hardware became one of the first to get one. Vaughn Burrell, who was hired to manage the dealership in 1961, said he bought out the Long family businesses in 1986 after three generations of Longs had run the companies. Burrell’s son, Dwight Burrell, joined

the company in 1985 and took over management of the dealership as president in 1996, though the father remains as chairman of the company. In January 1999, Long-Lewis moved the dealership to a new 84,000-square-foot facility on John Hawkins Parkway in Hoover. “We knew this would be a great market for new Fords. It just made sense to be where the growth was,” Dwight Burrell said. “It has been a very good location. We’ve had great success here and enjoy being in this community.” Ever since moving to Hoover, Long-Lewis Ford Lincoln is consistently ranked first or second in the state in the sale of new Fords, Dwight Burrell said. The Burrells take pride in their customer

satisfaction scores. Vaughn Burrell said he has seen a lot of changes in the automotive business over the years. He remembers when people could buy a pretty good car for $200 to $400 in 1954. People once had to pay $16 to $21 extra for turn signals, $16 more for back-up lights, $45 for a radio and $50 for a heater, he said. Now, all of those features come standard on the vehicles. Financing plans for vehicles formerly only lasted for 18 months, but now vehicles can be financed up to 72 months, he said. Warranties once were only good for 90 days or 4,500 miles, and now warranties can last for five years or 60,000 miles, he said. But through it all, the Burrells kept selling vehicles. One of Vaughn Burrell’s grandsons,

Joe, just started working at the dealership in September after graduating from the University of Alabama. He will be going to dealer school and working in all the departments, Vaughn Burrell said. “Maybe 10 or 12 years down the road, he’ll take over my son’s job,” Vaughn Burrell said. “That’s the plan.” Another grandson, Eric Benson, is general manager of the heavy truck division in Bessemer, he said. Dwight Burrell, the current president for Long-Lewis, said his family is very proud to be associated with a company that has been around for so long. “We must be doing something right,” he said. “We’re still here.”

Hoover Sun

A22 â&#x20AC;˘ November 2015

School House All work, plus some play for SMCS students at Disney By ERICA TECHO A group of Shades Mountain Christian School students had the opportunity to learn at Disney this year. The students, in grades 10-12, went to Orlando along with faculty as part of the Disney Youth Education Series in which

Shades Mountain Christian School students participated in the Disney Youth Education Series this year. At right: Students listen during a guided tour. Above: Participants pose in front of the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Courtesy photos.

they had a hands-on experience in the Disney parks. Students have the choice between guided field studies that include applied sciences, environmental sciences, liberal arts and leadership development. Each study is accredited and standards-based and is designed to build

upon foundations from the classroom. Students are encouraged to practice teamwork, use critical thinking and problem-solving skills during their guided field studies. They are also able to build relationships with their peers and with faculty during their time in the parks.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A23

Making art accessible

Teachers’ efforts allow multi-handicap students to make their mark Emily Nelson, left, and Ellen Anson work with a color spinner for their multihandicap art class. Photo by Steve Irvine.

By STEVE IRVINE Multi-handicap students at Rocky Ridge Elementary have new art projects because of a grant funded by the Hoover City Schools Foundation. The $1,020 grant, titled “Reachable/Teachable Art,” was co-authored by Rocky Ridge art teacher Emily Nelson and multi-handicap instructional support teacher Ellen Anson. “For me, I don’t care if all my students are making the same paper plate frog,” said Anson, who has six students enrolled in her class for the upcoming school year. “I want them to experience the process, the sensory aspect of it. Emily was interested in the exact same thing. She recognized that was an important component for my students — not just to make the project, but to experience the process. It was great collaboration for that reason.” Anson, who was a finalist for 2014-15 Alabama Teacher of the Year, is a veteran special education teacher. She has been at Rocky Ridge since 2008. It is the second successive school year that the school has started a program for students with multiple disabilities. Last year, Anson received a grant to enhance the music program for her students. This year’s decision to pursue a similar program in art was a team effort. “Ellen’s students would come into my room, mainly for socialization purposes, to have art a couple of days a week,” Nelson said. “They were combined with another class. I didn’t really get much time to pay attention to them and actually teach them and work with them very much. They were making progress, I saw it, but I thought they deserved more attention.” That led to a conversation about finding a way to create class time for these students. Part of the grant proposal, Anson said, was the

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For me, I don’t care if all my students are making the same paper plate frog. I want them to experience the process, the sensory aspect of it.

opportunity to include “general education peers” as helpers to “maybe plant some seeds into the minds of students who might want to work with children with special needs as they explore some future career opportunities.” Nelson said the first year of the program will be “a test year.” Some of the supplies can also be used in other parts of the education process

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ELLEN ANSON for the children. “Many of the supplies that we’ve ordered are things we’ll be using all the time, like communication devices,” Anson said. “We are building communication. We are doing a lot of sensory type things. Things that meet all of the sensory input — hearing, smelling, touching, seeing. We’re getting things like bubble powders and

paints, smelly markers. Things that they can experience, not only by touching or seeing but also from another aspect.” The program also allows multi-handicap students a better chance to participate in the student art shows. “We had a few [multi-handicap] students who finished paintings that went into the art show last year,” Nelson said. “That was a taste of what was possible. They made their own marks on paper and, for these students, that’s pretty huge. I believe in art therapy and Mrs. Anson believes in art therapy, so we want to see where this program can take these students.”

A24 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Fitness, fun unite in video game play Greystone adds ‘exergaming’ health program By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Students follow the virtual dancer on the Wii to stay active during a physical education class. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

The sound of pop music in Greystone Elementary’s gym is just a sign that its students are getting fit — and having fun doing it. In September, Greystone debuted its “exergaming” physical education program, which uses a Nintendo Wii and a dance video game to help students stay active. The program is part of a statewide Wee Can Fight Obesity initiative by the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation (ASFF). “I really liked that we danced today. It was a lot of fun,” second-grade student Ella Brie said after a physical education class. Anthony Terling, the vice president of the ASFF, said the initiative started about six years ago as a way to combat childhood obesity. They focus on elementary and middle school children to teach exercise habits and connect fitness with fun. “If you can get them young learning how to be physically fit and make fit choices… then obviously it’ll create that habit,” Terling said. “The kids are having fun, but at the same time they’re burning calories.” There are currently 256 schools participating in Wee Can Fight Obesity, and Terling said the goal is to get the program into every public

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A25

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Above left: The Wee Can Fight Obesity equipment includes a Wii, fitness video games, a projector and rolling cart. Above right and below: Greystone second-graders dance using new equipment provided by the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation to help fight childhood obesity. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

school in the state. Aside from the fun, Terling said the Wii program is beneficial for large P.E. classes and can also help special needs students to develop fine motor skills. The ASFF gives participating schools around $2,000 worth of equipment, including a Wii and controllers, child-appropriate dance or Zumba games, a projector and a rolling cart. This is funded by a grant through the department of education, and Terling said participating schools are seeing results in their students’ health and activity levels. The ASFF focuses on schools with higher at-risk populations or with fewer resources. However, once a year they give away a set of the equipment to a P.E. teacher who attends their annual state conference. This year, Greystone’s P.E. teacher Rand Payton was the lucky winner. “We do lots of different activities. This is just an added bonus,” Payton said. “I’ve always wanted to win it, and it’s crazy -- I don’t ever win anything. So when they drew my name, I was like, ‘This is awesome!’” From the cheers and laughter that accompanied a demonstration of the program on Sept. 25, the school’s students are loving the program

It works for every grade level, whether it’s kindergartners or fifth-graders, they enjoy it. This is just one more thing they can use to involve and motivate our kids to be physically fit.

”

KATHLEEN WHEATON Watch Greystone students ‘exergaming’

so far. Greystone Principal Kathleen Wheaton said the school felt fortunate to be included in the program. “As you see, it adds one more dimension to the basic skills of P.E. and it works for every grade

level, whether it’s kindergartners or fifth-graders, they enjoy it,” she said. “This is just one more thing they can use to involve and motivate our kids to be physically fit.” For more information on the program, visit weecanfightobesity.us.

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http://hooversun.com/schools/elementaryschools/greystone-elementary-adds-videogame-fitness-program925/

A26 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

A trip of a lifetime Hoover teen one of 15 American ballerinas in Russian program By SAM CHANDLER Unbelievable. A dream come true. The opportunity of a lifetime. That’s how 16-year-old Hoover resident Katherine Free describes her summer. The blossoming ballerina spent nine weeks — three in New York City, six in Moscow — pursuing the art form she loves under the direction of the world’s most elite instructors. Free was one of just 15 American ballerinas selected for the Bolshoi Way Program of the Russian American Foundation’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth . She earned an all-inclusive, merit-based scholarship to spend six weeks in training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Russia (BBA). “I’m just so excited for her. I think it was an amazing experience, one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that changes you and leads your life in new directions and new possibilities,” Katherine’s mother, Cindy Free, said. “It was a really, really fortunate opportunity for her to get to do it.” Katherine, a Hoover High junior enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program,

Hoover resident Katherine Free attended a summer intensive ballet program in New York City and Moscow. She learned from instructors at the famed Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Photo courtesy of Cindy Free.

endured a tedious application process in order to secure a spot in the prestigious program. After performing a live ballet audition in Atlanta, which granted her acceptance into the BBA New York Summer Intensive, Free had to write three essays, participate in a phone interview, gather teacher recommendations, fill out countless forms and submit

her academic transcripts. “Pretty much our entire life, they knew everything about us,” Katherine said. As evidenced by her selection, the program coordinators liked what they saw. Having been around ballet since her infancy –— she made cameo appearances in The Nutcracker as a baby — Free’s dancing talent

shows what it means for something “to run in the family.” Cindy, a former professional ballerina, and her mother, Suanne Ferguson, a former ballet instructor who established the Canton (Ohio) Civic Ballet, co-founded the Birmingham Ballet Academy in 1991, alongside friend Janet Wolnski. Cindy remains the academy’s director

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A27

Katherine Free is a Hoover High junior and has been dancing since she was a young child. Photo by Sam Chandler.

and oversees all of the classes and productions, while Ferguson remains actively involved. “My mom, since she’s the director, I grew up living here and kind of was forced into the environment, but stuck with it,” Katherine said. A product of her lineage, Katherine began dancing when she was just 3 years old. At 8, she then started her formal training according to the Vaganova method, a technique developed by the iconic Russian ballerina Agrippina Vaganova that combines the most difficult elements from all of ballet’s various disciplines. Though she owned the resume of an ideal candidate, it wasn’t until April that Katherine discovered she had secured one of the program’s coveted spots. When she did, preparation began immediately. One of the program’s primary components included learning the Russian language, so Katherine was sent preparatory worksheets to introduce her to the linguistic fundamentals prior to her arrival in New York City. Then, during her three weeks in the Big Apple, she went through more extensive prep, attending language class twice a week in addition to taking six hours’ worth of dance classes each day. “That was the first time I started, so I had to learn the alphabet, which is phonetic, so it’s not that bad,” Katherine said. “And then once we got in to New York and then started language class there and then in to Moscow, it was full-on language.” In Moscow, Katherine’s time was divided even more between dance and linguistics. During the mornings, she attended two hour-anda-half ballet classes at the BBA followed by a lunch break. After lunch, she then devoted the remainder of her afternoon to language, logging four hours of class time each day.

“I actually came out knowing a lot of language,” Katherine said. “I can communicate pretty well now.” Although she lived in the BBA dorms during the week, Katherine spent her weekends living with a host family in Klin, a suburban town just over 50 miles northwest of Moscow. Every Friday and Sunday evening, her host family would take a two-hour train ride to the city to bring Katherine to and from the academy. “On the train ride, I would get to talk to them, and we’d be talking about cool stuff, and similarities between what Russians do and what Americans do, and then when I get there, we would adventure around Klin,” Katherine said. “I really loved being with my host family.” As a result of her immersion in the Russian culture and viewing the country from a native perspective, Katherine recognized the stark contrast between perception and reality. “With Russia, everybody talks about the politics and how Russians are bad,” she said. “But when you’re in Russia, politics don’t matter to them. It’s like us in our everyday life.” Additionally, she noted that Russians are personable people who have an enhanced appreciation for the arts. “Once you get to know them, Russians really want to know you,” Katherine said. “They want to keep up with you.” Although she won’t be able to re-apply to the same program this summer, Katherine returned from the unforgettable trip with memories that extend beyond her time in ballet shoes. “Living with a host family showed me a different side of Russia that most people will never see because they don’t live there,” she said. “I think it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Katherine Free tries out traditional Russian clothing while touring Moscow in a summer intensive ballet program. Photo courtesy of Cindy Free.

A28 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Community Dinkel finishes Eagle Scout service project In July, Jonathan Dinkel of Troop 23 from Discovery United Methodist Church in Hoover completed his Eagle Scout Service Project. His project was at the main entrance to Memorial Plaza at the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park. His project involved erosion control and beautification to the left of the entrance and the installation of an interactive directory to the right of the entrance. The interactive directory depicts the 36 columns in Memorial Plaza, where the 25 Alabama Medal of Honor recipients are honored with plaques describing their valor. The directory also contains the names of all 25 Alabama Medal of Honor recipients and a QR code that links to the National Congressional Medal of Honor database where there is additional information about each recipient. A meditation bench was also added to the beautification area. To achieve the rank of Eagle, a Life Scout must have earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, have served in a troop leadership position and develop, manage and complete an Eagle service project that is beneficial to the community. Dinkel completed his final Board of Review for Eagle Scout in September. He has earned 39 merit badges and is the senior patrol leader for his troop. Last June, he successfully hiked 82 miles at the Philmont Scout ranch in New Mexico. His Eagle Court of Honor to receive recognition for this award will be held in November at the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park. -Submitted by Mike Holt

Carmen Cantelow.

Hoover High’s Cantelow part of Summer Intensive session

Jonathan Dinkel completed his Eagle service project at Alabama Veterans Memorial Park.

KaseyDavis

Den tistry

The Nashville Ballet’s Summer Intensive program attracted 224 students from across the country, plus four international students from Brazil, China and Columbia. Hoover High School junior Carmen Cantelow was among those accepted in the program. Summer Intensive students have the chance to train with Nashville Ballet’s internationally recognized teachers and be seen by artistic director and CEO Paul Vasterling. The Nashville Ballet has five Summer Intensive sessions for ages 11 and older, ranging from one to five weeks. The students stay at Belmont University and take organized trips to museums, botanical gardens and parks. For more information on Nashville Ballet’s Summer Intensive, visit nashvilleballet.com/summer-intensive/. -Submitted by Rhonda Cantelow.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A29

SERVICE CLUB RECOGNIZED The Hoover Service Club was recognized for its 40th anniversary on Monday, Sept. 21 at the City Council meeting. This was a proclamation from Mayor Gary Ivey for 40 years of service to the city of Hoover. Courtesy of Jennifer Gregory.

Bluff Park UMC receives ‘Guardian of Bell’ award By ERICA TECHO Bluff Park United Methodist Church was presented with the “Guardian of the Bell” award during its Sept. 27 morning worship service. This award comes from the United Methodist Children’s Home (UMCH) and signifies Bluff Park UMC’s efforts toward supporting UMCH and those it serves. UMCH President and CEO Blake Horne has named the 158-year-old bell now at Bluff Park UMC “Windy” in honor of Katherine Tucker Windham. Windham was an Alabama storyteller who wrote about the bell in her book, “Autobiography of the Bell.”

“I am of the strong belief that ‘Windy’ belongs in the care of our United Methodist Champions,” Horne said. “They are the body of Christ that gives the United Methodist Children’s Home life.” Bluff Park UMC Senior Pastor Mike Holly said he looks forward to keeping and maintaining the bell over the next year. “Bluff Park UMC is so very honored to be the steward of this bell for the next year,” Holly said. “Our focus has always been to assist in the United Methodist Church Children’s Home’s ministry of caring for children. Each and every life is precious, especially to God, but also to our church.”

UMCH Vice President of External Affairs Rebecca Morris, Bluff Park UMC Senior Pastor Mike Holly and UMCH President and CEO Blake Horne. Photo courtesy of UMCH.

Hoover Sun

A30 • November 2015

Hoover schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy, at right, listens to a parent at a community rezoning meeting at Hunter Street Baptist Church on Oct. 8. Hoover High School, with roughly 2,900 students this year, is basically filled to capacity, even after a recent classroom addition, Murphy said. Photo by Jon Anderson.

CAPACITY

CONTINUED from page A1 started holding community meetings this fall to discuss rezoning again. The final two preliminary rezoning meetings are set for Nov. 3 at Green Valley Baptist Church (6:30 p.m.) and Nov. 12 at Metropolitan Church of God (7 p.m.). Murphy doesn’t have a plan with maps to present to the public yet. She just wants to share about the need for rezoning and gain feedback and ideas, she said. Not only is Deer Valley exceeding its designed capacity, Trace Crossings Elementary School is only at 52 percent capacity, so school officials want to realign students to make better use of space, Murphy said. Plus, Hoover High School, with roughly 2,900 students this year, is basically filled to capacity, even after a recent classroom addition, Murphy said. And most of the growth in the city is occurring on the western side of town, she said. The second main reason for rezoning is that the Justice Department wants to make sure no group are being treated differently than other students and segregated by race, Murphy said. The Justice Department does not want there to be a preponderance of minority students at any given school and wants to make sure that all groups of students receive the same type of educational opportunities, regardless of race, she said. Federal officials are examining the quality of each school building, transportation opportunities, the availability of extracurricular activities to each group of students and the racial breakdown of faculty at each school and the system in general, Murphy said. While the Justice Department would like to see minority students spread out somewhat equally among schools, it also doesn’t want to see school districts yank minority children from the community in which they live and make them travel all the way across town to another school just for that purpose, Murphy said. All that said, “the Department of Justice is not in the business of telling us what we have to do,” Murphy said. “The Department of Justice

is working with us, and they’re collaborating with us.” At the early rezoning meetings in October, some parents have expressed concerns about their children being moved to a school where standardized test scores are lower. Murphy said parents shouldn’t be worried about the quality of education being offered at any Hoover school. “We have some awesome teachers in Hoover City Schools,” she said. But “if there are teachers who are not helping us make progress, I have no trouble having a courageous conversation.” Other parents have asked whether any students would be “grandfathered” and allowed to stay at their current school after zone lines are redrawn. Murphy said she is 99 percent sure that students currently in high school won’t be moved to another school, but she doesn’t know about the elementary, intermediate and middle school grades yet. Most schools could be impacted in some way by rezoning, she said.

Murphy also is talking with faculty at each Hoover school and Justice Department officials to try to come up with a rezoning plan to submit to the public in January. There will be more community meetings at that point to seek additional input, and then she hopes to have a plan ready for the school board to review by February or March. If all goes according to plan, the school board would vote in March or April, she said. “At the end of the day, it’s probably not going to be a perfect plan for everybody,” Murphy said. But “we have to look at the big picture even though we’re taking into consideration each community.” Derry Redwine, a parent at South Shades Crest Elementary and Brock’s Gap Intermediate School, said he appreciates the approach being taken by Murphy. She seems genuine in her efforts to connect with the community, he said. “What Dr. Murphy is doing is very important

“

At the end of the day, it’s probably not going to be a perfect plan for everybody ... We have to look at the big picture even though we’re taking into consideration each community.

”

— coming in with a clean notepad and finding out with a fresh set of eyes what is the heartbeat of the community,” Redwine said. “It gives the community a feeling of no pre-judgment, no pre-determined course of action … I think that’s the key.”

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • A31 Deployment day was the last time George and Marynell Winslow saw their son Ryan, a Marine who was killed in Iraq 9½ years ago. “He wanted to be out on the front lines,” his mother said. Photo courtesy of George and Marynell Winslow.

WINSLOW

CONTINUED from page A1 to the wrong house — that her son couldn’t have been the one killed. “It was the worst day of my life,” she said. The news struck Ryan’s father hard as well. “It’s kind of like getting slammed in the chest with a sledgehammer. That’s the only way I could describe it,” George Winslow said. Marynell Winslow had tried to talk her son out of joining the Marines because she considered it too dangerous. She suggested Ryan join the Navy instead, hoping he would be farther out of harm’s way, but “he wouldn’t have any part of it,” she said. “He wanted to be out on the front lines.” Since then, the Winslows have done everything they can to help people remember Ryan and other military members who died on active duty. They also have poured their lives into honoring veterans and helping those who struggle to re-enter civilian life. Ryan’s name will be on the Alabama portion of a national memorial that will visit the Hyatt Regency Birmingham — The Wynfrey Hotel on Nov. 2-6, which is Veterans Week in Hoover. The memorial shows the names and photos of 111 Alabamians who died in the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. George Winslow was asked to be the Alabama organizer for the national effort, which is called “Remembering our Fallen.” It originated in Omaha, Neb., a few years ago and is spreading to all 50 states. In addition to being at the Hyatt Regency, the memorial will also be at the Alabama-Mississippi State game in Starkville on Nov. 14 and in Auburn for two weekends, including Iron Bowl Saturday on Nov. 28, he said. This is just one of many veterans’ initiatives in which the Winslows are involved. In 2007, Marynell Winslow founded a nonprofit called Alabama Gold Star Families, which recognizes U.S. military members who died serving their country and supports their families. The Winslows were instrumental in creating the Alabama Gold Star Families license plate for close family members of those

killed on active duty. The group raised $45,000 for a monument at American Village in Montevallo, in honor of those who died in the War on Terror. It will be dedicated soon, Marynell Winslow said. George Winslow serves on the city of Hoover’s Veterans Committee and the support committee for the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo. Alabama Gold Star Families also worked to get a section of Interstate 65 in Chilton County designated as the War on Terror Memorial Highway and raised $3,000 to put the signs up, she said. Marynell is president of the Alabama chapter of American Gold Star Mothers. For the past six years, the group has laid wreaths on veterans’ graves at Jefferson Memorial Gardens off John Hawkins Parkway, where Ryan and about 640 other veterans are buried. The Winslows also have been heavily involved with Three Hots and a Cot, a nonprofit that helps homeless veterans transition back into society. Their help has included painting, decoration and landscaping at the nonprofit’s group homes and an annual Christmas dinner. In 2012, the organization decided to rename

its Clay veterans’ home the Ryan Winslow Veterans Center. A local “Devil Dog” Marine Corps honor society also is named after him, as well as the Hoover American Legion Post 911. “I just thought the thing to do was to name the post after a hometown hero,” Post 911 President Ron Bradstreet said. “His parents do all kinds of great things for veterans in the Birmingham metropolitan area.” Ryan’s sacrifice and his parents’ generosity have inspired others to give back to the Winslows. They have received a U.S. flag flown over the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, as well as cross-stitch, oil paintings and a bronze bust in Ryan’s honor. The fifth-grade teachers at Bluff Park Elementary School each year give out a Ryan Winslow Patriotism Award at the school’s awards day and invite the Winslows to attend. “It’s absolutely amazing,” Marynell Winslow said. “We’ve had so many incredible acts of kindness. You really can find out how good people can be when you go through something like this.” Having people remember Ryan means so much, the Winslows said. “Ryan was a very honest, funny and caring

Ryan’s Purple Heart that was presented posthumously. Photo by Frank Couch.

young man,” his father said. “He had a lot of empathy for people who were not treated right.” He always had an interest in firearms and wanted to be a police officer since he was 4 years old, his father said. Ryan attended Hoover High School and took criminal justice classes at Jefferson State Community College, but decided to join the military for on-the-job training after his second semester, the Winslows said. After his death, the Hoover Police Department made him an honorary police officer. The work the Winslows do now is designed to make sure their son and others who gave their lives are not forgotten, they said. “If you don’t make some effort to keep all those names in front of people’s eyes, people are going to forget about the sacrifices so many have made and how many families miss their loved ones because of the price they paid,” Marynell Winslow said. It’s just something they’re driven to do, George Winslow said. “He had the guts to get over there and fight for his country. It’s the least we can do for him and others.”

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Working on the railroad

Model railroading enthusiasts unite as Wrecking Crew By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE

Bob Beaty says his fascination with model railroading began at age 3, when his dad “bought me my first Lionel that really was for him.” Rather than waning, the 72-year-old Riverchase resident’s enthusiasm for trains has only flourished. Today he “splits as much time as possible” between the train set housed in his garage and the one built and maintained by the Wrecking Crew, a Birmingham model train club. Twice retired — after 26 years in the Navy and 15 years with BellSouth — Beaty said as a child, he spent much of the 1950s building train layouts in his family’s Georgia home. “I got away from it in college and while serving as a pilot in the Navy, of course,” he said. “But I got married in 1967, and in 1968, [my wife] Carol gave me a train and a book about a Maine railroad as a joke. That got Bob Beaty has spent 15 years building and improving the model railroad in his Riverchase home. Photos by Marienne Thomas Ogle.

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The Port Townsend Rooming House, also made by hand, holds Sam & Pat’s Deli and Natalie’s Tea House, named after three of Beaty’s grandchildren.

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November 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ B3

B4 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Life, Camera, Action! Hoover couple’s vlogging channel becomes big hit By ERICA TECHO Taking a vlogging hobby and turning it into a full-time job took a leap of faith. “I was 30 at the time, and I said, if I don’t take that risk, I’ll be 40 in 10 years. What if we don’t do what we love and just look back and regret everything? So let’s just take this risk, and it’s paid off just in the last year and a half tremendously,” said Cullen, one half of the YouTube duo Cullen & Katie. The Hoover residents first started vlogging, or video blogging, on YouTube four years ago as a way to keep up with friends and family. At the time, they were living in Tallahassee and wanted to stay in touch with everyone in Birmingham. When they moved back, they decided to keep up their daily videos to preserve their memories. “The craziest part was just jumping straight into it,” Cullen said. “Most YouTubers start by uploading like one video a week and learning how to edit it and trying to make the content as best as they could, and we just went ‘Let’s just do daily vlogs,’ and didn’t realize how much time and effort went behind every single day.” Katie said along with getting more comfortable in front of the camera over time, they have also learned the best content for their viewers. “We’ve learned a lot more how to actually put

Cullen and Katie post daily vlogs on their YouTube channel featuring their daughter Macey Gaines. Photo by Erica Techo.

in the things that are interesting,” Katie said. “It took us three and a half years to realize, OK we don’t need to put every single thing in there,” Cullen said. Since their first vlog in May 2011, Katie and Cullen have received more than 30 million views on their channel and have 189,154 subscribers. They asked not to publish their last names due to this online visibility. “It’s a weird phenomenon to think about that there’s that many people that want to watch somebody else’s life,” Cullen said. Accumulating followers was not an easy process. After being laid off from his job, Cullen decided to transition to work on videos full time and spent most of the time networking. He responded to almost every comment on their channel, monitored social media and worked to build an audience. At that time, their channel only had 5,000 subscribers. “Within that time, we happened to find out that we were expecting her [daughter Macey Gaines],

and YouTube loves babies, so we put a lot of effort into talking about that on our channel, and our channel kind of just took off,” Katie said. As they began to pick up subscribers, transitioning to full-time YouTubers became more feasible. Social media is becoming a more respected form of media, Cullen said, and companies realize the potential influence YouTube channels have. That means Cullen and Katie can make money through brand deals and advertisements on their channel, and thankfully, Cullen said, their fans realize that is how they are able to spend all of their time working on videos. “They know this is how you’re making a living and because you do that, they can watch you every day,” Katie said. They described their channel as a ‘completely unscripted reality show.’ Maintaining a daily vlogging channel means they can’t hide many aspects of their lives from the camera. During their time on YouTube, Cullen and

Katie went through two miscarriages. Even though it was difficult, they chose to share their experience on a video. “That day, we could fake it and just say we’re sick, we don’t feel good,” Cullen said. “… But we took a nap, we slept on it, and we just talked about it. We just got an outpouring of support.” Talking it through on camera was also beneficial to them, Katie said. While helping connect to audience members, they also could work through some of their emotions. “I think it does go both ways,” Katie said. “It’s hard because you think, ‘I don’t want to turn the camera on. I’m just not in the mood … but then once we started talking about it, not only helping other people, but a little bit it helped make us feel better.” A factor for connecting with a vlog, Cullen said, is finding things you have in common. This can range from owning the same appliance or outfit to experiencing the same real-life struggles. They often get comments thanking them for bringing some joy into a hard day or for openly talking about an issue, and they hope to connect with viewers in little things as well. “I think with it being vlogs and that we put our life on the Internet every day, people know it’s got to be a mess sometimes,” Katie said. “And I think sometimes it makes people feel better, like, ‘Oh, I’m not the only one who has a messy house.” Even when the camera is off, the job is going 24/7, Cullen said. After vlogging for the day, they have to edit and upload the video and then promote it over social media. Although it took some time to explain how Internet videos are a full-time job, Katie said their friends and families are realizing how much work goes into a YouTube channel. The time commitment is worth it, they said, and they consider it a blessing to stay home with their daughter. “It’s definitely not the norm,” Katie said, “and it’s not something five years ago I ever would think. If you told me we’d both be staying at home doing this YouTube thing, taking care of our baby, being together every day, I would have been like, ‘What? There’s no way.’” For more, visit youtube.com/user/ bamachick1101.

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Hoover B6 â&#x20AC;˘ November 2015

Hoover Sun

Shades Crest Craft Show draws local artists The show featured a variety of gifts and home decorations made by local vendors. Photos by Frank Couch.

The Shades Crest Arts and Craft Show was held at Shades Crest Baptist Church on Saturday, Oct. 3. Shades Crest Arts and Craft Show attendees talk during the event at Shades Crest Baptist Church.

George Taylor makes lamps from repurposed objects including one he made with car tags, pictured here.

HooverSun.com

TASTE of HOOVER

November 2015 • B7

Photos by Frank Couch

Anna Stewart and Audrey Colabrese enjoy Urban Pops while serving on the student board as volunteers at the event.

Raquel Lily entertains the crowd with some live music.

Sherah Spain serves a plate from Dales Southern Grill and Catering at the fourth annual Taste of Hoover at Aldridge Gardens on Oct. 22.

Robert Young, a chef at Shula’s Steakhouse, slices beef.

Linda Bembry and Cindy Edmunds enjoy a conversation on a bench.

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Cecilia Aguilar and Juan Carlos Paredes dance as the night wears on.

Hoover Sun

B8 â&#x20AC;˘ November 2015

whispers FROM THE PAST

Clockwise, from above: A member of the Medicine Tail Singers performs at Whispers from the Past. A child learns to grind corn. William Wente rolls out clay to make a wedding bottle. Medicine Tail Singers wait for their turn to dance. Visitors could fish in Aldridge Gardensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lake at Whispers from the Past. Photos by Sydney Cromwell.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • B9

Clockwise, from above: Artist Maurice Cook paints by his booth at Uncorked on the Green. Kristie Flannery and her daughter, Kaelyn, smile after visiting the face-painting booth. A stilt walker from Modern Gypsies Productions plays the electric violin. Photos by Erica Techo.

Uncorked on the Green bubbles over with brews By ERICA TECHO This year’s Uncorked on the Green attracted hundreds to Ross Bridge on Saturday, Oct. 10. The event looked a little different than past years, adding a home brew competition and bringing stilt walkers and hula-hoop dancers to the Green at Ross Bridge. Visitors were able to taste beers from more than 50 craft breweries in addition to several wines. Tasting booths were interspaced with local art and clothing vendors. There was also a family fun area with an inflatable slide, face painting and crafts. Uncorked also held its first Master of the Brew

competition, welcoming homebrewers to show off their best beer. Warrior resident James Glass was the grand prize winner for his Black Saturday beer, winning a fermenter, Hop City gift card, $250 in cash, Avondale gift card and the opportunity to brew a batch at Avondale Brewing Co. Hoover resident Craig Pinkerton was the runner-up for his Pumpkin Ale, winning $100 in cash. “The first annual Master of the Brew was a huge success,” said Harry Kampakis, president of AlaBev. “All of the entries were top-tier homebrews, making it a tough call for the judges.”

The Alabama Department of Transportation Public Involvement Meeting for PROJECT NUMBER: STPBH-5915(250) Intersection Improvements on State Park Road from Amphitheater Drive to John Findley Drive to Include the Addition of Bike Lanes Thursday, December 10, 2015 Oak Mountain State Park 200 Terrace Drive Pelham, Alabama 35124

During this meeting, the public may review project information and maps, ask questions and discuss the project with representatives from Shelby County, the project designers and ALDOT staff. The Open House Session will begin at 4:00 PM and end at 7:00 PM. Written comments may be submitted by completing comment forms during the meeting or by mail to the East Central Region – Birmingham Area Office. Comments must be received by Monday, December 28, 2015. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR FOR INDIVIDUALS REQUIRING SPECIAL ASSISTANCE PLEASE CONTACT: Mr. DeJarvis Leonard, P.E. Region Engineer Alabama Department of Transportation – East Central Region P.O. Box 2745 Birmingham, Alabama 35202-2745 Attn: Mrs. Sandra F. P. Bonner REQUEST FOR SPECIAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE RECEIVED AT LEAST FIVE (5) BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING

B10 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Moss Rock festival brings art, green living By GRACE THORNTON Walt Stricklin loves festivals. He loves the people he gets to meet. He loves the art. But he loves the Moss Rock Festival especially, because when he’s there, he can show one of his pieces to someone, then point. “And I can say walk about 200 yards in that direction, and you’re in the middle of what I’m showing you,” he said. Stricklin, a Hoover artist who designs his photography into two-dimensional pieces he calls “scapes,” spent one day each week for a year at the 350-acre preserve accumulating a lot of his art. “I took a year and challenged myself to go out every week to see how it changed,” he said. “It was incredible.” During the Moss Rock Festival Nov. 7–8, Stricklin’s art will be on display on Artist Row, a city of white tents boasting thousands of pieces of art, many of which are inspired by nature or made from natural materials. The eco-friendly festival draws about 15,000 visitors each year, and Jennifer Whisenant, president of the festival’s board of directors, said there are many reasons why. “The whole event is just really unique,” she said. “Over the past 10 years, it has really grown and been a neat thing for our community. Each year we keep adding new components.” The event’s offerings will include an Eco-District where visitors can ﬁnd new eco-friendly ideas, products and companies. One new component will be displays by the Blazers BEST Robotics team of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s engineering department, who will demonstrate their inventions in an obstacle course. “Students are going to be doing those

demonstrations, and that’s going to be pretty cool,” Whisenant said. Another new feature is that Hoover’s Tameron Honda and Tameron Hyundai dealership will also have green vehicles to look at, ride in and drive. And as part of the +DESIGN area, a tiny house model will be on display to showcase compact living. Stricklin said the eco focus of the event is one thing that makes it great. “I love the inclusiveness of the festival,” he said. “It’s not just an art festival; it’s a green festival.” But it’s something else too, Whisenant said. “It’s a fun, fun, fun event.” She said participants always love the beer garden, which is set up to let visitors taste beer from 17 craft beer brewers, almost all from the local area and other places in Alabama. A SmartLIVING Market will offer organic and locally made products, samples and food education. A Sweetery will showcase caterers from around the area with goods to sample and buy. The WonderKid Art Studios will guide children in fun, nature-related activities. And as usual, the event isn’t just active for the kids. Cahaba Cycles will host bike rides through the neighborhood Saturday at 10 a.m and 2 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. for visitors who bring or ride their bikes to The Preserve. The Alabama Geocachers Association will have geocaching hunts at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Friends of Moss Rock Preserve will lead guided hikes at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. both days. The earlier one is an introduction to Moss Rock Preserve. The later is a 2-mile backcountry tour. Admission to the festival is free. For more information, visit mossrockfestival. com.

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Moss Rock Festival Nov. 7-8 Moss Rock Preserve Mossrockfestival.com

Children take part in activities at a previous Moss Rock Festival. Photo by Larry Gay.

Free

The beer garden is one of the most popular parts of the annual festival. Photo courtesy of Moss Rock Festival.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • B11

Service club to hold fashion show fundraiser By GRACE THORNTON Looking for an occasion to dress up, see some new fashions over lunch, then maybe spend the afternoon shopping? If you are, Vicki Nutter says she has just the thing for you — not to mention that it’s for a good cause. On Nov. 12, the Hoover Service Club will hold its annual fashion show featuring styles from Stein Mart in Vestavia Hills. The show, held at Hoover Country Club, is open to the public with advance reservations and will start at 11 a.m. The funds raised will provide scholarships for local students, said Nutter, vice president of the service club. Students from Spain Park High School, Hoover High School, Berry Middle School and Simmons Middle School have all benefited from the scholarships in the past, she said. The event brings awareness to the plight of students in the community who need a little extra help with education expenses, said club member Jennifer Gregory, who will be one of the models in the show. “I thoroughly enjoyed it [last year],” Gregory said. “And it was an opportunity to have fashion consultant Darlene Real [Higginbotham] to professionally suggest and select an outfit for me from Stein Mart.” Higginbotham, who directs the fashion show, is a “great stylist and coach,” Nutter said. Selecting and piecing together outfits from Stein Mart, Higginbotham will style each Hoover Service Club model and prepare them to show off their outfit to the crowd. In addition to Gregory, five other models from the club will be showcasing Stein Mart’s fashions. Nutter said it’s a great time to be together and get to know other women in the community. The Hoover Service Club, a 40-year-old

The Hoover Service Club is getting ready to hold its annual fundraising fashion show. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Gregory.

organization with about 140 members, was founded on the motto of “helping others” and has continued to be comprised of civic-minded women. Over the years, they’ve donated more than $484,000 to community members and organizations such as the Hoover Fire Department and Hoover Police Department. In addition to the fashion show, the club has

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projects going year-round, including work with the Green Valley Baptist food bank, Easter baskets for children in need and a large gala held as a fundraiser each February, Nutter said. “We love the fellowship, and we love getting together and helping to meet a need,” she said. Shrimp and grits are on the menu, Nutter said — and fun is, too.

“And who knows? A lot of us after we see the fashions might spend the afternoon shopping at Stein Mart afterward, so the fun just keeps going,” Nutter said. For more information, visit hooverserviceclub.com. To make reservations for the fashion show lunch, call Winnie Cooper at 979-5699 or LaVerne Martin at 987-2739.

B12 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

November charity walks By SAM CHANDLER and SYDNEY CROMWELL The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host its 10th Annual Birmingham Out of the Darkness Walk on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m. As Alabama’s largest Out of the Darkness Walk, the event serves as an AFSP fundraiser and seeks to shine a light on mental health issues and suicide. Last year’s walk raised $180,000 for the AFSP, which goes toward funding research, education and other awareness initiatives. Nearly 2,000 participants are expected to attend this year’s event, and the paved walking route will accommodate wheelchairs and strollers. Pets on a leash are also welcome to accompany their owners on the walk. A variety of mental health nonproﬁt groups will be attending the event to inform people about the resources available to them throughout the community. There will also be a survivor area where people can honor and commemorate loved ones lost to suicide. There is no registration fee to walk.

The Out of the Darkness Walk seeks to raise awareness and fund research for mental health and suicide. Photo courtesy of Out of the Darkness.

10th Annual Out of the Darkness Community Walk Nov. 1, 1 p.m. (registration), 2:30 p.m. (walk) Heardmont Park afsp.donordrive.com/event/Birmingham

Walking to Remember Nov. 7, 7:30 a.m. (registration), 8:30 a.m. (walk) Riverchase Galleria alzca.org/walking/

Walking to Remember is an annual event for families and friends of Alzheimer’s disease patients to raise funds and awareness. Photos courtesy of Vance Holder.

A mall may seem like an unusual place for a charity walk, but Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama has held its Walking to Remember at the Galleria for almost all of its 20 years. Vance Holder, who manages the organization’s community relations, said they never have to worry about inclement weather inside the mall. The nearly 400 walkers expected to participate in Walking to Remember this year also have the chance to shop at Galleria stores afterward. It is free to walk, but Holder said people who raise $50 or more for the organization will receive a T-shirt, and those who raise $100 or more will receive a long-sleeve shirt and a surprise item. The goal is to raise $125,000 for education and supplies. “Our ultimate goal as a nonproﬁt is to educate families on

how best to live with this [Alzheimer’s disease],” Holder said. Holder said Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama covers 21 counties in the area and provides services and supplies to help families keep loved ones with Alzheimer’s at home. Last year, the walk had a 1970s theme, which Holder said will be hard to top. However, the organization is looking for new ways to make the 20th anniversary walk distinct. Prior to the walk, there will be refreshments, and the Vestavia Hills High School jazz band will perform. Miss Alabama will return to sing the national anthem, followed by a moment of silence for Alzheimer’s patients and their families. “Alzheimer’s is one of those diseases that’s everywhere,” Holder said.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • B13

City tree lighting to start holiday season By STEVE IRVINE The Christmas countdown begins in Hoover on Nov. 30 with the annual Christmas tree lighting at Hoover Municipal Center. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and is expected to last about 90 minutes. It is one of the city’s most anticipated annual events. “Everybody just likes to come see Santa and play in the snow,” said City of Hoover events coordinator Erin Colbaugh. “It’s a fun, festive event to get the holidays started off.” A Hoover City Schools elementary student will flip the switch to light the decorations, and an elementary school choir will sing. The Spain Park High School band will also perform, which is something new for

the event. After arriving in a fire truck, Santa Claus will greet and take pictures with children. Commemorative decorations will be available for everyone in attendance. Light refreshments, including hot chocolate and cider, will also be available. There is also one more special touch. “We always have snow here at city hall for our tree lighting,” Colbaugh said. Parking is available at the Hoover Public Library, with shuttle service available to take people to the city hall parking lot. “We will close Municipal Lane at 4 p.m. because we’ll start shuttling people over from the parking lot,” Colbaugh said.

There’s always snow for the annual Christmas tree lighting in Hoover. Photo by Katie Turpen.

Junior League holiday market to feature clothes, hand-crafted gifts

Hoover resident Craig Skowronek of Lula Woodworks will bring his custom-hand crafted furniture and gifts to Market Noel this year. Photo courtesy of Holly Lollar.

The Junior League of Birmingham’s holiday market, Market Noel, is celebrating its 25th year. The event returns to the Cahaba Grand Conference Center Nov. 19-21. More than 100 vendors from across the country will sell wares to benefit the 34 community projects of the Junior League. Craig Skowronek of Lula Woodworks will participate in Market Noel for the first time this year. Skowronek makes custom furniture and gifts in the basement of his Hoover home. He is especially known around town for his artisan cutting boards that can be used for chopping, serving or displaying. General admission shopping for Market Noel is open 9

a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. A Preview Noel party and a Man Cave will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. They will feature hors d’oeuvres, drinks, giveaways, a silent auction and entertainment. Highlights of the week include a Girls’ Night Out on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and a fashion show, Rock the Runway, on Saturday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tickets for the fashion show include food and drinks. To purchase Market Noel tickets or for more information, visit marketnoel.net. Tickets are also available at the door. -Submitted by the Junior League of Birmingham

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Hoover Sun

B14 • November 2015

Sports

Sight on success Niblett hits 100-win mark at Hoover, but it’s fear of failure that drives him By DAVID KNOX

ALL-TIME LEADERS BY WINS AT HOOVER 1) Bob Finley (1968-93) 198 2) Rush Propst (1999-2007) 110 3) Josh Niblett (2008-present) 102* 4) Gerald Gann (1995-98) 22 5) Larry Wilson (1963-65) 15

ALL-TIME LEADERS BY WINNING PERCENTAGE AT HOOVER 1) Josh Niblett 91.1% 2) Rush Propst 87.3% 3) Bob Finley 69.5% *Through Oct. 22, 2015

Hoover football coach Josh Niblett doesn’t get too caught up in personal milestones. So it’s really no surprise he deﬂects attention from his 100th win at Hoover, a 17-14 victory over Oak Mountain on Sept. 11. He gives the credit to the players, coaches, community and his family. “I’ve had a lot of great people around here that have allowed me an opportunity to be successful, and I’m very blessed by that,” said Niblett, who has a career record of 16742. “But No. 1, to God be the glory. God has blessed me tremendously as a coach. He’s put me in the right situations doing the right things, and I’m just trying to honor him. I think that’s what was neat about it was for me to wake up every day and God has given me a purpose and a plan. Coaching is a ministry for me. And that’s the way I see it.” He was presented with a plaque commemorating the landmark win. “It means everything to me for everybody else that allowed it to have an opportunity to happen. I’m just a small part of that. It goes under my name, but there’s a lot of great players that’s played for me, a lot of great coaches who’ve put in a lot of grind around here to give us an opportunity to be as successful as we’ve been. A great support staff, my wife and my kids at home, that have allowed me an opportunity to do my job,” Niblett said.

“

I just wake up every day and lock in and focus on what I’m doing, so blessed to be where I’m at. I can’t think of a better place to be than where I’m at.

”

JOSH NIBLETT

“And it’s not about me, that’s kind of why I’ve deﬂected it, I haven’t even wanted to talk about it. That’s not just me … maybe when I’m 82 years old and I ﬁ nally stop coaching, I might look back on it and say that was neat.” Reaching a milestone such as 100 wins is usually accomplished through equal measures of longevity and success. Perhaps more remarkable than the 100 wins is that Niblett is in the midst of just his eighth season, and against his current total of 102 wins (as of Oct. 22, just before the Hewitt-Trussville game), he has just 10 losses. That’s a remarkable – make that ridiculous – winning percentage of 91 percent. That’s competing, usually, in the toughest

region in the toughest class in the state, plus taking on all-comers from out of state. Not to mention ripping through the playoffs with a 31-3 mark, a 91.1 percent success rate. Or the three straight state championships, four in all, and three other runner-up ﬁnishes. Truth is, those 10 losses drive him more than the 101 wins, he said. “Somebody told me the other day, ‘Y’all got to lose sometime.’ We don’t have to lose anytime,” Niblett said. “Those (losses) craw me every day – there’s those two state championships we lost by one point, there’s the other state championship we lost by three points. We could just as easily have won seven (state championships) here and won them every year I’ve been here. But we didn’t. “I fear failure more than I enjoy the celebration of success. That’s why I wake up every day, and that’s why I prepare myself because I don’t want to fail. Some people wake up every day and they want to be successful. I don’t see it that way, and I think that’s what drives me, that’s what I try to get to drive my staff and my players – fear of failure will drive you to where need to go the rest of your life.” Needless to say, the two losses this season to region opponents Spain Park (for the ﬁrst time) and Vestavia Hills (breaking a seven-game winning streak) have his competitive nature in overdrive. “We can’t sit around and lick our wounds,”

HooverSun.com Niblett said. “It’s never fun when you lose, and around here we’ve not lost very much, and some people don’t know how to take it. “I want to make sure we all stick together in this. I’m very fortunate and blessed to get to do what I do, and this is where leadership shows, when you go through situations like this. This is when the kids look to you, and I’ve got to be strong, make sure I put us in the right direction. That’s my job.” The Bucs are 6-2 at this writing, and a lock for a playoff spot. That’s great most places, not good enough at Hoover. “I’m a competitor,” Niblett said. “I don’t take it very well. I take it personal. But at the same time, I serve an awesome God, I’ve got an awesome wife and kids, and they know how much it means to me. And these kids mean the world to me. I don’t want to see them fail. I want to see them be successful. I don’t ever want, under my watch, to not be doing what we’re supposed to be doing. So it has been wearing on me a little bit. “But I’ll tell you what it’s done, because no matter what, win lose or draw, I’m always trying to figure out new ways to get us better. I’ve always found a way to get our kids to play even harder, and now I’ve got to figure out that thing for this group.” There’s no question that the original foundation for success at then-Berry High was laid by the incomparable Bob Finley. It’s also indisputable that Rush Propst took the program to another level. But Niblett has actually raised the bar. His winning percentage is the best in school history. Will he someday surpass Bob Finley’s total of 198 wins, which was accomplished over 26 seasons? “I don’t know, man,” Niblett said. “I don’t know what God has planned for me, and I don’t know what God has planned for this program. I know this – I just wake up every day and lock in and focus on what I’m doing, so blessed to be where I’m at. I can’t think of a better place to be than where I’m at. I love what I’m doing. “I’d love to get to 198 here. I’d love to get to 200. But to ever be mentioned in the same sentence as Bob Finley, it’s definitely an honor.”

November 2015 • B15

Hoover coach Josh Niblett talks to his team during the Oak Mountain game on Sept. 11. The Bucs won 17-14, giving Niblett his 100th win as Hoover head football coach. Photo by Barry Stephenson.

B16 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Whisenhunt pitches Vipers ’04 to ASA 10-U national championship By SAM CHANDLER

genetics. Her father, Todd Whisenhunt, played baseball collegiately at Birmingham-Southern, splitting time If championships are the measure of athletic success, between first base and the pitcher’s mound. then 11-year-old Caroline Whisenhunt has already Her brothers Will, 13, and John, 8, also devote at least knocked her softball career out of the park. one season per year to the national pastime. While most kids her age spent their summer days freCaroline began following the family footsteps when quenting the community pool and daydreaming about she was 4 years old, playing her first four years of flavored ice and other cool treats, the Simmons Middle organized softball at the Hoover Sports Park Central. School sixth-grader was hard at work. Although her parents didn’t know how she would iniThis summer, Whisenhunt led the Birmingham Vipers tially respond, it didn’t take long to realize that Caroline ’04 fastpitch softball team to the Amateur Softball Asso- embodied a unique love, and knack, for the game. ciation 10-U National Champi“I thought that she wanted to onship, pitching a complete play softball when she started game five-hitter in the tournajust because her big brother ment’s decisive contest. did,” Whisenhunt said. “I never It feels good because “It feels good because most dreamed that she would have most people in their people in their life don’t get to the passion and talent for it like be a national champion, and so she does. It’s really surprised me life don’t get to be a I’m just happy that I can and that how she’s taken it so far.” national champion, and I did it,” Caroline said. Possessing a rare physical Facing the Heartland (Illiskill set and an elevated softso I’m just happy that I nois) Havoc in the ASA ball IQ, Caroline’s future looks can and that I did it. national championship game exceptionally bright. To supCAROLINE WHISENHUNT held on July 30 in Normal, Ill., plement her big bat and conWhisenhunt limited opposing founding rotation of pitches batters to five hits and three — fastball, changeup, drop ball, runs, displaying her uncanny screwball — Caroline excels at ability to maintain composure under high-pressure third base, holding down the hot corner in a way very circumstances. few girls her age can. “Between innings, we saw her dancing on the pitch“She knows what needs to happen when it needs to er’s mound to a song being played,” said Caroline’s happen,” Whisenhunt said. “She’s into the game.” mother, Amanda Whisenhunt. “With her parents on the Caroline’s athletic journey is only just beginning. As other side of the fence with knots in their stomachs, a Simmons sixth-grader, she’s not even eligible to repCaroline is cool as can be.” resent her middle school for another year. In addition to her phenomenal pitching performance, But that doesn’t mean she’s not looking toward the Caroline also laced three hits and produced four RBIs, future. After carrying on the athletic tradition at Hoover spurring her team both offensively and defensively to High School, the future Buc hopes to play collegiately the title-clinching 8-3 victory. at either Alabama or Florida. Equipped with a rocket arm — her fastball nears 50 “Kids are starting to get scholarships in softball at the mph — and a natural feel for the game, Caroline’s prow- age of 13 and 14 now,” Whisenhunt said. “It seems so ess on the diamond can be at least partially attributed to far away, but it’s really not.”

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Simmons Middle School student Caroline Whisenhunt pitches for the Birmingham Vipers ’04 softball team. Photo courtesy of Todd Whisenhunt.

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November 2015 • B17

Spain Park’s Austin Wiley happy to be joining Auburn family By DAVID KNOX When your mom is former Auburn great Vickie Orr and your dad is former Auburn basketball standout Aubrey Wiley, it’s a done deal you’re going to play your college basketball at Auburn University, right? “I told them my choice two weeks before I announced it,” said Spain Park five-star prospect Austin Wiley. “They both thought I was going to Duke.” The 6-foot-10, 250-pound junior power forward gave his verbal commitment to Auburn and coach Bruce Pearl in late September. Wiley averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds a game as a sophomore for the Spain Park Jaguars. Besides Auburn and Duke, his eight finalist schools included Alabama, UAB, LSU, Mississippi State, Florida and Kansas. But Auburn won his heart. “Everything was just perfect,” he said. “The facilities, the coaches, they just have all the resources to be good. I can’t fail unless I just mess up. For the program to be successful, for me to be successful to get better as a player, it was just perfect.” Although Auburn was the predictable choice, he said his parents let him decide. “When I started getting recruited in the eighth grade, they said they’d like for me to go to Auburn but that it was my decision,” he said. “And they were pretty fair with all the coaches. There were a lot of rumors out there I was going to Auburn anyway. So when the coaches would ask, they would say, ‘No that’s not true, there’s no guarantee. Recruit my son hard, it’s his decision.’ “Coach Pearl is a great coach. When I first met him, it was last year at the Elite

camp. So he had just gotten hired. What he told me was Auburn was trying to rebuild the program and he was trying to rebuild his image, in a way, because he had just messed up at Tennessee. Auburn’s helping him and he’s helping Auburn. That’s pretty much what I took away. He got real emotional, because pretty much his life, coaching basketball, had been taken away from him for a couple of years because he’d made a mistake and he wanted to fix that. “And I think he’s on a good path,” Wiley added. Wiley said he’s glad to have the recruitment process behind him. He’s ready to focus on leading the Jags to a state title or two, concentrate on his schoolwork, get himself better prepared for the SEC, and recruit a few other top-flight players to his Auburn class. “I got to,” he said. “They used Jared [Harper, an Atlanta point guard who is a 2016 commitment] to recruit me a little bit, so I’ve got to do some for my class.” Wiley said the first order of business as practice begins is to work on his conditioning. “I’ve got to get a little bit stronger. I’ve got to work on my post moves. I’ve got to get a perimeter shot.” Spain Park coach Donnie Quinn agrees that Wiley should improve his outside shot, but said, “He’s ready for the next level now, I believe. He’s still learning. He’s got the body and the physicality right now to play at any level. Right now, it’s a matter of extending his outside game and giving him other options besides just sitting under the goal. And defensively, he’s very good.” Wiley is one of 57 players invited to try out for the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team.

Spain Park’s Austin Wiley stuffs the basketball in a game last season. Wiley, one of the most highly regarded rising juniors in the country, has committed to Auburn University. Photo by Ted Melton.

B18 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Hoover High football recap Hoover’s C.J. Sturdivant breaks loose against Thompson. The Bucs defense dominated Thompson Sept. 18 during their 31-14 victory over the Warriors. Photo by Barry Stephenson.

By STEVE IRVINE

Game 5, 9/18

HOOVER 31, THOMPSON 14 Thompson turned big plays into points in its Class 7A, Region 3 showdown against Hoover at the Met. The good news — at least for those sporting Hoover colors during the Bucs homecoming game — was the Warriors managed only two of those big plays. Other than that, the Bucs defense was dominating during the 31-14 victory. The two big plays produced 156 yards in offense. The other 54 offensive snaps for Thompson netted a grand total of 63 yards. “I know defensively we’d like to take those two big plays away, but you can’t,” said Josh Niblett, who won his 101st game as the Hoover head coach. “I’m proud of our effort defensively. I thought we lined up and did what we were supposed to do. Our guys fly around and play fast. They don’t give up much on the perimeter. We do a really good job of pressuring the quarterback.”

Game 6, 10/1

SPAIN PARK 17, HOOVER 0 Spain Park football coach Shawn Raney made sure his halftime message was clear as his team huddled inside the visiting locker room at the Hoover Met. “I told the kids at halftime (that) you’re fixing to see a barrage like you’ve never seen from the Hoover kids,” said Raney, whose team led by 10 points at the time. “They were fixing to come at us.” But a funny thing happened on a night when Hoover, the state’s top-ranked 7A team, looked to extend an in-state winning streak to 44 games and beat its crosstown rival for the 14th consecutive time on the field. Simply put, the barrage never came. Instead, the Spain Park defense threw up a cement wall, the Jaguars’ offense did enough to pad its lead by a touchdown and Hoover had several moments

of self-destruction. Put that all together and No. 8 Spain Park no longer had a zero in the win column against the Bucs. The postgame scene was about what you’d expect from a streak-busting victory. Raney failed to dodge a postgame cold water bath from his players, students rushed the field to celebrate and one side of the goal post toppled to the ground before security was able to chase the fans away. On the other side, the Hoover players sang the alma mater before quietly heading to the locker room. Coach Josh Niblett praised the Jaguars (5-1 overall, 4-0 region) for the win and didn’t dodge the reason his team now must begin a new in-state win streak. “They won the battle up front,” Niblett said. “You (lose) the battle up front, I don’t care who

you are, you’re not going to have a very good chance to be successful.”

Game 7, 10/9

HOOVER 45, TUSCALOOSA COUNTY 3 Tuscaloosa County’s Collin Sherrill got plenty of work in a Class 7A, Region 3 matchup with Hoover at the Hoover Met. Considering that Sherrill is the Wildcats’ punter, that is not a good thing. But it was that kind of night for Tuscaloosa County as the Bucs’ defense dominated in a 45-3 victory over the Wildcats. Tuscaloosa County ran 42 offensive plays on Friday night, and the net total was 71 yards with only two of those yards coming on 22 rushing attempts. Ten of the 12 offensive possessions for the Wildcats ended in a Sherrill punt, and they had just three first downs.

The fifth-ranked Bucs (6-1 overall, 4-1 region) had 10 tackles for loss. Jeremiah Moon led Hoover with six tackles, a sack and tackle for loss. It was just part of a pleasant evening where the Bucs rebounded from the loss to Spain Park. But coach Josh Niblett stopped short of saying the lopsided victory over the Wildcats (0-7, 0-5) completely wiped away the bitter taste. “We don’t want to get all of that out of our mouth,” Niblett said. “We want to keep a little of that in the back of our throat. I’m a firm believer in certain events happen in your life, certain things happen to you, but it’s all about how you respond to it.” To see full game recaps from the entire season, visit hooversun.com.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • B19

Spain Park football recap

Happy Spain Park students take down part of the Hoover Met goalposts after the Jaguars’ 17-0 win over Hoover. After 13 straight losses to their crosstown rival, save a forfeit victory in 2007, Spain Park (5-1, 4-0) defeated Hoover High (5-1, 4-1) for the first time in school history. Photo by Ted Melton.

By DAVID KNOX and SAM CHANDLER

Game 5, 9/18

SPAIN PARK 31, HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE 28 (OT) Crosby Gray's 27-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Spain Park Jaguars (4-1, 3-1) to a 31-28 overtime victory over Hewitt-Trussville at Husky Stadium in a pivotal early-season Class 7A, Region 3 game. “It’s just all the work we put in and stuff after losing this game last year,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said of that 64-63, four-overtime loss. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling. I’m so proud of these kids and just how they keep fighting.” Although the Huskies (3-2, 2-1) took the field first in overtime, their drive ended before it even started. Quarterback Zac Thomas was intercepted by Jags linebacker Houston Hollis on the first play from scrimmage, dashing the Huskies' scoring opportunity. With the Jags taking over possession on the 10-yard line, Raney immediately chose to send his sure-footed kicker out on the field. “We’ve got one of the best kickers in the state. I wasn’t going to risk anything,” Raney said. “I just told him I knew he’d make it. I’ve got total faith in him.” Gray, as he’s done throughout the season, including two weeks before in a clutch five-field goal performance against Thompson, came through. “It’s the most amazing feeling just being able to fight hard with my guys,” Gray said, “over the summer, over the offseason, everything, just to help them win.”

Game 6, 10/1

SPAIN PARK 17, HOOVER 0 The Jags did it. On a brisk, fall Thursday evening at the Hoover Met in a game designated as a Great American Rivalry, Spain Park broke the streak. After 13 straight losses to their crosstown rival, save a forfeit victory in 2007, Spain Park (5-1, 4-0)

defeated Hoover High (5-1, 4-1) for the first time in school history, toppling the Bucs 17-0 and earning a critical 7A, Region 3 victory. “It’s unbelievable to do something that’s been tried so many times before,” said Spain Park coach Shawn Raney, a former Hoover assistant. “Hoover’s got a special place in my heart, and I love those coaches, but to get this done for the program, what we’ve been trying to do for the past three years, it’s just unreal.” Prior to the shutout loss, Hoover had won 43 straight in-state games, falling last in the 2011 state championship when they lost to Prattville 35-34. But even more impressively, at least for the Spain Park defense, is the amount of time that’s passed since Hoover was last shut out. To find that, you have to go back to Sept. 27, 1991, when the Bucs were blanked 13-0 by

Hewitt-Trussville. “To win in it that fashion, and to win it, it’s unbelievable,” Raney said. “Our kids just stepped up when they had to.”

Game 7, 10/9

SPAIN PARK 21, VESTAVIA HILLS 0 If the Spain Park Jaguars seemed a little flat early in their game with Vestavia Hills at Jaguar Field, who could blame them? It’s not every week the Jags are ranked No. 2 in Class 7A. It’s not every week they’re coming down from the high of whipping their archrivals. In fact, it’s the first time they’ve been in that position of basking in the glow of bashing the Hoover Bucs. So with the Rebels taking the opening kickoff and driving down the field 72 yards, it looked like the Jags needed a wake-up call.

They got it from senior linebacker Perry Young. Young blocked Curry Howard’s 25-yard field goal attempt, and teammate Chase Young picked it up, and the chase was on. Eighty-five yards later, the Jaguars had a touchdown, and they were wide-awake. The Jaguars built on the momentum to build a 21-0 halftime lead and made it stand up as Spain Park grabbed complete control of the Class 7A, Region 3 race. The Jags (6-1, 5-0) were poised to clinch the title with a win over Oak Mountain. “It’s a huge win,” Spain Park coach Shawn Raney said. “I felt we were a little flat, a little dead, but big players make big plays, and Perry Young made the big play.” To see full game recaps from the entire season, visit hooversun.com.

B20 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

CREW

CONTINUED from page B1 me revitalized.” While in the service, Beaty said he built a small layout he had the Navy “cart around” each time he was reassigned. “I built the cars, engines, scenery and structures, but my space was limited until we moved to Hoover in 1987,” he said. “Then I made sure when we purchased a home, it had enough bedrooms for the family and a big basement space for me.” Beaty fell in with fellow model train enthusiasts in 1988 when the group was planning a National Model Railroad Association Convention at the BJCC. The event included bus tours to view different area modelers’ layouts, including Beaty’s. They’ve been a club ever since. “One of the guys was anal-retentive and the woodwork on his layout looked like fine furniture,” he said. “So one night a bunch of us showed up at his house with chainsaws and an ax, and when his wife answered the door, she said, ‘Honey, the wrecking crew is here.’ And that became our name.” The Wrecking Crew Model Railroad Club, which evolved into a nonprofit education corporation, has about 30 members from throughout the Birmingham area and beyond, said Jason Parham, club president. “We’re a diverse group, ranging in age from 30s to 80s, and include a chef, photographer, architect and retired Navy captain,” he said. “We happen to be all men at this time but would certainly welcome women members.” Those applying to join the club must be members of the National Model Railroad Association and, among other things, submit a letter of intent about what they offer the group and want to learn and accomplish. “The club exists to promote the hobby of model railroading and help members advance their skills and enjoy their hobby to the fullest extent,” Parham said. “We encourage our members to take part in the NMRA’s Achievement Program, which offers 11 certificates in areas such as scenery, electrical work, and building locomotives and other equipment from scratch.

Left: The Port Townsend and Southern Railroad hauls its freight through tunnels and over trestles Bob Beaty designed and built similar to those in the Puget Sound area. Right: Bob Beaty has spent 15 years building and improving the model railroad in his Riverchase home. Photos by Marienne Thomas Ogle.

Those who get seven of the 11 achieve the status of Master Model Railroader.” Parham, who has served on the board of the NMRA, southeastern region, said Beaty has earned all 11 of the NMRA’s certificates. “He’s one of the finest modelers I’ve ever met,” he said. The Wrecking Crew and its train, the LG&W (Locust Grove & Western Railroad), have called the basement of the McWane Science Center home since 2009. There, club members meet every Monday night, doing repairs, upgrades and renovations to the ever-evolving HO scale layout. In November, the group dismantles the 16-piece modular display — each piece measuring 5 feet by 30 inches — and

reassembles it on the center’s third floor as the 20- by 40-foot focal point of a model railroad exhibit that runs until mid-January as part of the McWane Center’s Winter Wonderland. Though not quite the size of the club’s LG&W, Beaty’s personal model, the PT&S (Port Townsend and Southern) railroad display measures 9 feet by 12 feet and is shaped like an E. Laying the track, running the wiring and creating the scenery, he fashioned his layout after the 1940s narrow gauge, or trains that ran in “inconvenient” locations in the country, such as the logging areas in Alabama. While a fictional railroad, it operates in the “setting” of the Puget Sound of Washington. Beaty started the layout in 2000, then began its ongoing expansion in 2012.

“They’re never finished, because people who do this always want an outlet for our creative energies,” Beaty said. “My wife paints, and I have male friends that sew and knit. Making something from scratch is so rewarding, and it’s one of the few things in life you have complete control over.” Beaty has four sons and they, along with their mother, Carol, have all worked on the train in some capacity over the years. But, in spite of some heart issues, Beaty said he intends to remain in complete control of the PT&S. “It’s part of the family, and I intend to stay in good health, physically and mentally, with my model train,” he said. “Like they say, if you’re not having fun, you’re not doing something right.”

HooverSun.com

November 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ B21

Hoover

561 White Stone Way

Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

731845

35226

561 White Stone Way

New

$259,900

731840

35226

408 Highland Drive Cove

New

$167,000

731802

35226

2265 Larkspur Drive

New

$249,900

731795

35226

2319 Misty Ridge Circle #6

New

$239,900

731767

35226

660 Flag Circle

New

$239,000

731750

35226

5419 Whisperwood Circle

New

$124,900

731729

35226

4322 Abbotts Way

New

$375,000

731724

35226

1616 Moss Rock Road

New

$209,900

731708

35226

2376 Chapel Road

New

$239,900

731606

35226

420 Matzek Drive

New

$219,900

731542

35226

5362 Cottage Lane

New

$141,000

731593

35226

1031 Ivy Creek Trail

New

$183,900

731585

35226

720 Valley St.

New

$225,000

731538

35226

2571 Montauk Road #141

New

$434,000

731518

35226

615 Renaissance Drive

New

$569,900

731524

35226

716 Kendall Drive

New

$424,900

731456

35226

2235 Kent Way

New

$235,000

731398

35226

917 Shades Crest Road

New

$789,000

731328

35226

720 Kendall Drive

New

$165,000

731140

35226

2308 Misty Ridge Circle

New

$589,000

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on Oct. 19. Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

615 Renaissance Drive

B22 • November 2015

Hoover Sun

Calendar Hoover Events Nov. 2: Hoover Community Blood Drive. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hoover Recreation Center. All blood donated goes to Children’s of Alabama and UAB Hospital. Lunch, snacks and drinks provided. Nov. 3: Corporate Golf Day. 10:30 a.m. Greystone Country Club Founder’s Course. Golf clinic, golf shotgun, lunch and prizes. $195 per player, $695 per foursome. Register at greystonecc.com/ corporategolfday. Nov. 4: Nine Chambers of Commerce Speed Networking Event. 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Hyatt Regency Birmingham -- The Wynfrey Hotel. Visit hooverchamber.org. Nov. 5-7: Book Writing Boot Camp. Author Denise George will host three one-day Book Writing Boot Camp seminars. Hunter Street Baptist Church. For writers who are interested in publishing

books and articles. Cost for each seminar is $149 or $285 for both. Visit bookwritingbootcamp.org. Nov. 6: The Greatest Holiday Lighting on Earth. Riverchase Galleria. 6 p.m. Visit riverchasegalleria.com/events. Nov. 6: Winter Championship Junior Tennis Tournament. Greystone Golf & Country Club. Visit greystonecc.com. Nov. 7: Walking to Remember. 8 a.m. Food court area at Riverchase Galleria. Benefiting Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama. Visit alzca.org. Nov. 7-8: Moss Rock Festival. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Preserve, Hoover. Explore nature, eco-ideas, art and design at Alabama’s premier eco-creative festival now in its 10th year. Free admission. Parking and shuttle will take place at the Hoover Met.

Visit MossRockFestival.com. Nov. 8: Veteran’s Day Gathering. Bluff Park United Methodist Church, 733 Valley St. Dinner at 5 p.m. Program at 6 p.m. Nov. 11: Santa Claus visit. Wrapsody, 161 Main St., Suite 127. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. He will be available for photos. Call 989-7277. Nov. 12: Christmas Open House. Wrapsody, 161 Main St., Suite 127. 5-8 p.m. Call 989-7277. Nov. 12: Hoover Chamber Coffee & Contacts. 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m. Benton Nissan of Hoover. Visit hooverchamber.org. Nov. 18-21: Market Noel. Hoover businesses participate in this annual holiday market and

three-day shopping extravaganza that benefits the programs of the Junior League of Birmingham. Visit marketnoel.net. Nov. 19: Hoover Chamber Luncheon. 11:15 a.m. networking; luncheon at noon. Hyatt Regency Birmingham -- The Wynfrey Hotel. 11:15 a.m. Visit hooverchamber.com. Nov. 20: Team Tailgate party. Hoover Senior Center. 1 p.m. Call 739-6700. Nov. 22: Bluff Park Community Thanksgiving Service. 5 p.m. Saint Albans Episcopal Church. Call 822-1360. Nov. 26: Renaissance Ross Bridge Thanksgiving Day Buffet. 11 a.m.-3.p.m. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Children 5-12 $27. For Reservations Please call: 949-3094.

Area Events Nov. 2: Chris Thile, mandolinist. 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $33.50-$54.50. Visit alysstephens.org/chris-thile. Nov. 4: Fred Gray, civil rights attorney. Highlands United Methodist Church, 1045 20th St. South. Free and open to the public. Visit highlandsumc.net/faj. Nov. 6: South Highland Presbyterian Holiday Market. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Visit southhighland.org. Nov. 6: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Alys Stephens Center. 8 p.m. $35-$80. Call 975-2787. Nov. 6: Ben Rector with Judah & The

Lion. 8 p.m. Alabama Theatre. Call 252-2262. Nov. 6: Executive Leadership Series Event. Westin, Downtown. Registration $99. Visit alabamaleadership.org. Nov. 7: Hope for the Holidays. Shelby Baptist Medical Center. 9 a.m.-noon. Free program for people who have experienced the death of a loved one and are dreading the upcoming holiday season. For reservations, call 870-8667. Nov. 9-11. Birmingham Zoo. Free admission for all active and retired military personnel and their dependents with military identification card. Birmingham Zoo. Visit birminghamzoo.com.

Nov. 11-21: “SFB.” Alys Stephens Center. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11-14 and 18-21. Play. $15. Call 975-2787. Nov. 13: George Benson. 8 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $64.50-$89.50. Call 975-2787. Nov. 13: A Salute to the Armed Forces. 8 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $22.50-$57.50. Call 975-2787. Nov. 14: K-12 Dancing Knights Scholastic Chess Tournament. UAB Business School, 1150 10th Avenue, South, Birmingham, 8:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Open to all. Beginners welcomed. Visit alabamachess.com. Nov. 14: Hope for the Holidays. Trinity

United Methodist Church. Free program for people who have experienced the death of a loved one and are dreading the upcoming holiday season. For reservations, call 870-8667. Nov. 14: Remodeling Essentials Kitchen and Bath Seminar. Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Showroom, 2800 2nd Ave. S. 9 a.m.-noon. Nov. 20: Coffee Concert: Handel’s Water Music. 11 a.m. Alys Stephens Center. $19-$34. Call 975-2787. Nov. 21-22: United Way Food Drive. Birmingham Zoo. Bring any canned or nonperishable food item and receive half-price admission. Visit birminghamzoo.com.

HooverSun.com

November 2015 • B23

Hoover Public Library Events Kids Mondays: Together with Twos. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Children’s Programming Room. Stories and crafts for 2-year-olds and their caregiver. Register each week. Visit hooverlibrary.org. Tuesdays: Father Goose. 9:30 a.m. Children’s Programming Room. Visit hooverlibrary.org. Stories, songs and snacks for 1-year-olds and their caregiver. Register each week. Visit hooverlibrary.org. Tuesdays: Early Birds. 10 a.m. Children’s Programming Room. Stories, songs and finger plays for birth to 12 months and their caregiver. Register each week. Visit hooverlibrary.org. Wednesdays: Tiny Tot Tales. 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. A short action-packed story time for children under 4. Children’s Programming Room. Visit hooverlibrary.org. Wednesdays: After Lunch Bunch. 1:30 p.m. Children’s Programming Room. Visit hooverlibrary.org. Storytime for ages 3 and up. Visit hooverlibrary.org. Thursdays: Storytime Live. 10:30 a.m. Children’s Programming Room. Stories, songs, games and puppetry for ages 3 and up. Visit hooverlibrary. org. Thursdays: PJ Storytime. 6:30 p.m. Children’s Programming Room. Wear your pajamas for stories, songs and a bedtime snack. All ages. Visit hooverlibrary.org.

Adults Tuesdays: Adult English Classes. 6:30

p.m. – 8 p.m. Theater Level Meeting Rooms. Basic and Intermediate English Classes. Nov. 3-24. Free. No registration required. Nov. 1: Veterans Reception. 2 p.m. Library Plaza. Join us for a reception honoring America’s veterans. Nov. 2: Monday at the Movies. 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The Library Theatre. “U-571.” Free admission and refreshments. Nov. 2: Friends of the Hoover Library Monthly Meeting: The American Village. 10 a.m. Theater Level Meeting Rooms. Learn about the immersive historical museum located in Montevallo. Refreshments at 9:45 a.m. Program begins at 10 a.m. Free and open to the public. Nov. 2: Helping Hands. 3 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Adult Programming Room. Make newspaper rolls for a local humane society. Teens and adults. Nov. 3: Veterans Re-entering the Workforce - Learn a Trade with CEFA. 10:30 a.m. Adult Programming Room. Learn how CEFA, the Construction Education Foundation of Alabama, can help returning veterans and others re-enter the workforce through trade training. Nov. 5: First Thursday Fiction Book Group. 10 a.m. Theater Level Meeting Rooms. Celebrate Veteran’s Day with The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Nov. 8: Global Cuisine @ the Plaza: Morocco. 2:30 p.m. Library Plaza. Free. Nov. 9: Trivia Night. 7 p.m. Beef ‘O’Brady’s— The Grove. Compete for prizes.

Nov. 9: Sales Are Not Savings. 7 p.m. Theater Level Meeting Rooms. A pre-holiday reminder about budgets, priorities and getting through the holidays in the black. Presented by Certified financial planner Scott Cole.

Nov. 15: Brad Davis. 2:30 p.m. Library Plaza. Ambient electronic musician gives a brief lecture/ demonstration about how music is created with buttons, knobs and wires instead of traditional instruments, followed by a short performance and Q&A.

Nov. 10: Daytime Nonfiction Book Group. 10:30 a.m. Adult Programming Room. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.

Nov. 16: Neuroscience Cafe Program. Carly’s Law: Cannibidiol and Epilepsy.

Nov. 10: Spanish Conversation Club. 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Library Plaza. All Spanish fluency levels welcome to practice and learn. Nov. 12: Second Thursday Fiction Book Group. 10 a.m. Theater Level Meeting Rooms. Celebrate Veterans Day with The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Nov. 12-13: George Winston. 7:30 p.m. The Library Theatre. Tickets $25. Nov. 14: Write Club. 10:30 a.m. Theater Level Meeting Rooms. Share your literary works and network with other aspiring writers. Nov. 14: How to Find Grants. 10:30 a.m. Training Center. Learn how to use the Foundation Center Cooperative database to find grants for nonprofits and individuals. Reservations required. Nov. 14: Purl @ the Plaza. 1 p.m-5 p.m. Library Plaza. Winter is coming! Join others who love to knit, crochet or embroider. Nov. 15: How to Find Grants. 2:30 p.m. Training Center. Learn how to use the Foundation Center Cooperative database to find grants for nonprofits and individuals. Reservations required.

Nov. 17: Glue Gun Gang: Wacky Tacky Wreaths and Trees. 6:30 p.m. Adult Programming Room. Decorate a styrofoam wreath or tree for the holidays. Free. Adults only. Reservations required. Nov. 18: No Jacket Required Nonfiction Book Group. 10:30 a.m. Adult Programming Room. This month’s genre: Let’s Talk Science. Nov. 19: Glue Gun Gang: Wacky Tacky Wreaths and Trees. 10:30 a.m. Adult Programming Room. Nov. 19: Sean Gaskell: 6:30 p.m. Library Plaza. Gaskell plays the kora, a 21-string harp-like instrument from West Africa. He spent an extensive amount of time studying the instrument in Gambia. Nov. 19: Nighttime Nonfiction Book Group. 7 p.m. Allen Board Room. How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson. Nov. 20: After Hours @ the Plaza: Game Nite. 7 p.m. -10 p.m. Library Plaza. Put your game face on and meet up with your fellow gamers.

ORAL FACIAL SURGERY expires expires6-30-2015 11-30-15

C LAR KH OLM E S .C OM

MARK CLARK DMD, MD JON D. HOLMES DMD, MD, FACS GEORGE W. MATTHEWS, JR., DMD VICTOR F. SZYMELA DMD, MD WISDOM TEETH · DENTAL IMPLANTS CORRECTIVE JAW SURGERY PATHOLOGY & RECONSTRUCTION SOUTHSIDE OFFICE 1500 19TH STREET SOUTH SUITE 200 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35205 205-933-2773 TRUSSVILLE OFFICE 151 NORTH CHALKVILLE RD TRUSSVILLE, AL 35173 205-655-9002 INVERNESS OFFICE 2206 CAHABA VALLEY DRIVE BIRMINGHAM, AL 35242 205-933-2710

Expires6-30-2015 11-30-15 Expires

MEDICAL WEST HOOVER HEALTH CENTER

welcomes INTRODUCING

DR. STEPHEN GOULD TO THE MEDICAL WEST FAMILY OF PHYSICIANS

Dr. Gould is from New York and has joined our medical staff as Director of Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgeon and at our brand new Hoover Health Center. Located at our Freestanding Emergency Department off Exit 10, I-459, this convenient location will provide care for all of your orthopaedic, surgical, and sports medicine needs. Dr. Gould received his undergraduate degree from John Hopkins University and his medical degree from Stony Brook University School of Medicine. After medical school, he completed his residency at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases. Dr. Gould concluded his training with the Andrews Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Gould's clinical areas of interest include Sports Medicine Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement Surgery. In his spare time, he enjoys running, spending time with his wife and son, and lacrosse. Dr. Gould played four years of Division One lacrosse while at John Hopkins. He is excited to see the sport grow in the South and looks forward to working with players at all levels in Birmingham. Dr. Gould is also on faculty at UAB as Assistant Professor in the Division of Orthopedics.

STEPHEN GOULD, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon Director of Sports Medicine

Medical West is thrilled to welcome Dr. Gould to our team! To schedule an appointment, please call the Medical West Hoover Health Center at (205) 820.8440.

Hueytown Health Center (exit 112)

Bessemer Health Center (exit 110 or 112)

hA ve nu e

20 59

150 (exit 108 or 110)

459

Freestanding Emergency Department and Hoover Health Center (exit 10) Parkwest Health Center (exit 6)

Tannehill Health Center (exit 100)

Vance Health Center (exit 97)

Mercedez-Benz

HOOVER HEALTH CENTER

5310 Medford Drive • Hoover, AL 35244 • 205.820.8440