Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader - March/April 2024 by JBMC Media

MARCH/APRIL 2024

A Neighborhood Like No Other

BLUFF PARK IS HOME PAGE 5

Thirst no more Brandon Gossett’s mission for water

PAGE 16

Hey, Pace! BPES and their favorite SRO

PAGE 8 1

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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Table of Contents 8

Hey Pace! Bluff Park Elementary’s SRO

16 neverthirst Brandon Gossett’s mission for water

25 Arts Bluff Park Art Association celebrates black & female artists

Park Makers 27 Bluff Laurens Cotten finds beauty in the imperfections of wood

Park Elite Runner 11 Bluff Presley Weems

Photos

20 100 & 101 Days of School

21 the Pastor 12 Meet Birmingham Community

Shades Crest Youth Basketball League

30 Love Your

Neighbor(hood) wiht Rebecca LeBlanc

22 Mural Bluff Park’s Living Canvas

Church pastor Chris Culver

14 History of Bluff Park Discovering Our Community Roots

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Publisher’s Note Many of us – myself included – grew up in small towns. I remember growing up first on a neighborhood street with lots of kids, where we played outside till dark (and sometimes later), and then on a quiet country road on the outskirts of town. I didn’t always appreciate the small town life back then, but I grew to miss it in some ways by the time I was 40.

businesses, its schools, and all that makes living here so desirable. Our company is an independent, Bluff Park-owned business. What that means for our readers is that we can ensure that the content is local, that we are accessible, and that we are committed to publishing the absolute best magazine we can, because we live here, too, and love Bluff Park as much as you.

In 2021, my family moved into Bluff Park. We weren’t far from the area before – less than a mile from our current home, actually – but moving here was like moving back to a small town. It’s unusual to go for more than a day without seeing multiple neighbors and friends from Bluff Park. Our kids feel comfortable riding their bikes or scooters in the neighborhood or walking to a friend’s house. It is, in so many ways, like a small town dropped right in the middle of Hoover, a city of nearly 100,000. I’ve spent my career of nearly 20 years in local media, helping to launch more than a dozen newspapers and magazines. Not long after moving to Bluff Park, I knew that a community magazine for our neighborhood would be a reality sooner rather than later. Late last year, my team and I began working on this new publication in earnest, and today I am proud to bring you the first issue of the Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader. It will be published and mailed every other month to nearly 5,000 homes and businesses in Bluff Park. This is your magazine; it exists to tell the stories of Bluff Park, its people, its

I want to acknowledge our team, who has worked many hours in putting this issue together. I also want to give thanks to those businesses who advertise with us. To print and mail a magazine, it takes a significant financial investment, and these businesses are 100% responsible for making it all possible. Please, any time you can, support them by giving them an opportunity to earn your business. Lastly, email me any time you have an idea for a story or would like to talk about advertising with us. Thanks for reading the Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader, and we’ll see you again in May.

Matthew Allen, Publisher, JBMC Media matthew@jbmcmedia.com

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About Us Who We Are

Staff

The Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader is a bi-monthly magazine published by JBMC Media, a Bluff Park-based, family-owned publisher of magazines in the Birmingham metro area. The magazine is mailed to more than 4,300 homes and businesses in the Bluff Park area. Subscriptions are available to anyone outside our immediate mailing area for $25 per year. Email subscribe@jbmcmedia.com for details on how to subscribe or send a gift subscription. Does your business want to connect with Bluff Park residents? Email us: advertise@jbmcmedia.com, and let’s talk! All content in this magazine remains the property of JBMC Media, LLC. Any requests to reprint or republish should be directed to matthew@jbmcmedia.com.

Matthew Allen Publisher (205) 617-9609 matthew@jbmcmedia.com

Heather Jones Skaggs Content Director bluffwriter@gmail.com

Matthew Allen lives in Bluff Park with his wife, Abby, and their children, Brady and Molly (and his dogs Rosie and Sandy would be embarrassed to be left out). He publishes five magazines in the Birmingham area, having been in the newspaper and magazine publishing space for two decades. An unabashed University of Georgia fan (and alum), he is active at Shades Crest Baptist Church and has been involved with many Hoover organizations over the years. When he isn’t working on magazines, he is probably in his shop working on his other business, Deo Gloria Wood Works. Heather Jones Skaggs, a resident of Bluff Park, Alabama, is recognized for her writing and dedication to the community where she grew up. Heather has authored three books for Arcadia Publishing on the history of Hoover, Bluff Park, and Riverchase and writes for many local publications and online media. Heather and her husband, Greg, have a precious daughter, Charlotte, and an orange cat, Cyrus, who is also precious. Heather is a Christ follower, a friend to all animals, and enjoys gardening and the practice of yoga, which she has done for 20 years. Michelle Salem Haynes grew up in Vestavia Hills, but now resides in Hoover and loves it! She is married to Jeff, and they have two sons, Tyler and Hunter, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren who are the light of her life (Troy and Pippa)

Michelle Salem Haynes Marketing Consultant (205) 381-1311 michelle@jbmcmedia.com

She graduated from the University of Alabama with a major in public relations. Growing up in a family of athletes, she is an avid Bama fan! Michelle started her career in advertising sales with Yellow Pages, and she has been in marketing for more years than she can count. Her passion is building relationships and helping others achieve their goals, which brings her much “job joy.”

On the Cover

“Working here allows me to stay connected to the communities in which we serve and love!”

From left to right : Justin Daniel, Gavin Daniel, Rhodes Foshee and Jett Foshee

Rebecca LeBlanc is a Hoover resident and native of Bluff Park. She is so excited about being a part of this magazine, dedicated solely to the great community of Bluff Park! She is a wife, mother, and hospice nurse. Her dream is to one day live on lots of land with many rescued dogs, enabling her to make the healing connection between rescue dogs and children in foster care. Until then, her free time is spent daydreaming and napping.

One of the treasures of our neighborhood is Bluff Park Elementary School, a true community school. Many children walk to and from school each day, and we were able to catch up with this group of children walking home one afternoon. The kids were having fun, catching up and talking about all the things that happened at school that day…and all the fun that was yet to be had once they got home.

Rebecca LeBlanc Community Columnist LeBlancRebecca0402 @gmail.com.

PHOTOS BY MOLLY SMITH FOR JBMC MEDIA.

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Staff Continued

Molly Smith Photographer Molly is a Bluff Park native and lives in the community with her husband and two boys. After growing up in this wonderful community, she went to Auburn University to pursue a degree in marketing and communication. Molly loves to be outside, with family and friends.

Anthony and Shweta Bratina Graphic Designers Anthony and Shweta Bratina grew up in Hoover and have more than 25 years of experience in graphic design. When they aren’t designing, you might find Anthony playing racquetball or Shweta teaching group fitness classes. They have four boys, two dogs, and now live down the street in Helena.

Emily VanderMey Listo Operations & Project Manager Graphic Designer Emily Listo grew up in Montgomery, studied Graphic Design and Ceramics at University of Montevallo, and worked and lived in the Birmingham area before leaning into semi-nomadic artist life, while still working remotely for local newspapers. Now permanently located in rural Western North Carolina she splits her time between worknig in operations and project management for growing businesses like JBMC Media, creating custom ceramics through Emily VanderMey Ceramics, and managing marketing operations for their budding family farm. When not working, she spends her time with her husband Nick, son Jack, and their 4 dogs Rex, Clovis, Big Jimmy, and Bellatrix.

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Feature History

PHOTOS COURTESY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS Officer Brett Pace has served as a police officer for 12 years and celebrates his 5th year with the Hoover Police Department in May.

Hey, Pace! ‘They treat me like a celebrity’ BY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS As he strolls through the halls at Bluff Park Elementary School, Hoover Police Officer Brett Pace is greeted with high fives, fist bumps, and cheerful hellos of “Hey, Pace.” If you ask the kids about the most awesome person in school, they will enthusiastically point to Officer Pace. “They treat me like a celebrity,” Officer Pace remarks. “I notice them watching at the door, waiting to see if I’ll join them on the playground to throw a football around or join in a game.” Officer Pace has become more than just a familiar face at Bluff Park Elementary School over the past three years that he has served as the School Resource Officer; he has become a beloved figure and a role model for the students. His presence brings security to the school, but his interactions with the students go beyond protecting the building. Officer Pace takes the time to connect with students and their parents, 8

showing genuine interest in their lives and fostering positive relationships. “My principal encourages me to step into the classroom and interact with the kids. I will go into a classroom and do math problems or read a book to the class. One morning, we looked at matching shapes with some of the younger kids. You get to know them. You kind of become like an informal counselor, teacher, and then a police officer.” All Hoover City Schools have an officer assigned to them as a part of the Hoover Police Department SRO program. School Resource Officers are carefully selected, specifically trained officers with an aptitude for working with children and have trained in subjects like adolescent mental health and crisis response. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

PHOTO COURTESY MATTHEW ALLEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

“Hoover has been very blessed to send us to the best training with The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers (TAASRO) and the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO),” Officer Pace explains. “We look at everything from current trends like vaping to active shooter situations.” The training helps SROs like Officer Pace work with their school officials to develop safety plans and threat assessments. They even look at how a school building can be safe and secure without feeling or looking like a prison. The schools are safe and protected while also being a presentable environment for young kids. A DAY WITH PACE On average, Officer Pace starts his day with the carpool line. If it is raining, he wears the kid’s favorite umbrella hat so he does not get soaked. “After carpool, I make my rounds securing the building. I check in with the front desk, my principal, and other administrators to see the agenda for the day. We will discuss any issues or things that need to be addressed.” Officer Pace also teaches an anti-drug class and even has a book club with the older students. At lunch, he heads to the lunchroom with the kids, and at recess, he can often be found with a football. ‘I can’t imagine serving anywhere else.” The sentiment is the same for the kids as they graduate and move up to middle school. The ceiling of his office is decorated with colorful handprints the kids have made each year. There are numerous photos that line the walls, and even a gift or two are displayed on his desk. As one student told Pace in a letter during her last year of elementary school, “If I had to choose between Disney World and Officer Pace, it would be Pace.” March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Finley Award History Winners The Finley Award Committee for Character Education was created in 1996. The committee hosts events throughout the year to recognize students and teachers who exhibit exceptional character in the spirit of Coach Bob Finley — the committee’s namesake. Longtime coach and educator at W.A. Berry High School, Finley led by example and was known for his calm demeanor, integrity, and strong faith.

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Feature History

Home Town Elite Ami and Presley Weems run side by side at the third annual BLuff Park 8K. PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUFF PARK 8K

BY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS Meet Presley Weems, the dedicated and passionate runner making waves in the regional and national cross country world. Weems started running as a sophomore at Hoover High School. Her journey took her to Samford University after graduating in 2016 and then to setting records at Auburn University and making headlines. Her personal best and school record 800m (2:03.50) came during the 2022 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Weems also holds Auburn’s outdoor 1500m record (4:12.52.) In 2022, Presley joined the prestigious Atlanta Track Club Elite, a non-profit organization that promotes health and fitness through running and walking. The pro team of runners competes at national and international levels. The Bluff Park native logged numerous miles growing up on the streets of her childhood neighborhood, enhancing her stamina and laying the foundation for a successful running career. In high school, Presley believed basketball would be her primary sport; however, after a friend introduced her to running, she realized it was her true passion. After careful consideration and discussions with her parents and coach, she made the decision to focus on running. She often thinks back to her days at her family home. “I loved growing up in Bluff Park with all the big backyards, game nights, playing bas-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAN FIGUEROA

PHOTO COURTESY OF PRESLEY WEEMS

ketball, and shooting hoops with friends.” The game nights spent with her family, the friendly competitions on the basketball court, and the endless hours shooting hoops with her friends remind her of the beauty of growing up in a close-knit community.

Bluff Park 8k in December.” It was great to be there to cheer her on and bring encouragement to the runners.” It was such a great day, although foggy! I got to share a little about myself with the runners before the race and run with the kids during the kid’s run. Seeing their faces, encouraging them to keep going, and telling them they were doing a great job was the best. Some kids wanted to show me how fast they could run from one point to another. Very cute!”

Recently, Presley returned home to run with her mom and Principal of Bluff Park Elementary, Ami Weems. “Mom started running with the Bluff Park Mountain Goats and participated in the 3rd annual

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Meet the Pastor

Church Chat BY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS

Chris Culver is the pastor of Birmingham Community Church.

Chris Culver, an engineer turned pastor, has lived in Bluff Park for 21 years. At one stage, he never imagined returning to Hoover or entering the ministry field. However, Chris now believes that God had different intentions and is grateful for it. Our chat with Chris delves into life in Bluff Park and Birmingham Community Church. Tell us a little about yourself. I went to Auburn for my undergrad and master’s degree in civil engineering and to Beeson for seminary. I read a lot and go to the gym a little bit. I play a little guitar just for fun. I’m trying to pick up whitewater kayaking because our fourteen-year-old son, Gibson, is super into it. I love eating (we’re up at The Electric quite a bit!) and cooking. What is your favorite part about living in Bluff Park? Well, let me start with this - when I left for college, there were three things I swore I’d never do: have kids, go into ministry, or move back to Hoover. I’ve learned the firmer you set your plans in stone, the more painful it is when God rips them up. But He only does it for your good! Being back in Hoover and living in Bluff Park now has been wonderful. I bought our house the month before Wendi and I got married. At the time, she worked downtown, and I worked in Riverchase. I was tired of my long commute and didn’t want one for her. I had a buddy who lived here and loved it. He told me about a house here and it became our home. I would have to say the neighbors are the best part of living here. We have friends all around us, acquaintances we see at the pool in the summer, and people I’ve been waving to as we pass for years, even though we don’t yet know each other’s names. It is a gift to have been able to be in the same place for so long. To know a place and the people well. The Call to Ministry and Birmingham Community Church. A few years after we were married, Wendi and I kept meeting young men and women who loved Jesus but had distanced themselves from attending church. There were many reasons, but real church hurts and disappointments often arose. I started a Bible study at my house through the 12

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS CULVER

church we were attending. It turned out there were people who weren’t ready to go to church but would come to your house on Monday nights. God really healed a lot of people. I was an engineer and felt perhaps that there was another call for me. When I told Wendi I thought maybe I should go to seminary to learn to teach, she said, “Yeah, it’s about time you realized that.” Beeson Divinity School was kind enough to let me in, and I went there thinking I’d be a teacher but fell in love with the local church. For the next eight years, Birmingham Community Church met at a corporate building in Riverchase before we moved to Bluff Park and purchased the Chapel in the Pines building. Chapel in the Pines believed that the best use of the facility they built was as a church, and they worked with us to make that a reality. We are honored to continue the work of the generations of followers of Jesus who have sacrificed to advance the kingdom of God.” What is the mission of Birmingham Community Church, and how does the church serve and impact the community? We care that people know about Jesus and the good news that God is at work remaking his whole creation, which includes us. We want Birmingham Community Church to be a faithful gospel presence in Bluff Park. I pray that for generations to come, people drive past this building and know that people talk about Jesus in there and do the work of Jesus in their families, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and around the world.

We’ve been a neighborhood church for about four years now. We want to be good neighbors and use the things God has entrusted us with to build on what those who went before us have done. If a church closes, the neighborhood should miss it. So, we are trying (but still learning) how we can love our neighbors well. We have two different counseling services with offices in our church. We are fortunate to have space for meetings for men and women in recovery. For the last two years, we’ve had a blast being sponsors of the water stop for the Bluff Park 8k, which raises money for Grace’s Kitchen. Once a month, Birmingham Community Church and other churches in Bluff Park provide backpack meals for the students in the elementary school. How does Birmingham Community Church foster community among its members and the broader community? Community is critical. I think our society is learning that more than ever. We are embodied beings, not digital ones; being together matters. Worship and preaching are essential, but they aren’t sufficient for a healthy life. We need one another. Jesus gives us to the church, and the church to us. We do small groups on Wednesdays as a primary focus. We also do different events throughout the year, like baseball games, serve days, back-to-school parties, etc. Loving each other, pursuing unity, and forgiving and being forgiven are some primary ways God advances the Gospel in our lives and the world.

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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History

PHOTO COURTESY IMAGES OF AMERICA BLUFF PARK, ARCADIA PUBLISHING - SUSAN HALE COPELAND KELLEY

Discovering Our Community Roots Gardner Cole Hale

BY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS

PHOTO COURTESY SUSAN HALE COPELAND KELLEY

The Bluff Park community boasts a storied history, which we will delve into in the Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader. Today, Bluff Park is Hoover’s oldest residential area and was among the last communities annexed into the city during the 1980s. With over 15 years of research, I have had the privilege of meeting long-time residents and descendants of the founding families. Through this exploration, I have forged friendships with the Hales and Tylers, who graciously shared precious historical photographs that take us back to Bluff Park’s past as a hub for mountain resorts, log cabins, and small family farms. Exploring the history of a community unveils a tapestry of stories woven by the families that built it. Each street corner, house, and park holds memories of the past, shedding light on the lives and legacies of those who came before us. Let’s begin by acknowledging the names and families that laid the foundation for our beloved Bluff Park. CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Before the area was called Bluff Park, or Hale Springs, it was known as Spencer Springs, named after the first landowner, Octavious Spencer, to take advantage of the magnificent view and the mineral springs of Shades Mountain. In the 1850s, he built forty log cabins and a pavilion for a summer resort. Side note: the Spencer Preserve (a new subdivision at the corner of Chapel Road and Alford Avenue) carries his name. In the 1860s, Gardner Cole Hale purchased the mountain property; he and his wife, Ann Susan Ballou Hale, are credited with founding Hale Springs. The Hale family played a significant role in the development of the area. Gardner Cole Hale’s son, George Gardner Hale, continued the family legacy by running a lumber mill, a cotton gin, and an icehouse. The Hale brothers, William, Evan, and George Jr, also contributed to the development of Bluff Park by building many homes in the area. They still stand today along Shades Crest Road and the Park Avenue area. One of the area’s first recorded uses of the name Bluff Park was with the Bluff Park Hotel, built in 1907. The area was not named after the hotel per se, but the hotel was named after the area. The Bluff Park Hotel Company built the hotel with 20 rooms, each opening up to a porch where guests could view the bluff. The hotel also had a pavilion for entertaining, a dining room, and a third-floor observatory, the hotel’s best feature. We will talk about the hotel a little later. The Tyler family, from which Tyler Road gets its name, started moving to Alabama in 1888 when William Marion Tyler came from Georgia to Alabama and purchased land at what is now Tyler Road to build a farm and homes. The home he built was located on the corner of Gary Mac Drive and Tyler Road. William Marion Tyler’s brothers, James Henry Tyler and Jobe Tyler, also moved to Alabama, buying land in the Savoy Street area. The Tylers built homes for their families and a dairy farm on the land.

PHOTO COURTESY IMAGES OF AMERICA BLUFF PARK, ARCADIA PUBLISHING - ROBERT HAGINS TYLER.

Several other families contributed to life on the bluff, including the Dison family, Morgan, Hanahan, Yates, Northington, Latham, Chambers, and Adrich, just to name a few. We will continue looking at the history of Bluff Park in future issues of the Bluff Park Neighborhood Reader. You can also learn more about Bluff Park and Hoover’s history from Heather’s Corner @Bluffparkal and in Images of America Bluff Park and Images of America Hoover from Arcadia Publishing.

Left: Susie Hale Copeland and cousin Ann Susan Hale. They are standing in front of Susie’s home, which is commonly called “the yellow cottage.” The home is one of 4 Hale homes on Shades Crest Road.

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Above: William Marion Tyler seated with his children Cecil Hale, Lillian, Henry Luther, and Milner.

PHOTO COURTESY IMAGES OF AMERICA BLUFF PARK, ARCADIA PUBLISHING - SUSAN HALE COPELAND KELLEY

Feature

From left, Cooper, Brandon, Kim, and Carson Gossett. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRANDON GOSSETT

Thirsty no more How a Bluff Park resident found a new calling to help millions find clean water BY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS AND MATTHEW ALLEN Brandon Gossett and his wife Kim have lived in Bluff Park for over 40 years. They grew up here and started a family here. A career in medical sales was a dream job for Brandon, but when he entered the mission field with neverthirst — a ministry that works to provide clean and living water to unreached communities around the world — he found a different fulfillment and a new path. The Gossetts first volunteered and partnered with neverthirst shortly after their inception. In 2010, Brandon traveled to Sudan to

witness the work on the ground, and his life was forever changed. He witnessed women walking miles for water and children who were dying from preventable waterborne illnesses. Brandon pivoted from a thriving medical sales career to find his new calling. Brandon currently serves as the Chief Development Officer for neverthirst. “I tell people I have the greatest job in the world now. I get a front row seat to watching people live out their faith through giving, and it’s super encouraging to me,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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WHAT IS NEVERTHIRST? neverthirst exists to bring clean and living water to unreached communities around the world, Brandon explains. “We want to mimic Jesus’ ministry as close as we can where He met the physical but ultimately met their spiritual needs. We do this amongst unreached communities (communities that have never heard the gospel) throughout Africa and Asia.” “My role is meeting with families all over the US who generously give to make the work possible. We have donors in all 50 states and 21 different countries, so I’m on a plane almost once a week telling the story of the thirsty and unreached and inviting families to be a part of the work.” VISIT TO INDIA AND NEPAL Brandon’s most recent trip in fall 2023 was to India and Nepal. The purpose of the trip was to take partners from around the US who had invested in these communities. They had the opportunity to meet families whose lives have been forever changed because of their generosity. It also allowed a local pastor in those countries to bring a clean water project to their community and also opened the door for them to start a home group or church. “We were also able to spend some time equipping persecuted pastors with biblical knowledge and sample sermons that they could then use to deliver to their communities they are serving,” Brandon says. “The church in these countries is very different. Most don’t have church buildings so they do discipleship in homes and communities just like the early church did. They face enormous amounts of persecution, and they share many stories about their time in prison, persecution they have faced, but also many of the miracles they are seeing God do in a context that looks different than ours.” “There’s a generosity movement amongst christians these last three years unlike anything I’ve ever seen over the last 12,” Brandon says. “People want to be a part of Kingdom work, and I get to help make that possible for them.” He views himself as simply a conduit for families here that want to serve the poor in far away places. “People don’t give to make neverthirst great,” he says. “They give so people have access to clean and living water. I’m simply a connector for that. This job has challenged me to care more about the poor, the unreached, and the mission that the Lord has us on. I tell people all the time, ‘You were saved for a purpose. so be about that mission that we’re called to in helping usher in a new Kingdom.’” Brandon says that his job has also changed him to lead his family to be more generous, and it has helped him grow in compassion for others, whether it’s people here he interacts with or those he meets overseas. “It’s pushed me to think about what I do, and what I want my legacy to be. I want it to be one of being selfless and that I played my part in helping to change the world for families around the world and helped to bring in a new Kingdom one day. What I do know is true and has had the biggest impact on my worldview, that in America we hear statistics all the time. We’re almost numb to them. But every number has a name, and every name has a story, and that story deeply matters to God. That goes for the uber wealthy family living here to the poorest of the poor in the Himalayas. I get to see both and care about both and speak truth into both.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEVERTHIRST

VOLUNTEER AND GET INVOLVED Residents of Bluff Park can make a difference by supporting organizations like neverthirst or other non-profits they feel called to support through volunteering, donating, and spreading awareness on social media. Families can host LemonAID stands, and friends can give together to make a collective impact. The younger generation is driving change and challenging older generations to get involved. Finding a cause to support and going all-in can bring joy and even lead to future job opportunities in the non-profit sector. 18

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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Photo Album Carter P

Jack W.

Charlotte D.

Monroe D.

Bluff Park and Gwin Elementary students love dressing up! Kindergartners recently celebrated the 100th day of school by dressing up like “100 year olds,” and 1st graders celebrated the 101st day of school by dressing up as one of the 101 Dalmatians. Jack P.

Colin W.

Will F.

Rushing T.

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Photo Album

BALLIN’

The Shades Crest Baptist youth basketball league wrapped up in February. 134 children from kindergarten through 6th grade played in the league.

PHOTOS BY MOLLY SMITH

Pre-registration cost: • $35 through April 5 • $40 on race day • $10 student fee • RAIN OR SHINE - no refunds

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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Feature

From left, Jayne Morgan, Darla Williamson, Tonnie Kennedy, Charles Pilleteri, Brett Shaw, Amy Anderson. COURTESY OF THE BLUFF PARK MURAL PROJECT

Top: Collins D. Bottom: Orlo Y.

Bluff Park’s Living Canvas Bluff Park Welcomes You! BY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS It is the message you see coming up Oxmoor Road to Shades Crest Road. The large-scale outdoor mural serves as a vibrant and welcoming beacon to greet visitors and residents alike as they enter the community. The side-facing wall of Mr. P’s shopping center on 813 Shades Crest Road was transformed into a beautiful work of art in 2021 and has become a popular photo spot. “I absolutely love seeing photos people take in front of the mural with the wings. I have seen some really cool graduation pictures and quick snapshots after a trip to Mr. P’s or Bluff Park Ice Cream Shoppe,” said artist Jayne Morgan, one of the Bluff Park Mural Committee members. The idea for the mural came from Bluff Park resident Brett Shaw, who wanted to create something similar to a mural he saw in Homewood for his community. Together with fellow resident Heather Skaggs, they formed a committee with Tonnie Pilleteri Kennedy and artists Darla Williamson, Amy Anderson, and Jayne Morgan and raised over $4,000 to fund the project. 22

The image for the mural was created by Jayne and Tonnie and honors the Pilleteri family with design elements explicitly chosen for their significance. “I thought about what comes to mind when I think about what sets Bluff Park apart from other areas of Hoover - our wonderful sunsets over the bluff,” Jayne said. “Then we wanted to include an interactive section in the mural - the wings.” Angel wings are a tribute to Carol Pilleteri (Mrs. P), who passed away in April 2018. The wings are surrounded by red roses, her favorite flower, and seven cardinals representing the seven grandchildren of Charles and Carol Pilleteri. The angel wings are special to Jayne, too, because her brother died the year before the mural was painted, and she hopes the mural can help other people find a way to keep the memory of loved ones alive, too. “I got a lot of funny looks when I told people we were going to paint a fifty-foot mural in three days, but we did it!” Jayne said. The mural started as one big orange wall at first. “I do this in my paintings - beginning with a colored background, usually black, burnt sienna, and sometimes orange. This way, we will see little pops of color instead of worrying about covering the white CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BLUFF PARK MURAL PROJECT

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specks of the white wall. We had several volunteers, the committee members, and many of my students to come to help paint, “ Jayne said. At the time, the country was in the middle of COVID-19, so the committee had fewer volunteers than they would have liked. Day 1 was prepping the wall, then at the start of day 2, Jayne used a scissor lift to chalk out the sketch of the sunset, and with a piece of chalk taped on a roller brush extender, she free-handed the letters of Bluff Park welcomes you, using the bricks as a guide. Day 3 was going back over sections and adding details. The mural has its own Instagram and Facebook handles for people to tag and share photos. Find the mural @Bluffparkmuralproject on both Facebook and Instagram. Hashtag your photos #bluffparkmuralproject #bluffparkmural. It is a way for people to capture their memories and be part of the mural’s life. On Google Maps, a photo marking the mural’s location has over 641,000 views. Many art and social media influencers have also visited the mural. You can find posts from bloggers Murals of Alabama and Magic City Murals. “We hope this is the first of many murals in Bluff Park,” committee members said. “I travel a lot for art shows, and the cities that are the most charming to me have so much public art,” Jayne said. “ I can see why places like that have so much pride in their communities because it took a lot of people to get this mural done, and we are all very proud of it.” From the committee: *a note about sign ordinances. We hope this project will spur other murals in Hoover one day. This particular building technically is within Birmingham city limits - not Hoover. Hoover’s sign ordinance needs adjusting to accommodate murals better, but people can request a sign variance through the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment. Overall, community outdoor murals are an excellent way to enhance public spaces, promote local talent, and create a sense of community pride and identity. 24

Kate Z. with Cooper and Rosie

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Arts

BPAA Permanent Collection Committee From left are Carol Campbell, Rachael Jamison, Tara Herd, Liz Hicks, James Phillips, Barbara Wallace, Brittany Brain. COURTESY OF THE BLUFF PARK ART ASSOCIATION

Art Association celebrates black and female artists BY HEATHER JONES SKAGGS Celebration 2024, an exhibition from the Bluff Park Art Association’s permanent collection, opened last month in Bluff Park Village Shopping Center. The exhibit features 23 pieces. Media include paintings, prints, weavings, ceramics, sculpture, collage, and jewelry. Eight of the pieces are three-dimensional and 15 are two-dimensional. Visitors to the exhibit will see the diverse range of artistic media on display, each piece offering a unique perspective and creative expression. From the vibrant colors of the paintings to the intricate details of the weavings and ceramics, they are among the best works in the collection. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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“Most pieces on display are Best In Show award winners from the Bluff Park Art Show over the years,” said James Phillips, co-chairman of the association’s permanent collection. “We also have pieces that were acquisitions and bequeathed.” “This exhibit is a tribute honoring black and women artists in our collection,” Said Liz Hicks, co-chairman of the association’s permanent collection. “Although our annual Bluff Park Art Show has become well known after 60 years, many people are unaware that the Association owns and maintains a permanent art collection of Best In Show award winners from the art show and other acquisitions. It is important that people see the collection through events like this each year.”

Bluff Park Art Association’s permanent collection Open to the public through March 23 Thursdays 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Bluff Park Village 2142 Tyler Road, Suite 106

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

Bluff Park Makers

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAURENS COTTEN

Building on The Bluff Local creative finds beauty in the imperfections of wood BY JUNE MATHEWS Laurens Cotten grew up in Bluff Park. So back around 2012, when he and his wife, Susan, began to consider a move, he gravitated toward the old neighborhood. Though they lived only a short hop away in Vestavia at the time, The Bluff seemed to be calling him home. While touring the area via bicycle one day, Cotten and a friend happened upon a charming mountainside home, vacant and directly across the road from a house Cotten’s parents lived in when they first got married. It was almost as if the house was just sitting there, waiting for him to find it. So after a bit of haggling over property lines and such, the Cottens acquired the retreatlike property, moved in and proceeded to make it their own.

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

“There are so many nice things about living here,” Cotten said. “The laid-back lifestyle, for example, and the convenience. When you pull down our driveway, you’re in the middle of the woods and yet, you’re 10 minutes away from a major research hospital and 15 minutes away from the airport. It’s a great place to live.” Nestled on the side of Shades Mountain, the house affords its owners and their guests a panoramic view of the area below as well as a vantage point from which to enjoy sunsets. “When the weather is nice, we gather out here and tell lies,” Cotten said, tongue-in-cheek, as he presented a lofty deck anchored to the mountainside with steel posts and equipped with a firepit and plenty of seating. CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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Indoors, the Cotten home is an appealing blend of beauty and practicality featuring artwork by family members and friends, as well as numerous pieces of furniture handcrafted by Cotten himself. The seeds for Cotten’s woodworking were planted after he earned an education degree in social studies from Auburn University in 1976. Having trouble landing a teaching job that fit his degree, he was casting around for his next move when he ran across some information on a furniture-making class at UAB. “I’d never done any woodworking, but I was drawn to it. So I enrolled and just loved the class,” Cotten said. “The guy who was teaching it was head of UAB’s Industrial Arts program, and he recruited me to enter it. So I did and earned another undergraduate degree.” In the meantime, a job opened up at Riverchase Middle School, and Cotten’s career as a shop teacher began. He remained at Riverchase for 12 years then switched to Oak Mountain Middle School, where he spent the next 15-plus years. When Cotten learned he was eligible for retirement, he headed home and started making plans to build a workshop. “I knew that on the side of the mountain, I

couldn’t have anything very large,” he said. “But I have a friend who’s an architect, and he had his firm draw up plans for a shop. It’s small, but I’ve got a lot of equipment in there.”

Nakashima would go around to the mills and pick up their discards, the gnarly, twisted pieces that had rotting places in the middle, and he would craft liveedge tables out of those pieces of wood.”

Cotten started out building small boxes, kicking up the creative factor as he went along. When the boxes began to accumulate, Etsy proved to be an effective sales tool.

One of the most striking examples of Cotten’s craftmanship is a live-edge dining room table that he identified as a book match piece on which a knot on one side of the table responds to a knot on the other.

“We were pretty successful with it,” he said. “I’ve sent boxes to all 48 contiguous United States and some to Japan and England. It’s kind of neat seeing your creations filter out to the world.” Cotten often harvests wood from his own property and particularly enjoys working with damaged or blemished wood in the tradition of woodworker and furniture maker George Nakashima. Trained as an architect, Nakashima spent time in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II, even though he had been born in the United States. While there, he met a Japanese carpenter who taught him the art of Japanese furniture-making. Upon Nakashima’s release in 1943, he was destitute, but a sponsor helped him set up shop in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where the business remains to this day. Nakashima died in 1990. “Most woodworkers like to work with straightgrain, unblemished wood,” said Cotten. “But

“I negotiated a price for the wood with a lady in Roebuck Springs and had it milled by a friend in Springville,” he said. A feature Cotten especially appreciates in wood is spalting. “That’s when a piece of wood will stay on the ground, where it’s infiltrated by fungus, which causes it to break down,” he said. “But it produces lines and colors in the wood that are really striking.” And it’s within the imperfections that Cotten finds the most inspiring qualities of his craft. “What I love about working with wood so much is that no two pieces are the same,” he said. “Every piece is unique. It’s kind of a reflection of human character.”

March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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29 2/12/24 1:46 PM

Love Your Neighbor(hood)

with Rebecca LeBlanc

The Blackwells and neighborhood kids celebrating at a baby shower. PHOTO COURTESY OF JESS BLACKWELL

It is so easy to love your neighbor as yourself when you live somewhere as amazing as Bluff Park! I am a native of Bluff Park and was so excited to hear about a magazine dedicated to this wonderful community. My childhood is full of the best memories right here on these streets- walking with friends for hours, creating adventure in the woods, exploring the creeks, playing on the best-ever playground at Bluff Park Elementary School, and learning about God during Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Shades Crest Baptist Church. I still remember the neighbors who took care of me as their own. I know so many of our residents experience the same as myself. One of these neighbors is Jess Blackwell, who eagerly shared with me her experience of loving her neighborhood. Nothing stood in the way of Jess and her husband moving to Bluff Park, not even the instability of the housing market. Here is her story of meeting some of the dearest neighbors of her life. 30

The Blackwells moved to Grantland Place in August of 2020 and consider this move one of the biggest blessings in their lives. Jess describes it as a slice of heaven where they celebrate the good times together and support one another during the low times. Everything from tailgating, holidays, weddings, and showers. Even a grownup’s trip to Jamaica! One of the most precious moments she shared with me was when one neighbor took care of their Golden Retriever while another deep cleaned their home while she brought her first child into the world. And what a great community to be born into. I know from firsthand experience that Bluff Park must be the best way to grow up for the almost 20 children of Grantland Place. It takes a village, right? Jess has indeed described a village of love, encouragement, laughter, and prayer. Do you have an inspiring story of one of your Bluff Park neighbors or neighborhood? Please share with me at LeBlancRebecca0402@gmail.com. March/April 2024 The Neighborhood Reader - Bluff Park

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