Hoover Sun September 2015

Sun Neighborly news & entertainment for Hoover

Final Four bound?

Volume 3 | Issue 12 | September 2015

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Referred for a reason.

Getting ready to launch

As Hoover High School’s volleyball team starts its season, they are already eyeing a top finish in the state.

See page B14

Honoring vets

Satellite office to offer business, driver’s licenses Read about Aldridge Gardens’ plans for a new feature to honor those who have served our country.

See page B1

INSIDE City .....................A6 Business ............A10 Food ...................A12 Summer Fun......A22

Community ........B6 School House ....B13 Sports .................B14 Calendar .............B21

By ROY L. WILLIAMS The only thing worse than the line at the DMV is the drive there, and Hoover residents could soon avoid one of those problems.

Once the new Jefferson County satellite

(L to R) Jefferson County Commission Chief of Staff Othell Phillips, Office Manager Jennifer Woods and County Revenue Director Travis Hulsey study plans for the future satellite office. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

office opens, it will allow county residents to renew driver’s licenses and obtain or renew business licenses without the hassle of driving to downtown Birmingham or Bessemer.

The satellite office has begun construction in Hoover Court Town Center on U.S. 31 and

should be fully operational by Nov. 1, according to the Jefferson County Commission.

County Revenue Director Travis Hulsey said the office could begin offering services by late

See SATELLITE OFFICE | page A30

Rebuilding a childhood

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit #830

facebook.com/thehooversun

A birthday party or a basketball game can cause Viette Smith to feel a twinge of worry for her son, Devin Cherry. More than a year after Devin completed chemotherapy, she’s still concerned that normal childhood activities could cause him to fall ill again.

“For me, I just felt like if I could put him in a bubble and allow him to go to school or allow him to go to church and do those things,” Smith said. “I would say I just got to the point where I was comfortable with not checking on him.”

Devin was diagnosed with Burkitt

See LYMPHOMA | page A31

Devin Cherry suffered from a rare pediatric cancer. He recently donated his artwork to an auction with aTeam Ministries, a pediatric cancer nonprofit. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

A2 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

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HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A3

A4 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

About Us Photo of the Month

Please Support our Community Partners

This orphaned fawn was found by a Hoover police officer in the middle of Hugh Daniel Drive. The deer was uninjured and taken to a local wild animal rescue. It will be released in the spring, after deer hunting season has ended. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

Editor’s Note By Sydney Cromwell When I took over the editorial responsibilities of this paper, I didn’t expect to have the problem of too many stories to fit into an issue. However, each month I run out of pages before I run out of articles to put on them.

As strange as it may sound, there’s almost too much going on in Hoover. Too many interesting people, too many events, too many worthwhile stories to share

with you. Each month, I’m faced with the same problem of deciding which stories will make the cut and which will not.

Some of the cut stories will end up online, while others you will see in your mailbox in a future issue. Sometimes it comes down to a coin toss to decide what’s printing this month and

what can wait.

I think this is the best problem to

Sun Publisher: Creative Director: Editor: Managing Editor: Sports Editor: Staff Writers:

Community Reporter: Copy Editor: Graphic Designer: Advertising Manager: Sales and Distribution:

Contributing Writers: Interns:

Published by:

have. It’s a sign that Hoover is a busy and vibrant community, full of people passionate enough about what they do to share it with us. That’s any editor’s dream.

So, keep doing your great things and keep telling us about them. We’ll do our best to share as many of your stories each month as we can.

Dan Starnes Keith McCoy Sydney Cromwell Madoline Markham David Knox Katie Turpen Madison Miller Erica Techo Roy L. Williams Louisa Jeffries Emily VanderMey Matthew Allen Warren Caldwell Don Harris Michelle Salem Haynes Brittany Joffrion Rhonda Smith Leah Ingram Eagle Marienne Thomas Ogle Jordan Hays Chris Griesedieck Olivia Burton Hoover Sun LLC

Contact Information: Hoover Sun #3 Office Park Circle, Suite 316 Birmingham, AL 35223 313-1780 dan@hooversun.com

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

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.

Please recycle this paper

4D Family Farm (A13) Alabama Allergy & Asthma Center (B9) Alabama Credit Union (A15) Alabama Outdoors (B1) Alabama Partners for Clean Air (B6) Alabama Power (A12) Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center (B7) Andrew Hancock Realty South (A9) ARC Realty (B2) Artists on the Bluff (A19) Baptist Health Center Hoover (B17) Bargains on the Bluff (A21) Bedzzz Express (B24) Brandino Brass (B21) Briarwood Christian School (A29) Bromberg & Company, Inc. (B7) Brookdale University Park (B16) Cajun Cleaver (A31) California Closets (B6) Children’s of Alabama (B20) Classic Gardens (B19) Construx (A10) Covenant Classical Schools & Daycare (A27) Decorating Dens Interiors (B11) Diamond Golf Cars (A7, B15) Do Di Yo’s (B18) Encore Rehabilitation (B19) ERA King Real Estate Homewood (B10) Fit People (B12) Geico Insurance (A17) Healthy Smiles of Birmingham (B9) Hollywood Pools Outdoor Finishings & Spas (B12) Hoover Florist (A13) Hoover Public Library (A8) Issis & Sons (A20) James Harwell, RealtySouth (B17) JamJev Gymnastics (A22) Jefferson Credit Union (A1) Kasey Davis Dentistry (A17) Kathy Gipson, RealtySouth (B23) Kelli Gunnells Realtor (A21) LAH Real Estate - Hoover Office (B8) Lawncrafters (B23) MedCenter Hoover (B7) Morningside at Riverchase (A23) Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese (B10) New Castle Mortgage (B20) Outdoor Living Areas (B3) Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics (B13) Patti Schreiner, Re/MAX Southern Homes (A22) Planet Fitness (B3) RealtySouth Marketing (A11) Red Mountain Theatre Company (B8) Remax Southern Homes - Becky Hicks (B13) Renaissance Consignment and Marketplace (A3) Rock N Roll Sushi Hoover (B5) Russian Ballet (A29) Samford University Athletics (A32) Samford University Center for Science and Religion (B21) Sarver Orthodontics (B22) Shades Mountain Christian School (A28) Skelton’s Air (A10) Southlake Orthopaedics (B16) Spring Valley School (A25) Summit Internal Medicine (A14) Susette Clark-Walker, RealtySouth (A30) The Altamont School (A26) The Maids (A1) The Neighborhood Plumber (B10) Therapy South Riverchase (B2) Tom Williams BMW (A18) Total Beauty and Skin Dermatology (A6) UAB Center for Exercise Medicine (A31) UAB Medical West (A2) Urban Home Market (A5) Victory NAPA (A8) Vitalogy Wellness Center (A24, B14) Vulcan Park and Museum (B4) Vulcan Termite & Pest Control (B22) Walton and Tower Real Estate (B5) Weigh To Wellness (B11) Western Sales and Service (B4) Whale of a Sale (A31) Wrapsody (A30)

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A5

A6 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

City Mayor’s Minute

By Gary Ivey

Fall is a very busy time beautiful Aldridge Gardens of year in Hoover. We or the Hoover Met. It’s the have many exciting events perfect venue if you need a planned and they are all place to host a holiday party, family friendly. A popular wedding reception, reunion annual event in Hoover is or an anniversary party. The the Pig Iron Barbeque and banquet rooms are reasonit’s held at the Hoover Met ably priced and catering is on Oct. 16. This fun event is available. followed by the Hoover HayFor more information ride and Family Night held about rentals call Aldridge on Oct. 29 from 5-8 p.m. at Gardens at 682-8019 or the Veterans Park on Valleydale.

Hoover Met at 739-6400.

Be sure and save the date We want to exceed your Gary Ivey expectations in every way for the 4th Annual Taste of Hoover, which will be held at Aldridge Gar- with all we do. Please contact our office if dens on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 5-8 p.m. For we can be of assistance to you. more information visit aldridgegardens.com.

For a detailed list of Hoover city events, visit our website at hooveralabama.gov or call Sincerely, 444-7500.

Gary Ivey If you are looking for a place to hold an Mayor event or party, we hope you will consider the

City wins grant to build greenway

By ROY L. WILLIAMS The City of Hoover has won a grant that will be used to build a new trail for cyclists, joggers and hikers.

On Wednesday, Aug. 5, Hoover city officials received a letter saying they had been approved for a $400,000 grant for the Cahaba-Riverchase Greenway Trailhead Project, a proposed trail just off Old Montgomery Highway (Old Highway 31) in the Riverchase area.

The grant requires a 20 percent match that would have to be appropriated prior to receiving the grant, making the total investment $500,000.

“We are very excited about this great addition to our parks,” Mayor Ivey said in a statement. No timetable has been set for when construction on the new trail begins nor when it will be open to hikers, bicyclists and joggers.

The Cahaba-Riverchase Grandview Greenway Trailhead project, a part of the FY 2015 Transportation Alternatives Program,

consists of construction of an off-road trail for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation. It will also provide access for a future potential Cahaba Blueway canoe launch site.

It is part of a much larger trail system known as the “Cahaba River Corridor” of the Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System.

The trail is bordered by Riverchase Elementary School, Arbor Hills subdivision and the Riverchase Planned Community within the Hoover city limits.

Hoover City Council President Jack Wright has called the project a “win-win” for the city since the Cahaba River flows throughout Hoover, allowing citizens to take advantage of its natural resources.

The proposal includes a 10-foot wide concrete trail, a boardwalk in areas of wetland encroachment and a small bridge. An asphalt parking lot with drainage will also be constructed.

The City of Hoover owns the 34 acres of land where the trail will be built.

Hoover to switch to new garbage pickup contractor in October

By ROY L. WILLIAMS Residents of the City of Hoover will soon see new trucks handling garbage/leaves and recycling pickup.

The city signed a contract with a new provider, Santek/Waste Services of Alabama. They

will replace the current garbage pickup provider, Republic/BFI Waste Services, effective on Oct. 1.

Santek/Waste Services of Alabama was the lowest responsible bidder and will be paid $572,981 a month, or $6.875 million a year, according to the contract approved by the Hoover council.

“We had a great relationship over the past 12 years with our current provider, but Santek presented the lowest bid and met our specifications,” Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey said.

Santek/Waste Services of Alabama will pick up trash twice a week and recycled materials once a week at about 25,000 homes in the City

of Hoover.

A big selling point in contract negotiations, the mayor said, is that Santek/Waste Services of Alabama also agreed to replace all of the garbage cans and recycling bins currently used in Hoover.

“Some of the trash cans here in Hoover are pretty old, so we’re excited about that,” he said.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A7

Police promote smart phone app Hoover PD has a smart phone app which citizens can use to communicate with the department.

By ERICA TECHO Hoover Police Department is providing another line of communication through a smart phone app.

The app, available on iPhone and Android, provides access to police alerts, the department’s fugitive list, the sex offender list and Hoover PD’s social media posts. It is a “one stop shop” for community members, said Officer Brian Hale, who works with crime prevention and community outreach.

Hale said one of the most helpful features is push notifications. Users can select which

notifications they want to receive, rather than being inundated with information through Facebook or Twitter. They can also submit tips to police, which Hale said might appeal to people who do not think their report is a high enough priority to call police.

For high-priority calls, Hale said, the old-fashioned phone call remains the best way to contact the police.

“All of these fancy gadgets don’t replace picking up the phone to call us,” Hale said.

To download the app, search “mypd app” or “my police department” in the App Store or Google Play.

Ross Bridge, Lake Cyrus subdivisions approved

By ROY L. WILLIAMS The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved two new subdivisions in Ross Bridge and three new subdivisions in the Lake Cyrus communities during its Aug. 10 meeting.

The commission approved the following actions: }} Preliminary plat approval for Signature Homes’ Northampton Phase 5, a proposed 35-lot subdivision at the end of Jessup Lane in Ross Bridge. }} Final plat approval for Sawyer Trail, another Signature Homes development formerly named Ross Bridge Cottages, which includes 16 lots and one pool lot. }} Final plat approval for a resurvey of two lots

at Lake Cyrus. The resurvey is to create a storm easement. }} Final plat approval for subdivisions at Lake Cyrus. One involved a proposed nine-lot subdivision; the other will see construction of a 25-lot subdivision.

In other action, the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission shot down a request by Pastor Roberto Andino for conditional use of Christian Pentecostal Church at 3133 Lorna Road, Suite 109 in the Chapel Hill subdivision.

Now that the subdivisions have gotten map approvals from the city planning and zoning commission, Council and Planning Commission member John Lyda said the developers can proceed in Lake Cyrus and Ross Bridge “They can now start to get the necessary permits to begin construction,” he said.

Bluff Park holds human trafficking forum

By ERICA TECHO Bluff Park United Methodist Church’s women’s ministry held a forum to discuss human trafficking and domestic violence on Aug. 11.

Carol Westbrook, a member of the women’s ministry, said this forum is a way the church works to inform the community on pertinent issues. While United Methodist Women works in missions, it also aims to bring change to the world through education.

Speakers included Birmingham Police Deputy Chief Henry Irby, Hoover Detective

Ryan Smith, Hoover Sgt. Nina Monosky The topics included recruitment and exploitation of victims, domestic violence, educating police and recognizing and reporting suspicious activity. The forum emphasized that trafficking is a problem here in Hoover, not just in other parts of the world.

Education was a goal of the event, Westbrook said, and the attendance and conversation generated by the speakers was a success.

The event brought in more than 60 guests, most from outside the Bluff Park UMC congregation.

A8 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Patton Creek Field & Stream second in state

By ERICA TECHO

The Patton Creek Field & Stream held its grand opening on Aug. 6. Photo by Erica Techo.

The 50,000 square foot outdoorsman shop Field & Stream opened in Patton Creek shopping center in early August. The store is Field & Stream’s second location in Alabama. The first opened in Montgomery two weeks before the Hoover store’s grand opening.

Field & Stream is also the second sportsman store in the shopping center, where there is also a Dick’s Sporting Goods. Although Field & Stream is owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods, the store will not duplicate products sold in the existing store.

McClain said having the stores close by helps improve sales and benefits customers.

“By moving a Field & Stream into the same market as a Dick’s Sporting Goods, it really

allows us to better serve the community with greater breadth and depth of products,” McClain said.

Dick’s Sporting Goods focuses on sporting goods for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. The Field & Stream focuses on outdoor equipment for hunting, fishing, archery and camping and offers services to help with that equipment, including gun cleaning, knife sharpening, line winding and other services.

The store strictly hires outdoor enthusiasts, McClain said, so that customers can get advice from a personal and professional point of view.

“We focus really hard on providing local knowledge, local intelligence,” McClain said.

“So our associates do really well with beginners up to experts.”

Four-arrow turn signals come to Ross Bridge, Chapel Lane

By ERICA TECHO Drivers will see a new traffic signal, featuring a flashing yellow arrow, when they travel on Ross Bridge Parkway and Chapel Lane.

The traffic light involves a new pattern that was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It includes a green arrow, flashing yellow arrow, solid yellow arrow and red arrow.

Drivers can turn as usual on a green arrow, and the inclusion of a flashing yellow signal is

intended to make left turns safer by indicating caution.

When there is a break in oncoming traffic, the driver can make a left turn. Once the arrow stops flashing, however, drivers should be prepared to stop. This means the light is about to turn red.

City Engineer Rod Long said Hoover will trend toward more signals with flashing yellow arrows, but funds must be budgeted to change existing signals.

New traffic lights with flashing yellow arrows have been installed on Ross Bridge Parkway and Chapel Lane. Photo by Erica Techo.

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HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A9

Galleria Costco receives liquor license

By ROY L. WILLIAMS Patrons of Costco Wholesale Corp. will soon be able to buy liquor at its store on Galleria Circle. In a 4-2 vote, the Hoover City Council approving Costco’s quest to get a liquor license during the Aug. 17 meeting.

Voting against the measure were Councilmen Gene Smith and John Greene.

The vote came after multiple people spoke out against the measure on moral grounds. One of them, Rev. Dan Ireland, spent 30 years as executive director of the Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP), a church-sponsored organization that opposes liquor sales.

Ireland said he was disappointed in the vote and feels the decision is not good for Hoover.

“My concern is the more alcohol is available, the more it will be consumed and the more it will cause a rise in other events our police officers will have to enforce,” Ireland said. “It is very disturbing to families when alcohol is so available.”

Brandon Owens of Northport, representing independent retailer liquor licensees across Alabama, asked the council to deny the request, claiming Costco harms small businesses by dropping prices below ABC stores. Owens also claimed Hoover’s tax revenue from the sale of liquor will go down as Costco drives down liquor prices among its competitors.

John Milledge, a lawyer representing Costco, said Costco has been thoroughly vetted through months of background checks and other reviews by the city and other government agencies “just to get to this point.”

He said Costco will build a separate entrance for the liquor department and ID checking will be thoroughly enforced.

City Council President Jack Wright said the council legally couldn’t turn down the Costco request compared to other businesses without a

The Costco at Galleria Circle will build a separate entrance for its liquor sales department. Photo by Roy L. Williams.

legitimate reason.

“There are no complaints of illegal activity by Costco,” Wright said. “They are a good corporate citizen, we’ve had no problems with them nor do we anticipate any.”

Milledge said Costco has “everything in place” to ensure it doesn’t sell to underage drinkers and operates the liquor business properly.

This includes background checks and training for employees and “much more extensive” policies around alcohol sales. He said it could still be months before liquor is sold at the Galleria Circle Costco.

“We have to do build-out of that area of the store,” he said. “We didn’t want to spend time

and money on engineering until we knew we’d have a license. Now that we know we have a license, that will proceed.”

Mayor Gary Ivey said Costco has the same rights as any other company that goes before the city requesting a liquor license. He said the company has a strong reputation for operating a quality business, and noted that Police Chief Nick Derzis told the council during the meeting they have not received any complaints about the business.

Other council business included: }} Denying all bids for improvements to Alford Avenue and a realignment project on Shadybrook Lane due to the bids exceeding allocated

project funds. }} Approving a $99,198 bid to upgrade street lighting on U.S. 31 from the north end of the bridge over the Cahaba River to the Patton Chapel Road intersection north of the I-459 interchange. The lights will be upgraded with LED lights that use less energy and cost the city less to operate, city officials said. }} Approving MaxxClean Car Wash to be built at 2875 John Hawkins Parkway. }} Approving Benton Nissan to rezone property at 3316 Old Columbiana Road for the purpose of adding an overflow parking lot.

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A10 • September 2015

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HooverSun.com

Now Open Field & Stream is now open at 3851 Chapel Lane.

421-9971, fieldandstreamshop.com

1

The Palmetto School of Career Development, a Charleston, South Carolina-based career development center, has opened its first Alabama location at 2801 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite 109C. The center offers a wide variety of training in various technical fields.

267-5593, palmettoschool.com

2

Ashley Mac’s is now open at 4730 Chace Circle, Suite 100. Their hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

259-5044, ashleymacs.com

3

A La Mode Bath, Body & Gifts is now open at 1401 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 110, in the Lee Branch shopping center.

The store is owned by Colleen Burback, who also owns The Urban Barn.

451-8888

4

Flip Flop Shops has opened its first Alabama location at the Riverchase Galleria, 2000 Riverchase Galleria, Suite 123.

444-4849, flipflopshops.com

5

Lily Magnolia, a shop featuring all made-in-Alabama items, is now open in the former Brighton Collectibles location, 2000 Riverchase Galleria, Suite 150.

518-5006

6

Adore Cosmetics is now open in the Riverchase Galleria in the former Swarovski location, 2000 Riverchase Galleria, Suite 160. adorecosmetics.com

7

D’Fiesta, a dress and gown boutique located at 3305 Lorna Road, Suite 10, is now open.

332-9541

8

Los Pedros Mexican Grill is now open at 3305 Lorna Road, Suite 7.

518-0706

9

Brass Bear, a new antique and 10 collectible store, is now open at 2652 Valleydale Road. The store, located in a longshuttered pet store in the Valleydale Village shopping center, has more than 20,000 square feet with a wide variety of items available from more than 200 vendors.

566-0601, brassbearantiques.com

Coming Soon Children’s Lighthouse has announced it will build a new early child care center in the Chace Landing development at 4731 Chace Circle. The center is anticipated to open by early 2016. childrenslighthouse.com

11

The Urban Barn will open its second location at 4730 Chace Circle in the Chace Landing center. The women’s clothing boutique has another Hoover location at 601 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 105.

451-8888, facebook.com/ theurbanbarnbham

12

Kirkland’s is opening a new store in the Riverchase Galleria in the former Christmas to Remember space next to Macy’s, 2000 Riverchase Galleria. kirklands.com

13

Relocations and Renovations Greystone Chiropractic has moved to its new location in Greystone Terrace, 5426 Highway 280, Suite 7. They were previously located in the Greystone Cosmetic Center on Village Street.

981-8090, greystonechiropractor.com

14

15

Mountain High Outfitters, 2000 Riverchase Galleria, Suite 147A, is

September 2015 • A11 expanding its store from 2,252 square feet to more than 5,800 square feet.

985-3215, mountainhighoutfitters.com

New Ownership The Lake Crest Plaza shopping center, 2341 John Hawkins Parkway, has been sold to an Escondido, Californiabased trust, SIGLCP, LLC. The center’s tenants include the Cajun Cleaver, Pure Style Salon, Johnny Brusco’s Pizza and others.

16

Back Yard Burgers, 1989 Montgomery Highway, has been sold.

Franchisee owners Stewart and Phillip Cox, brothers who have owned the location for more than 20 years, sold the store back to the chain’s parent company.

989-7138, backyardburgers.com

17

News and Accomplishments Jefferson State Community College, with a campus in Hoover located at 4600 Valleydale Road, was the only college in Alabama named to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s list of “Great Colleges to Work For” in 2015. It was recognized in three specific categories: (1) compensation and benefits, (2) supervisor and department-chair relationship and (3) work/life balance.

983-5911, jeffersonstate.edu

18

Melanie Dickinson, AIF, PPC, and Jim McCormick, AIF, of PMD Advisory, 4000 Southlake Park, Suite 200, have been named to the National Association of Plan Advisors’ 2015 “Young Guns: 2015 Top Retirement Plan Advisors Under 40” list.

They are the only advisors from Alabama honored.

986-0060, pmdadvisory.com

19

Reflections Jewelry has rebranded

20 and is now called Avani Rupa Fine

Jewelers. The family-owned jeweler, located at 1845 Montgomery Highway, Suite 225, has been open for 10 years.

982-4888, avanirupa.com

Hirings and Promotions ARC Realty, 5291 Valleydale Road, has hired Laurance Washington and Brandy Bradford as Realtors.

969-8910, arcrealtyco.com

21

Poythress, Hughett & Mathews, a CPA firm at 2100 Providence Park, Suite 100, has hired Jeff Fabian as a certified public accountant. Fabian will be specializing in accounting and bookkeeping, auditing, business and individual tax preparation, tax and management consulting, fraud investigation, litigation support and business valuation.

995-2720, cpabhm.com

22

Hoover Country Club, 3140 Club Drive, has hired Burns Sullivan as its executive chef.

822-0647, hoovercc.com

23

RealtySouth’s Over the Mountain Alford Office, 1220 Alford Ave., welcomed Kaye Lakeman and Rita Lakeman as new agents.

822-2364, realtysouth.com

24

Anniversaries El Gringo Mexican Restaurant, 748 Shades Mountain Plaza, is celebrating its first anniversary in its Bluff Park location.

538-5750

25

Chicken Salad Chick, 210 Doug Baker Blvd., Suite 200, is celebrating its first anniversary in its Lee Branch location.

995-2525, chickensaladchick.com

26

A12 • September 2015

New restaurant brings food and art together

By ERICA TECHO Capers on Park Avenue, a hub for “soul food with a flair,” opened its doors July 15.

Located in the auditorium at Artists on the Bluff, executive chef Jay Roberson said his goal is to bring in chef-driven menus that feature upscale meat-and-three dishes and a variety of nationalities.

“I’m not necessarily trying to compete or take business from anybody else,” Roberson said. “I want to be our own thing, so there will be times when I’ll do oriental dishes, I may do some tofu dishes that I get in Atlanta.”

Roberson grew up in Bluff Park and kicked off his culinary career at 13, working as a dishwasher at Savage’s Bakery. He has since worked as kitchen manager at Incahoots, executive sous chef at The Summit Club, executive chef at Riverchase Country Club and owned his own restaurant, Capers Comfort Foods, in Alabaster.

His path through different kitchens has influenced his work as a chef and restaurant owner. While at Incahoots, Roberson worked with builders and he carried their lessons on glazing cabinetry and strong furnishing elements into Capers on Park Avenue. He also uses the strategy of teaching employees about all levels of the business — from washing dishes to cooking.

“That’s what I do now, which is the only way you can bring somebody on board is bring them on, teach them

Chef Jay Roberson serves food at his new restaurant, Capers on Park Avenue. Photo by Erica Techo.

everything you know and expect them to do everything you do,” Roberson said. “Like they say, it could all be theirs one day.”

Customers from Capers Comfort Foods in Alabaster, which shut down on July 16, 2007, came up for the new restaurant’s soft opening.

“Half of the people in here today were from down there,” Roberson said

on the restaurant’s second day.

The location in Artists on the Bluff denotes a partnership between the venue and the restaurant. He brings people to the art, and AOTB brings people to the food.

“If I bring people in that see the art and see what this is all about, it’s extremely important for Hoover, in my opinion, and Bluff Park,”

Roberson said.

Linda Williams, director and consultant for Artists on the Bluff, said she looks forward to having the restaurant as an extra perk for visitors.

“The restaurant is just the icing on the cake, for people taking classes, having their portrait done,” Williams said. “It just brings this community so much together.”

Hoover Sun

Staff member Belle Jordan said Capers on Park Avenue fits with the feel of Artists on the Bluff.

“We’re unique as far as that goes.

You can go to a museum and get lunch, but the atmosphere is totally different,” Jordan said.

During its first days open, Roberson said he was impressed with the turnout. And while he looks forward to growing the business and brining in new employees, he also said he hopes growth will occur slowly.

“I’ve only been two days, and I’m not even inviting [customers and friends] up, I’ll be honest with you,” he said. “It’s over the top. With what we’re doing already, and we’re trying to get our feet wet – a soft opening kind of thing, but we’ve got to get used to this.”

The restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday, and Roberson said he hopes to add dinner on Thursday and Friday, as well as an upscale breakfast on Saturday in the future. While no date is set for these expansions, Roberson said he thinks cooler weather might bring the opportunity for more business.

He is also working with Artists on the Bluff by catering meetings held in the on-site boardroom and volunteering food and time for fundraisers.

“Good food and good service, all of that goes together, so there’s no telling what will happen,” Roberson said.

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HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A13

Chamber Mike Royer reflects on 40-year career at Chamber luncheon

By ERICA TECHO In 40 years of broadcast, Mike Royer has seen, done and covered a little bit of everything.

At the Aug. 20 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, Royer discussed the highlights of his career and the lessons he has learned.

From a young age, Royer said he was hooked on television - he grew up on it. His first step in broadcasting, however, wasn’t until college when he stopped by his school’s radio station.

“I wandered in there and never left.

I never went to law school, and I got hooked on broadcast,” Royer said.

Throughout his career, Royer flew into a hurricane and flew an airplane through a cloud. He was also able to interview several people, including former president Jimmy Carter.

“I wouldn’t take anything for the people I’ve met,” Royer said.

Aside from the household names he was able to talk with, Royer said the people who affected him the most were the everyday interviews. For 20 years, Royer produced the “Spirit of Alabama,” which he said allowed him the chance to interview real people and truly be affected by their stories.

These features are disappearing from T.V. news, Royer said, to make way for reports on murder, exaggerated weather forecasts and health news.

“I think we miss something when

Mike Royer speaks at the Aug. 20 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. Photo by Erica Techo.

we don’t tell good stories about good people,” Royer said.

Those who came in his path through Spirit of Alabama helped change his perspective, Royer said. He met Lou

Wheeler during a story about Campus Outreach and the two quickly became friends. Wheeler was diagnosed with cancer, and over time the diagnosis went from a cancer that seemed

easily treatable to something that was untreatable.

The last time Royer talked with Wheeler, Wheeler said to move from success to significance, to move

toward making an impact on the world.

“There’s a big difference between success and significance, and I believe in both,” Royer said. “And Lou Wheeler reminded me of the latter. I think we need stories on TV like that.”

Another man, Dr. Jim Collier, taught Royer that everyone has the same fate. During an interview, while Collier was dying from cancer, Royer said he thought he had the perfect final question – What’s your prognosis?

What he didn’t expect was Collier’s answer.

“His eyes locked on mine and he said, ‘My prognosis is exactly the same as yours,’” Royer said.

At the time, Royer thought he couldn’t have the same prognosis as a man who was fighting cancer, but over time he has accepted the truth in his statement. Living with that prognosis means living to make each day and each moment special.

“When you know your prognosis, you begin to look at things a little bit differently as to how you carry yourself, and you think about if what you’re doing is all about success or maybe if it has a little to do with being significant,” Royer said.

The next Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon is Sept. 17. Networking starts at 11:15 a.m., and lunch is served at noon.

A14 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

5 Questions With Roy Williams

A Chat with Alba Hernandez of Luxury South Realty

By ROY L. WILLIAMS Since moving from Costa Rica to Alabama in 1983, Alba Hernandez has spent much of her life trying to break down barriers and educate residents of metro Birmingham about the Hispanic community.

She has served as a Spanish interpreter and teacher. Hernandez was one of the founders of the Hispanic Business Council of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce in the early 2000s. She also helped to create Fiesta, an annual Saturday event promoting the Hispanic culture including food, music and crafts.

In March 2015, Hernandez filled another niche: serving as one of the few Spanish-speaking Realtors in Hoover with Luxury South Realty at 2105 Lorna Road, Suite 159.

Q

Tell me more about your role in educating the public about the Hispanic community in metro Birmingham since moving here 32 years ago.

A

Back then, I saw that there was a great need to educate the community about Hispanics.

Not everybody is from Mexico. There are many differences in the Hispanic community in geography, local expressions. That was my goal when

we started the Hispanic Business Council.

The idea for Fiesta came because I had a friend who lived in Tennessee and she had started a festival there. Other individuals have continued on with the idea. It has been very successful and I’m proud of it.

Q

How has the Hispanic community grown in Hoover and surrounding cities since you moved here in 1983?

A

When I first came here, there were not that many Spanish-speaking people in this area.

Now you go anywhere and you see Hispanics and people of all different nationalities. We are so diverse. In Birmingham now you not only see and hear people of Latin backgrounds, but you also hear and see people from Russia, from India, from the Middle East, from Europe, from all over the world. That is the beauty of who we are now as a country.

Q A

Does being bilingual help in your line of work selling real estate?

Yes. There aren’t many bilingual Realtors in this area. Our office on Lorna Road is the central place where Hispanic people can come to find out what they need to do to purchase a

Alba Hernandez, a bilingual Realtor with Luxury South Realty, poses in front of a Hoover home that she is seeking to sell. She specializes in selling homes for Spanishspeaking clients. Photo by Roy L. Williams.

home. We are planning on conducting some real estate workshops in English and in Spanish so that people will be informed.

Our office is such a niche market. In our office, we have a bilingual mortgage broker. He has had clients who have come all the way from Huntsville.

In 2011, Alabama enacted HB 56, billed by many as the harshest immigration law in the country. It caused friction between many Hispanics and other Alabamians, with several immigrants fleeing the state and making it difficult for construction companies, restaurants and other industries to find workers. Has the climate improved?

Q

A

I personally have some mixed feelings. I do understand we have to control immigration.

I had to pay my dues to become a citizen. I went through a lot to obtain my citizenship and am grateful and proud of it. I believe everybody should abide by the law.

But on the other hand, when you talk about the humanitarian side of it, and being a Christian, your heart goes out to these immigrants and the challenges they face in their home country. Due to discrimination, some left after the new law.

Q A

Are there any stereotypes about Hispanics in the Hoover area you’d like to address?

It has happened to me on a couple of occasions. People hear that I have an accent, recognize that I speak Spanish and say, “Oh, you’re from Mexico.”

Do not assume because somebody speaks a certain language they’re like everybody else.

Another stereotype is that everybody who speaks Spanish is uneducated. That’s not the case. We need to open our eyes. If we want to see Alabama move forward, we need to embrace diversity and embrace people who are different.

In many ways we are different, but we are all the same. People want to provide for their families, everybody wants to have a better life.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A15

‘The story of achievement’ Remembering the founder of the Hoover Historical Society

By SYDNEY CROMWELL Vadie Honea’s interest in history started with her close relationship with her mother, who kept journals from her teenage years until her death.

This interest eventually led her to found the Hoover Historical Society around her kitchen table in 1989.

Honea passed away on May 1, two days before her 95th birthday. She left behind three daughters, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, as well as a legacy of hard work and achievement.

“She had some core values beyond her faith, which included a deep appreciation of beauty and grace. She was a lady. And achievement — she was all about achievement,” said Dr. Patricia Honea-Fleming, her middle daughter.

These achievements included growing the Historical Society from its initial meetings in Honea’s home and Green Valley Baptist Church to its current archives at Arts on the Bluff. Honea visited historic homes in the area to gather their stories and saved extensive records on the people and places of early Hoover.

“She was a little eager beaver. She worked and she got you involved. She had a way of involving people in what she was doing. And she was a

very pleasant person to work with,” said Inez McCollum, one of the early members of the historical society.

When something was going on in Hoover, McCollum said Honea was among the first to know. Honea was always at work on a project, whether gathering records for a book or visiting historic sites.

“She was just always around and busy, and we definitely missed her when she got to where she could no longer do that,” McCollum said.

Honea and her husband, Hiram James Honea, moved to Hoover in the 1970s from Georgia.

They were married 68 years until Hiram passed away in 2010. She was involved in many organizations throughout Birmingham, including the Hoover Art Association, Alabama Watercolor Society and the National League of American Pen Women. Honea-Fleming said her mother loved the “detective work” of history and genealogy, as well as bringing historical records together to tell a person’s story.

Her greatest achievement, in Honea’s own estimation, was completing a biography of her mother, “Sowing Seeds of Love.” Honea spent six years researching her mother and extended family, and Honea-Fleming helped edit the information into a single story. It was published in

Vadie Honea and her daughters took a trip to Sarasota, Florida with four pictures from when she lived there with her husband in the 1940s. They used the photos to reconstruct the story of Honea’s life there. Photo courtesy of Patricia Honea-Fleming.

2009, which was all the more impressive because Honea had to learn to use a computer for the first time.

“She got her first computer when she was 86, and she mastered word processing on the computer and printing and all of that. So that was her first challenge, but her love, her pleasure was in crafting the story from the information,” Honea-Fleming said. “This [book] is what she felt was her personal historical contribution to our family.”

Independence was a family trait, something Honea learned from her mother and passed

on to her children. She stayed involved in the Historical Society until 2014 and adamantly refused any suggestion of moving to an assisted living facility.

“I think she would consider it an achievement and a mark of her character that she lived independently right to the very end,” Honea-Fleming said. “She was still in charge and she was not going anywhere.”

That strong will was a defining characteristic of Vadie Honea’s life.

“Her story is the story of achievement,” Honea-Fleming said. “Balanced with grace.”

A16 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

A night with Hoover PD

By ERICA TECHO Hoover Police Department Officer Kyle Brohl starts his shift at 2 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m. —depending on how long paperwork takes. Brohl grew up in a small town in Michigan, and although it took some time, Brohl has adjusted to the summer heat after a few years in Alabama.

The Hoover Sun participated in a ride-along with Brohl, during one Friday night shift.

6:59 p.m.

7:02 p.m.

Brohl receives dispatch for a reported vehicle theft at Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall. A driver reported false information to receive a loan and refuses to return the car to the dealership. Brohl takes down information about the suspect and vehicle, letting the reporting manager know that if the car is returned he can notify police and decide not to press charges.

As Brohl heads back to the Tahoe, the manager notifies Brohl that another manager needs to file a similar report.

7:27 p.m.

Brohl pulls over a driver for watching what appeared to be a video on her phone and having a dealership drive away tag. He calls in the traffic stop – “Just for safety reasons,” he said. After speaking with the driver, Brohl runs her name through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to check for outstanding warrants. The driver receives a warning for her transgressions.

7:32 p.m.

A robbery is reported. Three suspects, including an armed black male, unarmed black male and unarmed black female, reportedly robbed a victim and took $30. The robbery occurred at a Walgreens, and one officer is dispatched to stay with the victim. Other officers, including Brohl, go to patrol neighborhoods for the suspects.

The suspects are located in Chace Lake Villas, off of Old Montgomery Highway.

One suspect takes off running, and Brohl pulls out his gun and tells the other two suspects to get on the ground.

A second officer arrives on the scene to handcuff the two suspects, one male and one female. Brohl keeps his gun out as the officer handcuffs the suspects.

Brohl prepares to leave the dealership, when the manager comes out and says the first suspect is on the phone. He talks with the suspect and tells her to return the vehicle.

8:10 p.m.

After leaving the search, Brohl returns to Hendrick Hoover Auto Mall to check vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on the cars that were reported stolen earlier in the night. He calls the corrected numbers into dispatch.

A call reporting a disorderly customer comes in from the McDonalds on Montgomery Highway, near Riverchase Galleria. The customer left the location, and Brohl searched for her car without success on the way to the McDonalds.

The McDonalds manager told Brohl the suspect stole a drink and used profanity while children were near, but no charges are filed.

8:30 p.m.

Brohl drives across his beat, away from where officers are still searching for the third robbery suspect. By heading to where officers are absent, Brohl said it helps make sure the territory is covered and allows him to patrol some of the neighborhoods in the area.

9:00 p.m.

Brohl drives through one neighborhood where one house receives many neighbor complaints. The house is sometimes used to conduct drug deals, Brohl said, and neighbors often call police to the area.

7:42 p.m.

The third suspect reportedly ran to Barrington on the Green, also located on Old Montgomery Highway.

Four police vehicles are now on the scene, and the handcuffed suspects have been placed in the vehicles. Brohl leaves to patrol Barrington on the Green for the third suspect.

“The good thing is we have two suspects in custody,” Brohl said. With the two suspects, Brohl said Hoover detectives will likely be able to get the information they need.

Brohl drives through the area, asking residents if they have seen someone matching the suspect’s description.

“Just make sure to keep the house locked tonight,” Brohl said to one resident.

He steps out of the vehicle to check backyards and over fences for the suspect, then leaves the neighborhood to check businesses in Chace Landing.

8:47 p.m.

Brohl drives to an apartment complex to back up another officer. A woman reported knocking on her door when she wasn’t expecting anyone. After she called the police, the knocking did not continue.

9:25 p.m.

“This is my beat, so I like to frequently patrol them,” Brohl said.

9:45 p.m.

Brohl returns to the Hoover Police Department Field Operations Office on Lorna Road and wraps up the night’s paperwork.

Brohl drives to back up another officer during a traffic stop.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A17

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A18 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Giving back for Gretchen

By ERICA TECHO The Ross Bridge neighborhood is lined with ribbons. They’re pearl, in honor of Gretchen Anderson.

“I looked up what ‘Gretchen’ meant, and it means pearl,” said Jessica Rosner, one of Gretchen’s neighbors. “And then I just started thinking of what I could do with that.”

Gretchen was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2013, fought through treatment and was in the clear until April.

“After it came back, of course we were all kind of devastated because she beat it the first time and was doing really well,” Rosner said. “She went in for a routine scan and they saw something and did another scan and found out it came back.”

During the two years after her diagnosis, Gretchen was able to maintain a great quality of life. Her husband Matt said she enjoyed getting involved in several charities and fundraisers for adult and pediatric brain cancer.

Matt said Gretchen knew there was a chance for the cancer to return, but many of their conversations revolved around how others had to deal with cancer.

“What Gretchen and I would always talk about is as terrible as it is, the only way it could ever be worse is if it’s your kids,” Matt said.

While they were living in Atlanta, Matt and Gretchen knew a dentist whose daughter died after a five-year battle with cancer. She was 7 years old. A close friend, Sasha Ramini, is also a nurse practitioner at Children’s

The Anderson family presents a check to Children’s of Alabama. Photo by Erica Techo.

of Alabama. With two daughters, 6-year-old Mylee and 4-year-old Sophie, Matt said the difficulties a family faces as their child is affected by cancer hit home.

When Gretchen’s cancer returned, Rosner made ribbons to help raise money for the family. Their neighborhood was lined with bows, and more were added to the neighborhood’s entrances so the family would feel surrounded by support, Rosner said. Gretchen’s mom told Rosner the visual reminder of Gretchen was a

nice addition.

“She loved that she could look out and see the ribbons,” Rosner said.

“And without us having to always tell her, she could just see Gretchen everywhere.”

Support exploded, and while she knows they made at least 300 bows, Rosner lost track of the exact number along the way. They raised $4,100 for the family.

“I wanted him [Matt] to do whatever he felt he wanted and what Gretchen would have wanted,” Rosner

said.

Matt decided to use the money to give back to the community. He chose to donate $5,000 to Children’s of Alabama to reflect Gretchen’s passion for helping with charities for children’s cancer research.

“She just really enjoyed getting involved in fundraisers on both the adult and pediatric side, but the reason we decided to give the money to the pediatrics side is because probably that was what she was most passionate about,” Matt said.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A19

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18th Street South $35 runsignup.com/race/AL/Homewood/ TheBlazerBolt5K

Lucy and Ruby’s Brainy Day May 7, 2016 Donations accepted Lucyandruby.com

Wheeling for Hope Ongoing events Wheelingforhope.org Sophie (left) and Mylee sign balloons to release at Children’s of Alabama. The girls wrote notes and drew pictures to send to their mother. Photo by Erica Techo.

Matt and his daughters, Sophie and Mylee, presented Children’s with a $5,000 check on Aug. 13, two days before Gretchen’s birthday. His daughters might not understand the money aspect of the donation yet, but Matt said he hopes his family can continue to give back to cancer research.

“With my girls, one thing I want to do is kind of get them involved in a lot of the local charities,” Matt said. “So this was a way to kind of kick it off.”

Gretchen’s giving nature was one reason Ross Bridge neighbors rallied

around the Anderson family, Rosner said. The bows were one way to see the support, and her memorial service was another. At Gretchen’s memorial service on July 11, Cross Creek Church Pastor Chris Peters said the crowd was a visual reminder of a community’s support.

“It was definitely one of the most well-attended funerals or memorial services I have been to,” Peters said.

The crowd of around 400 took part in remembering and celebrating Gretchen’s life, Rosner said. The

service was special because while attendees were sad, they were able to reflect on their positive memories as well. Some attendees wore pearls in her honor, and the personal touches of the memorial helped bring Gretchen’s presence in to the room.

“She worked in the dental field, so they had a basket for all of the people that were there to take a toothbrush home and hand sanitizer – it was just so personal – and a box to write down your favorite memory so Matt and the girls could read it later,” Rosner said.

“She was just a person who was a good friend to people, and I think she touched a lot of lives in kind of an individual way,” Peters said.

Gretchen’s death hit home for a lot of the families in Ross Bridge, Rosner said. She was a young mother, and the death was unexpected.

“You’re supposed to die when you’re older, but this is a hard one because it’s one of us – she was 33, almost 34,” Rosner said. “So it was like one of us. It touched so close to all of the moms’ hearts because we

have kids.”

Matt said he hopes Gretchen’s story not only encourages support for cancer research but help bring attention to the cause.

“Brain cancer’s not really something that gives a lot of recognition,” Matt said. “[Cancers] are all terrible, but this one is particularly really bad and it just doesn’t get that much recognition, so it will be nice to put that out there.”

A20 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Golden Girls Flo Sherrill She drinks Gatorade with her coffee, enjoys a mostly vegetable and fruit diet and hits the gym two to three times a week. Flo Sherrill, who turned 100 years old on July 1, started this routine at age 81, making it her mission since to ask anyone who admits they don’t exercise, “what are you waiting for?”

She was first introduced to an exercise program in 1996 when, following angioplasty, her physician ordered rehab at St. Vincent’s Birmingham. While Flo’s regular routine consists of 30 repetitions on 10 different machines followed by walking track

By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE AND MADISON MILLER Living for a century or more is quite a feat. Two Hoover residents recently celebrated milestone birthdays – 100 and 103 years old, to be exact. Learn more about their lives and what they credit for their longevity

laps, she quickly admits that prior to her cardiac rehabilitation, she’d never given a thought to exercise, let alone becoming a centenarian.

Since moving to Hoover in 1970, Flo said she witnessed the community’s amazing transformation.

“When we moved in there wasn’t a house on either side of ours, and a man building a home down the road set fire to the huge woods that was around us during construction,” she said. “About all there was back then were Mr. Hoover’s insurance business, a Western Grocery Store and two service stations and that’s about it.”

Flo said she continues to be astonished

Louise Driver When Rittenhouse Senior Living resident Louise Driver is asked what helped her live to be 103 years old, she provides an honest answer.

“I don’t know,” she said.

Driver was born in Killen, Alabama, just outside of Florence and Muscle Shoals, in 1912. She celebrated her 103rd birthday at Rittenhouse on July 3.

Driver’s nephew, Richard McMurtrey, credits Driver’s healthy lifestyle and her strong religious beliefs as what allowed her to live a long life.

“She reads her Bible every day,” McMurt-

by the Hoover’s growth, calling it “the only place to live.”

“Everyone is so nice,” she said. “When I fell down our steep driveway some years ago, the post office people were so wonderful that they put a mailbox in my carport and bring my mail up the hill. I told my post lady that really made me feel special.”

Asked her feelings about reaching the century mark, Flo said the occasion was never high on her priority list.

“I really never thought about it. It never crossed my mind,” she said. “But the best part of my life was my family and, though I would choose to be a vegetarian, I’d live it all over again.”

rey said. “[She had] good living habits. She never smoked or drank.”

Throughout her life, Driver has always been involved in church, but did not do a lot of socializing outside of church, McMurtrey said. After her first husband died, Driver earned a living by turning a hobby into a way to make money. She took sewing orders from members of her community.

“She sewed wedding dresses, suits, anything anybody wanted or needed,” McMurtrey said.

Driver also enjoyed quilting and still uses one of the quilts she made to keep her warm at Rittenhouse.

“She is a very talented woman,” Rittenhouse representative Viki Mullins said.

After 103 years, Driver isn’t shy in talking about her accomplishments.

“I do everything,” she said. “I cook, I clean, I keep the house.”

Driver eventually met and married her second husband, Daniel Driver, who was a train conductor in Pennsylvania. They eventually settled in Vestavia Hills for retirement. Driver moved back to Muscle Shoals after Daniel passed away from cancer. She has been in assisted living at Rittenhouse in Hoover for about five months.

“She’s just a good, nice woman,” McMurtrey said. “She has been all her life to me, to everyone.”

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A21

Author begins third book about Hoover communities

By DANNI ZHOU Bluff Park author Heather Skaggs has begun collecting materials for a new book focused on the Riverchase community of Hoover.

It will be her third book about the Hoover area, following the 2013 publication of Images of America: Bluff Park and the 2014 Images of America: Hoover. Bluff Park is in its fifth printing and Hoover is on its second, less than a year after publication.

“Riverchase will be part of a different series called Images of Modern America,” Skaggs said.

“Only two books have been previously published in this series so far in the state of Alabama. The book will cover everything that is called Riverchase, including the original land, community, business districts and more.”

Skaggs started her career in journalism at a Fox news station. She first put together a version of Bluff Park’s history in 2006. Before long, Arcadia Publishing discovered her work, and Skaggs decided to share the history and creation of Hoover through her writing.

While gathering research for Hoover, Skaggs

explained that she had limited space to compile all the aspects of the city and was unable to incorporate in-depth details about Riverchase.

However, she wanted to return to the idea of Riverchase as its own book and in the end decided a third book would be an appropriate addition.

“Riverchase is a passionate community and people have lived there since it was first established. The buildup of the community is very moving with the time and the story will be a journey for the readers,” Skaggs said.

As with her first two books, compiling Riverchase requires a lot of involvement from the community and longtime residents. She has already received help from the Riverchase Women’s Club, Riverchase Country Club and Riverchase Elementary in composing her books.

Skaggs is requesting contributions of photographs, information and personal stories about the area from the 1960s to current day.

Generally, any pictures and information pertaining to the development of homes, the community, businesses, churches and schools are accepted. Specifically, Skaggs is searching for memorabilia or photos, scorecards and T-shirts

Hoover author Heather Skaggs collects photos and drawings from the Riverchase area to compile a book about its history. Photo courtesy of Heather Skaggs.

from Riverchase Golf and Games and the Galleria Fun Country, a popular hangout in the early 1990s. She also hopes residents will contribute photographs of community events, such as local parades and the Riverchase Art Show.

Riverchase, in comparison with Bluff Park and Hoover, strays from the standard format in that the book is shorter in length, has a different page layout, and contains colored photography.

“Combined, the purpose [of the books] is

to convince others in the state and beyond that [Hoover] is a place they would want to live,” Skaggs said.

The publication date of Riverchase is planned for August 2016 and it will be sold in all major bookstores and online. Though the details regarding a specific location have not been determined, Skaggs said readers should expect a fourth book to follow Riverchase in the Images of Modern America series.

A22 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Summer FUN WINNER

Photo Contest RUNNERS UP

Every year, on the last day of school, some of the parents get together and have a pizza party for the kids and have a group picture of them jumping in the pool. Photo

by Janice Fry.

Ben and Mary Noerager posing with the giant redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California. Photo by Brett Noerager.

My wife and daughter getting splashed by the waves. A surprise splash! Photo by Peily Soong.

Find more great photos by visiting hooversun.com

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A23

RUNNERS UP CONTINUED

Enjoying popsicles on the porch. Photo by Jessica Garrison.

Denise, Mildrid and Super Star on the trails at Red Mountain Urban Park. Photo by David Radzieta.

Layton Lewis cheering her big brothers and sisters on at a Shades Cliff Swim Meeet.

Photo by Laura Lewis.

Jude Jernigan and Cooper Johnsey enjoying the sprinkler car wash. Photo credit Kylie Jernigan.

Ben and Mary Noerager playing on the beach in Santa Cruz, California.

Photo by Brett Noerager.

Ready for their close-ups? Xander and Kyle Kubas near the famous Hollywood sign on a recent family vacation to California. Photo by Brian Kubas.

A24 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Dad Brigade volunteer Harland Banks helps install a new chalkboard at the Riverchase Elementary outdoor classroom.

At Rocky Ridge Elementary, father and Dad Brigade volunteer Greg Werchanowskyj repaints the walls.

The Hoover City Dad Brigade paints walls at Bluff Park Elementary.

Dad Brigade gives schools a facelift

Photos by RON BURKETT Almost 400 volunteers, including around 70 students, came together for the first project of the Hoover City Dad Brigade on Aug. 1. At every elementary school, the volunteers painted, planted flowers, assembled benches and shelves, caulked windows, cleaned sidewalks and more to prepare for the first day of school.

“The whole idea was to unite our entire city school system,” Board of Education President Derrick Murphy, who started Hoover City Dad Brigade, said. “I’m just excited that our school system came together for this large event. It’s a remarkable thing that represents the community.”

The volunteers will be recognized at the September Board of Education meeting.

See more at hooversun.com

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A25

Birmingham

Private School Guide Special Advertising Section

Spring Valley School The Altamont School

A25 A26

Covenant Classical Day Schools A27 Shades Mountain Christian School A28

Spring Valley School

Spring Valley School is an independent, nonsectarian school for students in grades 2-12 who struggle with dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other learning differences. It is the only school in central Alabama devoted to impacting the lives of children with learning disabilities, and it serves children from all over the Birmingham area and beyond.

Founded in 2000 by parents seeking better educational opportunities for their children, the school is a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. The school recognizes that the learning processes of these students differ from that of their peers and that each student possesses unique academic needs. As a result, the school offers a multi-sensory (visual, auditory and tactile), language-based instructional program presented in small classes (between five and nine students).

Core beliefs include – (1) A successful student sets academic goals and monitors progress in achieving them. (2) Students excel when they are actively involved in the learning process.

(3) Students thrive when high expectations are coupled with opportunities to achieve academic

Key Facts Grades 2-12 605 Hagood Street Birmingham, AL 35213 423-8660 springvalleyschool.org success. (4) The curriculum must incorporate a variety of teaching strategies to accommodate various learning styles. (5) Students become good citizens by contributing to their community through leadership and service.

Spring Valley School is accredited through SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). To learn more or to discuss admission, contact their administrative assistant at 423-8660 to set up an interview with the executive director and a tour of the school.

Briarwood Christian School A28

A26 • September 2015

Private School Guide

Hoover Sun

Special Advertising Section

The Altamont School

Altamont is more than a school where talented, smart individuals gather together to learn. It is a community of caring, like-minded leaders who come together with the common goal to inspire, educate and encourage one another to reach their full potential.

At Altamont, we are preparing students to be good citizens; educating compassionate, curious, students; committed to producing well-rounded students; a rigorous school with strong core values; a family. We will encourage and support our students’ interests; graduate mature, enlightened students who are prepared for their life and career; prepare the next generation to be critical thinkers; do everything in our power to see your child succeed. We do this because we care; we believe in unending possibilities; we’re small, passionate, and competitive; we believe in truth, knowledge and honor.

Each day at Altamont, we strive every day to improve the fabric of society by graduating

compassionate, educated individuals capable of independent thinking and innovative ideas. That is never more important than in today’s changing and fast-paced world. Preparing students for the world requires both balance and breadth, and this is where Altamont’s faculty stands out. No matter a student’s passion or strength, each one is nurtured and allowed to grow, mature and learn in a caring environment. We are confident that our students are articulate, passionate, and ethically aware young people who will make a difference in the world, hold themselves to a higher standard and lead trustworthy lives.

Altamont is a small family with socio-economic, ethnic and religious diversity, and our Honor Code is essential to the fulfillment of our mission. The school has an intensive college preparatory academic program with a personalized college search program, including an annual college tour. The school also offers many opportunities for children to develop multiple talents by

participating in arts, foreign language, leadership programs, community service, clubs, class projects, science competitions and sports — all at the same time. We seek highly motivated students who crave greater breadth and challenge in all areas of school life. The school awards approximately $1,000,000 in merit and need-based scholarships each year in order to attract the best, brightest and most diverse student body.

Altamont’s main campus is located on 28 acres on the crest of Red Mountain just south of downtown Birmingham. The main school building houses 40 classrooms, two science wings, a fine arts center, a student center, an art gallery and sculpture garden, a computer lab, a 14,000volume library and special studios for chorus, art, photography and orchestra. The athletic facilities include two gymnasiums with basketball and volleyball courts and a weight room. The main campus offers six tennis courts, a soccer field, and a track. A second campus provides another

Key Facts Grades 5-12 4801 Altamont Road South Birmingham, AL 35222 879-2006 altamontschool.org

gymnasium as well as soccer, baseball and softball fields.

Please join us for one of our Open Houses to learn more about our school, our students, our mission and what sets us apart.

Private School Guide

HooverSun.com

Special Advertising Section

September 2015 • A27

Covenant Classical Schools & Daycare

At Covenant Classical Schools & Daycare (CCS), we strive to maximize each child’s early school experience. Our teachers nurture and encourage our students, developing well-rounded individuals who are equipped to succeed at the next level. We aim to enhance young minds through their academic abilities. Our studies go beyond the basics of reading, math and writing.

Extended studies include arts and crafts, Bible, sign language, biblical character development and Spanish, to name a few. CCS also uses the A Beka Book curriculum, which is a comprehensive, quality curriculum written from a Christian perspective.

The “classical” in CCS is an education dependent upon a three-part process of training the mind. The early years of school are spent in absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. The first years of schooling are called the “grammar stage” because these are the years in which the building blocks

for all other learning are laid. In the early school years, the mind is ready to absorb information.

Children at this age actually find memorization fun. So during this period, education involves not self-expression and self-discovery, but rather the learning of facts. Rules of phonics and spelling, rules of grammar, poems, the vocabulary of foreign languages, the stories of history and literature, descriptions of plants and animals, the facts of mathematics — the list goes on.

This information makes up the “grammar,” or the basic building blocks, for the second stage of education, which is the “logic stage,” and the third, which is the “rhetoric stage.”

Alongside our academic standards, we offer security and encouragement to create a positive atmosphere that’s conducive to learning and growth. With songs and games, we make learning fun and memorable for little ones. We seek to show God’s love in our everyday interaction.

From Bible lessons to the meals we provide, your

Our goal is to transform the world one child at a time by instilling in them a love for Christ, a love for each other and love for learning.

HOMEWOOD

VALLEYDALE

151 Covenant Way Homewood, AL 35209 205.968.1255

25 Southlake Lane Birmingham, AL 35244 205.444.5437

PELHAM

TRACE CROSSINGS

450 Huntley Parkway Pelham, AL 35124 205.620.2626

5390 Magnolia Trace Hoover, AL 35244 205-733-5437

ccstc@ccslion.com

child is engaged and actively attuned to God’s creation and grace in the world around them.

Every effort is made to equip each child with foundational character attributes that will be displayed in their daily actions — while learning and while at play.

We treasure the wisdom found in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

As Christian parents and teachers, we realize that instilling good (biblical) character traits in our children while they are young is vital in preparing them for a successful future. The foundational aspects of character that we focus on are: respect, honesty, obedience and kindness. In addition to these four character traits, our teachers emphasize one character trait each week.

Covenant Classical Schools wants to assure our parents that their child will be placed in a room that is best suited for them individually (developmentally speaking, this encompasses

Key Facts Six weeks-Kindergarten 5390 Magnolia Trace Hoover, AL 35244 733-5437 covenantclassical.com

their physical, emotional and social needs).

At each stage, we provide classrooms that provide the specific nurturing and encouragement that children thrive in. CCS endeavors to create a community that serves and loves, and we invite you to experience the difference.

A28 • September 2015

Private School Guide

Hoover Sun

Special Advertising Section

Shades Mountain Christian School

Building on 40 years of Christian education in the Birmingham metropolitan area, Shades Mountain Christian School is positioning itself for a future of growth and expansion by their recent purchase of Riverchase Middle School.

“The purchase of this facility,” Bill Vandiver, president of the SMCS Board of Directors, announced in February, “gives the school the blessing of size. We will have ample room to build on our rich heritage of pursuing excellence in academics, the arts and athletics, which are all taught in a Christian worldview setting.”

Shades Mountain Christian’s unique combination of faculty, course offerings, activities and a Christ-centered focus produces the high-achieving young men and women who graduate from SMCS each spring.

Currently serving approximately 350 students in grades K3-12, SMCS is composed of a diverse community of families committed to Christian education. With a mission to assist Christian parents in their responsibility to equip their children

for life, the school offers a rigorous academic program that prepares SMCS students for college and beyond. Ninety-five percent of its graduates attend college, and many receive scholarships.

The 2015 graduating class earned $1.2 million in scholarships, and several graduates over the years have been National Merit Scholars.

Since its founding in 1974, the school has shared facilities with Shades Mountain Independent Church on Tyler Road in Hoover. Four years ago, the school fiscally separated from the church, became its own non-profit and began the process of seeking a location in which to expand as an independent community school. In February, the school board voted to purchase Riverchase Middle School, and plans have been made to relocate to the new facility in 2017. Located on 40 acres, the new location will provide a larger facility to accommodate the growing academic environment and will attract new families to the school.

Students at Shades Mountain Christian School

have the opportunity to explore and develop their talents in the academics, with Advanced Placement and honors courses available; arts, including choir, band and theatre; and athletics, including multiple middle and high school sports teams, as well as youth athletics. SMCS students also give back to the community by voluntarily participating in a variety of service projects to help those in need.

Shades Mountain Christian School is fully accredited by AdvancEd, formerly known as Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is also a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. In addition, the SMCS faculty is composed of highly qualified, committed Christians who hold degrees in their field of study and who feel called to serve in a Christian school.

SMCS exists to equip and empower young champions for Christ — young men and women who will be change agents for the kingdom of God — through service to the entire Birmingham metropolitan area and the larger global

“

“

We are very excited about the recent changes at Shades Mountain Christian School and the impact it is having on our students. The prospect of moving and expanding the Christian educational ministry to a new location in the future will provide us with even greater opportunities to truly impact our student population for the future —Principal Brian Willett

Key Facts K3-Grade 12 2290 Old Tyler Road Hoover, AL 35226 978-6001 smcs.org

community. “I am now a firm believer in the power of the mission field of our own backyard,” said Joel Smith, parent of two SMCS students. Having built a legacy of excellence in Christian education, Shades Mountain Christian will continue to develop a generation of inspired, transformed, and mission-minded community leaders.

Private School Guide

HooverSun.com

Special Advertising Section

Briarwood Christian School

Over the past 50 years Briarwood Christian School has grown steadily to become the largest private K-12 school in the state of Alabama and one of the largest private Christian schools in the country. It provides a comprehensive college preparatory education within a stimulating and nurturing Christian environment. Briarwood serves over 1,900 students on two beautiful campuses.

The youngest students at Briarwood experience the joy and excitement of an exceptional educational program in a nurturing and stimulating Christian environment.

Highly trained Christian teachers nurture the students’ God-given talents, dreams and imaginations. Beginning in kindergarten, the academic program is designed to lay a solid academic, intellectual and spiritual foundation for students.

As students continue through Briarwood, they are exposed to not only great educators and Christians committed to giving individualized attention and exceptional instruction, but also to strong academic, artistic and athletic options from which to choose. From a 1:1 iPad program, AP classes,

Key Facts North Campus, K-6 2204 Briarwood Way Birmingham, AL 35243 776-5800 South Campus, 7-12 6255 Cahaba Valley Road Birmingham, AL 35242 776-5900 briarwoodchristianschool.org engineering, robotics and foreign languages (Latin, French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese) to competitive athletics and an extraordinary fine arts program, Briarwood provides students with a world-class Christian education that develops the mind, nurtures the soul and shapes the character — for today and for the future.

For additional information about Briarwood, contact Mrs. Kelly Mooney, admissions director, at 776-5812 or kmooney@bcsk12.org.

September 2015 • A29

A30 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

SATELLITE OFFICE

CONTINUED from page A1 October.

It will replace the temporary office currently at the Met, where residents of the Hoover area can buy new vehicle tags, obtain boating licenses and fill out vehicle title applications. The new location will continue these services, with the addition of driver’s and business licenses.

“It will be a full-service satellite office, offering the same services you can get at the downtown Jefferson County Courthouse,” Hulsey said.

Jennifer Woods, the manager of the Met office, will continue her role at the satellite office. The satellite office will neighbor Green Valley Drugs and Hoover Florist. Hulsey said the landlord is currently doing the buildout on the facility and will be reimbursed by the county.

“Construction is going good and should be finished by mid-September, then a millwork company will come in and build our counters,” Hulsey said. “After we get the certificate of occupancy, our employees should start moving in by mid-October.”

Hulsey said the satellite office will be more accessible and more comfortable for Hoover area residents than the Hoover Met location, which has only five service windows.

The Hoover Court Town Center 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.

It will also have inside seating for approximately 100 people, unlike the Hoover Met satellite office, which only has an outside canopy.

This will make the wait easier on county residents in hot, cold or rainy weather. Hulsey estimated several thousand visitors to the office each month once it opens.

“We expect the U.S. 31 satellite office to be one of our busier locations because of the size of Hoover and the fact there are a lot of auto dealerships out there,” Hulsey said. “We already serve 6,500 a month from the Hoover Met.” Paul DeMarco, a former state representative

Driver’s Licenses

Revenue

Tag queue

Driver’s License queue Pew seating by owner

Existing Sidewalk

Entrance New Sidewalk

New Sidewalk

This rendering shows the layout of the future satellite office in Hoover Court Town Center. There will also be public bathrooms and employee offices in the rest of the building.

Jefferson County Satellite Office services êêDriver’s and boat license renewals

êêVehicle title registration

êêBusiness license applications and renewals

The satellite office is located at Hoover Court Town Center, 1935 Hoover Court.

êêVehicle tag renewals from Homewood, said the new office will benefit citizens outside Hoover and those who don’t have the ability to renew driver’s licenses in their cities. Although Vestavia Hills has allowed residents to renew driver’s licenses in City Hall, most Jefferson County citizens must drive to the downtown Birmingham county courthouse or satellite offices in Bessemer and Center Point.

“This is going to be a great asset for the citizens of Hoover as well as people in the surrounding areas,” Mayor Gary Ivey said.

The addition of driver’s license and business license renewals is welcome news to Bluff Park resident Sam Swiney, who said it will help achieve the goal of alleviating traffic congestion at the downtown Birmingham and Bessemer courthouses.

“That would be very beneficial to the residents of Jefferson County who do not normally travel

downtown,” Swiney said.

He said it is also a smart move to offer business license purchases and renewals at the Hoover satellite office due to the number of businesses located in and around Hoover.

Bill Box, the owner and pharmacist of Green Valley Drugs in Hoover Court Town Center, said the new satellite car tag office will be a shot in the arm for both business owners in the center and Hoover residents. He had hoped the project would have been done sooner, as Jefferson County Commission officials had first estimated it would open by late summer.

“It will be a wonderful addition to our center,” said Box, whose father founded Green Valley Drugs in the center in 1961.

The county agreement with Hoover Court Investors LLC/Murer LLC calls for a 10-year initial term with two five-year renewal options.

Under the plan, the Jefferson County Commission will pay the owner $500,000 to build out the satellite tag office. The remaining $350,000 will be used to pay for architects and engineers, security cameras, furnishings and burglar alarms.

Hoover City Councilman John Lyda said by far the most common request he hears about citizens’ needs is the ability to renew driver’s licenses in Hoover. Once the satellite office opens its doors, he anticipates it filling a major need.

“In addition to our residents, tens of thousands of Jefferson County residents come into our city each day to work or shop, and these services will be a huge convenience for everyone. It’s a win for Hoover and certainly a win for Jefferson County in showing that the days of bankruptcy are behind us,” Lyda said.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • A31

LYMPHOMA

CONTINUED from page A1 lymphoma, a fast-growing cancer that attacks parts of the immune system, in September 2013. Smith remembers her 9-year-old son was unable to stay awake in class, lost his appetite and couldn’t move his arms above his head. After multiple trips to the hospital with no diagnosis, it was an allergist who found the tumor in Devin’s mouth and sent them to Children’s of Alabama.

In the early days of Devin’s treatment, they stayed isolated in their own hospital room. Devin remembers being scared of the treatments at first.

Smith said the staff at Children’s encouraged them to get out and talk to fellow patients and families in the oncology unit. It helped her cope with the overwhelming emotions surrounding Devin’s chemotherapy.

“Before, we used to be closed in a room and slowly the door would open and he would finally come out. And once he was out, it was like they had their [IV] poles, they had everything hanging and they’re like, ‘See ya! See ya, mom!’ It comforts you,” Smith said.

Through aTeam Ministries, a local support organization for pediatric cancer, Smith found emotional and financial support from families who could relate to her experiences. She said aTeam, founded by Vestavia Hills residents Andy and Jan Thrower after their own son’s leukemia diagnosis, were her “wings to lift me up” during that time.

“Our stories are the same, just maybe a different diagnosis. Our emotions are the same, our feelings are the same,” Smith said.

Her neighbors in Bluff Park and Devin’s classmates at Bluff Park Elementary, however, also played an important role.

“I literally was going to fall and break or bend, and they were like, ‘Oh no.’ They were strangers in the beginning, but we’re family, literally,” Smith said. “They didn’t know me. They knew Devin or their child knew Devin and this was strictly from their children going home and telling them. And their parents were just amazing. I didn’t have to cook, I didn’t have to worry about a meal. If we were blessed to come home on a

weekend, I didn’t have to do anything.”

In May 2014, Devin received the last of his chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant. Smith said the initial transition was difficult, as her world had been entirely focused on her son’s cancer for around nine months.

“Coming back out of that world and joining the real world, I didn’t have a plan,” Smith said.

After spending months rebuilding Devin’s immune system, every cough or pain would make her panic. A lot of people also didn’t understand the urgency of using hand sanitizer around him. While he was in remission, Devin was not at full health.

“A lot of people don’t understand if someone sneezes, it’s like somebody’s going to jail if they sneeze around him,” Smith said.

Returning to Bluff Park, Devin said he had a lot of attention from classmates. Several became friends with Smith through social media and would always check in with her if Devin missed a day of school.

“I had more friends come to me, ask me a lot of questions about what happened and they would check on me if I wasn’t feeling good,” Devin said.

Devin and his mom are both more comfortable now in handling the lingering side effects of his lymphoma, especially as his energy levels increase and he has stopped taking maintenance medication. This summer, doctors removed the port from Devin’s chest that had been used to deliver chemotherapy. He attended aTeam’s annual Champions of Chemo lake party in July to celebrate his progress He teases her about being a “helicopter mom,” but he also knows how to handle risks and remember his sanitizer.

Smith said her son has about a 50 percent chance of the cancer returning. However, they are looking at the future as a fresh start. Devin is a new sixth-grader at Simmons Elementary and has the chance for new friends, new activities and a childhood outside a hospital room.

After the support they have received so far from their community, Smith feels confident this is the right place for her son to be.

“I would not have wanted to take this journey anywhere else,” she said.

Viette Smith pushes her son, Devin Cherry, on a swing. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

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Funding: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (Grant #1R01AG046920) Principal Investigators: Marcas Bamman, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham Charlotte Peterson, PhD, and Phil Kern, MD, University of Kentucky To learn more: Complete the questionnaire at www.uab.edu/masters-trial (preferred) or call 205-934-6231

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SEPTEMBER 2015

Veterans Memorial Arbor opening at Aldridge Gardens

By ROY L. WILLIAMS Aldridge Gardens is preparing to build a special arbor on its lake where citizens can pay tribute to veterans who help protect the nation.

Construction on the Veterans Memorial Arbor will begin by early August and the project slated to be dedicated on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2015.

Tynette Lynch, CEO of Aldridge Gardens, said an arbor on the dam by the gardens’ lake was a part of the original master plan. Two Aldridge Gardens board members, Mark Davis and Deb Elliott, proposed the installation of a veterans memorial arbor instead of a normal arbor.

“The Veteran’s Memorial Arbor will be a tremendous assets to our beautiful Aldridge Gardens,” Lynch said. “It is a way to honor those that have served and are still serving for our country. It also helps us to continue to grow and attract different visitors, with varied interests to Aldridge Gardens.”

The City of Hoover was one of the first financial backers to the project.

Mayor Gary Ivey said the arbor will

show that the city honors those who serve and those who have served “every day” and not just on Veterans Day. “Hoover strives to develop various ways to show our support for our veterans as exemplified when you visit Veterans Park on Valleydale [Road],” the mayor said. “We are very excited that now we will have another reminder of the brave service men and women in our country at the beautiful Veterans Memorial Arbor at Aldridge Gardens, a gem in our city.”

Davis, who served in the U.S. Navy for nearly seven years beginning in 1973, has been an avid supporter of veterans causes and Aldridge Gardens for years.

He leads an organization called Vettes 4 Vets, that allows people to ride in Corvettes around racetracks to raise money for veterans.

His late father, Bill Davis, was a U.S. Navy veteran who served aboard who served aboard an aircraft carrier from 1948 to 1952 in the Korean War. “Ever since I founded Vettes 4 Vets, I have looked for ways to honor those who served and are serving,” Davis said. “This will be a quiet place to sit

See MEMORIAL | page B23

Military veteran and Aldridge Gardens board member Mark Davis holds renderings for the Veterans Memorial Arbor in its future location, on the dam by the gardens’ lake. Photo by Roy L. Williams.

B2 • September 2015

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Hoover Sun

Waging hope

By SYDNEY CROMWELL

Diane Eggert recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for more funding of pancreatic cancer research. She did it in memory of her husband, Paul, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in July 2014. Photo by Sydney Cromwell.

In the span of five months, Diane Eggert watched pancreatic cancer take her husband’s mobility, health and ultimately his life. As he fought the fast-spreading and painful disease, she remembers Paul had one wish.

“My husband almost every day said, ‘I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,’” Eggert said.

Paul and Diane moved to Trace Crossings in 2011 to be closer to their son, Rob, and daughter, Karen. Paul was 65 years old and recently retired. During a vacation in Hawaii in February 2014, he developed stomach pain and a yellow tinge to his skin. The couple went to the hospital, thinking he had caught a bug, only to find out that he had lumps on his liver.

Upon returning to Birmingham, doctors at UAB Hospital discovered the tumors had metastasized from the original cancer in his pancreas.

Receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Eggert said, is “virtually a death sentence.”

According to the American Cancer Society, survival rates start at 12-14 percent for Stage 1 and drop down to 3 percent by Stage 3 and only 1 percent by Stage 4.

“Finding a pancreatic cancer survivor is a rare thing,” Eggert said.

It also hits patients hard and fast.

“His decline was so severe. I mean, it was like one day he could walk and get around, and two to three days later he had to use a cane to get around. Maybe a month later, he was using a wheelchair,” she said.

Though they had only lived in Hoover about two years at the time of his diagnosis, Eggert said their neighbors were generous far beyond her expectations.

“One thing I learned was that people are kind. Even though we hardly had enough time

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B5

Common Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer Jaundice Pain in the abdomen or back Unintended weight loss and little or no appetite Nausea and vomiting Blood clots Gallbladder enlargement Information courtesy of the American Cancer Society Among the 600 volunteers who went to Washington, D.C. with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network were several from Alabama. From left to right: Bridgett Moore of Birmingham, Diane Eggert, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, Lorrie Greer of Hoover and Laurie Boyle of Mobile. Photo courtesy of Diane Eggert.

to establish ourselves in the community, people I didn’t even know were showing up at my door with food and offers of help,” Eggert said.

Paul met his goal of living to his 66th birthday on June 26, but did not survive to their wedding anniversary in August. By the time he passed away on July 18, 2014, Paul was bedridden and barely conscious because of the high dosage of pain medication he needed.

Eggert and her daughter swore at first that they would never be involved in advocacy.

“You just want to run away. You don’t want to ever hear about it again,” Eggert said.

Paul’s repeated wish to save others, however, stayed on her mind.

The family started small at first, with participation in Birmingham’s Purple Stride Walk and support groups through the Pancreatic Cancer

Action Network. In June, Eggert and Karen changed their minds about advocacy, joining 600 volunteers on a trip to Washington, D.C., to advocate to members of Congress for more research funding.

Their theme for the trip was “Waging Hope.”

“Right now it’s virtually a hopeless situation,” Eggert said. “We want to get it to the point where when you’re told you have pancreatic cancer, you have hope.”

The Action Network volunteers were in the nation’s capital for only a few days, but they made sure to reach as many congressional representatives or staff members as possible. Eggert shared her husband’s story and facts about the disease’s high death rate, encouraging Alabama senators and representatives to support increased funding for the National Institutes of Health

and the National Cancer Institute, among other organizations.

The majority of volunteers, including Eggert, paid their own way to D.C. because it was something they felt compelled to do.

“Pancreatic cancer is the only one still in the single digits of survivorship. That’s just unacceptable,” Eggert said. “We’ve got to start addressing these things that are taking people far too young.”

Now that she’s returned home, Eggert is facing her first anniversary without Paul, as well as the knowledge that her grandchildren will grow up without many memories of their grandfather.

Sometimes she simply sits in the backyard and remembers her husband. After Paul went into hospice, they turned the yard into a “quiet oasis” of flowers, bird feeders and wind chimes

for him to rest and visit family, or simply look out the window from his hospital bed. One of Paul’s friends, a chaplain, planted a hydrangea bush under his window last summer. It bloomed in late June, just a few days before what would have been Paul’s 67th birthday.

To continue fulfilling Paul’s last wish to spare others from the pain of pancreatic cancer, Eggert is considering becoming a patient advocate at local hospitals to provide first-hand information for families dealing with a similar diagnosis.

From her advocacy in D.C. and work with others in the Action Network, Eggert has seen that even a single voice can make a difference.

“We don’t want to live over and over what happened to my husband, but you can’t have something like this touch your life and not want to help other people,” Eggert said.

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B6 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Community Making a stand

By KATIE TURPEN September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and local organization Hope for Autumn Foundation is teaming up with the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation for the “Make a Stand” campaign to creatively support the cause.

During July and August, individuals and groups signed up to receive a kit to host lemonade stand to raise money for the campaign. Each kit contained two gallons of Milo’s Lemonade, cups and a paper banner.

Prizes will be given to the three stands with the highest fundraising totals, as well as the stand with the best banner design. Milo’s Tea, The Whole Scoop and Red Mountain Park have supported the project.

Organizations teaming up to support cancer research

“This idea came from a young girl in Vestavia who hosts an annual lemonade stand in her neighborhood to raise money for our organization,” said Mary Anne King, Laura Crandall Brown Foundation executive director. “We thought it was a wonderful idea, a fun activity for the whole family and something that enables children to make a difference in a tangible way.”

Family and friends of Laura Crandall Brown, who died of ovarian cancer at the age of 25, established the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation in 2010. The foundation’s mission is offering hope through research for early detection of ovarian cancer and enriching lives through support. Each year, the foundation hosts the Head Over Teal 5K at the Hoover Preserve.

“We are thrilled about this partnership,” said Amanda Knerr, Executive Director for the Hope for Autumn Foundation. “Both causes are close to our hearts, especially because my own daughter was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 6 and research for her type of cancer was so limited.”

The Hope for Autumn Foundation was organized to provide assistance for families battling childhood cancer and to support innovative research in childhood cancer therapies.

For more about The Hope for Autumn Foundation, visit hopeforautumnfoundation.org. For more about the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation, visit thinkoflaura.org.

Hope for Autumn Foundation Executive Director Amanda Knerr is pictured with her daughter, Emily, who was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer at age 6. Photo courtesy of Heather Durham Photography.

Call for volunteers to join wildlife education group

Hoover Arts Alliance announces scholarship winners

Mary Lou Simms is starting a group, Friends of Geese and Ducks of Hoover and Helena, and asking for volunteers. The group’s mission would include educating the public about city wildlife and garnering the involvement of local schools through various wildlife projects.

“The group would help students

Hoover Arts Alliance recently gave out scholarships to three students at Hoover and Spain Park High Schools.

SPHS’s winner was Diana Angeles, who will be attending Jefferson State Community College in the fall.

HHS had two winners.

learn to respect and appreciate those birds that share our communities and for growing numbers of us, our lives,” Simms said.

Another goal is better management of the geese and ducks at Star and Howard Lakes. Email or call Simms if interested at 267-2149 or mlsimms123@yahoo.com.

Elizabeth Keter will be attending Savannah College of Art and will study illustration. Jeremy Martin is a multidiscipline art student who is considering Montevallo and several other schools with strong art programs.

Linda Chastain of the Hoover Arts Alliance said the group is

extremely proud of all three of the winners. The students were chosen by a group of board members.

“We’re tickled with all three of them,” she said. “The community is very supportive of our seniors.

We’ve got a lot of talented young people, and they need all the help they can get.”

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B7

American Legion comes to Hoover

UAB’S ALYS STEPHENS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER presents

ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND

AUG 15

RICKIELEE JONES AUG 21

Hoover’s American League sponsored local students to attend Boys and Girls State at the University of Alabama. Photo courtesy of Ron Bradstreet.

By MADISON MILLER American Legion, one of the largest veterans organizations in the country, now has a post in the Hoover area. American Legion Post 911, “Ryan Winslow” recently formed and began its sponsorships to Boys and Girls State, a program that teaches high school juniors about government from the township to the state level.

The post was renamed after Hoover High School graduate and United States Marine Corps Veteran Ryan Winslow, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005. Members decided to rename the group in his honor and to honor a hometown hero.

Boys and Girls State Alabama is conducted at the University of Alabama during the first

and second week of June. Students attending are sponsored by individual American Legion Posts throughout the state. Post 911 sponsored two boys and two girls from Hoover this year.

Lucy Wang of Hoover High School and Caitlin Saenz of Spain Park High School attended Girls State. Caleb Townes of Hoover High School and Jameson Floyd of Spain Park High School attended Boys State.

The American Legion began in 1919 as a veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. Along with mentoring youth, posts advocate patriotism, promote national security and give back to fellow service members and veterans.

To learn more, visit legion.org.

-Submitted by Ron Bradstreet

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B8 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

A guide to September charity runs

The JDRF One Walk helps bring the community together to fight type 1 diabetes. Photo courtesy of Anna Rambo.

By ERICA TECHO

Participants near the finish line at the 2014 Head Over Teal 5K. Photo by Jessa Pease.

Ross Bridge 8K

Head Over Teal 5K/10K

Give Kids the World 5K

JDRF One Walk

2101 Grand Avenue Sept. 5, 8 a.m. active.com, search 2015 Ross Bridge 8K & Health Expo Registration: $25 per runner

The Hoover Preserve Sept. 12, 8 a.m.-noon thinkoflaura.org/headoverteal Registration: $40 (Individuals), $35 (Individuals on teams of 5+), $20 (children 12 and under)

Sept. 26, 8 a.m.

The Hyatt Regency – The Wynfrey Hotel gktw5k.com Registration: $25

Sept. 27, 2 p.m.

Veteran’s Park walk.jdrf.org/Birmingham Registration: No registration fee, but each team is encouraged to raise at least $100

The Ross Bridge 8K supports Alabama Teen Challenge, a 50-year-old program that helps individuals cope with addiction, mental illness and eating disorders.

The 8K includes a health expo sponsored by St. Vincent’s Health System.

Last year the race drew 600-700 participants, volunteer Rachel Roberts said, and there is a chance for even more participants this year. Although an 8K seems daunting, Roberts said no one should feel discouraged from participating.

For more information, visit the event’s page on active.com.

In line with National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the Laura Crandall Brown Ovarian Cancer Foundation is holding its annual Head Over Teal 5K. Executive director Mary Anne King said the event helps spread information and support research. Last year there were almost 1,000 runners.

The day includes a 5K, 10K, 1-mile fun run and family fun activities after the race, as well as informational and sponsor booths.

“It’s a mix of serious and fun, informational and whimsical,” King said.

The Hyatt Regency at Riverchase Galleria is hosting its first Give Kids the World 5K to fundraise for one of its primary charities.

Give Kids the World, a nonprofit resort in central Florida, allows children with life-threatening illnesses and their families stay for cost-free family vacations. It’s a cause the Hyatt Regency supports every year.

Paul Dangel, director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Regency, said runners will be in one lane of the loop around the mall, and he does not believe it will affect mall traffic.

“We’re excited,” Dangel said. “It’s really an opportunity for a lot of us to give back and to do something for Give Kids the World.”

The JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes has been renamed the One Walk to communicate its focus on one goal – creating a world without type 1 diabetes.

Anna Rambo, development coordinator for the local JDRF chapter, said the walk aims to unite the community around a cause and show children with type 1 diabetes that they are not alone.

The walk typically draws over 1,000 participants. Activities in Veteran’s Park start at 2 p.m., including music, tents, informational booths and a children’s area.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B9

Sparks will fly at Jaguar Stadium Spain Park High School to host fourth annual Sparks in the Park marching band competition

By JORDAN HAYS High school marching bands from across the state will compete with the performances that have become synonymous with football halftime.

Spain Park High School will hold its fourth annual Sparks in the Park Marching Contest on September 26 at Jaguar Stadium. The time of the event will be announced once registration is complete.

Sparks in the Park was originally a Drum Corps International competition, but it was dropped as the competition was not as financially effective as the school had hoped.

Several years later, Spain Park High School band director Chris Neugent gave Sparks in the Park “a second life.” The competition went from being a summer drum corps event to a fall high school marching band event.

Neugent said the competition functions as a community service by providing another platform for high school marching bands to compete.

“If you look through the Birmingham metro

area, there are very few marching band contests that are hosted in this area,” Neugent said.

“Hoover High School hosts the Hoover Marching Invitational ... Other than that contest, there were no other contests in the Birmingham metro area for high school marching bands.”

The competition will host bands from across Alabama, but Neugent said the competition has grown over its four-year lifespan. In previous years, the competition has hosted bands from Georgia, and Spain Park markets to schools in Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida to participate.

The competition will also feature performances from the University of Montevallo’s jazz band, Troy University’s Sound of the South Marching Band and the University of Alabama Birmingham’s Marching Blazers.

“Sparks in the Park is one of the best-attended high school marching band competitions in the state of Alabama, in terms of the caliber of bands that are attracted to perform there,” said Sue Samuels, UAB’s director of bands. “It always has a great crowd that’s very welcoming and

Students in the Spain Park High School marching band practice for Sparks in the Park and other marching competitions. Photo by Jordan Hays.

enthusiastic.”

The Marching Blazers are a marching band without a football team, something Samuels said is unheard of in the South. Without games to perform at, Sparks in the Park provides an opportunity for the Marching Blazers to perform.

“We still want to have a great college marching band experience for our students,” Samuels said. “So having the opportunity to perform at Sparks in the Park gives our students a chance to perform for their friends and family, and it gives high school students in the metro Birmingham area the opportunity to see the UAB Marching Blazers, so that hopefully they’ll aspire to be part of that band someday.”

Sparks in the Park also functions as a fundraiser for the Spain Park band. With the funds raised from previous events, the school was able to recently unveil a brand new uniform for their marching band.

“You could not ask for a better layout for a high school marching band contest,” Neugent said. “The stadium is gorgeous and the facility is

awesome. The space around the place is perfect for an event like this.”

Parking is free and admission is $8 for adults, $5 for students 6 and older and free for children 5 and younger.

For more information about Sparks in the Park, visit spainparkband.org/events/ sparks-in-the-park.

Sparks in the Park Marching Fest Sept. 26, Time TBA Jaguar Stadium, 4700 Jaguar Drive Admission: $8 adults, $5 students, children 5 and under are free spainparkband.org/events/sparks-inthe-park

B10 • September 2015

Superintendent creating webpage for rezoning updates

Hoover Sun

By ROY L. WILLIAMS Having resolved a crisis by getting the Board of Education to rescind a controversial plan to charge students a fee to ride school buses, new Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy is now tackling another issue: rezoning city schools.

Murphy, who took charge of the Hoover school district in June, said during the Aug. 3 school board meeting that she is setting up a webpage on the city schools website that will be devoted solely to the rezoning issue.

“We are going to develop a webpage specific to rezoning,” the superintendent said. “I’ve talked to Jason Gaston [district coordinator of public relations] so that we can keep the public posted on the whole rezoning process — where we are and any feedback they might want to share.”

Murphy is setting up a Superintendent’s Advisory Council comprised of parents and others desiring to give input on school matters, including rezoning. As of mid-August, 641 people had signed up, far exceeding expectations.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Murphy said.

“I am very excited that there is an interest in our community for people to interact and to share ideas for our school district on issues like rezoning.”

Rezoning is needed to accommodate growth and fix overcrowding issues. Previous superintendent Andy Craig’s proposal to redraw Hoover school zones was a controversial topic. Murphy said rezoning will happen, but she doesn’t want to rush it and wants the public to give input.

Hoover Board of Education President Derrick Murphy commended the superintendent for her

Bluff Park Elementary students were among many schools considered for rezoning in 2014. Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.

plan to start a rezoning webpage. He said “it’s very important” to keep parents and the public informed.

“We’ve got to do what’s best for our students and long-term,” Board President Murphy said.

“One thing I’m thankful about regarding Dr. Murphy and rezoning is this will be a process where everybody’s included. She is formulating a superintendent advisory committee where people can talk to her personally, and the board is very responsive.”

Resolving the Department of Justice and NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s questions about rezoning and personnel will take more than a

www.ERAKing.com

year to resolve, the superintendent said. The school board’s unanimous decision to take the June 2014 bus fee plan, which was never implemented, off the table sends a strong message to the DOJ, Murphy said.

Though the Department of Justice was concerned about the transportation fee plan, Dr. Murphy said she made the final decision to ask the board to rescind the proposal.

Like the rezoning matter, addressing the DOJ’s personnel questions will take more than a year, the superintendent said. The agency will look at racial composition of Hoover city school students compared to the racial makeup of its

teachers.

“You have schools that may have 15 to 25 percent minority population but 2 percent minority teachers; those are some of the things DOJ will want us to look at,” she said. “What DOJ does not want us to do is to pick up children, say African-American children, and move them out of their community and mistreat them while we’re trying to fix something. We’ve got to finesse this in such a way that we are not hurting the very children we’re trying to help as we address the unitary status.”

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B11

B12 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Studying sustainability at Spain Park

By ROY L. WILLIAMS Environmental science students at Spain Park High School will have an innovative way to explore the importance of proper eating beginning this fall.

Thanks to a $1,970 grant from the Hoover City Schools Foundation, teachers Amber Lewis and Jean Gillespie will show their students how to grow plants using an aeroponic tower garden.

Aeroponics involves placing plant seedlings in a container without dirt, using equipment that sprays water and nutrients on them to stimulate growth.

The project, called “Environmental Science vs. Human Anatomy: Game On,” involves installing an aeroponic tower garden in two classrooms, allowing environmental science students to study nutrient recycling, limits to resources for food production and methods for improving resources.

The goal, Lewis said, is to teach anatomy students about nutrients and the role of wise food choices in the body’s growth.

Lewis, who has been teaching anatomy and physiology at Spain Park High since the school opened in 2001, said the idea for the project was sparked from a family trip she took to Epcot Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando several years ago.

She was fascinated by an aeroponic system used at Epcot to grow fruits and vegetables served in some of the

Spain Park teacher Amanda Lewis explains an aeroponics growing tower and its uses to her students. Photo

by Sydney Cromwell.

park’s restaurants.

“My wheels started turning on how to utilize this in school,” Lewis said.

“Aeroponics uses no medium to grow plants - no dirt, no water. The way it works is a vertical growth system.

Water and nutrients plants would need are pumped up and misted down onto the plants.”

Lewis teamed with fellow teacher Gillespie and filled out an application with the Hoover

City Schools Foundation. Lewis said getting the grant from the Foundation is “a big deal.”

“This is not something either of us would have pursued because of the cost,” Lewis said. “It was $2,000 and something we could not take a chance on. It is a little bit outside the box, but the potential there is enormous. It’s pretty cool, and I’m hoping two or three years down the road we’ve really evolved this project into something

even more awesome.”

Each aeroponic tower can house 28 plants. Lewis said the students will get to choose the type of plants to grow, but added they must pick something with nutrients useful to the body, such as spinach, lettuce or tomatoes. Lewis said she and Gillespie hope the project inspires the students to make healthy food choices.

“I want them to learn what it is their body needs and why important eating

habits are beneficial and where to find those foods,” Lewis said. “I was thinking we could do something where kids research the nutrients your body needs and research what plants would contain those.”

Since this is the first time a project like this has been done at Spain Park, it will be “trial and error,” she said.

Lewis has high hopes for the project as years go by. Eventually, a foreign language component can be added exploring the healthiness of foods grown overseas, Lewis said.

The law academy can examine lawsuits surrounding environmental issues, while the health academy and anatomy class can use the project to learn more about nutrition awareness.

“I am hoping to give them a bit more in-depth information – not just the impact not eating well does to their body but what is in the foods we eat,” Lewis said. “Kids don’t realize how many calories they are eating in their chips and dip. You look at what is contained in spinach: you have zinc, iron, vitamins A and C, potassium. It’s important for kids to know the importance of making wise choices in what they eat and where to find them.”

Lewis said the students will take photos and document growth of the plants throughout the process. Students in the health, law and engineering academies will be able to learn from it as well, she said. “Engineering students may come in and come up with new ideas to improve growth,” Lewis said.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B13

School House Berry Middle School Dance Team shines at NDA Camp Berry Middle School’s Dance Team had a strong showing recently at a National Dance Association (NDA) Camp in Fulton, Mississippi.

The girls earned first place in the Home Routine evaluation; “Gold” in Team Dance and Team Leader categories; a bid to compete at NDA Nationals; two dancers chosen for All-American (Trinity Streeter and Lia Martinez); three BMS dancers chosen for Top Gun competition (Courtney Engel, Lia Martinez and Trinity Streeter); Above and Beyond Award” and “Heart of Gold Award”

also given by staff.

Berry Middle School’s Dance Team is coached by teacher Brook Lee. -Submitted by Jason Gaston Bottom row: Jada Williams, Gabby Saia, Molly Tant, Alexandria Erickson, Alyssa Ansley and Caroline Vella.

Top row: Leigh Ann Morse, Courtney Engel, Trinity Streeter, Lia Martinez, Makayla Miller, Barrett Holston, Sarah Singh and Kaddyja Jallow. Photo courtesy of Jason Gaston.

Hoover Board of Education unanimously rescinds school bus fee proposal

By ROY L. WILLIAMS The Hoover Board of Education, in a unanimous 5-0 vote during its Aug. 3 board meeting, rescinded an April 2014 proposal that would have charged students a fee for riding buses to and from schools.

Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy made the recommendation, telling the board that fee-based transportation program, which would have charged students up to $40.75 a month to ride the buses, placed an

unfair burden on families who send their kids to public schools in Hoover.

The bus fee was never implemented, as it required approval from a federal judge overseeing a longstanding desegregation case involving Hoover City Schools.

After the unanimous vote to rescind the school bus fee, Murphy and board members received thunderous applause many in the packed boardroom. Several in attendance were parents, some who had yard signs saying “Save the Hoover Buses.”

In an interview after the meeting, Murphy said her decision to seek removal of the bus fee wasn’t driven by a desire to appease the U.S. Department of Justice.

“My recommendation to the board was purely from the get-go from my philosophy. I have a huge disconnect in my mind between ‘free public education but I’m going to charge you to get on the bus to get to and from school,’” Dr. Murphy said. “No disrespect to any research or any conversation that preceded me. All I can do is base my decisions on my philosophy and what

I feel is right for children and right for parents.”

Murphy said the bus fee would have generated $2 million a year for Hoover City Schools, but she feels there are a number of other places they can look to cut costs and make up savings that would have come from the bus proposal.

“I’m going to take a very close look at our current budget of the entire school system and look for the most savvy ways to be good stewards of our system’s money and try to minimize any impact on our parents and their children,” Murphy said.

B14 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Sports

Bucs volleyballers set for another

Final Four run

By DAVID KNOX As you walk in at the latters stages of a Hoover High volleyball practice, you quickly notice a familiar face.

Has Kathryn Cather been granted another year of eligibility by the AHSAA? As she turns to reveal her Ole Miss T-shirt, it’s clear she’s just helping out her former teammates as the Bucs prepare for the 2015 season. She’ll soon be off to Oxford, so the rest of the state’s coaches can breathe a sigh of relief. The Bucs will not have one of the most powerful hitters the state has ever seen back on the court. The SEC will have to deal with her now.

Still, Chris Camper likes his current team. He’s got pieces back to make another run to the AHSAA State Final Four in October. Matching last season’s 38-9 record and a state runner-up finish to Mountain Brook, the best season in school history, won’t be easy. But expectations are high, as always.

“We’ve got a lot of returners, but

the make-up of this team is 100 percent different,” Camper said. “Last year we knew no matter the situation we had power and height and serving to get us out of any situation. This year we’re going to have to be a better volleyball team than the team we’re playing. That didn’t necessarily have to be the case last year. There were teams last year that might have been a little bit better than us in areas of the game but we could go back and serve them off the court. We were big on the right side. Had huge blocks.

“This year’s different we’ve got to beat them with technique. If we want to have the same success we had last year, we’ve got to be a better fundamental team.”

With Cather, Addison Hoven and Ashlyn Rabon gone to college, it certainly will be a different approach to get to the CrossPlex. Four seniors and a junior are returning to make that happen. Ali Lowe made the state all-tournament team and was selected for the North-South All-Star game.

Caroline Sanford, who is also drawing

college offers, will be a big producer and Erin Test and Amelia Novy are other seniors who’ll be counted upon to provide leadership.

Junior libero Olivia Portera is, in Camper’s words, the “captain of the court, runs the show.” She was outstanding as a sophomore and should only get better. She’s already drawn interest from local Division I schools and others.

Lowe is the highest-profile player, the most-recruited play, and she and Sanford must have big years. “They’re going to be our big producers, get a lot of swings,” Camper said. “But Erin and Amelia’s defense may be the determining factor in whether we win or not. Backline is where you win in volleyball, not at the net. If that were the case, we’d have won last year.”

While last year’s team shot out of the gate and never looked back, Camper is looking forward to watching this team grow and mature over the season.

“It gives us more upside,” Camper said. “This team I can see us

Ali Lowe (14) prepares to take a swing at a set from Kathryn Cather in last year’s Class 7A title match. Photo by Keith McCoy.

improving significantly through the season no matter how we start. So much of our game is going to be real good solid volleyball. We have depth – 13 girls, nine are sophomores and juniors. I think they all get along well.

“And they want to finish. They want to get back there.”

Hoover opened the season by hosting the Juanita Boddie Tournament Aug. 28-29.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B15

Home-schoolers may be able to play by fall 2016

In 2016, home-schooled students could be wearing the jerseys of area schools due to potential changes in AHSAA rules. Photo by Ted Melton.

By DAVID KNOX The proposed Tim Tebow Act did not make it out of the Alabama state legislature this session, but home-schooled students will likely get a chance to play sports for the public school for which they are they are zoned.

Steve Savarese, the executive director of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, said the association will continue to meet with respective committees to develop policies applicable concerning home-schooled students gaining athletic eligibility at member schools.

“Just like with virtual schools or students in dual-enrollment programs at local colleges, now, in accordance with our rules, we will be adding rules to allow home-school students to play,” Savarese said.

The details of the new rules will be crafted during the coming months and will likely be approved in April 2016, allowing home-schoolers to begin play in the fall of 2016.

The bill, technically called House Bill 236, is named after former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow from the University of Florida, who was home-schooled and played at Nease High School, near Jacksonville, Fla. Had it passed, it would force the AHSAA to allow homeschooled students and others who attend private schools to be allowed to try out for the school’s teams for which those students are zoned.

Rep. Mike Ball introduced the bill into the legislature, but now that the AHSAA is taking it up, he will not be pursuing it.

“My objective was not to pass a bill,” Ball said as the legislature wrapped up its regular session. “My objective is to open the door to allow these children to participate. And if they’re willing to do it and got a definite timetable to do it, then I always prefer to do it without legislation.”

Savarese was reluctant to speak to the details at this stage of the process.

“It’s too early to discuss the home schools as it will affect participation until policy has been established. There is no policy right now.

For me to be speculative would be dangerous,” Savarese said.

The AHSAA and many member schools have opposed the Tebow law because they said the AHSAA, not the state legislature, should make the rules. They are concerned about administration of the rule and how it affects classification, since those students would not count toward population counts, and how home-schooled

students could be held to the same academic standards and team rules.

“Issues for all of our participants are fundamental issues of fair play,” Savarese said. “For 94 years, our association has maintained the highest level of integrity with all of our sports programs and has consistently upheld all standards. What we’ll want to study as we move along is holding everyone as close as we can to holding everybody to similar standards.”

“I’ve expressed my concerns to the legislature and I summarized all of them in ‘unintended consequences,’” he added. “There are a lot of people who do a great job with home-schooling their children, and as a parent myself I support school choice. But those unintended consequences, when they occur, can create issues and that will be our job as we move forward to minimize those.”

Ball said that he understood from studying the issues and talking to coaches and administrators that the concern was not so much about allowing home-schoolers to participate.

“There was a lot of concern that maybe some coaches might find a way to take advantage of this to ‘game’ the system. The high school athletic association I think can find ways to govern that,” Ball said.

This move toward allowing home-schoolers to play for public schools has been a growing trend. According to the website TimTebowBill. com, a site devoted to promoting equal access for Alabama home-schoolers, 31 schools in the nation currently have some sort of provision that allows it. Most of the rules were forced by state legislative action – 26 in fact.

In other cases, the state association went ahead and authorized it. Some states, such as Ohio, require “partial enrollment.”

Besides Alabama, 11 other states have legislation pending or have their athletic association studying it. Among those states are Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma.

Savarese said he’s been expecting this sooner or later, and the AHSAA has been talking to other state athletic associations to prepare. It’s unclear how many students would take advantage of the new rule. Based on other states’ figures and on the number of home-schooled students in Alabama, the number could be anywhere from 400 to 1,000. Savarese believes the number would grow each year.

The AHSAA does not govern other extracurricular activities, such as band, choir, theater, scholar bowl teams or debate.

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B16 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Hoover’s Bramblett shouldered big load for Tide

By DAVID KNOX The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team fell short of its goal of making the NCAA regionals.

But you couldn’t pin any blame on effort, nor on the outstanding season delivered by righthander Geoffrey Bramblett.

The former Hoover Buccaneer led the pitching staff in wins as he stepped up in his sophomore season to become the crucial Sunday starter in the rotation.

He had set the stage for that by closing out his freshman season with a complete game two-hit shutout of Georgia Southern in the Tallahassee NCAA Regional.

“Going from that last postseason start last year, I kind of expected something this year,” Bramblett said. “I didn’t know exactly what, but I was definitely thrilled to get that Sunday spot. I love being out there on Sunday giving our team

a chance to win. You’re either trying to get a sweep, avoiding a sweep or winning the series.

I really took that as a challenge because I was going to have a factor in every series and I loved that role. I felt like our team looked to me and trusted me and had faith in me in every start I made on Sunday.”

Bramblett finished 8-3 with a 3.81 ERA in 15 starts. He was also a team-best 4-2 in SEC games. Of his 14 true starts — he pitched just one inning against Vanderbilt in the regular-season finale — he had nine quality starts, pitching six or more innings and allowing three or fewer earned runs.

But he may have saved the best for last. In the SEC Tournament opener, he tossed his only complete game of the season, beating Ole Miss 6-1.

He scattered nine hits and struck out a careerhigh 10.

“I definitely think it was one of my better

Alabama pitcher Geoffrey Bramblett posted an 8-3 record in 2015, including a 6-1 complete-game win over Ole Miss.

[starts]. I had a lot of ups and downs like a lot of guys did. I felt like finishing the season that way for me was really good, especially for our team being in that spot. I was pitching with location and command, and velocity was good. [I] threw

all four pitches for strikes.

“I’ve wanted to pitch in the tournament since I was like 10, so it was awesome to get the opportunity. Being in front of my hometown fans in Hoover, it definitely was big for me personally.”

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B17

Former Hoover Buc standout Geoffrey Bramblett fires a pitch in his complete game win for Alabama over Ole Miss in the SEC Baseball Tournament at the Hoover Met. Photos courtesy of the University of Alabama Sports Media Relations.

“I thought Geoffrey did a tremendous job,” said Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard. “I don’t think we could have asked for a whole lot more.”

It was a difficult season for the Crimson Tide in some unusual ways. Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa is undergoing a $42.6 million renovation and expansion that won’t be completed until the 2016 season. The Tide worked out a deal to play its home games in Hoover at The Met. In some ways, it felt like every home game

was a road game. Midweek games required a 50-mile trip up and back in the same day. Weekend series required two nights in a hotel.

“The travel was tough, going to the Wynfrey, playing at The Met. It was fun at first but it became a drag, the hour drive up, the hour drive back every home weekend. I think we handled it pretty well, we took it as a challenge. It was fun being around the team as we got a lot of bonding time together.”

Attendance wasn’t spectacular — the Tide

averaged 2,761 for its home games, 10th in the SEC and 24th in the country, compared to 2014’s average of 3,643, which was 12th in the country.

That, and one of the toughest schedules in the country, perhaps contributed to the Tide’s 32-28 record, 12-18 in the SEC. “One of the big things for us last season was the ‘Right Field Ragers’ section [at SewellThomas],” Bramblett said. That was a free admission, picnic-style area that had about a 1,000-fan capacity. Rowdy students dominated

the area and heckled the visitors and rooted for the Tide.

“Just those extra fans, the students that came out to support us, I guess it kind of gave us extra adrenaline. We didn’t have any of that this year.

Not as many students were able to make the hour drive to Hoover. That was one of the biggest things. We didn’t have anything like that this year, which I think made a big impact on us.”

Still, the Tide was fortunate to have a professional stadium an hour up the road to play in, and it was fun for Bramblett to pitch in his hometown.

“That was a lot of fun, especially in the [SEC] tournament. The whole season from that aspect was really cool seeing family and friends after the game, random friends you hadn’t seen in a while. They’d show up and say, ‘Hey it’s great to watch you play.’”

Bramblett has one more year for sure at Alabama. He was drafted late by the Atlanta Braves out of high school and will be draft-eligible after his junior year. But he’s not thinking that far ahead.

“Honestly, I just want our team to win. If that opportunity presents itself, great. But I’m just looking forward to the new stadium and us making some noise next year.”

Heading into the offseason, Bramblett is driven to improve his game. He feels he’s made steady progress ever since he got to Alabama, thanks to pitching coaches Dax Norris and Nathan Kilcrease.

“Honestly, a lot of it is the mental side. Playing in the SEC is one of the hardest conferences and competition there is in the country, day in and day out, whether it’s making the pitch with guys on second and third and two outs or whether it’s getting two quick outs and not having that two-out walk. [It’s] just little things like that I can eliminate so I can elevate my game. Obviously, you can get better at everything, whether it’s velocity or command, pitching behind in counts and throwing your off-speed stuff behind in counts.

“If I elevate those things just a little bit, I can keep getting better.”

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B18 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Pausic on course to repeat as state cross country champion

By DAVID KNOX Donda Pausic lay in a hospital birthing room at Brookwood Hospital 17 years ago awaiting three bundles of joy.

Baby Boy Pausic No. 1 arrived. Baby Boy No. 2 appeared. Then trailing the pack, came Baby Boy No. 3.

That’s virtually the last time Dylan Pausic has trailed the pack.

Pausic, a senior at Shades Mountain Christian School, has been in a rush ever since. The defending boys state cross country champion has his eyes set on a second Class 1A-2A title and a state record.

Last season at the cross country championships, Pausic finished 46 seconds ahead of the runner-up. His time was 16:22.81 for the 5K distance. Had he been pushed at all, he’d most assuredly broken the state record. He was only a second off the 1A-2A record of 16:21.50.

“My personal best is 16:08,” Pausic said. “At state, I knew I had it won so I was just cruising.

I didn’t know I was that close to the record.”

Pausic was a soccer player, not a runner, when the SMC soccer coach told the then-freshman he ought to try running, since he was clearly the fastest on the team.

He qualified for the state meet as a freshman, finishing just outside the mark for All-State honors. As a sophomore, he was state runner-up.

Then he captured the individual title last year.

Now he’s got his sights set on another state title, a state record and a college scholarship.

At larger schools, teams with more depth and faster runners push each other, and that daily competition makes runners better. Pausic is by

far the top runner on his team. His brother Drew has also qualified for state – and the remainder of the team shows up en masse to cheer their teammate at state championships.

But Pausic’s coach, Glenn Ross, acknowledges it’s not the same as physically pushing him every day in practice, which is where runners usually learn how to push through discomfort, develop tough-mindedness and acquire discipline and dedication.

“Dylan has to push himself right now because nobody on the team is really close, no one has his work ethic,” Ross said.

Ross said Pausic competed last fall in races with runners from Homewood, Hoover and Oak Mountain. At a run at Spain Park, he placed fourth. The runners who beat him were Homewood’s defending 5A state champion Andy Smith, Opelika Ben Bryant who went on to take the 6A state champion last year, and Oak Mountain’s Cole Stidfole, who ended up third in Class 7A. “So when Dylan goes against those guys, they’re probably going to beat him because they’ve got those guys pushing each other in practice every day, but he hangs pretty good.

But he’s doing all the work himself,” Ross said.

Pausic is philosophical about that and takes the challenge head on.

“In cross country, I really feel like you’re competing with yourself,” Pausic said. “It’s just how willing you are to push yourself to win it.

I like competing against myself. That’s what I like about it.”

And he gives his teammates credit for their encouragement, always rooting him on.

“They motivate me a lot. They’re always on

the side cheering me on at certain mile marks and they’re always screaming for me,” Pausic said.

“He’s got a great work ethic,” Ross said.

“You tell him what to do and he’ll go do it and try to do extra. He’s a highly motivated individual and he runs with a lot of heart.”

Pausic, who is 5-6 and 130 pounds, maintains a good diet and health regimen, but he said mental toughness is as important as physical strength.

“It’s probably more mental than physical,” Pausic said. “It hurts a lot more to say you’ve got to keep going when you’re pretty much dying and you’ve just got to keep going.”

College coaches have their eyes on him as he enters his senior year. Even though Pausic’s at a small school, his time places him among the top seven returning prep runners across any classification and fifth among seniors. He’s drawn interest from Alabama, Auburn, Samford and West Alabama.

Pausic said he’s thought about going to a bigger high school where he might get more recognition and be pushed by other runners, but he said he loves his school and Ross is a great motivator.

Ross tosses the compliment back. “You hear people say the great athlete makes a great coach, and that’s kind of the thing with Dylan.”

Shades Mountain Christian runner Dylan Pausic is aiming for a second straight state championship and a state record this season. Photo by Keith McCoy

Friday Night Lights are Back!

For complete coverage this football season, please visit HooverSun.com

Sun Neighborly news & entertainment for Hoover

For the latest sports updates, sign up for our email newsletter at HooverSun.com

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B19

Bucs’ Vacarella hopes to make name for himself

By DAVID KNOX If you’re a prep football fan of a certain age, you might recall opening up the sports section on Saturday mornings and seeing the name “Vacarella” in the headlines.

Ramsay High’s Chris Vacarella was a do-it-all star back in the early 1970s, earning All-State, Super All-State and even All-America honors. He went on to Auburn where he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

If his son, Christopher, can put up half of the numbers his dad did back then, the Hoover Buccaneers quarterback will have done Dad proud and the Bucs will have another Class 7A title under their belt.

“My dad’s helped me a lot,” the quarterback said. “He’s been a big influence and always given me tips.”

There are similarities in styles. Dad was elusive and athletic, as is son. But Christopher is 5-9 and 140 pounds.

His dad was 6-1, 190.

“It’s unfortunate he doesn’t have my size – he may still have some growing to do – but I think he’s much quicker than I was,” his dad said.

“I’ve always tried to help coach my kids just like any other dad,” said Vacarella, who now owns an orthopedic device company.

“I coached Christopher until he knew everything – ‘Yeah, I know, Dad, I know,’” he laughs. “You know, the main thing I teach him is try to be a leader, stay away from things that might get him in trouble. When you

Chris Vacarella (12) gets set to take a snap in the Colquitt County game last season. Photo Kevin Brooks.

play sports you’re always going to be held to a higher standard, always in the spotlight, and you’ve got to accept that responsibility.”

The Bucs’ signal-caller is eager to accept that leadership role. He also knows his strengths on the field.

“Definitely speed and quickness. If I get flushed out of the pocket I can make a play happen,” Christopher said. “I don’t have the strongest arm because of my size. But I’m confident I can make any throw I need to make.”

Besides his dad, Christopher credits former quarterbacks coach Tad Niblett, and Bucs head coach Josh Niblett.

“They’ve improved my technique,

in getting my feet set, get balanced.

Little things that help me be accurate,” he said.

He got playing time last season backing up Jack Hutcheson, but he took some recovery time after a concussion at Colquitt County in the second game of the season. He contributed later in the season.

Three starters are back on offense.

That’s less important at Hoover than most schools because there are always talented players waiting in the wings for their turn to start.

Still, losing two big outstanding running backs, Bradrick Shaw and Marcus Webb, from last season

might mean more pressure on the quarterbacks.

“Some games [Niblett] is going to have to expect a big play out of me,” Vacarella said.

Niblett said Vacarella’s ability to get create a good play out of a bad one is one of his strengths.

“Chris has always kind of reminded me of a Johnny Manziel type of quarterback and does a really good job of making things happen,” Niblett said.

“But he has to be smart about it, take care of the ball.”

Because of his lack of great height, being agile and moving the pocket is key to finding good passing lanes. But

it’s also, as it is for any quarterback who knows he can make a big play with his feet, a challenge to know when to throw and when to go.

“Sometimes his feet can get him in trouble a little bit,” Niblett said, “because we always want to be ready to throw so you got to have your feet in sync with your shoulders and make sure that everything’s in line.”

His footwork has improved tremendously, and Niblett said they work on that every day, making sure his base doesn’t get too wide, and still working on consistency.

The other aspect of the game that Niblett – and Vacarella – say the quarterback has improved on is understanding the offense.

“Playing quarterback for us, you’ve got to understand every component of what’s going on, knowing what everybody else is doing,” Niblett said.

“The other big thing is understanding protections. Our quarterbacks call our protections, so he’s got to do a really good job of that. And that’s not easy.

“I just love Vac’s development and where he’s at. He’s just got to keep staying hungry with what he’s doing and continue being a student of the game.”

Hoover’s season-opener was on Aug. 22, at Murfreesboro, Tenn., against Oakland. The Bucs returned home to face Manatee, Fla., on Aug. 28. Class 7A, Region 3 play begins at Mountain Brook on Sept. 4.

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B20 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Hoover

5438 Cottage Lane

Real Estate Listings MLS #

Zip

Address

Status

Price

725874

35226

5438 Cottage Lane

New

$147,500

726375

35226

306 Bradview Lane

New

$189,900

725804

35226

1039 Ivey Creek Trail

New

199,900

726309

35226

4013 Charring Cross Lane

New

$455,900

726306

35226

2418 Lester Lane

New

$239,900

726304

35226

Mountauk Road #164

New

$288,000

726286

35226

2636 Montauk Road #225

New

$400,000

726242

35226

1514 Deer Valley Drive

New

$179,000

726104

35226

1819 Paulette Drive

New

$244,900

726965

35226

5402 Cottage Lane

New

$159,000

725919

35226

1702 Patton Creek Lane

New

$89,900

725893

35226

5145 Lake Crest Circle

New

$659,900

726456

35226

1057 Mountain Oaks Drive

725816

35226

2132 Kent Way

New

$237, 500

726365

35226

2319 Misty Ridge Circle

New

$269,000

725716

35226

2219 Mcgwier Drive

New

$269,000

725711

35226

2400 Hawksbury Lane

New

$199,000

725707

35226

4961 Crystal Circle

New

$389,000

725653

35226

3813 James Hill Circle

New

$399,900

725620

35226

2629 Kemp Court

New

$319,900

$228,500

Real estate listings provided by the Birmingham Association of Realtors on August 17.

Visit birminghamrealtors.com.

2319 Misty Ridge Circle

HooverSun.com

Moonlight on the Mountain

September 2015 • B21

Calendar Community Events

585 Shades Crest Road moonlightonthemtn.com Sept. 4: Will Kimbrough. $15 Sept. 14: Open Mic Night. $5.

Sept. 15: The Stolen Faces. $12 Sept. 17: Walter Parks. $12.

Sept. 25: Dana Cooper. $15.

Sept. 26: Grayson Capps and Cary

Hudson. $15.

Sept. 28: Open Mic Night. $5.

All shows start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise stated.

Sept. 4: Hoover High School vs. Mountain Brook Football Game. 7 p.m. Mountain Brook High School.

Sept. 11: Hoover High School vs. Oak Mountain Football Game. 7 p.m. Oak Mountain High School.

Sept. 4: Spain Park High School vs. Thompson Football Game. 7 p.m. Thompson.

Sept. 11: Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony. All day. Fire Stations.

Sept. 5: Ross Bridge 8K. 8 a.m. 2101 Grand Ave. Register at active.com.

Sept. 12: Head Over Teal 5K/10K. 8 a.m.-Noon. The Hoover Preserve. Register at thinkoflaura.org/ headoverteal.

Sept. 11: Spain Park High School vs. Tuscaloosa County. 7 p.m. Spain Park High School.

Sept. 15: Harvest of Hope Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. Cahaba Grand Conference Center. Benefits

Oak Mountain Ministries. Email oakmtnmissions@yahoo.com or call 685-5757 for more.

Sept. 26: Give Kids the World 5K. 8 a.m. The Hyatt Regency- The Wynfrey Hotel. Register at gktw5k.com.

Sept. 18: Hoover High School vs. Thompson Football Game. 7 p.m. Hoover High School.

Sept. 26: Sparks in the Park Marching Fest. Jaguar Stadium.

Visit spainparkband.org.

Sept. 18: Spain Park High School vs. Hewitt-Trussville.

7 p.m. Hewitt-Trussville High School.

Sept. 27: JDRF One Walk. 2 p.m. Veterans Park. Register at walk. jdrf.org/Birmingham.

Sept. 22: Hoover Historical Society Meeting. 1:30 p.m. Hoover Public Library. Visit hooverhistoricalsociety.org.

Hoover Library Events 200 Municipal Lane, 444-7800 Sept. 2: First Thursday Fiction Book Group. 10 a.m. Adult Programming Room. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Call 444-7820.

Sept. 3-7: Closed for Renovations and Labor Day. Sept. 8: Daytime Nonfiction Book Group. 10:30 a.m. Adult Programming Room.

Sept. 10: Second Thursday Fiction Book Group. 10 a.m. Adult

Programming Room. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Call 444-7820.

Sept. 14: The World’s Greatest Fair. 2 p.m. The Library Theatre.

a.m. Adult Programming Room. Call 4447840.

Frontotemporal Dementia. 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 12: Purl @ the Plaza. 1-5 p.m. Library Plaza. Let your inner geek out to play by bringing your nerdy knits to share. Call 444-7821.

Sept. 14: Helping Hands. 3-8:30 p.m. Adult Programming Room. Teens and adults. Call 444-7840.

Sept. 17: Stephen McCullough Band. 6:30 p.m. The Plaza. Meeting Rooms, A, B and C.

Sept. 21: “Do it Now, ‘Later,’ Is Already Booked!” 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 15, 17: Glue Gun Gang: Arm Knitting. 6:30 p.m. Adult Programming Room. Free. Reservations required. Call 444-7840.

Sept 20: Ray Reach. 2:30 p.m.

The Plaza. Pianist and vocalist Ray Reach performs jazz standards, as well as music from the Great American Songbook.

Sept. 16: No Jacket Required Nonfiction Book Group. 10:30

Sept. 21: Neuroscience Café: Unraveling the Mysteries of

Sept. 13: Global Cuisine @ the Plaza: Greece. 2:30 p.m. Library Plaza. Program presented by Coffee-ology Café with complimentary samples provided. Call 444-7821.

Sept. 22: Census Data for Small Businesses and Nonprofits. 9 a.m. Meeting Rooms, A, B and C. Sept. 22, 29: Adult English Class. 6:30 p.m. Meeting Rooms, A, B, and C.

B22 • September 2015

Hoover Sun

Calendar Library Events (continued) Sept. 24: Nighttime Nonfiction Book Group. 7 p.m. Allen Board Room.

Call 444-7816.

Sept. 24-25: Blind Boys of Alabama. 7:30 p.m. Theatre Level.

Sept 25: 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. Call 4447821.

Sept. 26: Write Club. 10:30 a.m.

Theatre Level Meeting Rooms. Share your literary works and network with other aspiring writers. Call 444-7820.

Sept. 26: Ladies Day Out. 1 p.m.

Library Plaza.

Sept. 28: Monday at the Movies.

2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The Library Theatre.

Free admission and refreshments. Call 444-7820.

Hoover Chamber of Commerce 1694 Montgomery Highway, Suite 108 988-5672 Sept 3: Economic Development Forum Meeting. 8:30 a.m. Hoover Chamber of Commerce Office.

Sept. 10: Coffee & Contacts. 7:309:30 a.m. Riverchase Landing Apartment Homes. Contact Katelyn Snyder at 987-0678 or riverchaselandingapts@pinnaclefamily.com.

Sept. 12: Second Annual Forks and Corks Gala. 6 p.m. Aveda Insitutute, 3200 Galleria Circle. Contact Verona Petite at 9885672 or Verona@hooverchamber.org.

Hoover City Council 100 Municipal Lane,444-7557 Sept. 3: City Council Work Session. 5 p.m.

Sept. 14: Planning and Zoning Meeting. 5:30 p.m.

Sept 3. : Board of Zoning Adjustments. 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 17: City Council Work Session. 5 p.m.

Sept. 8: City Council Meeting.

6 p.m.

Sept. 21: City Council Meeting.

6 p.m.

Sept. 10: Planning and Zoning Work Session. 5 p.m.

Sept. 28: Board of Zoning Adjustments Work Session. 5:30 p.m.

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Sept. 16: Ambassadors Meeting.

4:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce Office.

Sept. 17: Hoover Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. 11:15 a.m.

Hoover Country Club. Make reservations by Monday, Sept. 14. Call 988-5672 or email lisa@hooverchamber.org.

Sept. 22: Minority Business Council Meeting Brown Bag Luncheon.

Noon. Chamber of Commerce Office.

Sept. 24: Business After Hours.

5:30-7 p.m. Hoover Tactical Firearms. Contact Natalia Hawthorne at 822-4600 or Natalia@ hoovertacticalfirearms.com.

Area Events Sept. 1: Chris Brown: One Hell of Nite Tour.

Oak Mountain Ampitheatre. Visit theoakmountainamphitheater.com.

Sept. 3: Birmingham Art Crawl. 5-9 p.m. Downtown Birmingham. Visit birminghamartcrawl. com.

Sept. 3: Lady Antebellum Wheels Up Tour. Oak Mountain Ampitheatre. Visit theoakmountainamphitheater.com.

Sept. 7: Labor Day Celebration and Moon Pie Eatin’ Contest. Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park. Visit tannehill.org.

Sept. 11: Dinnertainment benefitting The Exceptional Foundation. The Country Club of Birmingham. Visit exceptionalfoundation.org Sept. 11-Oct. 4: Big Fish.

7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday. Red Mountain Theatre Company Cabaret Theatre. Tickets start at $30. Visit redmountaintheatre.org.

Sept. 16: Lecture: Spiritual Moderns: Twentieth-Century American Artists and Issues of Religion. 6:30 p.m. Birmingham Museum of Art. Visit artsbma.org.

HooverSun.com

September 2015 • B23

Calendar Area Events (continued) Sept. 17: Van Halen. Oak Mountain Ampitheatre. Visit theoakmountainamphitheater.com.

Sept. 19: Dash of the Dead Zombie 5K. Warehouse 31, Pelham. Visit warehouse31.com.

Sept. 18: Jeanne Robertson. 7:30 p.m. The Alabama Theatre. Family-friendly comedy. Visit alabamatheatre.com.

Sept. 17-19: St. George Middle Eastern Food Festival. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saint George Melkite Catholic Church.

Visit saintgeorgeonline.com.

Sept. 19: National Eating Disorders Walk. Avondale Park. 9 a.m. check-in, 11 a.m. walk. The first annual event seeks to raise awareness and funding to battle anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. Visit nedawalk.org.

Sept. 19: Monkey C Monkey Run. 8 a.m. 5K, 9 a.m. F aun Run. Homewood Central Park. The run benefits Camp SmileA-Mile’s programs for children with cancer.

Visit campsam.org.

Sept. 20: Trucks by the Tracks.

11 a.m.-5 p.m. Railroad Park. Live music, food trucks, beverages and more. $5 adults, free for children 12 and younger. Visit railroadpark.org.

Sept. 20: Ariana Grande. 7:30 p.m.

Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Legacy Arena. Visit bjcc.org.

Sept. 20: Vulcan Aftertunes: Langhorne Slim & The Law. 3 p.m. opening act, 4 p.m. headliner. Vulcan Park & Museum. $15 adults, $8 members and children 5-12, free for children 4 and younger. Visit visitvulcan.com.

Sept. 20: U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team vs. Australia. 1:30 p.m. Legion Field. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Sept. 24: For Better or Worse. 7 p.m. A gospel stage play by Tyesha Brown.

Visit alabamatheatre.com.

Sept. 24: The Art of Hope: Speaking the Unspoken. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Avondale Brewing Company. Event by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Junior Board for local artists to express the effects of mental illness. Visit afspartofhope.com.

Sept. 25: Russian Grand Ballet Presents Swan Lake. The Alabama Theatre. 7 p.m. $15-55. Swan Lake, based on Russian folklore and German legend, follows a heroic young prince as he works to free the beautiful swan maiden from an evil spell. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Sept. 26: Boulevard Blast 5K. 9 a.m. 5K, 9:30 a.m. Fun Run/Walk. 3136 Norwood Blvd. Benefitting the Norwood Resource Center. Register at active.com.

Sept. 27: Magic City AIDS Walk & 5K Run. 3:30-6:30 p.m. Railroad Park.

Visit birminghamaidsoutreach.org.

Plans for the Veterans Memorial Arbor include columns, benches and flagpoles honoring individual veterans, as well as flags for the different military service branches. Muscadine vines will cover the arbor. Courtesy of Mark Davis.

MEMORIAL

CONTINUED from page B1 and reminisce about a family member or friend who has served or is serving.”

The original idea by Deb Elliot and Aldridge Gardens executive Rip Weaver proposed a wooden structure for an arbor to be erected at the dam. Davis instead proposed a metal structure that incorporates a design from the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. The arbor will be fabricated by Robinson Iron, the company who refurbished the Vulcan statue above the city of Birmingham.

“This was a great tie back to Birmingham.”

Davis said. “My idea was to find an existing metal structure or design conducive to creating an arbor. The whole [Aldridge] board is very excited. When I tell people about the arbor honoring veterans, people get excited and want to help by donating or buying a column in honor or memory of a veteran. They always ask, ‘How can I get involved?’”

Davis said the Veterans Memorial Arbor project is on a fast timetable. Aldridge Gardens planned to order the columns and arches by the end of July. Once delivered, the city of Hoover

will assist in the digging of holes to create a concrete pad to mount the columns.

“We will then construct the arches and install about 3,000 feet of stainless steel cable to hold up the vines of the muscadine plants,” Davis said. “If we can raise all our arbor funds for the columns and the arches, we should be on schedule to dedicate on Veterans Day this year.”

The public can support the effort by purchasing a column, a bench or flagpole, or making a donation in memory of a service member, Davis said. Donations can range from $1 to $2,500, the cost of a column.

“You can even help just by spreading the word to let people know about our beautiful city gardens and how we our honor veterans,” Davis said.

Davis said Veterans Memorial Arbor will be a special place for all visitors, people with strong connections to the militar, and those who have lost a family member in a war.

“I look forward to the first sunrise over the arbor after we construct the columns and arches, install the American flag flown in the Iraq War and all the service flags,” Davis said. “I am honored to be able to work with so many at Aldridge Gardens who have the same passion to honor our veterans as I do.”

(Progressive Financing)