SEPTEMBER 2022 Southern Market recovers from disaster. Girlsstartsvolleyballstrong. PAGE 16 PAGE 22 A BOOK NO ONE WANTS TO READ FAVORITELOCALRETURNS Local author takes on trafficking. PAGE 12
[ 2 ] Gardendale Magazine Quality Amenities for Locals to Enjoy SplashParks Pad Civic HikingCenter&Biking Trails Local & UniqueConvenientRestaurantsNational&Shopping There’s so much to enjoy and experience in Gardendale that you will need to experience it for yourself to believe it! www.cityofgardendale.com | Phone: 205-631-8789 | Address: 925 Main St, Gardendale, AL 35071 The Medical Mile The Gardendale Medical Mile is an innovative collaboration of healthcare businesses focused on providing exceptional care and wellness services. It’s an accomplishment that reflects the success and development of our humble city! The Mayor and Council have worked hard to establish Gardendale as the medical hub of North Jefferson County. Join us!Coming 2022 · The Crossings at Magnolia City Place · · A Premier Development for Restaurants and Retail · Bill Noble Park Coming 2023 9 Synthetic Turf Baseball & Softball Fields 1 Synthetic PlaygroundsFootball/SoccerRegulationField Walking TennisPickelballBeachBasketballTrailsCourtVolleyball
Learn more at ChildrensAL.org/cancer
Courage lives
Most people cannot even imagine what it feels like to watch a child take on a battle against cancer. The courage, strength and resilience our patients demonstrate every day is what inspires us to give our best. We are here when families need us the most, caring for their children and never giving up hope in their fight against cancer.
[ 4 ] Gardendale Magazine / Table of Contents / Southern Market: Local favorite returns Recipe of the Month: Kathleen gives quick tips for after school favorite 22/ 30/ Nonprofit Spotlight: Neighborhood Bridges meets needs in the community Serving up Spirit: Volleyball team is young, but talented Writing ‘The Truth:’ Local author takes on sex trafficking School News: What’s happening in local schools10/16/ 12/20/
It’s hard to believe it has been a year since we launched our first issue of Gardendale Magazine. It hasn’t been an easy year, but you have all been so receptive to us and the magazine we create every month. We appreciate each of you who has reached out with ideas and praise or even complaints, because we want this magazine to be something you look forward to each month. We are headed into the most wonderful part of the year, in my opinion. Fall means football and festivals, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. We have some fun and interesting features planned for the coming months as we all get ready to celebrate the holidays with our families and friends.
Last month, the Gardendale Chamber of Commerce also held its 35th birthday party with an 80s theme. It was so much fun to see all the throwback outfits, games and watch the karaoke as we celebrated the city’s chamber, and all the work they do and have done for businesses in the city.
Gardendale Magazine [ 5 ] / Editor’s Note /
This issue features some of Gardendale’s top female athletes as they and their coach start a new volleyball season. Several of these talented young ladies will definitely be playing at the next level in a few years, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for You’llthem.also
so happy to talk to the owners of Southern Market, and I know you will all be as excited as I am to welcome them back to the city. Since they opened, they have been wonderful community partners within the city and have become part of so many of our everyday lives.
Please continue to let us know what you’d like to see in these pages. You can always reach out to me at 205.613.7850 or via email at rachel@jbmcmedia.com if you have story ideas, questions or a calendar item you would like to add.
see a familiar face in former North Jefferson News editor Melanie Patterson. Melanie served this community as a reporter and editor. She has written an incredibly informative and terrifying book about the real-life story of a sex trafficking survivor, along with tips to protect yourself and your loved ones. It isn’t a pleasant book, but it’s a topic none of us can afford to Iignore.wasalso
Rachel Davis Karr, Content Director
Gardendale Magazine is published monthly by JBMC Media, a Birmingham-based publishing company. The magazine is available at nearly 90 locations throughout Gardendale, free of charge, and is supported by the advertisers within the pages of this magazine. Subscriptions by mail area also available for $35 per year. Email matthew@jbmcmedia.com for more information.
Rachel Davis Karr Content Director
Gardendale Magazine is 100% local; the stories and photos are all about the city of Gardendale, its residents, its businesses, its schools, and its cultural institutions. It’s our promise to you that we will always keep it this way, so that the content and stories are relevant to everyone who calls Gardendale home.
[ 6 ] Gardendale Magazine / About Us / On The Cover / Who We Are
Lori Kinney Marketing Consultant
About the Cover Cover photo by Vickie Unlap (fodaction)
Anthony Bratina, Shweta Gamble Graphic Design Our Advertisers It’s never easy asking businesses to invest in advertising, so we want to give a VERY special thank you to these businesses. Please, support them!
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The three seniors who are taking the court this year for the Rockets Volleyball team are leading a talented group of young athletes. 26432, Birmingham, AL 35260 (205)Publisher617-9609, matthew@jbmcmedia.com (205) 613-7850, rachel@jbmcmedia.com (205) 447-1164, lori@jbmcmedia.com
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Gardendale Magazine [ 7 ] Ticks Fleas Mites Ants (205) vulcantermite.com663-4200Serving Jefferson & Shelby Counties ANY YARD CAN HARBOR PESTS. LET THE EXPERTS ELIMINATE THOSE THREATS.
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Gardendale Magazine [ 9 ] Continue to wear an SPF of 30 or higher every day Switch to a thicker moisturizing cream Avoid long, hot showers and baths Reduce exfoliation to 1-2 times a week Use a humidifier at home autumnS K I N C A R E T I P S With the weather changing soon, it's time to adjust your skin care routine! Kemp’ s Kitchen & Bakery (205) 608 8125 608 Odum Rd Gardendale Healing Touch Caregivers (205) 281-7828 | HealingTouchCaregiver Providing non-medical in-home care: - meal preparation - housekeeping - transportation - light exercise assistance - social interactions Call for a consultation and more details! Compassionate care for those who need it most
For the last two years, with help from community partners, Neighborhood Bridges has worked to meet needs in the local community.
Building Community
Neighborhood Bridges serves those in need
[ 10 ] Gardendale Magazine / Nonprofit /
// Continued on Page 11 //
Neighborhood Bridges is a nonprofit organization that began in 2017 in Ohio as a way to bridge communities with schools to provide basic needs, remove barriers and seek equity for students so they can engage and succeed in school and life, according to its website. Since then, the organization has started more than 38 “Gateways to Kindness” to serve communities in Ohio and Alabama. Since its founding five years ago, the organization and its outreach programs have given direct support and care to 235,000 students and families that totaled more than $4.4 million in giving, according to its website. The nonprofit organization expanded to Gardendale in late 2020 and uses its Facebook reach to connect those in need with people who are willing to help and supply those needs. Its stated purpose is: “We will
// Continued from Page 10 //
For more information, follow Neighborhood Bridges Gardendale on Facebook, visit their website at nonprofitneighborhoodbridges.org.community/gardendaleneighborhoodbridges.org/oremailatgardendale@Thegroupisa501(c)(3)soalldonationsaretax-deductible.
The group has also partnered with school organizations to assist them in their projects, such as partnering with Gardendale High School’s cosmetology department to collect gently used purses, handbags and totes to be used as “Bags of Blessings” for the women in the First Light Women and Children’s Shelter.
Gardendale Magazine [ 11 ] / Nonprofit /
engage our community in advocating for students and families in need.”
Needs have included shoes for a student, a washer and dryer for a local school for special needs students as well as ongoing needs, like collecting food pantry items for the Gardendale Library’s food pantry.
Kindness Council members in Gardendale are Good Neighbor Pest Services, McDonalds, AUX Home Services, The Gardendale Magnolia Festival and Scott Cantrell of State Farm.
Because it’s a book that everyone needs to read, according to author Melanie K. Patterson.
Why write a book that no one will want to read?
Patterson spent years as the editor of the North Jefferson News in Gardendale, and a total of 20 years as a journalist. During that time, she was called on to cover countless meetings, but one will forever stick out in her mind. A speaker at the Gardendale Rotary Club’s lunch meeting talked about sex trafficking and what the survivors of the terrible industry faced, right here in the Birmingham area. The speaker, from Birmingham-based nonprofit The WellHouse, talked about nearby locations where survivors had been trafficked. Patterson said she didn’t remember much about the lunch, but she remembered being shell-shocked as the woman talked about Interstate 20/59 being a major human sex trafficking route. “I had heard of sex trafficking, because everybody has heard of it on the news, but I really didn’t know // on Page 13//
Continued
[ 12 ] Gardendale Magazine Writing ‘The Truth’
Wellhouse speaker inspired book about sex trafficking
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MELANIE PATTERSON
As she began to research the topic, Patterson realized there weren’t a lot of factual books about sex trafficking and the ones that existed weren’t easy for the public to access. Trips to libraries and bookstores proved frustrating and unproductive, because the resources just didn’t exist. So she started researching other ways.
Gardendale Magazine [ 13 ] / Feature / the extent of it until that talk,” Patterson said. “It really just blew me away, and not just the extent of it, but that it’s right here in our backyard.”
The subject stuck with Patterson, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with it, so for years it just sat there, surfacing occasionally when she heard stories about trafficking survivors. Eventually she decided to write a book.
Having a relative that was at a vulnerable age spurred her to dig even deeper into the subject and help provide real facts and warning signs to the general public. Initially, Patterson planned to string together the tales of various survivors, envisioning the book as a compilation of all the stories. But, as she delved into the world of sex trafficking survivors, she realized that the result could be the opposite of what she intended.
I found one survivor who was 20 years out of trafficking, and she had received some counseling,” Patterson said.
// Continued from Page 12 // // Continued on Page 14//
“I wanted to help fill that gap and get the knowledge out there, partly because I have a niece who is a young teenager,” Patterson said.
“I was comfortable talking with Angela because she was ok with it and she had lots of time to heal,” Patterson said.
In the end, she found one long-term survivor who was willing to talk and was in a space in her life that she felt she could share her story to help others without setting back her own
The survivor, called “Angela” in the book, prayed about it and agreed to talk to Patterson about her experience only after she felt God had given her the ok.
“It was kind of a marriage of two things—I was very interested in this topic and I’ve always wanted to write a book,” Patterson said. “I wrote for newspapers for years, but I’d always wanted to do a big project like that. I started doing some research and I found out there’s a huge hole out there in the resources available.”
“My original idea was to find as many survivors as possible and tell their stories,” Patterson explained. “In my research, I learned what a terrible idea that was because, first of all, that could be seen as re-exploiting them. Also, if these people haven’t really done some healing, they can be re-traumatized by retelling their stories.”
“That’shealing.when
The book tells Angela’s story before, during and after she was sex trafficked. Each chapter opens with part of her story, in her own words. The beginning of the book discusses how her childhood made it easier for her to be pulled into trafficking.
“There are certain risk factors and vulnerabilities that make some people more susceptible than other people,” Patterson said. “Angela fit the mold. It tells the story of how she got into it—she just didn’t know. She had never heard of sex trafficking. She didn’t know it existed until she was in the middle of it, and didn’t know how to get out. She was terrified and felt that her life was in danger if she didn’t do what these people told her to do. So she did it for two years, and then she did get out.”
Patterson also talked to mental health professionals, law enforcement agents and those who work every day to remove victims from trafficking situations. Their experiences are also in the book, along with other experts and survivors who speak publicly about their experiences.
The book is available online at Barnes and Noble or Amazon or can be downloaded electronically from those sites. Patterson is also the author of a previous book about the history of Cullman, called “Images of America: Cullman” by Arcadia Press, released in 2013. She is currently working on a novel based on her own military service in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1999. She hopes to have that one out next year. In the meantime, she blogs on her website: www.forgedinwords.com.
“Even though it’s a very uncomfortable topic and even though it’s not something you want to talk to your kids about, do it anyway. Because your kids can get into this before they realize it, and a lot of them don’t realize it until it’s too late.”
Regardless of what level of involvement people have or want to have in the anti-trafficking world, Patterson stresses that everyone needs to be an advocate for education and prevention in their own home. “Even though it’s a very uncomfortable topic and even though it’s not something you want to talk to your kids about, do it anyway. Because your kids can get into this before they realize it, and a lot of them don’t realize it until it’s too late,” Patterson urges. It can start out as innocent as chatting with someone you don’t know on social media. Traffickers routinely pretend to be the same age and to have the same interests as the intended victim. “These folks threaten your family, they threaten you, they threaten to put that picture you sent them on Facebook. They put the blame on the victims and the victims buy it, especially when they’re kids.”
Melanie K. Patterson, author of “The Truth about Sex Trafficking”
TRAFFICKING THE A SURVIVOR'S EXPERIENCE AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR ALL OF U S // from Page 13 //
MELANIE K. PATTERSO N TRUTH ABOUT SE X
It’s been more than 20 years since Angela left that life, but she still suffers from PTSD and trauma from being trafficked. Now a married mother of three, Angela says her time in the sex trafficking world touches everything she does, from how she looks at the world to how she parents.
"A must read for parents and all those working in the medical or social service field. As an adoptive mother and foster parent to children that have been trafficked, I wish I had had this information when my journey began." HIGGINS, LMSW, Children's of Alabama
Because the Interstate 20/59 corridor is such a hotspot for trafficking, there are many local organizations that work to prevent trafficking by increasing education and also work to help the people already trapped by traffickers. For anyone who wants to get involved with helping victims, Patterson recommends reaching out to one of them or to a local children’s advocacy center that provides services for sexually abused children. For those who don’t want to be involved directly, donations are also greatly needed by these organizations. But, ultimately, Patterson cautions that you should never intervene in a suspected trafficking situation yourself— it could make a bad situation even worse.
[ 14 ] Gardendale Magazine / Feature /
If she accomplishes that goal, Patterson will consider the book a success. She self-published the book under her Forged In Words Books imprint to help people understand how serious this threat is in their own “It’scommunity.notgoing to be a commercial success, and I didn’t write it to be,” she said. “I would feel morally wrong about making money off other people’s pain.” If the book does many any money, Patterson will donate part of the proceeds to anti-trafficking organizations and child advocacy centers.
Continued
“If you suspect a trafficking situation, don’t try to stop it yourself because traffickers are really dangerous,” Patterson cautioned. “If you start to mess with their cashflow, they will hurt people or even kill people.”
MELODY
Gardendale Magazine [ 15 ] LOCALLY MADE | LOCALLY SOURCED cutting boards | Charcuterie trays bathtub caddies | bed swings stovetop covers | tables | planters shelves | bookcases custom orders accepted facebook: @deogloriawoodworks Instagram: @deogloriawoodworks DEO GLORIA WOOD WORKS
[ 16 ] Gardendale Magazine / Feature / ServingSPIRITup
Gardendale Magazine [ 17 ] / Feature /
PHOTOS BY VICKIE UNLAP (FODACTION) AND RACHEL DAVIS KARR
Kelly Ingram has high hopes for her 2022 Gardendale High School volleyball team. She has three returning seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and a single freshman on the team, so there is a lot of experience but not as many veterans as Ingram would like.
The young talent started the season strong, winning their opening tournament in Moody and showing off an incredibly talented defense.
The struggle to find power hitters burdened the team last year as well, forcing Ingram to use one of her best defensive players, senior Addi Dunagan, as an outside hitter instead of in her usual spot as “Itlibero.wasn’t really what we wanted to do, because she’s so great at defense, but we were just lacking volleyball team is young and talented
// Continued on Page 18// Gardendale
“This is probably the best defense I’ve ever had, as far as the defense as a whole,” Ingram said. “I don’t think we’ll find anybody who has as strong a defense as we have, but we’ve got to get the hitting on board.”
“One year to the next, or even one game to the next, you may be in different positions,” Ingram said. “So they come in knowing that whatever they played in middle school or whatever they played in club ball, isn’t necessarily what they are going to be used for here. They have to be very adaptive to what I see fit for them to do. They do a really good job of that, because that’s the expectation that’s set from the beginning.”
/ Feature /
“I’ve got a middle that’s a sophomore, Kayla Kirksey, who is every bit of 5’11”-6 foot,” Ingram said. “When she gets ahold of the ball, she can really crush it, I’m just trying to get her more consistent.”
Dunagan will be back in her usual spot as libero, a position she will continue in next year when she goes to play for Wallace State. Ingram is aware of the sacrifice Dunagan made for her team last year, and is excited to have her back in the strongest position to help the team. That spirit of team and working together is one of the values Ingram always wants to instill in her players.
In fact, according to Ingram, improvement is the name of the game for her squad this year. She wants to see them improve each and every time they take the court. 17//
Another standout that Ingram has high hopes for is her towering middle, Kayla Kirksey.
[ 18 ] Gardendale Magazine at hitting,” Ingram explained. “She had to play all season there. This season, she’s able to play libero, and honestly, in my opinion, is one of the best in the Thisarea.”year,
// Continued on Page 19// // Continued from Page
Gardendale Magazine [ 19 ] “The expectation for this season would be just growing every game,” Ingram said. “We’ve been struggling to find a lot of dominant hitters, so we’re trying to grow in that area,” Ingram said. “We’re just working really hard getting the hitters to develop more and make less errors. Once we get all that together, probably mid-season, I think it’s going to be a whole different team than what we’re starting with right now.” But just improving isn’t the only goal. Last year was Ingram’s fifth year coaching at Gardendale and the first year they didn’t make it to Regional Tournament play at the end of the season. Ingram and her team have already set a return to Regionals as a longterm goal. Another goal is to get revenge on an old rival. Ingram said when she was at Gardendale as a player, the biggest rivalry game was always Mortimer Jordan, and that hasn’t changed in the years since. “We didn’t win against them at all last year, so they’ve got a chip on their shoulder this year, wanting to go out there and beat them,” Ingram said. But long after the nets come down and the pads come off, Ingram hopes she’s taught her team members more than just hitting or defense. She wants them to be good people. “I talk to them a lot about how it’s not just about volleyball,” Ingram explained. It’s about what comes after high school and the things they want to do in life. And just being good humans and being kind to other people. That’s one of the things, as a coach, that I strive to be.” A. Michele Hill, MDMelanie L. Appell, MD totalskinandbeauty.com205.933.0987SCHEDULE WITH YOUR PROVIDER TODAY!931 Sharit Avenue, Suite 202, Gardendale, AL 35071 Cosmetic Clinics Now Available at our Gardendale Location // Continued from Page 18 // / Feature /
Bragg STEM Class
Bragg Students of the Month
[ 20 ] Gardendale Magazine / School News /
Congratulations to the Bragg student from each team for their hard work, a great display of character, and their willingness to go above and beyond. Students of the Month are treated to lunch, courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings in Gardendale.
Students of
the Month 6th Maroon - America Diaz 6th Gray - Ayden Pate 7th Maroon - Kameron Betts 7th Gray - Sophie Shields 8th Maroon - Emma Johnson 8th Gray - Josiah Ragland
Bragg Lunar Lander Challenge
Lunar Lander Challenge Day: Follow the engineering process of design, build, test and redesign a lander that has a shockabsorbing system that would protect two marshmallow “astronauts” upon landing.
Mrs. Green’s class tested paper airplanes for distance as a STEM activity.
Gardendale Elementary Playground
Gardendale Magazine [ 21 ] / School News /
In August, a new playground was opened at Gardendale Elementary. The playground was a joint effort between the City of Gardendale and the Jefferson County Board of Education.
Snow Rogers Popsicle Party Fourth grade celebrated with popsicles for their hard work with last year’s ACAP and this fall’s iReady assessments.
Since her husband couldn’t work at the store, he was at home handling orders and other light work. During that time, he decided to audit the couple’s insurance policies. He found they were grossly underinsured and worked to update
MARKET
“Let me tell you the God story behind this. My husband got hit by a car in the Walmart parking lot last year. It broke his back in a couple of spots, and he was down for months after that,” Hodges said.
[ 22 ] Gardendale Magazine
The long-awaited return of Southern Market has finally been announced. Customers can return to the local favorite on October 1, 2022, and it’s impossible to tell who is more excited–the customers or the owners. In June of 2022, a storm blew through and knocked a tree down on a powerline behind the store. The power was damaged, with one of the building’s three phases no longer sending power into the building. Since the other two phases were still working, no one knew there was a problem until it was too late.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOUTHERN
“It burned up all our compressors in freezers–we had five compressors–blew up both air conditioners, and we lost an independent freezer up front. We lost everything, and it happened so quick,” owner Rachel Hodges explained.
Southern Market
As the couple stood inside their store full of destroyed equipment and spoiled merchandise, they cried, wondering how they would rebuild the business that supplies their entire livelihood. Then their insurance agent showed up with pizza to ensure the couple ate and to reassure them that they would be able to rebuild. But, the truth was, according to Hodges, that if the outage had happened last year, the couple would have been out of business permanently.
Beloved store reopens after storm damage // Continued on Page 23 // Feature /
“There will be a lot of the same items,” Rachel Hodges said. “Some items are going to be different, things have changed. If anybody watches the news, they know prices have gone up and some items we’re not able to get anymore. That kind of started over the past year, so a lot of our customers know that. But, for all the main stuff, we’re going to have pretty much the same thing, but better.”
Gardendale Magazine [ 23 ] the policies to cover the business properly.
// Continued from Page 23 // Feature /
“Come to find out, we didn’t have enough insurance, so we upped all our coverage. If this had happened last year, we would have been out of business, because it would have been devastating to us. Thank God he had time to go through that! Insurance has covered the equipment and some spoilage, but not all. So that’s the God story behind it–as bad as it was that he got hurt, if he had not had his accident, he wouldn’t have had time to do that and we would not be in business because we wouldn’t have had enough coverage. It was a blessing in disguise.”
“One thing he did was go through all our insurance, because he had nothing else to do,” Hodges said with a laugh.
Now, after almost four months, the store will be reopening. Loyal customers will notice minor changes, but most of the favorite items will still be in the store.
There will also be a few new items, as well as expanded meat offerings–more fresh meats, different cuts of meat and more seafood. Overall, Hodges said there will be more variety offered to customers. The store’s most popular items, // from Page 22 //
Continued
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[ 24 ] Gardendale Magazine
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Scott Cantrell, Agent 313 Fieldstown Road Gardendale, AL 35071 Bus: www.insuredbyscott.com205-631-6201 Mt. Olive Rd. | Gardendale (205) 567-8376 estheticians a full lineup of full body, hair Clinical and Elta products Crispitos and James Farm eggs, as well as fresh-cut ribeyes will all Thereturn.grand reopening of the store will be a celebration for the entire community, there will be free hotdogs and sno cones from Pandy’s Shaved Ice for customers, as well as other fun things to see and hear. But, above all, Hodges is excited to get back into her customers’ lives. “We miss our customers,” Hodges said. “We have built relationships with people over these years, of just getting to know people and their lives and just doing daily life with them. We have customers that come in daily–whether it’s for ice or eggs or whatever–and we have regulars who come in every week. Over the years, we’ve gotten to know them and their families and know what’s going on in their lives. We consider them family and friends. So we just want to get back to seeing everybody and serving the community that we live in and love.” And they have felt that love every day since they were forced to close. “I just want to say ‘thank you for your support’ to our customers,” Hodges said. “We have messages daily of people saying ‘I miss you,’ ‘I can’t wait for you to reopen.’ Every single day since we have been down, we have had somebody send us a message of how they miss us. That means the world to us, because that’s our livelihood and we feel like this is our outreach–serving the community.”
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offering
Gardendale Magazine [ 25 ] / Celebration /
Chamber turns 35
The Gardendale Chamber of Commerce hosted a 35th Birthday Party celebration for itself in August to celebrate all the hard work it has done in the last three and half decades. The celebration featured games and karaoke from the 80s, when the chamber began. City leaders, business owners and other citizens were also encouraged to don their best 80s outfits and gear to attend the party. One of the highlights of the event was the slideshow that played on a screen above the stage, showing business openings and other landmark events in the city and chamber’s history. Some of the attendees for the night even saw themselves at city events decades ago.
[ 26 ] Gardendale Magazine / Celebration /
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SHARE YOUR Celebrations IN GARDENDALE MAGAZINE Engagements Weddings Birthdays Anniversaries Share your moments with all of Gardendale. Engaged? Recently married? Celebrating a special birthday or anniversary? Share it with us so we can let everybody in town know about it! Here’s what to do:
• a high-resolution photo, 50-75 word description, and the name(s) of the people in the to celebrations@jbmcmedia.com.
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Payment
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The Miracle League hosted an End-of-Summer Luau at the Gardendale Civic Center. The players, families and buddies all had a great time and are looking forward to starting their Fall season this month. For more information on The Miracle League, find them on Facebook at The Miracle League of Gardendale.
Rocket Around the Christmas Tree
For the second year, Rocket Around the Christmas Tree will offer locals and businesses a chance to sponsor a tree and give families a chance to visit all the wonderful trees that end up on the Civic Center lawn. The Rocket Around the Christmas Tree Trail is an event supporting the Dick Lee Memorial Scholarship Fund for deserving seniors at Gardendale High School.
[ 28 ] Gardendale Magazine / Happenings / End-of-Summer Luau
Scout Hut Carol Rawling Stewart and Alex recently put in a new flower bed around the Scout Hut sign on Fieldstown Road. As work continues to improve the scout hut, there will be many more projects at the building.
Eagle Scouts Phillip Torbert and David Trudeau both earned the title of Eagle Scout recently with Pack 100 in Gardendale.
Gardendale Magazine [ 29 ] / Happenings /
Boy Scouts Troop 100 had a great Before School Bash before backstudentsthewenttoschool.
Prep Time: 20 mins / Cook Time: 12 mins / Main Course Servings: 6 servings
[ 30 ] Gardendale Magazine
Kathleen is a food blogger, food stylist, cookbook author, and former Oxmoor House test kitchen director (Southern Living cookbooks). On her food blog, GritsAndGouda.com, she creates Southern shortcut recipes. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Everyone loves a burger! I’ll show you how to make grilled venison (deer meat) burgers with all my tips and tricks for a juicy, flavorful burger that sticks together on the grill.
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat (about 400 to 425 Carefullydegrees)lift the patties with a wide, heat resistant spatula onto lightly oiled grill grates, one at a time.
GRILLED VENISON BURGERS
1 pound ground venison (deer meat)
For food safety reasons, ground meat of any kind should be cooked to at least 160 degrees but I know many people like to cook it less.
1 tablespoon Moore’s marinade or Dales seasoning
1 pound ground beef 70/30 % 1 tablespoon mesquite seasoning (I used McCormick)
Combine ground venison, ground beef, mesquite seasoning, Moore’s or Dales marinade, and salt in a bowl. Being careful not to overwork the mixture, mix it together with your hands. (Gloves work well for easy Shapecleanup.)themixture into six 4 1/2-inch patties. They will plump up and fit the buns fine.
1 teaspoon salt I always drain the ground venison in a colander first. Most of the strong “earthy” or gamey taste from venison is in the blood so this Ihelps.usemy
/ Recipe of the Month /
hands to help press out the blood but I NEVER run ground meat under water to wash out the blood. That adds too much water to the meat which results in steaming the burgers and will fall apart.
Cook about 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done. What is done?
Tip: To help prevent any burger from rising up in the center, press your thumb into the center about halfway down. This keeps the burgers flat.
Every Thursday and Saturday
Food Truck Night
Grand Reopening
The Gardendale Farmers Market is held every Thursday through September from noon until 4 p.m. at the Gardendale Civic Center.
The Gardendale Civic Center will host the third Thursday Food Truck Night again this year. The event will be held on September 8. The food trucks will be set up at the Civic Center by 5 p.m. and the event will run through 8 p.m. There will be live entertainment.
Gardendale Magazine [ 31 ] / Calendar /
Chamber of Commerce Meeting
Food Truck Night
The Gardendale Civic Center will host the third Thursday Food Truck Night again this year. Events will be held on October 13. The food trucks will be set up at the Civic Center by 5 p.m. and the event will run through 8 p.m. There will be live entertainment.
The Kermit E. Dooley Gardendale Historical Museum will resume normal hours and will be open to the public every Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Gardendale Farmers Market
The Southern Market will hold a grand reopening on Saturday, Oct. 1 at their store on Decatur Highway. There will be food and entertainment, as well as a look at the new offerings of the store.
Chamber of Commerce Meeting
City Wide Fall Cleanup
The Gardendale Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting will be held October 20 from 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Gardendale Civic Center. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce.
The Gardendale Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting will be held September 8 from 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Gardendale Civic Center. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce.
The City of Gardendale will host a Fall Cleanup for the entire city, October 3-7. Call (205) 631-3394 to schedule a pickup.
[ 32 ] Gardendale Magazine We make people feel better.™ norwoodclinic.com(205)250-6000 AfterFULTONDALEHoursCare Natasha Workman, CRNP (205) 250-6424 339 Walkers Chapel Plz., Ste. 115 Fultondale Internal Medicine Dr. Doug Alford Troy Henderson, CRNP (205) 849-9811 1604 Stouts Rd. Imaging (205) 250-6830 339 Walker Chapel Plz., Ste. 101 Plaza Internal Medicine Dr. Kelli Grinder (205) 250-6400 339 Walker Chapel Plz., Ste. 115 AlabamaBIRMINGHAMNeurological Surgery and Spine Dr. Robert Robinson Dr. Blake Pearson Dr. Walter Haynes Dr. Elizabeth Kuhn Wendy Conner, CRNP Analyn Blair, CRNP (205) 250-6805 3535 Grandview Pkwy., Bldg. 1, Ste. 150 Bariatric and Robotic General Surgery Dr. Andrew DeWitt (205) 502-4400 2660 10th Ave. S., POB I, Ste. 222 Brookwood Clinic Dr. Mark Adams Dr. Walter Dunn Jenna Bosch, CRNP (205) 250-8100 513 Brookwood Blvd., Medical Office D, Ste. 200 General Surgery Dr. Raleigh Kent III (205) 250-6068 513 Brookwood Blvd., Medical Office D, Ste. 200 Ophthalmology Dr. John Owen (205) 250-6042 One Independence Dr., Ste. 700 Pulmonology Dr. Karl Schroeder (205) 250-8910 3570 Grandview Pkwy., Ste. 100 GardendaleGARDENDALEClinic Dr. Fred Patton Dr. Elizabeth Carstensen (205) 631-5671 527 Fieldstown Rd., Ste. C Gardendale Primary Care Dr. Gilbert Douglas IV Emily Snider, CRNP (205) 631-0055 313 Fieldstown Rd., Ste. 103 North Gardendale Primary Care Dr. Alan Hanley (205) 631-2124 2650 Decatur Hwy.
