Hoover's Magazine Summer 2022

AUNT RED’S DESSERTS • THE IMPACT OF WORDS • YOUR PERFECT SCENIC GETAWAY

HOOVER’S BEST

YOU VOTED. WE TALLIED. SEE THE 2022 BEST OF THE BEST WINNERS INSIDE.

Hidden Treasure

SUMMER 2022 HooversMagazine.com Volume 11 | Issue 2 $4.95

HOMES

A NEIGHBORHOOD’S BEAUTY HooversMagazine.com 1

2 Summer 2022

HooversMagazine.com 1

2 Summer 2022

Self–care isn’t selfish.

Immerse in a restorative setting of self-care with personalized treatment for exceptional skin health.

Because healthy is a feeling we should all indulge.

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FEATURES

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LOCALLY BREWED Hoover’s first-ever brewery comes to town.

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HOOVER’S BEST You voted. We tallied. See who you said Hoover’s Best retailers, restaurants, community events and more are.

77 LOVELY LOUISVILLE Less than six hours away from Hoover, Alabama, is Louisville, Kentucky; the perfect family getaway within driving range.

4 Summer 2022

PHOTO BY UNTOLD IMAGERY

HIT THE ROAD

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43

PHOTO BY KEITH MCCOY

arts & culture

17 A Portrait of Amy: A Local Artist’s Inspiration

food

& drink

27 Baked Delicacies: Aunt Red’s Desserts 36 Five Questions For: Jubilee Joe’s Owner Kash Siddiqui

schools & sports

37 Let’s Get Cooking: One Hoover School’s New Culinary Program 42 Five Questions For: Hoover Football Coach Wade Waldrop

home

& style

in every issue 6 Contributors 9 From the Editor 11 The Question 12 #HooversMag 13 The Guide 24 Aldridge Gardens 82 Chamber Connections 86 Out & About 90 Marketplace 92 My Hoover

43 Brock Point Beauty: A Hoover Staple Home

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contributors EDITORIAL

Alec Etheredge Meg Herndon Michelle Love Keith McCoy Anna Grace Moore Emily Sparacino

CONTRIBUTORS

Madison Blair James Culver Rachel Culver Lauren Dowdle Untold Imagery Don Naman Photography Christiana Roussel Kelsea Schafer Chandra Sparks Splond Ashley Teidt Lauren Winter

James Culver, Photographer

James lives in the Birmingham area with his wife, Rachel, a native of Homewood, and their three children, Callie, James III and John Michael.

James is a graduate of Auburn University and spent years in Atlanta working as a graphic designer, creative director and photographer. He specializes in event, real estate and portrait photography, and he can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @jculvercreative and at jculver.com.

Lauren Dowdle, Writer

An award-winning writer, Lauren lives in Hoover with her husband, daughter and four fur-babies. She writes for a variety of local, national and international publications. A graduate from the University of Alabama, Lauren played the tuba in the Million Dollar Band, which is how she met her husband. When she isn’t writing or chasing around a toddler, she loves to bake for friends and family.

DESIGN

Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom

MARKETING

Octavia Campbell Evann Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Michaela Hancock Casey Haney Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Tori Montjoy Viridiana Romero

ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows Tim Prince Brittany Schofield Savana Tarwater Anna Willis

Christiana Roussel, Writer

Where should we have dinner? Where should we go on our next family vacation or couple’s getaway? What kind of shotgun should I buy? These are all queries writer Christiana Roussel has answered in recent months.

While food writing is her original passion, she has really enjoyed expanding her repertoire to include travel and sporting activities that might involve an upland adventure. And no, it is not just because there might be a need for new clothes for the expedition.

Chandra Sparks Splond, Writer

Chandra is an editor, speaker and award-winning author and blogger.

She was the consulting editor for BET Books/Arabesque romance. She has also edited for several New York Times, USA Today and Essence bestselling authors and worked as a copy editor for Good Housekeeping magazine. Visit her at chandrasparkssplond.com.

Hoover’s Magazine is published quarterly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Hoover’s Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newspapers Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Please address all correspondence (including but not limited to letters, story ideas and requests to reprint materials) to: Editor, Hoover’s Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Hoover’s Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Hoover, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit HooversMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $14.95 plus tax for one year by visiting HooversMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532.

Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@hooversmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext.

536.

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8 Summer 2022

from the editor

H

ON THE COVER

Brock Point Beauty

Hello! My name is Anna Grace Moore, and I am the new Chief Magazine Editor for Shelby County Newspapers Inc. which includes Shelby Living, Mountain Brook Magazine, Vestavia Hills Magazine, Hoover’s Magazine and Homewood Life.

It is my privilege to work in such an inspiring industry whose focus is engaging our community, building better relationships and highlighting pivotal figures who shape our way of life.

Before coming to work at Shelby County Newspapers Inc., I attended Samford University, where I graduated in May of 2021 with a degree in journalism and mass communications with a concentration in public relations. After graduating, I welcomed my now 10-month-old, Jacob, in July of 2021 with my fiancé, Justin Breedlove. We live in Hoover where I was raised, and we plan to reside here as we get married and grow our family in the future.

Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to write. I would always write short stories, poems, prose and even essays for fun on my summer reading books. Writing has long been a passion of mine. When I was 8 years old in the third grade, I won second place in a poetry contest honoring Hoover City Firefighters. I recited my poem in front of 200 city officials at a brunch, and my picture was published in the paper the next week! Not even the first-place winner’s picture made the papers. I was told I was featured because of how dramatically I read about water hoses and house fires.

Fast forward more than a decade, and you’ll find me at my corner desk, scribbling down the latest scoops in my brown leather notebook or typing away on my MacBook into the wee hours of the morning. Not much has changed. My passion for the written word has fueled my desire to serve my community because of how people in my community have poured into me. It was not until I became a mother that I realized just how many people it took investing in my future to help me achieve the position I have today. It is such an honor to serve all of you.

So, while you can’t always count on Alabama weather, I assure you that you can count on the magazine you’re reading to be entertaining and eye opening. Happy reading, folks!

annagrace.moore@hooversmagazine.com

Jo Ann Davis’s recently built home in Brock Point is one of Hoover’s latest staple houses.

Photo by Keith McCoy Design by Jamie Dawkins

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“ ” THE QUESTION

What is your favorite thing to do in the summer time?

Anything involving water! I love the beach, the lake, the pool or anywhere I can cool off and relax.

-Susannah Stuckey May

My favorite thing to do in the summer is hangout with my friends around town, go out to eat, workout and go to the movies.

-Beth Tucker

Getting an Icee!

-Amy Moore

Tanning at the pool.

-Nellie Feese

My favorite thing to do in the summer is relax by the pool or find some time to grill with friends and family!

I love shopping, bowling and hiking!

I love my job during the summer! I work at a summer camp, and I get to participate in the crazy of summer!

My favorite thing to do in the summer is lay out by the pool with a cold drink in my hand.

-Cody Hooks

-Anna Ruffino

-Grace Trewhella

-Savannah Wayland

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#HooversMag

Tag us in your Hoover photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.

@gcollinsphotos Back to your regularly scheduled program!

@jeffstatecollege Jefferson State’s Culinary & Hospitality makes another massive apple pie for “Celebrate Hoover Day.”

@lindsaynsport A double congrats are in order for @thecurtincall and @becca436! They just recently got married and bought their first home! Everything about working with Jack and Rebecca was such a pleasure! They are the kindest and most appreciative people and I wish them nothing but the best! Also shout out to @mortgagesbyrutherford for helping me close this one!

12 Summer 2022

@kelsea.schafer.photos “When words fail, music speaks” - HCA You can’t download a live musical experience but I can sure try to photograph it! There are no greater musicians that have a passion for their craft, as much @hooverband does!

THE GUIDE

SEC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT & FAN FEST MAY 24-29 Hoover Metropolitan Complex Get your peanuts and crackerjacks and head out to the ball park!

Hoover is proudly hosting the SEC Baseball Tournament, in which 12 SEC teams varying from the No. 1 seed through the No. 12 seed will face off in a five-day-long event. The top four seeds along with the SEC East and SEC West winners are guaranteed opening-round byes; whereas, seeds ranked No. 3 through No. 12 will get 10 at-large bids based on their conference winning percentages. This event is selling out fast, so buy your tickets soon!

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THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER

Trivia at Brock’s Gap Brewing Company

MAY 31-JUNE 2 Breakthrough Basketball Camp Hoover Metropolitan Complex

THURSDAYS AT 7 P.M. Brock’s Gap Brewing Company

JUNE 1 Live on the Plaza: Debbie Bond Hoover Public Library

Need a night out? Bring your friends and join a trivia team for Hoover’s latest weeknight event: trivia. Categories include but aren’t limited to food, public figures, Hollywood, sports, music, animals and more. Enjoy a “Going Going Blonde” or “The Sugar Cat” while you’re playing a game of corn hole outside, or shop in the gift store for the newest attire. Brock’s Gap hosts different, local food trucks each week and hometown artists who provide live entertainment, too. Visit brocksgapbrewing. com for more information.

JUNE 1 Make Your Mark - Summer Reading Edition Hoover Public Library

JUNE 3 Zoo Brews: Drafts at Distance Birmingham Zoo JUNE 3-26 Kinky Boots Red Mountain Theatre JUNE 3 Dive In - Summer Reading Kickoff Hoover Public Library JUNE 4 Alabaster CityFest Thompson High School JUNE 6-10 Summer Quest: Spark Studios Hunter Street Baptist Church JUNE 7 Maverick City Music Legacy Arena JUNE 7-12 Birmingham Barons vs.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos Regions Field JUNE 8 Li Liu Acrobat Hoover Public Library

FRIDAYS THROUGH JULY 29

Ross Bridge Farmer’s Market 4-8 P.M. 2101 Grand Avenue

Start your weekend off right by visiting the Ross Bridge Farmer’s Market every Friday evening throughout the summer.

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Local vendors serving fresh produce, arts and crafts and beautiful bouquets of flowers will be there along with live bands, artists and new vendors on display each week. This event is perfect for all ages.

JUNE 9 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce June Coffee & Contacts Uplift Nutrition JUNE 13-15 Anchored: Vacation Bible School Metropolitan Church of God

THE GUIDE JUNE 14 Fold of Honor Alabama Inaugural Flag Day Challenge Topgolf JUNE 23 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce June Business After Hours Hilton Garden Inn – Liberty Park JUNE 29 Roger Day Hoover Public Library JUNE 30 Ocean Waves: Crafting a Macrame Wall Hanging East 59 Café JULY 1 Storytime @ Lee Branch East 59 Café JULY 4 Independence Day JULY 12 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce July Entrepreneurial Council Meeting Hoover Chamber of Commerce JULY 14 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce July Coffee & Contacts Alabama Credit Union – Hoover

FRIDAYS IN JUNE

Free Friday Flicks 6:30 P.M. Veterans Park

Sponsored by Children’s of Alabama, the annual Free Friday Flicks is back! Featured movies include Encanto on June 3, Raya and the Last Dragon on June 10, Space

Jam: A New Legacy on June 17 and Luca on June 24. Food trucks and the Kids Zone, which hosts family-friendly games and activities, will be available starting at 6:30 p.m., and movies begin at dusk. For more information, visit Facebook.com/ FreeFridayFlicks/.

JUNE 16

JULY 21 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce July Luncheon Freedom Award Presentation Hoover Country Club

Hoover Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon

JULY 28 Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce July Business After Hours Homewood Suites by Hilton Birmingham

11:15 A.M.-1 P.M. Hyatt Regency – The Wynfrey Hotel

JULY 13-AUGUST 7 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella Red Mountain Theatre

The Hoover Chamber of Commerce is proudly hosting guest speaker ABC 33/40 Weather Authority James Spann for its next monthly luncheon. In addition to Spann’s speaking, the chamber fosters networking, which will begin at 11:15 a.m. Lunch follows at noon. For more information or to register, visit hooverchamber.org.

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FAST, FRESH, WARM • curbside • takeout • delivery • catering • nationwide shipping

16 Summer 2022

&CULTURE

ARTS

A PORTRAIT OF AMY One artist credits her talent to the encouragement of her childhood teachers.

BY ASHLEY TEIDT PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED HooversMagazine.com 17

I

If you ask Amy Crews to tell you about how she became an artist, she’ll tell you that she was a creative child. While her career as an artist may have started like others, Amy’s story has taken many twists and turns.

“My elementary school vice principal, Mrs. Smith, was precious. She recognized that I had some artistic abilities, so she would call me into her office and ask me to draw things from a book. I would draw things upside down and whatever else she would give me to do,” Amy says. Mrs. Smith nurtured her talents, even giving her a special project. Amy was asked to create all the bulletin boards in her elementary

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school. “There was an art closet with reams of giant paper of different colors. I had anything that I wanted at my fingertips. I would spend time there and create whatever themes I wanted to display around the school,” she says. Her favorite bulletin board featured Snoopy and the other comic strip characters. She still has a picture in front of the bulletin board from her seventh grade graduation.

High school, however, wasn’t as nurturing as elementary school, but Amy pursued her craft relentlessly. “In high school, I took art every year.

My art teacher admitted he was just there, trying to get through until he could retire, so it was on us. I

feel like I created my own curriculum. I reached a point where he didn’t have anything else to teach me and so again, I was able to do whatever I wanted to do,” she says. One morning, Amy showed up at school to find a trophy case in the front of the school filled with her artwork. She was shocked! Her teacher didn’t tell her about his plans to display her work.

Amy took her love of art to college and majored in fine arts, but art degrees were different when she

attended Valdosta State University. “I didn’t know what else to do. It was always what I did, it was what I knew. But when I was an art major, the only thing I could do with the degree was to go into art education, and I didn’t want to teach,” Amy says. Amy realized she didn’t want to be a teacher while studentteaching at Valdosta High School. After a college transfer, a change in majors and a short break, she returned to school. She was working full-time, with the type of schedule that did not lend itself to

HooversMagazine.com 19

finishing her degree in art. Amy pivoted and majored in business management, knowing this degree would make her more employable. While finishing up her education, she met Matt, the man she would eventually marry. Later, she decided to collect another degree, and in the search to find something creative, she chose marketing as a second degree.

Matt and Amy eventually made their way to Birmingham in the late 90s when Amy accepted a marketing managerial position with Southern Living. “[Eventually they] moved positions like mine to Tampa and New York,” she says. Amy was given the option to relocate, but she decided to focus on spending time with her son and painting. She began taking art classes, building on her technique. Amy said it was never her intention to take these classes and sell her work. She was just excited to return to art and spend time at home with her son.

Before too long, Amy began showing her art at various venues and festivals. Amy found one of the breaks she didn’t know she needed at one of her first 20 Summer 2022

outdoor art shows. “I was at the Mountain Brook Art Show, and a woman came in my booth. I had a pair of red poppy paintings on display. She said she liked it, and that it was exactly what her company was looking to include in the catalog,” she explains. Amy did not recognize her right away or know that she was referring to Southern Living AT HOME. “When I realized who she was and where she worked, I decided not to tell her that I used to work for Southern Living because I wanted my work to be chosen if they loved it and not because of my having worked there,” Amy says. Southern Living AT HOME soon commissioned three floral paintings and sold prints nationally in their catalogs.

The commissions for Southern Living were the push Amy needed to create her website and take her business to the next level. Amy still works out of her home in Hoover, painting whatever brings her joy.

There are also times when painting can become therapeutic and time for Amy to pray and feel the presence of God. “There was a time when I was

The path to

MENDING HER

HEART

was actually through her leg.

Olivia was born with a congenital heart defect requiring open heart surgery at 3 months old. She also required a second surgery as a teen to replace her pulmonary valve – but this time they went through a vein in her leg to insert the Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve in her heart. This less-invasive path to replacement shortened her recovery time, and she went home the next day. Olivia was the first pediatric patient in the southeast to receive the Harmony valve, and it was here at Children’s of Alabama.

Olivia Tetralogy of Fallot Patient

To learn more visit ChildrensAL.org/heart

HooversMagazine.com 21

• Preventative Care & Wellness • Surgery • Online Store • Boarding • Grooming Join our Healthy Paws Club anuual wellness plans to save you money while providing your pet the best preventative care!

1665 Montgomery Highway, Hoover. AL 35216 205-822-4779 • PATTONCHAPELAC.COM

22 Summer 2022

painting a nest, and I was going to put a bird building in one. I was just getting started, and a mentor of ours passed away suddenly. He was young. It was devastating, and we were both crushed. We attended the service, and I came home and started back on the painting. I realized that the color in the bird’s chest reminded me a lot of his hair color. I started thinking about his wife and started weeping. I was painting and crying, but I realized that I was painting a bird building a nest. It made me think of the scripture about how God is preparing a place for us, and it was just so powerful,” she says. Amy was eventually able to present her mentor’s widow with the painting.

Amy was able to pen her thoughts about the painting and its meaning to her. When she presented the painting to her mentor’s widow, the two wept together. She recalls that it was the most meaningful piece she ever painted.

Amy took a short break after that piece, as she wasn’t sure anything else would be as meaningful.

She has been back at the easel now, though, sparking joy in her life and the lives of others. She focuses on painting florals, landscapes and still life, bringing simple subjects to life with a dot of oil paint and a stroke of a brush to the canvas.

Amy is launching an art subscription box called “The WonderBox,” which will be sent out seasonally throughout 2022. “It’s named in memory of my mom who kept gifts in what she called her ‘Wonder

Closet.’ She was also artistic, and she really supported me and encouraged me in my work. The first box went out in February, and you can find information on my website,” she says. Amy is also hoping to start offering online art classes. She is in the beginning stages of planning right now and plans to launch in the future.

Additionally, she will be participating in the

Harding Art Show in Nashville, which is one of the most reputable and anticipated art shows in the Southeast. If you can’t make the show, you can always check out amycrewsgallery.com. While you’re there, sign up for her newsletter to hear about the new product line, print line and the next release of originals. You can follow her behind the scenes in the studio on her Instagram: @amycrewsartist.

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Late Spring and Early Summer Late Spring and early Summer at Aldridge Gardens—always a magical time! The hydrangeas are still in bloom, the Japanese Maples are beautiful, the summer bulbs are strutting their stuff and our wild flowers are winding down.

The Gardens are filled with children’s laughter from Summer Camps that finish in June, and families are strolling the grounds, seeking that little bit of shade offered by our Lake Trail. Although the weather is usually hot, Aldridge Gardens is a COOL place to be! And

don’t forget fishing the Gardens’ lake and dog walking (on leash) in the Gardens! Both are allowed all day Monday through Thursday only.

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are reserved for weddings—Aldridge Gardens is a fabulous place to create memories! And remember the Gardens for your next corporate meeting.

As days click away toward Fall, there are several events to put on your “radar,” the first being Taste of Hoover. Taste is our premier event featuring restaurants from the

Hoover area, caterers and beverage vendors all providing samples of their menus for our guests. This ticketed event is always a hard sellout, so watch our website and social media pages for information in ticket sales. Taste 2022 is Thursday, October 6. Early October nights are incredible in the Gardens.

And it is never too early to be reminded of Gifts of Art, our holiday bazaar. This year Gifts of Art will be held along with our annual Greenery Sale, on December 1 all day. The Greenery Sale is December 1 and 2, and a half-day on Saturday, December 3. Mark your calendars now!

3530 Lorna Road • Hoover, Alabama 35216 • 205-682-8019 • www.aldridgegardens.com • info@aldridgegardens.com

From Our CEO I can never decide which months are the most beautiful at Aldridge Gardens, but since Summer is my very favorite season I will choose the beautiful Summer months.

Flowers are blooming and as soon as our gates open visitors are ready to enjoy the morning serenity of walking and strolling Tynette Lynch the grounds.

Our apiary area, home to our bees, is beautiful, our new Bonsai Garden is close to being complete as well as our new accessible trails, so we have something for everyone.

Most weekends you can witness beautiful garden weddings taking place throughout the Gardens as well as leisurely small groups having picnics and reading books.

We love the fact that things really never slow down for us, as we are now getting ready for our annual Taste of Hoover, which is planned for October 6, 2022, under the stars throughout the Gardens.

Our “little free library” and our “story walk” continue to be favorites year round for families and visitors of all ages as well.

We hope you will like us on Facebook and post pictures of your visits to Aldridge Gardens.

[Newbor n + Child + Family Por traiture] info@apeppermintphoto.com + 205.807.6431 w w w . a p e p p e r m i n t p h o t o . c o m

&DRINK

FOOD

BAKED DELICACIES

How Aunt Red ventured from baking cakes for her daughters’ birthdays to running her own business.

BY MADISON BLAIR PHOTOS BY LAUREN WINTER HooversMagazine.com 27

28 Summer 2022

W

What starts out as a sketch, flour and icing eventually becomes Consuela Dambrino’s elaborately decorated cakes and cookies, each one as colorful as it is complex. The key, the Hoover baker says, is patience. The Great British Baking Show playing in the background doesn’t hurt, either.

Consuela’s works of art look as if they have been taken straight from your favorite baking show. From brightly colored birthday cookies to unicorn cakes covered in sprinkles, she treats her desserts as her canvas.

The visionary behind Aunt Red’s Desserts originally started baking as a way to continue a family tradition.

Her father worked as a lineman in a small town and took decorating classes at the local library to learn how to make his birthday cakes. Not too many years later, Consuela was following in his footsteps.

Twenty-one years ago, she and a friend signed up for a cake decorating class at the local Michaels, and the rest is history. Now that she’s been creating confections for over two decades, baking and decorating desserts is second nature. Not only has Consuela continued her family tradition by baking her two daughters’ birthday cakes every year, she has also turned her hobby into a HooversMagazine.com 29

business.

Consuela started her baking business after losing her job in the late 2000s. “At first, it was a hobby,” she says. Then it turned into wanting to do something with the extra time she then had as a stay-at-home mom.

From there, Aunt Red’s Desserts was born. The name stems from her nephews’ nickname for her.

“My name is big. It’s not common, and it’s a mouthful,” Consuela says with a laugh. Aunt Red was the easier alternative for her young nephews, aptly named for her red hair.

In the beginning, Consuela’s process was much about trial and error. Though the final touches 30 Summer 2022

may not seem like the most important part of the dessert, it’s all in how you execute the recipe. “It’s more than just the basics,” she admits. “The more you do it, the more you’ll learn what rules to break, and you’ll gain confidence.”

Now, Consuela bakes for showers, engagements, birthdays and more. Of the many projects she’s done throughout the years, her favorite designs are her more recent ones. “Recently, I got to do the new boho trend on a collection of cookies, so that was fun. [I also did] the Dr. Seuss cake for Christmas,” she says. That Dr. Seuss cake looked like a scene straight out of Whoville, too, with colorful cutouts of the Grinch, Max and Cindy Lou

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AUBURN BIRMINGHAM L AKE MARTIN

“It’s gotten more artsy, which is okay, because this is my craft.

This is my hobby.”

-Consuela Dambrino contrasting with smooth, white buttercream.

The actual process for cookies takes much longer than one might expect, about two to three days for Consuela to complete a cookie order. It requires more than rolling out cookies, baking them, then coating them in icing. The key is to let them dry in between each step. “There’s a lot of

CO N C E P T TO C LO S I N G.CO M 205.767.6010 HooversMagazine.com 31

waiting,” she says. On the other hand, each of her elaborately designed and decorated cakes takes about a day.

Oftentimes, Consuela finds inspiration for her customers’ orders through something as simple as the napkin design. “[The clients] give me the napkins or pictures of the decorations, and we work together, and I’ll send them back the sketch and talk them through it,” she explains. Sketching comes in handy for more complex orders, but most times, Consuela is able to visualize the design in her head.

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When she’s not baking, Consuela is thinking of ideas for future orders. She finds inspiration everywhere and loves scrolling through Pinterest to find new ideas to try out.

Throughout her 21-year career, Consuela has noticed that her business has become much more creative. When she first started out, the majority of her orders were simple sheet cakes. Now, it’s tiered, beautiful designs of buttercream. “It’s gotten more artsy, which is okay, because this is my craft. This is my hobby,” she says.

But she’s not in it alone. Her daughters, Kinsey

and Josie, help out by cleaning dishes and basefilling cookies. Her husband, Joe, assists in delivering orders. And of course, they are rewarded for their help with warm cookies and scraps cut off the cakes. “If they’re not still hot out of the oven, they don’t eat them,” she jokes.

No matter the project, Consuela’s favorite part of baking is looking back at past creations. “When I’m in the throes of it, nothing ever quite lives up to what I imagined,” she says. “So, much later when I’m flicking back through the pictures, I’ll go ‘Oh, I must have saved that on Pinterest—oh no,

wait a minute. I did that.’”

As she looks towards the future, Consuela strives towards having consistent orders and growing the business through a strong social media presence. She hopes that her business will continue to connect her to more people in and around the community. “I really like getting to know clients and be a part of their special events,” she says.

Consuela’s creations can be found on her Facebook page, Aunt Red’s Desserts, and orders can be placed by messaging her on Facebook.

HooversMagazine.com 33

Hoover | Special Advertising Section

DINING GUIDE Hoover

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Rock N Roll Sushi

At Rock N Roll Sushi we guarantee an amplified dining experience that will have you coming back again and again for more! Whether you stop in for lunch for a quick opening act, or bring your family to dinner for the back stage hibachi- Rock N Roll sushi’s diverse menu has a little something for everyone.

Online catering available. We welcome you to join us at Patton Creek Shopping Center and dine out loud this summer!

34 Summer 2022

Perfect Note

Come on out and try our perfect wings or shrimp & grits and enjoy the live music with a cocktail in hand. Our diverse menu paired with our soulful performances will have you coming back again and again this summer! Join us every first Sunday of the month at the Plaza at Riverchase for our $3 Mimosas and delicious Chicken and Waffles!

Hoover | Special Advertising Section

DINING GUIDE

HEIGHTS VILLAGE, 3144 • VESTAVIA HILLS, AL 35243

521 MONTGOMERY HWY • 8021 LIBERTY PARKWAY • VESTAVIA HILLS

TROUPSPIZZA.COM • 205-536-6860

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Troup’s Pizza

Family-owned Troup’s Pizza is proud to offer fresh, delicious and unpretentious pizza, sandwiches and salads the whole family will enjoy right in your backyard. Since he was a kid, Chef Terrill Brazelton’s family’s love of great food and wine instilled the importance of letting fresh food speak for itself. Now, he and his wife, Ashley, have brought that passion and commitment to locally-sourced foods and supporting local farmers to Cahaba Heights. Open for lunch Tuesday-Saturday, and open for dinner every night. Catering available.

Snapper Grabber’s Land & Sea

With more than 54 years in the seafood industry, the Scott family takes great pride in providing the community with only the freshest and highest quality seafood, meat and wine. We are a unique, local, family-owned market where customers will find a seafood market, butcher shop, wine store and lunch café all under one roof. We hope you’ll notice the Snapper Grabber’s Land & Sea difference when making food selections for you and your family.

5220 PERIDOT PL SUITE 100 • HOOVER, AL 35244

5190 MEDFORD DRIVE, SUITE 124 • HOOVER, AL 35244

TACOMAMAONLINE.COM • 205-882-8226

TAPROOT-CAFE.COM • 205-502-7781

Taco Mama

Stay hungry and be thirsty. At Taco Mama, we believe in supporting our local businesses and serving our guests the freshest ingredients possible. We believe any time is a good time for a margarita. We believe in ice cold cerveza. We believe in people helping people.

Taproot

We are a community-focused eatery that embraces locally sourced ingredients from farmers and food makers, offering wholesome, seasonal food in a bright and welcoming environment. We serve up freshly made sandwiches and paninis, salads, open-faced toasts, soups, smoothies and more—all prepared to maintain natural benefits. Through good food, our endeavors to love and connect people, playing its part in the sustainability of community, the environment and the local economy.

Instagram: @taproot_cafe_hoover • Facebook:@taprootcafehoover

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FOOD & DRINK

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Kash Siddiqui

Owner of Jubilee Joe’s

BY ANNA GRACE MOORE PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

What once started as an idea for a senior class project is now one of Hoover’s longest-standing, most successful Cajun seafood restaurants. In 2004, UAB alumnus Kash Siddiqui and his classmates pitched a marketing plan about starting a seafood restaurant to investors. Not many college students can say they successfully pitched a project to investors and actually received their support. Fast forward 17 years, and Jubilee Joe’s is now proudly serving domestic, quality food to their favorite customers. The support of the Hoover community has been crucial in the restaurant’s growth, especially during economic impacts such as Hurricane Katrina and the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, Siddiqui’s restaurant has weathered every storm and come out strong.

How has your business reacted to the pandemic?

We have had to make innovative and quick pivot decisions to accommodate customers dining in, as well as placing togo orders. We have also added “Joe,” our robot, to help run food [orders] and offer contactless payment at the tables. In addition, we’ve focused on expanding our online services to offer not only online ordering with pickup through our contactless drive-through, but also our reservation system which gives you the ability to get on a waitlist before you get to the restaurant. Unfortunately, with this labor shortage, it’s been difficult to find help. If we could right now, we would fill four to five positions in the restaurant. We’re so grateful for the staff we have because they are having to work multiple positions at the same time. Joe is not meant to replace anyone; he is here to help provide efficient service to our dine-in customers.

36 Summer 2022

Spring is wedding season. Jubilee Joe’s is quite popular in town, so does this establishment cater to a bunch of weddings in the city as well? If not, are you all looking to break into this industry?

Yes we do. We cater all types of events from birthdays, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners and weddings! In addition, we have space for private events on our patio, which overlooks Highway 150 in Hoover.

Our new event planning system on our website helps customize each special What makes Jubilee Joe’s unique from event. other restaurants?

What makes us unique is not just our What is the best thing about being in food, but also our atmosphere and service. business in Hoover?

The support of the community! Our We have live music on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One of the best things we offer customers have helped us through many is a rewards program that is a wonderful different economic downturns including way for us to give something back to our the pandemic. We appreciate all the support we have received over the last 17 customers. years.

What would the owners like for our magazine’s readers and your customers to know either about themselves or their business?

Supply chain issues are still a problem. We once were able to purchase from nine restaurant purveyors. We are now having to deal with 15. Since we’re having to source from so many different places, costs are increasing. Thankfully, we have a great customer base that has supported us through the pandemic.

SCHOOL

&SPORTS

LET’S GET COOKING The Green Valley Teaching Kitchen Program teaches basic skills and helps students make healthy choices.

BY CHANDRA SPARKS SPLOND PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED HooversMagazine.com 37

T

Teaching kids to cook in school is no longer a thing of the past thanks to a new initiative at Green Valley Elementary School.

The Green Valley Teaching Kitchen Program, which was launched last year, is the brainchild of Green Valley STEAM teacher Melissa Willcox.

The kitchen, which is housed in one of the school’s classrooms, offers students the opportunity to learn not only cooking skills, but it also helps educators reinforce lessons they’re teaching students in the classroom.

“I had been kicking around the idea of cooking with our students for a while,” Willcox says. “The Hoover City School Foundation grant theme for the 2021–22 school year was Back to Basics, so I thought this was the perfect time to move toward getting a kitchen at Green Valley. I thought it was a great idea to teach our students how to cook because it provides the opportunity to teach nutrition education like making healthy choices

38 Summer 2022

and meal planning, while incorporating math and science.”

As a result of the grant, as well as the support of Green Valley’s administration and parent teacher organization, Willcox was able to open and stock the kitchen.

“I wrote a grant last year and received funding from the Hoover City Schools Foundation for an oven range, refrigerator, pots and pans, cooking utensils, bakeware, food etc. My principal was able to use money from our school budget and add a microwave oven, dishwasher, sink, cabinets and countertop. All teachers at Green Valley are able to use the teaching kitchen with their classes.

It is located in a classroom in a central location at our school, and it is open to use throughout the school day,” Willcox says. “I am the STEAM teacher at Green Valley, so I pull classes into the kitchen around my schedule and around their schedule. Purchasing food can be expensive, so I

have to factor in costs when I plan lessons. The Green Valley Elementary PTO recently gave me a $500 grant towards food in the kitchen, so that is a big help.”

Once they enter the kitchen, Green Valley students are introduced to a culinary world many have never experienced. In addition to getting hands-on learning and lots of eating, they are able to see how to incorporate the skills they’ve learned into everyday life.

“Students can expect to collaborate with their table mates and enjoy preparing food and eating together. Students can also expect that I will tie in mathematics and science like counting, weighing, fractions, measuring, addition and subtraction, measuring, tracking time, chemical and physical changes and nutrition,” Willcox says.

Those skills often open up new opportunities for them and empower them to try out their new skills.

“I think the kitchen has been beneficial to our students because it provides new experiences for them,” says Staley McIlwain, a first-grade teacher at Green Valley. “Their parents may not cook a lot

KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES If you’re looking for ways to get your kids involved in the kitchen and to sneak in some teaching, Melissa Willcox, the STEAM teacher at Green Valley Elementary School, recommends the following:

ICE CREAM IN A BAG INGREDIENTS

Makes 2 servings 1 gallon size Ziploc bag 1 quart size Ziploc bag 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup salt ice sprinkles mini chocolate chips DIRECTIONS

• Pour the milk, sugar, and vanilla into the smaller, quart size bag.

• Fill the larger, gallon size bag ¾ full of ice. Then add salt to the ice.

• Place the smaller bag inside the larger bag and close the seal. Make sure you close both seals tightly!

• Shake the bags good and hard for 5 minutes • Rinse the small bag off with cold water before opening to keep the salt water from getting into your ice cream.

• Add sprinkles and mini chocolate chips and enjoy!

According to Willcox, there’s a science behind the recipe. “To make your homemade ice cream, your ingredients need to get so cold that they freeze.

Instead of placing the ingredients in the freezer, you mix together salt and ice to make a solution. Adding salt to the ice lowers the temperature at which water freezes.

You will actually notice your ice melting as your ice cream ingredients start to freeze and change from a liquid to a solid.”

HooversMagazine.com 39

KID-FRIENDLY RECIPES PITA PIZZA INGREDIENTS pita bread

mozzarella cheese pasta or pizza sauce DIRECTIONS

• Take out the oven racks and cover them with foil.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Pass out the pita bread and pizza sauce.

• Have each student spoon 2–3 tbsp of sauce on their pita and spread it evenly.

• Pass out the cheese and have students sprinkle enough to cover the sauce.

• Put the pizzas on the foil-covered oven racks and use a Sharpie to write their names on the foil next to their pizza.

• Bake for 10–15 minutes.

According to Willcox, this recipe is a great fraction lesson with third through fifth graders, and it also teaches

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40 Summer 2022

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at home, so it’s something they haven’t gotten to be hands-on with. If they do cook a lot at home, they are able to share that experience with their classmates and teachers.”

Willcox believes the lessons also get students excited about not only cooking, but also what they are learning.

“I made pita pizzas with third, fourth and fifthgrade students, and we talked about kitchen safety and fractions during this lesson. I had a few students say they were going to go to the store after school and make pita pizzas for their family, which I thought was awesome. The kids really enjoyed making and eating the pizzas, and it was a nice change to their daily routine,” she says.

The teachers have used the teaching kitchen in out-of-the-box ways and to tie in to established events like Green Valley’s multicultural week, in which students learn about Latin America and get to sample foods like empanadas and Guatemalan rice.

“I used the kitchen this past February with my

Girls Engaged in Math and Science Club (GEMS),” McIlwain says. “They were a group of first and second-grade girls who met for six weeks after school to create a project to present at the Hoover City Schools GEMS Expo. Their first idea was to make cotton candy without a machine. When we were not successful with that, they decided on making rock candy. It was great to have the kitchen because we were able to go down there and make our rock candy. It was something they had never made before, and none of the girls had been in the STEAM kitchen yet, so it was fun to see it through their eyes because they were amazed first at us having a kitchen in school to use and then seeing the rock candy coming together.”

Now that the kitchen is up and running, Willcox sees nothing but good food and wonderful things ahead, and can’t help but to be thankful for the opportunities it has already provided.

“I would like to thank the Hoover City Schools Foundation for funding the grant to start the Green Valley Kitchen. It is such an amazing opportunity for our students and so good for their social and emotional development as well.”

HooversMagazine.com 41

SCHOOL & SPORTS

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Wade Waldrop Hoover High Head Football Coach

BY MADISON BLAIR PHOTO BY KELSEA SCHAFER

Wade Waldrop has accumulated a record of 10075 throughout his career, and now he’s bringing it to Hoover High School. Waldrop has coached for Chelsea High School, James Clemons High School and most recently Florence High School. Here he shares some of his thoughts about joining the football program after Coach Josh Niblett, and what he’s looking forward to this upcoming season.

How do you feel to be taking over after Coach Niblett?

I’m extremely humbled and honored to be a part of the tradition that Coach Niblett and other Hoover coaches were all a part of. To be chosen to lead the program is an honor. Meeting the team has been awesome. The people have been amazing, and that’s just a tribute to the school, the culture and the community. The things that have jumped out to me are the professionalism, the support and the passion.

How did you get into coaching football?

I’ve played throughout the course of my life in high school and through college. I’ve always loved being a part of a team. I decided in college that that’s where I felt like my calling was, and I thought the route to going to high school coaching was the best route for me. This is my 21st year.

I’ve coached at all different levels. I started out at a 1A school in Talladega County, then at Chelsea High School in Shelby 42 Summer 2022

County, James Clemons—a 7A school in Madison—then most recently in Florence High School, another 7A school. I’ve been a head boys’ basketball coach and an athletic director. I love being a part of a team!

What makes the Hoover team stand out from other 7A schools?

It is 100 percent the commitment level and the expectation levels. All the stakeholders and people involved have high expectations and standards, but it’s also the level of commitment. All of our kids work out in the morning at 6:30 every day, and for the parents and the players to have that commitment level speaks a lot about what they value and what they’re willing to do to be successful.

mature and seeing them achieve the things they want to achieve in school and when they get out of school. Knowing that maybe you played a small part in helping those long-term relationships and successes, whether it’s seeing those guys get married or succeed in the careers they want to succeed in, or playing at the next level or whatever their goals are, just to be a small part in watching them achieve those.

That’s the ultimate reward or success we can have in this business.

What can we expect from the Bucs this upcoming season?

I’m most looking forward to seeing where we can improve and trying to find those areas where we can grow. This season, you’re going to see a group of young men and coaches, especially players, What have been some of the highlights who are going to play with great effort, intensity and passion. We’re going to be a of your coaching career so far?

There have obviously been big wins or very physical football team, and I think things like that; those things are good. people are going to be really proud of how Truly, it’s seeing players grow up and these guys represent their community.

&STYLE

HOME

BROCK POINT BEAUTY Veteran home builder Jo Ann Davis’s latest house is a Hoover staple in the community.

BY ANNA GRACE MOORE PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY HooversMagazine.com 43

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Cool blues and white-washed grays mixed in with gold elements brighten Jo Ann Davis’s latest home build in the Brock Point community of Hoover. Throw in unique styles such as herringbone backsplash patterns and shiplap, and you’ve got yourself a statement house that Davis would call “her style.”

Davis and her husband, Ray, have always had good taste, but they have had to work together to build the style they have felt “at home” in over the years. When they were just starting out, the Davises lived in Homewood before moving out to Dallas, Texas, for work.

Eventually the couple moved back to Alabama and resided in Irondale, Inverness – Lake Heather and for the past few years in the Greystone communities of The Founders and

44 Summer 2022

The Crest. After that Jo Ann says they rented a home in Mt Laurel for a few years before finally settling in Brock Point, which she says will be their final build.

The couple successfully sold each of their homes to then build new ones, selling nearly all of the furniture in each house, too. Jo Ann says she has to start all over with every build, but that also allows her a fresh start.

Jo Ann enjoys modern furniture with farmhouse-style accents to help her home have “Southern sophistication.” She often relies on good friend and decorator David Smelcer for design techniques that pop; ones that make good conversation starters. Nonetheless, in every Davis build, the style brings people together by making them feel at home.

Dining Room Jo Ann drew upon both French design and a farmhouse style when decorating her dining room. Her china cabinet has French knobs to create an elegant feeling, while her white-washed grey table adds a more casual mood. Jo Ann’s entryway bar which connects her art studio, guest bathroom, laundry room and kitchen together is a unique design that displays gold-accented drinkware.

HooversMagazine.com 45

Office While most of her house is painted with neutral colors and bold accents, Jo Ann’s office is painted in Sherwin Williams’ shade Mt. Etna for a dark, dramatic feel. The office is where work gets done, so she felt it appropriate to darken the room with a professional hue. The knick knacks on her desk were given to her by her children. Some furniture she keeps throughout every build because gifts from family are dear to her heart.

Art Studio Jo Ann does not call herself a professional painter, but her paintings could fool the naked eye. She designed this studio to practice her talents, using mason jars to store her thick-bristle brushes to add in that “farm house” feel. Her easel is set up adjacent to the window to allow for lots of natural light when she paints.

46 Summer 2022

Living Room Jo Ann incorporated a significant portion of her furniture and décor from White House Interiors. Having her guests feel calm and welcome is important for Jo Ann, so she loves to add familial ties in her accents. Not pictured are some of her favorite accents: free-standing picture frames of her family and a papyrus-feeling coloring book for her grandchildren to color on. She chose neutral colors with splashes of navy and gold to cool the mood of the room.

HooversMagazine.com 47

Man Cave Jo Ann’s husband, Ray, designed his own man cave.

She jokingly says this is the one room in which she had nothing to do with the planning. From the huge plasma flat screen T.V. to the treadmill, this room is perfect for the guys to hang.

She noted that Ray chose to stay consistent with the Mt. Etna color on the walls, but he brightened the room with their staple leather sofa.

48 Summer 2022

Kitchen The kitchen is one of Jo Ann’s favorite gathering places. She relied on white marble countertops to contrast her navy cabinets. She says many floor plans she reviewed before deciding on this one were always “too white,” so she added color for a fun, filling feel. The bar stools were also not originally part of her floor plan, but she added six so all of her grandchildren could visit and have a space at the table.The most unique feature in her kitchen is actually the herringbone backsplash, which Jo Ann requested after the house was actually built. Her house designer David Smelcer built upon the backsplash to go up past the vent hood to the ceiling for a more consistent design.

BEHIND THE SCENES House Designer: David Smelcer

House Layout: Signature Homes Furniture: White House Interiors & Restoration Hardware

Landscape Architect: Doug Travis, Liberty Environmental Contractors Pool: Blue Haven Pools

Pool Furniture: Summer Classics Travertine: Stonescapes

Grandkids’ Hangout Davis knew she would be hosting her grandkids often, so she wanted to create a fun space for them. The “hangout” as they like to call it has a convertible pool table and ping pong table complete with a soda bar, lounge furniture and mounted T.V.s, too.

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Master Bedroom The couple’s king-sized bed is from Restoration Hardware, and the nightstands are a great complement.

Not pictured are the knobs to the nightstand drawers, which are actually a turn-key design. They’re both beautiful and unorthodox. Jo Ann says she just has to make sure not to lose the keys to unlock the drawers!

Master Bathroom The “his and hers” sinks also match the double-sided mirror. Jo Ann had one mirror facing above the bathroom sinks with another on the other side facing the inside of the walk-in shower wall. The shower mirror is great for shaving in the shower, but having multiple areas to get ready she says allow for ample space and a fuller atmosphere.

50 Summer 2022

Powder Room Jo Ann likes natural light, so she had her vanity built to incorporate the sunshine as she does her makeup. Nearly everything in her bathroom is white and grey, so the colors reflect as much light as possible.

Walk-in Closet One room Jo Ann is most proud of is her floor-to-ceiling walk-in closet. This entire room was actually a lot smaller with the original floor plan, so she had the builders extend the house out about five feet to incorporate this room.

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Outdoor Garden and Pool Blue Haven Pools built a gorgeous white-walled in-ground pool complete with a hot tub and two entries. The travertine for the pool deck was designed by Stonescapes. Not pictured is the garden which is flawlessly designed from privacy azalea bushes to a raised English lavender tree enclosed in a stone setting. Jo Ann credits landscape architect Doug Travis with Liberty Environmental Contractors in helping her make this beautiful backyard her home’s “Hoover Staple” quality.

Sunroom Unlike any of her other builds, Jo Ann’s sunroom has an “L-shaped” sliding door that opens to connect the sunroom to both the dining room and the living room. This is so her guests can run in from outdoors to eat at the table or watch a movie on the sofa. She additionally requested an indoor/outdoor grill in the sunroom, so her family could grill out indoors without making her kitchen smoky, either.

52 Summer 2022

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54 Summer 2022

Locally Brewed Brock’s Gap Brewing Company creates space for the whole family.

B

BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE PHOTOS BY DON NAMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, UNTOLD IMAGERY

Bikes and beer normally don’t pair well. But for longtime Hoover resident Jamie Cato, the first brought the idea for the other, leading to Hoover’s first brewery: Brock’s Gap Brewing Company.

While teaching his son how to ride a bike in the Met parking lot during the COVID lockdown, Cato looked over and saw a piece of land for sale. As his son’s tires were spinning so were the ones in Cato’s head.

“My son made it about 20 yards before I picked up my phone and called my business partner and told him we have to buy some land,” Cato recalls.

He says the city was missing a large, family-friendly gathering spot. The property seemed like the perfect place to create one and fill in that gap. And it didn’t take him long to come up with an idea for the type of place they should build there.

“I told my business partner we were going to build a brewery on the land, and he said, ‘You know you don’t know how to make beer, right?’” Cato says.

While Cato didn’t have prior brewing experience, he had run other businesses and said he knew someone who would make the perfect head brewer: Jeff Huemmer. So, along with Cato’s main business partner, Michael Blumenthal, and other partner, Brian Toth, they purchased the property.

The Hoover City Council initially had concerns about the potential for loud concerts at the brewery. But when Cato explained their plan for events and noise control, the council got behind the idea and saw the value it would add to the community. After two years of planning and construction, Brock’s Gap Brewing Company officially opened March 3 next to the Hoover Met. HooversMagazine.com 55

“

It’s just a place to have a little fun.

Parents and kids can have fun together.

”

–Jamie Cato

56 Summer 2022

“It is a tremendous honor for me personally and our group that we could build Hoover’s first brewery,” Cato says. “I’ve heard no less than a thousand times, ‘Thanks for building this for our community. We’ve needed this for a long time.’ The reaction has been phenomenal.”

The brewery has about 16 beers on tap at a time, including both core and seasonal options. A few popular drinks include their Going Going Blonde, The Sugar Cat, Rock & Roll All Lite, Hopnoculum and The Shuffler. “We have a lot to offer a lot of different people,” he says.

In addition to refreshing drinks, Brock’s Gap Brewing Company also tries to have food trucks there every day—from ones with snow cones and chocolate goodies to Cajun food and pizza. It’s easy to see why it is turning into a one-stop shop for many families.

The brewery has a variety of indoor spaces customers can rent for private

HooversMagazine.com 57

events, along with an outdoor green space that’s perfect for all ages. From cornhole to large checkers’ pieces, Jenga and Connect 4, the outdoor area will become families’ new go-to hangout.

“It’s just a place to have a little fun,” Cato says. “Parents and kids can have fun together.”

As the brewery continues to grow, so will its list of happenings. Their director of events, Darrius Jackson, is working to bring a concert series and other events in the coming months.

They plan to offer live music almost every Friday night, along with trivia and other socials. The brewery is also planning special events for the SEC baseball tournament and World Games.

“We’re going to grow and continue having a nice community brewery 58 Summer 2022

HooversMagazine.com 59

that’s family-friendly and makes really good beer,” Cato says. “I’ve met so many cool people from the city and cemented myself and my family in the community.”

A Hoover resident since 2004, Cato says he also wants the brewery to give back to the community he and his family love.

“The city built the Finley Center, and it’s been a tremendous asset for the city,” says Cato, whose brewery is walking distance from the development. “Our brewery is a valueadd for the city for advertising and marketing large tournaments.”

The brewery doesn’t only give back to the community, but it is also a reflection of the area. Its train logo is a nod to the South and North Alabama 60 Summer 2022

Railroad that crossed by Brock’s Gap, and the names of the brewery’s beers also pay tribute to the role Brock’s Gap played in the founding of Birmingham.

“I think Brock’s Gap Brewing Company is uniquely us, and we have a really cool atmosphere,” he says.

“People who come in say the beer is fantastic, and our staff makes them feel at home. Come in and check us out.”

Brock’s Gap Brewing Company is located at 500 Mineral Trace in Hoover. They are open Monday through Wednesday from 3 to 11 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; and Sunday 12 to 10 p.m. For more information, visit Brocksgapbrewing.com.

HOOVER’S BEST WINNERS 2022

Who’s the best? We asked, and you answered. Thousands of votes were cast in Hoover’s Magazine’s annual Hoover’s Best contest. Read on to find out our readers’ favorites.

Photos by Keith McCoy BEST BRUNCH Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen HooversMagazine.com 61

FOOD & DRINK

BEST FRIENDLY SERVICE Bluff Park Ice Cream Shoppe 815 Shades Crest Rd 205-423-5055 bluffparkicecreamshop.com

BEST BURGER Baha Burger

Runner Up: Chick-fil-A, Santos Coffee Hoover BEST KID FRIENDLY DINING Chick-fil-A at The Grove 5658 Grove Blvd 205-989-1701 Chick-fil-a.com/locations/al/ the-grove Runner Up: Taco Mama - Trace Crossings, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s BEST ETHNIC DINING/REGIONAL CUISINE La Fiesta 1941 Hoover Ct #3619 205-979-7314 lafiestahooveral.com Runner Up: Blue Pacific at Hoover Food Mart, Pita Cafe BEST DATE NIGHT RESTAURANT Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE 145 205-538-5866 Trelunabarandkitchen.com Runner Up: Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen, J. Alexander’s Redlands Grill

BEST MARGARITA

BEST COFFEE

Taco Mama - Trace Crossings 5220 Peridot Pl STE 100 205-882-8226 Tacomamaonline.com

Santos Coffee Hoover 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE 101 205-502-7020 Santoscoffee.us

Runner Up: Moss Rock Tacos & Tequila, La Fiesta

Runner Up: O’Henry’s Coffees, Wild Roast Cafe

BEST LUNCH SPOT

BEST SWEET TREATS

Clean Eatz 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE 141 205-490-1141 Cleaneatz.com

The Whole Scoop Ice Cream Shop 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy 205-444-8000 Thewholescoopicecream.com

Runner Up: Ashley Mac’s, Taco Mama - Trace Crossings BEST BURGER Baha Burger 4745 Chace Cir 205-682-6980 Bahaburger.com

Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE 145 205-538-5866 Trelunabarandkitchen.com Runner Up: Vecchia Pizzeria & Mercato, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

BEST BARBEQUE

BEST MILKSHAKE

Moe’s Original BBQ – Hoover 1031 Brock’s Gap Pkwy STE 191 205-774-8800 Moesoriginalbbq.com

The Whole Scoop Ice Cream Shop 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy 205-444-8000 Thewholescoopicecream.com

BEST CASUAL RESTURANT Taco Mama - Trace Crossings 5220 Peridot Pl STE 100 205-882-8226 Tacomamaonline.com

62 Summer 2022

BEST PATIO DINING

Runner Up: Whiskey Foxtrot Burger Dive, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes

Runner Up: Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, Full Moon Bar-B-Que

BEST LUNCH SPOT Clean Eatz

Runner Up: Bluff Park Ice Cream Shoppe, Edgar’s Bakery

Runner Up: Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen, Front Porch

Runner Up: Green Valley Drug, Bluff Park Ice Cream Shoppe BEST PIZZA Tortugas Pizza 2801 John Hawkins Pkwy 205-403-9800 Tortugaspizza.com Runner Up: Vecchia Pizzeria & Mercato, Brixx Wood Fired Pizza + Craft Bar

HooversMagazine.com 63

BEST DRINKS/COCKTAILS Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE 145 205-538-5866 Trelunabarandkitchen.com Runner Up: Taco Mama - Trace Crossings, Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen BEST CHEF Tre Luna Bar and Kitchen 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE 145 205-538-5866 Trelunabarandkitchen.com Runner Up: Chef Daniel Jeffreys Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen, MELT Hoover

BEST OUTDOORS SPOT Moss Rock Preserve

BEST BRUNCH Farrelly’s Southern Bar and Kitchen 5532 Grove Blvd 205-968-1408 Farrellyskitchen.com

COMMUNITY

BEST LOCAL CAUSE

BEST COMMUNITY EVENT Bluff Park Art Show The Park at Shades Cliff 517 Cloudland Dr Bluffparkartassociation.org

Runner Up: First Watch, Big Bad Breakfast

Hope for Autumn Foundation 3722 Chalybe Walk (954) 410-8362 Hopeforautumnfoundation.org Runner Up: Hoover Helps, Grace Klein Community Feed BHM

Runner Up: Moss Rock Festival, Hope for Autumn Crawfish Boil

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2021 /MARCH FEBRUARY azine.com HooversMag Issue 1 Vol. 10 | $4.95

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STORIES IC LOVE PANDEM STYLES AL HAIR ANTIC BRID

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD

BEST DENTAL PRACTICE

Bluff Park

Kasey Davis Dentistry 589A Shades Crest Rd 205-822-7277 Kaseydavisdentistry.com

Runner Up: The Preserve, Ross Bridge BEST OUTDOORS SPOT Moss Rock Preserve 617 Preserve Way 205-739-7141 Hooveral.org/214/moss-rockpreserve Runner Up: Aldridge Gardens, Hoover Metropolitan Complex BEST CHURCH

Runner Up: Brocks Gap Dentistry, Hoover Family Dentistry BEST ORTHODONTICS PRACTICE Birmingham Orthodontics – Hoover 5391 Magnolia Trace 205-628-9789 Bhamorthodontics.com

Prince of Peace Catholic Church 4600 Preserve Pkwy 205-822-9125 Popcatholic.org

Runner Up: Backus Orthodontics, Brocks Gap Orthodontics

Runner Up: Hunter Street Baptist Church, Bluff Park United Methodist Church

Pure Dermatology & Aesthetics 5346 Stadium Trace Pkwy #100 205-682-8022 puredermalabama.com

BEST LOCAL PERSONALITY

BEST DERMATOLOGY PRACTICE

James Spann 800 Concourse Pkwy STE 200 205-403-3340 Abc3340.com

Runner Up: Cahaba Dermatology & Skin Health Center, Inverness Dermatology & Laser

Runner Up: Connie AngstadtPrincipal at Prince of Peace Catholic School, Clare Huddleston - WBRC

BEST PEDIATRIC PRACTICE

BEST PUBLIC / PRIVATE SCHOOL Prince of Peace Catholic School 4650 Preserve Pkwy 205-824-7886 Popcatholic.net Runner Up: Hoover High School, Bluff Park Elementary

HEALTH & BEAUTY BEST FAMILY MEDICINE PRACTICE

Medical West Brocks Gap Health Center 1001 Brocks Gap Pkwy 205-421-1032 Medicalwesthospital.org Runner Up: UAB Medicine Hoover Primary & Specialty Care, Grandview Medical Group - Hoover

Greenvale Pediatrics – Hoover 5295 Preserve Pkwy STE 100 205-987-4444 Childrensal.org/hoover-office Runner Up: Ross Bridge Medical Center Pediatrics: Nicolette Marak, MD, McCown Andrew MD BEST CHIROPRACTIC CARE PRACTICE Reignite Chiropractic 2717 John Hawkins Pkwy STE 107 205-855-3305 Reignitechiropractic.com Runner Up: Birmingham Health, Lake Crest Chiropractic & Wellness - Andrew Klein, D.C. BEST PHARMACY Mills Pharmacy at Bluff Park 2148 Tyler Rd 205-823-9500 Millspharmacies.com Runner Up: Publix Super Market at Trace Crossings, Green Valley Drug

HooversMagazine.com 65

SPONSORED CONTENT

GALLERIA WOODS IS HOOVER LIVING Galleria Woods will celebrate 30 years of serving seniors this year, providing a senior living model that is unique to the Birmingham market.

The facility is the only true Life Care community in Birmingham, which is an all-inclusive financial approach that takes the “must do’s” out of today, and the “what ifs” out of tomorrow.

“The vast majority of residents choose a Life Care community when they are active and healthy,” said Anne Smyth, director of sales and marketing for Galleria Woods. “They are attracted to the maintenance-free lifestyle that gives them more time to do what they want and maybe tackle some of the items on their bucket list. If a time 66 Summer 2022

comes when care is needed, it is right here at the community.”

Galleria Woods is located on 19 beautifully landscaped acres that include a peaceful, picturesque courtyard area with a pool, gazebo, firepits and putting green.

The facility is a continuing care retirement community offering 149 independent living accommodations, 24 assisted living suites and 30 skilled nursing suites.

The independent living accommodations range in size from 1 to 3 bedroom apartment style homes, to a garden home community which features 25 two bedroom, two bath cottages with single-car garages,

attached.

Smyth said residents often look at three main reasons when choosing life care including care costs, gaining peace of mind, and preserving their nest egg.

Over the years, Galleria Woods has been able to stand the test of time with experienced, tenured leadership in key positions, including Lynda Sullivan, the executive director, who has been in the senior living industry for more than 36 years. Lynda has been the executive director at Galleria Woods for nine years and holds the skilled nursing and assisted living licenses for the community. Lynda initially began her career in senior

SPONSORED CONTENT living as a director of activities, which allowed her to get to know the residents and understand them on a personal level, which has helped her throughout the years of being an e x e c u t i v e director.

Chris Bird, a senior executive with Life Care Services, Galleria Woods’ management team, began his career in senior living working for Sullivan.

“Lynda has all the qualities you would want in a leader of a community such as Galleria Woods,” Bird said. “She is fun-spirited, with a warm heart and has a passion for serving seniors. She was my first executive director back in 1996, and she taught me the art of listening. She would always be available for me, her entire team, along with our residents and their families. People are key to our business, and she has always been committed to listening and making a meaningful difference in their lives.”

Patsy Gann is also the director of nursing at Galleria Woods, and has

might not know every other resident, but will easily be able to find new friends that share c o m m o n interests,” Smyth said.

Life Care Services, the management partner, has been named No. 1 in senior living by JD Power and Associates for three years running including 2019, 2020 and 2021.

U.S. News and World Report also been in this role for more than 12 years. Patsy began her career in skilled awarded “best skilled nursing awards” to Galleria Woods for long- and shortcare while in high school.

Additionally, Geraldine Washington term care for six years running. “The has worked as the pastry chef for all 30 personal relationships we develop with the residents and their families is years of Galleria Woods being open.

“Geraldine is famous for her a joy and highlight of working in homemade peanut butter pie, which is senior living,” Smyth said. “Working a resident favorite,” Smyth said. “She in a senior living community allows also brings fresh baked goodies to our you to be exposed to so many different lobby refreshment center first thing in people who have lived an abundant life of marriage, children, careers, the morning and mid-afternoon.”

Smyth said there are roughly 200- travel, cooking, gardening, sports, plus residents who live at Galleria love, and loss. It is an exceptional job Woods, which is considered a to have.”

For more information, visit “boutique-sized” community. “We are large enough where a new resident galleriawoodsseniorliving.com.

HooversMagazine.com 67

68 Summer 2022

BEST SPA Spa at Ross Bridge BEST HAIR SALON

BEST PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Jeremy Stephens Salon 5220 Peridot Pl STE 116 205-402-0022 Jeremystephensbrand.com

Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry 1015 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE A 205-982-0112 Brocksgapdentalgroup.com

Runner Up: Stone Salon, O’Hair Inc BEST NAIL SALON Sapphire Nail Spa 5569 Grove Blvd #101 205-988-0080 Sapphirenailsandspahoover.com Runner Up: The Nail Bar, Touch & Glow Nails Spa BEST SPA

Runner Up: Anglin Pediatric & Family Dentistry, Pediatric Dental Associates Medplex Hoover BEST DOCTOR Dr. Elizabeth Martin Pure Dermatology 5346 Stadium Trace Pkwy #100 205-682-8022 puredermalabama.com

Spa at Ross Bridge 4000 Grand Ave 205-949-3041 Rtjspatrail.com

Runner Up: Dr. Jody Gilstrap - Medical West Brocks Gap Health Center in Hoover, Vlada Groysman - Cahaba Dermatology

Runner Up: Spa Cahaba, Relax Therapeutic Massage

BEST BARBER SHOP

BEST FITNESS CENTER

Bluff Park Barber Shop 581 Shades Crest Rd 205-822-6704

Burn Boot Camp Hoover 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy #121 205-335-1884 Burnbootcamp.com Runner Up: Hoover YMCA, Pivot Fitness BEST PERSONAL TRAINER Abby Allen - Burn Hoover 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy #121 205-335-1884 Burnbootcamp.com Runner Up: Joel Powell - Burn Hoover, Jamie McDuffie, Hoover Recreation Center

Runner Up: Chop Hoover, Fresh Avenue - Hoover BEST ESTHETICIAN Dominique Bobian - Spa Cahaba 2279 Valleydale Rd STE 102 205-214-8832 Spacahaba.com Runner Up: Nancy Taylor - Birch Tree Day Spa, Joy Bianchi - Spa Cahaba

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70 Summer 2022

SHOPPING & SERVICES

BEST GARDEN SHOP Andy’s Farm Market & Garden Center

BEST NEW BUSINESS Clean Eatz 1021 Brocks Gap Pkwy STE 141 205-490-1141 Cleaneatz.com Runner Up: PetSuites Hoover, Maven Hair Company BEST GARDEN SHOP Andy’s Farm Market & Garden Center 124 Mars Hill Rd 205-402-2639 Andysgardencenter.com Runner Up: Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement BEST HARDWARE STORE Bluff Park Hardware 597 Shades Crest Rd 205-823-1953 Bluffparkhardware.com Runner Up: The Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

BEST BOUTIQUE/CLOTHING

Arc Realty – Hoover 5220 Peridot Pl STE 124 205-969-8912 Arcrealtyco.com

Dear Prudence 4441 Creekside Ave STE 125 205-407-7523 Dearprudence.com

Runner Up: Medical West Brocks Gap Health Center, Shay’s Jewelers

Runner Up: Wrapsody of Hoover, Annabelle’s Southern Boutique

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72 Summer 2022

BEST FLORIST Hoover Florist 1905 Hoover Ct 205-823-5273 Hooverflorist.com

BEST FLORIST Hoover Florist

BEST GIFT SHOP Wrapsody of Hoover 1028 Marble Ter STE 116 205-989-7277 Wrapsodyonline.com Runner Up: Hoover Shipping Center, Dear Prudence BEST SPECIALTY STORE Wrapsody of Hoover 1028 Marble Ter STE 116 205-989-7277 Wrapsodyonline.com Runner Up: Shay’s Jewelers, Annabelle’s Southern Boutique BEST SENIOR LIVING FACILITY Galleria Woods 3850 Galleria Woods Dr 205-277-6915 Galleriawoodsseniorliving.com Runner Up: Danberry at Inverness, The Crossings at Riverhcase

BEST STORE FOR HOME FURNISHINGS/DÉCOR/ KITCHENS

Runner Up: At Home, Wrapsody of Hoover

HomeGoods 1660 Montgomery Hwy 205-823-5221 Homegoods.com

We work tirelessly to help kids get well because the world needs to see what Natalie dreams up.

WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.

G R E E N VA L E P E D I A T R I C S Congratulations on being selected by Hoover Magazine readers as one of the best Hoover businesses!

5295 Preserve Pkwy, Ste 100 Hoover, AL 35244 (205) 987-4444 www.greenvalepediatrics.com

1600 7th Avenue South Birmingham, AL 35294

205-638-9100 ChildrensAL.org

HooversMagazine.com 73

BEST ANIMAL CLINIC Lake Crest Animal Clinic

BEST ANIMAL CLINIC Lake Crest Animal Clinic 551 Lake Crest Dr 205-403-4003 Lakecrestanimalclinic.com Runner Up: Ross Bridge Animal Hospital, Galleria Animal Clinic BEST DRY CLEANER Summit Cleaners 2341 John Hawkins Pkwy #137 205-444-0422 Runner Up: Mark’s Quality Cleaners, Champion Cleaners - Greystone BEST KID ACTIVITY Explore Playground & Splashpad 1004 RV Trce 205-739-7364 Hoovermetcomplex.com Runner Up: ATA Action Martial Arts, Moss Rock Preserve BEST CHILDREN’S DAYCARE Prince of Peace - Adventure Ark 4600 Preserve Pkwy 205-822-9125 Popcatholic.org

74 Summer 2022

Runner Up: Ardent Preschool & Daycare - Trace Crossings, Odyssey Early School at Trace Crossings

BEST PET SUPPLY STORE

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER

Hollywood Feed 230 Doug Baker Blvd 205-995-0223 Hollywoodfeed.com

MyKenzie Hill Photography Mykenziehillphoto.com

Runner Up: Petco, Pet suites

Runner Up: Leslie Hollingsworth Photography, Ashley Johnson- So Filled with Love Photography

BEST STORE FOR KIDS

BEST REMODELER

Sgt. Peppers by Dear Prudence 4441 Creekside Ave STE 117 205-407-7523 Sgtpeppersbydp.com

Natco Construction 205-706-0175 www.natcollc.com

Runner Up: Learning Express Toys, Once Upon a Child

Runner Up: Wildcat Construction, K and K Quality Construction

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

BEST JEWELRY STORE Shay’s Jewelers 1678 Montgomery Hwy STE 103-C 205-978-5880 Shaysjewelers.com Runner Up: Anthony’s Jewelers, Jared

Donna Gaskins - ARC Realty 5220 Peridot Pl STE 124 205-969-8912 Donnagaskins.arcrealtyco.com

Runner Up: RealtySouth, Keller Williams Hoover BEST INSURANCE AGENT Vivian Mora - State Farm 3253 Lorna Rd 205-822-5023 Vivianmoraagency.com Runner Up: Kurt Adams - State Farm Insurance, David Arnold- MK Insurance BEST INSURANCE AGENCY Vivian Mora State Farm Insurance 3253 Lorna Rd 205-822-5023 Vivianmoraagency.com Runner Up: Kurt Adams - State Farm Insurance Agent, MK Insurance

Runner Up: Gwen Vinzant - Realty South, Sarah Johnson - ARC Realty

BEST BANK

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY

ServisFirst – Greystone 5403 US-280 #401 205-949-0870 Servisfirstbank.com

ARC Realty Hoover 5220 Peridot Pl STE 124 205-969-8912 Arcrealtyco.com

Runner Up: Regions Bank - Trace Crossings, Avadian Credit Union - Chase Lake

HooversMagazine.com 75

BEST KID ACTIVITY Explore Playground & Splashpad

BEST AUTO SERVICE

BEST HVAC SERVICE

Christian Brothers Automotive Tattersall Park 6612 Tattersall Ln 205-598-3106 Cbac.com

OnTime Service 2668 Old Rocky Ridge Rd 205-378-8421 Ontime59.com

Runner Up: Vulcan Tire & Automotive, Momentum Motorworks

Runner Up: Standard Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, Sentry Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, & Electrical

BEST NEW/USED CAR DEALER

BEST ATTORNEY

Hoover Toyota 2686 John Hawkins Pkwy 205-978-2600 Hoovertoyota.com

Malcolm McLeod - McLeod & Associates 1980 Braddock Dr 205-930-1774 Mcleodlaw.net

Runner Up: King Acura, Long-Lewis Ford of Hoover BEST CAR WASH

76 Summer 2022

Runner Up: Marcus Chatterton Balch & Bingham, Margaret Casey - Key, Greer, Harrison & Casey

Anthony’s Full Service & Express Car Wash Hoover 3037 AL-150 205-987-7878 Anthonyscarwash.com

BEST ACCOUNTING COMPANY

Runner Up: Tidal Wave Auto Spa, Blue Rain Express Car Wash

Runner Up: Truitt, Tingle, Paramore & Argent, LLC, Hagler & Brocato LLC

Sitton and Hard CPA 2870 Old Rocky Ridge Rd # 110 205-822-0299

Lovely LOUISVILLE

By Christiana Roussel | Photos Contributed

When you first think about the city of Louisville, baseball, bourbon and horses might be the first thoughts that come to mind. To be sure, this city is wellknown for all three things but venture a bit farther and you will discover so much more.

HooversMagazine.com 77

HIT THE ROAD

WHAT TO DO Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Sluggermuseum.com Whether or not you’re a fan of the baseball diamond, you need to visit this downtown landmark.

After capturing an Instagram-worthy photo with the giant bat out front, head inside for a tour of the factory where this legendary company has been churning out Louisville Slugger bats for peewees to pros since 1884. Book your tour time in advance and plan to fall in love with the art of woodworking.

WHEN TO GO Honestly, any time of year is a great time to head north on I-65 where this city, founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark as a way to honor King Louis XVI, lies just five hours away. Families love all there is to do outside – baseball games, historical exploration, biking along the Ohio River – while couples or maybe a passel of guys might want to dive headlong into the bourbon scene. With the Zombie Walk in August, Porktoberfest in October, Derby Day in May, summer concert series and art shows year round, there is great food and culture here for days so, pack a bag and hit the road.

Where to stay Hotel Distil hoteldistil.com 21C 21cmuseumhotels.com/louisville The Grady Hotel thegradyhotel.com The Brown brownhotel.com/ Home of the original Hot Brown sandwich

78 Summer 2022

Bernheim Forest Bernheim.org Before you even get into the city of Louisville, plan to stop at Bernheim Forest, just 20 minutes south of town. Situated on 16,000 acres in Bullitt County, this arboretum and research forest feels like you’ve stepped sideways into another world, one with a slower pace, that is lush and begging to be explored.

Not to be missed: Forest Giants in the Giant Forest.

Frazier History Museum Fraziermuseum.org Located just across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is the Frazier History Museum, an airy renovated factory space with a well-curated and well-edited collection of historically significant artifacts and art, aimed at introducing visitors to all things Kentucky.

It also marks the official start of the Urban Bourbon Trail.

Churchill Downs Churchilldowns.com At the top of most visitors’ lists is a trip to horse-racing mecca Churchill Downs. Sure, tout le monde wishes to be here in early May, donning a fancy hat and sipping a signature Mint Julep, but there is great history and culture here year ‘round, that merits exploration. Tours include a stunning video in the round, as well as glimpses into the paddocks and the vaunted Winner’s Circle. But don’t even think about stepping foot onto the famed track, unless you want to go to jail. Seriously.

Stitzel-Weller Distillery Stitzelwellerdistillery.com If you have to pick just one distillery to tour in your time in Louisville, let it be Stitzel-Weller. Period. The grounds are gorgeous, the tour is inspirational and informative, and this is where bourbon’s past meets its future. Be sure to save time to pop in to the Garden & Gun Club upstairs, where the skilled bartenders will help you while away the afternoon in a beautiful amber-hue.

Neighborhood Tours Like most Southern cities, Louisville is divided into neighborhoods (more than 200!), each with a culture and a vibe all their own.

Cave Hill Cemetery Cavehillcemetery.com Outside of New Orleans, when was the last time a cemetery visit was on your itinerary? Possibly never, but this one is very much worth seeing.

Lush rolling hills, dotted with marble landmarks, Cave Hill is as serene as you might imagine, and an integral part of Louisville history. What makes it notable are two famous residents: Colonel Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, and Muhammad Ali. Olmsted Parks Olmstedparks.org Famous for his vision in creating New York City’s Central Park and Asheville’s Biltmore Estate landscape, Frederick Law Olmsted was commissioned to design an entire park system for the city of Louisville in 1891.

There are more than a dozen parks here that carry the Olmsted vision of providing engaging community spaces for all to enjoy. We’ll leave it to you to determine which one has the better space for picnics or frisbee golf.

HooversMagazine.com 79

HIT THE ROAD NULU The East Market District of downtown is affectionately referred to as New Louisville or NULU for short. Fantastic food, eclectic shopping and gallery-hopping are the big draws here. A specific highlight would be the leather-goods purveyor Clayton & Crume flagship store, in Muhammad Ali’s former gym.

Butchertown One of Louisville’s oldest neighborhoods and a former meatpacking district, Butchertown is home to Bourbon Barrel Foods where owner Matt Jamie retails culinary wares including his epic Kentucky soy sauce aged in reclaimed bourbon barrels.

Definitely do not miss.

Locust Grove Locustgrove.org This site is the former home of William Clark’s sister, Lucy, and her husband William Croghan.

The famed explorers Lewis and Clark stopped here on their return to Washington City in 1806.

WHERE TO EAT Prepare to be wowed by the food here. Yes, we are spoiled in Birmingham, with our James Beard Award-winning chefs aplenty, but Louisville has its fair share of culinary hot spots, to be sure.

Bourbon Barrel Foods Marketplace Eatyourbourbonmarketplace.com Every Friday night, Chef-in-Residence Michael Hargrove of River City Supper Club crafts a unique menu while bartender Lauren Dupre creates cocktails or beer pairings for each dish.

Taco Luchador el-taco-luchador.com A little kitchy but a lot of yummy at this casual eatery with four area locations.

Redhog Artisan Market redhogartisanmeat.com Lunch, dinner, custom charcuterie boards – rooted in the simplest of ingredients but elevated with deft chef hands.

La Bodeguita de Mima Cuban Restaurant & Bar Labodeguitademima.com Come hungry and adventurous, and if you arrive in a bad mood, you’re guaranteed to leave happier. It is just impossible not to, such is the vibe.

80 Summer 2022

Logan Street Market loganstmarket.com Literally something for everyone here in this bright and airy space that is onepart food hall, one-part community hub, one-part maker space. A total locals-only kind of spot where you feel cool just being there.

River House Restaurant Riverhouselouisville.com Just outside of town, on the banks of the Ohio River. Only the food rivals the view.

Pizza Lupo Pizzalupo.com A favorite with locals, with the awards to prove it, their wood-fired pizza is fantastic.

Justin’s House of Bourbon thehouseofbourbon.com More than a mere liquor store, Justin’s House of Bourbon is an EXPERIENCE. This tasting shop that doubles as retailer of vintage and rare bourbons and whiskeys even boasts a Whiskey Historian. After graduating college in 2014, Caroline Paulus moved to Kentucky to pursue a career in archeology. While her days were spent with prehistoric artifacts her nights and weekends involved a complete and total exploration into the beverage of choice in her new hometown. Now, as senior editor of The Bourbon Review, Caroline also shares her knowledge with customers at Justin’s House of Bourbon, ensuring everyone leaves feeling more confident in their preferences and with a bottle or two of something they’ll love.

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OUR VISION

Be the leading community with thriving businesses and top talent, while advancing diverse and equitable opportunities for all.

Summer 2022 OUREvents VISION

Be the leading community with thriving businesses and top talent, while advancing diverse and equitable opportunities for all.

OUR MISS

Serve as the catalyst for e

OUR VISION partnerships and OUR advocati Serve as Be the leading community with thriving businesses and top partners talent, while advancing diverse and equitable opportunities for all.

OUR VISION OU

OUR MISSION

Be the leading community with thriving businesses and top talent, while advancing diverse and equitable opportunities for all.

Serve as the catalyst for economic growth by fostering cooperative partnerships and advocating for our stakeholders.

FOSTER ECONOMIC VITALITY FOSTER ECONOMIC VITALITY

Serv part

CULTIVATECULTIVATE TALENT T

June 9, 2022 Coffee & Contacts Provide high quality jobs.

Attract talent to Hoov 7:30 a.m. Provide high quality jobs.

• Partner with allies to market the City of Hoover.

Attract talent to Hoover.

• Partner with the City Uplift Nutrition • Partner with allies to market the City •ofPartner Hoover. with allies on Business Retention and through Provide high quality jobs.

• Partner with the City to HelloHoover! market anda Provide high quality jobs.

1401 Doug Baker Boulevard Expansion.

Attract talent to Ho • Partner with allies on Business Retention and • Partner with allies to market the City of Hoover.

Create thriving small business ecosystem. through HelloHoover! and other recru • Partner with allies to market the City of Hoover.

Suite 103 • Collaborate with part • Partner with the Expansion.

• •Promote small businesses residents and visitors.

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• Prepare employers fo • Be the primary resource for small business growth.

• Facilitate the curation of local area media content. to market the City of Hoover.Chamber Luncheon Be the primary resource for small business growth.

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• Partner with the City to market and showcase what Hoover offers Chamber Luncheon

Rev. 2/10/22

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2022 – 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

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121 Riverchase Parkway East Rev. 2/10/22 Be a trusted advocate for business.

BE THE VOICE OF BUSINESS • Represent business interests.

Elevate Hoover

Hoover, AL 35244

• Establish a committee to advocate for businesses to City Officials.

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82

Act as a community partner for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

• Engage and empower a diverse business community and workforce.

Summer 2022 • Support diversity in community and business leadership.

2022 – 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

Rev. 2/10/22

Elevate Hoover 2022 – 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

2022

Celebrating Growth

Cool Shots Selfie Museum February 9, 2022

Dunkin’ February 22, 2022

Summer 2022 Events August 11, 2022 Coffee & Contacts 7:30 a.m.

Parent-Teacher Store 1615 Montgomery Highway #112 Hoover, AL 35216 August 18, 2022 Chamber Luncheon 11:15a.m.

Hoover Country Club 3140 Club Drive Hoover, AL 35226 Reservations Required $25

Engineering For Kids February 15, 2022

EW Motion Therapy February 24, 2022

August 25, 2022 4:30 p.m.

Business After Hours Cahaba Dermatology 2290 Valleydale Road Hoover, AL 35244 September 8, 2022 Coffee & Contacts 7:30 a.m.

APCO Employees Credit Union-Tattersall 6400 Tattersall Park Drive Birmingham, AL 35242

Flipsies Furniture February 9, 2022

Miami Fusion Café February 10, 2022

September 15, 2022 Chamber Luncheon 11:15 a.m.

Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel 1000 Riverchase Galleria Hoover, AL 35244 Reservations Required $25 September 22, 2022 Business After Hours 4:30 p.m.

BumperNets 2000 Riverchase Galleria Suite 179 Hoover, AL 35244

Parent-Teacher Store March 8, 2022

WalkOns-Stadium Trace December 13, 2022

HooversMagazine.com 83

New Members uLake Homes Realty

uGodspeed

uStarling Concrete Resurfacing LLC

uBrocks Gap Eye Care

uWine Down Marketing uResortNet uMethod Mortgage, LLC uThe Piedmont Group uMatthew 25:35 Outreach Organization

uNHS Management, LLC uCrunch Fitness uSRS Real Estate Partners uSaw’s BBQ uFyzical Therapy & Balance Centers

uKIDZ CEO

uCrossroads to Pathways Counseling

uRobb Williams - eXp Realty

uTimberline Inspections LLC

uHBH REALTY INC

uBirmingham Obstetrics Gynecology, P. C.

uAbogados Centro Legal uRepublican Women of North Shelby County uSouth Haven Health & Rehabilitation Center

uKale Me Crazy uThree Oaks Mortgage, LLC uCivitan International

uMighty Dog Roofing

uThe Medicare Store

uBluemont Group dba Dunkin’

uAdobe

uLiberty Mutual Insurance/ Andree Pospisil uWhat’s Your Flav Funstation uJanet Goins Real Estate LLC, RE/MAX Advantage South

uAnnie’s True Love CDC uSain Associates uD1 Sports Training Hoover

Thank you to our 2021 Board of Trustees

Eric Land, ABC 33/40 Television Brooke Wood, Alabama Credit Union - Hoover Timothy Lee, Alabama Heart & Vascular, P.C. Kimberly Jackson, Alabama Power Company Jabo Waggoner, Alabama State Senator Jabo Waggoner Zeke Eldridge, Alabama Vein & Restoration Medspa-Chace Circle Raven Bell, AlaTrust Credit Union Craig Reeves, Ambit Solutions, LLC Jylon Jones, American Family Care - Cahaba Beach Road Jody Mattson, AmFirst-Downtown Birmingham Derrick Ragland, APCO Employees Credit Union John Santamour, Aprio, LLP Kim Starling, Ascension St. Vincent’s Terri Williams, AT&T - Alabama Linda Cencula, Avadian Credit Union - Corporate Jarrod Edwards, BancorpSouth - Hoover David Riddle, Bedzzz Express Deborah Stephens, Behavioral Health Systems, Inc. Matthew Rodgers, Benton Nissan of Hoover Ashfaq Taufique, Birmingham Islamic Society Tara Bailey, Brookdale University Park Sonny Warbington, Brown Heating & Cooling Will Hawkins, CB&S Bank Ruchit Patel, Charleys Cheesesteaks Lori Moler, Children’s of Alabama Crystal Dixon, Costco Wholesale Jamie Popee, Diversicare of Riverchase Nicole Self, Express Oil Change/Tire Engineers -Corporate Offices Anne Smyth, Galleria Woods Retirement Community Ches Allen, General Informatics Keith Strickland, Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Inc. Leisha Harris, Grandview Medical Center Len Luther, Gresham, Smith and Partners Monique Holiness, Home Depot - Inverness Kash Siddiqui, Jubilee Joe’s Restaurant Ryan Emery, Kamali Creole Kitchen Gina Cannady, Legacy Community Federal Credit

Union - Corporate Ridge Ira Levine, Levine & Associates Buz Boyd, Lexus of Birmingham Terry Poole, Long-Lewis of Hoover Jamie Black, McDonald’s Christina Bunn, Medical West Hospital Luke Elder, Mercedes Benz of Birmingham Van Singleton, Office Depot #2293-Hoover Allison Moore, On Tap Sports Cafe - Galleria Michael Brown, Ortho Alabama Spine and Sports Rodney Berry, Peoples Bank of Alabama International Park Chuck Kramer, Progress Bank and Trust Rick Smith, Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa Bob Adams, Revere Control Systems, Inc. Mike White, Riverchase Galleria Dwight Sandlin, Signature Homes Brian Skelton, Skelton’s Heating, Cooling and Refrigeration Michelle Suggs, Somerby at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen Lynne Butler, South Haven Health & Rehabilitation Center James Robinson, Spire Energy Vivian Mora, State Farm Insurance - Vivian Mora Agency Reggie Torbor, Taproot Cafe Terry Rippstein, Terracon Consultants, Inc. Aeriell Lapsley, The Trails at Cahaba River Mark Grenier, Topgolf Gus McKenzie, Troy University Mary Beth Young, Truist Financial Matt Roth, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux~ Tattersall Phillip Corley, Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt, LLC Darin Boykin, WalMart - Hoover #1229 Richard Edwards, WalMart SuperCenter Highway 280 Cody Burns, WBRC Fox 6 Television Paul Sutton, werkplas Kristen Vaughn, Wind Creek Hospitality

uDotedison uInti Translations, LLC uGo Green Lawn

uFolds of Honor Foundation, Alabama Chapter, Inc.

3000 RIVERCHASE GALLERIA 84 Summer 2022

HOOVER, AL 35244

F i n d U s O n l i ne

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

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Access our member directory

Hoover Chamber Officers and Board of Directors

David Custred McLeod Software 2022 Chair of the Board

April DeLuca Magic City Law 1st Vice-Chair

Rohen Porbanderwala Lake Crest Chevron 2nd Vice-Chair

Lynn Ray Business Telephones, Inc. Vice-Chair Administration

Stephen A. Walsh Legal Advisor

Diana Shaw Knight Sovereign CPA Group LLC Vice-Chair Finance

Greg Knighton City of Hoover Liaison

Tyler Lipe Regions Bank

Presidents Circle Kyla Carr, Annie’s True Love CDC Antonio Sankey, Antonio D. Sankey & Assoc., LLC Alan Lincoln, Birmingham Coca-Cola Bottling Company Tyler Williams, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Natalie Fleming, Brookwood Baptist Medical Center Brandi Ashley, Go Green Lawn Joel Smith, Hendrick Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram / Chevrolet Scott Peeples, Hoover Toyota Paul Dangel, Hyatt Regency Birmingham - The Wynfrey Hotel

Van Moody, Kale Me Crazy Henry King, King Acura David A Custred, McLeod Software Corporation Stephen Gathings, OFCworkscapes, Inc. Tyler Lipe, Regions Bank - Downtown Charlie Conklin, Sentry Heating, Air & Plumbing Lyndsy Yim, SRS Real Estate Partners Bill Inabet, Synovus Bank -formerly First Commercial Bank of Highway 150 Stephen Walsh, Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial Brandon Wilson, Wilbron Inc.

Past Presidents & Board Chairs Thank you for your service.

Kimberly Jackson Alabama Power Company

Vivian Mora State Farm Ins The Vivian Mora Agenncy

Reggie Torbor Taproot Café

James Robinson Spire Energy

Tyler Williams BlueCross BlueShield

Sandy Syx Doozer Software

Paul Dangel The Hyatt-Regency Wynfrey Hotel

Not pictured: Derrick Murphy, Hoover City Council, Liaison

205 - 988 - 5672

Kim Starling Ascension St. Vincent’s

Shannon Driver Gagliano Mortgage, Inc.

A.W. Bolt Bill Stoeffhaas Burr Weatherly Chris Schmidt Dan Ellis Dan Mikos Gene Bromberg Greg Meineke Jason Cobb Jerome Morgan Jerry Cross Jerry Johnson Joe Thomas Kathleen Spencer Lori Moler Lynn Thomas Richard Head Richard Rayborn Robert Linthout Susan Webb Terri Williams Terry Turner Paul Dangel

WWW.HOOVERCHAMBER.ORG HooversMagazine.com 85

OUT & ABOUT

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SPAIN PARK HIGH SCHOOL’S ANNUAL DANCE RECITAL

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PHOTOS BY RACHAEL MATHERSON

Spain Park High School’s Dance Program, led by Dance Director and Dazzlers Dance Team Coach Rachael Matherson, hosted their annual spring dance recital on Wednesday, May 4.

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Isabella Ritchey, Kayla Mynatt

2.

Marley Mclaughlin, Caroline Gruszczynski

3.

Sage Kazniak, Funmilayo Dada

4.

Nylah Cottrell, Triniti Jones, Erissa Lusain, Annmarie McDaniel and Lauren Woodruff

5.

Kennedy Leonard

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Jannah Zeinou, Eden Wolfe, Criza Caburnida, Sadie Glawson, Breanna Waldrop and Alexis Rothenburg

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Tallahasee Heroes

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Dextyni Young, Nellie Feese, Iqra Ladhani, and Amber Cross

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Molly Kate Myers, Gabby Camargo, Nellie Feese, Alyssa Smith, Amy Moore, and Sara Quiceno

86 Summer 2022

OUT & ABOUT

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2

WASHINGTON UPDATE LUNCHEON PHOTOS BY EMILY SPARACINO

Local chambers of commerce held a Washington Update Luncheon featuring remarks from U.S. Congressman Gary Palmer on Monday, April 11 in Hoover.

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Mitzi Eaker, Rohen Por and Celena Miller

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LaVa Darby and Kimberly Jackson

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Mike Shaw and Allan Rice

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Chris Williams, Abigail Jackson and Holly Lollar

For all your backyard playground needs!!

CALL

205-408-4386 for more info!

NOW ALSO SELLING AY COMMERCIAL PLAY EQUIPMENT! CALL 205-408-4386 86 FOR MORE INFO!

3165 CCahaba h b VValley lle RRoadd Birmingham, AL 35124

www.backyardalabama.com HooversMagazine.com 87

OUT & ABOUT

1

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CELEBRATE HOOVER DAY

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PHOTOS BY EMILY SPARACINO

Thousands of people attended Celebrate Hoover Day on Saturday, April 30 at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road. This year’s event featured numerous vendors, children’s activities, a car show and live entertainment.

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Ika, Axel, Bradley and Jack Dewi

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Amanda and John William Smith

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Janie, Molly Kate and Katie Saunders

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Debbie McDonald and Debbie Rutherford

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Stephanie Barber and Emily Smotherman

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Rodny, Joshua and Jacob Hood

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Brenda Peterson and Patti Gaines

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Tamara and Jade Abreu

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Kendyl Crooks

10. Karen Hoar and Amy Freels 11. Reese and Lori Corrigan 12. Edna McWilliams and Debbie Burtnett 13. Charlie Conklin and Lauren Conklin Trim

88 Summer 2022

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OUT & ABOUT

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! r te en C y it C e th t a er m m su r ou y Spend @VESTAVIACITYCENTER CHOPT | TACO MAMA | CRUMBL | AMC | MORE! HooversMagazine.com 89

MARKETPLACE

Marketplace Hoover’s Magazine • 205.669.3131

NOW HIRING TRUCK DRIVERS. Home most every night! Earn $50,000-$85,000 delivering palletized loads to grocery stores within 300 mile radius of Birmingham.

Minimum 2 years tractor- trailer experience required. Steady work & great benefits! Blue Cross health & dental insurance only $60/wk family coverage.

Matching 401k plan. Apply online at WWW.AGSOUTH.COM

Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry. Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla. Walk-in applications accepted. Clanton (205)2800002. Pelham (205)444-9774.

Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Now Hiring For Utility Positions Starting pay $14.42/ hour Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at: www.bc.com $80,000+ Yearly Potential Sales positions available at Burton Campers. Please call Mickey Price for phone interview: 205-668-0075 Chilton and Shelby County Treatment Center Now Hiring Masters in counseling/social work and related fields. Email resume to: donnajoiner53@gmail.com Or call 205-755-4300 for more information.

Kelly Education • Shelby County Schools • Hiring Substitute Teachers. Limitless opportunities for passionate people! •Free pre-hire training •Paid orientation •Ongoing professional development •Steady, yet flexible, work •Weekly pay •Your preference of schools. Contact Anne Gamble: O: 205.682.7062 M: 205.532.1122 anne.gamble@ kellyservices.com Lancaster Place Apartments.

Location, community & quality living in Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments available. Call today for specials!! 205-668-6871. Or visit hpilancasterplace.com

90 Summer 2022

Marble Valley Manor.

Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services!

2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga.

256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) • 800-548-2546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm.

Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic.

Serious inquiries only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare.com LAND FOR SALE 180 acres, located on Walnut Creek. Will not divide property. Call for more information: 205-369-5641

Come visit us at Riverside Baptist Church this Sunday for Bible Study at 9:15 or worship at 10:30! 1919 Highway 52, Helena. More info at rbchelena.org South Haven Health & Rehab NOW HIRING!!! •LPN’s & RN’s -$5,000 Sign-on Bonus for Full-Time shift •CNA’s Apply in person: 3141 Old Columbiana Rd Birmingham,AL -35266 Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham. Must be willing to learn & work hard. Go to: supremeelectric-al.com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327.

Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedental assisting.com or call (205)5618118 and get your career started!

Now Hiring! Termite Treaters and Inspectors. Work with a great local company, in business for over 50 years. BC/BS insurance, 401k, opportunities available. No experience required. Must have a good driving record and be able to pass drug screen. Email to facsmith@charter.net or call 205-369-6250. Vulcan Termite and Pest Control

HooversMag.com

Now hiring RN’s and LPN’s throughout Alabama! $250 community referral bonus for RN’s and LPN’s. Sign-on Bonuses available at select locations! For more information please contact: Paige Gandolfi Call/text: 724-691-7474 pgandolfi@wexfordhealth.com HIRING EXPERIENCED PIPE LAYERS & CDL DRIVERS REV Construction seeking Experienced Pipe Layers CDL Drivers Class A or B 2yrs dump truck exp. preferred Benefits include: BCBS Medical Insurance, 401k Paid holidays & vacation time.

Email resume: mtucker@ revconstructioninc.com Fax: 205-349-1862 Call: 205-349-1860

H&H Enterprises, Inc Alabaster, AL has an immediate opening for a Portable Building Delivery Driver. Delivery Driver will be primarily be responsible for loading, delivering, blocking and leveling portable storage buildings. The delivery driver will also be responsible for completing other tasks associated with our business.

All delivery driver applicants must be customer service driven and represent our company in the upmost way.

We are an established 33 year old company with 19 retail locations. We look forward to adding to our team to continue working toward future success.

Portable Building Delivery Drivers job duties: • drives a company vehicle in a safe, courteous and responsible manner • load portable buildings at the store and verifies the condition of the truck, the manifest and other paperwork associated with the deliveries to be made • drives to the delivery destination, confirms order with customer, unloads, blocks, levels and obtains confirmation signature Delivery Driver job requirements: • Applicants will need a valid Class D driver license. No CDL is required • Pass DOT driving physical Delivery Driver Salary starting at $600.00 + per week based on experience. To Apply: Send Resumes to tracy.thomas@hhenterprises. com or Call 205.664.9191 ext 125.

NOW HIRING FT/PT Farm Equipment Operator, Lawn Maintenance and Fork Lift Driver Needed. Drug and Background Check Required.

COMPETITIVE PAY. Call 205-688-0258 to set up an interview.

H&H Enterprises, Inc. Alabaster, AL has an immediate opening for a Delivery Driver. Delivery Drivers will be primarily responsible for the delivery and set up of portable buildings. All applicants must be customer service driven and represent our company in the upmost way. We are an established 35 year old company with 18 retail locations. We look forward to adding to our team to continue working toward future success.

Delivery Drivers: • must have a good driving record • must have a Class A CDL license • must be able to deliver wide load buildings Salary is $900.00 plus per week depending on experience Direct Deposit is available Health/Dental and Vision Insurance To Apply: Send Resumes to tracy.thomas@hhenterprises. com or Call 205.664.9191 ext 125.

We’re Hiring -All Positions www.altogethergreat.com OR www.compassgroupcareers.com Morrison’s Healthcare Food Service 1000 1st Street N. Alabaster, Alabama 35007 205.620.8107 Experienced Termite Technician or someone experienced in route-service work and wants to learn new profession. Work-vehicle/ equipment provided. Must drive straight-shift, have clean driving record/be 21/pass background/ drug test. Training provided.

Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:00-4:30 + 1 Saturday/month.

Pay $13hr. Send resume to facsmith@charter.net LOOK TO THE STARS & FIND YOUR DESTINY! Improve your love life! Find success & happiness! • Spiritual Meditation • Chakra Therapy • Energy Restoration • Psychic Readings • Advice. Find out what the new year holds! One visit will convince you. $5 OFF YOUR FIRST READING! Personal readings from your trusted local psychic, available in-person or by phone.

Call Mrs. StarL 205-560-0490 www.AlabamaPsychic.com

For All Your Masonry Repair Needs Brick & Block Repair •Columns •Steps •Retaining Walls Call 205-643-0729 or email srichardson642@gmail. com to get your free estimate!

For All Your Handyman Needs Total Remodeling!

•Framing •Painting •Sheet Rock Call 205-643-0729 or email srichardson642@gmail.com to get your free estimate!

Boothe’s Siding & Remodeling •Vinyl Siding •Doors •Windows •Remodeling 55 Maylene Drive (205)948-5649 BIRMINGHAM AREA INSULATORS LOCAL 78 Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee Accepting applications for 4-year Apprenticeship Program.

Applications will be accepted July 1, 2022- July 31, 2022 in person at 2653 Ruffner Road Birmingham, Al 35210 205-956-2866, 205-956-8101 etx.3 craig@insulators78.org Check us out at www.insulators. org. Applicants must be 18+, drug free, have dependable transportation, ID & proof of age, high school diploma/ GED. Applicants will be required to take math test & English comprehension test. The Asbestos Workers Local 78 Apprenticeship Training Trust will not discriminate against apprenticeship applicants or apprentices based on, RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX (INCLUDING PREGNANCY AND GENDER IDENTITY), SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENETIC INFORMATION, OR BECAUSE THEY ARE AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY OR A PERSON 40 YEARS OLD OR OLDER. The Asbestos Workers Local 78 Apprenticeship Training Trust will take affirmative action to provide equal opportunity in apprenticeship and will operate the apprenticeship program as required under Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 30.

People are our specialty.

Homes are our business.

Integrity is our standard.

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FIND YOUR FOREVER HOME TODAY AT REALT YSOUTH.COM

HooversMagazine.com 91

MY HOOVER MITZI EAKER Owner at Mitzi Jane Media

Local Eats

Stadium Trace Village Even though we live on the 280 side of Hoover, we love to go to Stadium Trace Village to eat at Super Chix and FAB Fruit with the family. I’m addicted to the Purple Power Acai Bowl at FAB Fruit. We are looking forward to the entertainment area coming in 2023. I would love to have an entertainment district in Hoover off 280 at Lee Branch or Tattersall.

Work in Style

WerkPlas I recently moved the Mitzi Jane Media office to WerkPlas at the Galleria Towers. I love my early morning elevator ride up to the 15th floor. The view of the Galleria from the elevator is magical as the glass dome transitions to an amazing view of the mountain ranges surrounding Hoover.

Building Memories

Veterans Park The park has grown up with my family. When we were just married, my husband and I would walk the newly made trails. The playground was finished just in time for my two toddlers to run and tumble with friends for playdates.

Friday Night Lights

Spain Park Football Many fall nights are spent watching the sunset from Jaguar Stadium.

Last year my two boys played up to three nights a week. There’s nothing quite like Friday night lights with family and friends, football and amazing halftime band performances.

Staying Connected

Hoover Library I love our library. We are blessed with amazing resources from one of the largest selections of books to over 1,500 programs a year. I homeschooled the boys for a couple of years in elementary school and spent hours schooling, playing games or doing programs with them at the library. For the first time this year, I attended the Southern Voices Author Conference. It was a wonderful event.

92 Summer 2022

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94 Summer 2022