Hoover Sun vol 1 iss 10 july 2013

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country is still corrupt.The delegates, leaders in their

own country, came through Open World Leadership Center, an independent agency of the United States Congress, with a focus on learning about accountable governance from the area’s political and business leaders.

Their weeklong visit would take

them to Helena, Birmingham and Montgomery, but fi rst they came to their home base, Hoover, where they met with Mayor Gary Ivey and Rep. Paul Demarco before touring the Hoover Public Safety Center.

They also made stops at Galleria Woods, Golden Corral and Costa’s Mediterranean during the week, and their farewell dinner was held at the

Farmhouse at Greystone.Eva Herron and Jackie Matte,

both Hoover residents, planned an itinerary focused on how business interacts with government as a part of their membership in the Friendship Force of Birmingham, a club that hosts domestic and international

SunNeighborly news & entertainment for Hoover Volume 1 | Issue 10 | July 2013

City ..................... 3Business ............ 4Food ................... 6Community ....... 7

School House .. 18Sports ............... 21Calendar ........... 22 Faith .................. 23

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Starnes PublishingWinner of 26 awards in the 2013 Alabama Press Association

Better Newspaper and Advertising Contests.

Advertising 13 Editorial 13

Sun280LivingVillage LivingVillage LivingVillage LivingVillage Living The Homewood Star

26

By MADOLINE MARKHAM

Inez McCollum hadn’t given much thought to her plants or appliances being anything unique. But to her visitors last month, they were intriguing. One of them asked her questions about the gardenia, and the other she found taking pictures of her air conditioning unit.

The two were staying with McCollum at her Camelot Woods home for a week, sharing in breakfast, dinner, Sunday morning church service and shopping trips — all of which were new experiences for them.

As two of a group of 10 delegates from Russia, they were in Birmingham to learn about American democracy. And they were curious to learn what was behind a country whose streets were clean and, at least in this region, where many more people go to church than in their native country.

At home, their democracy is young. It was only in 1991 that the Soviet Union dissolved, and, as the delegates noted, much in the

FACES HOOVERof

See RUSSIA | page 23

From Russia with inquiryDelegates learn about accountable governance in America through a Hoover lens

Meet a few of the members of your community who, knowingly or unknowingly, work daily to defi ne it. See page 10 for our special section.

Belles announced

Hoover’s newest community representatives have been announced. Meet the 2013 Hoover Belles inside.

Russian delegate Sergey Aleksan-drovich Fedoreyev participates in a demonstration at the Hoover Public Safety Center during his visit to the United States. Fedoreyev was a member of the 10-person party that made the jour-ney to learn more about accountable governance and democracy. Photo courtesy of Ksenia Semenova.

A trip to camp

Bluff Park’s Fresh Air Farm uses the summer months to prepare children for their return to school.

July 2013 Hoover Sun2 •

When I was nine years old, my dad, a Canadian native, gained American citizenship. As a third grader, the significance of his naturalization didn’t fully register.

I remember him explaining that he could now enjoy all the privileges granted to American-born citizens, except the right to hold public office. And I remember my earnest reply, all full of schoolgirl my-father-the-hero bravado. “But you’re my daddy. Of course you can be the president!”

I remember a party at the house, with lots of people milling around our back deck, which, overflowing with red, white and blue streamers and balloons, looked like a campaign kick-off bomb had exploded there. And I remember cake.

Oh that cake! Festooned with sparklers! It was topped with a Rawlings baseball, a miniature 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and a ceramic apple pie topper. And I remember the not so subtle warning from my mother, who in no uncertain terms declared that she’d chop off little fingers if my brother or I so much as sneezed near it.

Fast forward 20 something years, all ten fingers still intact, thank you very much, and my reflections on Dad’s naturalization are quite different. Particularly around Independence Day, when, as with so many other nationally observed “holidays,” the focus seems to be more on bargain-priced appliances and barbecue than the day’s original intent.

Did you know the civics portion of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization

exam includes 100 questions? Candidates are only asked 10, but must be knowledgeable about all 100 to prepare adequately for the test. Take a quick skim through that list of questions, and your reaction to them might embarrass you, as it did me. How many can you confidently answer? (No Googling allowed). What I take for granted, my father had to work deliberately to earn.

I will never fully understand what he experienced as a first lieutenant in the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army in Vietnam, but I will remember the pain in his eyes as he told me what it felt like returning to U.S. soil, only to be met with vitriolic, spitting protestors full of disdain for the sacrifice made by he and fellow soldiers.

While my own children (ages 4 and 2) aren’t yet old enough to understand the solemn significance of this day – what it means personally for our family or what it means for them as American-born citizens – that doesn’t mean they are too young not to be made aware.

This year, as we always do, we will participate in the typical Fourth of July rituals in our community (and

the new one – hello, Freedom Fest!). There also will be swimming, and sparkler holding, and embarrassingly large amounts of pork consumption (blame it on the sauce from Full Moon). And I will once again try to make a “Flag Cake” a la magazine perfection, which in reality becomes a soggy mishmash of icing-tinged berries.

But on July 5, and in the days that follow, long after Lee Greenwood leaves the airwaves and the fireworks trailers disappear from the roadside, wouldn’t it be wonderful if families did more? Making care packages for soldiers, even for the families they have left behind. Running a lemonade stand and donating monies to Soldiers’ Angels of Alabama. Helping hang an American flag at home or outside, and learning the proper etiquette for caring for the single most powerful symbol of our nation’s freedom. At a minimum, walking up to a person in uniform and saying “Thank you for your service.” These are simple acts we can easily do with our children, our grandchildren, or on our own, pretty much anytime.

This year, let’s celebrate Independence Day as a time to relax with family and friends, but also to remind us to live daily in service and gratitude for those who are far away from us, keeping us safe.

Blessings,

Rebecca

About Us

Editor’s Note By Rebecca Walden

Photo of the Month Support our Community PartnersAlabama Allergy & Asthma Center (11)

Alabama Power (4)

Alabama Shakespeare Festival (13)

Anthony and Co (13)

Bedzzz Express (24)

Bromberg & Company, Inc. (7)

California Closets (20)

Classic Home Mortgage, Inc. (19)

Geico Insurance (10)

Greystone Antiques & Marketplace (17)

Hoover Public Library (11)

Hoover Tactical Firearms (19)

Hyatt Regency Birmingham - The Wynfrey Hotel (18)

Jesse’s Steak and Seafood (18)

La Dolce Vita (9)

Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce (16)

Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese (14)

Outdoor Living Areas (5)

Princeton Baptist Vein Center (17)

Becky Hicks (7)

RealtySouth (3)

Red Mountain Theatre Company (6)

Rio Tan (21)

Rittenhouse Senior Living of Hoover (6)

Sarver Orthodontics (8)

Secondhand Rose (19)

Silver Lining Consignment Boutique (14)

South Trace Pediatrics (8)

Sumo Japanese Steakhouse (20)

Susette Clark-Walker (14)

The Wade Team (21)

Villaggio at Ross Bridge (15)

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Members of Pack 367, Den 3 advanced to become Webelos this spring. The troop is based out of Riverchase United Methodist Church.

• 3July 2013HooverSun.com

We hope you are enjoying this very hot summer. We have many activities and events going on in our city this summer. One of our new events we are hosting at the Hoover Met on July 26 is the Neon Run.

This “glow in the park” run is very unique. It will be held after dark and feature music as well as strobe, spot and ultraviolet lights at the event. Runners will wear reflective gear and carry glow sticks. Foam pits will be in the park, and glow water spray stations will be available.

We had over 5,000 runners attend the Color Me Rad run on June 1 at the Met, so we are expecting a large crowd at the Neon Run.

This group run will be 3.1 miles on a closed course. We will have various themed obstacles along the course for fun as you run.

Once the race is complete, we will celebrate your finish with a D.J. and dance party. This is a great way to spend the evening with your family and friends!

This race is really not for the serious runners but a great way to get people up and moving in a less threatening and non-competitive environment than traditional running races. For additional race information visit our website at

hooveralabama.gov.Also be sure to save

the date for our National Night Out held on Aug. 6 at the Grove Shopping Center. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, strengthen neighborhood spirit with our police and fire community partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are

fighting back. This is always a very successful event, and refreshments will be provided.

Please remember, your elected officials and the city staff are here to serve you, so please don’t hesitate to contact our office.

We will continue to work to exceed your expectations!

Sincerely,

Gary IveyMayor

CityMayor’s Minute

By Gary Ivey

Gary Ivey

By WILL HIGHTOWER

A new type of field is coming to the Hoover Sports Park East. A group led by local mom Shay Hammonds has helped bring a Miracle League Field to Hoover.

Miracle League Fields are specialized baseball fields designed for children and young adults with special needs to fulfill their dreams of playing baseball. The field in Hoover, which broke ground in May, will be the first of its kind in the Birmingham area.

Miracle League was founded in 1998 to accommodate kids and adults who use wheelchairs or have other special needs and otherwise might not be able to play on a typical baseball field or team.

The fields are made of concrete covered by rubber that makes it wheelchair-accessible and safe for children who might stumble and fall. Currently, more 100,000 children and adults use the fields internationally.

Hammonds originally had the idea to put one in Hoover after seeing a Miracle League Field in another part of the state.

“The City of Hoover challenged me to begin raising money and they would find the location for the field,” Hammond said.

After bringing in friends Matt Bearden (president), Kim Harwell (vice president) and Phil Nichols (secretary) to help form the Over the Mountain Miracle League, Hammonds

began to raise money. Corporate sponsors such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Daniel Foundation, Publix and Hill Crest Foundation contributed financial support towards construction.

Three years after Hammonds’ work began and $70,000 had been raised, the City agreed to pay for the remaining cost of construction and selected the location in May. The field will be in the outfield of one of the existing fields that had already been divided for use by younger teams.

The group placed an emphasis on integrating the Miracle League field into an existing Hoover ballpark because the kids have the chance to play and compete in the same place as every other kid in Hoover.

Construction has already begun, and Hammonds hopes to start the first season this fall.

But children with special needs are not the only ones who will play a role in the league – there is a planned “buddy” program in which youth players and community volunteers partner with the players to help provide assistance and encouragement.

Alongside the Miracle Field is a planned playground that will be accessible to people with wheelchairs.

Other cities have indicated that it costs around $14,000 to run the league, so donations are still being accepted. However, expenditures on cutting grass and irrigation will not be necessary.

Earlier this year organizers held a ground breaking for the new Miracle League Field, a ball field designed for children with special needs. Photo by Matthew Allen.

Miracle League Field breaks ground


By MEGAN SMITH

Sonja Pettus first discovered the double benefit of consignment shopping while she was in medical school. She got hooked on making money by consigning and then turning around and buying clothes. But there was more; she also saw a business opportunity in it.

Originally, she thought it would be a nice retirement idea, but she quickly decided it would be a nice side job from her medical practice.

With the lull in the economy in 2010, she saw it as the prime opportunity for a silver lining in the economy, both for a business owner and for customers.

“Finding treasures in your closet is your silver lining,” she said of the name.

Pettus found a storefront in John Hawkins Parkway shopping center, conveniently located near several subdivisions, and that it had a salon, fitness center and restaurant but was lacking a women’s boutique. Soon, her storefront was filled with what she calls “upscale resale.”

Silver Linings isn’t a take-all consignment shop; the staff looks for a specific style in the clothing they select to resale. They choose in-season, gently worn clothing for the store.

“We have to be very selective,” Pettus said. “We want to have a niche of better items that don’t look secondhand.”

Last year Pettus started DeVon Designer Fashions, a boutique within Silver Linings Boutique. DeVon provides customers who do not like pre-owned clothing with an equally fashionable and reasonably priced alternative to expensive designer brands.

Business Spotlight Read past Business Spotlights at HooverSun.com

Silver Linings Boutique and

DeVon Designer Fashions

2341 John Hawkins Parkway 987-4403

devonboutqiue.com mysilverliningboutique.com

Monday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Pettus frequents Atlanta Apparel Market and chooses designs to bring back to the DeVon portion of the store. Apparel from a’reve, Blue Pepper, Pretty Angel, Veronica M outfits and other designers ranges from $20-$40.

Whether shopping consignment, consign-ing clothes or browsing for new material, Pettus said her staff is there to help and interact with customers.

Although she is seldom at the store because

she works as a physician at Walker Medical Diagnostics LLC in Jasper, Pettus leaves the store to her friend and manager Kim Mills. Mills and staff know regulars by name and offer a “Wish List” option. When an item or style that a customer wants comes in, the staff will inform her.

Both Silver Linings Boutique and DeVon Designer Fashions also have Facebook pages that occasionally offer freebies and prizes for liking and sharing a post.

Frequent customers can also use the rewards card: after collecting 10 stamps for each $25 purchase, customers receive $25 off their next purchase. Pettus wants to keep customers up-to-date and help them feel included creates a family atmosphere.

“It’s a lot of work owning a business, but it’s sort of like my baby,” Pettus said. “You nurture it and check on it every day. It’s fun, but you worry about it.”

Sonja Pettus is the proud owner of both Silver Linings Boutique and DeVon Designer Fashions. Photos by Keith McCoy.


Hoover Happenings

Hoover Chamber of Commerce

July eventsJuly 15: Chamber Board Meet-ing. 4:30 p.m.

July 16: Ribbon Cutting at Melissa Wertz Photography. 11 a.m. 3075 John Hawkins Parkway, Suite R. Call 807-1223 or [email protected] or visit wertzphotography.com.

July 17: Ambassador Meet-ing. 4:30 p.m. Chamber Offi ce. Visitors welcome.

July 18: Hoover Chamber Lun-cheon. Hoover Country Club. 11:30 a.m. Networking, Noon luncheon. Make reservations by Monday, July 15.

July 23: Minority Business Council Meeting Brown Bag Luncheon. Noon. Chamber Offi ce. Visitors welcome.

July 25: Business after Hours. 5:30-7:00 p.m. La Dolce Vita, 1851 Montgomery Highway, Suite 109. Call 985-2909, email [email protected] or visit ladolcevitahoover.com.

Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry moves to new offi ce

Dr. Lauten Johnson and Dr. Clark Thomas have moved their pediatric and adolescent dentistry practice to a new building. The offi ce is still staying in Hoover, only a half mile from their old location.

“We are moving locations because we need more space,” Johnson said. “We also wanted to have more visibility, and having a sign will help people to know where we are. We love Hoover and wanted to stay in the area.”

Johnson and Thomas met during their residencies at UAB and opened their fi rst location in 2007 in Hoover. Their Mountain Brook location opened in 2008.

The new offi ce will have state-of-the-art dental technology along with three treatment areas, split into a teen area, an infant area and an open area for kids.

There will also be three waiting room areas: a drive-in movie theater with cars and stadium seating, an area for adults with TVs and magazines, and a game area with iPad stations and a Wii station.

“We want every child we see to have a positive dental experience,” Johnson said.

The new location is located at the corner of Stadium Trace Parkway and Brock’s Gap Parkway. Call offi ce manager Beth Cross at 982-0112 for more, or visit alpediatricdentistry.com.

Osorio opens law practiceAlbert J. Osorio has opened a law offi ce on

Southland Drive. Osorio’s resume includes stints as a U.S. Marine, police offi cer and special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The lawyer has also managed commercial shopping centers in Miami and West Texas.

His offi ce will offer services for criminal law, family law, immigration law, wills and trusts, personal injury and business litigation.

Osorio attained the rank of corporal in the U.S. Marines with an honorable discharge in April of

1990. After serving as a police offi cer in Miami, he managed shopping centers and worked for Fortune 500 company REIT as a property general manager. Now, after practicing law for several years, he is opening a fi rm of his own.

Visit the offi ce at 500 Southland Drive, Suite 214, or call 637-6188 for more.

Walmart Neighborhood Market now hiring

A new Walmart Neighborhood Market will be opening this August in Hoover. A hiring center has opened in preparation of the new store, which is expected to bring up to 95 jobs to the community.

Neighborhood Markets provide fresh meat, produce, a pharmacy and other grocery items.

The hiring center has opened at the Pelham Walmart at 2181 Pelham Parkway. Applications will be accepted from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Interested applicants may also apply online at careers.walmart.com.

According to store manager Mike Chandler, the store will be hiring both full- and part-time associates. The majority of these will begin work in July to help prepare the store for its grand opening.

Chandler said the store will be located at 3320 Lorna Road at the intersection of Lorna and Rocky Ridge Roads. The Neighborhood Market is slated to open Aug. 14.

Marco’s Pizza open for business

Hoover now boasts a new pizza place. Marco’s Pizza, a small delivery pizza chain based out of Toledo, Ohio, has opened at 1960 Braddock Drive. The location has very little seating inside as it was built to be a delivery and catering business instead of a dine-in space.

“We have a fresh, high-quality product,” franchise owner Love Patel said. “We make our dough and sauce fresh every day, we get our cheese from Wisconsin and it is never frozen, and we have no meat fi llers. Although we are a

chain, we are small and don’t have your typical pizza chain food.”

Marco’s also has sub sandwiches, salads, chicken dippers, wings and cheesy bread on the menu. To order a pizza or inquire about catering, call 624-3333 or visit marcosorder.com.

Facelift in process for Hoover Court Town Center

The Hoover Court Town Center off U.S. 31 is undergoing a facelift. The shopping center, which was built in the early 1960s, was one of the original commercial areas in Hoover. Renovations are expected to be fi nished in early July.

G&B Enterprises, Inc. is performing the renovations on the shopping center, which is nearly 50,000 square feet. Tenants include Tidmore Flags, Slim Savvy Weight Loss, Pete’s Print, Hoover Florist, Green Valley Drugs, Mr. Chen’s, Signs Now, Green Egg Grill, Awards and Engravings, The Model Box, Salon Centric and Bentley Realty Group.

Call Dick Schmalz at 936-7890 for more.

Thimbles moves to Patton Creek

Thimbles, a sewing, smocking and embroidery shop, is now open in its new Patton Creek location, 181 Main Street, Suite 221. Owner Sandra Riley decided to change locations after her former lease expired.

“There was nothing left around our old location, and the new location gets a ton of foot traffi c,” Riley said. “I think Patton Creek is a great location that has a lot more going on.”

The fabric store, which has been open for more than six years, is mostly centered around children’s clothing. Thimbles is an authorized Husqvarna Viking dealer, meaning they sell sewing, embroidery, quilting, serger and felting machines.

Thimbles also offers classes in sewing, quilting, and smocking.

Visit thimbles-heirloomsewing.com or call 682-6008 for more.

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By CAROLINE DREW

Customers are so important to The Villaggio owners that the restaurant was designed with them in mind. For those who just want a drink, there’s seating at the bar; for those who wish to sit and watch the wood burning pizza ovens, there’s a pizza bar; and for those who are looking for a more intimate meal, there is a private dining room in the back. This is all in addition to regular indoor and outdoor seating.

But options don’t end there. Canine friends can join their owners every day from 4-6 p.m. for “Yappy Hour” on the outdoor patio.

Naturally, a more common Happy Hour also takes place every day from 4-6:30 p.m. The wine list features selections from all over, but most, of course, bear Italian labels.

It was only this past April that The Villaggio found its home on the Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa grounds. Co-owner Tamika Dunning said the uniqueness of Ross Bridge’s “European, eclectic feel” influenced a decision

to open a restaurant there. Dunning and her husband, Jonathan,

have worked to combine their passions of food and travel into the atmosphere of The Villaggio. The Dunnings’ travels to Europe specifically inspired the Italian style of their newest restaurant.

“We wanted to bring home what we loved,” Dunning said.

The menu boasts many dishes that are traditionally prepared, leaving the Americanized methods of Italian eatery behind. Entrée options include Rigatoni Bolognese, Chicken Parmigiana and Lasagna. The menu also offers a variety of seafood selections, such as customer favorite Fried Lobster Tails.

Outside dinner time, The Villaggio is open for lunch on weekdays, and a brunch from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday features an all veggie omelet and breakfast pizza.

No matter the time of day, pizzas made on two wood burning ovens imported from Italy are popular. The pizza chefs have their craft

The Villaggio 2301 Grand Avenue Suite 109290-4343

Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.thevillaggioatrossbridge.com

The Villaggio at Ross Bridge offers a variety of Italian favorites like Fried Lobster Tails and Margherita Pizza, as well as a wide selection of wine and beer. Photos by Caroline Drew.

Restaurant Showcase Read past Restaurant Showcases at HooverSun.com

down to a science, so much so that Dunning refers to them as “pizza-ologists.” They can use their expertise to make your dish with any topping you desire, or the menu boasts options like a Margherita Pizza or Spinach and Salmon Pizza. Calzones, another customer favorite, are also cooked in the pizza ovens. Both the calzones and pizza have vegetarian alternatives as well.

Dunning credits her team of employees at The Villaggio who work to keep the food delicious and the customers happy.

“It’s a family,” Dunning said of her staff. “We have very high standards and everybody who’s here wants to be here.”

Jasmine Reyes, general manager of the restaurant, is devoted to making sure each customer has a

positive experience, according to Dunning.The only request the staff cannot satisfy is

choosing a favorite dish off of the menu. “We all like everything, it honestly just depends

on what we feel like,” Dunning said. Dunning said one of her favorite parts of owning

the restaurant is that she can eat the food whenever she wants. But still, closer to her heart than delicious meals is her desire to give customers a place to enjoy eating with their friends and family.

This is not the Dunnings’ first go around with the restaurant business; they are also owners of Hoover’s La Dolce Vita. There’s a reason they’re continuing their endeavor in hospitality: they love making people happy and feeding them quality food while they do it.


Community

Riverchase Country Club’s Fourth of July festivities are open to the general public.

A parade of old and classic cars will drive through the Riverchase neighborhood. The parade will begin at Christ the King Lutheran Church at 5 p.m. and proceed for an hour

before ending at the Club. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be grilled on

the driving range, and music and children’s entertainment will be offered.

The night will end with a fireworks show at 9 p.m. Call 313-3724 for more.

Public invited to Riverchase July 4 event

The Hoover Chamber of Commerce held its Fifth Annual Legislative Reception in May at The Wynfrey Hotel.

At the event County commissioners, state legislators, Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey and the Hoover City Council mixed and mingled with the Chamber’s Presidents Circle members and Board of Directors.

Chamber Executive Director Bill Powell

introduced the elected officials present and Wynfrey General Manager Andy Peters. Peters shared about the investment and progress of the remodeling of the hotel, which re-opened in June as the Hyatt Regency Birmingham - The Wynfrey Hotel.

Guests saw first-hand the hotel’s new options for meetings and events while enjoying food and drink.

Chamber welcomes legislators for reception

Hoover City Councilman John Greene and his wife Melody with Alabama State Senate Majority Leader Jabo Waggoner.

The Wynfrey Hotel has undergone a $20 million renovation and reopened in June as Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel.

The renovations to the hotel, which originally opened in 1986, include updates to every aspect of the facility from landscaping to furniture.

“The surroundings are new, but the legendary service will remain the same, as will the wonderful staff and management team,” said Andy Peters, general manager of Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel. “More than 30 associates will be added to our hotel family, and we know that our new look and excellent customer service that has always been synonymous with The Wynfrey will attract guests who have been long time patrons, as well as new visitors.”

Upon entering the hotel, guests will notice a new entrance and modern lobby. Sleek furnishings have replaced the brass accents, bold color design and décor of the past.

The hotel now offers 329 newly renovated guest rooms. In addition to four king suites, there are 145 standard king rooms and 180 standard double queen rooms, each complete with a 42-inch HD television, mini fridge and Starbuck’s Coffee, as well as an iPhone radio docking station.

The newly designed private Regency

Club level includes a 1,600-square-foot and a 1,400-square-foot suite, as well as two bi-level and two parlor suites to accompany large parties and groups of guests. Renovations to the StayFit fitness center and seasonal outdoor pool are expected to be completed by the end of July.

The hotel also offers more than 32,000 square feet of meeting space, including 23 flexible meeting rooms accommodating group sizes from 10 to 1,000 people and a 9,728 square-foot ballroom.

Hyatt Regency Birmingham–The Wynfrey now offers two dining options, Shula’s Steak House and the new MERK’s Tavern & Kitchen. Shula’s Steak House, one of the top five steak houses in America, is a unique combination of an elegant white tablecloth steak house within a virtual museum of Coach Don Shula and the 1972 Miami Dolphin’s historic season. MERK’s Tavern & Kitchen will serve guests for breakfast, lunch, social hours and dinner. The restaurant, which transforms itself at night with dimmer lighting and bar backsplash, will serve the best of locally brewed Alabama beers.

The hotel is managed by Davidson Hotels & Resorts and owned by Rockbridge Partners, a division of Rockbridge, along with Jim Wilson & Associates, LLC.

For more visit wynfrey.com.

A new Wynfrey


Thirty-seven high school sophomores were recently presented as 2013 Hoover Belles. This new class of Belles will serve for two years as representatives for the City of Hoover. Each young woman will earn a minimum of 30 community service hours at civic and local charity events.

This 30th annual event, held in The Wynfrey Hotel Ballroom, was presented by the Hoover Belle Committee, led by chairman Laura Boyd. Also in attendance were Mayor Gary Ivey; committee members Kay Witt, Cathy Connor, Sandra Barnett, Jennie Alley, Jan Pruitt, Pam Harris and Cathy Head; and family and friends of the honorees.

Each new Hoover Belle was assisted into the garden gazebo by Hoover Police Lieutenant Daniel Kane and received a bouquet of spring

flowers from her presenter as she was announced by Mistress of Ceremony Kim Garner, a 2002 Hoover Belle. Garner is currently the west Alabama bureau chief for TV channel CBS 42.

After all Belles were presented, they danced to the music of The Sonny Harris Group and celebrated at a reception.

The 2013 Hoover Belles are: Jade Ashton Ajlouny, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Niam Ajlouny; Lindsey Katherine Allred, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John David Allred; Caroline Lee Bearden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Reid Bearden; Jillian Victoria Bridges, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sterling Randolph Bridges; DeJaNeal Jameaque Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Wilson Brown III; Meagan Elizabeth Burgess, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Sykes Burgess;

Leah Caroline Byerly, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Edward Byerly; MyChale Lenee Cooper, daughter of Ms. Kimberly Lenee Boyd Cooper and Mr. Ronald Darron Cooper.

Jordan Elizabeth Cotney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Scott Cotney; Kathryn Diane Dease, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Gerald Dease Jr.; Elizabeth Julianne Dinsmore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Newton Dinsmore; Abigail Lee Greer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Craig Greer; Kristin Hanley Gunderson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Douglas Gunderson; Layne Elizabeth Hoover, daughter of Ms. Mary Shearron Hoover and Mr. James Andrew Hoover; Sydney Allison James, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Wayne James; Claire

Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Wayne Johnson.

Hannah Lauren Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hasty Jones; Karley Ann Kent, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Eugene Kent III; Rebecca Noelle Hall Leech, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Eugene Leech; Logan Brooke McCabe, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Bhrett Alan McCabe; Rebekah Katherine Odle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Clement Odle; Magdalene Kate Ogletree, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy James Ogletree; Rachel Marie Ousley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Lee Ousley; McKenzie Lynn Paduch, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Andrew Paduch.

Morgan Elizabeth Pate, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Kiley Pate; Paige Dianne Mae Pichel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Logan Murphy Pichel; Sarah Reed Pratt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Lawrence Pratt IV; Stephanie Danielle Presley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Dan Presley; Catherine Bryce Saab, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Andrew Ellis Saab; Madeline Nicole Salathe, daughter of Ms. Pascha Moore Salathe and Dr. David Paul Salathe; Anne Lee Marcella Schneider, daughter of Ms. Renee Yeilding Schneider and Mr. David John Schneider.

Cassidy Marie Sims, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brett Donly Hopping; Rebecca Delaney Townsend, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Edward Townsend; Lesley Ann Turner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Anthony Turner; Kinsey Sierra Varnell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Joseph Varnell; Rachel Denise Washington, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Hughey Washington; and Haley Victoria West, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard James West.

-Submitted by Cathy Head

2013 Hoover Belles presented

Hoover Belles Julianna Dinsmore, Lindsey Allred, Leah Byerly and Maggie Ogletree.


By HEATHER SKAGGS & REBECCA WALDEN

Students at Birmingham City’s Hayes Elementary School will go back to school in August reading better than ever, and a summer camp in Bluff Park is to credit.

“We are sending the children back to school each fall with the tools they need to succeed,” said Fresh Air Farm Director Gini Williams. “Along those lines, at graduation, we give each child a new uniform, their school supplies for the year, and a voucher for new shoes.”

Students are invited back to the farm’s Summer Learning Program for three subsequent summers following their second grade year.

“After over 80 years of providing underserved children with an overnight camp experience, our church asked community leaders to express to us their current needs,” Williams said. “They answered that children still need to have a broadening ‘out of their neighborhood’ experience in the summer, and they desperately need help with their education. Having studied the devastating effect that summer learning loss is having on at-risk populations, Independent Presbyterian Church decided to focus on an academic summer learning program.”

Now in its 90th year, Children’s

Fresh Air Farm, located at 501 Park Avenue, provides a faith-based camping experience to youth from all over the Magic City.

The idea for the farm originated with Henry Edmonds, founding pastor of Independent Presbyterian Church. What began as a 10-week program based out of Shades Cahaba High School accommodating 30 campers has since become a comprehensive outreach program for underserved children across Greater Birmingham. Today, the camp hosts children ages eight to 12 for a variety of events kicking off during Spring Break and running through summer, including both a Vacation Bible School and a six-week Summer Learning Program.

The cornerstone of the Summer Learning Program is STAIR, which stands for Start the Adventure in

Reading. It consists of targeted study Monday through Thursday with classes in the morning and enrichment classes like music or science outreach by the McWane Science Center in the afternoon. On Fridays, the children participate in field trips to places like the Birmingham Zoo, Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham Eco Center and Railroad Park.

More than just a clever acronym and a few field trips, the Summer Learning Program is backed by curricula developed in collaboration with Samford University. Quality counts, and results are measured.

“We are up against the potential loss of two to three months of grade level skills,” Williams said. “We focus on reading and math, taught by certified teachers using proven curriculum, and use national standardized tests

to measure our results. Each year the children have made one to two months of progress in academic skills, as opposed to the skills they would have lost without the Summer Learning Program.”

Anecdotal feedback further supports the program’s impact. In the words of one third grade tutor serving Birmingham City Schools: “I was immediately struck by the reading proficiency of the students who were assigned to me for reading intervention. I later realized that many of my students have participated in the programs initiated and implemented by Independent Presbyterian Church. The students are so very enthusiastic about attending the summer and weekend programs provided by IPC. They get excited telling about what their tutors have done for them and all the fun they have had. It is clear that IPC is truly making a positive impact on the reading skills and the lives of these students.”

In addition to the academic boost, participating campers receive school year essentials before they start off the new school year.

“Through year-over-year student participation, we believe we can meaningfully impact their education through our program,” Williams said. “And we work to feed these children in mind, body and soul.”

Thanks to private donations, the

program to date has been free of charge, including meals, trans-portation, supplies, a swimming suit, field trips, and supplies. In 2013, Children’s Fresh Air Farm will charge a nominal fee.

“There are many needs in running a facility of this size and age,” she said. “One of the main needs is gardening; we have 101 garden plots that need care, in addition to 36 acres of privet.”

The Farm is also preparing for a playground rebuild, which will cost upwards of $40,000.

To learn more about Fresh Air Farm, contact Gini Williams at 822-0150 or 907-8888.

A camp in the woodsBluff Park’s Children’s Fresh Air Farm gives life experience, education to Birmingham children


here are well-known – and unknown – people who give Hoover its appeal, representing the City by

their everyday actions. On the pages to follow, we

highlight a few of these people and how they are shaping different parts of our community.

Some are faces you will know, others might work so far behind the scenes that they are unfamiliar at first glance. But all of them make our City what it is.

They might have formal titles, but what stuck out about each of them is the spirit they bring to neighborhoods, schools and wherever they go in Hoover.

Suggest more Faces of HooverIn choosing whom to feature in

this section, we knew one thing: this list would only be a small start in highlighting the many faces behind Hoover. We plan to feature many more in issues to come, so please send us your ideas

for faces to feature in the future.Is it someone from your child’s

school? Is it an extracurricular coach? Is it a quiet volunteer, someone with no “official” title at all, humbly doing his or her part to keep Hoover at its best?

Email your nominees for future Faces of Hoover to [email protected]. Please include the person’s name, professional affiliation, if applicable, and a brief description of why you think he or she is a Face of Hoover.

T

A look at the members of your community who help define it

FACES HOOVERof


FACES HOOVERofLori Salter-Schommer

Public Information Officer, Mayor’s Office, City of HooverAge: 49 – Hoover resident since 1986

Twenty-seven years ago Lori Salter-Schommer walked into Hoover City Hall to interview for her first job out of college and never left. Today she runs much of what happens behind the City Hall walls.

Salter-Schommer worked for Hoover’s Parks and Recreation Department for 16 years before moving to run public relations for the Mayor in 2002. Since then she’s been Mayor Barbara McCollum, Tony Petelos and now Gary Ivey’s right hand, writing speeches and handling other media relations for whoever is in office and whatever personality he or she brings.

“It’s so much fun,” she said. “I love people. When I meet a new person, it’s like reading a new book.”

Over the years as Hoover’s population has nearly tripled, Salter-Schommer helped start services for seniors such as the Hoover Express transportation services and was part of adding different green spaces to the City. With the Mayor’s office she has been near the helm for the opening of Ross Bridge and building of the John Hawkins 459 flyover construction.

“It’s never dull, and I thrive on that,” she said of working for the City. “The mayor has a big heart. He wants to help people, and he and the City Council work well together.”

Outside of city government, Salter-Schommer has been a Riverchase United Methodist Church member since she moved to Hoover in 1986. She now makes her home in the 280 area of Hoover, where her parents Dianne and John Salter of Inverness and brother and sister-in-law David and Diana Salter of Greystone are close enough to get together every with her and her husband for dinner every Sunday night.


FACES HOOVERofDavid Cohen

Owner, The Whole ScoopAge: 55 – Hoover resident since 2006

David Cohen opened an ice cream shop two years ago, but he didn’t know quite how it would turn into a community gathering spot. The Whole Scoop, situated within a few miles of several schools, welcomes droves of baseball teams, students after school and people from all over Hoover.

Cohen often slows down the line as he talks to everyone who comes in for ice cream. And to him, the Hoover High School students who work at Whole Scoop are not just employees but mentees in the hospitality industry. Their work, he said, is amazing.

Cohen doesn’t think twice about sharing the gift of ice cream. He offers half-price parties for baseball teams, held a spirit night to raise money for the Hoover High football team, provides ice cream cake for other sporting events and gave $1 off coupons to all the children who attended Vacation Bible School at Hunter Street Baptist Church this summer.

“We say yes to everything,” he said.Cohen and his family originally moved to Hoover from

South Florida seven years ago when he went to work as food and beverage director for The Wynfrey Hotel, and he is quick to note how different Hoover is from what he had always known.

“People are just so warm and friendly here,” he said. “My neighbor watches my dog when I go out of town, and my neighbor has a key to my shop, too.”

Outside the shop, Cohen, who lives just three minutes away in Russet Woods, is a member of Hunter Street Baptist, has coached sports teams for son Robbie and daughter Katie and volunteers with the Tipoff Club for Hoover High where Robbie plays basketball.

Derrick MurphyEngineer, Birmingham Water Works; Member, Hoover Board of Education

Age: 32 – Hoover resident since 2005

Derrick Murphy’s grandparents taught him that in order to be a great leader, you must first be a great servant.

That’s why you’ll find him not only sitting in school board meetings but also opening doors in the carpool line — at Deer Valley Elementary where his daughter Bailyn, 6, attends and at as many Hoover elementary schools as he can.

“Presence is everything,” he said. “I want parents to know their leadership is present in the schools and cares about their kids’ well being.”

Murphy knows students need affirmation to go the right direction in life, and so he mentors eighth grade boys in leadership skills though the Alpha program at Bumpus Middle School.

He believes that’s what community is for — coming together to guide the leaders of tomorrow. And that is why he joined the School Board in 2011.

Outside of the schools, Murphy is on the board for the YMCA of Hoover, another organization he believes is an integral part of the community and directing young people.

He also recently started volunteering with Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama and serves on the Alabama School Board Association Advisory Committee.

“Kids are our future,” he said. “If we are not stakeholders in our kids’ success, we have a limited future.”

Murphy enjoys spending time with his family: wife Shenavia, Hoover High School student Galien, Bailyn and infant Asher Robert.


FACES HOOVERofKathleen Wheaton

Principal, Berry Middle School Age: 62 – Hoover educator since 1995

Dr. Kathleen Wheaton moved from Virginia to help start a new Hoover City Schools system in 1988 and has been an integral part of its leadership through the years of growth it has experienced since then.

“I saw an opportunity for teachers and administrators to be well rounded, and an opportunity as an administrator to work with wide variety of aspects of school as opposed to only working with one aspect,” she said of her decision to join in on the vision for Hoover’s new school system.

Wheaton served as ninth grade principal at Berry High School and then the new Hoover High School. When Berry Middle opened at the old Berry High campus in 1995, she became its principal.

She has led the school as it moved to its current location adjacent to Spain Park a decade later, and as it has been named a Banner School. Teachers have received the Milken award, and students have won one award after another. This year the Scholars Bowl team won the state championships, she said.

“(Middle school) students are such interesting people,” she said. “From 11-14 they are beginning to define who they are and really learn what they are good at and what they like.”

Wheaton spends much of her free time attending students’ sporting and other extracurricular events and is a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church.

She is especially proud of the school’s reading program that is not just integrated in English classes but through the whole curriculum, even in elective and physical education classes.

“Everything we do at Berry is team-based, and I am one member of the team,” she said. “I hope I support the other members, and I know they support me.”


Wayne ThompsonRetiree

Age: 90 - Hoover resident since 1969

FACES HOOVERof

Every day around 6 p.m. Wayne Thompson’s blue Saturn SUV pulls into the handicapped parking spot at Star Lake. The ducks that make the lake their home fl ock to the back of the car. They know who is inside, and what he is bringing. He’s been feeding them each evening for the past 31 years.

Thompson, a World War II veteran, pushes his walker, which doubles as a treat cart, to the sidewalk. There he scatters birdseed and tears bread into pieces to throw to the ducks. Some muscovy ducks catch it like a dog doing a trick.

He doesn’t care if the food gets in pedestrians’ way as they walk or run on the sidewalk. If he threw it in the dirt, he said, the ducks wouldn’t be able to see it.

Thompson does, however, care about the Canadian geese that try to eat the seed and bread before the ducks get to it.

“They could go back to Canada as far as I am concerned,” he said. “Or you could cook them up for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They pollute the place.”

When the geese encroach on the food, he throws a plastic stick at them and then walks over to pick it up so he’s armed for the next intruder. It’s just to scare them away, though, not to hit them, he said.

“They get to eat once then ducks get through,” he said.The evening feeding ritual started in 1982, the year

Thompson retired from Dyer Electric, when he would come over from his house on Bonny View Drive to feed a few white ducks.

Now, to feed the growing population, Thompson buys wild birdseed from Publix and regularly makes trips to a store that sells old bread in Alabaster to fi ll his backseat and trunk.


Sara PerryRetired teacher, community volunteer

Age: 81 – Hoover resident since 1965

FACES HOOVERof

Name any organization with “Hoover” at the front of the name, and Sara Perry is more than likely involved with it.

Each year she helps judge an Arbor Day essay contest and a recycled art contest held by the Hoover Beautification Board. At Awards Day at Spain Park High and Hoover High, she was there to present a scholarship to an art student on behalf of the Hoover Arts Alliance, where she serves on the scholarship committee.

At Christmas, you’ll find her decorating City Hall through her position with the Beautification Board.

“I enjoy working and knowing so many of our citizens in Hoover,” she said. “The City provides so many services that as a volunteer I want to give back.”

Perry is especially proud to talk about the Bluff Park Art Association’s 50 anniversary this year. Over the past 35 years she’s served as secretary, vice president, president and art show co-show chair for the group, which hosts the annual Bluff Park Art Show.

The Alabama Arts Council has invited the Association to display 35-40 pieces of Alabama artwork in its gallery in Montgomery in September and October, and Perry is co-chairing the committee to bring the exhibit to life. A smaller version of the exhibit will make its way to Hoover City Hall from November-December, she said.

At Bluff Park United Methodist Church, Perry has served as the coordinator of communications for 22 years, delivers food or gifts to shut ins regularly and is secretary of her United Methodist Women’s circle. She’s also on the welcoming committee for the Hoover Service Club.

All that, she said, and she has a husband, keeps house, participates in water aerobics class at the Hoover Rec Center, has followed her grandson’s baseball career through Hoover High and Birmingham-Southern, and “pays the bills and does the worrying” for her great-grandparents’ two family farms in Dale and Houston counties.


Briana KinseyMiss Hoover 2013

Age: 20 – Lifelong Hoover resident

FACES HOOVERof

Briana Kinsey, a 2011 Hoover High School graduate, has literally been the face of Hoover since being crowned Miss Hoover last July.

Around Hoover, she sang the “God Bless America” at the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast and a dedication ceremony for the veterans pavers at Veterans Park, and has been a guest at most Hoover events over the course of the year.

Wherever she went, she was active to support her platform, “Daring to Defeat Diabetes,” an issue that came home to her when her mother and two of her grandparents were diagnosed with Type II. Upon learning that Type II diabetes is preventable, she decided to get behind creating awareness.

“I knew if I didn’t do anything about it, I would be at risk to develop it myself,” she said.

Kinsey created a Girl Scout patch for diabetes awareness, raised $2,500 for the American Diabetes Association at a Dance Away Diabetes event at the Galleria, and hosted a Sugar Free Fashion Show event that raised $6,500 for children to attend Hoover-based Southeastern Diabetes Education Services’ camps.

At events like Celebrate Hoover Day, she recruited signatures in favor of a “hope for kids with diabetes” license tag that Children’s of Alabama is working on.

Kinsey’s reign as Miss Hoover ends this month, but even as she enters her junior year at The University of Alabama studying biology (she plans to go to medical school), she doesn’t intend for her service to the City of Hoover to end then.

“This community has given me so much, and I want to continue to give back,” she said.


FACES HOOVERofDavid Bannister

Vice President for National Sales and Development, iHigh.comAge: 46 – Hoover resident since 1996

To say David Bannister supports Hoover High School football would be an understatement.

He became a Hoover High School Booster Club board member when his oldest child was still at Simmons Middle School. Thirteen years later, he’s still on the board, even after his youngest child graduated from Hoover in 2011.

During that time, he has used his expertise in marketing to build digital platforms to connect the community and put together Hoover athletics sponsorship packages for Under Armour, Gatorade, Sports Illustrated, Walmart and Academy Sports and Outdoors — all to keep the “Hoover machine” running, he said.

“I seek out these deals because at the end of the day it keeps the spotlight on Hoover,” he said. “I do it to give back and because I believe it’s important for Hoover to be number one.”

Thanks to his efforts, more than 40 restaurants around Hoover broadcast the high school games on Friday nights.

In 2006 he started social media pages for different sports groups at the school, and four years ago he launched the school’s ihigh.com site, which hosts updated football news and information. Today the site gets about 9 million site views and 850,000 unique visitors a year, Bannister said.

When MTV’s Two-A-Days was documenting Hoover football, he worked to start an e-commerce site that did up to $50,000 in sales a month.

At the heart of all Bannister’s promotional work is the community he is supporting.

“Hoover’s got a lot of doers,” he said. “You don’t win 97 state championships in 10 years by not being great at everything you do. That’s not just good coaching.”

Hours: Monday - Saturday 10-6 & Sundays 1-5Open late on the third Thursday of every month 10-8

5475 Highway 280 Birmingham, AL • 205-995-4773


School House

In April, Bumpus Middle School inducted 52 new members of the National Junior Beta Club.

The NJBC is a nonprofit, leadership-service club for grades 5-9 whose purpose is to encourage effort, reward merit, and to promote those qualities of character that make for good citizenship.

Members are Brandon J. Agsalud, Keaysia Bryant, Jace Coleman, Anna Grace Dickey, Madeline R. Dukes, Claudia Franklin, Sydney Garlington, Drew Guffey, Annemarie Guske, Caroline Guske, Jackson

Hankins, Riley Hendrix, Alexander Hinkle, Christopher A. Howell, Patterson Huff, Myracle La’nise Jarmon, Abdulla Jassim, Jilian Joyner, Austin D. Kamm, Hassan Khadair, Jacob A. Kopkin, Sarah Looney, Spencer Lotz, Karis Simone Luster, Riley Elizabeth Lynch, Avery Markus, Isabella Maske, Erin McAfee, Shaelah McGilton, Ilissa McIntosh-Williams, Braylon Moss, Kerry Murr, Gabriella Muscarella, Mychael Grace O’Berry, Mit Patel, Chandler David Patterson, Crayton Edward Patterson, Karen Tram Phuong Pham, Lauren

Reed, Riley Rendon, Matthew Rickman, Alison Rocco, Shallah Saadiq, Nathan Solomon, Colton Steinbeck, Kendal Thompson, Tyler Joseph Tucker, Kylie Brianne Vanlandingham, Megan Waldrop, Adam C. Willis, Alexia Michelle Wilson and Makenzie E. Young.

Beta Club sponsors Jan Price and Matt Grainger thanked seventh graders Cassiday Allen, Claudia Cortez, Mackenzie Pitts, Taylor Horne, Rajiv Patel and Jonathan Snell who helped with ushering at the ceremony and serving at the reception.

New debate stars on the scene

The debate team for Bumpus Middle maintained a fourth place ranking through its first season in the Birmingham Area Debate League (BADL).

The league held four tournaments where more than 15 schools and 100 students from around the Birmingham area participated in two rounds of debate. Students researched, drafted

and presented speeches on the topics of violent video games and capital punishment.

Christian Hatcher was the league’s first-place debater of the season. Christian, along with teammate Jason Lee, helped start the club by talking to principal Dr. Tamala Maddox at the end of the 2011-2012 school year about the idea.

Front row: Noelle Falls, Hana Park, Christian Hatcher. Back row: Whitney Thomas, Nour Moughnyeh, Sydney Thomas, Jason Lee, Colton Steinbeck.

In recognition ofleadership and service

New members of the Bumpus Junior Beta Club

The Sixth Annual Miss Hoover Pageant will be on Friday, July 6 at Spain Park High School at 7 p.m. The 22 contestants will compete for more than $8,000 in scholarship funds.

Contestants will compete in congeniality, a swimsuit division and talent.

Pageant ceremonies will be led by WBRC Fox 6 News Anchor Janice Rogers

and will feature Anna Laura Bryan, Miss Alabama 2012 and Miss Hoover 2012.

Adult tickets are $10, student tickets are $5 and admission for children 12 years old and under is free.

Spain Park High School is located at 4700 Jaguar Drive. For more, call 608-0085 or visit misshoover.org.

Miss Hoover Pageant contestants compete for scholarship funds


Riverchase Elementary held its annual Fine Arts night in May.

Artwork from each student was featured throughout the halls, and parents were treated to a musical performance by the school’s choir, recorder players and more. Kindergarten students got a little ‘wild’ as they performed the program “Jungle Beat” under the direction of Natalie Evans.

Olivia Butler, a senior at Hoover High School, received the P.E.O. STAR Scholarship, at the school’s awards ceremony in May. Bonnie Embry, M.D. presented the award.

Olivia is the daughter of Dennis and Kim Butler and was recommended for this scholarship by Chapter AK of Birmingham. She will attend Rhodes College in the fall.

The STAR is a $2,500 scholarship based on excellence in leadership, extracurricular activities, community service, academic and a potential for future success.

The P.E.O. Sisterhood is an international philanthropic and educational organization that promotes increased educational opportunities for women. Nearly 6,000 local chapters exist in the United States and Canada with almost 250,000 initiated members. The P.E.O. Sisterhood has given nearly $225 million in financial assistance to almost 90,000 women. The P.E.O. Sisterhood also own Cottey College, a two-year liberal arts college in Nevada, Missouri.

For more visit peointernational.org.Olivia Butler, second from right with Jane Smith, Kim Butler and Bonnie Embry.

Scholarship for an HHS standout

A night to celebrate the arts

Kindergarten students Luke Ferzli, Ava Holloway,

Katie Ponder, Katelyn Gottlieb, Kelsie Gilbert, Riley Harrelson, Joseph Cross, Yasmine Ferzli,

and Geetika Surapareddy.


Gwin Elementary student Blake White with his hummingbird artwork.

Third grade students from Bluff Park Elementary visited Vulcan Materials recently in conjunction with their earth science studies.

Students had been learning about the earth’s natural resources, different types of rocks and minerals, and how we use them. This trip provided the students the opportunity to hold and feel some

of the rocks they’ve been studying.On the trip they learned how

rocks are excavated from the quarries and then crushed to be used in construction and maintenance of infrastructures.

Students were able to crush rocks in a mini rock-crusher, pick out a rock to take home and ride down into the rock quarry.

A big spring clean

Kindergartener Elise Rose King found one of nature’s inhabitants interesting while she was helping

to spruce up the garden.

Students, staff, family and friends of Bluff Park Elementary School came out in April to clean up the Outdoor Garden and get ready for spring.

Volunteers helped by pulling weeds, raking, picking up debris, and trimming trees and bushes. Students received community service hours for participation.

HHS students named fi nalists for environmental award

A team of Hoover High School students have been named fi nalists in the 2013 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. Team Cahaba was named a fi nalist for its project on promoting awareness of the Cahaba River’s biodiversity.

High school students from across the country competed in this year’s Challenge. Under the guidance of a teacher, students were tasked with identifying an environmental issue in their community, and creating a replicable green solution using web-based curriculum tools powered by Discovery Education.

The Alabama fi nalists from Hoover created a graphic novel to educate kids in grades 4-8 about the

effects of climate change and human impacts on the Cahaba River.

As part of a rigorous three-part judging process, a panel of environmental advocates and science educators selected fi nalists based on the project’s ability to creatively present a viable solution to some of today’s greatest environmental challenges.

Each member of Team Cahaba will receive a fi nalist certifi cate and a Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge green prize pack.

Hoover High School will also receive a congratulatory Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge banner.

“These students are the new environmental guardians for our

planet and will help advance policy and technological improvements that will help protect the world around us,” said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation. “The ideas we’re seeing from these young students are amazing and impactful. The Siemens Foundation and its partners are proud to honor these students and their mentors for their commitment to environmental change.”

The national K-12 challenge is designed to encourage students to tackle environmental issues in their own communities and to seek solutions to those problems.

For more information on the Challenge, the state fi nalists and their projects, visit wecanchange.com.

Hands-on rock study

Patricia Shanlever’s class at Vulcan Materials.

Gwin Elementary fourth grader Blake White won second place in the 2013 Alabama Wildlife Federation’s youth wildlife art contest.

For his ruby throated hummingbird, Blake was awarded a plaque and art supplies during a luncheon in April.

For more than 30 years, the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s William R. Ireland Sr. Youth Wildlife Art Contest has recognized the outstanding artistic abilities of Alabama students while increasing students’ knowledge and awareness of wildlife and wildlife habitat in our state.

The Alabama Wildlife Federation encourages students to research and learn more about the species they choose and its habitat requirements. Teachers have the opportunity to integrate language arts, science, geography, and the arts into an exciting and educational project.

Gwin student wins wildlife art contest


SportsShades Mountain baseball advances in state playoffs

The Shades Mountain Christian School Varsity Baseball Team advanced to the third round of the AHSAA Baseball Play-offs by winning the double header in April in Fayetteville.

SMCS Varsity Baseball Team. Front Row:

JP CurrenTanner HoltDavid SillimanGalen BaileySimon BrownTyler Allen

Middle Row: Mikey RogersAlex Killough

Austyn Wright-LadsonColin JennessGrant GardnerAustin PattersonNick Wall.

Back Row: Billy ParkerWill RowellMitchell AndersonHarrison BoozerStephen Reeves

The Red Hot Lava girls won the 6U softball championship for the Hoover Softball Association in May.

Red Hot Lava takes title

Front Row:Macey McDanielGrace BrindleyAbbi PearmanDarcy DavisKate Campbell

Middle Row: Asst Coach: Andy BrindleyAleah MoonDrew CrenshawKyndness FrazierJayla MalbroughAshley Keel

Back Row:Asst Coach: Nathan PearmanHead Coach: Greg Campbell

Blue Lightning wins 12U in Hoover Central tourneyThe Hoover Central

Softball Park held its yearly Spring tournament this past weekend. The 12U championship was won by the Blue Lightning.

Reaching 87,000 homes and businesses in Hoover,

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Hoover Library Events

Moonlight on the Mountainmoonlightonthemtn.comJuly 8: Open Mic NightJuly 12: The Honeycutters and Rebecca Pronsky ($15)July 13: Charlie Faye, Amelia White and Anne McCueJuly 18: Rebecca Loebe and Nate CurrinJuly 19: Pierce Pettis ($15)July 20: Jodi James, and James Dupre, 7:30 p.m.July 22: Open Mic NightJuly 24: Cliff Eberhardt and Tim Fast ($15)July 25: Jess Klein

All shows are at 7:30 p.m. and cost $12 unless otherwise noted. Open Mic Night is $5.

Comedy Club Stardomestardome.com444-0008

July 2-3, 6-7: Steve BrownJuly 10-14: Rodney CarringtonJuly 16-18: BlackBoyJuly 19-21: Bruce BruceJuly 23-25, 28: Mike GreenJuly 26-27: Rob Schneider

Community Calendar

July 4: Freedom Fest. Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, all day. Visit hooveral.org.

July 5: “The Lorax” at Veterans Park. Movie begins at dusk. Follow @BYMovieParties on Twitter.

July 6: Sixth Annual Miss Hoover Pageant. Spain Park High School, 7 p.m. $10 adults, $5 students, children 12 and younger free.

July 9: Free Park Playdate. Hoover Central Park, 9:30 a.m.

July 9-Aug. 30: In the Gallery Art Exhibition By Daniel Moore. Aldridge Gardens, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 682-8019 or visit aldridgegardens.com.

July 11: Meet-the-Artist Reception with Daniel Moore. Aldridge Gardens, 5-7 p.m. Artist

July 12: “Madagascar 3” at

Veterans Park. Movie begins at dusk. Follow @BYMovieParties on Twitter.

July 15-19: Kids Camera Camp. Ages 9-13. Visit bluemoonstudios.net.

July 15-22: National Forensic League Tournament. Spain Park High School. Visit nflnationals.org.

July 16-18: SEC Football Media Days. Wynfrey Hotel. Featuring the Alabama football team and coach Nick Saban on July 18. Visit secdigitalnetwork.com.

July 18: Yvonne Andrews Art Reception. Friends Art Gallery, 5:30 p.m.

July 18: Newcomer Ice Cream Social. Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club, 144 Business Center Drive, 2 p.m. Call 560-0706.

July 19-20: Bridge Tournament for Newcomer/Intermediate

Players. Birmingham Duplicate Bridge Club, 144 Business Center Drive, games at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call 560-0706.

July 19: “Wreck it Ralph” at Veterans Park. Movie begins at dusk. Follow @BYMovieParties on Twitter.

July 20: Aldridge Gardens Bird Walk with Dr. Richard & Patricia Ryel. Aldridge Gardens, 8-10 a.m. Visit aldridgegardens.com to register.

July 23: Horizons Dinner. Hoover Senior Center, 6 p.m.

July 24-26: National Select 7-on-7 Tournament. Wynfrey Hotel, 2 p.m. Visit select7on7.com or facebook.com/NS7on7.

July 25: Concert with Bo Barry, Tommy Stewart & J.J. Paterson, “Lou Rawls Review.” Aldridge Gardens, 6-8 p.m. Tickets available at aldridgegardens.com

or Renasant Bank locations.

July 26: Rain Date for Free Friday Flicks at Veterans Park. Movie begins at dusk. Follow @BYMovieParties on Twitter.

July 26: Glow in the Park 5K. Hoover Met Stadium, 6-8 p.m. Visit glowintheparkrun.com

July 28: Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Workshop. Hoover Public Library, 2:30-5 p.m. Lily of the Cahaba Chapter of the National Society DAR. Email [email protected].

July 30: Senior Health Fair. Hoover Senior Center, 9 a.m.-noon.

July 30: Speed Networking Event. Wynfrey Hotel, 8:30 -11 a.m. Includes Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Hoover and Greater Shelby County. Call 823-5011 or email [email protected]

Hoover Events

Community Events

Drawing and Painting, taught by Rollina Oglesby. Plein Aire Painting on Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-noon; Charcoal, Pastel, Oil and Acrylic with Model or Photo on Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon or Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 p.m. $120 + supplies (former students $95). Email [email protected] or call 733-8939 to register.

Artists on the Bluff: 571 Park Avenue

Painting and Mixed Media, taught by Rik Lazenby. $120 per month. 9 a.m.-noon or 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays or Thursdays. Call 281-5273 to register or visit lazenbystudio.com.

Acrylic Painting, taught by Jayne Morgan. $40 per class including supplies. Mondays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. for high school; Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. for high school; or Thursdays 6:30-8:30 p.m. for adults. Also teaching summer painting camps for children. Visit jaynemorgan.com or call 902-5226.

Woodworking, taught by David Traylor. Offering workshops in furniture making. All skill levels welcome. Also teaching Summer Woodworking Camps for children. Visit woodshopstudio.com or call 531-4751.

Zentangle, taught by Darla Williamson. $35 per class includes supplies. Beginners: July 11, 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. Tipsy Tangles: July 12, 6 p.m. Intermediate Class: July 29, 6 p.m. Beyond the Basics Zentangle for Kids summer camps: July 15-19, 1- 4 p.m. and July 22-26, 9 a.m.-noon. Ages 9-11. $150 including supplies. Visit tangledstones.com or call 305-2082

Children’s ProgramsJuly 1: Summer Story time. 10:30 a.m. We Dig Pirates! Designed for toddlers.

July 1: Shiver Me Timbers. 6:30 p.m. Pirate party. Grades first though third. Registration beings June 10.

July 2-3: Mark Seymour. 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Be at Your Best! All ages.

July 4-5: Library Closed

July 8: Summer Story time. 10:30 a.m. We Dig Food! Designed for toddlers.

July 9: BubbleMania. 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. All ages.

July 10-11: BubbleMania. 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. All ages.

July 11: Legosaurus Max. 6:30 p.m. Take your Lego skills to the max and design paleo creations. Grades first though third. Registration begins June 24.

July 13: Jurassic Library. 10:30 a.m.

July 15: Summer Story time. 10:30 a.m. We Dig Construction! Designed for toddlers.

July 15: Legosaurus Max. 6:30 p.m.

July 16: Atlantic Coast Theatre

presents A World of Wonderful Tales. 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. All ages.

July 17-18: Atlantic Coast Theatre presents A World of Wonderful Tales. 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. All ages.

July 23: Summer Reading Finale Roger Day. 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Sing loud, jump high and dream big! All ages.

July 24-25: Summer Reading Finale Roger Day. 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. Sing loud, jump high and dream big! All ages.

July 26: Last day to sign up for the Summer Reading Program

July 26: Come Back Babies! 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. Summer stories, songs and finger plays for babies. Birth - 12 months. Registration begins July 12.

July 30: American Girl: Meet Caroline. 6:30 p.m. Grab your dolls for food and fun to hang out with the newest American Girl. Grades K – sixth. Registration begins July 9.

Teen ProgrammingJuly 2: Styrofoam Printmaking. 6:30 p.m. Supplies provided. Register at hooverlibrary.org.

July 9: Minute to Win it. 6:30 p.m.

July 16: Helping Hands. Adult Programming Room, 2:30 p.m. All ages. Making newspaper rolls to be donated to a local humane society.

July 16: British Invasion. 6:30 p.m. Celebration of British TV, film and book favorites.

July 19: Get Your Game On. 3:30 p.m. Challenge friends to Super Smash Brothers on the Wii. Free Snacks. Grades fourth through eighth. Registration begins June 28.

July 27: Write Club. Theatre Level Meeting Rooms, 10:30 a.m. Call 444-7820.

Adult ProgrammingJuly 1: Learn to Use Your NOOK! Theatre Level Meeting Rooms, 6:30 p.m. Training on NOOKS. NOOK Simple Touch Class begins 6:30 p.m. and NOOK HD/+ at 7:30 p.m.

July 7: Global Cuisine. Library Plaza, 2:30 p.m. Presented by Coffee-ol-ogy Coffee Café. Free. Complimentary samples provided.

July 9: Daytime Nonfiction Book Club. Adult Programming Room, 10:30 a.m. “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote.

July 11: First Thursday Fiction

Book Club. Theatre Level Meeting Rooms, 10 a.m. Michael Morris discusses his novel, The Man in the Blue Moon. Refreshments provided.

July 11: A Sweet Strangeness Thrills My Heart: The Journals of Sallie Independence Foster. Library Theatre, 7 p.m. Reserved seating. Tickets $12.50 starting May 20. Visit thelibrarytheatre.com.

July 12: Bards & Brews Poetry Performance Series. Library Plaza, 6:30-9 p.m. Bards & Brews Poetry series. $200 and $100 prizes. Attendees must be 18 to enter, 21 to drink. ID required. Free.

July 13: Purl @ the Plaza. Library Plaza, 3-5 p.m. Bring your yarn and knit, crochet or embroider.

July 18: Second Thursday Fiction Book Club. Theatre Level Meeting Rooms, 10 a.m. “The Light Between Oceans” by M. L. Stedman. Refreshments provided.

July 19: Summer Movie Series. Library Theatre, 6:30 p.m. “Skyfall.”

July 20: You Can Do It @ the Plaza: Easy Floor Upgrades: Hardwood & Tile. Library Plaza, 10:30 a.m. Presented by Jones-Warren Construction and Home Depot.

July 21: How to Find Grants. Training Center, 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Free. Learn to use the Foundation Center Cooperative database to find grants for nonprofits and individuals. Reservations required. Call 444-7816.

July 23: Frugalistics. 2:30 p.m. Money saving strategies, tips for organizing and websites to check out. Call 444-7840.

July 25: Playing @ the Plaza - Flying Jenny. Library Plaza, 6:30 p.m. Band features a fiddle, banjo, guitar and bass, as well as songs in three-part harmony.

July 25: Nonfiction Book Club. Allen Board Room, 7:00 p.m. “Citizens of London” by Lynne Olson.

July 26: After Hours @ the Plaza: Game Night. Library Plaza, 7-10 p.m. ID required.

July 28: Instrumentalists @ the Plaza: Allen Stone & Friends. Library Plaza, 2:30 p.m. Guitarist Allen Stone

July 29: Monday at the Movies: “Sherlock Holmes.” Library Theatre, 2 p.m.

July 4: Jazz in the Park. Railroad Park, 6 p.m. Jazz artists Lao Tizer and Kim Scoot play an outdoor concert for all ages. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, seat cushions, coolers and food for the night. Free admission. Visit magiccitysmoothjazz.com.

July 8-Sept. 30: The Stand Against MS. 813 Shades Creek Parkway, Suite 100B. A fundraiser for

the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Alabama-Mississippi Chapter presented by Bud’s Best Cookies and Buffalo Rock. Snack provided. Call 1-800-344-4867 or visit nationalMSsociety.org/alc to register.

July 13: McWane Science Center’s 15th Birthday Party. McWane Science Center, 10 a.m. Travis Taylor of Nat Geo’s show, Rocket City

Rednecks, performs live demonstrations on the plaza. Also enjoy rock climbing, rock candy and rock ‘n’ roll music. Free admission for members. For non-members, $12 for adults and $9 for children and seniors. Call 714-8300 or visit mcwane.org.

July 20: 12th Annual Market Day. Mountain Brook Village, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sidewalk and tent sale flea market

with discounts up to 75 percent off.

Alabama Theatre Summer Movies in July. Alabama Theatre. July 12, 7 p.m. Blazing Saddles. July 14, 2 p.m. The Help. July 19, 7 p.m. Cool Hand Luke. July 21, 2 p.m. To Kill a Mockingbird. July 26, 7 p.m. Grease (Sing-Along Version). July 27, 2 p.m. E.T. July 28, 2 p.m. Sound of Music.


Have you ever been accused of losing your marbles? I want you to think about that in a different light.

Did you know that from the time your child is born, you have approximately 936 weeks until that child graduates high school and heads off to the workforce or college? That’s 936 weeks until they are off on their own. Kind of scary, huh?

Imagine you had a jar with 936 marbles and each week of your child’s life you took a marble out. If your child is 5, he or she has about 608 marbles left in that jar. If they are in ninth grade, he or she is down to about 159. If your child is a junior, he or she has around 54 marbles left.

Time fl ies. The older we get, the more we realize that is true. Especially when it comes to our kids. Before you know it, they are starting school, or driving, or even — gulp — graduating. In fact, just the other day, there were lots of posts online of a scene from the movie Back to the Future where Marty McFly sets the time machine to a date waaaay in the future... April 30, 2013. Yikes! That used to seem so far away, and now that is even history.

The truth is time matters. You can’t get it back. Your time is invaluable. It matters what you spend your time doing. When it comes to our kids, it matters what we do with the weeks we have with them. We have to be intentional.

The world tells us that to raise successful kids, they need to be well-rounded, smart, athletic, good-looking and productive. The Bible lays

out a much different picture for successful parenting.

The most important thing about your kids (and you, by the way) is what they believe about God. In Psalm 78:5-8, God’s word tells us that parents are to teach the next generation about the wonders and works of God. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we realize that our goal as parents is not to raise successful kids according to the world’s standards, but to teach and model a life of worship in all that we do. To be honest, that is the purpose of family

anyway – to worship God and teach the next generations about His greatness.

There is a new application out there created by the reThink Group called the Legacy Countdown App. You can enter in your child’s name and birth date or estimated graduation date, and it will calculate how many weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds that you have left until your child graduates. I know it is scary to think about it, but that is why we must think about it. Don’t lose your marbles, spend your marbles wisely.

So what do you do? You become intentional about building a foundation of spiritual truth in the lives of your kid. You become intentional about making memories. You make history, one week at a time, one marble at a time.

Andy Wilbanks is the Minister of Children at Hunter Street Baptist Church. You can follow his blog at LifeAlongTheRoad.com.

Pastor’s CornerLost your marbles?

By ANDY WILBANKSHunter Street Baptist Church

Andy Wilbanks

visitors. This is the eighth time the club has hosted Russian delegates through Open World.

“Our primary concern was to get the delegates familiar with all accountable levels of government, from national to state to county to municipal,” Herron said.

Delegates were also interested in political party issues, elections, medical reform, education, Herron said, so local professionals in these areas also spoke with them.

Since their arrival in Birmingham, Ksenia Semenova, one of two group facilitators, said they had been most struck by how green the city is and, of course, by everyone’s friendliness.

“All the people here are greeting us heart-warmingly,” she said.

No matter where they went, the delegates noticed how everyone openly spoke of both successes and problems.

“Here people express their minds really openly,” Semenova said. “They are not afraid of it. This is what we really need (in Russia). You can read political speeches online, but it’s not the same thing.”

They found Mayor Ivey very interactive, Semenova said, and enjoyed getting to talk past their allotted amount of time with him.

“We were surprised that the mayor had small businesses, too,” she said. “We were interested in whether (his position as mayor) gives him advantages, but he said he differentiates between the two. It’s unusual to hear a mayor would not take advantage of that.”

While in Hoover, the group was particularly interested in learning how people start businesses and how the city helps them.

They liked Hoover’s program of attracting businesses to the region via providing incentives, Semenova said.

Another thing that stuck out to them about Hoover was the number of nonprofi t organizations they saw, even ones whose reach spread internationally—a number much greater than they see in Russia, especially in small towns.

On a tour through the City’s public safety building, they were fascinated by the jail facilities, as well as the forensic science lab.

Delegates were interested in how the municipal court had limited jurisdiction—it doesn’t try juvenile, civil or felony cases — as one court covers all cases in Russia, said Municipal Court Director Susan Fuqua, who coordinated their visit to the court. They were also interested in how the court communicates with other departments in the building.

Fuqua, like others who interacted with the Russians over the course of the week, emphasized that the sharing wasn’t just one-way.

“They explained to me as much as we explained to them,” she said. “I wish we had more time to learn more about what they do and to share what we do.”

The local Friendship Force chapter will hold its next meeting Sunday, July 21 at 2 p.m. at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Vestavia Hills. Visitors are welcome.

RUSSIA CONTINUED from page 1

Ten Russian delegates spend time with Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey during their educational mission to the U.S. Photo courtesy of Ksenia Semanova.

Summer Fun Photo Contest

Capture the fun of summer with your camera, and send us your favorite shots of the backyard, lake, beach, mountain, neighborhood, and wherever you and your family are.

Our staff will choose the images that most colorfully capture a summer experience.

Prizes will be awarded to contest winners.Category One: Any summer fun photo

Category Two: A summer fun photo displaying a copy of Hoover Sun wherever you areTo enter, email your photos in a jpeg format to [email protected] Please send high quality images and include a caption and photo credit.

Only four entry photos are allowed per person.

Deadline for entries is August 1, 2013. We will publish the winners in the September issue as well as post them on our Facebook page and HooverSun.comSun


Hoover Sun vol 1 iss 10 july 2013

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