By Sam PrickettOn a recent, cold January night, Joseph Braswell woke up to a ringing phone. Even though it was the middle of the night, he answered it.The person on the other end — a customer of Guin Service, Braswell’s family business — was having a particularly bad night. The freezing weather had caused their pipes to rupture.“So I woke up and found somebody … [Read more...]
‘Changing the Mentality’: Hoover Mayor Spends His First Year in Office Focused on the Next 50 Years
By Sam Prickett Frank Brocato’s first year as mayor of Hoover coincided with the city’s 50th anniversary, and Brocato spent most of that milestone year, he said, refining and implementing a vision for what the city’s next half-century will look like. Brocato was elected mayor in August 2016 with 52 percent of the vote, beating out incumbent Gary Ivey and challenger Steve … [Read more...]
Decision on Proposed Condo Development on Overton Road Delayed Until December
By Sam PrickettA contentious debate over a proposed development on Overton Road is expected to continue into December meetings of both the Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills city councils.Developer Ron Durham is requesting the rezoning of properties along Fairhaven Lane in Mountain Brook and Poe Street in Vestavia Hills so that he can construct a 41-unit condominium … [Read more...]
You Can’t Get Around: Hoover Long-Time Hoover Chamber Leader Reflects on 22 Years of Growth
By Sam PrickettHoover Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bill Powell has seen the city and the chamber grow “quite a bit” during his 22 years in that position. “We’ve quadrupled our membership since I’ve been here,” Powell said of the chamber, which during his tenure expanded from roughly 300 members to 1,200. Part of that, he jokes, is due to the chamber’s … [Read more...]
No Ph.D. Required: New Museum Director Aims to Double Attendance, Says Visitors Shouldn’t Have to Be Experts to Understand Art
By Sam PrickettThe new executive director of the Birmingham Museum of Art plans to make accessibility, expansion and renovation priorities of his tenure – with a long-term goal of doubling the museum’s attendance over the next five years.In mid-September, the BMA named Dr. Graham C. Boettcher its new executive director. Boettcher’s appointment followed a months-long … [Read more...]