THE Hoover Forum http://hooverforum.com/hoover/YaBB.pl Election Issues >> Hoover Politics >> A Bit of History http://hooverforum.com/hoover/YaBB.pl?num=1209785492 Message started by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:31pm

Title: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:31pm I'll be perusing old Birmingham News articles for little tidbits about our current Council over the coming months.  I was simply looking for election results (actual numbers) and came across this tidbit: Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SPEAK OUT October 6, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H Opponent's mailer created bitter taste The general election and runoff election for the Hoover mayoral race and the City Council races are now history. This was my first experience of being a candidate in the political process, and I must say it was a most rewarding one - up until the point when my opponent, Brian Skelton, made the decision to mail a comparison piece of campaign literature just prior to the Sept. 14 runoff election that was based on incorrect facts, half-truths and innuendoes. In this piece of literature, he stated that I had missed 33 percent of the Planning and Zoning Commission meetings. It is a matter of public record that, since I was appointed to the commission in September 2001, I have missed 10 of 37 meetings, which is slightly more than 25 percent. Of the most recent meetings that I have missed, I was involved in providing care for my wife's gravely ill parents, both of whom died within nine days of each other in January. In addition, other recent meetings that I missed involved attending the weddings of my two daughters who were married out of state in June of this year and November of last year. Mr. Skelton also brought up the fact that a $1,000 personal contribution was made to the Concerned Citizens For the Future of Hoover in order for that group to make a general mailing that identified the mayoral and City Council candidates they were recommending. He further implied that the contribution was made before the group made public their list of recommended candidates. It was, and is, a matter of public record that the CCFFH's recommendations were published well in advance of their asking for donations in order to make the mailing. Another point in Mr. Skelton's questionable piece of campaign literature was that both my company and I had contributed to Mayor Barbara McCollum's campaign. That was a true statement for the 2000 election, as was the fact that many Hoover residents contributed to the then "Dream Team" campaign. However, this was not the case in 2004 as evidenced by an article in the Aug. 9 issue of the Birmingham News that dealt with slates and coalitions. I was not included on Mayor McCollum's or any other slate; however, my opponent, Mr. Skelton, was listed as being a part of mayoral candidate Jody Patterson's slate. Lastly, Mr. Skelton challenged my Hoover residency by pointing out that I had "lived in seven southeastern cities, including Raleigh, N.C., and having owned nine homes." If you go to the Web site www.ccffh.org, from where this partial sentence was derived, you will find that this statement was part of the response to a question from my interview with representatives from the CCFFH that included, among other things, my desire to ensure that the equity that each Hoover family has in their home would be protected. Ironically, when you think about the fast growth of the City of Hoover, you would be hard pressed to find a significant number of Hoover residents who are long-time residents. To put the record straight, I have lived in the Birmingham area for more than 20 years, the last 10 of which have been in Hoover. In summary, the political experience on the part of me, my wife, Fran, and the numerous friends who worked so hard on my campaign was truly enjoyable. However, after having run a "clean" campaign and having experienced a piece of distorted and misleading campaign literature on the part of my runoff opponent, Mr. Skelton, I would probably not do this again. In addition, I would be hardpressed to encourage other worthy and civic-minded individuals who might be interested in running for political office to do so and subject themselves and their families to this kind of mistreatment. Jim Summerlin Hoover

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:36pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SOME SEE NEW HOOVER COUNCIL TOO CLOSE September 22, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   JON ANDERSON News staff writer Hoover voters, for the second time in a row, replaced all but one City Council member. So what can residents expect from the new crop of council members elected this summer? Some members of the new council say people will see a more cooperative group with less fussing and fighting. Some residents wonder, however, whether this council is so close that it will conduct business behind closed doors. "I think it will be totally different, and I think it will be totally positive," said Jack Wright, the only council member re-elected this year, as he was when he survived the council rout in 2000. "I think we'll see a brand new spirit of cooperation up there," Wright said. People are tired of the petty bickering and bloc voting, Wright said. Mayor-elect Tony Petelos will set the tone for the new group of elected officials, Wright said. Instead of being satisfied with getting just enough votes to pass something, voters should expect to see their new mayor working to get seven votes to pass his initiatives, Wright said. "It's time for Hoover to grow up and everybody push in the same direction," he said. "It's now time for the council to get itself together and become a positive force." Councilman-elect Gene Smith said a lot of the new council members are like-minded and will put the city first. "I don't see any of these people allowing petty disagreements to create turmoil amongst ourselves," Smith said. Outgoing Councilwoman Donna Mazur agrees that the incoming council members will be close, but said she fears they'll be too close. She expects to see Brian Skelton, Gary Ivey, Trey Lott and Wright voting together a lot, she said. "They're all friends," she said. "That's OK to be friends, but there's more to it than that . . . I really hope that they're not going to make any decisions behind closed doors - that they're going to listen and do what's right for this city. It just scares me who's going to be running this city again." 'Power bosses' Outgoing Councilman Kyle Forstman said he expects Smith to be of like mind with the new council members Mazur named. "I think, definitely, you're going to see that group be the power bosses of the council," Forstman said. "They all know each other very well and campaigned together." Councilman Jody Patterson, who lost his bid for mayor last week, had picked each of those five as his preferred candidates for the council. Wright and Smith both said they campaigned separately. Efforts to reach Skelton, Ivey and Lott for comment were unsuccessful. Wright said it's no secret that he, Skelton and Ivey are friends, and he's known Smith for 20 years, but "I wasn't on anybody's slate." Wright said he thinks everybody on the new council understands that business needs to be done in the open. "The mandate is to eliminate the behindclosed-doors stuff," he said. "I think the people would turn against that kind of thing." Smith said he even would lobby for details of new council ordinances to be presented at their first reading rather than their second reading. That would give the public more time to learn about the proposals and respond, he said. It's that kind of citizen involvement that Paul Elkourie, president of the Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover, said his group desires. Elkourie said the success of the new council depends on how much value it puts in history. Most members of the current and previous city councils were voted out of office because they failed to involve and listen to residents, Elkourie said. They allowed too much growth, and the current council has had too much bickering and a lack of civility, he said. "This group that's (coming) in here now, if they can learn from that, maybe in the next election, it will be a different story than the last two," Elkourie said. 'Jekyll and Hyde' The current council members "seemed to pull a Jekyll and Hyde routine" once they got into office, he said. "For some reason, politics brings the dark side of people out," he said. "A lot of people, when they get into political positions, they change." People in Hoover are turned off by the voting blocs that formed over the past four years and closed-door decisions, Elkourie said. There's a good potential for that to happen with the new council, but "we'll just have to see whether that materializes or not," he said. The Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover endorsed Lott, Smith, Wright and Mari Morrison but not Skelton, Ivey or Mike Natter. To the contrary, Elkourie said Ivey, Skelton and Natter were the only candidates among the 10 in runoffs who "were not acceptable choices." Skelton and Ivey were too pro-development, Elkourie said, although he wouldn't comment on Natter. "Our big hope now," he said, "is that the ones we didn't support prove us wrong." Natter said he doesn't know the other council members well but he doesn't expect that will be an issue. "I like to believe that these guys are going to be open to every side," Natter said. "It doesn't matter whether we're good friends or whether we're not good friends. I feel confident they'll give me an equal voice on issues. Maybe I'm a little optimistic, but I like to be optimistic. I think everybody's got the best interest of the city at heart. That's the most important thing." Pro-development? Forstman said he thinks many residents will be surprised at how pro-development the new council will be compared to the current council. The existing council has turned down numerous projects over the past four years, including the Hoover Towne Centre development at the intersection of Interstate 459 and John Hawkins Parkway, phase two of the Patton Creek development near the Riverchase Galleria, and Skelton's proposal for a condominium complex on land he owned near Greystone. Forstman also noted the $5,000 contribution Skelton and Ivey each accepted from Alex and Suzy Baker. Alex Baker is the president and chief executive of AIG Baker, the development company that built the Patton Creek and Lee Branch shopping centers. Mazur said she was concerned the new council would be favorable to approving residential development without the retail development to support it. Wright said that's not the case. "Commercial growth is a priority for any potential annex ation," he said. However, "I think we've got about all we can probably handle." The new council is positive toward growth, but "the facts are that city services have not kept pace with growth for the past three years," Wright said. Growth will be driven by the free enterprise system and private developers, Wright said. With the new mayor and council, though, "I would expect a lot longer and open process," Wright said. "You just can't ram through a major annexation." Outgoing Mayor Barbara McCollum said she has no idea what the new council's attitude will be toward new developments, but she hopes members will weigh the benefits and liabilities before making decisions. She said she believes the new council eventually will come to realize that the annexation of the 1,600-acre Ross Bridge development in western Hoover is one of the best economic development moves the city has made. Immigrant issue McCollum and Mazur both said they were concerned with how the new council will deal with immigrants along Lorna Road. "They have to make sure they follow the law," McCollum said. "You can't just go out and arrest people." If the Multicultural Resource Center closes, there will be more day laborers along Lorna Road and more crime, Mazur said. "At least (now) they have a place to go," she said. "They have people helping them." Smith said the immigrant issue is a sensitive one that needs to be handled carefully. Most people are concerned about the immigrants who are here illegally, Smith said. Those who are legal "deserve every opportunity we can give them." janderson@bhamnews.com

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:37pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER DOESN'T NEED NEW 'POWER BOSSES' September 22, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   Peggy Sanford If you haven't followed the Hoover election play-by-play, here's the breakdown. Come Oct. 4, Hoover will have a new mayor, seven council members instead of five, and only one incumbent in the bunch. Tony Petelos, a commercial builder, former three-term state representative and a former commissioner of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, will succeed incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum. Councilman Jack Wright will return for his third term. This is his second time to hold the title of lone incumbent to survive. First-time council members will be: physician Trey Lott of Greystone; business owner and retired Hoover firefighter Gene Smith of Bluff Park; lawyer and Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission member Mari Morrison of Paradise Lake; Crest Cadillac Hummer owner and planning commission member Gary Ivey of Riverchase; and construction company president Mike Natter of Trace Crossings. Brian Skelton, who lost the mayor's seat to McCollum in 2000, will return to the city's elected fold as a member of the City Council. Skelton, president of South Haven Corp. and a Lake Cyrus resident, has been on the Hoover council before, from 1994 to 1999. He was appointed mayor in 1999 when then-Mayor Frank Skinner resigned and pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation. Skinner was Hoover's mayor for 18 years. When McCollum and the four council members she backed were elected in 2000, they claimed a victory over the "political machine" that had kept Skinner in office and propelled Skelton into the mayor's seat. If they were right about a machine, then it could be sputtering back to life. As Skelton returns to the council, he is joined by his close friend, Ivey. Skelton and Ivey join Wright, a mutual friend, all known to be regular lunch pals. Out-going Councilwoman Donna Mazur ties Lott to the group and out-going Councilor Kyle Forstman adds Smith, predicting that group of five will be the council's "power bosses." Power bosses are not what the City Council needs, especially when two of the group - Skelton and Ivey - took $5,000 contributions each from Alex Baker. Baker is president and chief executive of AIG Baker, which has developed shopping centers across America, including Patton Creek and Lee Branch in Hoover. The city needs a mayor and council that will heed their campaign pledges to weigh growth against drain on city services and to decide issues through open and respectful debate. The last two Hoover elections should prove that the city's voters don't want factional control of their government. They want independent leaders who will work together to do what's best for the city, not what's best for any individual, group or commercial interest.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:38pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} PETELOS PLEDGES FRESH START AS HOOVER MAYOR September 15, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-A Illustration: A Newschart titled 'Hoover runoff election results' accompanied this article.   TROY GOODMAN and JEREMY GRAY News staff writers Hoover voters Tuesday overwhelmingly elected former state representative and Alabama Department of Human Resources Commissioner Tony Petelos to be their next mayor. Petelos received 7,148 votes, 63 percent, in the runoff election. His opponent, City Councilman Jody Patterson, took 4,131 votes, 37 percent. Patterson failed to claim any of Hoover's 12 boxes or a majority of the absentee vote. In Hoover's council runoff races, four residents of eastern Hoover, including three from Greystone, lost. The council seats were won by Mari Morrison, Gary Ivey, Brian Skelton and Mike Natter. In the mayor's race, Petelos and Patterson had emerged from a field of six candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum, in the Aug. 24 general election. In his acceptance speech at his campaign headquarters on U.S. 31 at Patton Chapel Road, Petelos said his vote totals showed people want a fresh voice at City Hall. That was something long-time Hoover resident and former McCollum supporter Patterson could not provide, Petelos said. "The citizens of Hoover wanted a change of leadership and that is what we're going to have," he said. The loss was bittersweet, Patterson said, because he wanted to beat Petelos, but had confidence in the former representative's ability to bring sound decisions on growth and finances to Alabama's sixth-largest city. "I am disappointed because I played to win, but I feel a lot of great things are coming for the city," Patterson said. The Trace Crossings-based home builder gave up a bid for re-election to the council to launch his mayoral campaign. Many Petelos supporters said their candidate won handily because his experience as a threeterm state representative and DHR chief shows he can lead a large staff and handle the city's $76.5 million budget. Only one incumbent, Jack Wright, will remain on the Hoover council. In the Place 3 race, Hoover Planning and Zoning Commissioner Morrison defeated Greystone resident Mary Sue Ludwig 5,746 votes to 4,864. Henry lost the Place 4 race to Gary Ivey. Ivey had 7,214 votes, Henry 3,572. Ivey also is a member of the Hoover zoning board and owns Crest Cadillac Hummer. Skelton won Place 6 with 5,908 votes over Jim Summerlin of Southlake, another zoning board member and president of Mayer Electric Supply Co. Summerlin had 4,891 votes. Natter defeated Greystone resident Daniel Whitman 6,384 votes to 4,182. Morrison, Ivey, Skelton and Natter will join Wright and two other newly elected council members, Trey Lott and Gene Smith, on Hoover's new sevenmember council. Wright, of Verdure Knolls, won Place 5 and will begin his third term when the new administration is sworn in Oct. 4. Lott, a Greystone resident, won Place 1 and Smith, of Bluff Park, won Place 2 in the August general election. Both Petelos and Patterson campaigned on promises to seek stronger enforcement of immigration laws to minimize concerns about Hispanic day laborers who gather along Lorna Road north of the Interstate 459 overpass. Petelos has said he will push for Hoover to partner with Pelham, Helena, Alabaster and other cities to fund a federal immigration agent to work the area and crack down on those who may be working or driving without proper permits.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:39pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} PATTERSON, PETELOS KEEP EYES ON HOOVER'S MAYORAL PRIZE MANY MUNICIPAL RUNOFFS SLATED FOR TUESDAY September 12, 2004 Section: News Page: 19-A   JON ANDERSON News staff writer Hoover mayoral candidates Jody Patterson and Tony Petelos are making their final pitches to persuade voters to put them in charge in Tuesday's runoff election. Petelos, a former three-term state legislator and former head of the state Department of Human Resources, comes into the runoff after a strong showing in the Aug. 24 general election. He captured 48 percent of the 14,439 votes cast in the six-person mayoral race. Patterson, a one-term councilman who came in second place with 23 percent of the vote three weeks ago, said he knows it will be tough to beat Petelos but he's working diligently to make up ground. Both candidates campaigned hard against Mayor Barbara McCollum, saying she was expanding the city at an alarming rate and putting Hoover too deep in debt. Now, they're trying to differentiate themselves from each other. Patterson points to his deep Hoover roots and leadership experience within the city. He has lived in Hoover since he was born in 1959 and has seen it grow from 406 residents when it incorporated in 1967 to an estimated 65,070 in 2003. "I've lived here and loved Hoover for 45 years," Patterson said. "Petelos says he's a proven leader. Proven where? . . . My proof is right here in Hoover neighborhood involvement." Patterson is a former president of the Huntington Park Neighborhood Association and former secretary of the Willow Trace Neighborhood Association. Before being elected to the City Council, he helped lead fights against commercial development encroaching on residents along Alabama 150. Since election, he served two years on the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission and has served on the city's Comprehensive Plan Policy Committee and Housing and Property Maintenance Code Committee. Petelos has lived in Hoover five years but said he's spent his entire life as a resident of Jefferson County and understands Hoover's needs. However, he said his experience and contacts in Montgomery and Washington, D.C., will benefit Hoover and help the city receive its fair share of state and federal funds. Most of Hoover's money, whether for transportation or education, comes from Montgomery, he said. "Mr. Patterson is saying he doesn't know anybody in Montgomery," Petelos said. "I think that's the wrong attitude. We're no longer a small city. We're a big city with big city problems, and we can't solve these problems by ourselves." Petelos also said Hoover needs a fresh face in the mayor's chair to help end the bickering and infighting between city officials. Patterson said he's steered away from personal insults and name-calling and tried to focus on issues. Hoover also has four council seats up for grabs Tuesday. The candidates are homemaker Mary Sue Ludwig and lawyer Mari Morrison for Place 3; retired U.S. Steel executive Jim Henry and Crest Cadillac Hummer owner Gary Ivey for Place 4; former Mayor Brian Skelton and Mayer Electric President Jim Summerlin for Place 6; and construction company president Mike Natter and Realtor Daniel Whitman for Place 7.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:40pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} JEFFCO, SHELBY HOPEFULS RAISE NEARLY $100,000, REPORTS SAY September 11, 2004 Section: News Page: 14-A   JON ANDERSON News staff writer Candidates in Tuesday's runoffs for mayor and city council seats in Jefferson and Shelby counties collected about $100,000 for the last leg of their campaigns in the past three weeks, according to finance reports filed this week. Most of the money - $81,052 - again went to people seeking public office in Hoover. Hoover mayoral candidate Tony Petelos raised more cash than anyone in Jefferson and Shelby counties during the period, taking in $19,922 in contributions. His opponent, Hoover Councilman Jody Patterson, collected about $2,100 in cash, plus in-kind contributions of $6,181. Hoover candidates made up eight of the Top 10 fund-raisers for the runoff period. Outside Hoover, the top fund-raiser was Homewood council candidate Laura Gaines, who collected $3,245 for her battle with incumbent Peggy Wininger. In neighboring St. Clair County, mayoral candidates Joe Funderburg and James McGowan each took in about $2,700 in a rare three-way runoff with Adam Stocks, who added $1,300 to his account. The $98,480 that Jefferson and Shelby county candidates reported raising in the past three weeks pushes total campaign contributions for the 2004 municipal elections to just under $1 million. Hoover candidates collected about $400,000 of that. Thanks to the latest contributions, total donations have risen to $58,941 in Alabaster, $38,827 in Homewood, $38,738 in Pell City, $36,940 in Gardendale, $13,067 in Leeds, $11,211 in Adamsville, $9,050 in Fairfield, $8,800 in Tarrant, $5,312 in Argo, $4,639 in Moody, $4,245 in Pinson and $740 in Warrior.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:41pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER CANDIDATES SAID TO HAVE TIES TO FORMER MAYOR RIVALS CONCERNED ABOUT RETURN OF CITY'S 'GOOD OLD BOYS' NETWORK September 11, 2004 Section: News Page: 14-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Tuesday's City Council runoff in Hoover offers a chance for two candidates with ties to former Mayor Frank Skinner to reclaim influence lost in the 2000 election. If former Hoover Mayor Brian Skelton and car dealer Gary Ivey win seats on the council, it would mean a return to old-establishment power brokers, said council candidate Jim Henry. Skelton and Ivey downplay their prior connections to Skinner, who resigned his 18-year mayor's post in 1999 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor violations of campaign-finance laws. Skelton is in a runoff for Hoover Council Place 6 with Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission member Jim Summerlin. Summerlin is president of Mayer Electric Supply Co. and lives in Southlake neighborhood off Valleydale Road. Ivey is in a runoff for Council Place 4 with Henry, a retired U.S. Steel executive who lives in Greystone. Henry said Skelton and council Place 1 winner Trey Lott approached him before the Aug. 24 election and asked him to drop out of the race or change places and run against someone other than their friend, Ivey. Henry said they also offered him appointment to city boards and money to cover his campaign expenses. Henry said he refused the offers, then made it into the runoff against Ivey. Ivey said he knew nothing about Skelton and Lott's request to Henry. Skelton and Lott said they asked Henry to step out of the race against Ivey, but denied making any offers of board appointments or financial compensation. Skelton and Lott, Henry said, are trying to stop representation on the council from extending to east Hoover. Currently the mayor and all five council members live west of Interstate 65. "I haven't heard of anyone trying to revive or re-establish previous administrations. I don't get the connection there," Skelton said. "I believe the good old boys are back," said Donna Mazur, an outgoing council member. She, along with Mayor Barbara McCollum and three other council members who won the 2000 election, swept out all but one member of the old guard, Jack Wright. Wright won his third term on the council this year. McCollum, Mazur and council members Bob Austin and Kyle Forstman lost their re-election bids this time around. Councilman Jody Patterson is in a runoff for mayor with Tony Petelos. Wright's friend Skelton served on the council from 1994 to 1999, when he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of thenmayor Skinner. Efforts to reach Wright on Friday were unsuccessful. Ivey owns the Hoover-based Crest Cadillac Hummer dealership. Both Skelton and Ivey are past supporters of Skinner, although Ivey said he later came to oppose many of Skinner's ideas on running the city. Lott is a friend of Ivey and Skelton, the men said. Four of seven council seats are to be filled in Tuesday's runoff. Candidates for Hoover's Place 3 council seat are Greystone resident and homemaker Mary Sue Ludwig and lawyer Mari Morrison. Morrison is on the Hoover zoning board and lives in the Paradise Lake community off Alabama 150. Candidates for the Hoover Place 7 seat are Trace Crossings resident and construction company president Mike Natter and Greystone resident and Realtor Daniel Whitman.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:43pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS September 11, 2004 Section: News Page: 14-A Candidates for municipal offices Candidates running for mayor and city council seats in Tuesday's municipal election runoffs were required to report campaign contributions and expenses if they raised or spent $1,000 in the past three weeks.   State law requires that the reports be filed with county probate judges between five and 10 days before the runoff election. The deadline for filing was Thursday. There are numerous cities in Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair counties that have runoffs but no candidates reporting contributions or expenditures of $1,000 or more. They include Brighton, Clay, Columbiana, Graysville, Harpersville, Hueytown, Irondale, Mulga, Springville, Vincent and West Jefferson. Here's a look at reported contributions in cities in Jefferson and Shelby counties and parts of St. Clair County: JEFFERSON, SHELBY Hoover Candidates in the Hoover runoffs raked in $81,052 in campaign cash during the most recent three-week reporting period, boosting the total amount raised in this year's Hoover campaigns to nearly $400,000. Mayoral candidate Tony Petelos raised $19,922 cash in the most recent period and a total of $72,431 during the campaign. Challenger Jody Patterson raised $2,098 in cash during the most recent period and a total of $36,472 for the campaign. For Council Place 3, Mary Sue Ludwig recently raised $6,460, bringing her total contributions to $20,486. Mari Morrison most recently reported $225 in cash contributions and loaned herself $1,424. Her total campaign contributions were $6,870. For Council Place 4, Gary Ivey reported $19,073 in new contributions, including a $5,000 loan from himself. That brings Ivey's total contributions to $35,017. His opponent, Jim Henry, received $250 in non-itemized cash contributions in the past three weeks. Henry has raised $2,250 during the entire campaign. In Council Place 6, Brian Skelton raised $15,800 during the latest reporting period, bringing his total campaign contributions to $30,595. Jim Summerlin recently raised $3,255, pushing his total to $4,755. In Council Place 7, Daniel Whitman recently raised $7,024, tallying $10,289 during the entire campaign. Mike Natter raised $5,521 during the most recent reporting period, boosting his total to $9,654 for the entire campaign. Candidates reporting contributions of $100 or more are: Jody Patterson, for the mayor's race: $4,220 (in-kind consulting, food) - Robbin and Robert Sorrell, Vestavia Hills. $1,511 (in-kind advertising, food) - Crayton and Jane Patterson, Hoover. $1,000 - Shan and Tricia Paden, Hoover. $500 - Birmingham Auto PAC (new car and truck dealer PAC chaired by Brett McBreyer, Birmingham). $250 - Chris Dorris and State Farm Insurance, Hoover. $150 -George and Cindy Mullins, Hoover. $150 (in-kind food) - David and Krista Brewster, Hoover. Tony Petelos, for the mayor's race: $2,500 - Birmingham Association of Realtors, Birmingham. $1,500 - Bradley Arant Rose and White PAC, Birmingham. $1,000 - Bank of Alabama PAC, Birmingham; Bruce Gordon, Birmingham; Still Hunter Jr., Birmingham; Thomas Logan, Birmingham. $500 - Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Birmingham; Steven Casey, Hoover; Glenn Dorough, Helena; Richard Farrar, Birmingham; Hueytown Chiropractic Clinic; Kent Corp., Birmingham; Phillip Nichols, Birmingham; Frank Schilleci, Montgomery; U.S. Infrastructure Inc., Birmingham; Walston, Wells, Anderson & Bains, Birmingham; Marjorie White, Birmingham. $475 - Jimmie Barnes, Hoover. $325 - Eugene Byars, Hoover. $300 - Ronald Moore, Birmingham; William White, Hoover. $250 - Alex Farris III, Hoover; Kenneth Gomany, Birmingham; Danny Patterson, Birmingham; Teresa Percy, Trussville; Richard Rookis, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.; Debbie Thompson, Birmingham. $200 - Austin Cunningham, Hoover; Dunn Building Co., Birmingham; Matthew Fridy, Montevallo; Bob Sanford, Horton; Edward Tumlin, Birmingham. $150 - Accuploy Inc., Hoover. $100 - Beers Properties LLC, Hoover;; James Birchall, Birmingham; Ellis Brazeal III, Birmingham; Curtin & Associates, Birmingham; N. Christian Glenos, Birmingham; Heyward Hosch III, Birmingham; Mary Jackson, Hoover; Kimberly Livingston, Birmingham; He len McMahon, Birmingham; Jackie Mitchell, Birmingham; Susan Murrell, Hoover; Mark Myatt, Birmingham; Terry Ratigan, Alabaster; David Ringelstein II, Mountain Brook; George Singleton, Hoover; K.M. Trowbridge, Hoover; John Wilson, Hoover. Mary Sue Ludwig, for Council Place 3: $5,000 - E.A. Drummond, Jasper. $1,000 - Dolphus Morrison, Hoover. Mari Morrison, for Council Place 3: $1,424 - Self-loan. $100 - Bill Ash, Vestavia Hills; Linda Chastain, Hoover. Gary Ivey, for council Place 4: $5,000 - Alex and Suzy Baker, Birmingham; Self-loan. $2,000 - Leslie Keith, Birmingham. $1,500 - BES PAC (free enterprise PAC chaired by Stephen Bradley, Birmingham). $1,000 - Birmingham Auto PAC (new car and truck dealer PAC chaired by Brett McBreyer, Birmingham); Alabama Builders PAC, Montgomery. $500 - Stan Adams, Southlake; Robert Pears, Hoover; Mike and Robin Wood, Birmingham; WPH LLC, Birmingham. $250 - Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood PAC, Montgomery; KAN Inc., Birmingham; SouthTrust Corp., Hoover. $200 - Austin Cunningham, Birmingham; Doug Clark Properties, Pelham. $100 - David Fievet, Birmingham; Steve Flowers, Hoover. Brian Skelton, for Council Place 6: $5,000 - Alex and Suzy Baker, Birmingham. $2,000 - Leslie Keith, Birmingham. $1,500 - ALA BIZ PAC (free enterprise PAC chaired by Stephen Bradley, Birmingham. $1,000 - Alabama Builders PAC, Montgomery. $500 - Stanley Adams, Birmingham; Birmingham Auto PAC (new car and truck dealer PAC chaired by Brett McBreyer, Birmingham); Greystone Health Partners, Inc., Birmingham Robert Pears, Birmingham; South Haven Management Corp., Birmingham; The Barron Group, Inc., Birmingham; The South Haven Corp., Birmingham; Michael or Robin Wood, Birmingham; WPH LLC, Birmingham. $250 - KAN Inc., Birmingham; Stuart Nichols, Birmingham. $200 - Michael or Kathryn Ousley, Birmingham; Melinda or Richard Rushing Jr., Birmingham; Bryan Starr Jr., Birmingham. $200 - Austin Cunningham, Birmingham. $100 - Mr. or Mrs. Beelher Creasman, Birmingham; Joann Lewis, Birmingham; Meter & Lowe LLC, Birmingham; Stephen and Lynn Shepherd, Birmingham. Jim Summerlin, for Council Place 6: $2,500 - Self-contribution. $300 - Dr. Doug Christopher, Hoover. $100 - Ralph Cash, Hoover; Johnny Morgan, Hoover. Daniel Whitman, for Council Place 7: $2,900 - Self-loan. $500 - Stanley Adams, Birmingham; Keith Development Corp., Birmingham; Lake Cyrus Development Co., Birmingham; Prime Realty Inc., Birmingham; Smith Paving Inc., Birmingham. $300 - Charles Daniel, Birmingham. $250 - James Summerlin, Birmingham. $200 - Henry Dailey, Birmingham; Givianpour House Account, Birmingham; Donald Morgan, Birmingham. $150 - Brylnda Roper, Birmingham. $100 - Bernie Higginbotham III, Birmingham; Louise Robertson, Birmingham. Mike Natter, for Council Place 7: $2,000 - Political Action PAC, Montgomery. $500 - Heather Natter, Hoover; WPH LLC, Hoover. $250 - Mike Wood, Hoover.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:44pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} PETELOS OUTPACES PATTERSON IN CAMPAIGN FUND RAISING September 10, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-C   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Hoover mayoral candidate Tony Petelos raised nearly 10 times as much money during the past three weeks as his challenger in Tuesday's runoff, Jody Patterson. According to campaign finance disclosure forms filed in Jefferson and Shelby County probate courts, Petelos raised $19,922 in the final reporting period, while Patterson raised $2,098. The most recent numbers bring the candidates' total campaign contributions to $72,431 for Petelos and $36,472 for Patterson. Petelos' largest cash contribution since the Aug. 24 general election, $2,500, came from the Birmingham Association of Realtors Political Action Committee in separate donations of $1,000 and $1,500. Patterson's largest cash contribution of $1,000 in the final reporting period came from Tricia and Shan Paden. Attorney Shan Paden served as special counsel for Hoover when out-going City Council President Bob Austin sued Mayor Barbara McCollum this year over a plan to expand Hoover's council from five to seven members. A Jefferson County judge ruled the expansion could go forward. Along with Petelos' contributions from the Birmingham Realtors PAC, he also received $1,000 individual contributions from Thomas Logan and Still Hunter Jr., both Birmingham residents, and $1,000 from the Bank of Alabama Political Action Committee. Bank of Alabama last year opened a bilingual branch on Lorna Road in Hoover to serve the city's growing Hispanic community. Petelos has pledged in his campaign to rid Lorna Road of the Hispanic day laborers who congregate in the area. The rest of Petelos' cash contributions were for $750 or less, mostly from area residents and businesses. Some of his contributions came from outside the metro area, including $250 from a resident of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., and $200 from a resident of Horton, Ala. Another $500 came from a Montgomery resident. Hoover money Patterson was critical of the out-of-area contributions. Petelos' contributions from outside Hoover are "politically connected somehow and I think it's bad for the city," Patterson said. Petelos said the majority of his contributions come from Hoover residents and businesspeople and that there is nothing sinister about the out-of-area donations. Patterson said he lagged behind Petelos in fund-raising because he dedicated more time to "running a good campaign" than soliciting donations. City council candidates Brian Skelton and Gary Ivey lead the fund-raising pack among the eight council candidates competing in the Sept. 14 runoff. Skelton, a candidate for Place 6, has raised $15,800 in the last three weeks, and Ivey, who is seeking election to the Place 4 seat, raised $19,073, including a $5,000 loan from himself. Jim Summerlin, Skelton's opponent in the Place 6 race, raised $3,255 since the last reporting period, which included a $2,500 self-loan. Jim Henry, Ivey's opponent in the Place 4 race, raised $250. Skelton's and Ivey's largest cash contributions, each $5,000, came from Birmingham residents Suzy and Alex Baker. Ivey said the contributor was AIG Baker President and CEO Alex Baker. AIG Baker is the development company that built the Patton Creek and Lee Branch shopping centers. Places 7, 3 Place 7 candidate Daniel Whitman raised $7,024 in the last three weeks. That amount included a $2,900 donation to himself, as well as $500 from the Lake Cyrus Development Corp. and $200 from Givianpour House Account. Those companies are linked to Lake Cyrus developer Charles Givianpour. Whitman said he and Givianpour were friends and he was not concerned that accepting his contributions would counter the image he has attempted to put forth as a candidate who favors "managed growth." Mike Natter, who is running against Whitman, raised $5,521 in the last three weeks. Place 3 candidate Mary Sue Ludwig raised $6,460 since the last reporting period, which included $5,000 from E.A. Drummond, president of the Drummond Company where Ludwig was once employed. Mari Morrison, who is run ning against Ludwig, raised $1,649 since the last reporting period, including a $1,424 loan from herself.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:45pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SPEAK OUT September 8, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 2-H Why was voter turnout so low? The voters of Hoover recently had the opportunity to cast their vote for mayor and council members of their city. There are approximately 40,000 registered voters in the city of Hoover. Approximately 14,500 of these cared enough to go to the polls and cast their vote. This indicates that 25,000 Hoover citizens don't care who runs their city! Sad is it not? Sixty-five percent of Hoover's voting citizens don't value the fact that thousands, even millions of our people have died since 1776 so that we have a say as to who is elected to a place of leadership in our country. We will have a chance to vote on who will be our next president in November. Will you stay away from the polls again? If you do, don't complain later. David L. Ponds Hoover CCFFH members tout Patterson We, the undersigned, are active members of the CCFFHThe Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover. One is a 2000 CCFFH founding member and all are 2004 members, with one a current officer, and all were involved in the 2004 interview and evaluation teams of the Hoover mayoral and council elections. We urge all Hoover residents to review CCFFH's Web site at www.ccffh.org to learn some of the group's comments on the runoff candidates and read the model for the ideal candidate. This is an unfortunate letter in that some members of CCFFH, among them the signers, feel our organization has made a grave error and deviated from our original group goal of coendorsing all equally qualified candidates. This may have misled Hoover's voters regarding mayoral candidates Jody Patterson and Tony Petelos. These candidates were both found highly acceptable by a group of CCFFH members. The group was stalemated on selecting the two candidates and discussions of the original plan of the co-endorsement were not successful. An unfortunate decision was made to endorse only one candidate and not coendorse the two highly acceptable candidates. The fear was the possible risk of splitting the vote and ending up with neither candidate being elected. In a recent meeting with members and guests to discuss the runoff, it was decided not to return to the original plan to issue co-endorsements, but to continue with the flawed process of endorsing a single candidate. With both candidates being selected as highly acceptable, we feel it is the public's right to know how the selection process was conducted and how, in our opinion, it was a flawed process to the detriment of the mayoral candidates and voters. While we feel Mr. Patterson better fits the CCFFH model, we realize that it was not equitable to revoke the prior flawed endorsement process. We strongly feel that Mr. Patterson should have been endorsed as well. He has a long-standing personal and professional stake in Hoover. He was elected to the City Council four years ago and has kept the promises he made to the voters and this group. As an example, he was on the Planning and Zoning Board until he refused to vote for the Ross Bridge development because it included 600 apartments. Mr. Patterson has local level and broad experience on the council and Planning and Zoning Board, something Mr. Petelos lacks at the working level. As leaders of CCFFH we feel this should be brought to the attention of Hoover's voters for their consideration in the upcoming runoff election. George Mullins, Fred Benjamin, Ruth Peters and Nick Peters Hoover District officials prone to mistakes I have been following Hoover's politics for a number of years, and especially the current election. Of particular interest is the desire of some for election of council members by district. While I understand their motives and needs, I feel that they need to study the mistakes of other cities in this regard in order to keep from making the same mistakes. Prior to retiring, I spent over 30 years in public service, from county government, to being a department head in municipal government. I worked for a city that went from a five-person council elected at large, to a seven-member council elected by district. The change was not only dramatic for those of us who had to make the city run on a day-to-day basis, (not the elected officials), but was very disruptive and inefficient. Instead of all elected officials answerable to all citizens, they only had to please the small group in their district where their votes came from. All department heads ever heard was, "What are you doing in my district?" Instead of directing services where they were most needed, they were spread out to areas which actually needed less. Employees were pulled in seven different directions whether warranted or not. This is not efficient. Politically, with a mayor elected at large and council members by district, there was always conflict. The mayor is trying to fill the needs of the entire city, and seven council members were only interested in "their" district. This not only stifled proper growth, but caused constant conflict and polarization. In addition, when you do get a bad egg, and eventually you will, it is almost impossible for voters to remove them as long as they can hoodwink the small number of voters in "their" district. The voters of Hoover have just spoken out loudly and clearly that they were sick and tired of such polarization and petty bickering and childish behavior on the part of their politicians and have demanded that future leaders be professionals, treating disagreement as professional rather than personal. The City of Hoover has finally reached a point of possibly having a professional governing body and being able to be proud rather than ashamed of their conduct. Seven council members is no problem, however, from real personal experience, I fear that by district voting we may very well regress rather than progress. The secret is for all citizens to become more involved in the welfare of the entire city rather than just their neighborhood. W. Gibson Hoover

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:46pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SPEAK OUT September 8, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H Community voices possible The purpose behind seeking the two additional city council seats was to give more areas a voice in city government. We now have an opportunity to make that happen. 3 areas of Hoover now have a voice - Old Hoover (Jack Wright); Bluff Park (Gene Smith); and Greystone (Trey Lott), and there are opportunities to give a voice to Riverchase (Gary Ivey); Trace Crossings (Mike Natter); Paradise Lake/Lakeside (Mari Morrison); and also, either Southlake (Jim Summerlin) or Lake Cyrus (Brian Skelton). It is now up to the voters to make this fact, and no one area would be in the majority.   Successful business people have come forward to offer their services because of their concern for the future of Hoover and its continued success. We know the problems, and these require real experience, abilities, knowledge and commitment to ensure the best resolutions for the city. We have an opportunity to have representation from many areas to create unity in Hoover, and we have candidates who have shown by their own experiences that they are qualified and able to accomplish the serious tasks we are facing. We also have small groups of people trying to influence our vote. We need to look at each candidate ourselves, and do our own homework. We can't afford to take the word of others, who might have an agenda of their own, or be too close to a candidate to really be objective. We want Hoover to be second to none. Let's get together and make it happen. We have to get it right this time! Four more years with the wrong candidates could bring disaster to our city. Betty Jean Barker Greystone Petelos can win runoff When Tony Petelos first announced that he was a candidate for Hoover mayor, I thought it might make for an interesting race, but I never really gave much thought as to whether he could win. He and his family had lived in Hoover for a relatively short period of time. Even though he is wellknown in Republican circles, I thought the opposition would be too strong for people like Jody Patterson or even Jack Wright, who later withdrew. These two men had lived in Hoover all their lives. My wife, Judy, and I went to the Petelos Headquarters election night, and in looking around the room I realized why Tony did so well and almost won without a run-off against very strong opposition. First of all, you would have thought there was a meeting of all the local GOP. In fact, I never did hear of any of the local Republicans supporting any other candidate for mayor besides Tony, with the exception of Spencer Bachus, who gave $1,000 to the present mayor's campaign fund. The headquarters was also packed with members from the Greek community, who turned out in force, obviously proud that Tony had done so well. Judy and I saw some of our friends, both Republican and Greek friends, who we had not seen in many years. I don't think it was a coincidence that Tony Petelos' headquarters was only a short walk to the Gilbert Douglas family compound on Patton Chapel Road. Gilbert Douglas III is county chairman of the Republican party and was one of Petelos' supporters. On a personal basis, my wife and I had decided a couple of months ago to vote for Tony, but that is all we were going to do. About six years ago, we decided to forego just about all political activities and contributing to candidates to concentrate on spending time with our children and grandchildren. I realized there was going to have to be a major change in the city administration, but we were just going to limit our activity to voting for the candidate of our choice. While talking to Ginger Bryant, an active Republican and part of Tony's campaign staff, I mentioned to her one day a few months ago that I was going to support Tony, and like the good Republican that she is, she immediately told Tony, and within less than a week, Judy and I had an invitation to attend a function on his behalf. That was a good example of him not letting an opportunity by to ensure the support of just two voters in Hoover. Tony's suggestion early on in the campaign that Hoover is now a large city and needs its own legal department was one of the issues that attracted us to his campaign. We have no need in a city the size of Hoover to have a patronage appointment of the city attorney that costs us almost $500,000 a year. Jody Patterson is a fine man, but there is no way he can overcome the amount of support that Tony has for making changes in the City of Hoover. Jody can do all of us a favor and make a wonderful statement by conceding the election to Tony. I hope he considers this option. Jim Holliman Hoover

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:47pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} LOVE OR HATE ELECTIONS, BUT VOTE September 8, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   Peggy Sanford Right now I'm deep into the throes of a love/hate relationship with election season. And I'm not even including the presidential elections I'm talking Hoover and the political swirl leading up to the Sept. 14 runoff elections for mayor and four of the seven City Council seats.   Political races, as candidates and coalitions vie for office (authority, power, influence - take your pick), often have their dark edges where truth tends to get lost in the shadows. It's impossible to really know a candidate's motivations for seeking office, and rumor, accusation and innuendo are almost always going to fly. Sometimes it's easier to turn away in frustration or disgust than to risk voting for a candidate who may prove disappointing, or worse, dishonest. That uncertainty and the half-truths and calculated misdirection that can come with political battles all factor into the downside of my relationship with politics and elections. On the more inspiring side, government and the American process of free and open elections are never any closer to us than in municipal elections. Our city officials will make decisions that affect us directly and daily, regulating how we build our homes, how well we are protected in them and what can be built next to them. City officials also will influence the condition of the roads we drive routinely and appoint the officials who oversee the schools our children attend. For most of us, if we're ever to meet, interact or socialize with the people running our government, it will be with elected officials of the city where we live. Hoover residents can have a real say in the direction the city will take by casting an informed vote for their city leaders. Trying to help them do that, by interviewing candidates, reporting who gives them money and trying to keep pace with the issues and how candidates are responding to them is a pursuit and responsibility we journalists take seriously. It's the quest to help inform and the feeling of taking part in the process of democratic elections that figure into the love side of my connection with politics. A free press is critical to an informed electorate. Someone will be elected as Hoover's mayor and council members whether 4,000 or 40,000 people vote. There's no perfect candidate, no perfect slate. We are, however, blessed with the opportunity to decide who our leaders will be. It's our responsibility to take that opportunity seriously. Try not to vote blindly. Try to learn something about the candidates who will begin making decisions for the City of Hoover come Oct. 1. Vote your conscience, and pray for the best.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:47pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MINORITY CANDIDATES FINISH AT, NEAR BOTTOM September 8, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer The members of Hoover's two largest minority populations who vied for council seats in the city's general election received only a sliver of the vote in either of their two races. Darnell Coley, who is black, sought election to the Place 2 seat while John Ocampo, who is Hispanic, tried to win election to the newly created Place 7 seat. Coley finished last in a race among four candidates, capturing 5 percent of the vote. Ocampo finished next to last in a race among eight candidates. He received 3.78 percent of the votes cast in that race. According to the 2000 Census, nearly 7 percent of Hoover's 62,742 residents were black and about 4 percent were of Hispanic descent, totaling about 11 percent of the city's population. Coley's and Ocampo's defeats leave Hoover without any minority members on its city council. In contrast, the community of Greystone, which accounts for about 7 percent of the city's population, could seat four members on the city's sevenmember council. One Greystone resident, Trey Lott, won a seat in the general election and three others - Jim Henry, Mary Sue Ludwig and Daniel Whitman - are in three of the city's four council runoff races. According to the 2000 census, Greystone had 4,175 residents, or almost 7 percent of the city's population, said Brett Isom, the senior geographic information systems analyst for the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham. Isom said while the number of residents in Greystone might have increased since 2000, the percentage is likely to have stayed about the same because of increases in population in other areas of Hoover. Coley, an adjunct law professor at Miles College, said race was never an issue in the campaign. She hinted at a future run for office, saying she would have to "work harder" next time to raise campaign funds. Coley also said not being endorsed by the Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover hurt her campaign. Ocampo said he saw receiving 497 votes as a victory. "We never expected to receive that many votes," he said. Ocampo said he believes the number of Hispanics in Hoover has tripled since the census was taken. He said he is worried that Hispanics will not be well-represented for the next four years and plans to run for a city office in 2008. One urban affairs expert said a key to having more minorities involved in city government is to switch from at-large, or citywide, elections to a district system. "The chances of minorities getting elected on an at-large council is greatly decreased," said Robert Corley, director of the Center For Urban Affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As cities grow, they usually switch to the district system, either by choice or court order, Corley said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:48pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MAZUR: HOOVER VOTERS WILL REGRET OUSTING MCCOLLUM September 8, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Mayor Barbara McCollum lost re-election because she wouldn't accept the status quo, said Councilwoman Donna Mazur, one of the mayor's strongest allies who also lost her bid for re-election. Two other council incumbents, Kyle Forstman and Bob Austin, said they still are pondering what led to their defeat. Four years ago, those three council members, along with McCollum and Councilman Jody Patterson, were swept into office on a tide of voter dissatisfaction. On Aug. 24, voters cleaned house again, sweeping McCollum and three of those council members out of office. Patterson is in the runoff for mayor against Tony Petelos, while incumbent Councilman Jack Wright won re-election a second time. Mazur, who finished last in a four-way race, links her defeat to McCollum's ouster. "She's not a politician and she cleaned things up," Mazur said of the outgoing mayor. "I'm not a politician either," she said. "You can do something right and not get elected, or do something the wrong way and keep things the same and get reelected," Mazur said. McCollum was unable to get support for her plans from some high-ranking city employees because they were angry that the mayor limited their authority, Mazur said. With McCollum gone, Mazur warned that those "good ol' boys" will do what they please "with nobody watching them." "The people of Hoover are going to realize what they've lost," she said. Forstman, who finished third in a three-way race, said the feedback he got on the campaign trail didn't reflect the election results. "The majority of the people I met had a lot of positive things to say," he recalled. Forstman said he was hurt by the fact that challenger Gary Ivey was able to loan his own campaign $12,000, while Forstman had to solicit the nearly $15,000 he collected in campaign contributions. "The fund-raising time took away from the campaigning time," he said. Another obstacle, Forstman said, was that so many of the six mayoral candidates, who came from across Hoover, cam paigned on an anti-incumbent platform. "They solidified their home bases and that made it difficult to go into those different areas and campaign," Forstman said. Austin, the council president, was one of McCollum's supporters in the early days of her administration, but eventually became one of her most outspoken critics. "I gave her the benefit of the doubt on many occasions, but it got to the point that the doubt was too great," he said. While the mayor and her supporters suffered defeat, Austin lost to challenger Trey Lott by more than 5,500 votes. "I'm satisfied with the people's choice and I'll be there to question them (council members) if I think they're making the wrong decisions just like there were people there to question me," Austin said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:48pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATES MAKE THEIR CASES PETELOS VOWS TO STEER CLEAR OF COUNCIL'S 'PETTY POLITICS' September 8, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer There were times in the recent campaign season when Hoover mayoral candidate Tony Petelos said he knew he would have enough voter support to make it to the runoff. Enough residents had let him and his campaign volunteers know that Petelos' promise of slowed growth, smart financial management and improved council-mayor relations was what they sought. Indeed, the former state representative earned enough of the general-election vote to continue pushing the same message for the Sept. 14 runoff. The challenge now, Petelos said, is holding on to the lead against his opponent, City Councilman Jody Patterson, who shares many of the same governing principals as he does. The two beat incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum and challengers Bob Lochamy and Stephen Bryant in the city's Aug. 24 election. Petelos, 51, said the biggest dis tinction between him and Patterson is that he represents a new voice in Hoover's leadership. Patterson is a first-term councilman who once belonged to McCollum's 2000 "dream team" - four candidates and the mayor who campaigned together and won the election four years ago. Patterson split with McCollum, though, about a year after the election. Petelos is pushing for a fresh face in the city's top job, which he said could alleviate the ongoing infighting between the council and the mayor. "The big issue now is dealing with a brand new City Council and making this city work," Petelos said. "And (regarding) getting away from our old, petty politics, Jody was a part of the original 'dream team' . . . Jody is a part of the City Council and Jody's been there for four years," he said. Immigration Another difference between him and his opponent is how each would seek stronger enforcement of immigration laws to minimize concerns about Hispanic day laborers who gather along Lorna Road near the Municipal Center, Petelos said. Patterson wants to seek U.S. Department of Homeland Security-backed training for some city police officers to beef up enforcement. Patterson also plans to convene a 10-member task force to address Lorna Roadand immigration-related topics. Petelos is pushing for Hoover to partner with Pelham, Helena, Alabaster and other cities to fund a federal immigration agent to work the area and crack down on those who may be in this country illegally. Petelos also has come out strongly against the day-laborer pick-up component of the Multicultural Resource Center on Municipal Drive. The center provides an organized place for workers to gather for on-thespot job assignments. It also works with immigrants to register, obtain health referrals and find non-work-related services such as Spanish-friendly banking, language classes and counseling. "We are providing an opendoor policy for illegals in this city and that has to change," Petelos said of the labor pick-up service. Petelos, a second-generation Greek immigrant, lives in Lake Cyrus and has called Jefferson County home his entire life, he said. Safety Center Since announcing his candidacy in November, he has railed against McCollum for spending $34 million to buy and renovate a former warehouse into the Hoover Public Safety Center. Now that the Valleydale Road building is open, Petelos said he would, if elected, find ways to better utilize space inside the Safety Center. He said he also wants to consider earning revenue by renting out parcels of the 180,000-square-feet of unused space inside the building. The state Department of Forensic Sciences has bought 40,000 square feet inside for a future lab. "I would like to see us do an analysis of how much (safety center) space we have left, how much parking, how much is complete, incomplete and then see if we have any more luck at drawing state agencies or federal agencies to rent space," Petelos said. On the issue of slowed growth, Petelos continues to call for impact statements before any major annexations or development takes place so that city schools, police, fire and other services will be prepared for new homes or added retail space. He doesn't have concrete ideas on urban renewal along Lorna Road or the U.S. 31 corridor. Petelos is pushing for the adoption of a city housing code that would limit the number of people who live under one roof or in a certain amount of space. The code would also include a property maintenance section to help city inspectors deal with rundown commercial and residential structures. Petelos applauded the Hoover City Council's recent expansion from five to seven members. He vowed to be a part of any discussion on changing the council's at-large voting system to district elections. If elected, he plans to create a community service officer position to help residents navigate the city bureaucracy. Petelos said he would fire City Attorney Steve Griffin and hire in-house counsel. That is because Griffin is a non-city worker who bills the Finance Department monthly for his legal fees, a costly arrangement, Petelos said. Petelos is still campaigning on his experience of working with other lawmakers and being able to oversee an agency, the state Department of Human Resources, and its budget process. After his three terms in the Alabama House of Representatives, Petelos was appointed DHR commissioner in 1997. He left office in 2000 to focus on his private construction firm, Multicon Inc., which has done some retail projects. His two children, Angela and Stephanie, attend Hoover schools and his wife, Teresa, is a circuit judge in Jefferson County's Bessemer Division. Petelos said voters have told him the city has certain needs in terms of public facilities, staffing and better programs. The challenge, he said, will be figuring out how to pay for new items under the current $76.5 million spending plan. "Apparently there is a tremendous wish list out there, but there are only limited resources," Petelos said. "We're going to have to look at the budget to determine what we can and can't do."

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:50pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} GREYSTONE MAKES BID AT POLITICAL INFLUENCE RUNOFFS COULD PUT MAJORITY OF COUNCIL IN CONTROL OF EAST HOOVER NEIGHBORHOOD September 7, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer The Hoover neighborhood of Greystone has staked its claim in city politics and, depending on the outcome of council runoffs, could shift the balance of power from the city's core to its eastern edge. The Hoover City Council is set to have its first Greystone council member, Trey Lott, sworn into office Oct. 4. If three other Greystone residents win their runoff races, they would join Lott and establish a Greystone majority on the seven-member council. Greystone residents in the Sept. 14 runoffs for three council seats are Mary Sue Ludwig, Jim Henry and Daniel Whitman. They each face candidates Mari Morrison, Gary Ivey and Mike Natter, respectively. "To go from zero representation to a chance for four is significant," said Henry, a retired steel executive who has become active in Hoover politics in recent years. He attributes the rise in participation to Greystone homeowners wanting a voice in growth, zoning and school-related issues. Candidate Ludwig, a Greystone Homeowners Association board member, said residents in the gated community make a regular showing in the council chambers because they feel Hoover's leadership takes them for granted. Ludwig has lobbied to slow the spread of big retailers along U.S. 280. She also wants to strengthen restrictive covenants made by developers when they build in the city. "I really think that Greystone has come of age politically," Ludwig said. She lost a 1996 bid for election to the council, sat out the 2000 race, then joined a push to expand the council from five to seven members before this year's election. Natural result Morrison, Ludwig's opponent in the runoff, said shifting the center of politics away from the core areas such as U.S. 31, Alabama 150 and Bluff Park is a natural result of growth in a democracy. Mayor Barbara McCollum and all five council members live west of Interstate 65. Morrison is a member of the city Planning and Zoning Commission who lives just west of the Riverchase Galleria. She said Greystone gaining too much council control could happen at the expense of older areas. "They have an agenda: they have not been represented in the past," Morrison said. Henry and another Greystone activist, Betty Jean Barker, said they doubt all four of the community's candidates will be elected due to their opponents strong showing in the Aug. 24 general election. Outgoing Councilman Kyle Forstman, of Russet Woods in the southwestern corner of the city, said he believes it is wise to have elected leaders from east of I-65. He cautioned against having a majority of council seats occupied by one eastern neighborhood when so much of Hoo ver's recent growth is westward. "We are elected at-large, not by districts, so every area of the city should feel they have equal voice on the council, not just those people who live on U.S. 280," Forstman said. Greystone has 2,600 homes spread across 3,000 wooded acres, according to its developer, Daniel Corp. Greystone's voter turnout jumped in the latest election, from 23 percent in 2000 to 29 percent in 2004. Greystone's more than 4,000 residents represent about 7 percent of the city's population, according the 2000 U.S. Census. The overall Hoover election turnout Aug. 24 was 36 percent of registered voters. One of the first issues to stir Greystone homeowners was a proposed 78-acre hotel-shopping complex called Tattersall Park at the northeast corner of U.S. 280 and Alabama 119. Greystone activists rallied against the project because they said it would violate their neighborhood's covenants. Tattersall Park developer EBSCO Industries Corp. dropped its plans for the site when negotiations failed with potential retailers. When the issue came up in recent months to expand the City Council, Greystone's Henry joined the fight against McCollum to win court approval of the plan. The Alabama Legislature and Gov. Bob Riley OK'd the plan, but McCollum refused to sign the measure, saying it would violate election laws. A judge later ruled the council expansion should go forward. After McCollum lost her Aug. 24 bid for re-election, several Greystone candidates said the seven-member council issue was a small part of her defeat. More important, several candidates said, was her unwillingness to consider how school issues, development and wasteful spending would affect basic services like police and fire protection in Greystone, Inverness, Southlake and other eastern areas. Randolph Horn, an associate professor in Samford University's political science department, said the Greystone rise in activism is common in areas of high growth with an educated populace. In Hoover, he said, it also is a sign of the center of politics shifting from west of I-65 toward the east. That focus may head west or south in the future, once neighborhoods in those areas start working to be heard at city hall, Horn said. A geographic shift in city politics "is the kind of phenomenon you might recognize over the course of decades in most places, but here it is happening over the course of years," Horn said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:51pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER COALITION WILL REVIVE TO BOOST VOTER PARTICIPATION September 1, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer A citizens group created nearly 18 years ago to push for the establishment of Hoover's school system may return. Bob Lochamy, who lost a bid for mayor in Hoover's Aug. 24 election, said last week he intends to resurrect the Hoover Citizens Action Coalition. The group plans to search for a fiveto seven-member executive committee, for which Lochamy will serve as chairman, he said. The goal of the coalition will be to boost the city's 36 percent voter turnout in the recent election and provide a venue for residents to bring their concerns to elected leaders before key decision are made, Lochamy said. Organizers plan to hold public meetings and schedule meetings with the Hoover City Council and the school board to study ways to increase voter registration, participation and citizen involvement in issues affecting the city, Lochamy said. Among the subjects to be addressed by the coalition are residential growth, annexations, illegal immigrants, school rezoning, district elections and term limits for elected leaders, Lochamy said. "We want to build and bond relationships, not become antagonists" with city hall or the school board, he said. Formed in December 1987, the original Citizens Action Coalition disbanded a year later after the city school system was formed. The group's core leaders were five residents who wanted separation from the Jefferson County school system, Lochamy said. He, Greg Schnute, City Councilman Jack Wright, Morrisey Marich and Margie George were part of the original board, Lochamy said. Lochamy and Schnute, who now lives in Atlanta, announced last week they wanted to renew the coalition to make a difference in Hoover politics. Wright, who won a third term to the City Council, said Friday he did not want to be a part of the new coalition. He declined to say why he would not participate. "I have no comment on what Mr. Lochamy wants to do. I wish him well," Wright said. Lochamy said there will be a key distinction between the new coalition and the existing Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover citizens' group. CCFH endorsed a list of mayor and council candidates in the 2000 and 2004 elections. The coalition will not make endorsements, Lochamy said. The coalition also will later vote on capping individual contributions it will accept at $100, similar to the cap Lochamy placed on contributions to his mayoral campaign, he said. "We want to do everything in our power to protect the independence and integrity of the new group," Lochamy said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:51pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} LUDWIG, MORRISON CITE CITY CIVIC INVOLVEMENT IN RUNOFF September 1, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer The candidates for Place 3 of the Hoover City Council say the Sept. 14 runoff is more than just a matter of geography. Mary Sue Ludwig and Mari Morrison are vying for the Place 3 seat. Ludwig is one of three Greystone residents competing in runoffs. Another Greystone resident, Trey Lott, was elected to the Place 1 seat. Ludwig, a 66-year-old homemaker, and Morrison, a 53-year-old attorney, said the most important issue in the runoff is electing capable candidates. Morrison hopes to convince Greystone voters that she has shown in her work on the Planning and Zoning Commission that she is dedicated to helping people in every community. "My votes represented, for the most part, what the residents wanted," she said. Ludwig said her 12-years of community involvement has prepared her to help all Hoover residents as well. New industry Morrison, a former salesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield, wants to see Hoover restructure its industrial development board, which she said now meets on "an as-needed basis." Morrison said the body should function more as an economic development board composed of executive officers from area companies and local business owners. "I know how involved these people are with other businesses for supplies or other facets of their work," she said. "I know we could get their cooperation and maybe bring in their fellow vendors," she said. The city, Morrison argues, should focus on bringing in more industry rather than commercial retail development. "We're going to be losing a lot of people who have been coming here to shop" because of growing retail centers in Shelby County, she said. Sewer systems Ludwig, who ran unsuccessfully for the Hoover council in 1996, said one of the biggest problems Greystone residents have faced involved the sewer system. Now, she said, Hoover wants to abandon its sewer system in Riverchase because it needs to be repaired. "Hoover wants to get rid of it. They're going to leave it in the hands of Jefferson County, which doesn't have a good record of managing people's money," she said. "I can help with that." Ludwig said details of what she would do in office are hard to offer until constituents come to her with their individual problems. "We can, as council people, be helpful to the people," she said. Mayor, council relationship Both candidates had admittedly strained relationships with outgoing Mayor Barbara McCollum and both said if elected they will strive to forge working relationship with whomever voters put in office. Morrison supported McCollum in her 2000 campaign and was appointed by the mayor to the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. Morrison later told reporters she was not satisfied with the mayor's leadership. Ludwig was a frequent critic of the mayor, particularly on McCollum's refusal to support efforts to expand the city council. "This wasn't a personal thing with the mayor, it was about issues," Ludwig said. Both candidates say they want the next administration to lack the acrimony of the present one. "I've always been the kind of person who tried to resolve issues," Morrison said. "You've got to be a negotiator; sometimes you've got to set the standard yourself," she said. Ludwig said she believes everyone competing in the runoff has the best interests of the city at heart and she'll work with all of them to reach a consensus. "As long as they try to do what's best for the city, I won't argue with them," Ludwig said. Dollars and endorsements Morrison was endorsed by the Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover. Ludwig, however, said group members told her its endorsement of Morrison was simply because she had served on the planning commission. Ludwig said her relationship with the mayor kept her off city boards. While Morrison might have that endorsement to boost her campaign, Ludwig has the money, according to campaign finance disclosures. Ludwig was able to raise more than $14,000 in her campaign, nearly three times that of Morrison, who has financed her campaign with a self-loan and some small donations. In general election votes, Morrison edged ahead of Ludwig. Morrison claimed 4,421 votes, Ludwig, 4,189 votes. The two will vie for the votes that went to John Goodwyn and incumbent Donna Mazur who received 2,391 votes and 2,194 votes respectively.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:52pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATES FOCUS ON CAREFUL GROWTH September 1, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Candidates for Place 6 of the Hoover City Council said the city's leaders must be careful in how they allow the city to grow. Former Mayor Brian Skelton, 44, and Mayer Electric President Jim Summerlin, 57, each said that, if elected in the Sept. 14 runoff, they'd help guide future growth in a positive way. "We have the capability of adding almost 12,000 new front doors with no annexations" because Hoover already has a great deal of undeveloped land, said Skelton. "It's time to slow down and manage what we have," Skelton said. Summerlin, a four-year member of the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission, said he would like the city to consider adopting a comprehensive plan for growth. A comprehensive plan was drafted by a committee but never adopted by the city council. "We looked at that thing extensively, and to my knowledge it was just stuck on a shelf," Summerlin said. "We need to dust it off and take a look at it," he said. With the right blend of commercial and residential development, Summerlin said, Hoover could one day become a world class city, like his native Raleigh, N.C. CEO and city retreat Both candidates said they envision a better working relationship between the next city council and whichever candidate wins the mayoral runoff. "If we have a real CEO, if you will, initiating things, it will make it easier for the council to work with the mayor," said Skelton. Summerlin suggested the new mayor and city council take a one or two day "corporate retreat" to work on coming to a consensus on issues. "You may not agree with what's being proposed, but you can at least support it," Summerlin said. Money management Both candidates are calling for the city to operate with greater fiscal responsibility. Summerlin said his business operates on an annual budget larger than that of the city. "If you operate it (city government) like a business, which is what you should be doing, you don't spend more than you take in," Summerlin said. "I've never been of the opinion a surplus is a bad thing," he said. Summerlin said he believes the city relies too much on sales tax and he would explore ways of finding other sources of city revenue. Skelton said the challenge for the city is to prioritize spending. Skelton said the city needs to find ways to finance a new senior center, athletic fields, and ease drainage problems that often cause flooding in some Hoover communities. "We have to prioritize these things and we have to get back to basics," Skelton said. He is strongly opposed to the city levying new taxes or fees, he said. Endorsements, dollars Skelton, a former Hoover city councilman who was appointed mayor in 1999 to complete the term of Frank Skinner, who resigned, received 5,595 votes in the general election. Summerlin gained 4,884 votes. Skelton loaned his own campaign $10,000 and raised another $4,795, including donations from two groups of developers known as Hamptons at Ross Bridge and the Haven at Greystone. Summerlin raised $4,893, which included a $700 self-loan and several individual contributions of $500 and less. Summerlin was endorsed by the Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover and Skelton was endorsed by the Alabama Builders Political Action Committee.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:52pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER VOTE SAYS RESIDENTS WANT CIVILITY September 1, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   Peggy Sanford All the candidates in the Sept. 14 runoffs for Hoover mayor and City Council are talking of the need for civility and collaboration in government. The desire for that seems to be one of the stronger messages from last week's general election in the city. It's rare that political incumbents are given their walking papers as decidedly as Hoover voters handed Mayor Barbara McCollum hers. Incumbency, that existing claim on office and on-the-job experience, usually gives them a strong edge in the running. Hoover's mayor, however, claimed barely more than 15 percent of the vote in her bid for re-election. Why is that? Some point to the swell in political momentum from Hoover's eastern communities, a group that heretofore hasn't put a candidate into city office and now has four candidates in council runoffs. Others wonder at the political influence of the citizens' group that four years ago endorsed McCollum over incumbent Mayor Brian Skelton, but this time around backed challenger Tony Petelos over McCollum. The Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover in 2000 also endorsed all the winning council candidates, candidates that then-challenger McCollum also supported. Those four candidates - Bob Austin, Kyle Forstman, Donna Mazur and Jody Patterson - all won their 2000 races in runoff elections. In the 2004 runoffs, Patterson and Petelos are vying for mayor. Council candidates in runoffs are Mari Morrison and Mary Sue Ludwig for Place 3, Gary Ivey and Jim Henry for Place 4, Brian Skelton and Jim Summerlin for Place 6 and Daniel Whitman and Mike Natter for Place 7. Other than Petelos, the Concerned Citizens group endorsed Morrison, Henry, Summerlin and Whitman in the general election. That may speak to the Concerned Citizens' continuing political acumen, but three of the four runoff challengers carry the endorsement of another group. The Alabama Builders Political Action Committee has backed Natter, Ivey and Skelton. The builders' PAC, however, also endorsed McCollum, so it can't claim a sweep, even if its three council candidates win. Consistent in the city's general election is that McCollum and every candidate she backed was voted out of office or didn't make a runoff. The voters clearly are saying they don't like the way the mayor and the City Council have handled business the past four years. Residents and voters want their views heard and considered by elected officials. They want debate on issues, not decrees from the mayor, and they want representatives who will try to work together for the betterment of the city, despite how much they may dislike one another personally.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:53pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATES TALK PROPERTY VALUES September 1, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Property values and the presence of Hispanic day laborers on Lorna Road are two of the key issues for candidates in the runoff for Place 7 on the Hoover City Council. Mike Natter, 30, and Daniel Whitman, 38, emerged from a field of eight candidates to make the runoff for one of two seats added to the Hoover council this summer. Natter, a construction company president, said the city must make decisions regarding growth with the best interest of the city's existing homeowners in mind. "I would take each situation (of proposed annexations or developments) under careful scrutiny and decide if the extra ad valorum tax base is going to be a plus or minus when you look at how it taxes the city," Natter said. Whitman, a Realtor, wants to see the city implement a housing code that a committee he served on drafted last year. The Greystone resident said newer communities like his have covenants that prohibit the presence of junk cars or allow yards to become overgrown. Older communities in the city have no such protection, he said. "Hoover has no property maintenance code. As a house comes into disrepair, and junk cars pile up, there's nothing the city can do about it," Whitman said. Place He also wants the city to more carefully examine how new developments impact schools and public safety services, Whitman said. "If you know you're bringing in this many people . . . you need to make sure you're providing schools and police officers" for those new residents, Whitman said. Day labor dispute Both candidates said they would favor anti-loitering laws to control the presence of day laborers on Lorna Road. Natter, however, said he would have to examine the specific details of any proposal. On that issue, Whitman said he was "one of the few who put themselves on a limb and said it needs to be dealt with." Whitman said he likes mayoral candidate Tony Petelos' idea of joining in with other cities to pay the salary of an Immigration and Naturalization Service agent who would work to rid the city of illegal aliens. Whitman describes it as a "safety issue" because Hispanics along Lorna are targets for crime and because he's heard reports of the immigrants harassing other people. Natter said his construction company regularly employs Hispanic laborers who are in the country legally. "It seems the Hispanic community is going to be here even if some in the community don't want them here," Natter said. Natter said he'd like to see local churches open community centers for the burgeoning Hispanic population. "These are human beings we're dealing with and we have to treat them as such," Natter said. Civil government Both candidates said they want to see civility return to Hoover City Hall and are willing to work with whoever emerges victorious from the Sept. 14 runoffs. While Natter has expressed doubt that it was necessary to expand the council to seven members, Whitman said it is a good safeguard against "cliques" that vote for or against something based on who supports it. Dollars, endorsements Whitman led the Place 7 pack on election night with 3,516 votes to Natter's 2,334 votes. Six other contenders shared the remaining 7,310 votes cast in the election. Whitman and Natter also got the lion's share of donations, according to campaign disclosure forms. Natter had $4,133 in donations, mostly from a $1,000 family contribution and several individual donations of $500 and less from family and supporters. Whitman collected $3,265 in donations, which included a $1,000 contribution from Site works LLC, $200 from Civil Consultants Inc., and several donations of $500 or less from individual supporters. Whitman was endorsed by the Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover and Natter was backed by the Alabama Builders Political Action Committee.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:53pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOPEFULS TOUT IMMIGRANT CRACKDOWN PATTERSON SEEKS POLICE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TEAM; PETELOS WANTS LOCAL FEDERAL AGENT HOOVER MAYORAL HOPEFULS TOUT IMMIGRANT CRACKDOWN September 1, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover's two mayoral candidates are both looking at stronger enforcement of immigration laws to combat problems and complaints associated with Hispanics who may be in the country illegally. City Councilman Jody Patterson and former state Rep. Tony Petelos, campaigning for the Sept. 14 runoff election, are honing their proposals for addressing the issue of Hispanic day laborers who gather along Lorna Road near Municipal Drive and the Interstate 459 overpass. Patterson and Petelos defeated incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum and challengers Bob Lochamy and Stephen Bryant in the city's Aug. 24 election. If elected, Patterson said he wants to seek training for 10 to 30 city police officers to serve as an immigration enforce ment team. Petelos is pushing for Hoover to partner with Pelham, Helena and other cities to fund a federal Immigration and Naturalization Service officer to work this area. "I believe if the mayors from this area got together and met with Sen. Richard Shelby, we could find a solution," Petelos said. "With the cities paying the cost of a new agent, I believe the senator could help us get an agent for this area. Right now, there are only two INS agents in the entire state of Alabama and they spend most of their time in Mobile," Petelos said. Shelby is a member of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee. Patterson said the immigration training for Hoover police officers would mirror the training two dozen state troopers received in September by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The troopers, through authority given to them by the Department of Homeland Security, are allowed to check the immigration status of every driver they stop during routine traffic stops, including speeding and at wrecks. "I consider this police training as a first step toward dealing with a serious problem," Patterson said. "I believe the illegals on Lorna are to the detriment of the health, safety, morals and general welfare of Hoover. But the solution must be one of sympathy and respect, and laws must be adhered to," the first-term councilman said. The subject of the Lornabased day laborers has became a hot-button issue during the mayoral campaign. All five candidates said federal laws should be better enforced, but some used their campaign speeches to express different ideas on dealing with what they said was a problem on Lorna, near the Hoover Municipal Center. Lochamy generated a lot of talk by proposing to tear down three low-rent apartments on Lorna Road to make way for redevelopment in the area. McCollum said the issue was too complex to propose demolition; she vowed to consider enhancing the efforts of the Municipal Drive-based Multicultural Resource Center to help immigrants register, find work and obtain health referrals. Petelos and Patterson both proposed the city pass a housing code to restrict the number of people who can live in a single house or apartment. The city council has introduced the measure and plans to hold a public hearing on the draft housing code Sept. 20 at the Municipal Center. Hispanic advocates in Birmingham said they support municipal efforts to crack down on crime, but questioned whether day laborers on Lorna constitute "a major problem" as Hoover's leaders say.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:53pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CONTROLLED GROWTH, CIVILITY AMONG COUNCIL RUNOFF ISSUES September 1, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Both candidates for Place 4 on the Hoover City Council cite a need for controlled growth and a better working relationship between city officials. But Gary Ivey and Jim Henry see different ways to reach the latter goal. Henry, a 73-year-old retired executive, said the council should act as a conduit between neighborhood and homeowner associations and city government. "The community input has to be expanded" after suffering under outgoing Mayor Barbara McCollum's administration, Henry said. Ivey, the 48-year-old owner of Crest Cadillac Hummer, said the relationships among city leaders are an extension of their motivations. "I don't have a personal agenda, and I think people have been getting caught up in personal agendas and personalities," Ivey said. "There's just no room for that in city government," he said. Growing pains Henry, a Greystone resident, and Ivey, a Riverchase resident, both said better planning for growth is critical to the city's future well-being. "All these people who used to drive up 31 to go to the Galleria don't have to drive that far anymore," Henry said. Therefore, he wants the city to consider building an industrial park to attract hi-tech companies and light industry in order to maintain a tax base. Ivey, a member of the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission, said city leaders were wrong to pay for a road to the Ross Bridge development. He argues that it is an example of a planning process that needs to be changed. "Developers need to be asking, 'What can I do for the city, rather than what can the city do for me?'" Ivey said. Henry and Ivey said the city must look at the impact of new developments on city schools and public safety resources. Henry said he favors higher impact-fees for developers to counter the costs of firefighters, police and school facilities that come with new developments. Dollars and sense Both candidates are campaigning for the Sept. 14 runoff on a platform of fiscal responsibility. Ivey said municipal government should apply the same budgeting process that he uses in his business. "We look at real dollars. We don't look at projected dollars," Ivey said. "You give them (department heads) real dollars to work with rather than asking them to come up with wish lists," he said. Henry said it is imperative the city appoint a liaison to work with the Shelby County Commission. "People think of Hoover as a Jefferson County city, but in reality there's some 13,000 registered Hoover voters living in North Shelby County," Henry said. Businesses along U.S. 280, which are in the portion of the Place city within Shelby County, provide between $12 million and $13 million of the city's $75 million annual revenue, Henry said. "There's too much overlapping for us not to have a closer relationship," he said. The law, day workers Ivey said he disagreed with the amount of money the city spent renovating a warehouse into the new Public Safety Center. "It was a blatant waste of money. We need to get more staff down there to make the operational cost more palatable," Ivey said. He favors moving police detectives and administrators to the center, while keeping patrol units closer to the heart of the city, Ivey said. Henry said the city must address the problem of illegal aliens seeking day labor work along Lorna Road. "They come up here to find jobs, and it hurts us," he said. "Then there's the transient aspect. We've got to address it," Henry said. Money, endorsements Ivey raised the most money of any candidate in the Place 4 race and had 6,182 votes to Henry's 4,455 votes. Incumbent Kyle Forstman had 2,668 votes. Ivey raised $15,944 for his campaign, mostly from a $12,000 self-loan and donations that included two $500 contribution from two groups of developers, one called Hamptons at Ross Bridge and another dubbed the Haven at Greystone. Henry reported $2,000 in contributions, half of which came from a self-loan. The rest came from individual contributions of $300 or less. Ivey was endorsed by the Alabama Builders Political Action Committee while Henry was endorsed by the Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:54pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER'S MCCOLLUM FAILED TO WIN SINGLE BOX GROWTH, SPENDING MOTIVATED VOTERS August 26, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum failed to win a single ballot box in the city's election Tuesday, drawing only 15 percent of 14,438 votes cast. Former state Rep. Tony Petelos, who drew 48 percent, and City Councilman Jody Patterson, 23 percent, are headed for a Sept. 14 runoff. Representation in eastern areas of the city, the pace and manner of growth and discord in city government were all factors in McCollum's defeat. When the 12-year councilwoman handily beat the incumbent mayor four years ago, she said it showed "the citizens of Hoover were ready for a change - some fresh, new ideas, openness." On Tuesday, even some former supporters said her failure to deliver cost her the city's top job. "The vision that we had has gotten lost," said retired Realtor Linda Chastain, a Bluff Park resident, who, along with dozens of friends and neighbors in the community where McCollum also lives, campaigned on behalf of the mayor four years ago. "They listened long enough to get elected, and then they turned away." Not a single member of McCollum's slate of City Council candidates won election or secured a runoff, including pro-McCollum council members Donna Mazur and Kyle Forstman. The outgoing mayor, through a spokeswoman, declined to be interviewed Wednesday by The Birmingham News. She also declined an interview Tuesday night after conceding the race. McCollum's supporters said Tuesday they felt the mayor had been smeared by lies and dirty campaign tactics. All five mayoral challengers, including Petelos and Patterson, said they felt the mayor had acted irresponsibly while in office. She took on debt to fund a $34 million public safety center on the city's southern edge and OK'd the annexation of the 1,600-acre Ross Bridge development on the western edge, her critics said. One issue that came up during the campaign was McCollum's refusal to sign a proposal passed by the Alabama Legislature and approved by Gov. Bob Riley to increase the Hoover City Council from five to seven members. McCollum said she refused to sign the measure out of fear it would violate election laws. A judge later ruled the council expansion should go forward. Residents of Greystone and other eastern Hoover areas were the first to push for the expansion in the hope of increasing representation on that side of the city. On Wednesday, several of Greystone's outspoken critics of McCollum said the seven-member issue was a factor in the mayor's defeat, but more important was her unwillingness to consider how school issues, development and annexations would affect Greystone, Inverness, Southlake and other areas on the eastern side of the city. McCollum and all five members of the council live west of Interstate 65. "She has treated this area (eastern Hoover) like her stepchild," said Betty Jean Barker of Greystone. At the Greystone voting locations, Fire Station No. 8 and Greystone Farms clubhouse, McCollum took 12 percent and 7 percent of the vote, respectively. Petelos drew more than 60 percent of the vote and Patterson 18 percent. Of the candidates who live in Greystone, Trey Lott won his council race outright and Mary Sue Ludwig, Jim Henry and Daniel Whitman made it into runoffs. Ludwig will face Mari Morrison, Henry will face Gary Ivey, and Whitman will face Mike Natter. Jim Summerlin of Southlake, a community along Valleydale Road, also made it into the runoff, and will face former Hoover mayor Brian Skelton. Support for McCollum was lean throughout the city as she lost the race in every box, including her own polling place at Prince of Peace Catholic Church on Sulphur Springs Road. At that location, she got 20 percent of the vote, compared to 46 percent for Petelos and 20 for Patterson. At the Trace Crossings poll, Patterson's home box, McCollum took 15 percent of the vote. Patterson claimed 29 percent; Petelos, 48 percent. Forstman, who lost in his bid for council re-election, said Wednesday he felt voter dissatisfaction with McCollum played a smaller role than the endorsement of the Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover. The group is credited with helping sweep Hoover's previous mayor and three incumbent council members out of office in the 2000 election. This year they endorsed Petelos and nearly the full slate of winning council candidates. Mayor Barbara McCollum waits for results Tuesday in the Hoover's mayor's race. She would finish third with 2,183 votes.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:55pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER MAYOR MCCOLLUM VOTED OUT August 25, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-A Illustration: A Newschart titled 'Hoover election results' accompanied this article.   TROY GOODMAN and JEREMY GRAY News staff writers Hoover voters Tuesday tossed out incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum, sending former state Rep. Tony Petelos and City Councilman Jody Patterson into a runoff for mayor of Alabama's sixth-largest city. Petelos, with 6,966 votes, and Patterson, with 3,322, were the top vote-getters from a field of six candidates. McCollum finished third with 2,183 votes. Petelos credited his voter support to residents who were "tired of the bickering, tired of the fighting between the mayor and council." "It is a big city with big-city problems," Petelos said, "and the residents of Hoover are looking for someone with the experience to run a big city and a big organization." Patterson, a home builder, said he heard much of the same concerns from voters as he campaigned in neighborhoods during the past few weeks. "People are ready for a change," the first-term councilman said. McCollum and all five council members live west of Interstate 65. The council was expanded to seven members for the election. Of the council candidates who live in Greystone, Hoover's easternmost neighborhood, one won election and three others made the runoff. Trey Lott won his council race outright and Mary Sue Ludwig, Jim Henry and Daniel Whitman made it into runoffs. McCollum, who held an election-night rally at a neighborhood clubhouse, conceded the race at about 8 p.m., before all of the votes had been counted. "I'm sorry, we tried," she told supporters. The mayor, through a spokeswoman, declined to be interviewed by The Birmingham News. The last half of McCollum's term has been dogged by disputes with three members of the City Council over issues big and small. Patterson, Council President Bob Austin and Councilman Jack Wright have blasted the mayor for not holding budget hearings earlier this year and for spending $34 million to buy and renovate a former warehouse into a public safety center. The center now houses a 64-bed city jail, the city's municipal court complex and more than a half dozen relocated city departments. The council trio also has criticized the McCollum-backed annexation of the 1,600-acre Ross Bridge development in western Hoover, something the mayor touts as one of her administration's greatest accomplishments. "The way McCollum has handled things, I could not vote for her," said Ruth Nail, 47, as she left her Greystone Farms voting location just before noon. Nail and her husband voted for Petelos, a commercial builder who served as Department of Human Resources commissioner under two governors until his term ended in 2000. The 33 candidates on Hoover's ballot almost doubled the number from four years ago. The six vying for the mayor's seat boosted those choices, but the ballot growth was largely due to the recent expansion of the Hoover City Council from five to seven seats. Residents in eastern Hoover communities such as Greystone and Southlake pushed for the expansion, saying their side of town was being neglected. Former Hoover Mayor Brian Skelton made the runoff for Place 6 with 42.2 percent of the vote, along with challenger Jim Summerlin, who got 36.84 percent of the vote. In Place 7, there will be a runoff be between Daniel Whitman, who got 26.72 percent of the vote, and Mike Natter, who got 17.74 percent. In the remaining council seats, Trey Lott won Place 1, Gene Smith won Place 2 and Wright took Place 5. Place 3 will be decided in a runoff between Mari Morrison and Mary Sue Ludwig. Gary Ivey and Jim Henry will be in a runoff for Place 4.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:55pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} ELECTIONS BRIEFS August 25, 2004 Section: News Page: 3-B Home builders take day to campaign The Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders shut down its office Tuesday so staffers could push their favorite candidates in Hoover and Irondale. Seven staffers handed out sample ballots at Hoover polling sites, and two worked the polls in Irondale, where the association's director of governmental affairs, Mack Hollingshead, was running for mayor, said Executive Vice President Bill Crawford. Crawford said 250 of the association's 2,000 members operate out of Hoover. The group mailed sample ballots there and conducted a phone drive Sunday night, calling 2,400 registered Hoover voters, he said. The home builders endorsed incumbent Barbara McCollum for mayor, Ken Gray for Council Place 2, incumbent Donna Mazur for Place 3, Gary Ivey for Place 4, Patti Martin for Place 5, former Mayor Brian Skelton for Place 6 and Mike Natter for Place 7. The group did not endorse a candidate for Place 1. Jeremy Gray Lowery wins in '04 with 2000 signs The message on the signs along Interstate 65 in Fultondale Tuesday was clear. It was the date that may have been a little confusing to voters.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:56pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER VOTERS STILL FACE MANY CHOICES August 25, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   Peggy Sanford Tuesday's general municipal election is done, and even though I was on a deadline limb before the vote, I think it's safe to predict Hoover voters are looking to the runoffs. With that in mind, it's worth recalling some of the issues raised during the general election campaign, as well as others likely to face a new or renewed administration after it takes office Oct. 1. As candidates face off for the Sept. 14 vote, here are some of the topics and concerns that seem to surface and resurface in Hoover. Growth. It was an issue in the 2000 campaign and it remains a key issue in Hoover. Many of the candidates in the general election talked of the need to weigh the possible benefits of any potential annexation into the city against the demands such an addition will bring on Hoover's schools and city services such as public safety and public works. Hispanic community. This population continues to grow in Hoover and needs must be met. The city, along with volunteers and charitable organizations, last year opened the Multicultural Resource Center on Municipal Drive to give day laborers a place to wait for work and to provide translation and information services to non-English-speaking immigrants. Day laborers still wait along Lorna Road, however, and there are complaints that legal and illegal immigrants are crowding into apartments in the city and placing heavy demands on Hoover schools. Proposed remedies varied among candidates in the general election, ranging from enforcing existing laws and passing an ordinance that would limit the number of occupants in one residence to tearing down apartments and revitalizing property along Lorna Road. Another proposal involved trying to partner with neighboring cities to lobby for and perhaps pay part of the salary for an Immigration and Naturalization Service agent in the area. Council representation. It took a long and ugly fight that led into court to have two seats added to the Hoover Council in time for this election. All seven seats remain elected at large, or citywide. Talk of moving to district election of council members is bound to return. Responsibilities of the mayor. Barbara McCollum, as mayor, has served as the city's chief administrator, overseeing and directing department heads. Has Hoover grown large enough to warrant moving some of the duties of the mayor to a professional city manager? It's another question to bear in mind as election season continues, and beyond.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:57pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HAVE YOUR SAY TODAY'S VOTE OFFERS CITIZENS A VOICE IN FUTURE August 24, 2004 Section: Editorial Page: 6-A Are you worried about commercial establishments moving in on your neighborhood? Do taxes and crime concern you? Or have potholes, rundown parks and poor garbage service gotten you down? If so, you have a chance to do something about it - if you live in one of the 38 cities or towns around Birmingham having municipal elections today. The elections for mayor and council allow voters a constructive forum to express complaints, demand change and hold elected officials' feet to the fire. At the same time, the polls are the perfect place for satisfied citizens to say "good job" to their city leaders, endorse the direction their communities are heading and make sure they don't go off on an unwanted detour. In either case, voters have an opportunity to shape the future of their communities and need to take advantage of it, whether they call Hoover, Homewood or Harpersville home. Some of the races in Jefferson and Shelby counties are more hotly contested than others, and some of the differences between candidates are better defined. But in every contested race, there's a choice to be made, and voters have not just the privilege, but the responsibility, of casting a ballot for the candidates they believe will serve their communities best. Going to the polls may take a little bit of time, but it's time wellinvested. Remember, it's far better in the long run to kill an hour voting for a good candidate than to live four years with a bad candidate. No, casting a ballot doesn't guarantee your candidate a victory. But it guarantees he or she won't lose by a single vote that should have been cast by you. And it guarantees that your very important vote will be counted. Every one of the elections taking place today is a big election, one that may determine what happens in your neighborhood and maybe even whether your city will prosper or struggle in years to come. It's a decision too important to leave in the hands of neighbors and friends. Every vote matters. Don't let yours be missing.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:57pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} ATTORNEY ACCUSED IN SIGN PLACING August 21, 2004 Section: News Page: 12-A   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer A candidate for the Hoover City Council said Friday that the city attorney has been placing campaign signs for Mayor Barbara McCollum along city and county rights of way. City Attorney Steve Griffin would not comment Friday on the claims by Place 7 candidate Daniel Whitman. Whitman said he was returning home to Greystone following a Tuesday mayoral forum in Riverchase and saw a man placing McCollum campaign signs along the county right of way on Valleydale Road. Whitman said he approached the man and realized it was Griffin. He said he told Griffin it was illegal, but said Griffin told him it was a county road. Whitman said both men drove U.S. 280 toward Greystone, where Whitman is president of the homeowners association. Whitman said he saw Griffin's truck turn onto Hugh Daniel Drive into Greystone and he saw Griffin put up more signs. "I said, 'You are not supposed to be putting these on city right of ways. We can't do it and she's not supposed to either,'" Whitman said. Shelby County Environmental Manager Robert Kelley said state law prohibits placing any signs on state or county rights of way. City Clerk Linda Crump said campaign signs cannot be placed on city rights of way, except in a resident's yard. Griffin said he would not comment because of litigation between the city and the Greystone Ridge Homeowners Association regarding a road many Greystone residents want to see turned into a cul-de-sac.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 10:58pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS August 21, 2004 Section: News Page: 14-A Candidates for municipal offices Candidates running for mayor and city council seats in this coming Tuesday's municipal elections were required to report campaign contributions and expenses if they raised or spent $1,000 since July 12. State law requires that the reports be filed with county probate judges between five and 10 days before the election. The deadline for filing was Thursday. Here's a look at contributions in cities in Jefferson and Shelby counties and parts of St. Clair County: JEFFERSON AND SHELBY COUNTIES Hoover Mayoral and City Council candidates in Hoover once again have gone into the six figures in terms of total campaign cash collected during the most recent reporting period. Reports filed with the probate judges this week show Hoover candidates have collected $$176,162 in cash donations since mid-July. With $148,588 collected previously, that pushes total donations to $324,750. Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum added $12,406 to her re-election account since mid-July, bringing her new totals to $53,704. Challenger Tony Petelos added $8,705 in recent weeks, which brings his total contributions to $52,509. Councilman Jody Patterson, now a mayoral candidate, raised $22,449 in recent weeks, bringing his total cash donations to $34,374. Media consultant Bob Lochamy gathered $7,829 since last month, pulling his campaign total up to $13,453 without exceeding his $100-per-person cap on donations. Two other candidates for Hoover mayor, Stephen Bryant and Walter Mims, reported they raised less than $1,000. Among Hoover City Council candidates, Gene Smith has collected $24,000 in his bid for Place 2, which includes recent and previous cash donations. Another Place 2 candidate, Ken Gray, raised a total of $5,965. In Place 5, Councilman Jack Wright has raised $9,330 to fend out his lone challenger, Patti Martin, who has gathered $4,678. In Place 3, Mary Sue Ludwig has a total $14,026 in donations, compared to incumbent Donna Mazur's $9,982. Other Place 3 challengers, John Goodwyn and Mari Morrison, raised $1,863 and $5,221, respectively. In Place 4, incumbent Kyle Forstman reported a total $14,321, while challengers Gary Ivey and Jim Henry raised $15,944 and $2,000, respectively. In Place 1, Trey Lott raised $1,749 and loaned his campaign $15,000 of his own money. In Place 6, Brian Skelton gathered $4,795 and loaned his campaign $10,000, compared to challengers Jim Summerlin and Russell Gray, who raised $4,893 and $820, respectively. In Place 7, six of eight candidates gathered the following sums: Mike Natter, $4,133; Daniel Whitman, $3,265; Logan Doss, $2,725; Pete Clifford, $5,244; Don Tate, $1,201; John Greene, $2,700. Candidates reporting contributions of $100 or more during the latest reporting period were: Bob Lochamy, for mayor: $200 - Jim and Suzanne Parvis, Hoover; Ronald and Nancy Richardson, Hoover; Jack and Sharon Rutledge, Hoover; Greg and Marge Schnute, Marietta, Ga.; Roy and Susan Smith, Hoover; Charles and Leigh Sparks, Hoover; Tim and Julie Tennyson, Hoover. $100 - Allview Designs LLC, Hoover; Bill Bailey, Reece City; Melba Bailey, Gadsden; Don Baker, Hoover; Terry Beasley, Moody; Richard Black, Hoover; Don Bottom, Hoover; Joel Bragg, Birmingham; Richard Burleson, Hoover; Carlisle BBQ, Birmingham; Ben Carlisle, Hoover; Tom Casey, Hoover; Bill Digiorgio, Hoover; Laura Ferguson, Vestavia Hills; Joe Fuller, Birmingham; Will Gregory, Hoover; Linda Griggs, Hoover; Melissa Harry, Auburn; Annette Hefner, Hoover; Jack Holloway, Hoover; Ron Jones, Hoover; David Larkin, Lakeland, Fla.; Sandra Lee, Hoover; Jack Marshall, Hoover; McCorquodale Transfer, Birmingham; Joe Meadow, Hoover; C.S. Phillips, Birmingham; Jane Potts, Hoover; Holt Rast III, Hoover; Forrest Seale, Hoover; Joel Smith, Hoover; Stead & Fuller Insurance, Homewood; Jan Stone, Hoover; John and Heidi Strauss, Hoover; Tire Engineers, Birmingham; Turner Promotions, Pelham; Ralph and Tyler Upchurch, Hoover; Robert Weaver, Talladega; Larry Wilson, Hoover; Marguerite Wilson, Hoover; Greg Womble, Vestavia Hills. Barbara McCollum, for mayor: $5,000 - Vision Insurance Group, LLC, Montgomery. $1,000 - U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, Vestavia Hills; Christy Carlson, Birmingham; Daniel Realty Co., Birmingham; STA PAC (chaired by Karen Davidson, Birmingham); $750 - William Johnson, Birmingham. $500 - RaCon, Inc., Tuscaloosa. $250 - Wilma Ellis, Birmingham. $200 - Civil Consultants, Inc., Birmingham; Robert Holmes, Birmingham. $175 - Paragon Engineering, Birmingham. $150 - Sam Brown, Birmingham. Jody Patterson, for mayor: $5,745 - Self-contribution (including $5,500 selfcontribution and $245 in-kind advertising). $3,000 (in-kind for parties) - Spellbound Band, Hoover. $1,663 (in-kind advertising and food) - Crayton and Jane Patterson, Hoover. $1,000 - George Townsend, Hoover. $875 - HR Cooks, Hoover. $700 - Ken and Margaret McFeeters, Hoover; Robert and Louise McLain, Hoover ($200 in-kind for party). $500 - DMI Tile Co., Birmingham; Jim and Vera Kee, Birmingham; Bruce and Dale MgKee, Hoover; Bob and Sara Rast, Birmingham; Dave and Rhonda Selby, Birmingham; Shelby Concrete, Alabaster. $375 - McDanal Telco, Hoover. $300 - Lori Patterson, Hoover. $250 - Robin Bienvenu, Homewood; James and Paula Carroll, Helena; Tommy and Denise Dean, Hoover; D. Oren Harden, Hoover; Marilyn Hopkins, Hoover; Kevin and Leslie Housman, Homewood; Karen and James Isaminger, Hoover; Arthur and Sharon Ludwig, Hoover; Pat and Jane Mahone, Hoover; Jim and Vikey Reed, Hoover Bobby Ryals, Hoover; Stan and Gayla Short, Hoover. $240 (in-kind equipment) - Don's Carpet One, Trussville. $200 - Robert Brissie, Birmingham; Pat and Samantha Crabtree, Hoover (in-kind food); Barbara and Larry Crowder, Hoover (in-kind food); Brown and Gelene Mathews, Hoover; John and Jill Meich, Hoover (in-kind for food); John and Jill Melch, Hoover; Godehard Oepen, Hoover; Kim and Vance Patterson, Hoover; Frank and Caron Russo, Hoover; Robbin and Robert Sorrell, Hoover (in-kind food). $175 (in-kind food) - Rusty and Angela Bennett, Hoover John and Cathy McDuffie, Hoover; Joey and Lisa Miller, Hoover. $150 - Keith and Joanna Ellard, Hoover; John and Tracey Watkins, Hoover $125 - Scott Bruce, Hoover. Tony Petelos, for mayor: $1,000 - Birmingham Association Realtors PAC; John Guthrie, Cullman. $500 - Paul Glass, Birmingham; Arthur Green, Hoover; Group PAC (chaired by Hal Bloom, Montgomery); Holliman, Shockley & Kelly, Bessemer; Phillips & Todd medical practice, Hoover; Ed Randle, Hoover. $250 - William Short Jr., Vestavia Hills. $200 - A.G.A. Contracting, Hoover; B. Austin Cunningham, Hoover; John Purse, Hoover; Billy Roe, Jr., Hoover; W.C. Taylor, Hoover. $125 - Michael Graffeo, attorney, Birmingham. $100 - Al Austin, Montgomery; Jean Fuqua, Andalusia; Harris Construction Systems, LLC, Hoover; Jeff Hopping, Jr., Hoover; Terry Hulsey, Bluff Park; Joe Joseph, Hoover; Thomas King, Montgomery; Sue Knope, Hoover; David Marsh, Birmingham; Helen McMahon, Birmingham; David Nickell, Hoover; N.B. Toolabi, Hoover; Charles Wolbach, Hoover. Trey Lott, for Council Place 1: $15,000 - Self-loan. $500 - NSH Corp./Signature Homes, Pelham. $250 - Randy Lott, Birmingham; SouthTrust Corp. Committee for Good Government. $150 - Frank Russo, Hoover. Ken Gray, for Council Place 2: $1,000 - Alabama Builders PAC. $500 - Daniel Realty Co., Birmingham. Gene Smith, for Council Place 2: $3,000 - H.E. Smith, Jr., Hoover. $500 - Robert Gafford, Birmingham. $200 (in-kind advertising) - Ken Brimer, Hoover. John Goodwyn, for Council Place 3: $1,035 - Self-loan. $250 - James Smith, Birmingham. $200 - John and Gene Goodwyn, Alabaster. Mary Sue Ludwig, for Council Place 3: $1,000 - Roy Gilbert, Birmingham. $500 - Jim Averett, Greystone. $300 - Virginia Rancont and Emily McAdory, Greystone. $250 - Dennis Davis, Greystone; Jim Graham, Greystone; SouthTrust Corp. Committee for Good Government. $200 - Gregory Battistello, Greystone. $150 - Mike Hill, Columbiana. Donna Mazur, for Council Place 3: $1,000 - Alabama Builders PAC; Daniel Realty Co., Birmingham; Steve Griffin, Birmingham. $600 - Paula Kimerling, Birmingham. $500 - Ann Dotherow, Hoover. $300 - Bret Gray, Homewood. $250 - Stephen Monk, Birmingham; RaCon Inc., Tuscaloosa; Southeastern Site and Erosion Services, Birmingham. $200 - Civil Consultants Inc., Birmingham; Surveying Solutions, Inc., Birmingham. $175 - Paragon Engineering, Birmingham. $150 - Walter Schoel Engineering Co., Birmingham. Mari Morrison, for Council Place 3: $5,121 - Self-loan. $223 (in-kind advertising) - Amy Lucas, Birmingham. $100 - Louise Chesser, Hoover. Kyle Forstman, for Council Place 4: $1,000 - Daniel Realty Co., Birmingham. $750 - J. Fred McDuff, Hoover. $250 - Suzanne and Stephen Monk, Birmingham; RaCon, Inc., Tuscaloosa; Jerry Smith, Indian Springs; Southeastern Site and Erosion Services, Birmingham. $200 - Civil Consultants, Birmingham; Surveying Solutions, Hoover. $175 - Paragon Engineering, Birmingham. $150 - Walter Schoel Engineering, Birmingham. $100 - Steve Flowers, Hoover. Jim Henry, for Council Place 4: $1,000 - Self-loan. $300 - Banks Farris, Hoover. $150 - David Orrell, Hoover; Doug Rangeley, Hoover. Gary Ivey, for Council Place 4: $12,000 - Self-loan. $500 - Acton Park, Birmingham; Hamptons at Ross Bridge, Birmingham; Haven at Greystone, Birmingham; Investment Associates LLC, Birmingham; Randy Lott, Birmingham; NSH Corp., Birmingham. $200 - Neland Tony Dalesandro, Birmingham. $100 - Brap Wash, Hoover. Patti Martin, for Council Place 5: $3,000 - Greater Birmingham Association of Homebuilders. $908 - Robert and Chase Martin, Hoover (includes $888 loan from husband). $500 - Steve Griffin, Birmingham. $200 - Gail and Bobby West, Hoover. Jack Wright, for Council Place 5: $1,000 - Bunker Medbery, Jr., Hoover; Shan and Tricia Paden, Hoover; Bob and Sara Rast, Birmingham. $750 - W.G. Murray, Hoover. $575 (in-kind for party) - Joe Dorris, Hoover. $500 - John Bell, Hoover; Alex Farris III, Hoover; Marie Investment, Hoover; William Murphy, Birmingham. $300 - Robert Brissie, Birmingham; Richard Peal, Jr., Hoover. $250 - Mark Greve, Hoover; Robert Roach, Hoover; Southtrust Corp. Committee for Good Government. $200 - Leroy Clark, Hoover; Greg Beers & Associates, Hoover; Richard Smith, Hoover; George Townsend, Hoover. Russell Gray, for Council Place 6: $4,023 - Adventure Real Estate, Birmingham (loans). $500 - Adventure Mortgage, Birmingham. $165 (in-kind advertising) - Alpha Graphics, Hoover. Brian Skelton, for Council Place 6: $10,000 - Self-loan. $500 - Acton Park LLC, Birmingham; Hamptons at Ross Bridge, Birmingham; Haven at Greystone, Birmingham; Investment Associates LLC, Birmingham; Robert and Glenda Lott, Birmingham; NSH Corp., Birmingham; Paul Saia, Birmingham; Rheta Skelton, Birmingham. $100 - Joe and Yvonne Joseph, Birmingham. Jim Summerlin, for Council Place 6: $700 - Self-contribution. $500 - Larry McIntosh, Hoover. $200 - W.J. Edmiston, Hoover. $100 - Jim Robbins, Inc., Vestavia Hills. Pete Clifford, for Council Place 7: $3,444 - American Family Care, Hoover (includes $2,944 loan). $500 - Dr. J. Rodney Bailey, Homewood; Dr. Bruce Irwin, Hoover. $250 - Robert and Cassandra Blair, Birmingham; Gonzalez and Carr P.C., Birmingham. $100 - D.B. III and Betty Jean Barker, Birmingham; Gregory and Sharon Battistello, Birmingham; John and Heidi Strauss, Birmingham. Logan Doss, for Council Place 7: $1,000 - Steve Griffin, Birmingham. $300 - Bret Gray, Homewood. John Greene, for Council Place 7: $2000 - Self-loan. $250 - Robert Altman, Hoover. $150 - James Robbins, Vestavia Hills. $100 - Mary Frances Greene, Leeds; Carl Montgomery, Hoover. Mike Natter, for Council Place 7: $1,000 - Michael and Susan Natter, Hoover. $500 - Heather Natter, Hoover; Patrick Natter, Hoover. $200 - Nancy and John Natter, Hoover; Brian Robinson, Hoover. $150 - thingy Scott, Hoover. $100 - Don Romano, Hoover; Kathy Rowe, Hoover. Don Tate, for Council Place 7: $953 - Self-loan. Daniel Whitman, for Council Place 7: $1,000 - Siteworks LLC, Lake Cyrus. $500 - Stanley Adams, Birmingham. $200 - Civil Consultants Inc., Birmingham; William Ferguson, Birmingham; Donald Morgan, Birmingham; John Redd, Birmingham. $100 - William and Pat Gill, Greystone; Guaranty Lawn Maintenance Inc., Birmingham; Lisa Harris and Phil Turkett, Hoover; Harry Levene, Greystone; Steven and Lynne Queen, Duluth, Ga.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:02pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATES DRAWING BIG CONTRIBUTIONS August 21, 2004 Section: News Page: 12-A Illustration: A Newschart titled 'Raking in the dough' accompanied this article.   JON ANDERSON and JEREMY GRAY News staff writers   Tuesday is shaping up to be nearly a milliondollar day for political candidates in Jefferson and Shelby counties. Mayor and city council candidates in the two counties have raked in more than $900,000 in an effort to get elected to political office, records filed with probate judges this week show. About half of that was collected in the past 40 days as candidates scurried to bring in the dough to pay for all those campaign signs, fliers and advertisements that get their names and messages out. The bulk of the campaign cash is flowing to Hoover, where 33 candidates have raised about $325,000 collectively, campaign finance reports show. Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum was second in fund raising, with $53,704 collected for her re-election bid, but one of her five challengers, former state Rep. Tony Petelos, was hot on her heels from a financial standpoint. Petelos has raised $52,509 so far for his campaign. Hoover Councilman Jody Patterson wasn't far behind, having collected $34,374 in cash, plus more than $12,700 in in-kind donations for things like advertising and food for campaign events. Two Hoover council candidates, Gene Smith and Mary Sue Ludwig, also are among the top 10 fund raisers in Jefferson and Shelby. The mayors in Fultondale, Helena, Calera and Midfield round out the Top 10.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:03pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER COUNCIL CANDIDATES August 18, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H PLACE 1 Bob Austin (i) Age: 58 Occupation: Lawyer. Residence: Highland Crest. Political experience: Current council president; former member, Hoover School Board, Hoover Library Board.   Preston Lawley Age: 59 Occupation: Founder and chairman, Event Solutions International. Residence: Trace Crossings. Political experience: None. Trey Lott Age: 49 Occupation: Physician Residence: Greystone. Political experience: None. PLACE 2 Darnell Coley Age: 33 Occupation: Adjunct professor, Miles Law School. Residence: Green Valley. Political experience: None. Ken Gray Age: 32 Occupation: Lawyer Residence: Riverchase. Political experience: Member, Hoover Beautification Board. P. Robert Mosca Age: 29 Occupation: President, Trovata Digital Media. Residence: Riverchase. Political experience: None. Gene Smith Age: 47 Occupation: Retired firefighter, president of First Southern Services. Residence: Bluff Park. Political experience: Ran unsuccessfully for Hoover council in 2000. PLACE 3 John Goodwyn Age: 35 Occupation: President, Ellis Wyatt Interactive. Residence: Riverchase. Political experience: None. Mary Sue Ludwig Age: 66 Occupation: Homemaker. Residence: Greystone. Political experience: Ran unsuccessfully for Hoover council in 1996. Donna Mazur (i) Age: 60 Occupation: Homemaker, former gift shop owner. Residence: Pinewood. Political experience: Serving first term on Hoover City Council. Ran unsuccessfully for council in 1996. Mari Morrison Age: 53 Occupation: Lawyer, former Blue Cross-Blue Shield sales person. Residence: Paradise Lake. Political experience: Member, Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission. PLACE 4 Kyle Forstman (i) Age: 34 Occupation: Instructor, government and public speaking, Virginia College. Residence: Russet Woods. Political experience: Serving first term, Hoover City Council. Ran unsuccessfully for council in 1996 and for state Legislature in 2002. Jim Henry Age: 73 Occupation: Retired executive, U.S. Steel. Residence: Greystone. Political experience: None. Gary Ivey Age: 48 Occupation: Owner, Crest Cadillac Hummer. Residence: Riverchase. Political experience: Member, Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission. PLACE 5 Patti Martin Age: 48 Occupation: Retired school teacher. Residence: Russet Woods. Political experience: None. Jack Wright (i) Age: 57 Occupation: Senior agent, Northwestern Mutual Life. Residence: Verdure Knolls. Political experience: Serving second term on Hoover council. PLACE 6 Russell Gray Age: 46 Occupation: Real estate broker. Residence: Green Valley. Political experience: None. Brian Skelton Age: 44 Occupation: President, South Haven Corp. Residence: Lake Cyrus. Political experience: Member, Hoover council 1994 to 1999. Appointed mayor 1999. Lost campaign for mayor in 2000. Jim Summerlin Age: 57 Occupation: President, Mayer Electric Supply Co. Residence: Southlake. Political experience: Member, Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission. PLACE 7 Pete Clifford Age: 74 Occupation: Methodist minister. Residence: Greystone. Political experience: Member, Birmingham City Council, 1978 to 1983. Logan Doss Age: 32 Occupation: Lawyer Residence: Bluff Park. Political experience: None. John Greene Age: 52 Occupation: Retired Birmingham police officer. Residence: Regent Forest. Political experience: None. Mike Natter Age: 30 Occupation: Construction company president. Residence: Trace Crossings. Political experience: None. John Ocampo Age: 38 Occupation: Patient relations, Children's Hospital. Residence: Autumn Wood. Political experience: Member, Alabama Hispanic Democratic Caucus. Don Tate Age: 49 Occupation: Retired Hoover police officer. Residence: Russet Woods. Political experience: None. Porter Vardaman Age: 48 Occupation: Owns excavating and paving business. Residence: Bluff Park. Political experience: Ran unsuccessfully for Hoover council in 2000. Daniel Whitman Age: 38 Occupation: Realtor Residence: Greystone. Political experience: None.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:04pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} ELECTION CARDS GIVE VOTING LOCATIONS, DIRECTIONS August 18, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Voters go to the polls Tuesday to make their choices for Hoover mayor and City Council. Thousands of voting location cards have been mailed to residents with the addresses where they must to vote. The card reminds voters to bring proper identification to the polls, and that election workers will hold a run-off election Tuesday, Sept. 14, if needed, City Clerk Linda Crump said. Hoover has one new voting location this year, at the Greystone Farms clubhouse, 1000 Farmhouse Road. Other changes to voting locations in the city have been made since the 2000 municipal election, due to federal guidelines. Crump said those changes and other details are spelled out in the voting location cards. Hoover will staff 12 voting locations with more than 140 trained poll workers, she said. To cast a ballot, each voter must present identification. Acceptable forms include drivers license, employee photo ID, college photo ID card, a utility bill, bank statement, payroll check, passport and a fishing or hunting license. Each voter should choose one candidate for mayor and one for each of the seven places on the Hoover council. All council places are intended to represent voters throughout the city and are chosen by a citywide, not a district, vote. Crump said the marked votes on incomplete ballots are counted and applied to election totals.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:04pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} INCUMBENTS MISSING FROM GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS August 18, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer A citizens group credited four years ago with helping sweep Hoover's previous mayor and three incumbent council members out of office has announced its recommendations for the Aug. 24 election. There's not an incumbent in the bunch. The Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover has endorsed mayoral candidate Tony Petelos, group president Paul Elkourie said. In the council races, the Concerned Citizens group has endorsed the following candidates: Place 1, Trey Lott; Place 2, Gene Smith; Place 3, Mari Morrison; Place 4, Jim Henry; Place 5, Patti Martin; Place 6, Jim Summerlin and Place 7, Daniel Whitman. Elkourie said the recommendations were not made to rid City Hall of incumbency. The candidates were chosen after weeks of interviews, questionnaires, note-taking and discussions within the group about who seemed most qualified among the field of 33 candidates - six for mayor, 27 for City Council. "The group wants dignity restored to Hoover politics and sees the upcoming city elections as an opportunity to clean up a mess and move Hoover's management to a higher plane," Elkourie said. CCFFH found more than one acceptable choice in many races, but came up with a "clear first choice" in all the races, he said. Petelos said he was pleased to receive the group's recommendation. "Any endorsement from a viable neighborhood group is good," he said. City Councilman Jody Patterson, a mayoral candidate who spent more than an hour in his July CCFFH interview, said he was confident he would win the mayor's race despite not getting the endorsement. "I'm very happy with the way our campaign is going. It is not going to bother me," Patterson said. Patterson's now-deceased brother, Russell Patterson, founded Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover in the mid1990s to fight big-box development along Alabama 150, the councilman said. Russell Patterson died from a brain tumor in 2000. Two other candidates in the mayor's race, Bob Lochamy and Walter Mims, said being absent from the preference list would not affect their campaigns. Efforts to reach the incumbent, Mayor Barbara McCollum, and another challenger, Stephen Bryant, were unsuccessful last week. Four years ago CCFFH endorsed McCollum and the city's five current council members: Patterson, Council President Bob Austin, Councilman Kyle Forstman and Councilwoman Donna Mazur. Since the 2000 election, the citizens group has stopped regular meetings and many of its core members dropped out, Patterson said. That may turn some voters away from their recommendations, he said. "I think reviving the group at election time . . . it is going to take away from their credibility," Patterson said. A separate community organization, the Riverchase Residential Association and its sister group, the Riverchase Business Association, has been busy doing its own candidate analysis, organizers said. Joe McKay, whose company manages both associations, said his group is compiling the candidates' answers to a two-page questionnaire on city and neighborhood-related issues. Those responses are expected to be mailed to a combined 1,900-person membership this week - without candidate endorsements, McKay said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:06pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MAYOR CANDIDATES ANSWER QUESTIONS ON ISSUES August 18, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 2-H How should the city handle its tremendous growth and development? Tony Petelos Hoover has experienced tremendous residential and commercial growth and development over the years. Much of the commercial growth is retail. When new homes are built, Hoover can expect to build new classrooms. The residential growth alone does not begin to pay for schools and other infrastructure needs. Before a residential project is approved, we must conduct an impact study to determine the effect on schools, police and fire protection, and public works. Each residential project should be closely scrutinized and a determination made that is good for the city and not just good for the developers before final approval is given. Every effort must be made to take care of existing neighborhoods and schools. I have no desire for Hoover to be the biggest city it can be: I want Hoover to be the best city it can be. Jody Patterson Ask one simple question: Does this annexation provide a better quality of life for our residents? If the answer is no, kill the project. It's time to stop growth for the sake of growth. Ask all seven council members to help me stop subsidizing developers. Commercial development always follows residential. Let supply and demand, basic Economics 101, play the main role, not giving a developer $6 million for a road and getting the county to contribute another $5 million, when the developer should pay for the road. And we should never have spent $6 million for a convention area. Tourism is seasonal, risky for Birmingham area. This (Ross Bridge golf resort) was built in the wrong location. (Galleria district, more central/ proven). Don't spend existing residents' money, tax dollars, to push growth. As your mayor, it's my job to control growth and demand that a project isn't detrimental to existing neighborhoods. Walter Mims Hoover should create a zoning plan. Implementation of this plan should be done with the help of citizens who live in the area that is most impacted. Develop neighborhoods with a range of housing types (i.e. mixed-use for residential and commercial). Development of a range of transportation options. Recruit new small business partners by providing services for them including access to capital, markets, network and technology. Barbara McCollum The City of Hoover, like all Alabama municipalities, is required to establish and maintain a Planning and Zoning Commission. The commission is composed of volunteer Hoover citizens who make decisions regarding the proper zoning and land use for the city. The Planning and Zoning Commission utilizes a "Comprehensive Plan" for land use in making its decisions concerning development. During my administration, I appointed a committee composed of a cross-section of Hoover citizens that studied land use in the city and drafted the Comprehensive Plan. During my administration, recommendations made in the Comprehensive Plan are being implemented by the adoption of city ordinances that are required to implement the plan. Also, I have utilized the prin ciples of "Smart Growth," which include mixeduse zoning such as that utilized at the Preserve and Ross Bridge developments. Bob Lochamy Conscientiously! There are strong indicators that we are about to become the state's fifth largest city, by the addition of approximately 10,000 new residents. It is imperative that we regard any and all annexations and developments in a conscientious and controlled, comprehensive manner that measures any such actions against the overall citywide impact, and in a sincere "open communications" and engaged partnership with our citizens. We must encourage and engage our citizens on the front side of this most important aspect of our city's future direction. I am calling for the formation of a citywide citizens-based task force and citizen action committees to engage various citizens from throughout Hoover to work with our elected and appointed officials and administration with the many issues relating to, not only growth and development, but also the relative comprehensive impact of these actions in regards to education, finance, planning and zoning, recreation, public safety and public works, etc. We must approve and adopt a comprehensive long-range land use plan. This element of our city governance has been stalled over the past few years and we must be more disciplined and responsible in establishing a plan of action and direction, instead working in a piecemeal fashion that establishes no comprehensive discipline or control. Stephen Bryant The City of Hoover has shown tremendous growth within recent years, residentially but also in the business sector. One very important issue we must pay close attention to in our residential community is that we must not build homes or apartments without first taking into consideration the school system. I believe that if we overburden a proper student-teacher ratio, then not only will property value decrease but the number of college-bound students will decrease as well. Also, with so much construction taking place, I would like to see street resurfacing done after developments have been finished. Hoover currently has debt-service payments of about $9.3 million per year, but sales tax revenues are breaking records and the city has an improved bond rating. What do you think about current management of the city's finances, and would you change anything? Tony Petelos The debt service has increased at an alarming rate. While sales tax revenues are currently doing well, our sister cities to the south are expanding their retail space. Alabaster is scheduled to open approximately 800,000 square feet of retail space and Pelham will open another 800,000 square feet. I am afraid when these open, we can expect a drop in revenues. Sales tax is a wonderful source of revenue as long as it lasts. Should the economy experience any decline, the sales tax revenue is one of the first things to drop. The $35 million public safety center and the $6 million road leading to Ross Bridge are examples of poor planning and management. Now we need a new fire station in Ross Bridge, more money we must spend. Over 100,000 square feet of empty space remains in the public safety center. The price tag will rise even higher before the police can be moved. The utility bill and maintenance for the public safety center is estimated at $50,000 per month. It was over eight months into the fiscal year before a budget was adopted this year. This is poor management by anyone's standard. We must improve planning, have better communication and adopt a budget in a timely fashion. Jody Patterson Current management of city finances is not only risky but irresponsible. Mayor Barbara McCollum pushed and got her three votes to borrow more money than any administration in our city's history. The debt service of $9.3 million is more than our city gives to our schools. McCollum is directly responsible and should be held accountable. Yes, I would do what McCollum promised in 2000. Implement sound conservative spending policies. We had $29 million in our reserve fund in 2000, now we have $24 million, and it is projected to decrease over a million each year through 2009. Walter Mims Hoover is experiencing an increase in sales tax revenues but we are also spending at recordbreaking levels. Last year, revenues were $82 million - expenditures were $88.7 million, leaving us with a actual deficit of $6.7 million. I anticipate this year's deficit to be even greater. We are spending $9.2 million on debt service while only allocating $7.5 million for educating our children. Our debt has almost doubled since 1999. Our current obligation is over $115 million and I question what this is going to do to our bond rating in the future. Spending must be brought under control so that our citizens will not be burdened with increased taxes to secure their educational needs and standard of living. Barbara McCollum The City of Hoover's debt service payment is well within acceptable limits for the capital improvements required to meet the needs of our citizens. As Standard and Poor's noted in raising our bond rating, my administration adopted an excellent budget process, we adopted for the first time in the city's history a five-year capital plan, an excellent financial reporting system, a strong cash position, an annexation policy that measures economic benefits and liabilities to the city prior to bringing in new property, and a strong growing retail base. Bob Lochamy We must be more sincere, dedicated and responsible stewards of our city's resources. The most recent drastic escalation in our city's annual debt service has put our city in a most precarious position. I feel that the current administration has been self-serving, short-sighted and irresponsible in its efforts to efficiently manage, report and protect our resources and provide our city's ever-expanding city services. The current administration has boasted of increased sales tax revenues while NOT facing the fact that the escalating debt service that our city has incurred under this current administration has taken away a part of our city's financial ability to deal with any immediate needs or demands, which could be fast approaching as a possible economic downturn and decrease in sales tax collections could occur, due to outside forces. For instance, Pelham, Alabaster and Vestavia Hills are going to challenge our current retail sales tax base and have a profound impact on our school system and our expanding city services and our ability to accommodate the upcoming surge of home-building activity. Stephen Bryant The current financial situation that Hoover is now in is a very positive state of growth. I would work closely with those who are in the financial departments to continue progress. What do you see as Hoover's biggest need, in terms of public facilities and programs? Tony Petelos Hoover is a beautiful city and has a great deal to offer, however, there are many needs that we must meet. With continued expansion and development, we must insist that community parks come with each development. As a parent, I am concerned with children being at the ball park for games past 10 p.m. on school nights. We need more athletic facilities, including ball parks and an indoor track. A city the size of Hoover should have a facility dedicated to our senior citizens. They would benefit from a place to gather, fellowship and exercise. Jody Patterson Needs for residents. 1) Open park space - just a place to throw down a picnic blanket and throw the Frisbee, just to relax with friends and family. 2) Senior citizens center. 3) Hiking trail, bike paths. 4) Youth park with skate park. Walter Mims Develop a regional transit network, with either private or matching funds, with a variety of transportation choices. Barbara McCollum The city needs to provide sufficient working space for our Police Department at a Public Safety Center. Bob Lochamy We must address the need to expand our city's public facilities to better accommodate our diverse and dynamic population and our city's families. A centrally located (i.e., Lorna Road renewal) full-service recreation park, such as Vestavia's Wald Park, would be one of our first priorities, which would include an outdoor swimming pool, picnic tables and pavilions, a state of the art skateboard and BMX bicycle park, meeting space (for family reunions, civic groups, businesses, etc.,) swing sets and sliding boards, tennis and basketball courts, walking and jogging tracks, etc. A centrally located performing arts center could be most beneficial to both our school system and our overall community interest. A centrally located full-service senior citizens center would provide our senior citizens the opportunity to have a community-based center in addition to the ongoing efforts that our area churches provide for this segment of our population. Stephen Bryant Hoover's new municipal center was opened mainly for the city employees and not for the residents of Hoover. Currently, all Hoover residents have to go outside of the city to get a driver's license or car tag. I will make this location available for specifically that, and also for future voting. The space is available. The entire second floor of this facility is an open space. We have the space in this new facility of ours as us, the taxpayers, are paying for it. How would you address the problems and needs associated with Hoover's growing immigrant population, including the workers who regularly gather on Lorna Road? Tony Petelos I am opposed to the multi-cultural center that was opened by the City on Municipal Drive as a "day labor" pick-up center. This creates an open-door policy for illegal immigrants. Not only are we providing a place for immigrants living in Hoover, but immigrants from surrounding cities come to Hoover for work. We need to enforce local acts and ordinances to prohibit loitering and soliciting. Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, dealt with a similar problem by enforcing jaywalking ordinances. There is no short term solution for this problem. Even if our local police arrest illegal aliens, the federal government has not always done their part. I will propose a plan in conjunction with some of our neighboring cities, where we will approach Immigration and Naturalization Services and provide office space and a portion of the salary for a full-time INS agent to be in our area. I will also push for adoption of a housing code in the City of Hoover which will limit the number of residents that can live in a house or apartment. This is a serious health and safety issue. Jody Patterson Our laws must be enforced. Driver's license and insurance laws should be strictly enforced. We must put some teeth into our loitering laws. No loitering, period. It's a safety issue. It's dangerous to have people standing on the side of Lorna Road. Where apartments front Lorna Road, I would like to work with property owners and slowly and carefully eliminate some of the apartments by working with owners to obtain a highest and best-use zoning. That would be commercial, more revenue for Hoover. Redevelop and eliminate some apartment buildings. Slow, planned rezoning on Lorna will help, and it's a good place to start. I will push immediately for any laws we need to ensure health, safety, morals and general welfare of all of Hoover is protected. Walter Mims I would reach out to the Hispanic leaders and work with them with the aim of helping our immigrant population to become productive tax-paying citizens. Our current unemployment rate is 1.8% and we have absorbed many of them into our work force. We should work with the churches and community schools to teach English to all preschoolers and school-age children. The Lorna Road problem would be solved with transportation options and job-placement programs. Barbara McCollum I will continue to partner with state and federal agencies, community volunteers, local churches and the school system in order to educate and regulate the migrant population. This is a complex national challenge, which requires multiple resources and solutions. Bob Lochamy We must face the facts. We have stood by and let this issue now become a definite problem for our city and our citizens. I do sincerely believe that Hoover's growing immigration population is one of our city's most pressing problems, both shortand long-term. The overall impact of this issue can and will have a profoundly negative impact on our city if we do not take immediate action to address this most complex issue. Our central city, especially along the Lorna Road corridor, is deteriorating and is in need of immediate review and aggressive revitalization. The disproportionate number of apartment complexes along or near Lorna Road has led to a disproportionate density of apartment residents that places undue stresses on our city services, our school system and our city's planning discipline. Removing at least three, if not more, of these apartment complexes would begin to resolve this aspect of the issue. The day laborers that do congregate along Lorna and at the Multi-Cultural Center have become a public nuisance in many ways. Due to the growing immigrant population in Hoover, which, at this time, is primarily housed along Lorna Road, there has been an increase in retail and service establishments to accommodate the immigrant population in this general area. Based on the traditionally transient nature of the day laborer to go where the work is, this immediate accommodation of retail and service outlets will have an even more drastically negative impact on our central city as the day labor population, in due time, shifts to other cities and areas of growth and job opportunities, further leaving the Lorna Road area in a then more dilapidated and blithe condition and in a more costly position of recovery and renewal. Stephen Bryant Hoover is one of the finest cities in all of Alabama. It is no surprise to me that we have seen a surge in immigrant population. With such residential and commercial growth in the city, jobs are plentiful. However, I would like to see a business open up for temporary work in that area so the loitering will stop in that area off of Lorna.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:08pm One of my personal favorites......a continuation of the article posted above [hey, admin, can we increase the number of characters again????   ;)] Should the mayor have greater say in key Hoover City Schools decisions? Explain your answer. Tony Petelos The mayor should absolutely have a say in key de cisions affecting Hoover schools. The City of Hoover directs $8 million to the school system. The Hoover schools are one of the best systems in the state and the number one reason that many people choose to live in our city. The mayor's office should have better communication with the school board. The mayor's office must keep the school board informed of major residential projects. This impacts the decisions that they make. I believe that if there were better communication between the mayor, council, school board members and school administrators, parents and students would benefit greatly. Jody Patterson Because the success of our schools is directly tied to the success of our city, the mayor must provide complete, timely and accurate information to our school board. We don't need a greater say so, we should let the school board make the best decision for our system. We appoint them, via council, so we must trust them. But the mayor must communicate with the school board and feel it is the mayor's duty to provide every tidbit of information to all seven council members. Walter Mims The mayor's office should not get involved in the day-to-day operations of the school system. These should be left to the Board of Education and to the educators. The mayor's office should certainly be involved in securing funds, equipment sharing and support for education. The mayor and city council should adopt regulations and restrictions that might impact future needs. Barbara McCollum City school systems are created, regulated and governed by Alabama state law. The Hoover School Board is an independent body appointed by the Hoover City Council. The school board is regulated by the Alabama Department of Education. As mayor, I have and will continue to meet and communicate with all school officials to maintain the high quality of education Hoover citizens have come to expect. Bob Lochamy Absolutely! Although there are definite restrictions as to what a mayor can and can NOT do in reference to having a say in school board decisions, my answer is emphatically, 'Yes, but in an appropriate manner.' Our schools are the foundation of our city's vitality and stability and there are many decisions that the school board will make that have a most profound impact on our city. The mayor, in my opinion, must be an active advocate for both our citizens and for our city in regards to the actions and direction of the school board. The mayor should be a pro-active communication conduit with both the school board and the citizens. As mayor, I will recommend that the mayor and the City Council liaison to the Board of Education establish a schedule of monthly meetings with the school board's superintendent and the school board president to establish and maintain ongoing communications. I will also engage a designated Citizens Action Education Committee member to also be represented in these regularly scheduled meetings. As mayor, I am going to call for in-depth evaluation and debate as to whether we should continue to have our school board members appointed by our elected City Council or by election by our citizens, therefore giving the citizens more ability to determine who serves on the school board and to make the members of the school board more directly accountable and responsible to the citizens. Stephen Bryant The mayor should have a say in all matters of concern within the city of Hoover. The school superintendent and mayor must have a mutual respect and open forum of communication, as all decisions from one will most always have a cause and effect on the other.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:08pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER CANDIDATES SPAR OVER GROWTH August 14, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum is proud of the city's growth policies, financial stability and the new city jail and municipal office complex, all accomplished during her four years in office. Four of her five challengers - Tony Petelos, Jody Patterson, Walter Mims and Bob Lochamy - say the city's growth is out of hand, spending outpaces revenue and financial crisis looms. As McCollum seeks a second term Aug. 24, she cites as accomplishments the 1,600-acre Ross Bridge development, an improved city bond rating and creation of a mixed-use zoning law that allows village-like retail inside neighborhoods. "I do stand on my accomplishments . . . we've solved problems, we've shown leadership. We have gotten $60 million in grants through this administration from working with the state and federal government," McCollum said. The four most visible challengers are telling voters they believe the past four years have been detrimental in terms of the city's ability to plan for growth while still providing basic services, such as police and fire protection to new homes and businesses. Petelos, a former state lawmaker and Department of Human Resources commissioner, has repeatedly criticized McCollum for spearheading the Ross Bridge annexation without enough consideration of the 2,300-home planned community attached to the project. "The answer again is, before we do massive annexations, before we do any more annexations, we need to do impact studies and have a report to the school system, the fire department, the police department, the finance department, the public works department to determine what the true cost of annexation is," Petelos said during a Thursday night campaign forum. The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham presented the forum in the Hoover High School gymnasium. All Hoover mayoral candidates, except Stephen Bryant, who has been absent from most campaign forums in the city, participated in Thursday's two-hour event. The field of candidates in Hoover's race is crowded. Along with the six mayoral contenders, 27 people are running for the Hoover council. Campaign donations since January have climbed to more than $132,000, according to reports filed with the probate judges last month. Among mayoral candidates, Petelos raked in the most with $43,800 in total campaign donations, followed by McCollum with a total of $41,300 raised for her re-election bid. Patterson, a Hoover council member, Lochamy a political consultant, and Mims, a business consultant, all said annexations and development need to be slowed down to protect the city's financial reserves, existing home values and the city's retail tax base. Infrastructure McCollum told the 250 attendees that plenty of consideration had been given to the infrastructure and services behind the new project. The Retirement Systems of Alabama is investing $100 million in the project's golf course, hotel and spa, and the mayor predicted tourism dollars would boost the city budget for decades. The hotel and hundreds of homes will be open by mid-2005, builders say. "We do impact studies all the time," McCollum said during a recent campaign meeting held at a neighborhood clubhouse. She said the $32 million spent on the Public Safety Center was the most affordable solution to ease poor working conditions at the 1980s-era Municipal Center located near the Riverchase Galleria. Lochamy reiterated his belief that tearing down three apart ment complexes on Lorna Road near the Interstate 459 overpass will ease crime, loitering and open up the possibility of residential and commercial redevelopment in the area. "I don't think we can waste another day. The central part of our city is deteriorating," Lochamy said at the League's forum. Mims told the crowd he would like to establish a Hoover small-business council and make other administrative changes to promote the city's retail tax base. "We must protect our revenue stream," he said. Another issue raised during the League's forum was McCollum's insistence that she has been kept out of the loop on negotiations to sell the Hoover sewer system that serves the Riverchase, Southlake and Inverness neighborhoods. Residents in those neighborhoods have said they question how Jefferson County could make an $18.8 million offer to buy the Hoover system without McCollum's knowledge. The buyout offer came May 24 as the county explores ways to expand its customer base and repay construction loans. McCollum said once the $18.8 million was offered, City Attorney Steve Griffin kept her out of the negotiations on purpose because a sale must be decided by the Hoover City Council, not the mayor. Patterson said confusion over the sewer deal is a good example of how the mayor and the city attorney have failed to work with the five-member city council to make smart financial, capital-improvement decisions. If elected, Patterson said, he will work to build a consensus of all council members. The panel has been expanded from five to seven seats in time for the Aug. 24 election. "I don't want three votes or four votes, I want us all to work together to do what is right for the city," Patterson said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:09pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SKELTON TOUTS EXPERIENCE IN COUNCIL SEAT BID August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 2-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Brian Skelton is no stranger to Hoover City Hall. The candidate for Place 6 on the Hoover City Council has been on the council, and in the mayor's job, before. Skelton, 44, was appointed to fill a vacancy on the council in 1994. He was elected to the council in 1996 and became council president in 1998. A year later, he was appointed mayor when longtime Mayor Frank Skinner Jr. left office after pleading guilty to misdemeanor campaign finance violations. Skelton ran for the mayor's office in 2000, but lost to Barbara McCollum. Skelton said he is running again for a council seat because, "I love the city of Hoover and I really missed serving the peo ple." He said the next four years "are going to be particularly challenging and I feel like my experience can help." One way Skelton said he would put his experience to work would be in restoring credibility and integrity to city government, he said. Hoover, he said, needs city councilors "who are professionals with some diplomatic skills . . . and know how to compromise." Skelton said he also wants to see "a closer working relationship between the City Council and the school board." He said he would like to see the city build new senior citizens centers and recreational fields and work with state and federal agencies to expedite street and road projects. Skelton said leaders should listen to neighborhood groups and homeowner's associations and eliminate wasteful spend ing. "I'm against mammoth annexations and new taxes and fees," he said. Skelton briefly attended Jefferson State Community College. He is president of The South Ha ven Corp., which runs South Haven Nursing Home off U.S. 31. Skelton is a member of the Hoover Historical Society and Friends of Hoover and previously served on the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee. He said he has lived in Hoover 20 years. He and his wife have three children, one attends Deer Valley Elementary and another attends Bumpus Middle School.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:10pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} TATE: EXPERIENCES SPURRED HIM TO RUN August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Don Tate said his experiences during the quarter of a century he spent as a Hoover police officer spurred him to seek a seat on the city's council. Tate is one of eight candidates for Place 7 on the Hoover council. "I was tired of being asked . . . when is the City of Hoover going to take care" of any number of problems, Tate said. Now retired, he said he wants to use a position on the City Council to help correct some of those problems. "First and foremost is the financial situation of the city," he said. Tate, 49, said he believes the answer is to practice sensible spending and implement a balanced budget. "This administration is spend ing money on some of the most ludicrous things," he said. One example, he said, is the new Public Safety Center which, he predicts, will "be a problem for years to come." "I would like to see a balanced budget, which is something we haven't seen in several years. In fact, we haven't had a budget at all for the last few." Hoover Finance Director Robert Yeager disputed that claim. "We have not, since I've been here, adopted a budget that was not balanced," Yeager said. The Hoover council did not adopt a 2004 budget until June, with only three months remaining in the fiscal year. The budget approval stalled in September when three council members balked at approving Mayor Barbara McCollum's $78 million budget proposal. Aside from fiscal concerns, Tate said he embarked on his first political run to see the city move forward with plans to four-lane Alabama 150. He said Hoover also needs "a workable long-range plan for the growth of the city." Tate has lived in Hoover since 1967 and is a graduate of W.A. Berry High School. He attended Jacksonville State University and graduated from Samford University. Tate is a member of the Chace Lake Country Club. He and his wife have two children, one of whom is a firefighter in Tuscaloosa and another is a student at Auburn University.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:10pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER CITIZENS GROUP TO ANNOUNCE ENDORSEMENTS August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 7-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer A group that helped sweep out Hoover's sitting mayor and three incumbent council members four years ago is preparing to make its recommendations for the Aug. 24 city elections. The Concerned Citizens For the Future of Hoover endorsed all five current City Council incumbents and Mayor Barbara McCollum in the 2000 elections. "We had high expectations of the current administration, but some have disappointed us," the group's leaders wrote on their Web page. Concerned Citizens President Paul Elkourie has been a member of the group since it first formed in 1998 to try and stop a Wal-Mart Super Center from setting up shop on Alabama 150 in a different location from where the current super center now stands. "If a voter is looking for an objective opinion from fellow citizens, they're going to have trouble getting that just by listening to the candidates," Elkourie said. Rather, he said, most voters simply "decide which candidates' exaggerations to believe." Elkourie said the organization has a membership of nearly 120, although it operates with a core group of 15 members who will conduct interviews with the candidates. Some other core members have been asked not to participate in the interviewing of candidates because they are seeking office themselves or are actively supporting other candidates, he said. Among them are city council candidates Preston Lawley, Mary Sue Ludwig, Mari Morrison, Jim Henry, Russell Gray, and Daniel Whitman. Gray takes issue with the CCFFH endorsement process. "You could probably count their membership on one hand, with a few fingers from the other hand," he said. "I have a concern that a group so small, that is purportedly so encompassing, can promote a slate of candidates in the newspaper," Gray said. Elkourie said that while the number may seem small, the methodology the group uses to evaluate candidates provides an in-depth analysis of the contenders. "With 120 people, you can't everyone show up at every meeting, but we've got a pretty good methodology," he said. According to the Concerned Citizens' Web page, which is located at www.ccffh.org, the group uses information culled from its interviews and questionnaires, as well as notes taken from public candidate forums, press releases, news articles and campaign advertisements and literature to determine who it will support. Its questionnaire for council candidates asks why the candidates decided to run, who serves on their campaign committees, how much they will devote to campaigning, what they hope to accomplish if elected, and what skills they possess that would help them serve. It also asked how many council meetings they attended in a six-month period and asks them to discuss what they think are the "three most important issues facing the city." "What assistance/involvement would you like from Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover and the other citizens of Hoover?" the form reads. "As a City Council member, how would you deal with conflicts between developers and established neighborhoods?" it asks. Elkourie said he hoped to have candidate interviews completed this week and will post the group's endorsements on its Web page shortly thereafter.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:10pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} THREE MORE CANDIDATES VIE FOR OFFICE LOCHAMY PROMISES FRESH IDEAS AS MAYOR August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Looking back on his former job as a consultant to Vestavia Hills City Councilman David Belcher's successful 2000 campaign, Bob Lochamy said he looked to a fresh, flashy tactic to get voter attention. Lochamy rented a 20-foot inflatable gorilla, fixed a Belcher campaign sign to its chest and drove the plastic primate around Vestavia Hills' streets in the back of a pickup. "Was that what made the difference? Who knows. But we showed a willingness to think outside the box," Lochamy said of his former client's win. Now that he is a candidate for Hoover mayor, Lochamy, 55, said he has gotten creative again. Lochamy is driving around in an inactive ambulance decorated with his candidacy slogans and touting it as his mobile campaign headquarters. The vehicle is on donation to Lochamy's campaign from the Hoover Shoe Hospital on U.S. 31. The former sports commentator, known for his trademark sweater-vest attire, said voters should know he wants to take fresh ideas into the mayor's office. If elected, Lochamy vows to enact a 90-day plan of action that involves creating a city-wide task force to discuss education, recreation, finance, planning, suburban renewal and other issues. He also wants to form blue-ribbon committees where residents and civic leaders can have input into any of various city hall decisions, including where to focus capital improvements and how to plan for commercial development. "We want positive, progressive, responsible leadership that is based on respect and regard for each other (elected officials) and the public," Lochamy said. He has been an outspoken critic of the way current Mayor Barbara McCollum and some members of the City Council argue and bicker during public meetings. Now that seven council members are set to come into office, Lochamy said he wants to discuss a change from Hoover's atlarge voting system to district elections. He is also pushing for term limits on elected offices and the establishment of a series of twice-monthly "meet with the mayor" sessions for the public at various times throughout the day. Lochamy has drawn criticism from some who say his idea of tearing down three apartment complexes on Lorna Road is unfair to Hoover's immigrant and working-class population. Lochamy countered that his dislike of those complexes has little do with the occupants and more to do with encouraging lower housing density, new industry or the creation of parks along the Lorna corridor. A married father of two, Lochamy was a part of the Hoover Citizen's Action Coalition drive to start the city school system in the late 1980s. He is currently a consultant for municipal candidates in other cities and has worked for Hoover candidates in past years. When he announced that his campaign had put a $100 dollar cap on donations from individual contributors, many said it was a way to get around disclosure laws. Lochamy said that is not the reason. He said accepting only $100 or less is his way of saying no to special interest groups or deep-pocket contributors who may want to influence Hoover's elected leaders. To underscore his independence, Lochamy said he is shying away from campaign donations handed out by political action committees. "PACs don't write $100 checks," he said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:11pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATE SAYS HISPANICS IGNORED August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Hoover City Council candidate John Ocampo said Hoover's Hispanic population should have some say in city government. "It's about time for people in our state to recognize there is a Hispanic community that needs representing," Ocampo said. Ocampo is one of eight candidates running for Place 7 on the Hoover Council. The 38-year-old Gulf War veteran said Hoover must allocate more resources to schools. "We need changes in the school system; children are going to be underserved," he said. Ocampo, who has lived in Hoover for two years, said he is disturbed by a decision not to offer bus service to students who live within a two-mile radius of the child's school. "Our community deserves better," he said. Born in Colombia, Ocampo first came to America 21 years ago and has lived in Alabama for 14 years. The city, he said, needs to make a concerted effort to unite residents of all races and nationalities. "We can start working together on different programs" to improve the community, he said. Ocampo said, if elected, he will strive to rise above the petty differences that have split the mayor and council members. "There's too much bickering and that hurts everybody," he said. "I just want to do what's right for everybody." Ocampo, who works in patient relations for Children's Hospital, said he believes Hoover needs better planning where development is concerned. Ocampo has served in the Alabama Army National Guard since 1992. He is a member of the United Way Latino Issues Committee and the Alabama Hispanic Democratic Caucus. He attends St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church and volunteers at the Multicultural Resource Center. Ocampo is married and has a child who attends Rocky Ridge Elementary.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:11pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER HOPEFUL SUMMERLIN LEANS ON BUSINESS EXPERTISE August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Jim Summerlin wants to be known first as a businessman, and second as a politician. The 57-year-old president of Mayer Electric Supply Co. said he can apply his management skills to solving Hoover's revenue and development concerns. He hopes to do this while trying to keep both homeowners and business owners happy, he said. "You cannot grow like the City of Hoover is doing without commercial development," Summerlin said. "But developers must involve the neighborhoods who could be affected. And we should send a developer back to have additional discourse with homeowners, if needed." Summerlin, of Southlake, is a candidate for Place 6 on the Hoover City Council. If elected, he vows to work with other council members to maintain home values through proper zoning laws, regulation enforcement and road planning. He also is campaigning on a promise to improve relations between the council and mayor's office and to seek an improved budget-making process so that there's minimal disruption in providing city services. "I can understand the things that go into a good, sound bud getary process. I'm talking about where you have fiscal responsibility and good stewardship," he said. Summerlin has served on the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission for four years, the same number of years he has been on the Alabama Heart Association's corporate commit tee. He said he supported the expansion of the Hoover City Council from five to seven members and is ready to begin discussions on changing the city's at-large election process to district voting. Summerlin said encouraging more resident participation in city government is a good way to head off conflicts among elected leaders and ease the job of city department heads who need to know what residents consider important. "To me, it's just like in Planning and Zoning Commission meetings," he said. "When the builder has made a concerted effort to meet with folks in the neighborhood, then those people come to the meeting and say, 'I support this or not.'" A married father of two, Summerlin earned an engineering degree from North Carolina State University in 1969. He has lived in Hoover 10 years.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:12pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} THREE MORE CANDIDATES VIE FOR OFFICE MCCOLLUM: PROJECTS ARE PLANNED GROWTH August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer More than a year ago, Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum smiled as she climbed two boulders, stepped into the cab of a track hoe and pulled levers to dump a bucket-load of dirt on what many say will be the city's next big tourism draw. It was the official start to con struction of Ross Bridge, a multimillion-dollar golf resort, conference center and residential community now under construction south of Shannon-Oxmoor Road. Hoover has teamed up with the Retirement Systems of Alabama and two developers to finance the 1,600-acre project. The resort and hundreds of new homes will be complete next year. "It's so exciting," McCollum said during the July 2003 groundbreaking. "I've come out here three or four times just to make sure it's happening." Some members of the Hoover City Council say they wished it never had - at least not the way McCollum has handled it. Now that McCollum is running for reelection, Council President Bob Austin and Councilmen Jack Wright and Jody Patterson have begun publicly complaining that Ross Bridge is an example of McCollum approving development without adequately considering the impact on city schools, fire protection and other services. McCollum said plenty of consideration has been given to the infrastructure and services behind the new project. In fact, in terms of the $2.5 million RSA has put toward the $8.5 million Hoover-owned conference center, the mayor said she was savvy enough to get RSA to subsidize a city building. Ross Bridge is one of a handful of projects McCollum highlights in her 2004 campaign speeches. The other accomplishments she touts are neighborhood improvements, including building sidewalks, adding parks and pushing for a mixed-use development rule that allows neighborhoods to include a villagelike retail area. McCollum said her financial leadership helped shape Hoover's improved bond rating and left the Finance Department with a $25 million reserve fund as protection against an economic downturn. One project she is talking more about is this month's opening of the Hoover Public Safety Center on Valleydale Road near U.S. 31. The 380,000-square-foot complex is a converted warehouse that has helped the city overcome a space crunch it has had since the 1980s-era Municipal Center was built. McCollum said the Safety Center has been the most affordable, workable solution to increasing municipal office space and building a new jail. Her critics, including Austin, Wright and Patterson, said the project's $32.6 million price tag is a huge waste of money. "I look at all the other things that we could do for that $30 million," said Patterson, who is challenging McCollum in the mayor's race. One of Patterson's neighbors, Preston Lawley, said the mayor's push to open the Safety Center and improve worker conditions is a sign of forward thinking. Lawley is a McCollum supporter and a candidate for Place 1 on the City Council. During her four years in of fice, the mayor said she has honed her skills at promoting smart growth, something her 2000 campaign promised. McCollum describes herself as a tough negotiator who regularly sends developers back to the drawing board when they bring forward a project that could drain city services. Also, she welcomes residential or commercial ideas when zoning laws are strictly followed. "That involves a lot of negotiating, working with partners, knowing when to compromise, when not to compromise," McCollum said. The single mother of two works part-time at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's school of public health. She is a former school teacher who served for 12 years on the Hoover City Council and six years on the city Planning and Zoning Commission.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:12pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} VARDAMAN MAKES 2ND RUN FOR COUNCIL August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Hoover City Council Place 7 candidate Porter Vardaman said he deserves your vote for one simple reason: he's the most qualified for the job. "I've got the time and the experience for the job," he said. Vardaman, 48, owns an excavating and paving business. He is making his second run for the council, having lost to Council President Bob Austin in 2000. Vardaman, a 1974 graduate of Berry High School, said he will fight to promote "smart growth" if he is elected. It is a subject he said he has become closely familiar with during his work with the Coastal Conservation Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the coastal waterways of Baldwin County where he owns property. Hoover should follow that group's lead in educating the public about the value of preserving natural resources, Vardaman said. "I think every community . . . must be instilled with a sense of pride for our resources," he said. "Not just our rivers and streams, but our elderly and our children." Hoover, he said, must "conserve, preserve and manage" its money to provide services to its youngest and oldest residents alike. Vardaman is a member of Hunter Street Baptist Church where he helps with World Changers, a ministry that takes high school youth to repair homes in needy communities. He has lived in Hoover since it was incorporated in 1967. In addition to his paving business, Vardaman has driven a Hoover school bus since 1994. He has in the past helped sponsor the Hoover Rotary Club's annual golf tournament. He and his wife, Carol, have been married 23 years and have a daughter who is in her third year at the University of Montevallo.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:13pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MIKE NATTER WANTS CIVILITY ON COUNCIL August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Mike Natter said he is tired of complaining about the lack of civility on the Hoover City Council. "I don't have the right to continue complaining without taking some action," said Natter. For the 30-year-old construction company president, that action meant running for office himself. He is a candidate for Place 7 on the Hoover Council. "My main concern with the City Council was the civility that's obviously not being shown. We need to do something about it," he said. "We need people in there who are business-minded and don't want to be career politicians," Natter said. He chose to run "independent" of other candidates, Natter said, because he wants the council and mayor to work together as one body. "I'm going to be ready to work with whoever the people vote in," he said. Natter said he believes the city needs "selective growth processes" that would involve carefully balancing the additions of new businesses and homes to Hoover. "It's important for us to have affordable housing in Hoover but current property owners' rights shouldn't be infringed upon," he said. Natter said the city should act quickly in moving city police officers to the new Public Safety Center and possibly consider adding a new substation on Lorna Road. "I think it's important to protect those who protect us," he said. Natter also wants the city to take a more proactive approach in addressing traffic problems. "We need to pinpoint the areas that are most heavily burdened and the ones that are likely to be in the near future" and devise plans to ease congestion in those areas, he said. A Hoover resident for 21 years, Natter is a former Eagle Scout who still volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America. He also volunteers with the Salvation Army and American Red Cross and is a member of the Prince of Peace Catholic Church. For six years, he served as a coach for the Hoover Soccer Club. Natter has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Auburn University.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:13pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} DOSS WANTS DIGNITY IN PUBLIC OFFICE DOSS August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 7-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Attorney Logan Doss said he strives for honest, sometimes blunt communications in his business life. In public office, he said he prefers a cooperative tone, with civility between elected leaders during public meetings. "I have basically come to the conclusion that it is time to get some people in office who act with dignity and grace," the 32-year-old Doss said. He is a candidate for Place 7 on the Hoover City Council. After growing up on a farm in Cullman County, Doss said he graduated from Auburn University in 1994, then earned his law degree in 1998 from the Birmingham School of Law. Doss said he is a friend of two brothers who work in City Attorney Steve Griffin's office, Ken and Bret Gray. He said those friendships sparked his interest in starting his own campaign, along with his desire to see Mayor Barbara McCollum get re-elected. He agrees with many of the things that McCollum has proposed and accomplished and agrees with her philosophy, he said. If elected, he wants to support progressive development laws similar to the recent mixed-use zoning that allows village-style retail in residential areas. He said the City Council's job should be supporting neighborhood improvements proposed by the mayor and continuing to encourage retail and tourism. "As far as Hoover goes, it is as nice as any place to live. Let's protect that," Doss said. Married with no children, Doss said he has never sought public office before. If elected, he vowed to work closely with the next Hoover City Council, regardless of any personal differences or political allegiances on the panel. Doss also wants to pass ordinances that encourage niche retail, restaurants and other businesses and to enforce zoning laws so that home values stay strong, he said. Doss works in the Birmingham-based firm of Simms and Associates. He has lived in Bluff Park for 21/2 years. Doss has served on the community service standing committee of the Birmingham Bar Association and the Junior Executive Board of the American Cancer Society.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:14pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} GRAY WANTS MORE INPUT FROM CITIZENS IN CITY AFFAIRS August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 2-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Hoover City Council Place 6 candidate Russell Gray said the average citizen does not have enough say in city affairs. "The citizens of this city do not have proper representation in city government," he said. Gray, 46, said he believed that when he formed the Hoover Neighborhood Alliance in April. At the time, he said the nonprofit grassroots group would focus on informing citizens about municipal issues and voicing residents' concerns to city leaders. "I'm not leaving that role," Gray said. "I believe a City Council seat would be a catalyst to push that effort forward," he said. One of the main reasons Gray, a real estate broker, decided to enter the race was because of his concern about the growth of the city, he said. "The city has approved roughly 10,000 living units that could be built if a permit is taken out," he said. That could add almost 6,000 new students to a school system that only recently faced a controversial rezoning debate. "I'm not a no-growth candidate," he said. "But we've got to slow down and assess where we are going." Gray said if elected, he would like to see the City Council make a greater effort to involve homeowner associations and neighborhood groups like the HNA in the decision-making process. Gray, a 16-year resident of Hoover, said more needs to be done to improve city roads and money for city projects needs to be more carefully managed. He said he worries that political "machines" are at work promoting slates of candidates with hidden agendas. "The typical citizen gets left out of city government when de cisions are made in the inner circle of a coalition," he said. A vote for him will prevent that from happening, Gray said. "It's critical we give some voice in government back to the people." Gray has served eight years on the landlord advisory board of the Birmingham Housing Authority and spent a year on the Hoover Chamber of Commerce's economic development committee. He has two children. One attends Simmons Middle School, and the other goes to Hoover High School.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:14pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER NEEDS LEADERS TO HELP CITY GROW UP August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   Peggy Sanford Voting in Hoover's Aug. 24 election won't be easy. Voters will have to winnow a field of 33 candidates - six for mayor, 27 for City Council - down to a mayor and seven council members. Voting responsibly will require time and effort to learn about the individual candidates, apart from any slate or coalition that has been drawn together. Hoover needs its voters to make the effort. The city is a young adult, strong and energetic, but immature and looking for direction. The city has grown so fast in its 37 years, shooting from 410 people on four blocks in 1967 to more than 65,000 across 40 square miles today. Growth itself has seemed the objective for most of the city's life. Hoover leaders handled that fairly well. They landed the Riverchase Galleria and anchored a retail tax base that has helped keep residential property taxes reasonable while the city built a strong school system and a reputation as a safe, comfortable community with stable or increasing property values. Hoover, in size, diversity and needs, is no longer a small town. Its government, however, doesn't seem to have shaken the small-town mentality. Being part of the right clique comes across as more important than a candidate's leadership abilities or vision for the city. Hoover has reached the status, in Alabama, of a large city. It's the state's sixth largest and wields its influence in the greater Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. School officials have acknowledged the pressing need for a third high school. Existing communities, particularly Greystone and neighborhoods off South Shades Crest Road, have called for fire stations for several years. Whether a new station will be built to serve the developing Ross Bridge community and golf resort remains a question. Hoover's immigrant population continues to grow, its needs largely unaddressed. Hoover no longer just needs to grow. It needs to grow up. It needs elected officials who can manage resources, build coalitions and embrace the residents of Hoover as Hoover, accepting that their voices should be heard in the city's government. Learning about so many candidates in so short a time is a challenge, but one that can only make the city's government, and therefore the city, stronger. Profiles of Hoover candidates conclude today in the Hoover News. Profiles of all other city candidates have appeared in this section the last two weeks. Another opportunity to learn about Hoover's mayoral candidates comes Thursday night at 7 at Hoover High School. The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham will conduct a candidate forum in the school's gymnasium.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:15pm YOU NEED TO READ THIS ONE...it involves the schools and rezoning Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} WITT DEFENDS BOARD'S DECISION TO REDRAW ATTENDANCE ZONES August 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 10-H   JON ANDERSON News staff writer Hoover school board President Kay Witt last week defended school board members and elected city officials from what she called "flaming arrows" being fired by political candidates. Witt read a two-page statement during a special called school board meeting Thursday, defending the integrity of school board members and their decision to redraw elementary school zone lines and plans to redraw secondary school zone lines. Witt said several politicians in Hoover's municipal elections are using issues involving the school system as an attempt to gain votes. They've faulted current elected officials for not controlling the school board, accused school board members of not listening to parents and called the rezoning effort a "fiasco," Witt said. Witt said the school board has made a concerted, conscientious effort not to be involved in the political arena. "However, when flaming arrows are fired into our houses, or in this case, our mailboxes, we are forced to remove and extinguish those arrows," she said. While the Hoover City Council appoints school board members, "the school board is not a political entity," Witt said. "To the current mayor and City Council's great credit, they have not attempted to control this school board." School board members do value their opinions, "but we do not make decisions based on popular vote," Witt said. "Anyone who tries to control the school board to gain political favor is misusing his or her power." The redrawing of elementary school zone lines for the school year that begins today is not a fiasco, Witt said. The rezoning affected about 1,455 of Hoover's 5,100 elementary students, records show. Of those, about 390 were fourth and fifth-graders who were given the option to remain in the school they attended last year. About 100 students took advantage of that option, records show. "It is unfortunate that some students have to leave schools they love, and that made the rezoning plan an agonizing decision for school board members," Witt said. However, the school board did listen to parents before making their decision, she said. School board members received e-mails, phone calls and comments from as many voters who were in favor of the rezoning plan as they did from those who opposed it, Witt said. "We do not base our decisions on popular vote, but on what we believe, after careful study and deliberation, to be best for the children of Hoover," she said. The rezoning plan approved by the school board in April was designed to bring many students closer to their schools and accommodate population shifts, growth and changes in Hoover's geography over the past 15 years. One of the more controversial aspects was the rezoning of about 1,000 of the 1,300 Hoover elementary students who live in apartments. School officials said the apartment rezoning was needed, in many cases, to get students closer to their school, but also to redistribute apartment students more evenly among schools to reduce high student turnover in certain schools. Witt said the changes will benefit all elementary school students. Teachers will have fewer students in each classroom who are new to Hoover schools and thus need extra time and attention, she said. With a new middle school slated to open in August 2005, secondary school zone lines will need to be redrawn, Witt said. Again, school board members have listened to parents and explored every suggestion, she said. "There is no way to please every person in this situation because somebody has to attend all three of these middle schools," Witt said. She said she understands that 30 percent of the land in Hoover is undeveloped. "History leads me to believe that this land will be developed due to economic factors and public demand for housing regardless of who we elect as future mayors and City Council members." Witt said. "I agree that this growth needs to be well-planned, but this growth will necessitate the need for additional schools and the need for future rezoning plans."

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:16pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER FACTIONS DUEL TO LEAD CITY INFORMAL 'COALITION-STYLE' POLITICS DRAWS CRITICISM August 9, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Two slates of candidates have lined up to oppose each other in the red-hot Hoover elections. One slate revolves around Mayor Barbara McCollum. The other focuses on City Councilman Jody Patterson, who is challenging McCollum in the Aug. 24 mayor's race. The tactic is being attacked by four McCollum and Patterson challengers in the mayor's race who are promising to remain independent during their campaign. Stephen Bryant, Bob Lochamy, Walter Mims and Tony Petelos all said they are not running a slate and would work to build relationships with any council members who win election. Such slates are "another sign of coalition-style government, and I think Hoover needs better," Lochamy said. Two political science professors said that when slates are formed in a municipal race, voters should listen and read closely to understand the individual candidates' messages. "The electorate is going to have to be much more sophisticated," said James Slack, a University of Alabama at Birmingham political science professor. Paul Johnson, chair of Auburn University's political science department, agreed. Both political scientists said voting for a slate is not necessarily bad, but is risky in terms of distinguishing candidates and choosing platforms that could have different implications for various neighborhoods. The incumbent mayor has put together a group of council candidates that includes two incumbents and at least four newcomers, volunteers in her reelection campaign said. McCollum, who declined to call the group a slate, said having council candidates working on her behalf boosts her message to voters. "It helps when you're campaigning, especially when you have people living in different neighborhoods. Then they (the council candidates) can help you work those neighborhoods," McCollum said. Patterson, who was a member of McCollum's campaign slate four years ago, said five council candidates are aligned with him, all of whom are critics of McCollum. Patterson also would not call the group a slate. "I have got a few folks that I would prefer (on the next council), but I'm not running a slate," Patterson said. Bryant, Lochamy, Mims and Petelos said running in a pack is how McCollum and Patterson hope to gain voting influence. Small-town politics UAB's Slack said the hushed campaign slates are a sign that Hoover's election is still characterized by small-town politics. "The unwritten slates are an example of 'a wink is the same as a nod' style of government," Slack said. He predicted by the year 2008, as Hoover's population continues to grow in number and diversity, the city campaign season will take on a more open tone. McCollum's known supporters in the council races are Place 1 candidate Preston Lawley, Place 2 candidate Ken Gray, Place 3 candidate Donna Mazur, Place 4 candidate Kyle Forstman, Place 5 candidate Patti Martin and Place 7 candidate Logan Doss. All said they are involved in her campaign. Mazur and Forstman are the incumbents who have long supported the mayor in her major proposals brought before the current five-member council. Those on Patterson's preference list are Place 1 candidate Trey Lott, Place 2 candidate Gene Smith, Place 4 candidate Gary Ivey, Place 5 candidate Jack Wright and Place 6 candidate Brian Skelton. Skelton is a former Hoover council member who was appointed mayor in 1999 to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Frank Skinner Jr. Skinner, who resigned the office after pleading guilty to misdemeanor campaign-finance violations after an investigation by the state attorney general's office. Skelton lost to McCollum in 2000. Patterson's preferred candidates all preach a decidedly anti-McCollum stance, which means they want her voted out of office along with her council supporters, Patterson said. He said many of those council candidates on his preference list want an end to wasteful spending practices and poor councilmayor relations. Pro-McCollum council candidates have rallied around her because they want smart growth and financial management to continue under a second term, said Doss, a Place 7 candidate. They also oppose much of Patterson's recent voting history on the council. Independent thinking Susanne Bray, a former school board member who has joined the nonprofit activist group Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover, said choosing the next administration should not be about voting for a particular group. Voters should choose a mayoral candidate they like, Bray said, then vote for council members who seem interested in working alongside the mayor and proving they can represent Hoover neighborhoods. All mayoral candidates have told voters they will work closely with everyone seated on the next city council, regardless of political allegiance. Non-slate challengers Bryant, Lochamy, Mims and Petelos each said their independence is a clear signal of a good mayorcouncil relationship if they win. Four years ago, McCollum and Patterson were part of a group that included council candidates Mazur, Forstman and Council President Bob Austin. The ongoing rift between McCollum and three members of the current council has erased many of the 2000 political allegiances, the mayor and city council said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:16pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} LUDWIG WANTS TO ENSURE THAT NEW COMMUNITIES HEARD August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Mary Sue Ludwig worries that as Hoover continues to grow, the residents of newly developed communities will find themselves underrepresented by the city. It is a scenario she said she experienced first-hand when she moved into the gated community of Greystone. At the time, she said, there were only 25 houses in the subdivision. Residents were unprepared for the headaches that came from having to pay two sets of fire dues and operating on a different water and sewer system than Hoover homes that were in Jefferson County. "We had fees slapped on us that we didn't know anything about," she said. "Hoover didn't recognize or realize the problems we were going through . . . the residents inherited the problems and we had to deal with them." Ludwig, who ran unsuccessfully for the Place 5 Hoover City Council seat in 1996, believes residents of new developments in Shades Valley may face the same problems. She is seeking the Place 3 seat in this election. "I see the city growing in a different direction and I'm afraid what happened to us will happen to them." The 66-year-old homemaker said she decided to re-enter the political arena, after sitting out the 2000 election, because she believes there needs to be more open communication between city leaders. Ludwig said there needs to be more fiscal responsibility in Hoover government as well. Specifically, Ludwig asserts that City Attorney Steve Griffin "is not an attorney for the people." She also said city officials responsible for governing planning and zoning are "not doing the job they should be." Ludwig is the co-chair of the Progress 280 Task Force, chair of the "Church and State Committee" for Lakeside Baptist Church, a trustee of the North Shelby Library, and a member of several other civic groups, including the Friends of Hoover and the Hoover Service Club.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:17pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} PROBLEM- SOLVING SKILLS WOULD BENEFIT PANEL, MORRISON SAYS August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer After 23 years as a sales person with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mari Morrison said she learned how to operate in a man's world and enjoy her work. She sold policies only to businesses and corporations, honing her bargaining skills and figuring out how to move from the idea stage to resolution. Morrison, 53, wants to apply these problem-solving qualities to municipal government. "I've learned how to negotiate and how to listen to people as opposed to telling them what to do," she said. Morrison, a member of the city Planning and Zoning Commission, is a candidate for Place 3 on the Hoover City Council. The single mother of one resigned her insurance job in 1998 to become a private practice attorney. She volunteers for the nonprofit United Way, the Bruno's Memorial Classic golf tournament and youth cheer leading. If elected to the Hoover Council, Morrison said she wants to work closer with area executives and Hoover-based companies to gain their insight on service trends and possibly use their recruiting power to fill vacant bigbox retail sites on U.S. 31 and Alabama 150. As a former election supporter of Mayor Barbara McCollum's 2000 campaign, Morrison said she has not been satisfied with the mayor's leadership abilities. For instance, despite the mayor's insistence she has no control over school board issues, Morrison said there is hope for encouraging better cooperation between city hall and school leaders. A school board seat "is an appointed position," she said. "We have to be talking so that problems do not arise." Morrison said she wants improved recreation facilities and hopes the next mayor considers looking at building a civic center to increase arts and entertainment options for Hoover residents.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:17pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MCCOLLUM DEFENDS RECORD AS MAYOR'S RACE HEATS UP August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 2-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum ratcheted up the campaign rhetoric this week, using neighborhood meetings and other gatherings to criticize her opponents in the mayoral race. As she seeks a second term, McCollum defended her four years in office as one of the most productive periods in Hoover history, ticking off a list of accomplishments that included the 1,600-acre Ross Bridge development on the city's western edge and a 380,000-square-foot Public Safety Center that opened this week on Valleydale Road near U.S. 31. Meanwhile, three of her five challengers in the mayor's race reiterated their belief the past four years have been detrimental in terms of the city's ability to grow and still plan for providing basic services such as police and fire protection to new homes and businesses. The candidates also bickered about who has bankrolled key portions of the Ross Bridge project and whether the $32.6 million price tag on the Safety Center is wasteful spending. The candidates' verbal volleys have been ongoing for weeks. They reached a new intensity last week during several neighborhood political forums and at a media tour of the Safety Center. At one meeting McCollum attended at a neighborhood clubhouse off Alabama 150, west of the Riverchase Galleria, the mayor squared off against her challengers: Tony Petelos, Bob Lochamy, Walter Mims and City Councilman Jody Patterson. Stephen Bryant, another mayoral candidate who entered the race last month, did not attend. 'Untruthful picture' McCollum told the audience of about 40 that her opponents in the race have painted an untruthful "doom and gloom" picture of the city to smear her administration. "Hoover is doing great and, hopefully, will continue," she said. Patterson, a city councilman who opposes many projects McCollum has championed in recent years, said the Ross Bridge development is an example of how McCollum has gotten too cozy with developers without considering the impact on the city's debt or whether it can pro vide basic services to hundreds of new homes. McCollum regularly boasts of helping broker the deal between the Retirement Systems of Alabama and two developers to build the Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Conference Center and its 2,300-home planned community. Construction is under way on the project. "We're not taking a careful look at what some of these developers are bringing us and promising us," said Patterson, a builder and a former McCollum supporter in the 2000 election. "All these great and wonderful promises that we hear, all this great and wonderful tourism, great and wonderful convention center, great and wonderful things that are coming - we're subsidizing." Patterson, Lochamy, Petelos and Mims all criticized the mayor's decision earlier this year to spend $6 million of the city's money on a parkway to Ross Bridge. The challengers said RSA and developer Daniel Corp. and USS Real Estate could afford to build their own road. McCollum countered the new road is a long-needed project to take growing traffic congestion off Shades Crest Road, a twolane residential road nearby. She said the Ross Bridge project came along later and served as an incentive to boost city tourism dollars and other income. Road necessary "We had to build a road to solve a problem on Shades Crest Road," McCollum said during the forum. She called Ross Bridge an unusual public-private investment that could only have happen under her leadership and vision for growth. McCollum also struck back at her three critics on the Hoover City Council, including Patterson and Council President Bob Austin and Councilman Jack Wright. She blamed the trio for the ongoing bickering at city hall and deriding their votes against some of her projects and her proposed budget as a political ploy to gain votes. "We accomplished a tremendous amount in those first few years . . . an election year changed it a lot," McCollum said. Petelos, once commissioner of the state Department of Human Resources and a former state lawmaker, criticized McCollum for not doing impact statements before large projects such as Ross Bridge or land annexations are approved. Petelos said impact statements would avoid future school-zone coverage problems and protect the city from adding land tracts that could strain police, fire and other basic services. "We do impact studies all the time," McCollum said. She declined to offer details on when a much-needed fire station would be built in Ross Bridge. McCollum also defended her belief that the recent expansion of the Hoover Council from five to seven members could happen only after a circuit court intervened. Her mayoral challengers, with the exception of Mims, said McCollum used her influence to try to halt the council expansion. Then, when Austin filed a lawsuit to force the seven-member plan forward, she said a court order would be enough to change her mind and support the expansion, the challengers said. "The council president had to sue the mayor to make this happen," Petelos said of the sevenmember plan. Hoover ballots will be cast Aug. 24. Other campaign-related events are scheduled throughout the coming weeks, including a mayoral forum Aug. 12 sponsored by the League of Women Voters. That forum will be held at Hoover High School at 7 p.m.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:18pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} WRIGHT SAYS HIS RECORD MERITS THIRD TERM ON COUNCIL August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 8-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Hoover City Councilman Jack Wright, 57, said he is the best candidate to help the city carefully manage what he predicts could be astronomic growth over the next four years. With new houses blossoming across the city, like those with the Ross Bridge community, Wright said there might be 14,000 new homes in the city by the 2008 elections. Theoretically, he said, that could almost double Hoover's population. He said he fears that could lead to a citywide school rezoning of a much larger scale than the school system's plan that sparked controversy earlier this year. "These are going to be huge issues over the next four years," Wright said. The Place 5 representative said voters should elect him to a third term because he has taken the right positions even when it was unpopular. "I think I've asked the hard questions, and I stood alone when it was just me," he said. If re-elected, Wright said. he will fight to see the council have total control over annexation of land into the city and find ways to "help city services catch up" with the tremendous growth of the city. "I'd like to see us have more soccer fields and ball fields," he said. "Right now, that's just getting lip service." Wright said he wants to see the city create new senior citizens centers. Wright has been a Hoover resident since 1970. He served on the city's Industrial Development Board from 1980 to 1989, during which time the Riverchase Galleria and Hoover Met were built. He also served on the committee that studied whether Hoover should form its own school system. Wright is a senior agent for Northwestern Mutual Life. He has been an adviser for the business department at Hoover High. Wright is a former director at Shades Mountain Community Park, where he coached girls softball and football. He serves as chairman of the Long-range Planning Committee at Tannehill State Park. He has been married to Bet Wright for 33 years.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:19pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MARTIN SUPPORTS SCHOOLS, WANTS TOWN HALL MEETINGS August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 8-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Retired school teacher Patti Martin said a love for children is what moved her to enter Hoover politics. "I want to guarantee the city school system remains where it is and pushes forward," she said. Martin, 48, taught in Jasper public schools for 10 years before joining Hoover City Schools as a gifted-student teacher for all grades through 8th grade. Martin is a candidate for Place 5 on the Hoover City Council. She said the school system is appropriately separate from city hall in its decision-making. But the city council and the mayor's office, Martin said, should play the advocate in making sure funding stays steady, parent input increases and national education benchmarks are maintained. If elected, she promises to support smart-growth philosophies based on making sure neighborhoods have smaller schools and adequate roads and services. A supporter of current Mayor Barbara McCollum, Martin also said the city should continue its push toward improving parks and recreation options for residents and visitors. Her campaign has centered on starting quarterly town hallstyle meetings in Hoover where residents can ask city leaders questions and get information on upcoming plans and projects, Martin said. She wants to increase public programs for Hoover seniors and make sure city council liaisons are set up to work better with all city department heads. The Russet Woods resident, a married mother of two, is actively involved in the Birmingham Jaycees and other civic groups.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:19pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATE HENRY THINKS CITY SORELY LACKING IN UNITY August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 5-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Hoover City Council Place 4 candidate Jim Henry said the city needs renewed unity following months of strife amongst Hoover's elected officials. "There seems to be a dramatic need to bring this city back together," the 73-year-old Greystone resident said. City leaders, Henry said, seem to lack the ability to communicate and negotiate and, as a result, residents have been excluded from the governing of Hoover. "I believe we have to continue to promote and encourage community participation," said the retired U.S. Steel executive. Hoover, he said, must also do a better job of managing growth in order to protect property values. "I think good judgment in how we handle those things is critical," he said. "We've got to manage our growth. We've been making quick decisions on some of these things." Henry was a key proponent of a plan to expand Hoover's council from five to seven members, which will take place with this election. He had originally wanted to see the council elected on a district basis. Depending on how the next elected council fares, Henry said, the city should reconsider the district plan. "In fairness, we have to see how it works. If it continues to work the way it has in the past, I see the district concept becoming a reality," he said. Although Henry originally became involved in city politics because he believed Greystone was underrepresented by elected leaders, he is quick to say he wants to serve "the total community of Hoover." One area of concern for Henry is how the city enforces the stipulations of planned unit developments, like the one governing Greystone. Henry is still upset that the city approved the Tattersall Park development in 2002. That arrangement involved carving 29 acres out of the Greystone PUD for the EBSCO-owned endeavor, which included plans for retail and office space and nearly 400 condominiums, town houses and apartments. Henry said that since the Tattersall plans didn't adhere to the PUD zoning requirements, it should not have been approved. "If these PUD agreements mean anything we have to enforce them," Henry said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:20pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} IVEY: CITY MUST IMPROVE PUBLIC DIALOGUE August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover's next administration could be improved if it is "about communication, not public spectacle," said Gary Ivey, 48, of Riverchase. The owner of Crest Cadillac Hummer on U.S. 31 is a candidate for Place 4 on the Hoover City Council. Ivey talked of ways city-hall bickering could be stopped before it begins. "You've got to have communication between the city council, the mayor and residents," Ivey said. If elected, he said he would push for more public projects, including parks and recreational programs. Also, now that the Hoover Public Safety Center is staffed, he said he wants the next mayor and council to come up with an affordable plan for moving more of the police department and its detectives down to the Valleydale Road complex. The $32.6 million Safety Center does include an expanded city jail, but only a limited number of law enforcement officers are budgeted to move in, city officials said. Hundreds of square feet of office space remain open for expansion, Ivey said. He is campaigning against any city tax increases to bolster budgets. Ivey also wants to change the way the current budget process is handled so that department heads have more say, and so that annual expenditures are closer to "real" dollars rather than projections, he said. Ivey said it would be a good idea to begin quarterly meetings with the council and the president of the school board so the kind of confusion generated by the recent rezoning plan is minimized. On the issue of smart-growth, he has this to say: "Growth is wonderful as long as you take into account the big picture" and not annex too much, too soon, Ivey said. Married with two children, Ivey serves on the city Planning and Zoning Commission and the board of Safehouse of Shelby County.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:20pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} PETELOS' CAMPAIGN TOUTS EXPERIENCE August 4, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Tony Petelos said he decided to get into the Hoover mayoral race because he thinks city leadership has become too fractured. If elected, he said he would work to end the now com mon split between key factions at city hall. "We have the mayor fighting with the city council. The city council suing the mayor, and this rift with the city attorney . . . I think we need someone who has the experience to pull this city together," Petelos said. To that end, Petelos, 51, a former state lawmaker and Department of Human Resources commissioner, is campaigning on his political experience. He served three terms in the Alabama House of Representatives, ending in 1997. That year he was appointed DHR commissioner under then-Gov. Fob James. He was reappointed to the post by Gov. Don Siegelman. Child welfare advocates and watchdog groups said at the time, the second-generation Greek immigrant had improved DHR's performance and planning. "When you can get Fob James and Don Siegelman to say we were doing a good job, apparently we must've been doing something right in that department," Petelos said during a recent political forum. Has construction firm Since leaving public office, Petelos said he has focused on his private construction company. Multicon Inc. has done a handful of small retail centers, erected a historic chapel at American Village in Montevallo and is now working on renovations to a Birmingham building expected to house the relocated Fish Market Restaurant in downtown, Petelos said. He has two children who attend Hoover schools and his wife, Teresa Petelos, is a circuit judge in Jefferson County's Bessemer Division. On the issue of mending the current rift between the Hoover Council and the mayor's office, Petelos is placing most of the blame on Mayor Barbara McCollum for not providing leadership and not showing a willingness to work with her critics on the council. McCollum denies she is hard to work with. She cites electionyear politics as a major cause for disagreement. Petelos is critical of the $32.6 million McCollum decided to spend on the new Hoover Public Safety Center. He calls it a huge waste of money that will drain municipal resources for years to come. Petelos also charges the McCollum administration made a costly error in annexing the upcoming 1,600-acre Ross Bridge development without first considering the impact on schools, fire, police and other city services. If elected, he vows to begin calling for impact statements before any major annexation or development takes place in Hoover. "This will give us a comprehensive and true picture of how a proposed annexation will im pact the city, the schools, the essential services and existing neighborhoods," Petelos said. Some McCollum supporters have said they think Petelos is nothing but a small-time developer who may not have the city's best interest at heart. Petelos said that is a mischaracterization. He said there should be less executive power and greater citizen input to the mayor's office. He has promised to create a position of community service officer to help people navigate the city bureaucracy and schedule meetings with the appropriate officials. He criticized McCollum for not supporting the recent expansion of the city council from five to seven members, which began as a community push to increase representation on Hoover's eastern edge. "The city council president had to sue the mayor to make this happen. That is wrong," Petelos said. McCollum said she resisted the expansion because she felt it needed to have court approval. A circuit court judge later ruled the council should have seven members in time for the Aug. 24 election.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:20pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} AUSTIN SAYS HE'S KEPT PROMISE OF OPEN, HONEST GOVERNMENT July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 5-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Hoover City Council President Bob Austin said he made one promise during his campaign for the council in 2000 and has kept it. "I lived up to the only campaign promise I made, and that was to have an open and honest government," said the 58-year-old lawyer. If elected to a second term, Austin said he hopes, however, the lines of communication between the council and mayor are better than they have been of late. "I'd like us to have communication between the mayor's office and the council, of a meaningful nature, so we can get something positive done in the city," Austin said. He is proud, he said, to have filed the lawsuit that led to the expansion of the city council from five members to seven, and that he was never implicated in a controversy involving council members misusing cityowned cell phones. Austin has lived in Hoover 31 years. Whether or not reelected, he said, he will lobby the state Legislature to have the mayor and council elected in staggered terms. Austin said this needs to be done "so we don't have eight new faces in government every four years." Under his plan, the mayor's office and three council seats would be up for grabs one year and, two years later, the other four council seats would be up for election. Austin said his experience as the incumbent makes him the best candidate for the Place 1 council seat. "I could make better use of the next four years than someone who didn't have that experience," he said. Austin, an outspoken critic of City Attorney Steve Griffin and Mayor Barbara McCollum, wants to see the city establish its own legal department so "the city attorney is really the attorney for the city." His plan would have several assistant city attorneys "that handle prosecutions in the municipal court as well as any appeals." Austin said the city would only retain outside counsel when absolutely necessary. Aside from his four years on the council, Austin has also served on the city school board and the library board.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:21pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} LAWLEY WOULD USE BUSINESS SKILLS TO SOLVE CITY'S PROBLEMS July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Preston Lawley said he prides himself on doing good business. Now in semi-retirement, Lawley said he earned his money as the founder and chairman of Event Solutions International. The company earned $47 million last year helping automakers - import and domestic - plan and host automotive and promotional events, he said. Lawley, 59, of Trace Crossings, is running for Place 1 on the Hoover City Council. If elected, he said he expects to apply his entrepreneurial skills to problem-solving at city hall. He has already begun brainstorming on how to make building permits easier to obtain, he said. He also thinks a lot about opening lines of communications between the council and police, fire, public works and other departments. A staunch supporter of Mayor Barbara McCollum's re-election bid, Lawley and his wife Pat, regularly attend the twicemonthly City Council meetings. He said he wants the next council to work more closely with each other and the mayor to stop the current arguing and backbiting. "If I get elected, I promise to host a cookout at my house for the new council. I want to get to know them personally before we tackle any issues," Lawley said. He believes in development that protects and promotes Hoover's portion of the Cahaba River. Also, Lawley said he is proud of his membership in the nonprofit Concerned Citizens for the Protection of Hoover. The group is known for convincing the developer of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Alabama 150 to add architectural enhancements and leave a wide tree and hill buffer between its store and nearby homes. "We have some of the best stores in the country, old and new," Lawley said. His message to developers and retailers as a Hoover council member would be: "Follow the rules if you want to come into the city." A former auto-body repairman, Lawley has lived in Hoover 30 years and keeps a collection of vintage autos. He enjoys golf, traveling and caring for his miniature schnauzer, Rocky.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:21pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} LOVE OF POLITICS MOVED LAWYER GRAY TO SEEK POST July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 7-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer A longtime aspiration for political life has moved Ken Gray to do many things over the years. For college, Gray traveled hundreds of miles south of his home in New York to attend The Catholic University of America near Washington, D.C. "I love politics and I wanted to be there," he said, noting that he gave up cheaper, in-state tuition rates. Now the Riverchase-based attorney is running for municipal office. Gray, 32, is a candidate for Place 2 on the Hoover City Council. An employment-law specialist in Hoover City Attorney Steve Griffin's law firm, Gray said he supports Mayor Barbara McCollum's re-election campaign. His brother, Bret Gray, also works for Griffin and is McCollum's campaign treasurer. "I think it's time for someone to step up who will actually listen to their (residents') concerns and be straight forward with them," he said. He pointed a critical finger at the mayor's opponents on the council, Council President Bob Austin and Councilmen Jody Patterson and Jack Wright. Austin and Wright are running for re-election. Patterson is running against McCollum for mayor. Gray is campaigning on a pledge to boost council involvement in police, fire and publicworks issues that directly affect residents. In other words, if residents see a flooding problem, Gray wants city crews to know about it earlier rather than later. He sees council representation as a way to improve and speed communications. Although the council does not vote in school board issues, Gray said Hoover's elected leaders can suggest moving toward the smaller, neighborhoodschool concept as a way to deal with student overpopulation. Another campaign pledge: mend the now-frequent bicker ing between members of the Hoover Council and the mayor. Gray's wife, Elsy, is expecting their first child in three months. He earned his undergraduate degree in political science and went on to graduate from Birmingham School of Law in 1998. He is president of the Hoover Beautification Board and a member of the city's False Alarm Ordinance Advisory Board.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:22pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} EX-FIREFIGHTER SEEKS COUNCIL SEAT WITH EYE ON REGAINING PUBLIC TRUST July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 9-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Retired firefighter Gene Smith says whoever is elected to Place 2 of the Hoover City Council will have to regain the trust of the public. "The current administration is not telling the complete story" when it comes to city finances, he said. Smith, 47, retired as a captain from the Hoover Fire Department in 1993. He said city employees have told him that Mayor Barbara McCollum informed them last year there would be "no new hires for five years," although there has been no official hiring freeze. "She's telling the public one thing and city employees another," he said. McCollum responded that she has never told employees or the public that there was a hiring freeze. Smith, a Hoover resident for 36 years, is now president of the Pelham-based bookkeeping firm, First Southern Services Inc. He is a founding member of the board of directors of the Bluff Park Neighborhood Association and served five years on Hoover's Planning and Zoning Commission. Smith is a father of three who graduated from Berry High School. He said he would seek to learn "the true fiscal standing of the city." Finances should be managed in a way that allows the city to hire more police officers and firefighters, he said. "Public safety is like a rubber band. When that band breaks, either someone who works for the city or someone from the public" could be hurt, he said. Smith ran for the Place 5 council seat in 2000, but said he believed Jack Wright, who won that race, has done a better job than he could have. Smith said he never regretted losing, but the publicized acrimony among council members and the mayor spurred him to make a second run. Smith said there is not enough communication between council members, city employees or residents. "I'd like to bridge the neighborhood gaps where you don't have neighborhoods fighting neighborhoods. We need to find ways for neighborhoods to feel like part of the whole." Smith said the citizens of Hoover have lost trust in their elected officials who must earn back their respect.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:23pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} PHYSICIAN WANTS TO SEE CITY SPEND BASED ON ACTUAL REVENUE July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 5-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Imagine this scenario: You have lived in three separate Hoover neighborhoods for a combined 28 years. Your children went to school here and your medical practice is located on Patton Chapel Road, near City Hall. An election year comes along, and a group of politically active friends asks you to start a campaign to help influence budgetary and zoning decisions. What do you do? Physician Trey Lott found himself in that situation this year. He's now a candidate for Place 1 on the Hoover City Council. "I decided to qualify because I love Hoover," Lott said. "I know it's a cliche, but it really is the way I feel. I love this town." Lott said he would like to see the city get away from borrowing money to pay for unneeded projects and move toward spending based on actual, not projected, revenue. "I think we have to have a budget that's based on actual collections, and that is a great place to start. We don't do that now," Lott said. He also wants to push for more public involvement in economic decisions, school-board issues and ways to deal with the ongoing problem of day laborers who gather along Lorna Road and Municipal Drive. Lott said if elected, he wants to see impact statements before any annexations or major residential developments take place. "You have got to know what our cost of police and fire protection and school construction is going to be before you get into it," he said. Lott, 49, owns Lott Pain Relief Inc. He said he is one of a small number of northern Alabama back-pain doctors who has earned a full medical degree. He is married with three children and has lived in Greystone for two years. Before that, he lived in the Monte D'Oro and Trace Crossings neighborhoods.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:23pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} COLEY WANTS PARENTS, OTHERS TO FIND COMMON ANSWERS July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Darnell Coley wants Hoover City Schools to consider the neighborhood-school concept. She doesn't see how the current massive, crowded buildings can guarantee low studentteacher ratios or reduce busing times from distant neighborhoods. Instead, she thinks the school board and the City Council ought to convene panels with parents, teachers and other experts to talk about growth issues and come up with alternatives. Coley is a candidate for Place 2 on the Hoover City Council. If elected, "I definitely want to use parents and use task forces to resolve those issues," she said. Coley, 33, is an adjunct professor at Miles Law School in Fairfield who specializes in ethics and employment law. She is campaigning on the idea of serving as a liaison between the council and area pastors and preachers, whom she wants to set up meetings with monthly or quarterly to help resolve problems or identify community needs. "Church leaders are civic leaders," she said. Coley also vows to push for construction of another senior citizens' center and fire stations in southwest Hoover and Greystone on U.S. 280. When she ponders the idea of smart growth under a $76.5 million city budget, Coley said, "I think about the importance of long-range planning and comparative studies of other cities of similar size." A single mother of one, Coley said she moved to Hoover seven years ago from Montgomery after clerking for Judge Sue Bell Cobb on the state Court of Criminal Appeals. Before joining Miles Law School, she worked in a private firm and as staff counsel for the University of Alabama and the Birmingham school system. Coley said her mother, Gwen Coley, taught her the importance of holding municipal office and striving to inject civility into public debate. The elder Coley is currently running for a third term on the Alexander City Council. As the lone black candidate in the council contest, Coley said she is proud of her race, but not interested in making it a campaign issue.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:26pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} THE BUZZ July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H Grays making The family of Ken and Bret Gray may have a growing foothold in Hoover. Recent news that one of three candidates for the Hoover school superintendent job is Kenneth Gray has set some tongues a flutter. Hoover Beautification Board President Ken Gray said the candidate is his father, a retired superintendent from Livingston Manor, N.Y. The younger Griffin smiled recently at the news, and said, "my parents want to be closer to their family here." [The Board of Education conducted an abbreviated search for a Superintendent when Dr. Jack Farr retired due to health reasons.  The search netted three candidates, including Dr. Connie Williams.  The Board cut off the search prematurely when it hired Dr. Connie Williams, then Deputy and Acting Superintendent, to replace Dr. Farr as Superintendent.  The public never met the other two candidates.] As of last week, interviews had not begun for the Hoover superintendent post. Ken Gray works in Hoover City Attorney Steve Griffin's law firm, along with his brother, Bret Gray. Ken Gray is running for Place 2 on the Hoover City Council and working with his brother on Mayor Barbara McCollum's re-election campaign. Bret Gray is treasurer for the McCollum campaign. None of these upstate New York natives are any relation to Place 6 council candidate Russell Gray, a Hoover-based mort gage broker. Troy Goodman

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:26pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATE FOR HOOVER COUNCIL SEAT SAYS PLAN FOR CITY'S FUTURE GROWTH July 28, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 8-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer P. Robert Mosca, a candidate for Place 2 on the Hoover City Council, said he believes the city must do a better job of planning for future growth. "Hoover may one day be the largest city in the state," Mosca said. "There needs to be bigger concern for the next five, 10 and 20 years of development." Mosca, 29, the president of Trovata Digital Media, said Hoover is large enough now to merit having its own in-house legal department. He considers retaining Steve Griffin as Hoover's city attorney a bad fiscal decision, regardless of whether Griffin has done a good job of representing the city Hoover. "It makes me wonder if they're becoming lax with spending taxpayers' money in other areas," he said. Mosca, who goes by the name Bobby, also questioned the decision to open a new public safety center while some police officers will still use older city facilities. "You still have a group of men and women who are still in the old movie theater," he said, referring to the police operations center on Lorna Road. Mosca described the center as "leaky and smelly" and said it "doesn't do much for morale." He also wants to see the city hire more police officers. "Some resources need to be shuffled to find officers who speak Spanish or to teach officers to speak Spanish," he said. Mosca, a bachelor, has a political science degree from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., would like to see Hoover open a second senior citizens center. Mosca said there also needs to be more civility among Hoover's elected leaders. "Things have gotten very heated in city council meetings and work sessions. It's becoming very personal and it doesn't have to be," he said. "People need to sit down and really work things out and make sure everybody is being represented." Mosca has served three years on the American Association for Children and 10 years on the board of the Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation where his father, Bob Mosca, is executive director.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:27pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} TWO LATE ENTRANTS PUSH HOOVER MAYORAL SLATE TO SIX July 22, 2004 Section: News Page: 2-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Two late-comers to Hoover's mayoral race have brought the candidate list to six. Stephen Bryant and Walter Mims qualified this week. They join Tony Petelos, Bob Lochamy and Hoover Councilman Jody Patterson as challengers to the incumbent, Mayor Barbara McCollum. Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to qualify for the Aug. 24 municipal elections. Mims, 59, said he waited until the last few days to launch his campaign because he wanted to clear some time from his business calendar before the election. A private business consul tant, he also serves as a franchise and restaurant broker. Bryant, 33, said his work as a Christian science-fiction writer and a rock-truck driver have kept him from hitting the campaign trail before this week. The single father of two said Wednesday he plans to start meeting with voters to talk about the issues. Mims said he has sought elected office once before, in 1984, in a failed bid to join the Hoover City Council. For the current mayor's race, Mims is running on a pro-business platform. If elected, he said, he wants to establish a Hoover entrepreneurial zone and push for a small-business council that could demystify the start-up process. Bryant said he has never run for public office, but he believes his eye for perfection mixed with a sense of creativity would serve him well in the mayor's office. If elected, Bryant said, he would work to mend the acrimonious relationship between the City Council and the mayor's office. He also wants better budgeting so that city employees and road repairs take precedence over expensive capital projects.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:28pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} THE NEXT 4 YEARS MAYORAL CANDIDATES TALK UP IDEAS FOR CITY'S FUTURE July 21, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover's four mayoral candidates trotted out many of their ideas last week on running the city during the next four years. One candidate said he wants to create a new administrative job called the neighborhood service officer to help guide residents through the city bureaucracy. Another candidate continued his push to tear down at least three low-rent apartment complexes on Lorna Road to encourage redevelopment in the area. The incumbent, Mayor Barbara McCollum, reiterated what she considers her key accomplishments of the past four years. Among them is her decision to oversee the $34 million renovation of a warehouse into the Hoover Public Safety Center. The building is set to open next month with an expanded jail and enough square footage to ease an ongoing municipal office-space crunch. Overall, the mayor and her challengers - Councilman Jody Patterson, Tony Petelos, Bob Lochamy - used campaign-related events last week to weigh in on various issues dealing with economic stability, city schools, apartments, open government and a rising immigrant population. Patterson, Petelos and Lochamy spoke at a July 12 political forum hosted by the nonprofit Friends of Hoover. McCollum did not attend the forum held at a Hoover cafeteria. She said she hosted a private luncheon in support of her campaign during the same time as the forum. Imogene Hayes, of Southlake, attended the Friends of Hoover event and said it was her first look at some of the candidates and their campaign platforms. She and her husband, Hollis, planned to discuss what they heard at the forum before picking a candidate in the Aug. 24 election. "We wanted to start somewhere. This was a good place to understand the issues," Hayes said. The candidates used some of their time during the forum to talk about hopes for improving and protecting Hoover's economic stability, which they said is threatened by McCollum's penchant for borrowing to pay for big-ticket projects such as the Public Safety Center. Upon learning of her challengers' remarks, McCollum said such loans were a smart move that has improved the city's bond rating and allowed for the re-use of an existing building without the cost of new construction. Other issues discussed last week by all candidates were a push to limit the number of new apartment developments in the city, and ways to improve citizen input into school-rezoning decisions. The challengers talked about ways to alter what they view as a closed-door policy in the mayor's office to anyone but a cadre of her closest friends and advisers. McCollum denied the charge her office is off-limits to any person or group. She admitted the demands of the mayor's job and the growing size of Hoover's population make it hard for suburbanites who get ruffled when the top elected official is busy. "Sometimes what happens, if there's an issue that you want to talk about, if it's drainage, I'm going to send you to the city engineer and I'm not going to sit and talk with you about drainage," McCollum said. New officer idea At the candidate forum, Petelos said that as mayor, he would direct a newly-hired neighborhood service officer to work with residents, help them navigate the city bureaucracy and maybe schedule time with the mayor, city planners or other boards. If elected, Patterson and Lochamy also promised to open City Hall's lines of communication for residents who want to be heard. Both men are calling for open, honest government in the next administration. Lochamy said he wants to establish blue-ribbon panels so that volunteers and civic leaders can make recommendations to city leadership. All candidates, including the incumbent, said public sentiment against immigrant workers who gather along Lorna Road is forcing them to think hard about ways to enforce loitering and U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service laws. No one candidate had any concrete ideas, although Lochamy is proposing to tear down a trio of low-rent apartments on Lorna Road, north of the Interstate 459 bridge. He said that should remove some of the area's appeal to day laborers and encourage lower-density housing. Patterson said he has heard plenty of Lorna-related complaints from residents and from friends and business owners during his four years on the council. He vowed to push for increased vigilance on driver's license checks, work-visa inspections and enforced apartment occupancy rules. "They're good workers. I've seen a hard work ethic . . . But I also know that we have laws in our country, we have laws in our city, and I think they need to be enforced," Patterson said during the forum. Organizers said similar issues would be discussed during a League of Women Voters-sponsored mayoral forum scheduled Aug. 12 at Hoover High School. The event is planned for 7 p.m. in the gymnasium. Candidates use events to discuss views on city issues Hoover mayoral candidates used campaign-related events last week to state their views on issues dealing with economic stability, city schools, apartments, open government and a rising immigrant population. To summarize, here are some of their stated platforms: Economic stability Bob Lochamy - Hoover's over-reliance on its retail-tax base is troubling. The city needs to explore new areas of revenue, economic partnering and suburban renewal. Barbara McCollum - Our bond rating is improved and revenues are up 10 percent over forecasts. Jody Patterson and others are lying when they say Hoover will soon be spending more than it's taking in. Jody Patterson -Deficit spending by the City of Hoover, thanks to the McCollum admin istration, could happen by 2005. The city needs to get back to spending less and saving more. Tony Petelos - Competition is rising from other city's retail markets. Without encouraging more big-box development, the next mayor should work to protect and promote Hoover shopping and tourism. Schools Lochamy - The current City of Hoover administration has tampered with school-system funding to satisfy other budget needs. Also, communication between the board of education, parents and elected officials needs to improve. McCollum - Hoover should build a few smaller schools; the big-school concept now in place has its flaws. People need to know, though, the mayor and City Council do not vote on school rezonings. Patterson - A lot of confu sion about the current school rezoning plan can be blamed on not listening to parents. Trust in city government happens only when people believe their opinion matters. Petelos - Parents are understandably upset about the school rezoning plan. The school board needs more input from citizens, and the mayor ought to make sure that happens. Apartments Lochamy - A new mayor should work to tear down three apartment complexes on Lorna Road to discourage ghetto-like housing. Also, no new apartments should be allowed on city zoning books. McCollum - This administration has rezoned a dozen properties that allowed the removal of 2,000 potential apartments from the zoning books. The city should continue with that trend. Patterson - Mayor McCollum pushed for the annexation of the Ross Bridge property, which includes plans for 600 apartments. That should not have happened. Also, no new apartments should be allowed. Petelos - Hoover does not need any new apartments. Rental units don't generate enough revenue, and they put undue stress on schools, the fire department, police and other city services. Open government Lochamy - The next administration should establish a series of twice-monthly "meet with the mayor" sessions at various times throughout the day: morning, noon, afternoon and evening. Also, establish a proactive media and public-relations plan. McCollum - This city is too big for the mayor to devote a lot of time to specific issues like drainage or other concerns in one neighborhood. Yet, the mayor's office meets with individuals all the time. Patterson - Open, honest government can happen with constant communication. For the next administration, residents should rule. Petelos - The next mayor should establish a neighborhood service officer position to help people navigate city bureaucracy and let residents know about development or other projects before key votes are taken. Immigrant workers Lochamy - The good work done by the Multicultural Resource Center and illegal immi gration are separate issues. The city needs to look at ways to bolster INS laws. McCollum - The mayor's office will continue working with the INS on enforcement and arresting illegals, but the options are limited. The Multicultural Resource Center is doing its part to help immigrants find work, learn language skills and seek other resources. Patterson - Immigrants are hard-working people who deserve a chance. But our laws must be better enforced so Hoover doesn't have to shoulder all the burden. Petelos - It is a complex issue. A new mayor needs to get creative about enforcing laws against illegals and adopting a housing code to limit how many people can stay in one apartment.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:29pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER CANDIDATES RAISED MORE THAN $132,000 IN 2004 July 21, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 2-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Mayoral and City Council candidates in Hoover raked in more than $132,000 in campaign cash since January, according to reports filed with probate judges. That means Hoover candidates have amassed more than $160,000, taking into account all donations made since campaigning began. The sum is more than twice as much as Hoover candidates had collected at this stage of the 2000 election season. Mayor Barbara McCollum added $19,326 to her re-election account since January, according to her campaign finance report filed last week. That boosts her total donations to $41,300. Challenger Tony Petelos surpassed McCollum in fund raising, putting $40,000 into his campaign account in recent months and raising his total to $43,800, according to his reports. Petelos has raised more money since January than any municipal candidate in Jefferson and Shelby counties, records show. Two other Hoover mayoral candidates - Hoover Councilman Jody Patterson and media consultant Bob Lochamy - raised $11,925 and $5,624, respectively. Councilman Jack Wright, who said in April he was running for mayor but then backed out of the race five weeks later, reported raising $11,675, including $1,750 of his own money, for a mayoral bid. When the two-term councilman dropped out of the mayor's race, though, he returned the $9,925 he received from other people. That leaves $11 in his account for a re-election bid for Council Place 5, Wright said. For Place 2, Gene Smith put $20,000 of his own money into his campaign, while an opponent, Ken Gray, collected donations totaling $4,465. In Place 4, incumbent Kyle Forstman raised $9,250, including a $2,500 loan from family member Jim Forstman. For Place 3, Mary Sue Ludwig drew in $5,119. Incumbent Donna Mazur gathered $3,513, including a $2,000 loan from her husband, Christian Mazur. For Place 7, Logan Doss raised $1,250. Candidates reporting contributions of $100 or more were: Bob Lochamy, for the mayor's race: $500 - Rick, Kelly, William, Wesley and Raymond Heartsill. $400 - Bob, Sara, Anne and Sally Rast, Hoover; David, Ben, Mallory and Teresa Shepherd, Hoover. $300 - Edmund, Kaye and Tyler Ricco, Hoover. $200 - Vonda and Henry Cook, Hoover; Buford and Doris Copeland, Gadsden; Patricia and David Ferguson, Hoover; Brian and Katherine Priborsky, Hoover; Ward and Midge Rast, Mountain Brook; Harold and Jean Shepherd, Hoover. $100 - Mary Breckenridge, Birmingham; Brian and Eleanor Brown, Hoover; Lee Bushway, Birmingham; Greg and Brenda Calhoun, Birmingham; Howard Elliott, Birmingham; Huey Humphrey, Alexander City; Humphries Home Elevators, Birmingham; Ernie Kiker, Hoover; Chris and Kelly King, Hoover; Raymond King, Hoover; Joann Klingensmith, Hoover; Mike Kolen, Birmingham; Barton and Polly Long, Birmingham; June and Bob McCurley, Gadsden; Tony and Frances Pardi, Hoover; Sharon Perry, Hoover; Baynard Starr, Hoover; Porter Vardaman, Hoover; Thomas Wheat, Hoover. Barbara McCollum, for the mayor's race: $5,000 - Alabama Builders PAC. $2,500 - Steve Griffin, Birmingham; Haskell, Slaughter, Young & Rediker, LLC, Birmingham. $1,000 - Greystone Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Center, Hoover; Sandra Zahradka, Alpine and Hoover. $750 - BARWPAC (Bradley, Arant, Rose and White), Birmingham. $500 - Campbell, Waller & Poer LLC, Homewood; Colonial Bank State PAC; Engineering Science Technologies of America Inc., Atlanta; Thomas Rice, Nashville; James Wilson Jr., Montgomery. $300 -BHAM PAC (chaired by Giles Perkins, Birmingham); Bret Gray, Birmingham. $250 - Charlie Beavers, Birmingham; Robert Holmes, Birmingham; Stephen Monk, Birmingham; US Infrastructure, Birmingham. $200 - Brian's Carpet and Tile, McCalla; Robert Fowler, Birmingham. Jody Patterson, for the mayor's race: $3,000 - George Townsend, Hoover ($2,000 in-kind for advertising). $2,000 -Crayton and Jane Patterson ($1,000 in-kind for advertising). $1,500 - Robert and Robbin Sorrell, Birmingham. $1,000 - Bob and Brenda Roper, Hoover. $900 - Richard Smith, Hoover. $800) - Elaine Taylor, Hoover (in-kind for advertising). $500 - Alabama Orthopaedics, Birmingham; Patterson Homebuilders, Hoover; Otis and Ava Story, Hoover. $500 - Jenkins Brick Co., Pelham (in-kind advertising). $200 - Greg and Jamie Helms, Hoover; Ruth and Nick Peters, Hoover. $111 - Jack Wright, Hoover. (in-kind for stamps). Tony Petelos, for the mayor's race: $3,250 - Stanley Adams, Hoover ($750 in-kind for food). $2,500 - ALPAC (chaired by Walter Johnsey, Hoover. $1,150 - George Sarris, Hoover (in-kind for food). $1,000 - Georgia Eugenias, Rainbow City; Joseph Fawal, Birmingham; A. Jones, Hoover. $500 - Acoustical Contractors, Birmingham; AnheuserBusch Companies, St. Louis; Ralph Armstrong, Birmingham; Jack Biddle, Gardendale; BIPAC (pro-industry, pro-development PAC chaired by Joe Fine, Montgomery); Bank of Alabama PAC; Buy-Lo Quality Food Stores, Hoover; Deanna Cox, Birmingham; Georgia Dikis, Hoover; Jeff Huseman, Hoover; Jefferson PAC (business PAC chaired by John Crawford, Montgomery); Andrea Koikos, Bessemer; Constanzo LaRussa, Birmingham; Billy Petelos, Hoover; John Petelos, Birmingham; Allen Sanderson, Birmingham; SouthTrust Corp. PAC; Beth Stone, Hoover; Stephens Plumbing, Birmingham; Randy Wilhelm, Birmingham; Dixie Herschel Yerby, Birmingham. $485 (in-kind) - Multicon Inc., Hoover (owned by Tony Petelos). $455 (in-kind) - Commander Board Signs of Alabama, Fairfield. $350 - O.K. Tires of Bessemer. $300 - Robert Dorough, Hueytown; Nelson Glass Co., Birmingham. Constantine Sfakianos, Pelham; Debbie Thompson, Birmingham. $250 - David Bradley, Hoover; Walter Clark, Birmingham; Good-PAC (chaired by Fournier Gale III, Birmingham); Anthony Kamburis, Vestavia Hills; J. Krontiras, Birmingham; Koula Lorant, Birmingham; OPM Holdings, Birmingham; M. Oztekin, Birmingham; Glenn Parmley, Bessemer; Danny Patterson, Hoover; Richard Riess, Hoover; Lori Sissa, Hoover; SouthPace Properties, Birmingham; Debbie Thompson, Birmingham, Phillip Wiedmeyer, Birmingham. $200 - Anthony Auselman, Birmingham; George Bouloukos, Birmingham; John and Mary Diamantakos, Hoover; Gilbert Douglas, Hoover; EHR International, Hoover; Eleanor Estes, Birmingham; First American Property Consultants, Hoover; William Gulas, Hoover; Peter and Betty Hontzas, Birmingham; Hueytown Chiropractic Clinic; Maria Kantargis, Indian Springs; M. D. Lewis, Montevallo; Cathe rine Petelos, Birmingham; John Sarris, Alabaster. $150 - James Likis, Birmingham; Nicholas Petelos, Birmingham. $125 - Doug Adams, Oneonta; C. W. Shaddix Jr., Birmingham. $100 - Adventure Mortgage, Hoover; Alabama Injury Lawyers, Birmingham; Marshall Anderson, Birmingham; G. Anselmo, Hoover; Timothy Baer, Hoover; Bar BQ King Cafeteria, Pelham; Jimmie Barnes, Hoover; Charise Bates, Hoover; Martha Bearden, Adger; John Bekrakis, Birmingham; D. M. Black, Tuscumbia; Fannie Bonduris, Birmingham; Joseph Boyd, Hoover; Kimberly Braden, Pelham; John Calamas, Birmingham; Catherine Canter, Hoover; Stella Chagares, Panama City, Fla.; Penny Choraitis, Birmingham; Helen Cocoris, Birmingham; Harold Collins, Hoover; Elizabeth Constantine, Hoover; Frances Constantine, Birmingham; Cleo Costas, Birmingham; Hugh Craig, Hoover; E.P. Delk Jr., Hoover; Dental Care Associates, Hoover; Keith Despain, Birmingham; Jo seph Domanaovich, Hoover; Phyllis Ellard, Hoover; Robert Folk, Hoover; Formaggios Italian Cafe, Birmingham; Toula Fulford, Birmingham; David Fuqua, Birmingham; Christian Glenos, Birmingham; Nick Glenos, Birmingham; Tasia Grammas, Birmingham; Xanthi Grammas, Birmingham; Bella Graphos, Hoover; J. E. Halbrooks Sr., Hoover; Lisa Harris, Birmingham; Teddy Hontzas, Birmingham; G. M. Hutchins, Hoover; IMCO International Trading Co., Birmingham; John James, Birmingham; Catherine Kalariotes, Birmingham; Sergi Kampakis, Birmingham; Joseph Kinard, Hoover; George Kontos, Leeds; Steven Kontos, Birmingham; Katherine Koutroulakis, Birmingham; Ed Landmon, Homewood; Mathew Lembke, Birmingham; George Mackinaw, Birmingham; Dawn Manakides, Hoover; Michaels Enterprises, Irondale; Chris Mitchell, Birmingham; Charles Morgan, Birmingham; Constantine Morros, Birmingham; Najjar Denanburg, Birmingham; Lawrence Newman, Birmingham; O. Graphics, Birmingham; Maria Orfanon, Birmingham; George Orphanos, Hoover; Billy Pappas, Birmingham; Babs Petelos, Hoover; Ruth Peters, Hoover; Richard Pigford, Leeds; Agatha Pihakis, Hoover; Ted Sarris, Birmingham; James Scott Jr., Julie Sellers, Hoover; Cynthia Sfakinanos, Hoover; James Sissa, Hoover; Marlies Skarantanos, Moody; Andrew Staursky Jr., Hoover; Eli Stevens, Birmingham; Jim Strickland, Pelham; T.E. Stevens Construction, Birmingham; Jerry Torrence, Hoover; Two Ladies and A Truck, Hoover; Dewey White Jr., Birmingham; Mark Williams, Montgomery; Christy Wood, Birmingham. Ken Gray, for Council Place 2: $1,000 - Steve Griffin, Birmingham. $500 - Kenneth Gray, Middletown, N.Y.; Bret Grey, Hoover. $250 - Preston Lawley, Birmingham; Michael Walker, Bessemer. $200 - Vincent Perna, Middletown, N.Y.; Maria Villamizar, Vineyard Haven, Mass. $150 - Gonzalez, Strength & Associates, Birmingham; William Gray, Birmingham. Gene Smith, for Council Place 2: $20,590 - Self-contribution (including $10,000 self-loan and $590 in-kind for advertising). Mary Sue Ludwig, for Council Place 3: $500 - Ted Crockett, Birmingham; Howard Palmes, Hoover; TRUPAC (chaired by Bruce Windham, Jasper). $300- William Ferguson, Hoover; Thomas Stuart, Hoover. $250 - Stanley Adams, Hoover; Tracy Hull and Associates, Birmingham. $200 - Eddie Aldridge, Birmingham; Tracy Hull, Hoover; Crayton Patterson, Hoover. $150 - Richard Brooks, Hoover. $125 - Henry Coshall, Hoover. Donna Mazur, for Council Place 3: $2,000 - Christian Mazur, Hoover. $500 - Preston Lawley, Birmingham. $300 - James Reed, Birmingham. Kyle Forstman, for Council Place 4: $1,000 - Steve Griffin, Birmingham. $500 - Hudson Company, Hoover; William Stevens, New York. $400 - John and Edna Pearson, Hoover. $300 - Campbell, Waller & Poer, Homewood. $250 - Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood PAC, Birmingham. $200 - Engineering Science Technologies of America, Atlanta; Griffin and Associates, Hoover; Jerome Haley, Hoover; Christopher Leeds, Birmingham. $100 - Brandon and Jeannie Hurton, Indian Springs Village; Mitzi Morris, Hoover; Don Watts, Pell City. Jack Wright, for Council Place 5: $2,000 - Bob and Sara Rast, Hoover. $1,750 - Self-contribution. $1,000 - Bunker Medbery Jr., Hoover; Shan Paden, Hoover; George Townsend, Hoover. $500 - John Bell, Hoover; Alex Farris, Hoover; Oren Harden, Hoover; Marie Investment Co., Hoover; Taylor Design Associates, Hoover. $250 - John Wilson, Hoover. $200 - Leroy Clark, Hoover. Logan Doss, for Council Place 7: $500 - Jack Doss, Cullman; Linda Smith, Boaz. $250 - Maple Leaf Lawn Care, Birmingham. News staff writer Jon Anderson contributed to this story.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:30pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SPEAK OUT July 14, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H Can't blame lawsuit on Jody Patterson Attempts to blame Jody Patterson for the $8,000,000 lawsuit against the city are nothing more than dirty politics, and do not deserve to be given credibility by these being published. Jody did his very best to stop this travesty, which most thinking people knew would lead to a big lawsuit. The mayor, city attorney and others in city government were well aware of the acrimony already existing over other Kessler property outside the city, and common sense tells you that de-annexing Mr. Kessler's property in Hoover is a bad idea and ripe for serious consequences. This was complete folly on their part, and any wrongdoing should be placed with them and not with Jody, who tried to stop this action. This lawsuit has real consequences and happened under the mayor's watch, including her participation and will be an election issue. Attempting to divert blame to Jody is a real smear campaign and ugly politics. Hopefully the citizens of Hoover won't buy it. We now have this big lawsuit and also the mayor's failed attempt to stop the residents from having additional representation on the council as big issues in the campaign, not to mention many other serious issues. The city attorney is charged with giving legal advice, and writing ordinances. It seems to me that if the advice is bad, and litigation ensues, he gains both ways. Isn't this a real conflict of interest? Also, the mayor could have used her veto power to stop the de-annexation if she was not in agreement with it. She didn't, and instead, signed the de-annexation ordinance. Jody voted against the deannexation and pleaded to allow Mr. Kessler to have due process, which we are all guaranteed under federal law. At the time of the vote, Mr. Kessler's case was before planning and zoning. According to city records, he wasn't even given official notice of the plans for the City Council to de-annex his property. There is not one shred of evidence that Jody Patterson has ever had any business dealings with Kessler, or could possibly gain anything financially by his calling for due process for a Hoover property owner. We do live in a democracy, and Hoover is not a dictatorship, although it might seem to be at times. In so far as Jody giving an affidavit: before this is over lots of people in city government will have to do either affidavits, depositions or more and this will cost the city a lot of legal fees, without even thinking of what it may cost if the lawsuit goes against the city. As I understand it, Jody was asked to sign an affidavit stating that the City Council minutes were correct as to his statements per his recollection. He was also questioned about statements made by others. Jody has no responsibility to cover up blunders by others, and wouldn't be serving the city well if he did. His responsibility is to tell the truth. Others will have to live by their own actions. Just because Title 7 of the Alabama Code gives a council the right to reduce the city limits by ordinance and does not mention rights of persons who own land but don't live on it, certainly does not mean that their rights to due process do not exist. In fact, the statute quoted, 11-42-200, gives the right to reduce boundaries, but most of the article is devoted to protecting the rights of residents who might be involved. This article gives the city rights under "health and welfare," but when another city issue came up - apartments - which have real consequences for "health and welfare," city officials took a different position: "We had to allow more apartments, or we would be open to lawsuits." In my opinion, it is not that apartments are bad, we just have too many already and these are straining our resources. This has finally come home to us with the problems that have developed in our schools by having too many transient students in the system. We are all paying the price for this. Jody was vilified for trying to protect us in this matter, also. With the campaign just starting, it is so sad for the image of Hoover, that instead of the mayor standing for dignity - she is leading the charge with this ugly smear campaign against one of her opponents. Her ally, Councilwoman Mazur has also entered the fray, interrupting council meetings to claim Jody is responsible for the lawsuit when she voted for the action, not Jody. Jody Patterson has worked long and hard to honor his campaign promises, and ensure that the rights of all are protected. I believe our citizens will remember this at the polls. We are all going to have to be very diligent to identify the wolves in sheep's clothing and separate these from those sincere candidates who will really honor their campaign promises and serve the interests of all Hoover citizens and property owners. With actions like we have seen here, it must be clear why we have had all the divisiveness in city government, and where the blame really lies for this problem. It is time for a change. Betty Jean Barker Greystone Kessler deserves due process of law How in world can you blame Jody Patterson for the gross incompetence of the city attorney? Patterson did not even vote to de-annex Kessler's property near Southlake. Where was the city attorney who is paid big bucks to advise the Council on such matters? Even the casual observer knows that a governmental body cannot just de-annex without some type due process for the owner of the property. If de-annexation were that easy, none of us would be safe from the capricious whim of a mayor or council. Why didn't the president of the council, who is also an attorney, research the law before he carelessly applied it? Lawyers live for lawsuits; Mr. Austin had to know that the attorney for Mr. Kessler would bring suit. I think that those incompetents who caused this lawsuit should be made to pay for it, not the citizens of Hoover. I am not a fan of Charles Kessler . . . but even he is due the protection of the law. If he loses his rights, my rights may be next. As to the affidavit Mr. Patterson was asked to sign, I hate to tell the city attorney but Mr. Kessler's attorney has contacted over 100 people whom he believes heard the mayor make derogatory remarks about Mr. Kessler at club meetings, council meetings, and other places since the fight between Kessler and the city began. He is asking people to testify about what they may have heard. I know because I was one of the people he contacted. As we look at the candidates for the upcoming city election we had better check very carefully into the background and loyalty of the various candidates or it will be four more years of the same government run for the apartment, commercial, and mammoth subdivision developers. It is definitely time for changes in city government and also for changes in the composition of appointed boards to better represent the citizens of Hoover as opposed to the special interests. Linda Chastain Bluff Park City opens new chapter in history A new chapter and page have just been opened in the history book of the City of Hoover, as we progress and move positively forward with the election of a seven-member council that will provide a broader base for citizen input and representation in community affairs. It seems appropriate to reflect on the tireless efforts of the many Hoover citizens and others who contributed to the ultimate success for the expanded council representation. The majority of the current City Council were perceptive and receptive to the idea of the expanded council and made all the necessary arrangements for a public hearing and a subsequent resolution to be submitted to our Alabama state legislators that was required in order to effect a change in our state code. Every one of our state representatives and our state senators backed our resolution, and an unanimous vote was obtained in both the House and Senate. This new legislative act was quickly signed by the governor of Alabama. At the May 17th meeting of the City Council, some 19 different citizens from all parts of Hoover went forward to the microphone to appeal to the council to vote for the expanded council. Citizens from Pembrooke Lane, Audubon Circle, Wellford Circle, Locke Circle, Woodmeadow Drive, Linkside Drive, Cahaba River Estates, Longmeadow Way, Berwick Road, Kildare Drive, Highland Gate Lane, Lake Cyrus Boulevard., Shandwick Place, Paradise Lake Lane, Highland Gate Court, Sapphire Ridge, and South Sherrlyn Drive were all in favor of the proposed ordinance. Not a single voice was heard in opposition. The council voted and a super majority (four out of five) was obtained from the council. The super majority was required to move this ordinance forward and it was hoped that the mayor's approval and signature would be quickly obtained. Unfortunately, the mayor and her legal advisers had consistently resisted the expanded member concept and continually have tried to discourage in every way the larger council whose role is the liaison between the citizens and the mayor and department heads. Her final efforts to derail the efforts to grow the citizen's council was made on May 22 when she announced that she had just discovered that state election laws required the number of council places had to be defined by March 31 preceding the election. Unfortunately, her failure and the failure of our legal counsel to properly advise us of this requirement back in March, and her failure to take the advice of the League of Municipalities to obtain a court order to resolve this question on May 18, precipitated the need for a private lawsuit to be filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County to resolve this conflict. Fortunately, for the citizens of Hoover, Judge Scott Vowell ruled in favor of the expanded council and formal approval was obtained from the U.S. Department of Justice within a week's time. When people work together, things can happen. The good news is that we're already seeing quality people lining up for the seven council places that are now available. Additionally, three out of the four mayoral candidates have publicly announced their approval of the seven-member council and of the possibilities of later moving towards a sevenmember district concept. "Smart growth" isn't necessarily restricted to city planning. It applies to our minds in the way that issues are approached and handled by the elected leadership of our community. Citizens of Hoover, study your choices of candidates and get out and vote on Aug. 24. Jim Henry Hoover

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:31pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER MAYOR TRAILS IN FUND-RAISING RACE July 13, 2004 Section: Shelby Page: 1-A   JON ANDERSON and MARIE LEECH News staff writers If dollars were votes and Hoover's election were held today, Mayor Barbara McCollum would fall a bit short in her bid to keep her job. Tony Petelos, a former state legislator and former state Department of Human Resources commissioner who is one of three challengers seeking McCollum's job, has raised $43,800 in his bid to unseat her, according to his campaign finance reports. That compares with $41,300 raised by McCollum, according to reports she filed with probate judges in Jefferson and Shelby counties. Monday was the deadline for candidates to report how much money they've raised and spent with 45 days to go before the Aug. 24 municipal elections. Petelos and McCollum are two of the top fund-raisers in Jefferson and Shelby counties. The two other Hoover mayoral candidates so far - Hoover Councilman Jody Patterson and media consultant Bob Lochamy - have raised $11,925 and $5,624, respectively. Petelos put $3,000 of his own money into his campaign but said Monday that most of his contributors were friends, business associates and former colleagues in the Legislature, such as fellow Republicans Jack Biddle of Gardendale and Allen Sanderson of Mountain Brook, each of whom gave him $500. Petelos also received $2,500 from ALPAC, $2,000 from Stanley Adams of Hoover and $1,000 each from Joseph Fawal and A.C. Jones. "We're not taking any money from the big developers that have a presence in Hoover, only from individuals and small businesses," Petelos said. McCollum's biggest contribution since January was $5,000 from the Alabama Builders political action committee. She also collected $2,500 each from Hoover City Attorney Steve Griffin and the Haskell, Slaughter, Young & Rediker law firm. Patterson's biggest contributors were George Townsend ($3,000) and Patterson's parents, Crayton and Jane Patterson ($2,000). Lochamy said he would not accept contributions greater than $100, but he took in $600 from people with the last name Rast, including four at the same address on Shades Crest Road, and $600 from people with the last name Shepherd, including four at the same address on Old Montgomery Highway. Longtime Pelham Mayor Bobby Hayes has raised more than any other candidate in Shelby County, with contributions of more than $70,000. About $65,000 of that came before February. Most of Hayes' new money came from corporations affiliated with developer Charles Givianpour. Givianpour has not announced plans to develop in Pelham. Alabaster's mayoral race is heating up with three candidates, two of whom are running neck and neck in campaign contributions. Former Alabaster Police Chief Larry Rollan has raised $14,820 to incumbent Mayor David Frings' $13,225. "I haven't had any fund-raisers. I just announced I was running, and the money started coming in," Rollan said. "Given that it's been all voluntary and I haven't asked for any money, I'm hoping that's a good sign." Frings is not worried. "I'm running my own campaign and I think I'm doing very well," he said. "I'm not going to ask for more money than I need for my campaign." Among Frings' contributions was $6,000 from the Youth Educate Political Action Committee, which supports candidates actively involved in enhancing public education. The third mayoral candidate, Henry Hines, has raised $3,300 in contributions so far. Helena Mayor Charles "Sonny" Penhale has raised $21,448 since the last financial disclosure report. Opponent Frank Park has raised $7,450 so far, all from individuals. Penhale received $2,500 from the Alabama Voice of Teachers for Education, a PAC associated with the Alabama Education Association. He also received $3,000 from the Central Alabama Republican Council. Calera Mayor George Roy raised $18,045, mostly from developers and the Group PAC, which gave him $8,500. Calera mayoral candidate Lemoyne Glasgow has raised $5,401, mostly from family members and friends.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:31pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} EVENTS HEAT UP HOOVER'S MAYORAL RACE July 7, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer The Hoover 2004 mayor's race is gearing up for a flurry of campaign-related activities from its four announced contenders. One candidate plans to hold a barbecue fund-raiser in a barn. Another candidate is hoping to put together a campaign rally in a retail-center parking lot in the final days before the Aug. 24 election. Other candidate forums, private get-togethers and fund-raising events are scheduled throughout the next few weeks. Candidates for Hoover mayor who have announced their campaigns are the incumbent, Mayor Barbara McCollum, former state lawmaker Tony Petelos, City Councilman Jody Patterson and media consultant Bob Lochamy. The next notable event will be a candidate forum Monday hosted by the Friends of Hoover. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Piccadilly Cafeteria, 1851 Montgomery Highway. Another mayoral forum is set for Aug. 12 at the Hoover High School gymnasium starting at 7 p.m. That forum will be hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham and will be videotaped for later broad cast on public-access cable television, organizers said. Lochamy, the first candidate to announce last year he was running for mayor, is the one considering a parking-lot rally somewhere near the Municipal Center. Patterson is hosting the barbecue July 17 at a barn in Cahaba River Estates. Lochamy said he and other challengers want to meet with individual voters, civic leaders and neighborhood groups to answer questions, restate their campaign platforms or gather ideas on how the city should be run during the next mayoral term. "The pace is quickening and I think we've only just begun," Lochamy said last week during a lunch-hour stop on his campaign schedule. As of last week, McCollum said she had no plans to attend the Friends of Hoover candidate forum or any other large-scale event. Her stated campaign strategy is to keep the meetings small, whether it's having an afternoon coffee with friends and supporters or holding an evening function with 30-40 voters to talk about the McCollum administration and allow comments and questions. Lochamy, Patterson and Petelos said they will participate in the Monday forum. Neighborhood-sponsored forums are scheduled for the following dates: Lakeview, July 26; Lake Highlands, July 27. McCollum said last week she had no plans to attend those events. Her three challengers said they are working to attend all forums. Other neighborhood groups said they plan to hold private events where candidates can come and speak, either as a group or individually. Riverchase, Trace Crossings, Bluff Park and Greystone are among the communities where campaign-related events may be held in the coming weeks. Events have already taken place with homeowners in Monte D'Oro, Lake Cyrus, Green Valley Estates and other neighborhoods. Even more public discussion and future events are likely to be scheduled after July 20, the last day to qualify to run for one of seven council seats or the mayor's office. Also, all four candidates have agreed to be interviewed by the smart-growth advocacy group Concerned Citizens for the Future of Hoover. Paul Elkourie, an organizer for the group, said the answers to those interview questions would be publicized at a later date, after the Concerned Citizens group decides which candidate to endorse. Last week, McCollum won the endorsement of Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders President Joe White. "Under Mayor McCollum's leadership, the City of Hoover has become a model city with excellent schools, financially sound government, fast and convenient shopping, with safe and desirable neighborhoods," White said in a statement. Patterson said he would not be surprised if the mayor's race heats up with at least one more candidate vying for the job. Lochamy said, he hopes "we can avoid a carnival atmosphere" during this year's campaign. He said previous elections, such as Birmingham's 2003 mayoral race, left voters with a dizzying array of candidates that likely hurt voter turnout. In considering the next Hoover administration, all four mayoral candidates agreed at least three main issues have been on voters' lips. Issue No. 1 and No. 2 appear to be the continued push for smart-growth policies and the expansion of the City Council from five to seven members and what that means for possible increased representation on the eastern side of the city. The candidates said issue No. 3 is often whether the city's economic stability will continue, improve or decline based on retail changes and the city's recent improved bond rating. Other key issues include Hoover's mix of apartments versus single-family homes, the call for increased citizen input in annexation decisions and finding a way to make the mayor's office work more harmoniously with the Hoover council.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:32pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SKELTON EYES COUNCIL SEAT EX-HOOVER MAYOR QUALIFIES IN RACE FOR ONE OF TWO NEW SPOTS July 7, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-B   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Former Hoover Mayor Brian Skelton qualified Tuesday to run for Hoover City Council, seeking one of two seats just added to the panel. A plan to expand the council from five to seven members was approved June 25 by court order. Residents of eastern Hoover, especially Greystone homeowners, led a push for the seven-member council, citing a desire for more representation. Skelton lives in Lake Cyrus, a neighborhood on Hoover's west ern edge. Council members are elected through an at-large system without districts. Skelton, 44, was Hoover's mayor in 2000 when he lost his first election bid for the post to Barbara McCollum. He was a Hoover council member in 1999 when he stepped in to fill the remaining term of then-Mayor Frank Skinner. Skinner resigned following a federal investigation into his campaign finances. Skelton, president of the South Haven Nursing Home on U.S. 31, said his work schedule has become too demanding for him to make another run for the mayor's office. If elected to the Hoover council, he vowed to devote ample time to important decisions, budget-making and mending the current rift between some members of the council and the mayor's office. He said a decision to qualify for one of the two new seats was based on a feeling that "Place 6 was right for me." Skelton also said he opposed many of the financial and annexation decisions made by McCollum and her two supporters on the council, Councilwoman Donna Mazur and Councilman Kyle Forstman. McCollum, Mazur and Forstman were among the candidates who campaigned together in 2000 on smart growth and open government. "If what we have seen over the last four years is smart growth, I have been converted to no growth," Skelton said, laughing. The candidate said he would support future development if it could be handled by police, fire, education and other city services. Mazur, McCollum and Forstman defended their growth and annexation decisions. Mazur, who is seeking re-election, charged that Skelton is a poor judge of leadership, having appeared too busy at South Haven to be an effective mayor in 1999 and 2000. "He very rarely ran the city," she said. Tuesday marked the first day for candidates to qualify with city clerks for Aug. 24 municipal elections throughout the state. Skelton joined four others Tuesday who qualified for the Hoover council's two newest seats, City Clerk Linda Crump said. Skelton and former Birmingham City Councilman Pete Clifford of Greystone registered for Place 6; Daniel Whitman of Greystone, Porter Vardaman of Bluff Park and John Ocampo, a Lorna Road resident, registered for Place 7. More than a half dozen other candidates qualified for Places 1 through 5, Crump said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:32pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} A BIGGER COUNCIL WITH DISPUTE SETTLED, HOOVER CAN FOCUS ON ELECTION June 30, 2004 Section: Editorial Page: 10-A The best news following a court ruling that Hoover will elect a seven-member City Council this year came from Mayor Barbara McCollum. It was McCollum who ignited the controversy when she refused to sign an ordinance expanding the council from five to seven members. Now, the first-term mayor, who opposed the larger council, says she will go along with the court's ruling. Her decision means city taxpayers will be spared more legal costs. More important, it means city voters can now focus their attention on the upcoming August elections rather than speculating on the outcome of a distracting court battle. Voters in the eastern part of Hoover had pushed for the expansion of the City Council to improve their chance of electing council members from their area. The state Legislature passed a bill giving the city the authority to increase the council size, and the council voted 4-1 in May to add the two council seats. But McCollum blocked the ordinance from taking effect. She contended it violated election laws, citing an older state law that sets a March 31 deadline for numbering council seats. McCollum's challenge of the council's ordinance, she says, was meant to "protect the integrity of the election." Hoover Council President Bob Austin and two city residents sued McCollum to get a court ruling on the conflicting laws. Last week, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Scott Vowell ruled against McCollum. He said it was clear the Legislature intended to allow the Hoover council to add the two council members this year, and the law was signed by Gov. Bob Riley and OK'd by the U.S. Department of Justice. His ruling should settle the issue. McCollum should be commended for not continuing her fight through court appeals to prevent the council from expanding. The mayor says she will issue a notice for the election of seven council members. Good. Now Hoover voters can look forward to the Aug. 24 election knowing they will be choosing seven council members, as well as a mayor. The larger City Council may not make the council work better, or the budgets and laws it passes better thought out. But the two new council seats (members will still be elected at-large) give Hoover residents more opportunity to elect people they feel better represent their interests. Voters must take advantage of that opportunity.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:33pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HARD PART STILL AHEAD FOR HOOVER June 30, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   Peggy Sanford It's done. After last-minute legislative approval, public recriminations among Hoover City Council members and the mayor, and finally a trip to court last week, the city's council will grow to seven members with this summer's municipal election. Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Scott Vowell told Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum to make it so. Considering all the wrangling, it may seem the hard part is past. It's not, of course. The hard part now falls to Hoover residents, particularly to the residents of eastern Hoover who began the push for an expanded council at least a year ago. They have said they want to be better represented in Hoover's government. Greystone residents are the farthest removed from the city's core and from its traditional political base. Hoover's mayor and five current council members all live west of Interstate 65. Hoover voters will now elect seven council members instead of five, but the seven will still be elected at-large, or by a citywide vote. Candidates will be able to choose any one of seven "places" on the council to campaign for, but the places are merely designations. They do not represent any geographical area or district of the city. Greystone resident Jim Henry, probably the leading proponent for change in Hoover's council format, first lobbied for a move to district election. Time constraints and opposition from McCollum and some council members stymied that possibility. Adding two council seats was a fall-back position. Now it's up to Henry and other residents of Greystone, as well as Southlake and other east Hoover residents, to put forth strong candidates for the Hoover City Council and to rally the eastern forces to back them. Candidates from Hoover's more removed eastern neighborhoods, just like candidates from anywhere else in Hoover, will need votes from across the city to win a council seat. A bloc vote from GreystoneSouthlake may be the critical factor in whether a candidate from the eastern side of town is elected. One Greystone resident has publicly declared her intentions to run for council, and there may be others ready to sign on when qualifying begins July 6. Every area of the city, and all factions of Hoover's populace, deserve representation in Hoover's government. Candidates and voters need to remember, though, that whoever runs for council, from whatever part of the city, will be charged with representing the needs and interests of everyone in Hoover if elected. Let the politicking begin.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:33pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} AG: COUNCIL CAN'T FIRE HOOVER CITY ATTORNEY June 24, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-B   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer The Hoover City Council may learn from a judge this week whether the city can add two council seats for the Aug. 24 election, but it did learn Tuesday that it cannot fire the city attorney. A Jefferson County Circuit Court judge said Wednesday he would rule soon, possibly within days, on whether a council ordinance to expand the Hoover City Council to seven members is legally valid. Tuesday, the state attorney general's office said the Hoover Council did not have authority to fire City Attorney Steve Griffin. City Council President Bob Austin had requested the opinion after Mayor Barbara McCollum said only the mayor could fire the attorney. Austin led the recent charge to fire Griffin over the lawyer's advisory role in the mayor's decision to not sign the seven-member council plan. Griffin said Wednesday he was happy Attorney General Troy King affirmed his employment. Especially, he said, "if they (council members) follow it." Austin said he was disappointed with King's opinion since he believed it conflicted with a 1990 state attorney general opinion and with guidelines of the Alabama League of Municipalities. Both state the City Council does have firing authority over a city attorney, Austin said. He vowed to discuss other options with fellow council members on how Griffin can be held accountable for his advice on not approving the council expansion. Austin and other city leaders often accuse Griffin of serving only the interests of the mayor, not the city as a whole. "He is her attorney. He is not the city attorney, and that creates a problem," Austin said. On the court ruling, Griffin said he felt Jefferson County Presiding Circuit Judge Scott Vowell would consider that a March 31 deadline to number the council places had passed when the council adopted the expansion ordinance and, therefore, the plan was adopted without regard to election laws. The expansion ordinance became law this month without the mayor's signature. The mayor says the ordinance will take effect for the 2008 election. The Legislature passed the expansion measure, which Gov. Bob Riley signed and the U.S. Department of Justice approved on Tuesday. Residents on the eastern side of the city, especially Greystone homeowners, are calling for the added council seats, hoping the change will improve their representation. Hoover ballots will be cast Aug. 24. Austin, acting as a private resident, filed suit against McCollum seeking Vowell's advice on whether adopting the measure after the March 31 deadline means the measure is invalid. Austin's attorney, James Stevens, said Wednesday he wanted to know if the act signed by the governor and approved by the Justice Department takes precedence over the deadline for numbering the council seats, which he called "ministerial" and not permanent. Vowell heard testimony Tuesday from the League of Municipalities' chief counsel, Ken Smith. He said that if two conflicting laws exist regarding municipal elections, the one with more specific rules, dates and procedures should take precedence. Smith stopped short of saying that means an act given an OK by the governor and the federal government could be invalid when compared with municipal laws.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:34pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR ROAD UNREALIZED June 23, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer They called it Hoover's greatest challenge. The committee that three years ago began work on a comprehensive plan for city development recognized the need to revitalize Hoover's oldest commercial district, the stretch of U.S. 31 from Interstate 459 to Vestavia Hills, and the challenges that task posed. The document, completed after two years of work but never officially adopted by the city, proposes the rebirth of Hoover's "historic center" as Hoover Boulevard North. It would be a difficult endeavor with a series of goals. The plan includes protecting the adjacent residential neighborhoods while replacing the plethora of strip retail centers with mixed-use developments of businesses, offices and homes, and lining the thoroughfare with sidewalks and swaths of green. More than a year after the comprehensive plan was presented, the grand vision for Hoover Boulevard remains largely unfulfilled. 'One major project' The committee predicted redevelopment of the area would evolve over many years. It wrote, however, that the "construction of one major project that embodies the mixed-use design could be the catalyst to positive redevelopment." Planning consultant Bob House said to date there have been no redevelopment requests in that area to come before the city's planning and zoning commission. "In the short term, the city should develop a revitalization plan and invest in infrastructure that transforms Highway 31 into Hoover Boulevard," the plan reads. Hoover Director of Development Virginia Williams, a member of the committee that drafted the plan, said the puzzle is slowly coming together. "It is happening; it's just a little piece at a time," she said. Williams cites the recent announcement by Diversified Developers Realty that it will be redeveloping the Riverchase Promenade, the 15-year-old shopping center across from the Riverchase Galleria. Williams said improvements to the TJ Maxx in the Hoover Square inspired the owners of the Quizno's, in the shopping center next door, to make similar improvements. Williams said she also is working with developers on a redevelopment project on U.S. 31 North, but said she could not yet divulge details of the plan. "We're making progress. There are a lot of people who want to be" on U.S. 31, she said. To protect, enhance The comprehensive plan committee wanted to enhance existing neighborhoods by replacing strip development "with a mix of commercial, employment, and residential uses . . . that encourages pedestrian circulation." Redevelopment, the plan suggested, should combine the Lorna Road and U.S. 31 corridors into "a single mixed-use community." Ultimately, the committee wanted to see U.S. 31 less teeming with cars and busier with people walking and biking from Hoover's nearby residential communities to the businesses along the highway. But the tree-lined boulevard the committee envisioned may be a long time coming. "I think you can have a good corridor that can carry a lot of traffic but can be an attractive corridor as well," said city engineer Rod Long. For more than five years, the Alabama Department of Transportation has worked on plans to widen U.S. 31, Long said. "It is moving slow, but there have been discussions with the DOT about what we'd like and what they're willing to do," Long said. While keeping traffic flowing smoothly through the busy thoroughfare is the first priority for any changes, Long said it is possible to ease traffic congestion and beautify the highway. "Maybe some of the details of the plan aren't engineering principles but they are viable," Long said. Eventually, city leaders must come to an agreement on what they'd like to see U.S. 31 become, he said. After August Whoever wins the Aug. 24 mayor and council races could determine how, or if, the redevelopment of U.S. 31 proceeds. Mayor Barbara McCollum, who is running for re-election, said the future of the project depends on funding. "You're going to have to look at partnering private business and public institutions," the mayor said. Councilman Jody Patterson, a member of the comprehensive plan committee and a mayoral candidate, believes Hoover must curb spending. "We're spending more money than we're taking in," Patterson said. "It's a very worthy idea, but there are a lot of things we're going to have to look at. We've got to decide what our priorities are," he said. Mayoral candidate Bob Lochamy agrees Hoover must carefully watch spending in the coming years, but believes the redevelopment of U.S. 31 could serve as a catalyst for what he sees as much needed change on Lorna Road. "If we're going to do something on 31, we need to do something parallel on Lorna Road," he said. Part of his plan to revitalize Lorna is to remove many of the apartment complexes along the road. Mayoral candidate Tony Petelos said Hoover needs a master plan to guide such development. "Considering the size, desira bility, and potential growth of Hoover, we are hurting ourselves by not having a master plan," Petelos wrote in a recent press statement. Petelos said the comprehensive plan drafted by the city could be incorporated into a new master plan that he wants devised with the input of city officials, employees and residents. "The main difference between the two plans is that the master plan considers the impact of a development and proposes a compatible land use based on that impact. The comprehensive plan is a guideline for development, but doesn't necessarily consider the impact." The comprehensive plan for Hoover's development, presented last year by a committee that worked two years drawing the plan, encourages recreating U.S. 31 as a tree-lined boulevard with sidewalks, flanked by a mixture of businesses, offices and residences.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:36pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SPEAK OUT June 16, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H School system gets some relief Amid the tumultuous jockeying for position on issues of council expansion, electionyear politics and city attorney fees, the Hoover School System and hordes of concerned parents found unexpected relief from the City Council during its last meeting. A proposed public hearing and two residential annexation resolutions quietly died from a lack of council support. Our City Council has responded to the concern of Hoover parents that unmeasured growth in the city is having a negative impact on our neighborhoods. Developers must understand that to do business in the City of Hoover means that you must consider the impact a particular development will have on public services, transportation, and most importantly, schools and other neighborhoods - "concurrency." I would propose that prior to city approval of new residential or commercial developments, that developers should work out impact issues with the closest affected neighborhood(s) and municipal boards. Councilman Jack Wright, also a member of the annexation committee, first hinted at the concern for schools during the council work session prior to the June 7 meeting. The proposed annexations at Lake Cyrus would have eventually brought hundreds of new homes to the western side of Hoover with no supporting commercial development or increase in tax base above residential ad-valorem taxes. While the long-term impact to schools is not immediately known, it could only lead to greater student population, rezoning and accelerated pressures on school board finances. Russell Gray President, Hoover Neighborhoods Alliance Misrepresentation wrong for Hoover As a resident of "Hoover West," I am as concerned about misrepresentation as the residents of "Hoover East" are about no representation. I am appalled at Mayor Barbara McCollum's continuing efforts to undermine the actions of the Hoover City Council. The actions of the council to terminate the services of City Attorney Steve Griffin are long overdue. It is obvious to any informed voter in the City of Hoover that the city attorney has a serious conflict of interest in performing his lucrative legal function for the city. Griffin's business associate, Ken Gray, plans to run for one of the five or seven council seats. Ken Gray's brother is the treasurer of Mayor McCollum's re-election campaign. I am no attorney, but I believe City Attorney Griffin's fiduciary responsibilities are to the City of Hoover, not exclusively the mayor. Hopefully the hiring of attorney Shan Paden as special counsel will be a step in the right direction by city leaders. The 3-0 vote to hire Paden as special counsel was quite interesting. I understand that Councilwoman Donna Mazur had a family emergency and could not attend. If Councilman Kyle Forstman's work schedule keeps him from attending key special meetings of the council, Hoover voters should seriously consider replacing him with a qualified candidate with a more flexible work schedule. The challenges facing the City of Hoover over the next four years require a strong mayorcouncil team that fosters open communication and cooperation among themselves and city residents. The commercial property gravy train that has financed the rapid growth of Hoover's infrastructure is not endless. Fiscal responsibility by city leaders must be practiced on a daily basis. City growth should contain an appropriate mix of revenue-producing commercial property and revenueconsuming residential property. I would like to commend Council members Bob Austin, Jack Wright and Jody Patterson on their efforts to bring an independent voice to the City of Hoover by hiring Paden. Hopefully City Attorney Steve Griffin will step back and take an objective look at his fiduciary responsibility to the City of Hoover, not Mayor McCollum. The only action a reasonable, informed attorney should take is to accept the termination of his services by the City Council. Steven D. Mitchell Lake Cyrus Mayor obviously makes right decision It is obviously an election year. It started out with the City Council trio of Bob Austin, Jody Patterson and Jack Wright opposing Mayor Barbara McCollum's proposed 2004 budget, based on recommendations by the city department heads. A likely scenario would have been that the triumvirate propose and vote on their own budget, but they did not. (That takes a lot of time and energy). Rather, they blamed the mayor, accusing her of grandstanding. She flatly refused to remove from the budget the medical coverage for families of Hoover employees, one demand among others. No budget has been adopted formally to date; the staff is working off last year's budget numbers. In summer 2003, a few members of the Greystone community brought a request to the City Council (not to the mayor) to increase the number of council members from five to seven. The City Council and its president chose to ignore this request until February 2004, when it became obvious that Mayor McCollum opposed such a proposal. She did so, not because of the increase from five to seven, but because such an increase would put the city at risk of potential districting by the Justice Department under the Voter Rights Act of 1965. Whether she was right or wrong in her opinion is immaterial, she was never asked to give her opinion or assist in the process. The council, or at least the same said trio, championed the cause. The proponents of the bill even actively concealed it from the mayor and council members Donna Mazur and Kyle Forstman. Neither were they asked to give input on the issue. None of the locals wanting the bill passed (two of whom have twice run unsuccessfully for city council) ever considered a key deadline that is clearly available through election law. In order for the "five to seven" bill to be in effect by the Aug. 24 municipal elections, it must have been passed prior to March 31, the deadline for the City of Hoover to declare the number of council seats to be put on the ballot. (As per State of Alabama Election laws). In fact, the bill was never passed until April 27. The proponents never did their research. Now they are claiming the "dog ate their homework." Or rather, the mayor is at fault, and withheld information readily available them. When the mayor refused to sign this ordinance, which is clearly in violation of election law, our council trio put forth this solution: Fire the city attorney because he did not tell them they were not following state election laws. Note: The council president never directed him to provide legal advice to the council, which must be done before the city attorney may lawfully render services. Incidentally, this firing action is illegal too. According to city ordinance, the mayor is the only one who can hire and fire legal counsel. The City Council just ratifies the action. They couldn't get rid of the city attorney by not paying some of his bills for the last year, so they just illegally fired him. There's more: Austin, the City Council president, last week sued the City of Hoover as an individual. Having convinced himself that the city attorney has been fired, Austin then called a special council meeting to appoint an outside lawyer to defend the city against his own lawsuit. Whoa. Even more bizarre, the council president is a practicing attorney. Stay tuned. It's obviously an election year. Thank goodness we have Mayor McCollum who has 16 years of municipal governing experience, who knows the law and who always follows it on behalf of Hoover citizens. Bravo Barbara! Robert P. McGregor Jr. Trace Crossings

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:36pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} ANNEXATION PROPOSAL STALLS June 16, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 4-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer A proposal to annex 100 acres adjacent to Lake Cyrus into Hoover is stalled, developer Charles Givianpour said. The Hoover City Council last week took no action on Givianpour's request to annex half of the property, which lies west of Alabama 150 just off Lake Cyrus Boulevard. The measure came up for a vote, then died for lack of a motion. Only half of the 100 acres was under consideration last week. Bringing in all the land would need to happen in stages, the city clerk said. The property is in unincorporated Jefferson County and abuts Bessemer city limits. Several council members said they opposed the annexation for fear Givianpour would build more houses, with no commercial component to help offset the city's cost of providing services to the residences. The existing houses in Lake Cyrus are within Hoover, but Givianpour has land adjoining the neighborhood that could be developed. "We don't need more homes without commercial," Councilman Jack Wright said. Givianpour said last week he did plan to build houses on the land in question, but he had no desire to go above the 975-unit overall cap on Lake Cyrus. Early plans included an onsite shopping center, Givianpour said. He expressed willingness to continue working with city planners to meet their expectations on housing density and commercial development. After the council failed to act on his annexation request, Givianpour said he felt his project came at a tempestuous time: campaign season for the Aug. 24 election. The council members are "looking for things so they can grandstand and look like they're fighting for the other side," Givi anpour said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:37pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CAUCUS ENCOURAGING VOTES AMONG HISPANICS June 16, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Their presence along Lorna Road has been a political issue in and of itself, but what political power will Hoover's Hispanic population wield in the upcoming elections? Alba Hernandez, chairwoman of the Alabama Hispanic Democratic Caucus, said she is actively seeking Hispanic candidates for the Hoover City Council and encouraging people to vote. "You have to start with educating people, especially with immigrants, how important it is to exercise that right. As a citizen that's your obligation," Hernandez said. The biggest obstacle isn't that so many immigrants are not legally eligible to vote, it's that so many who are eligible simply do not cast their ballots, she said. "Many Hispanics don't want to get involved in politics," Hernandez said, though she was hard pressed to find a reason for that aversion. "If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain," she said. But outside of the work of the Hispanic caucus, it appears little is being done to court the Latino vote. Kristin Coombes, director of Hoover's Multicultural Resource Center, a common gathering place for day laborers, said volunteers at the center are focusing more energy on other tasks such as teaching English and educating visitors about available health care. "We're not actively registering voters, because there are only so many hours in the day," Coombes said. Organizations seeking to aid the burgeoning Hispanic population often coordinate which areas each will focus on. "We try to divide up who will do what to keep from overlapping our efforts," Coombes said. Rafael Estrella, a local activist who coordinates Hispanic ministries with Hunter Street Baptist and First Baptist churches of Hoover, said there is little reason to spend time attempting to register voters in a community where the population is, by an overwhelming majority, unable to cast a ballot. "I would assume only about 10 percent, no more than 20, would be able to vote," Estrella said. Hispanics comprise almost 4 percent of Hoover's population, according to the 2000 Census. Roughly one-third of those reported they are naturalized citizens. That equals about 793 Hispanic residents in Hoover who would be eligible to vote. University of Alabama history professor Carol Cassel said Hispanic voter turnout might be low for now, but one day that trend will dramatically reverse. Cassel published an essay on Hispanic voting participation in 2002. The Hispanic population, which Cassel described as being young with high birth rates, will soon produce many potential voters up for grabs by both major parties. "They are conservative on social issues, which would cause them to favor the Republicans, but the economic issues outweigh those for them, so they tend to go Democratic," she said. Alba Hernandez "If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain."

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:37pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MAYOR-COUNCIL RELATIONS HIT NEW LOW, LOCALS SAY NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP BEING ORGANIZED June 13, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer The lunch talk among diners at the Tip Top Grill in Hoover last week was about politics. The overriding sentiment seemed to be that Hoover's elected officials have become an embarrassment because of their inability to work together. Russell Gray has heard such talk. The mortgage broker is organizing the Hoover Neighbor hoods Alliance because residents don't think city leaders listen. He said the Hoover council-mayor disputes are bad enough to look like the Birmingham City Council has moved a few miles south. "Politics is the art of negotiation and compromise, and that's what people want," Gray said. Hoover leaders admit their disagreements have hit a new low; unfortunately, no one has any solid ideas on mending relations. The antics include council President Bob Austin, acting as a private citizen, filing suit against Mayor Barbara McCollum in circuit court after she took a hardline stance against a majority council vote. The mayor has accused three councilmen of breaking the law or acting outside the scope of their office in recent votes. And last week's firing of City Attorney Steve Griffin by the council has launched the debate over whether the council has the authority for such action. McCollum says only the mayor can fire the city attorney, whom she appointed. The council voted Friday to ask the Alabama attorney general for an opinion on that. Austin, whom McCollum supporters have dubbed a rude autocrat when he is presiding, said the arguing and finger-pointing is partly due to the upcoming election. On being a tough gavel-banger during meetings, Austin insists he is maintaining order and trying to rein in the grandstanding that goes on among council members, the mayor and activists. Others aren't so sure the Aug. 24 city elections can cure Hoover leaders' discord. The mayor and many on the council are running for re-election. Two years of trouble For more than two years, the council has been split over issues big and small. Two members support the mayor in almost everything she proposes. Three members can't wait to pinpoint flaws in McCollum's key decisions, like her budget proposal for this year or paying millions for Ross Bridge Parkway, a road they don't like. In communications and votes, Austin used to be allied with Councilwoman Donna Mazur and Councilman Kyle Forstman. Since last year, he has shifted allegiance to form a 3-2 antimayor voting bloc with Councilmen Jack Wright and Jody Patterson. Austin said he now has major problems with how the mayor is running the city. No one talks openly of the exact reason for the split, but Mazur said she thinks it comes down to pettiness and hurt feelings. Things got really ugly when a vote was taken in mid-May to increase the size of the City Council from five to seven members. The mayor four days later announced she would not sign the ordinance allowing expansion; she and Griffin felt adopting the ordinance after a March 31 deadline for establishing the number of council seats would have gone against election law. Another concern of the mayor's: going to a seven-member council could lead to a change from at-large voting to district voting. And that, she said, may trigger even more elected-official infighting. Homeowners who proposed the plan said districts are their ultimate goal, but not for this year's election. They said infighting cannot get any worse and that seven members could increase their chances of improved representation on the council. So far, the seven-member plan remains stalled, even though Hoover's council expansion won approval by the Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Bob Riley. Jody Patterson, a council member who is running for mayor, said McCollum derailed the plan because she is more concerned with regaining political influence. "The truth is that it is much more difficult, if not impossible, for a mayor to control a sevenmember council," Patterson has said. McCollum said she prefers not talking about her influence on council members. Rather, the mayor said, "I want to follow the law" to protect the integrity of the election process. Public displays Recent public shouting matches between the council and the mayor's supporters have broken out during a council meeting, a work session and a press conference held by council members in front of the Municipal Center. Four years ago, Wright was the lone incumbent council member to win in an election that swept in McCollum and four new council members. Some dubbed them the "dream team" because they represented huge change. Paul Johnson, chair of the political science department at Auburn University, said the council-mayor feud may be the result of typical small-group dynamics: conflicting personalities, egos and strained friendships. Before voters do again what they did in 2000, Johnson advised Hoover voters to think first, act second. More cityleader house cleaning could lead to another nightmare. "The danger of voting them all out is that people don't look very closely at what they are voting in," Johnson said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:38pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} NO BUDGET, BUT NO WORRIES, FINANCE CHIEF SAYS June 9, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer With less than four months remaining in the current fiscal year, the City of Hoover is still operating without a 2004 budget. There was no clear indication last week the City Council or Mayor Barbara McCollum would break their stalemate on adopting a spending plan, council members and the mayor said. The 2005 budget, which has yet to begin its trek through the accounting process, is due to go into effect Oct. 1, Finance Director Robert Yeager said. Despite the lack of a formal budget, everything is operating as normal, Yeager said. The city's major expenditures, including bill paying, payroll and capital outlays, are continuing pretty much as planned. Yeager's department now works off the 2003 budget numbers, along with line-item approvals by the council to keep operating. Through the adoption of dozens of line items during the past eight months, the city has approved 90 percent of last year's budget to serve as the 2004 spending plan, Yeager said. More line-item approvals are expected for the next several weeks, McCollum said. "Like it or not, we have a budget," Yeager said. "The 2003 budget became the 2004 budget by default." The stalemate on the budget began in September when McCollum's critics on the council decided to delay adoption of her $78 million proposed budget, scheduled to go into effect Oct. 1 last year. Among the issues that created the impasse were delayed budget hearings and arguments about a renovated warehouse due to re-open as the Hoover Public Safety Center in a few weeks. By March, McCollum said she was willing to work out a deal with the city council's Finance Committee to get the 2004 bud get adopted. She proposed reallocating $2 million in the current-year numbers, including spending less on operating costs and more on police-office construction at the Safety Center. City Council President Bob Austin, who leads the finance committee, said the mayor's deal was worthy of consideration, but it was not enough. As a result, Austin said he has refused to accept the 2004 budget as a full package since McCollum has stalled on giving him key financial numbers needed to make a decision, Austin said. The lack of a 2004 budget has been addressed by challengers to McCollum in the Hoover mayor's race. The election is set for Aug. 24. Tony Petelos said he thinks the budget impasse is entirely the fault of McCollum's inability to lead effectively. "The fiscal year is 75 percent over, and the mayor can't reach an agreement with the City Council. Something is obviously wrong," Petelos said. Bob Lochamy said it was "unconscionable" a city the size of Hoover is working without a 2004 spending plan. "To not have the discipline to adopt a budget shows a complete lack of leadership" on the mayor's part, Lochamy said. The one mayoral candidate who seemed unfazed by not having a budget is Jody Patterson. The first-term council member was among those who delayed approval of the mayor's 2004 budget. He says the line-item approvals have encouraged greater input from elected officials and city staff on where spending priorities should be. "I think it has worked out fine," Patterson said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:38pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SPEAK OUT June 9, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 5-H 'Hoover East' activists supported I have taken interest in watching the "Hoover East" activists Jim Henry of Greystone and Jim McCarthy of Southlake in their quest to have representation in the Hoover City government. It is interesting that Mayor Barbara McCollum gave all residents in "Hoover East" another slap in the face. The message is loud and clear. Hoover wants your money, but wants no part of your representation, problems and services, or to hear your voice. Mr. Henry and Mr. McCarthy, can you hear that giant sucking sound that the non-Greystone and the non-Inverness residents of U.S. 280 have been hearing for years? I have always found it amazing that the residents along U.S. 280 have allowed Hoover to annex so much. Hoover has done exactly what Mountain Brook tried to do to Cahaba Heights, annexing all of the businesses and collecting the taxes without providing any services to the residents. The residents of Cahaba Heights had sense enough to prevent Mountain Brook from taking advantage of them and chose to be annexed into Vestavia Hills. Vestavia offered services to the residents of Cahaba Heights for their tax dollars. Hoover has annexed basically all businesses along the U.S. 280 corridor and provides relatively no services. Hoover collects sales taxes from thousands of residents in subdivisions like Eagle Point, Brook Highland, Meadowbrook, Broken Bow, Forest Meadows and many, many more without providing a single service to these residents. I find it extremely unfortunate that some politically minded individual or individuals did not seek to form our own town to keep the evil predator, Hoover, off U.S. 280. I congratulate Cahaba Heights and Indian Springs for not allowing a city to come in and take advantage of you. Good luck Greystone, Inverness and Southlake in getting yourself de-annexed from Hoover. The residents of 280 would love to see you start the movement of removing Hoover and its money-sucking ways out of the U.S. 280 region. We will join you in forming our own town. Vestavia Hills or Indian Springs, are you interested in us? John Roberson Shelby County Council lawyer's guidance questioned I assume that when the current Hoover mayor took office that she selected or agreed to hire the services of Steve Griffin and his associates to provide the city proper legal guidance and opinions in all areas where legal expertise would be appropriate to ensure that the city administration would not be subjected to any legal liability. I further assume that the tax dollars from the citizens of Hoover pay handsomely for these services to avoid any legal pitfalls involving the council and all departments of the city. I have attended most of the City Council meetings and many of their workshop sessions where Mr. Griffin has been personally involved in the proceedings of ordinances and resolutions under consideration. I believe that it has been his legal responsibility to properly guide the mayor and the council on these issues. For the past couple of years, it has become increasingly apparent to me that Mr. Griffin has become the mayor's personal legal adviser, and he seems to have lost his perspective in providing objective legal guidance on many issues directly affecting the City Council and the citizens of Hoover. The latest issue involving the expansion of the City Council to seven members is an example of complete arrogance and disregard for providing proper legal services to the citizens of this community. Mr. Griffin should have injected himself into the subject of council expansion back in June of 2003, when the subject was first presented to the mayor and the council. Surely, he should have gotten involved when the subject was again presented for discussion in January 2004. The lack of any input from the mayor and the city attorney on legality issues of this subject were never addressed. It would seem that he had a legal obligation to review in depth and to advise the council of all the necessary legal procedures required to proceed with the proper passage of resolutions and ordinances. It seems apparent that the mayor and Mr. Griffin felt sure that a super majority vote would never be obtained, and they elected to sit back and do nothing. Remember, Mr. Griffin is being paid by the citizens of Hoover to provide expert guidance. Instead of providing guidance and direction to the council on our behalf, he became an adversary by not providing known deadlines required in state statues and by delaying and/or denying responses that could have greatly affected efforts in promoting this issue. The City Council press conference called by Mr. Austin on June 1 brought out another example of Mr. Griffin's arrogance when he attempted to almost "cross-examine" Mr. Austin publicly on why the council wants to ask for a court's legal opinion on the seven member issue. Again, Mr. Griffin seems to have lost his legal perspective in whom he is supposed to be serving. I am concerned that Mr. Griffin has crossed over the line and has lost all objectivity in handling Hoover's legal business. His highly paid services should immediately be discontinued. Jim Henry Greystone Mayor's refusal to sign plan disingenuous Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum's stated reasons for not signing the Hoover Council expansion plan are quite disingenuous. These stated reasons are also a real insult to the intelligence of all Hoover citizens. The sentence the mayor uses as her excuse for not signing the document is in the middle of her responsibilities required for the conduct of the Hoover Municipal Elections, as stated in the Code of Alabama, Section 11-46-22, and she didn't know about these laws until this week. Mayor McCollum was a council member for 12 years and has been mayor for four years, and she didn't know about Alabama's election laws for municipalities. Also, we have a highly paid city attorney, chosen by her, and who is supposed to ensure that we are in compliance with both local and all other necessary laws. Actually the sentence used states, "whenever and wherever two or more municipal offices of the same name (constituting a group) are to be filled at the regular election, prior to the first day of April preceding the election, the municipal governing body shall by ordinance designate each of the offices by number." When City Hall was questioned about whether or not such an ordinance was passed this year for the current five seats, the story was "it doesn't have to be done each time, as it was done previously." Who does not understand "prior to the first day of April preceding the election," means the April preceding the election, not four, eight or 12 years ago. City Attorney Steve Griffin's business associate, Ken Gray, an attorney who plans to run for City Council and whose brother is treasurer of the mayor's campaign, stated if the mayor hadn't done her homework, the Aug. 24 election could have been invalidated, and spoke of the large cost to the city for another election. This is disingenuous, too, because if Alabama law wasn't followed completely, and no ordinance was done for the five existing council seats, prior to the first day of April, preceding the election, any election can be invalidated. If no ordinance was prepared and passed prior to April 1 designating the five council seats we presently have, then the mayor did not do her homework, and she should resign. If they did not know about the law, then obviously no timely ordinance was passed and the whole Hoover municipal election is in jeopardy. If the above turns out to be true, isn't it time that the attorney general or the district attorney investigates how business is being conducted in Hoover. The citizens deserve no less, and the current fiasco is just one small item. Betty Jean Barker Hoover

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:39pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} COUNCIL PRESIDENT SUING MAYOR OF HOOVER June 9, 2004 Section: News Page: 5-C   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover City Council President Bob Austin, acting as a private citizen, sued Mayor Barbara McCollum in circuit court Tuesday, seeking clarification on several issues about expansion of the council from five to seven members. McCollum refused to sign the expansion plan which was approved by the Legislature, signed by the governor and passed by the City Council. She has said the plan was formu lated hastily and disregarded election laws. A hearing is set June 23. Austin wants the judge to decide whether adopting the plan after March 31 means that it cannot go forward and whether the city can hold an election for seven council members. The council president filed the complaint as a private resident of Hoover along with Francis Paolone of Woodmeadow and Jim Henry of Greystone. Defendants in the case include McCollum and Secretary of State Nancy Worley. The city clerk said a special meeting will be held today at the Municipal Center to discuss hiring a private attorney to represent the city against Austin's complaint. The meeting is at 5 p.m. McCollum announced May 21 she would not sign the measure because she and City Attorney Steve Griffin believed the ordinance was done without regard to election laws. The mayor also said a March 31 deadline to add two seats had already passed. Austin said McCollum twisted the facts so she could derail the measure's adoption before the Aug. 24 election. The first-term mayor is seeking re-election; McCollum has said she opposes the seven-member plan because she felt it would lead to a change from at-large voting to district voting. Austin said he had planned to ask the council to approve a resolution requesting a court ruling in the matter. When a heated debate on the issue crept up Monday during a council meet ing, Austin removed the resolution from his council's agenda and vowed to file a personal complaint. McCollum, Griffin and several opponents of the seven-member plan said a court order could clarify the situation, but adding the two seats is still not an option for balloting this year. The council fired Griffin Monday night, citing his role in the failed expansion plan. The mayor said firing Griffin is outside the council's authority.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:39pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER'S ATTORNEY CRITICIZED CANDIDATE CALLS FOR RESIGNATION June 5, 2004 Section: News Page: 13-A   Troy Goodman Hoover mayoral candidate Bob Lochamy has turned his harsh criticism of Mayor Barbara McCollum to another city official: City Attorney Steve Griffin. Lochamy, a sports commentator turned media consultant, said Friday that Griffin's recommendation to the mayor not to sign a Hoover City Council-expansion plan means the attorney should be dismissed. "McCollum and Griffin conspired together to deny the citizens of Hoover the opportunity for increased elected representation," Lochamy said. McCollum responded to Lochamy's accusation Friday through a spokeswoman. "Residents should question why can didates would risk invalidating the election," the mayor said in a one-sentence statement. The first-term mayor has said she has no intention of stepping down or dismissing Griffin. McCollum announced May 21 she would not sign the measure to expand the council from five to seven members because she and Griffin believed the proposal was done hastily and without regard to election laws. Lochamy said Friday that Griffin's actions amount to a violation of appointed duties much the same way McCollum's refusal to sign the proposal amounts to a violation of her elected office. Lochamy has already called for the mayor's resignation based on her refusal to sign the seven-member plan. The measure was approved by a 4-1 vote of the City Council last month, but cannot go forward this year without McCollum's signature, the city clerk said. "Mayor McCollum has granted Griffin powers that go well above and beyond the traditional role of Hoover's city attorney," Lochamy said. "It is the opinion of many that Griffin considers himself as Hoover's 'co-mayor' and is currently functioning as such." Two other mayoral candidates, Tony Petelos and Jody Patterson, have criticized Griffin for what they characterize as inappropriate conduct on the seven-member council issue.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:40pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER MAYOR LASHES OUT AT COUNCIL CRITICS June 2, 2004 Section: News Page: 2-B   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum said Tuesday she would stand behind her decision not to sign a proposal to expand the city's council from five to seven members on the grounds it could invalidate the upcoming election. Her announcement came on the same day City Council President Bob Austin said he would ask the panel for approval to seek clarification from a circuit court on the question of expanding the council. Austin and Councilmen Jody Patterson and Jack Wright said the proposal was drafted in accordance with election laws and after approval by the Alabama Legislature. "Mr. Austin has accused me of lying and misrepresenting facts . . . Nothing could be further from the truth," McCollum said Tuesday. Her statement came in response to the councilmen's accusations that she derailed the seven-member plan on a legal technicality because she opposed the meas ure. "I am striving to ensure that the Hoover city election will be free of election contests," said McCollum. The first-term mayor is running for re-election. She announced May 21 she would not sign the seven-member plan because she and City Attorney Steve Griffin believed the ordinance was done hastily and without regard to election laws. She and Griffin vowed to follow the advice of the Alabama League of Municipalities, which said the seven-member plan should be approved or delayed under the guidance of a court order. McCollum said such an order cannot be obtained in time for the Aug. 24 election. The council expansion plans came at the request of Greystone homeowners who said they wanted two more seats in a quest for greater representation. McCollum and all five council members live west of Interstate 65. Austin said McCollum misled the league's attorney in a correspondence regarding deadlines for numbering the council seats in an election.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:40pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} GROUP URGES RESIDENTS TO VOTE AUG. 24 May 26, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer Four years ago, 12,000 voters in Hoover cast ballots in the election that saw Mayor Barbara McCollum and the now-defunct "dream team" coalition of council members she supported come to power. The 2000 general election, which saw 6,537 votes go to McCollum, drew roughly 32 percent of the city's registered voters. That was almost double the number that turned out for the 1996 election. According to the board of registrars for Jefferson and Shelby Counties, there are now 38,700 registered voters in Hoover. According to numbers from the 2000 census, 47,181, or 75 percent, of the 62,742 residents of Hoover are age 18 and older. That means roughly 80 percent of voting-age residents in Hoover are registered. But how many of those will show up for the Aug. 24 election? Russell Gray has spent the last several months organizing the Hoover Neighborhood Alliance, a group he hopes will provide citizens with a voice in local government. Gray said he believes a large number of voters will come out to voice their dissatisfaction with the current administration. "I think the fact that our current administration wants to work for themselves and special interests and not work for the people" will inspire voters to come out, Gray said. His organization will not endorse candidates, he has said, but it will encourage people to vote. Mayoral candidate Bob Lochamy said one of the main priorities of his campaign is to get people to the polls. "I'd like the voter turnout to be number one in Alabama," Lochamy said. It is up to the candidates to get the electorate interested and involved in the process, Lochamy said. "I don't blame the people for being apathetic," he said. "I think people are a little bit disgusted with the petty politics. I think only time will tell (if people come to vote)," he said. Mayoral candidate and former state legislator Tony Petelos said he believes voters will come out to voice their frustration with the "dream team" if they're not too busy watching television. "I'm concerned because we've got the Republican National Convention, the Democratic National Convention, and the Olympics. Those are very big profile events that take up a lot of TV time," Petelos said. "I hope people will remember to come out and vote on Aug. 24." Efforts to reach McCollum for comment last week were unsuccessful.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:41pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} HOOVER SENIOR CITIZENS SEEK CENTER TO BE THEIRS ALONE May 26, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 6-H   JON ANDERSON News staff writer A group of Hoover senior citizens is asking city officials for a new senior center, saying they're tired of sharing space with other groups at the Hoover Community Education Building in Bluff Park and the Hoover Recreation Center. They sent a petition to the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board and the Hoover City Council, asking for the facility, Parks and Recreation Director Tina Kitchens said. Connie Lees, 64, who lives in the Birchtree community, told the park board that people know an election year is a good time to ask for things they need. Hoover's senior citizens need a place dedicated just for them where they can hold social events, and it needs to have level parking, Lees said. The current senior center in Bluff Park must be shared with other groups, especially during the summer when children's day camps are held there, she said. Plus, the seniors can't customize the space because other groups use it, she said. The New Horizons group meets at the Hoover Recreation Center, but, again, it's a shared facility, Lees said. Plus, some senior citizens find the sloped parking lot difficult to manage, she said. "People are getting worked up about this," Lees said. She asked city officials if they could use community development block grant money from the federal government to build a senior center like other cities have done. Hoover Development Director Virginia Williams, who oversees the administration of that federal grant money, said she doesn't see how it could be used for a senior center. A majority of Hoover residents age 62 and over would have to earn less than 80 percent of Hoover's median income in order to use the community development money for that purpose, and Hoover doesn't meet that criteria, Williams said. Only 35 percent of Hoover residents age 65 and over make less than $50,000, and 80 percent of Hoover's median family income is $41,120, Williams said. Lees still wants the park board and city officials to find a way to make a new senior center a reality and asked the park board and City Council for its support. Park board President Al Folcher asked Kitchens to lead a committee to explore the matter and see what funding sources are available. He wants the senior citizens to identify exactly what they want in a facility. Renovating an existing building likely will be cheaper than building from scratch, Folcher said. One option to be considered is Berry Middle School, which Hoover school officials are considering closing as a middle school, Folcher said. School officials say they would like to sell Berry Middle School or use it for some other educational purpose because it's poorly located on the city's bor der with Vestavia Hills. Nobody on the park board is saying they don't want a new senior center, Folcher said. "We really think it's important," he said. "Money's the big question. Money's the answer." Lees said she doesn't believe people expect a new center to happen overnight, "but they would like to see a beginning." It definitely will be an issue brought up with candidates running for mayor and council, she said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:42pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} PATTERSON JOINS HOOVER RACE, CRITICIZES MCCOLLUM TENURE May 15, 2004 Section: News Page: 11-A   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer One day after Hoover City Councilman Jack Wright dropped out of the city's mayoral race, another member of the council announced he is running for mayor. Councilman Jody Patterson said Friday he is campaigning on improved city budgeting and ending what he has seen as political favoritism under first-term Mayor Barbara McCollum. Four years ago, Patterson was a key member of what became known as Hoover's "dream team" - four new council candidates and McCollum who campaigned on opengovernment and smart-growth promises. Those five won the election but have since been divided by regular disagreements about many of McCollum's policies and budgetary actions. "Open communication and giving residents the facts - we preached it in 2000, and that has not been what this administration is about," Patterson said. McCollum was out of town Friday and efforts to reach her for comment were unsuccessful. She announced her re-election bid last year. Besides Patterson, Tony Petelos, a former state lawmaker and one-time commissioner of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and Bob Lochamy, a media consultant and former sports commentator, have launched mayoral bids. Patterson said he would campaign on the need for term limits in the mayor's office and on the council. He vowed to push for a change to district election in Hoover. The fivemember council is elected through at-large representation. On the issue of improved budget-making, Patterson said he would increase reliance on department-head recommendations and on guidance from Wright, a licensed financial agent. "I'm going to look to Jack for a lot of advice and support," Patterson said. The 44-year-old builder underwent quintuple bypass surgery Nov. 26 after doctors found major blockage in some of his arteries. His procedure was deemed a success, and a grinning Patterson attended a council meeting five days after his operation. Many observers of the Hoover campaign say shifting allegiances among the city's council members and mayoral candidates has grown into a confusing web of support and opposition. Candidate Lochamy said he doesn't want "more than a handful of mayor candidates" to fragment vote-getting power. "I'm concerned because we don't need to have a circus atmosphere in this election," Lochamy said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:42pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} THE DIGEST May 14, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-C Wright withdraws from mayoral race Five weeks after announcing his candidacy for Hoover mayor, City Councilman Jack Wright said Thursday he is withdrawing from the race. An outspoken critic of Mayor Barbara McCollum, Wright said he was dropping out because campaignrelated activities have taken up im portant time from his personal and professional life. The mayor's job, too, will require a great many working hours, he said. "I think we need someone with more time to commit to this job," the two-term councilman said. Wright regularly opposes McCollum's budgetary decisions and development strategies in council meetings and other public gatherings. His departure leaves three candidates still vying for the city's top spot - McCollum, Tony Petelos and Bob Lochamy. Wright would not say if he is seeking re-election to the council. He said Thursday he expects "another friend in the race" for mayor. Troy Goodman

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:43pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MAYOR'S RACE A TANGLED WEB OF SUPPORT FOR FOUR April 21, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Tracking allegiances among the Hoover City Council members and the four announced mayoral candidates is no easy task, observers say. Two council members support incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum's re-election bid, for example, while one councilman is running against McCollum and another said he may stay neutral in the 2004 election. Ballots will be cast in August. As of last week, the four candidates include McCollum, City Councilman Jack Wright, Bob Lochamy and Tony Petelos. "Things are already pretty interesting," said Councilman Jody Patterson. The Hoover-based builder has announced he is a Wright supporter, but earlier this year Patterson said he was leaning toward backing the Petelos' campaign. Why the change? "My opinion is that Jack is the most qualified," Patterson said after Wright's April 7 campaign kickoff speech at Green Valley Drug Store on U.S. 31. "I think Petelos would make a wonderful mayor, but I think Jack, as far as knowing the city and looking at numbers five and 10 years down the road, that is what he's good at," Patterson said. One thing is certain, Patterson said he will never throw his support behind the incumbent's campaign. That is because four years ago he was a key player in what came to be known as the Hoover "dream team": four new council candidates and McCollum who campaigned together, won the election together and vowed to make sweeping changes in the way city business is conducted and development is controlled. Today the dream team has fallen apart, Patterson said. He blasted McCollum for failing to live up to her smart-growth, open-door campaign promises. He also faulted himself and his fellow council members for not working more closely together as a five-person unit during the past two or three years. The first-term mayor regularly disagrees with Patterson and other critics of her performance. At a Bluff Park Neighborhood Association meeting last week, McCollum said the city's economic prosperity, recent annexations and improved cultural amenities, such as the motor home park at the Hoover Met, are a sign her administration has benefited all residents. City Council President Bob Austin, another former dreamteam member, said he once believed in McCollum's message of prosperity. He even served as her campaign co-chair in 2000. Lately though, Austin said the mayor is not following through with what she vowed to do while in office. For instance, he dislikes the way she handled the financing of a soon-to-open Public Safety Center on Valleydale Road. Austin also disagreed with how McCollum's 2004 budget was put together, which led him to join a 3-2 council split that has stalled the measure's passage for six months. "We have some differing opinions on what's best for the city," Austin said. The Hoover lawyer has yet to announce which of the mayoral candidates he will support. McCollum supporters Councilwoman Donna Mazur and Councilman Kyle Forstman, both in their first terms, say they remain staunch supporters of McCollum's campaign. Wright said he is decidedly anti-McCollum. Before he an nounced his own mayoral bid this month, Wright favored the Petelos campaign, giving the builder financial numbers, zoning maps and other material to use as fodder against the incumbent. Petelos, a former state lawmaker who announced his mayoral bid in November, said Wright did help him early on. Now as campaign opponents, Petelos said the two share only friendship and a desire to beat McCollum. "We need someone new in the mayor's office," Petelos said. Lochamy, a media consultant and former sports commentator, also is putting out an antiMcCollum message, although he said he prefers not using her name directly. One of his campaign advisers, Tim Tennyson, is the former Pleasant Grove mayor who now lives in Hoover. Tennyson said last week he respects Petelos, especially in his past service as the state representative from Pleasant Grove. But weeks ago Tennyson decided to back Lochamy. "Bob's heart is in the right place," Tennyson said. Austin and a few observers said there is always the chance one or more of the candidates will drop out as the election nears. Such a move may throw political allegiances up in the air again, the council president said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:43pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE SEEKS TO FORM NEIGHBORHOODS GROUP April 14, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H   JEREMY GRAY News staff writer In the wake of a tumultuous school rezoning debate, a new group is taking shape with the goal of giving Hoover residents a voice in local government. Russell Gray, one of 16 candidates for appointment to the Hoover school board, is organizing the Hoover Neighborhoods Alliance. Gray said he envisions the group as "a communication network" to involve residents in voicing their opinions on school matters, proposed developments, street repairs and a host of other issues that might come before city leaders. "People feel nobody is listening to them, and what we're trying to do is revive the voice of the people," Gray said. He distributed fliers announcing the creation of the group during a recent public forum to discuss the rezoning plan. Gray said he knew, however, the group could not form fast enough to affect the outcome of that debate. "It may take as much as six months or a year to build an organization of interested homeowners who want to be part of having their voices heard," he said. Gray said he hopes to have leaders elected from 110 neigh borhoods and will look at dividing the neighborhoods into five or six districts with representatives to address the city council, school board and other municipal bodies with concerns they might have. "We're not looking to replace the city council. We're just concerned citizens who want to review the issues," Gray said. He hopes the group can study issues that might directly affect only one or two select neighborhoods and offer residents there the collective support of residents of other Hoover communities. "In a lot of older neighborhoods, the neighborhood association seems to be a thing of the past. And really the voice of the people has been diluted," he said. Gray said the group will remain non-partisan and will not endorse any mayoral or city council candidates in the upcoming elections. "We feel every citizen has a vote and everybody should exercise their own vote." Gray said the idea for the group came after he heard Jack Wright, a Hoover councilman and mayoral candidate, address a neighborhood association meeting at Green Valley Elementary School. "He said you can't go in there as a thousand different people. He told us you've got to get yourself organized, and if you'll come like that, your voices will be heard."

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:44pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} WRIGHT 4TH TO ENTER HOOVER MAYOR'S RACE April 7, 2004 Section: News Page: 1-B   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer After months of posturing and a few carefully placed campaign signs, Hoover City Councilman Jack Wright has finally announced he is entering the race to become the city's next mayor. Wright said he will hold a campaign-related meeting today at the Green Valley Drug Store on U.S. 31 to announce his bid. He is the fourth person, including incumbent Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum, to enter the race. The two other candidates, Bob Lochamy and Tony Petelos, both said Tuesday they've been expecting Wright to throw his hat into the ring for the August election. The second-term councilman had created a stir recently by posting a handful of mayoral campaign signs in the windows of businesses along Lorna Road and U.S. 31 in central Hoover without publicly announcing his candidacy. Wright is known as one of McCollum's fiercest critics during public meetings, labeling her a micro-manager who has failed in her open-door campaign promises from the 2000 election. He has a led a 3-2 split on the council that has delayed adoption of a 2004 budget and several McCollum-backed construction projects. Wright said Tuesday his campaign would focus on the need for mayoral change. "In Hoover, I believe there are a bunch of people who feel they haven't had a lot of input" in the municipal process, the 56-year-old financial adviser said. McCollum declined to comment Tuesday on Wright's candidacy. She announced her bid for a second term in October. Wright said as mayor he would change the current annexation process to better gauge the impact such changes would have on basic services like police and fire protection and schoolzone growth. He also vowed to improve the budget-making process to account for future growth without jeopardizing Hoover's favorable bond rating. City Council President Bob Austin said Tuesday he has told Wright it would be better if he ran for a third term on the council since his input has been valuable to the panel's legislative authority. Austin stopped short of saying whether he backs Wright or another candidate. Lochamy, a media consultant and former sports commentator, and Petelos, a building contractor and former state lawmaker, said they agree with Austin that Wright would best serve the city by running for re-election to his council seat.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:45pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CANDIDATES DISCUSS HOT ISSUES March 17, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover's three official mayoral candidates met with residents last week and discussed a laundry list of concerns related to issues including municipal growth, City-Hall leadership, and school rezoning. The recent gathering, organized through the Monte D'Oro Neighborhood Association, was the first candidate forum devoted to the upcoming election. Incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum and candidates Tony Petelos and Bob Lochamy each spoke during the two-hour forum to 40 homeowners who gathered in the great room of Monte D'Oro homeowner Susanne Bray. City Councilman Jack Wright, who has posted his own mayoral campaign posters but said he has not decided whether to enter the race, did not attend the meeting. Hoover's ballots will be cast in August. Eileen Lewis, president of the homeowner group, began the forum by asking the candidates to address key issues in terms of development, financial stability and how to handle low-income workers who congregate on Lorna Road. She also asked the current mayor and those vying for the job to consider formulating a master-plan approach to police, fire, zoning, building inspection and other city services once the next mayor is chosen. Lochamy, a media consultant and former sports commentator, told the homeowners he is proposing a master-plan approach to running the mayor's office. He vowed to address issues like better land-use policies, enacting term limits for elected officials and encouraging more attendance at the twice monthly City Council meetings. "I'd like to see third-graders and eighth-graders and tenth-graders and their parents. I'd like to see folks from the Chamber of Commerce. I'd like to see folks from the civic groups and from corporate Hoover represented at those meetings," Lochamy said. Petelos, a former state lawmaker and ex-Department of Human Re sources commissioner, said adopting the master-plan approach to governance would allow Hoover to prosper, now and in the future. If elected, Petelos vowed to begin every annexation process by meeting with "the Fire Department, the Police Department, we'll go to the Finance Department, we'll go to the school system and say 'what effect is this going to have on the City of Hoover?'" McCollum, a first-term mayor, told the homeowners she had already adopted a transportation master plan and had worked closely with an advisory committee on formulating a comprehensive land-use plan. She also talked about her efforts to encourage trail-building at Moss Rock Preserve and her work on a soon-to-be opened 280,000-square-foot municipal complex on Valleydale Road near U.S. 31. McCollum said the Hoover Public Safety Center would accommodate staffing needs for the next 20 years. Every candidate addressed the hot-button issue of school rezoning, with Lochamy and Petelos calling for a closer look at how the school system proposes to serve students whose families live in apartments. McCollum downplayed the issue of apartment-based students. She said she has called the Hoover Board of Education and asked that the rezoning decision "be slowed down." Other issues which came up included how to control the number of day-laborers who gather on Lorna Road and whether expanding the folks from the civic groups and from corporate Hoover represented at those meetings," Lochamy said. Petelos, a former state lawmaker and ex-Department of Human Resources commissioner, said adopting the master-plan approach to governance would allow Hoover to prosper, now and in the future. If elected, Petelos vowed to begin every annexation process by meeting with "the Fire Department, the Police Department, we'll go to the Finance Department, we'll go to the school system and say 'what effect is this going to have on the City of Hoover?"' McCollum, a first-term mayor, told the homeowners she had already adopted a transportation master plan and had worked closely with an advisory committee on formulating a compre hensive land-use plan. She also talked about her efforts to encourage trail-building at Moss Rock Preserve and her work on a soon-to-be opened 280,000-square-foot municipal complex on Valleydale Road near U.S. 31. McCollum said the Hoover Public Safety Center would accommodate staffing needs for the next 20 years. Every candidate addressed the hot-button issue of school rezoning, with Lochamy and Petelos calling for a closer look at how the school system proposes to serve students whose families live in apartments. McCollum downplayed the issue of apartment-based students. She said she has called the Hoover Board of Education and asked that the rezoning decision "be slowed down." Other issues which came up included how to control the number of day-laborers who gather on Lorna Road and whether expanding the City Council from five to seven members is a good idea. After the forum, many of the attendees said they would wait until closer to the August election to choose their favored candidate. Teresa Houlditch, for instance, said she remained undecided, as did Alice Hope. After the forum, Hope, a Hoover-based Spanish interpreter and local activist, said the forum helped increase her knowledge of where each candidate stands on issues. "And it has opened up my mind to the possibility of somebody else (besides the incumbent candidate) taking this job," Hope said. DISCUSSION CENTERS ON DAY WORKERS, SCHOOLS AND LAND USE Excerpts from the March 11 mayoral candidate forum hosted by Monte D'Oro association: Lorna Road-based day laborers Barbara McCollum: To me it's a safety issue for not just the day workers but also it is very intimidating for a lot of our citizens and people who go through the area of Lorna Road. We were trying to get them off (the roadsides) by having them go to the Multicultural Center . . . I'd love to find another idea. I think part of the problem is we need more space. Bob Lochamy: I'd like to see the Police Chief consider, or like to encourage him to consider, precincts. We've got an empty CVS drug store up in Bluff Park on Tyler Road. That would make a great police precinct there . . . If its Monte D'Oro and your concerned about Lorna Road, then you've got a more direct contact (with a nearby precinct officer). Tony Petelos: It's an issue that there are no great answers for. The Multicultural Center, is it good for the city? I don't know. Are we encouraging more 'illegals' to come to Hoover? Are we encouraging more people to come if we build a bigger building? I'm just not sure that's the right way to go. School rezoning McCollum: I have never received this number of phone calls, the letters, and it's at home, it's at the office. It is by far the hottest issue we've had before the city since 2000. The City Council and the mayor do not make those decisions. However, that doesn't mean I don't have an opinion . . . They (the Hoover School Board) will not make a recommendation until they hear from the public. Lochamy: Our problem is the apartments, plain and simple . . . All parts of the community are not communicating together. A lot of folks, I think, were shocked by the news a few weeks ago that when Ross Bridge, the new project, begins to happen, those children are going to go to Spain Park. Petelos: It all boils down to having good people in office. It boils down to having school board members that care . . . Apartments don 't generate the revenue that a city needs to provide services. We don't need to be doing that. City council expansion Lochamy: The resolution that exists at the state level right now, without the mayor's signature and without a super majority, three votes to two (on the City Council), really has a questionable future . . . It needs to go to Justice Department and we need to expand to seven council members at this point. It is at least a step forward (to council districts). Petelos: With over 65,000 residents, I think going to seven members is a good number for a city of this size. As far as having districts, the Alabama Legislature runs in district elections. Congress runs in district elections. If you elect good people into public office, they should serve their community. McCollum: I didn't veto the resolution to move to seven members because I wasn't opposed to seven members. I am strongly opposed to districts . . . Budgets (under the council districting system) get divided up into so much for each district and you lose sight of the total good for the city. You've seen it happen in Birmingham and you've seen it happen on the Jefferson County Commission.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:46pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} WRIGHT POSTS OWN MAYORAL SIGNS March 11, 2004 Section: News Page: 2-C   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer One of Hoover's most outspoken City Council members has posted campaign signs but refuses to say whether he has entered the race to be the city's next mayor. Jack Wright confirmed Wednesday he has placed three of his own mayoral campaign signs in the windows of businesses along Lorna Road and U.S. 31, in central Hoover. The two-term councilman, though, vowed to hold off making a final decision on his candidacy until the beginning of April. "We're seriously considering it (entering the campaign), and I may make an announcement after the first of next month," Wright said Wednesday. Ballots will be cast in August for Hoover's election. He declined to say why he had posted the signs prior to making an official announcement. "I've just got a friend in the printing business," he said. The trio of signs, one posted at a gas station and two posted in the windows of a single-story office building, said "Coming soon: headquarters, Jack Wright for mayor." Wright regularly criticizes Mayor Barbara McCollum's budgetary decisions and development strategies in council meetings and other public gatherings. He has been a key player in the current 3-2 split on the council that has delayed adoption of a 2004 budget and several important McCollumbacked projects in Hoover. Two other candidates in the mayor's race, Bob Lochamy and Tony Petelos, said they had seen Wright's campaign signs in recent days. The two men also have been unable to confirm if the councilman's candidacy is legitimate, they said. Efforts were unsuccessful Wednesday to reach McCollum for comment. She has announced her candidacy for reelection. Lochamy said he would like to see Wright "make a commitment one way or another to where it establishes the arena of candidates." Lochamy, a media consultant and former sports commentator, announced his candidacy in October. Wright's unannounced entry into the race is "his decision and his decision alone," Petelos said. A former state lawmaker and Department of Human Resources commissioner, Petelos announced his candidacy in November.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:46pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CHALLENGER PETELOS CRITICIZES MAYOR ON ANNEXATION March 10, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 2-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer Hoover mayoral candidate Tony Petelos last week unveiled his latest issue-related attack against the city's current administration. Petelos chided Hoover Mayor Barbara McCollum for poor annexation planning. Petelos called a press conference and vowed, if elected, to order routine impact studies on annexation requests and development proposals. "When I am mayor, I pledge to have a service impact statement from the Fire Department, Police Department, Board of Education, Finance Department and the Public Works Department before any major annexation is consid ered," Petelos said Thursday. He singled out the 1,600-acre annexation Hoover underwent in 2002 to take in the proposed Ross Bridge development on the city's western edge. Petelos said the project's planned 1,700 houses and 600 apartments will ultimately lead to school and road overcrowding and put strain on municipal services. McCollum responds In response, McCollum said the Ross Bridge annexation has always been carefully planned to include enough commercial and residential development to help pay for the expected impact on schools and city services. The first-term mayor pointed out one commercial component of the project - a privately owned, 262-room hotel to be called Ross Bridge Resort - has already generated thousands of dollars in revenue in the pre-construction phase. Owned by Retirement Systems of Alabama, the hotel and its adjacent Robert Trent Jones golf course now are on track to open by mid-2005 and generate millions in revenue within the first five years. "The Renaissance Hotel that is being constructed in Ross Bridge is on private property and will pay city property taxes," McCollum said in a written response to Petelos' attack. "In fact, the city has already received over $300,000 in building permit fees for its construction." McCollum did not directly address why she currently does not order impact studies on annexation requests. She did say the hotel's adjacent 25,000-square-foot conference center will be on city property and create minimal impact since it will boost city revenue through rental fees and sales tax. Ross Bridge was Hoover's biggest annexation in more than a decade and it has become one of the main issues on which McCollum is being judged as her re-election campaign gears up. So far, McCollum, Petelos and media consultant Bob Lochamy are the only candidates to announce mayoral bids in the August municipal election. McCollum played a key role in bringing RSA, developer Daniel Corp. and landowner United States Steel Corp. together for the Ross Bridge project. Her supporters say the public-private devel opment will provide a projected $46 million in revenue for the city during its first two decades of operation and boost Hoover's image as a tourist and golfing destination. Petelos and other McCollum critics say the mayor wrongly limited the 2002 discussion on how the annexation would affect municipal services and how much Hoover was willing to contribute to a proposed parkway leading to the site. City Councilman Jack Wright said when the original Ross Bridge zoning plan listed prices and deadlines for the needed public improvements, McCollum had them taken out of the documents. McCollum also pushed the City Council not to discuss the figures while voting on the annexation and zoning requests, he said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:47pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} NEW COUNCIL DISTRICTS MERIT CLOSER LOOK February 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   Peggy Sanford Hoover's City Council might grow from five to seven members before the municipal elections in August. If it comes to pass, maybe it will give Hoover's eastern residents, who are pushing for the change, a better chance at electing someone from their side of town to the City Council, but it's a fall-back position at best. Under Hoover's present system, all council members are elected "at large" - by voters citywide - whether the council has five, seven or more members. Dividing Hoover into districts, and having council members live in and seek to represent that specific district, is the only way to ensure that council members will be elected from various geographic areas of the city. Representatives of Greystone, Hoover's eastern-most neighborhood, seem to know that. Greystone resident Jim Henry was leading the charge last year, asking the Hoover Council to take the necessary steps to change from at-large to district elections. Drawing districts and getting them approved by the Alabama Legislature and then by the U.S. Justice Department, in accordance with voting rights laws, is a time-consuming undertaking. It's also one the present mayor and council have chosen not to undertake. Only because Council President Bob Austin reconsidered his opposition to merely expanding the council, did the panel last week agree to pursue a change to seven at-large members. Austin joined council members Jody Patterson and Jack Wright in a 3-2 vote on the measure. Austin directed the city clerk to draft a resolution asking the Legislature to approve a seven-member council for the city. If Mayor Barbara McCollum signs the resolution and gets it moving on to the Legislature, the state body still will have to approve the change, as will the Justice Department. The thinking is that expanding council seats won't require the extensive (and slow) scrutiny Justice would give the drawing of districts. So it remains possible that council seats could be added for the August election. Even if that happens, though, Hoover voters shouldn't let the idea of a district council fall by the wayside. Hoover stretches across 40 square miles and has more than 65,000 residents. It is the only city among the 10 largest in Alabama that still elects council members citywide. The present mayor and council haven't picked up the reins to research possible district election for Hoover. It's time to start asking candidates for the next Hoover administration what their stance is on district council election in Alabama's sixthlargest city.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:48pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} CENTER EXPOSES CHASM BETWEEN MAYOR, COUNCIL February 11, 2004 Section: News Page: 2-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer The most expensive municipal project in Hoover history may also become the most debated. Now that the Hoover Safety Center is more than halfway complete, the dialogue has reached a fever pitch, observers say. "It is a hot topic. And it's scary because that is so much money," said Realtor Ruthan Massey, a longtime Hoover resident. The Safety Center is a 280,000-square-foot former BellSouth warehouse on Valleydale Road near U.S. 31. The city has committed to paying $34 million to own and remodel it into a municipal complex housing an expanded jail, a new municipal court and headquarters for building inspections, fire administration, revenue and other departments. As a construction project, the issue is cut-and-dry: the building is within budget and crews are on track for a scheduled opening this summer, city engineers say. As an administrative decision, though, the renovation plan is a political football being passed back and forth between Mayor Barbara McCollum and her three critics on the five-member City Council: President Bob Austin and council members Jack Wright and Jody Patterson. In recent months, as the mayor has come before the council seeking approval on portions of the renovation, those three members have either voted to deny her requests or have used the council meeting as public theater to scrutinize McCollum's decisions on the project. In response, McCollum has appeared to drag her feet on Safety Center-related updates to the council, or she has approached the lectern to answer some of the panel's questions with short, unfriendly responses. Slide show The ugliness reached a crescendo last week when McCollum, acquiescing to months of City Council requests to reveal more about the construction and financing details, held a Safety Center slide-show during a regular council meeting. She instructed several city department heads to speak during the presentation on the need for more office and jail space. Austin and Wright spoke too, decrying key aspects of the planning and budget issues related to the Safety Center. After about a half-hour, McCollum grew angry and cut the discussion short by saying: "You've picked on this staff long enough." She then left the podium and sat down amid the council-chamber audience. Austin, the mayor's former campaign manager, said last week's presentation has created a new batch of animosity between McCollum and her critics. Among the sore points: The city's Finance Committee is looking into a proposal to spend a $2.8 million budget surplus to move more of the police department into the Safety Center. Wright has spent weeks attacking the mayor on what he considers short-sightedness in spending $34 million and "forgetting to put the police in the Public Safety Center." McCollum said her hands have been tied by a stick-toyour-budget mandate and indecision on the part of the Police Department about whether police headquarters should be moved at all. A decision to use the $2.8 million for anything related to construction might not be possible, Austin and McCollum said. That money may be earmarked for other budgetary needs, including year-to-year increases in operating costs and the need to keep Hoover's reserve fund wellstocked in case the economy bottoms out. The city's budgetary problems have worsened since 2003, when the 3-2 split on the council stalled passage of a 2004 budget. Hoover is still working off its 2003 spending plan. Construction change orders, historically a normal part of the municipal building process, have become another chance for City Council members to thwart Safety Center progress. Executive Director Allen Pate, who is overseeing the renovation project, said change orders are issued when a subcontractor realizes the blueprints need to be altered in some way to make the project work. The change order is the normal way of asking the City Council for more money to finish some small portion of the work so the overall project can move forward, he said. In recent weeks, Safety Center change orders have been debated, approved or denied during the council meetings. Last week, a proposal to install motion-sensor faucets in the build ing's public bathrooms was voted down on the grounds that it was unneeded expense. The expectation, observers say, is that even more changeorder arguments will crop up between now and the August municipal election. McCollum has announced she is running for re-election. Austin, Wright and Patterson have said they dislike the way the renovation project has moved forward under what they consider an air of secrecy. Austin, for example, has criticized McCollum for not telling the council about the $600,000 annual cost of utilities and janitorial services expected to come on line when the Safety Center opens. Wright regularly complains about the $40 million in warrants the city issued to finance the renovation of the warehouse, accusing the mayor of downplaying the "hidden costs" of such a loan. McCollum said she has been up front about the costs; she also accused the three councilmen of not fully understanding the remodel project, in part, because they have failed to go on a tour of the building. "I can't bring myself to go inside," Patterson said recently, criticizing the Safety Center costs. The first-term councilman is a builder. In the end, McCollum said, the building will open and the current council will see that the space needs for the city have been met for years to come. The mayor said the project will prove to be the best option for expanding the existing Municipal Center, now at the corner of U.S. 31 and Interstate 459. Nine other plans for expansion have either fallen through or been abandoned over the years due to high costs.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:48pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} SPEAK OUT February 11, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 3-H Hats off to Henry, Ludwig, others Hats off to Hoover citizens Jim Henry, Mary Sue Ludwig, Lee Bushway and other concerned citizens for their perseverance and efforts to persuade Hoover's elected officials to agree, by a 3-2 vote, to ask the Alabama Legislature to amend the state code to allow Hoover to increase its number of council members from five to seven for the upcoming Aug. 24 municipal elections. Jim Henry has led the campaign since last June to change Hoover's way of electing its city council from "at large" to district elections by proposing a seven-member district plan. Inexcusable lack of consideration by the mayor and council from June until midJanuary delayed any discussion and debate for such change and eventually eliminated the possibility of considering a change to district elections as the Feb. 24 deadline for such action drew near. The responsibility now lies with Mayor Barbara McCollum, City Council President Bob Austin and City Attorney Steve Griffin to see that the opportunity to add two members to the council is appropriately expedited to the proper state legislators and that all efforts are sincerely exhausted to see that the amendment is approved in time for this year's election. The efforts and actions of our elected officials dictate whether our citizens are encouraged or discouraged to participate in the process of city government. Bob Lochamy Hoover Looking gift horse squarely in mouth In recent weeks, two issues involving the Hoover School Board have been in the news. First, there was the issue of the indoor batting facility for Hoover High School. Based on the quotes that appeared in the paper, the school board seems to be more concerned with appearances than facilities. They turned a cold shoulder to the baseball boosters by saying, in effect, that "it just wouldn't look good to build such a facility when school budgets are so tight." Huh? The facility was going to be a GIFT from the boosters. All the board had to contribute was the land and the interest on the money for a few years. But, after being turned down by the board, the boosters found a way to borrow the money elsewhere. Superintendent Jack Farr gave them permission to begin work (without seeking divine approval from the board) but only on the site preparation and foundation for the structure. Then, when the go-getters, or their contractor, went a little too far, the Little Lord Fauntleroy squad showed up led by Joe Dean and Peggy Sanford. Instead of trying to find fault and place blame, why not get the proper approval from the state and proceed with the completion of the facility? Wouldn't that be in the best interests of all involved? The school board should quit looking gift horses in the mouth or those 6 mills that Hoover voters in Shelby County renewed last month may be the last such vote to go their way. In addition, maybe Ms. Sanford can tell us just who was harmed by the actions of the boosters, school employees or the contractor? The other issue concerns Rocky Ridge elementary school. It seems that, in the minds of some, apartment dwellers are the real source of the "problem" of lower standardized test scores at some schools. This "problem" is so great that some are proposing these apartmentdwelling students be spread around so that more schools can share in the misery that they supposedly bring. Huh? If it is true that apartment dwellers tend to relocate and transfer more often than house dwellers, why not allow those who are most familiar and experienced with this issue continue to handle it? Based on the quotes that have been attributed to her, the principal at Rocky Ridge seemed comfortable with the current situation there. Furthermore, why disrupt the pace of any more classes than is absolutely necessary? Scattering transient students all over the school system so that more and more classes would be disrupted due to varying levels of progress is ludicrous. Allow those who have been dealing with this issue to continue to do so, give them the resources they need to improve and leave the rest of the schools alone. Whatever happened to the concept of community schools? What about those parents who have chosen to live in areas zoned for schools that have higher academic performance so that their children can benefit from the same? Should their plans and dreams be dashed in order to spread this alleged "problem" around? What is wrong with some schools in the Hoover system being ranked in the excellent category while others don't quite measure up to that lofty standard, whether the cause be apartment dwellers, parents who don't do enough to prepare their children for school or just plain, old bad luck? We aren't all the same and we never will be. Stable, affluent sections of all areas tend to produce better students with better grades. Rezoning students because they live in an apartment is a really dumb idea. W. D. Hocutt Hoover

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/02/08 at 11:50pm Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MAYOR'S RACE PICKS UP STEAM January 21, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer The Hoover 2004 mayor's race picked up steam this month as contenders for the city's top job made public appearances and reached out to residents as a way to solidify their platforms or garner media attention for their campaigns. Incumbent Mayor Barbara McCollum spoke to the Friends of Hoover monthly breakfast last week, shaking hands afterward and listening to residents' concerns. She gave the group highlights from her annual "state of the city" speech, which, since the latest version was penned in late 2003, has served as a kind of preamble to her re-election bid, observers said. Candidate Bob Lochamy, a former sports day, he said a meeting with homeowners in Greystone, a Hoover neighborhood off U.S. 280, should happen in the coming days to discuss ways to improve that community's City Council representation. A third candidate, Tony Petelos, stepped up Friday with a press conference in front of the planned Hoover Public Safety Center to bash McCollum's administration for launching a multimillion-dollar renovation of the building. Construction managers at the Safety Center, a former BellSouth warehouse on Valleydale Road near U.S. 31, gathered on the edge of the dusty, unfinished parking lot to watch as Petelos campaigned before a cluster of television cameras and reporters. "From here on out it's campaign time," Petelos said after Friday's media event. Hoover voters will cast their ballots in August for mayor and five city council seats. Two other notable political figures in the city, Council President Bob Austin and City Councilman Jack Wright, have declined to say whether they might run for mayor. Lochamy, owner of Hooverbased Lochamy & Associates, was the first candidate to announce in 2003. He said Thursday his meeting calendar was filling up and that he has tweaked his work schedule to accommodate more time in campaign efforts. The media consultant vowed to "be out there almost daily getting the pulse of the community" in the mayor's race. Lochamy and Petelos have been regulars at the twicemonthly Hoover City Council meetings since November. The candidates may get a chance, during public hearings scheduled in the next few weeks, to talk about issues they have deemed campaign worthy. Austin, too, has seemed willing to invite Lochamy and Petelos to address the five-member council at the end of some sessions. Petelos, a former state lawmaker and Department of Human Resources commissioner, now a self-employed builder, said he is scrambling to mix private business with public campaigning. Friday's gathering at the Public Safety Center site was the second time in recent weeks Petelos has faxed out statements and held briefings to attack McCollum's administration for what he called "reckless and irresponsible" financial decisions. "This mayor has mortgaged the future of the City of Hoover and saddled its residents and children with debt," said one Petelos statement issued last week. McCollum said Thursday she would not campaign during working hours - serving as mayor and campaigning for the 2004 election "are separate activities," she said. The part-time mayor said meetings would be held in the coming weeks, probably during evening hours, to organize her own campaign activities. George Mullins, a founding member of the activist group Concerned Citizens for the Fu ture of Hoover, said these wellthought out campaign plans, in many ways, stand in sharp contrast to what he considers an uncoordinated growth and development plan for the city. He said the Concerned Citizens haven't chosen a candidate to support, but should make that decision in the coming weeks or months after hearing more about the various platforms. "I want someone who can give us planned growth because I'm still not seeing that," Mullins said of the 2004 election. "We are a sought-after community in the state of Alabama and we need to have strategic, world-class government to administer it," he said.

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by googling on 05/04/08 at 3:43pm HSCIN wrote: Birmingham News (AL){PUBLICATION2} MAYOR'S RACE PICKS UP STEAM January 21, 2004 Section: Neighborhoods Page: 1-H   TROY GOODMAN News staff writer The Hoover 2004 mayor's race picked up steam this month as contenders for the city's top job made public appearances and reached out to residents as a way to solidify their platforms or garner media attention for their campaigns.   Notice the date of this article - January 2004.  There were already three (public) candidates out at that time and that was seven months before the election.  Right now we only have one (that we know about).

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by HSCIN on 05/04/08 at 8:44pm Yes, BUT........the Council in 2004 was in a state of chaos.  Constant bickering (I didn't post all of that).  The President of the Council filed a lawsuit against the Mayor or some such nonsense.  Lots of folks were trying to get land annexed into Hoover. Chaos created a perceived weakness that allowed many to step up. ALSO......the Council went from a 5- to a 7-member City Council.  There was talk of Districting.  I believe that many were afraid they would not have representation, and that's why they stepped up and ran for Council. I'd like to resurrect the discussion of Districting.  I mean, look at the Council.  7 white folks.  Upper middle class.  Hoover is much more diverse than our Council shows.  We had one African-American person and one Hispanic person run for Council last time.  I certainly hope that we can attract a more diverse candidate pool. This Council has done an outstanding job of keeping chaos to a minimum.  At least since they had Dr. Williams fired.  This Superintendent and Central Office is well aware of the power that this Council wields and you will not see them speak out against the Council's actions ever again because of it.  What's that saying about Absolute Power?

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by synergis1 on 05/04/08 at 9:34pm What's that saying about Absolute Power? Absolute power corrupts absolutely?

Title: Re: A Bit of History Post by aka_deplume on 05/04/08 at 9:59pm synergis1 wrote: What's that saying about Absolute Power? Absolute power corrupts absolutely? Sorry, couldn't resist... http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee101/aka_deplume/power.jpg

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