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June 2024 | Volume 12 | Issue 9
Sun
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SERVING HOOVER, THE 280 CORRIDOR, HOMEWOOD, MOUNTAIN BROOK, TRUSSVILLE AND VESTAVIA HILLS
HOOVER’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE HOOVERSUN.COM | STARNESMEDIA.COM
Meet Shelley Shaw
Terms and Conditions apply.
Saving łhe view Nature, history groups push for creation of Bluff Park Preserve By JON ANDERSON
Shelley Shaw replaces Craig Kelley on the Hoover Board of Education.
See page 8
Coming Home
B
luff Park’s history can be traced back to its original Native American inhabitants, when Creek Indians used the springs on Shades Mountain as a stopping point as they traveled between their settlements along the Cahaba and Warrior rivers. Later, in the 1850s, the area was turned into a resort with 40 log cabins. The Bluff Park Hotel, a 20-room inn often used as a getaway for people in Birmingham, followed in the early 1900s, but it was destroyed by fire in 1925, according to the bluffparkal.org website. The natural springs on Shades Mountain served as a draw for visitors and settlers alike, but another big attraction is the view off the mountaintop. To this day, people are drawn to certain spots in Bluff Park for a scenic view of Shades Valley and Red Mountain, particularly at sunset. And now, history buffs and nature lovers are trying to create a roughly 20-acre preserve to save one of the largest remaining open spaces on the bluff side of Shades Mountain from development. Leading the charge is the Friends of Shades Mountain nonprofit.
See BLUFF PARK | page 24
Hoover High alum Aniya Hubbard joins hometown program.
See page 19
INSIDE Sponsors.............. 4 City........................ 6 Schoolhouse........ 8 Business..............10 Real Estate......... 12
Events.................. 14 Sports.................. 16 Community......... 21 Getaway for a Day.............. 22
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Larry Rudick and Peggy Quinn, with the Friends of Shades Mountain nonprofit, stand at the overlook of Shades Mountain at the former Tip Top Grill in Bluff Park on May 16. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Explore Hoover: Summer fun in the city The Explore Playground and Splash Pad at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex is a big draw for kids. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
By GRACE THORNTON As the days get longer, there’s more time to pack in all the fun Hoover has to offer. Check out something new this summer in the city. Here’s a sampling of options:
TRY YOUR HAND AT PICKLEBALL
If you haven’t picked up a pickleball paddle yet but have been wanting to, now is a great time. Hoover’s supply of courts is constantly growing. You can find them in neighborhoods, parks and churches, and many are open to the public.
See SUMMER | page 26
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