Sun Neighborly news & entertainment for Hoover
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1687 Montgomery Hwy Hoover, al 35216 (205) 979-8888
Volume 4 | Issue 1 | October 2015
Bringing history to life
Fall football
Catch up on how the Bucs and Jags are doing this season in our football recaps.
Whispers From the Past returns to Aldridge Gardens
See page B11
Home inspiration
Find tips and tricks on caring for your home and garden in this month’s special advertising section.
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By MARIENNE THOMAS OGLE There won’t be any teepees or tomahawks at Aldridge Gardens on Oct. 4, but there will be an opportunity to delve into the authentic history of Southeastern Native Americans. Whispers From the Past: A Native American Experience is an annual daylong festival of hands-on activities, demonstrations, artifacts, lectures and performances with representatives of the local Native American community. Audrey Ann Wilson, Gardens education coordinator, said the event allows visitors of all ages a glimpse into the past and present of the first inhabitants of the area that is now Alabama and neighboring states. “Having taught in public schools for 26 years, I realize that people are interested in American Indians but often think in stereotypes about the ancient people of the Southeast,” Wilson said. “As the study of Native Americans is a part of the social studies
The Medicine Tail Dancers and Singers will showcase dances in the different styles of several Native American tribes during their performance at Aldridge Gardens’ Whispers From the Past. Photo courtesy of Diana Knight.
See WHISPERS | page A30
Special page B14
INSIDE City ........................A6 Business.............A10 Community ........A14
School House ......B6 Sports ..................B11 Calendar .............B26
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Classroom deficit School budget shortfall raises questions of cutting expenses, increasing taxes By JON ANDERSON The Hoover school system’s revenue has dropped by almost $2,500 per student since 2008. This is one of several reasons that the school board’s budget for the 2016 fiscal year, $168 million in total, includes a deficit of $10.4 million. It’s the latest in a string of budget
deficits for Hoover City Schools since 2008. The only year in recent years where revenues exceeded expenditures was 2011, when the school system took in $1.7 million more than it spent, thanks in large part to an influx of federal money that year. New Superintendent Kathy
See BUDGET | page A31
2016 Expenditures $168 million