Sun Neighborly news & entertainment for Hoover
Volume 5 | Issue 10 | July 2017
The Blind Boys of Alabama are scheduled to perform at the Freedom Fest at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on the Fourth of July. Photo courtesy of Blind Boys of Alabama.
MOSS ROCK PRESERVE:
American Cons ervation Experie nce workers brea brought into Mo k up stones ss Rock Preser ve to build a sm elp it erosion all retaining wa at t e bo lder fi ll to eld. Photos by Jo n Anderson.
PROTECTING A TREASURE
By J O N AN D ERS O N
A
s the popularity of hiking, rock climbing and bouldering has grown, enthusiasts are faced with a challenge — keeping people who love the sport and the outdoors from destroying the natural environment they love so much. Heavy foot traffic at the boulder fields at the 3 50-acre Moss Rock Preserve nature park, next to The Preserve subdivision, has led to increased erosion, said Colin Conner, the city of Hoover’s forester. Soil around the boulder fields is washing away, and tree roots are becoming more exposed, Conner said.
The end result following clean up and restoration.
Pre-Sort Standard U .S. Postage PAID Tupelo, MS Permit # 54
See MOSS ROCK | page A30
INSIDE
Blind Boys of Alabama bring soul to Met for Freedom Fest By J O N AN D ERS O N Ricky McKinnie started losing his sight due to glaucoma when he was 20 and was blind by the age of 23 , but that didn’t stop him from sharing the gospel music he loves so much. McKinnie, who already had a gold album under his belt with the Gospel Keynotes, continued performing and eventually was asked to join the Blind Boys of Alabama around 19 8 8 — 13 years after he went blind. He has been with the group for 29 years now and will be with them when they perform at the city of Hoover’s Freedom Fest on the Fourth of July at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. “ We’re looking forward to it,” McKinnie said in an interview from his home in Atlanta. The Blind Boys of Alabama, who have won five rammys and been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, performed two shows to small audiences at the Hoover Library Theatre in
See FREEDOM FEST | page A28 Sponsors .............. A4 News...................... A6
Business ..............A10 Chamber.............. A12
Events ..................A15 School House .... A22
Community .......... B6 Sports ................... B8
Real Estate.......... B17 Calendar .............. B18 facebook.com/thehooversun
Taking Action
Better Than Par
Ten-person collaboration ENVOY on a mission to share messages of hope and love through variety of music.
Hoover grads Julie Baker and yc ael erry loo a ead to collegiate life after stellar prep olfin careers.
See page B5
See page B10