By Rubin E. Grant Richard Simmons couldn’t believe his eyes, or his ears. During a Democratic presidential debate in October, the Freedom From Religion Foundation aired a 30-second commercial on CNN that featured Ron Reagan, the son of former President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan. The ad begins: “Hi, I’m Ron Reagan, an unabashed atheist, and I’m alarmed by the … [Read more...]
The Reason for the Season: Vestavia Hills’ Waters Hosts Holiday Signings of ‘Twas the Night That Began Christmas’
By Emily Williams In October of last year, Vestavia Hills’ Catherine Conrad Waters published her first children’s book ahead of the holiday season. “‘Twas the Night That Began Christmas” plays off the rhyme and verse of Clement Moore’s famous “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Rather than focusing on Saint Nicholas or the promise of presents, Waters’ book focuses on the … [Read more...]
O Christmas Trees: Ho-Ho-Hoover Randle Event Celebrates Holidays With Tree Decorating and Helping Hoover Children in Need
By Ingrid SchnaderThirteen organizations in Hoover were invited to the first-ever Ho-Ho-Hoover Randle open house and tree decoration contest Sunday at the Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens. The Hoover-Randle group provided the trees, and the only instruction to the area organizations that decorated the trees was that each tree should tell a story about those … [Read more...]
Twist to the Revolution: Samford’s Production of ‘1776’ Casts 22 Women, Only Four Men
By Ingrid SchnaderThe original script for “1776: The Musical,” which was written in 1969, calls for a cast of two women and 24 men.But when Samford University theater director Chelsea Nicholson got hold of the script, she decided to take a different artistic direction.“Look at Congress today,” she said. “It’s 80% men, 20% women in 2019. And that’s only after that … [Read more...]
In Perennial Service: Vestavia Hills War Hero and Educator Regrets None of his Almost 100 Years on Earth
By Ingrid Schnader Vestavia Hills resident and retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Carl Cooper has so many medals on his uniform that he said he can’t remember what they all mean. In his 38-year career in the military, he served active duty during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He said the medal at the top of his uniform is the Legion of Merit, and his nephew … [Read more...]