
Courtesy of Ashley Curry.
Ashley Curry
We will remember the year 2020 for several reasons. First and foremost, the COVID-19 pandemic. The year 2020 also marks the 50th anniversary of our school system and the 70th anniversary of our city’s founding.
Can you believe that our city is 70 years old this month? From the early 1900s, settlers attempted to settle on and around Shades Mountain, so named because of the dense “shaded woods” in the valley between Red Mountain and Shades Mountain. The south side of Shades Mountain (what is now Vestavia Hills) was problematic because it was difficult to cross over the mountain from the southern side of Shades Mountain into Birmingham. According to Marvin Whiting’s book, “Vestavia Hills, A Place Apart,” it was well into the 1920s before homes were built and occupied. There were around 600 residents in 1950. The incorporation of the city was finalized on Oct. 24, 1950 when 88 of 96 voters approved the incorporation.
The city grew and prospered with some major events, such as the formation of the Vestavia Hills School System in 1970, the acquisition of the Liberty Park area in 1992 and the annexation of the Cahaba Heights area in 2002.
From that humble beginning, Vestavia Hills has grown to over 35,000 in population and is the 15th largest city in Alabama per the U.S. Census estimates of 2010. This growth is not surprising in light of the quality of life that we enjoy.
I recently attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the Vestavia Hills school system. It is obvious that the quest for excellence in education, envisioned by city officials, has come to fruition. The “culture of excellence” was well represented by the five inductees into the inaugural “Hall of Fame” class of the Vestavia Hills City Schools. The inductees were Coach Buddy Anderson, Helen Holley, David Miles, Carlton Smith and Kay Tipton. Each of these inductees represent the “excellence” that makes our school system one of the best in the country.
As for the pandemic, I am now hearing that there are projections for an increase in the number of cases as the “flu season” approaches. We have all experienced the inconvenience that it has caused in our inability to gather with friends, whether at church, sporting events, restaurants, etc. I ask that you remain vigilant in practicing the public health directives. Together, we can hopefully put COVID-19 behind us and have something else, something more positive, with which to remember 2020.
Stay safe.