Photo courtesy of Frank Brocato
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato
Every September, I get excited about the return of football and the approach of fall weather. Very soon we will see the leaves begin to change as another season rolls in. While these thoughts bring a smile, they are always accompanied by a somber moment as I also reflect on the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.
That day, as Americans, we were bound together through three senseless terroristic acts that claimed nearly 3,000 lives in New York, Washington, D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Despite being thousands of miles away, the waves of pain were felt just as strongly here in Hoover. I was still a firefighter at that time and could not imagine the suffering all of those brave men and women went through that day.
Although 18 years have now passed, we must never forget the sacrifices given and the lives lost that day.
Here in the city of Hoover, we will hold a commemorative service that will be held on Sept. 11 at 8:30 a.m. at Fire Station #2 in the Preserve. We hope you will be able to join us.
As leaders of the city, we are continuously looking for ways to improve the quality of services we provide to our citizens. That has led us to give serious consideration to making some changes surrounding Household Hazardous Waste Day. For years, it has been held at the Hoover Met Complex. But as that venue continues to grow in popularity, it has caused us to consider moving HHWD to a different location.
We are also looking to possibly add a second HHWD event during the year — one that would be held on the east side of the city. Discussions about these changes are in the preliminary stages, but we wanted to let you know they are taking place.
As we look ahead, here are some dates to mark on your calendar.
- Oct. 11: Hoover High plays Spain Park at the Hoover Met
- Oct. 24: Hoover Hayride held at Veterans Park
- Oct. 25: Children’s Harbor Pig Iron BBQ Competition held at the Hoover Met RV Park
I hope to see you out at some of these events. If my staff and I can ever be of service, just give us a call. We are happy to help.