The 2019 Year In Review

If you have been a listener to the podcast then you know this is the 100th Anniversary of Shades Cahaba as a school. The first day of school was September 19, 1920. There was a dedication held a few days before and It was on that day that the two large bronze plaques were unveiled by the auditorium. We talked about that on our Veteran’s Day episode.

I had a great time interviewing people in 2019 and sharing their stories. Before I get into the new year, I wanted to look back at the 13 episodes we have produced so far.

Episode 1 featured current Shades Cahaba Elementary Principal John Lowry. He gave us an update on what Shades Cahaba is today. The size, what they are doing and how they are impacting the students that are there now. We finished the episode with a history of how the school started. It didn’t just magically appear, it took a community to build it.

Dr. Lowry has been big help to me and the podcast. I appreciate all the support he has given me so far.

In Episode 2 we talk about the 1920s at Shades Cahaba. Big things happened during this decade including the first graduating class, adding the elementary school students to the school, and expansion of the original building. So much of the growth of the school came because of the help of the Shades Cahaba School Improvement Association, the precursor to today’s PTO. 

My guest was current PTO President Alexa McElroy. Alexa shared with us what the PTO has been doing for the school and she announced the 100th Birthday Celebration at the school that kicked off the year-long Centennial Celebration. 

Despite the rain, the party was a great success. You can see images of the historical banners used at the event on the blog page at shadescahabahistory.com

Episode 3 introduced us to Don Harbor. I have known Don a long time and it was a pleasant surprise to find out he went to Shades Cahaba. Don was in Elementary school at the end of Shades Cahaba’s time as a high school and he shared his experiences with me.

Don had written his memories of his time growing up in Homewood well before I had contacted him. I will be sharing his Shades Cahaba stories on the blog so make sure you lookout for those

Bill Cleveland is an alumnus and the current Homewood Board of Education Superintendent. It was only a matter of time before he showed up on the pod. I interviewed him in Episode 4 and we talked about the Homewood school system today, what it is like coming back and leading a school system where they know all your history. We also take a look at what was going on at Shades Cahaba during the 1930s.

In episode 5 I talk with former principal Sue Grogan about her time at Shades Cahaba and what the school was like in the 1940s. I met her when my oldest son first started kindergarten. She is known for many things but helping establish the Shades Cahaba Way is a legacy that will last. 

If you want to know anything about the history of Homewood, you have to talk to Herb Griffin. Herb is a lifelong resident of the town and his family was one of the original settlers in this area. In episode 6 we talked about his time at Shades Cahaba High School and being a member of the class of 1948. 

From the beginning of the podcast, I was looking for the story of the owl on the building. Someone told me that I needed to contact Laura Estes. It seems that she grew up next to the owl on Wellington Road and might know the story. Episode 7 was planned on being about the owl but I had a great time talking with her about her time as a kindergarten teacher at Shades Cahaba Elementary. Not only did Laura teach there but her mother, Kernie Ardillo was a P.E. teacher in the 50s and her father, Nick Ardillo, was a 15-year member and chairman of the Homewood Board of Education. 

Episode 8 was a spec

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