Photo: Attalla City Council members gathered for the dedication of the Stowers Hill park to District 3 Councilman Don Oliver (pictured, third from left) on April 17. The new sign bearing his name was a surprise to Oliver until this moment. Pictured, from left: Attalla City Schools Superintendent Jeff Colegrove, District 4 Councilman Joe Hereford, Oliver, Attalla Mayor Larry Means, District 5 Councilman Bob Cross, District 1 Councilman Duane Ball, District 2 Councilman Anthony E. Cylar CSM (RET). (Emma Kirkemier/Messenger)
By Emma Kirkemier, News Editor
City of Attalla officials surprised one of their own on April 17 by dedicating the park at Stowers Hill to him.
“I’m very proud,” said District 3 Councilman Don Oliver.
The dedication was a complete surprise to him, the other councilors having kept the secret under wraps for an entire month before the big reveal.
Oliver recalled playing baseball on the park’s diamond in his youth in 1959, the year after it opened. The field had since become overgrown, but the city recently restored it, complete with new fences.
Oliver’s wife Teresa attested to the fact that the councilman frequently spent time in and around the park or driving by to check on the construction and restoration efforts.
“That’s how you know that he was really passionate about this,” she said. “He’s been working towards this for a long time.”
According to Attalla Mayor Larry Means, the city has made good use of the site since acquiring it from the former Attalla Elementary School that once occupied the property. Means noted that citizens often make use of the gym, as well as the baseball diamond, basketball court, walking trail and playground.
District 2 Councilman Anthony E. Cylar alluded to the possibility of adding a batting cage near the baseball field in the future.
With his continuous time and attention to the project, Oliver noted that there was still work to be done, including, eradicating a few ant beds alongside the walking track.