No Sheffield Santa, but a Tuscumbia Train

If you're looking for Sheffield's classic Santa, Thomas Wolfe was right--you can't go home again. Over the years, we've heard various tales concerning the fate of the giant Santa Claus that annually stood watch over North Montgomery Avenue--even that the late Bob Love was secretly restoring the icon to decorate the entrance of Park Place during the holidays. Yet another year has come and gone, and we still have no Santa. If any of our readers have information about this Sheffield classic of the 50s and 60s, please forward it to us for publication.

Nostalgia in the town of Tuscumbia fares much better; there the Spring Park train of yesteryear has been restored and runs faithfully during much of the year. The month of December sees the diminutive railway turned into a Christmas train. If you haven't made it to the park for your annual Christmas ride, you still have time. The Tuscumbia Railway Christmas Train will run December 26-29 at 6:00 p.m. Admission is only $3.00, making it a perfect ending to a day of after Christmas sales.


What's up with this: Remember to drop off all your Christmas recycling to the Easter Seals building on Woodward Avenue in Muscle Shoals. It's for a great cause and might even convince Florence Mayor Bobby Irons that recycling is more than just an urban myth.

Shoalanda