Commentary By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



All the magazines and newspapers are doing a “year in review” right now to wrap up 2007 and usher in 2008.

It’s a great idea. Although I took a four-month sabbatical from the North Jefferson News during 2007, I was here the majority of the year.

So I opened up my calendar back to January to refresh my memory. Here is the “Best of Melanie 2007.” It is based solely upon the opinion of Melanie, by the way.

In January, we ran the story of Kimberly’s former police chief resigning. Bill Isbell stepped up and did the job until the city hired Mike Melvin as chief.

Also in January, students, faculty and staff moved into the brand-new Fultondale Elementary School.

And my favorite feature story of the month was writing about Fultondale’s VFW Post No. 10250 Honor Guard.

In February, I got to interview and write about the Rev. Theodore Hines, a Warrior City Council member. He was the centerpiece of an article for Black History Month. He was honest about what he endured as one of 16 African American students who first attended the all-white Warrior High School in 1969.

And back to Kimberly, the Town Council in February voted to keep the Kimberly Police Department after discussing closing it and contracting law enforcement services from the county.

In March, there was huge controversy as the Jefferson County Board of Education considered consolidating Gardendale and Fultondale high schools. Residents in both cities were overwhelmingly opposed to the merger, so the board voted to keep the schools separate.

April marked the 60th anniversary of the Warrior Lions Club. Although I went to the Mt. Olive Jack’s restaurant instead of the Warrior Jack’s for the interview, the club’s leaders patiently waited on me for almost an hour until I finally figured it out.

April also saw Joy Clayton named as the new Gardendale Chamber of Commerce executive director.

In May, one of north Jefferson County’s most beloved principals, Carol Yarborough, retired from Bragg Middle School after working for 28 years in Jefferson County schools. Jeff Caufield was transferred from his job as a Gardendale High School assistant principal to fill Yarborough’s shoes.

May brought about another retirement. Dr. Ronald Keith Adams started Gateway Baptist Church in Fultondale in 1981, and stepped down from the pulpit 25 years later.

June continued the trend. I got to interview two wonderful long-time teachers who were both retiring after 42 years: Phyllis Russell from Hayden Elementary School and Linda Powers from Gardendale High School.

In July, I talked with Warrior police officer George Billits and his family just a few days before Billits was deployed to Iraq with his military unit.

From August through November I was living in Auburn.

December brought about a slew of touching Christmas stories, as well as Snow Rogers Elementary getting a new principal, Karen White.

Obviously, I had to leave out dozens of stories I’ve written the past year, so please don’t be offended if I didn’t mention something that was important to you.

Every word that we put in the paper here is important, and it’s all for you. Here’s to an equally fulfilling 2008, where I’ll gladly continue to write about your neighbors, friends and enemies in northern Jefferson County.