By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



The following events were reported in The North Jefferson News during this week in 2003, 1998, 1988 and 1978.



Five years ago

• Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor’s letter to the Warrior City Council is “clear as mud,” thus not helping determine whether David Keeton’s status as a councilman is legal since Keeton moved to Vestavia Hills.

• The Gardendale Building Inspections Department is busy, having issued 109-percent more residential construction permits this year than last year.

• Fultondale is also experiencing record growth, as residential construction leads commercial by a 2-to-1 margin.



10 years ago

• Heroic dog Chico perished in a house fire after his barking awoke his Gardendale family. The residents were all OK, but all of the family’s pets were killed.

• Outback Steakhouse in Fultondale is scheduled to open next week. The restaurant is hosting a VIP night this week for all who helped build the restaurant, the parents of those hired and local mayors.

• The Gardendale Police Department added two full-time police officers to the force this week: Chris Nichols and Mark Kanaday.



20 years ago

• Gardendale will get a new library, additional land for parks, a jail expansion and sidewalks when a proposed bond issue is finalized.

• An ordinance approved at the Gardendale City Council meeting is expected to restrict parking lot cruising. The problem came to a head a few weeks ago when a man chased several people with a Japanese samurai sword in the Food World-Burger King parking lot.

• Most Warrior city employees will receive a 10-percent pay increase. Police and police dispatchers had received salary increases of 18 and 10 percent, respectively, earlier this year.



30 years ago

• The line for 1979 tag decals recently stretched from the front door of the Gardendale Civic Center to Main Street, then along the street to the parking lot of the First Baptist Church and turned back toward the civic center.

• The Fultondale City Council is looking for a replacement for T.M. Pate, who will retire from the position of building inspector at the end of this month. Two men are being considered for the job.

• Welch’s Union 76 Radiator Repair Shop in Gardendale is advertising the weekly special to be a front-end alignment for $9.98, an oil change for $9.98 or a winterize special for $49.95. The ad promises “We do jam-up radiator repair work.”