Progress 2012: McAlpine loves city of Warrior

Published 6:06 am Friday, August 10, 2012

By Nathan Prewett
North Jefferson News

J.D. NcAlpine of Warrior

 

J.D. McAlpine has lived in Warrior for most of his life. Things have changed a good bit during his time — sometimes good, sometimes not. 

McAlpine is a well known figure in the Warrior community. He is a member of the Warrior Lions Club and a retired supervisor for Cullman-Jefferson County Gas, a natural gas district that redistributes gas to homes and businesses. He retired from Cullman-Jefferson in 1992. 

He has been with the Warrior Lions Club for over 20 years. He enjoys helping others, especially children, and he attends Waterstone Church, formerly Warrior First Baptist. 

In addition to being part of the Lions Club, McAlpine is chairman of the library board. He is helping the library move into the old National Guard Armory when it is renovated.

“We still got some people who are willing to do things to help Warrior,” he said. “Like the library for instance. That’s going to be a big thing. I think that’s going to bring more people into Warrior. We’ve got a good foundation. We’ve got some good people running for municipal office this year.” 

He is also chairman of Warrior Day — a day of festivities in Warrior that is organized by the Lions Club. He helps organize the parade that is a part of the festival. 

Over his years in Warrior, McAlpine has taken note of the city’s well-being. 

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“Warrior, when I was growing up, was a viable, bustling town,” he said. “Now I can see some decaying, but it’s just one of those things. You can’t blame the people in office. They do everything they can do.” 

The decay that McAlpine addressed has prompted the city council to kick off the Downtown Revitalization project, which will help parts of Warrior that need improvement. He hopes more industry will come to the city. 

He has been married to his wife, Diane, for 50 years. They first met at a barbecue restaurant where Diane was a waitress.

“I walked in and three months later we were married,” said McAlpine.  

They have three children and several grandchildren. His two sons both served in the war in Iraq. 

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