Published: August 06, 2008 09:38 am      

This week in history: Aug. 6, 2008

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

• The Marriott hotel chain has chosen Fultondale for expansion. The international company plans to build a new prototype building next to Lowe’s, the first one of its kind in Alabama. The sign will read “Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott.”

• The city of Gardendale, served since 1954 by a pool of volunteer firefighters, for the first time hires full-time firemen. The city hired four firefighters and hopes it will help lead to homeowners’ insurance being lowered.

• A Subway sandwich shop opens in Fultondale as part of the Shell gas station across from Lowe’s. The owner said that another Subway franchisee wants to open a Subway restaurant in Warrior.



10 years ago

• Bob Boffa and Greg Davis of Gardendale Jewelers are outraged about the airing of a controversial movie on the Bravo channel. They are enlisting the help of the Birmingham Baptist Association, the North Jefferson Baptist Association and Mother Angelica’s EWTN to stop an airing of “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

• Jefferson County voters overwhelmingly voted down MAPS, a plan that would have added 1 cent to sales tax. Voters turned out in record numbers to either support or vote down the measure.



20 years ago

• Former Fultondale Mayor J.L. Arwood may have lost his bid to unseat Place 4 City Councilman Tommy Loden. Fultondale officials received notification from the Alabama Ethics Commission that Arwood had not filed the required statement of economic interest within 10 days of qualifying as required by law.

• Warrior residents got a brand new post office when the new post office building opened for business Saturday near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 31 and Cane Creek Road. The post office had previously been in a small building next to City Hall since 1959.

• Gardendale’s Courtney Payne stars in a high-tech public service announcement that urges teens to shun sex. In the film, a girl and her boyfriend are visited by extraterrestrials, who tell the couple how young people have abused the power they have to create life.



30 years ago

• The city of Gardendale has once again been put on the map through the efforts of the Gardendale Rockettes, a 16-18-year-old girls fast-pitch softball team. The Rockettes brought home the first-place trophy in the World Series in Florida.

• A political rally aimed at local candidates was held at the Gardendale Civic Center Tuesday night, and brought to town some of the state-wide candidates as well as a selection of local politicians.

• The Gardendale Civic Center is causing problems for the city. John Brigham, park director, said the building is sinking because it was not built on solid ground. The $375,000 building has also leaked in at least 20 places and the stucco is falling off.