Article Surfing Archive

I moved to Alabama in February to share living space with my best friend and her son, daughter-in-law and soon-to-be grandson. Even though the land is in Morgan County, and our official address is Eva, most of our shopping and eating-out is done in Cullman. Having a background in newspapers I have the natural curiosity of a reporter.

When we go any place as a family, and there is daylight, we take a tour of that particular area. Recently, when we finished our dinner in Cullman, we took a ride through the residential area where we saw some pretty homes and The Falls

The next day I decided it would be interesting to find out something about Cullman and Cullman County and hopefully I'll be able to convince the new editor-in-chief of the Cullman Times to run my articles in the newspaper. I'm sure there are some things the new residents don't know and some things older residents knew, but might have forgotten.

One of the things I found out was the unemployment rate is a low 2.2%. You might think that is high unless you lived where I did where it as close to 10% with, for the most part, low, almost pitiful, wages.

Did you know Cullman County has 442 industries, with what looks a large forthcoming industry being built on 157 where it intersect with Route 69? Of those the biggest employer at this time is the Walmart Distribution Center with 1,404 employees.

The statistics quoted above came from the Chamber of Commerce, but I haven't had the opportunity to check the school employees. Where I moved from in Florida the school district was the largest employer. Schools were not included in the statistics from the Chamber, but I will be interested to talk to somebody on the school board. Judging from the amount of schools listed in the telephone book I think the employment would be quite high in Cullman County.

If I get cooperation of the people I contact I hope to start a column called 'Meet Your Neighbor' if the new editor likes my work as is not adverse to giving a newcomer free-lancer a job. That remains to be seen.

I'll close my column with God loves you and so do I,that has been my signature close for many years.