HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Meet Devyn Keith:
In our sit down, I asked Keith about the challenges of the past year
Last year was a year for you we'll say that and there may be some things that make people not, you know, see that this may be a good thing for you to run again. how do you get them to see the bigger picture?
Keith: That is a great question. While everybody has any reason by which they can decide to vote or not vote for me, if people define me by one moment in my life not knowing all of the story, not knowing all of what has happened, there's nothing I can do about that.
For the last eight years. Devyn Keith has been the voice of district one, but this past year was marked by something that happened... not in council chambers... but in the aisles of a local store. Keith was pleaded guilty to shoplifting at Walmart after he was accused of multiple thefts.
"The majority of people look at me as a totality of eight years and not one moment. So as much as I wish I could go back in time and change everything that has happened, it has made me a better man," Keith shares. "I cannot define myself. and nobody should define themselves by one moment but the sum total of all the moments of their life."
Keith is a North Huntsville native. He says this district made him who he is today. "You know, all of the stories I've told, the biggest one, the most important one, is District 1 is one of the reasons that I am the man that I am today. So many people have put a lot of time into my life. this village has truly raised me.'
A new food city, a Skate Park and the opening of the Shurney Legacy center all happened under Keith, but time will bring more needed change. "Places like Providence took 17 years to redevelop and now is the place to be. It's going to take time for north Huntsville to be the same thing," Keith shares. "What makes somebody drive from east, west, south, Huntsville to come north? those are the things we're working to bring in next year."
His biggest achievement, people returning "home". "It's a blessing to see so many people returning. As I said, my cousin just bought a house in Jaguar Hills once when we were playing basketball on Brett Road, now he is a homeowner, has a child that'll be going into the public education system," Keith shares. "Again, the reinvestment is not just our dollars and cents, it's our community and culture."
Now improvements within the school system become a focus if re-elected. Keith wants to work with board members to enact change. "Seven years ago, only two schools were failing in northwest Huntsville and now seven of them are failing the state was announced last year for a school report card that affects our property values," Keith shares. "That affects how many families want to move here. I have to make sure I continue to support the school system, the new school board candidate, whoever is elected."
Meet Michelle Watkins:
Michelle Watkins was born in north Huntsville. "I often tell people i bloomed where i was planted, Watkins shares. "The district means a lot to me because growing up in a district, you get a sense of belonging and where you belong to something. you want it to be better. you wanted to be, wanted to grow, you want it to flourish."
Watkins says her entry into the district one race was inspired by her desire to bring integrity to local government. "I'm just being honest. I'm not trying to throw anybody under a bus, but the integrity of the office has been jeopardized and it has to be put back in place. district residents are not included in, you know, the decisions and plans that's being made in the district and if you want the community to feel that they are part of the community, you have to make them a part of the decisions as well."
Though she has plenty of criticism... Watkins also recognizes the progress that's being made. "I see some positive things, these new homes bubbling up. I see some positive things, but I haven't seen enough, and I hadn't seen my councilman from a council member who has been out of sight, out of mind."
She says as a member of the council, she'll be focused on infrastructure improvements -- basic "street-level" fixes. "We don't have a lot of economic development. We have food safety coming in at the line almost where the city of Huntsville and Meridian intersect but we need some things going on in the center of district one, we need some growth, we need some expansion."
Watkins says being a voice, not a vote is what will make her an asset to the district. "It takes five votes on the council, so it takes three to pass. I'm not going to be a vote. I'm going to be a voice. I'm going to represent my constituency. I'm going to represent their needs, their desires and their concerns."
Watkins calls this the "year of the lady" urging more women to make their voices heard. "It's time for women to step up to the forefront. We always in the back push and they say behind every great man is great woman but now it's time for the great woman to be up in front and great men can push from behind."
Meet Reggie McKenzie:
Reggie McKenzie is no stranger to Huntsville. "North Huntsville is home for me. I bought my first house in north Huntsville," McKenzie shares. "So, I've been involved in the process and listened to all the promises that have been made years and years ago, and now some of those things are coming to fruition. So, my passion for the community is still there and I want to make sure, you know, some 30, 40 years later, that we're continuing to continue to build upon some of the gains that we made in the past.
McKenzie says his experiences have allowed him to see the community from a different vantage point and he feels this is the perfect time for him to represent portions of north Huntsville. " I'm a person that I'm truthful with, my friends, my brothers, sisters, everybody. and I was truthful to him (Keith). He let the community down. So that was a turning point with me. and I don't think he's really been able to deal with that so, I'm running because I want him to have time to deal with whatever he has going on."
McKenzie's main focus is building trust in the community. "I would tell them that, first of all, let's build that trust back. Going to make sure that we build that trust, "McKenzie says. "Then we would look at my I have a ten-point plan, but I'll sit down with the mayor and my other council people to let them know, you know, how i feel about, you know, certain things."
I asked McKenzie where he feels this disconnect comes from -- and what can be done to move the district forward. " From my perspective, being in the North Huntsville business association, we brought a lot of investors in, and the city has said, hey, we'll support the infrastructure so Shane Davis, that planning commission and the mayor, so that support has been there," McKenzie Shares. "But here's what I think, because we have waited so long, we can't wait any longer for that. So, we need people like the mayor and I've to said this to him, the mayor just needs to say, hey, my investors, I want a hotel in North Huntsville, they'll start doing it tomorrow. So that's the kind of wait we have to put behind it, because we tried other investors, we tried a lot of things, but we need help."
McKenzie touts his community connections as a strength he would bring to the council. "So, I know about the community and things that I've done in the community and like I say, I've worked with A&M.so i bring a different perspective to this position," McKenzie shares. "With my leadership and my experience, you know, I think it is top notch. and I think that's what districts need going forward to get us through the next four years.
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