BREMEN, Ala. – Tuesday was a special day at Cold Springs High School. After nearly two years of working and waiting, Cold Springs High celebrated the opening of its new gymnasium with a ribbon cutting and the new facility was packed with students and other Eagle supporters along with several County and County Schools representatives.
Cold Springs High School Principal Eric Dickerson had a lot of people to thank for their contributions to the project and is excited for the Cold Springs community to enjoy the new facility.
“I want to thank Dr. Barnette and Mr. Wayne Myrex and all the board members that made this possible 18 or 20 months ago. Without them allowing this project to go forward this would never have happened. Austin Hall and Nearen Construction did a fantastic job. Austin has gone above and beyond, and it goes far beyond what people can see,” Dickerson said. “For anybody that has helped us in this process, I just want to say thank you. It might not have been today or in the last year, it might have been 20 years ago that you championed this cause, thank you, because no part of this was insignificant.”
Cullman County Schools Superintendent Shane Barnette recalled the first time this project was mentioned to him and shared his perspective on the steps they took to see it completed.
“Eight years ago, when I first became superintendent, Mrs. Wendy Crider brought me to Cold Springs and told me ‘We need a new gym’ and I told her ‘We have no money’,” Barnette laughed. “So, we were looking at trying to remodel the old gym and several years later with the help of our board we started saving money, pinching pennies and doing things like that so that this could become a reality. Then we moved to Wayne (Myrex) becoming a school board member and I will tell you this, I know the guys who have been working on this project and Wayne has been in their ear since the very first day they broke ground. He’s been an advocate for this school and if you haven’t told him you appreciate him you need to be sure and do that. Anytime he would come to me, and I would bring it up to our school board to make decisions, they’ve supported you guys because all of you that are sitting in the stands and all of you that are standing that support this school are loved and appreciated. You’re one of our smallest schools in our district, but you are loved just as much as every student in Cullman County Schools, and you now have probably the nicest gymnasium in north Alabama, and that’s something you should be very proud of.”
Lady Eagles Head Coach Tammy West has been coaching on the sideline inside Jesse George Gymnasium since 1992 and now she’s looking forward to settling into the new facility. The Eagles and Lady Eagles will host their home openers in the new facility Friday night.
“I just want to thank everyone who helped make this happen. It was great just to see everybody’s faces when they first walked in. The kids hadn’t been in here yet and it’s just great to see the excitement in the girls. They’re so excited for Friday night and I’m excited for our whole community,” West said. “It’s really nice in here, we’ve got so much seating and we’re going to make it home. It may take a little bit but we’re going to make it home and I’m looking forward to it. We also plan on hanging a few more banners and finish decorating the walls.”
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