Judith Gomez, Forensic Interviewer at Children’s Advocacy Center.
Interview by Brad Durham
Why are you in McMinnville?
My parents wanted to live in a place that was more peaceful. My brothers were about to graduate from high school. They did not want my brothers to graduate in California and go down the wrong path.
I like it here. When I was in college I worked downtown, and I got to know a lot of people. There’s not a lot of traffic here. Everything is close by. You know everybody, so you do not feel in any danger. I feel safe here.
What do you think when you reflect on McMinnville’s future? Positive? Negative?
I think positive. I know that Murfreesboro and surrounding towns are growing, so I think we are in a good spot. We are in the middle of everything. We’re close to Nashville, Chattanooga and Murfreesboro. It is a good place to live in, and not super crowded like those other counties.
Do you think there is a difference between “McMinnville” and “Warren County?” Why or why not?
Kind of but not necessarily. Whenever I think of McMinnville, we tend to combine all the surrounding places like Morrison. I kind of think of it as a whole.
If you were mayor of McMinnville and had a magic wand, what three things would you change?
It would be nice to have a variety of places to go out and eat so that we would not have to drive out of town.
It would be nice to have more businesses for shopping like it used to be at the Mall.
I don’t know what the third thing would be.
What do you think unites us in McMinnville?
I think the fact that everybody knows everybody for the most part…
Everybody here is pretty generous. I know that when we post things on our social media page at work that we need, people drop them off. People are very generous here.
What do you think divides us?
I guess different mindsets. Political views especially now. I don’t remember that being such a big issue as it is now. If you think one way, and someone else thinks a different way, it is difficult for people to find that middle ground. Maybe I don’t remember it being that big of a deal when I was younger because I didn’t care about those things. I am 27 years old.
Do you agree with the direction and quality of education the Warren County public school system offers for our children? Why or why not?
I don’t have any children, but from my experience when I was in the school system, I think we have a very good public school system.
Is everything you need in McMinnville exist in terms of groceries, retail stores, churches, restaurants?
For the most part, basic things, yes, but there are things you find in Murfreesboro or Chattanooga that you do not find here. It would be nicer to have some of that stuff here.
Is McMinnville doing enough for people who are economically disadvantaged, or should it be doing more? If not, what should the city be doing?
I know that we have a lot of resources, but sometimes it is difficult to get a hold of those resources. I know with the population that I work with, sometimes when we have a family who needs resources, I don’t know whether it is a city thing or a state thing, but sometimes it is difficult for someone to get out of the system. If they work and make just a little bit of money, some of their benefits will be take away. According to the government they are making too much money, but it is still not enough money for them to sustain their family.
The next complete interview is with Jimmy Haley.
BD Newsletter 