Jaime Gatton’s MVL
Photo: MVL
Even if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Jaime Gatton, chances are, you already know her. She’s the unshakeable investigative journalist behind the former The Gatton Report, and more recently, The Mooresville Scoop, covering both serious issues and good times in and around Mooresville and Lake Norman. Jaime is proud of her rural Iredell roots, which instilled in her from a very young age, an appreciation for nature and community. She has never been one to shy away from getting her feet dirty, whether it’s chasing lightning bugs in the backyard, or trudging into the mud of our Town government on behalf of citizens and transparency.
What’s interesting about Jaime? Everything. We recently spent a warm spring evening with her chatting about the things that make her life meaningful and vibrant in our small, southern town. Here are some gems from our conversation…
Obviously, you’re a local. Were you born here?
“I was born in Statesville, in the West Iredell region. When my Paw, Aunt Ruth and Aunt Bea passed, we moved to their place near Barium Springs and I went to Troutman Middle, then South Iredell High School. Back then there weren’t as many schools, so kids out Brawley School Road went to South Iredell. That’s why I feel like I can say I’m from here, because most of my friends were from Mooresville, we all went to high school together, and I was constantly here.”
Did you have family in Mooresville?
“Yes, my Uncle Bill! As a kid, it was very special to come to Mooresville. I have memories of driving into town on highway 115 and going over that bump where the railroad track is. We’d go to Uncle Bill’s house on Sycamore street… I remember their house was so quiet you could hear the tick tock of the clock. I still ask people from here if they knew Bill Gatton. He built the first boat mechanic shop after Lake Norman was made… A piece of the display counter from his shop is over at the Mooresville Museum. Isn’t that cool?!”
Tell me about a magical Southern moment.
“Three or four years ago, I was over at a friend’s house who has woods and a field. I kicked my shoes off and I grabbed a couple of girls and I was like, ‘We are gonna cross over this freakin’ fence and catch some lightning bugs! Somebody bring me a jar! Let’s go!’ And then we were out running in the field, barefoot.”
Favorite thing about journalism?
“What I love most about what I do is being able to serve as an arm between the people and the government. I like being the eyes and ears of the public. When people ask me, ‘Jaime, do you pick sides?’ I say, ‘Yes. I pick sides with the people.’
“At The Scoop, we want to expand and teach people how to be real journalists. How to go to a meeting, get the nut of it, then listen, watch, and tell a real story rather than just being a stenographer and taking notes. We want to teach so that there can be a lot of other people in a lot of other communities doing the same thing.”
What keeps you here?
“Community. That’s really what it boils down to. I’ve lived here so long now that I've made friendships and relationships… and I do my very best to make that beneficial to people, and to have a positive impact in some way. Even when I have to write stories about the government, I’m just really working to make things better.”
Favorite Memory?
“My Grandfather was a fabulous gardener. I mean, he had a whole acre full of things like cabbage, corn, potatoes and tomatoes. And he had huge strawberry plants! I used to hide under them and stuff my mouth full. He’d stomp around and tease me in a big voice, ‘Now who’s up there in my strawberry patch!’”
How is Mooresville different from where you grew up?
“This is like high class, are you kidding me?! Whenever I go back home, it’s cow fields, rolled up hay, and just corn for days. It’s a different world! But sometimes I like to go back…where the frogs are so loud on summer nights you can’t even hear yourself talk!””
Why did you choose to live Downtown instead of on the lake side?
“It’s more ‘Mayberry’ over here. I love that about Downtown. You still have this little oasis where people know people by their name… I love ‘Small Town’. And I liked the idea of walking to where we could eat, and to where my kids could play.“
Jaime, what’s your MVL?
“Raising my family here feels like a community…When my kids were growing up, we used to go to the subdivisions for trick-or-treating. But several years ago, I decided I wanted a traditional Halloween like the one in the storybooks. You know, in your own neighborhood, with the leaves crunching on the ground. And so we walked around and trick-or-treated, and there was a little fall festival on the corner by the church. I couldn’t believe it was all right here! And when we came down West Center, I was sold! There were so many young families participating and just doing crazy stuff.”
