We were sitting at the table in the dining room of the office kitchen. Editor Mike Scharnow slid a piece of paper across the table intended for me that looked like a story.

I started reading it and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

It was a story about Pam Aister being in trouble with the School Board and facing possible suspension or dismissal from her job as a longtime teacher in the district.

I’ve known Pam Aister for many years. She is the sister of Councilwoman Cassie Hansen and the daughter of long-time Chamber Visitors Center manager Eleanor Bentson.

The family has done more for Fountain Hills than any other set of relatives that I can think of. Cassie is married to Bruce Hansen, who serves on the Sanitary District Board. His spaghetti sauce has been the attraction of many fund-raisers in the community.

It has been said that the suspension and possible dismissal stems from a bullying incident in which she allegedly intervened on the Four Peaks campus during the 2013-14 school year.

She has been honored for her teaching abilities, earning awards on both the state and national levels. In her many years with the district first as a third grade and then as a fourth grade teacher, she consistently created innovative learning tools and programs used in the school curriculum.

One of these, the “Stepping Stones Student Character Development Book,” was used as a McDowell Mountain school-wide program earning her both the state and national “My Favorite Teacher” awards in 2001. She has made an important difference in countless lives of our town’s young people. Former students across the country are still proud to be known as “Aces,” a designation that denotes pride and belief in oneself and respect and support for others.

Pam was inducted into the Lower Verde Valley Hall of Fame in 2010.

Taking all of that into consideration, I think you can understand the disbelief I had when I first read the story for last week’s paper.

In fact, I still can’t believe she would approach any situation in a way other than in a most professional manner.

Good luck, Pam, in resolving this.

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There is a new exhibit in the Clinton Pattea Gallery of the River of Time Museum.

A small selection of the many photos from the late Councilman Keith McMahan’s collection are now on display.

Entitled, “Fountain Hills through the Eyes of Keith McMahan,” this exhibit contains representative photographs from the 37 years that he took of people, places and events in Fountain Hills.

Known fondly as “Mr. Fountain Hills,” Keith left behind more than 10,000 pictures that he had taken for the Chamber of Commerce, MCO Properties and The Fountain Hills Times.

Following Keith’s death in 2009, the River of Time Museum became the recipient of his collection – a total of six brimming full file boxes!

Jerry Miles selected, edited and restored the photos for the original exhibit.

Jean Linzer and I wrote the captions.

The exhibit is open for viewing from 1 to 4 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.