Our second annual "Fall Fest" is finally here (this weekend) and let's hope that it is as successful as last year and even more so! As is now becoming standard policy, locations for booths, stands, tables, tents, etc. for arts, crafts, vending, and concessions can be claimed on a "first come, first served" basis. The claiming of sites will begin early (this Friday morning October 3rd starting at 12:01 AM.).

Tourism Director Jake Bennett and the Tourism Commission have really lined up an impressive list of activities for this year's Fest. What really perked my interest last year and what I am looking forward to seeing again this year include the making of molasses, lye soap and hominy and the grinding of meal by the Douglas and Hackler families. And the Hacklers are also going to honor the request that I had last year to add butter churning. (But I guess that I will have to bring my own hot biscuits!) Note: Dried white corn is needed for the corn meal grinding and anyone who has any or knows where some can be located is asked to contact Jake at 784 -3275.

And if you want to see some great examples of creativity and beautiful workmanship, don't fail to take in the "Quilt Exhibit" in the Conference Room of the Tramell Building (Office of Tourism/ Public Library) that will be hosted by Margaret Bowman. (Call Margaret at 786-4030 if you are interested in displaying, etc..)

The entertainment this year will also have more variety including a southern rock group, "The Dirty White Boys" that reportedly performed during the Williamsburg "Old Fashioned Trading Days". That should please the younger set since they have insisted that little of our music has been directed toward their age group. And Saturday night will feature the "Gerald Evans & Paradise Band" from Cincinnati that was named as one of the International Bluegrass Music Association nominees in the top ten "Emerging Artists" category for 2003. Although located in that Ohio city, the group does have local ties including Evans who has in-laws living in this area and bass player Glen Inman who is originally from Lafollette. And of course we will have Larry Meadows, Bill Rigney, Angie Heatwole, Ron Dabney and other popular locals performing as well.

Some activities of interest will include a "Youth for Christ" pie auction; a pie-eating contest conducted by the Jellico High School Beta Club; an ice cream eating contest sponsored by Mayfield Milk and GASCO; judging of the beard growing contest; judging of the old-time costumes; the "Loaded Dice" Line Dancers; and others that may be added.

Additionally John Fawaz will sponsor his second "Health Walk" at Indian Mountain State Park (9:00 AM on Saturday) and Bobby Daniel and the "old timer baseball players" will play at Carroll-Wilson Saturday starting at 12:00 noon. And as I have written several times in the past, they are not what they used to be but some of those guys can still play the game. And if you don't believe me, just get in front of some of the blue dart line drives they hit!

(From all indications there is going to be an ample supply of fried apple pies and home canned blackberry jam during the Fest which will in itself, make it a successful one for me. I'm sure that Jenny will be counting the number of fried pies that I put away but she can't keep an eye on me all of the time. And besides, some things are worth having to listen to a good lecture.)

October has really become a busy month in Jellico now that we have three (3) activities that annually bring folks to town. Of course we have our Fall Fest; the Church of God, Cleveland Assembly has scheduled its Autumn Gathering for October (Oct 13-18 this year); and the Jellico High School Homecoming has been held in October for most of the many years that it has been in existence (HC 2003 is October 17-18).

What better time for visitors to be here than the season when our leaves are developing such beautiful colors? And if rainfall does help create even brighter shades of red, orange, yellow, etc. as I have always heard, then we are really in for a gorgeous fall. We possibly won't have our first frost until about the time of the Autumn Gathering but the colors should at least start developing by that time and certainly in time for the JHS Homecoming..

We have long wanted a sign on Interstate-75 that would give motorists some idea of what we have to offer in this area. As has been discussed during our city Council meetings too many times to mention, we have numerous billboards along the Interstate near Jellico. But most- if not all of those billboards - invite tourists to stop in Williamsburg, Corbin, etc.. They take business away form Jellico rather than encouraging folks to stop here. And that is a slap in the face to our entire town as well as to our local businesses. But there is absolutely nothing we can do about them because they have every legal right to be here including one that some folks find highly objectionable.

However Mr. Bill Wheeler offered to donate his billboard on I-75 North to the city of Jellico for a specified period of time for absolutely no charge. And of course the city Council immediately voted to accept his offer. Tourism Director Jake Bennett has already designed a cover for the billboard that would cite the fact that we have a fifty (50) bed full service Jellico Community Hospital; three hundred (300) motel rooms; fast food and full service restaurants; Indian Mountain State Park with camping, swimming, paddle boating, fishing and hiking; and the Jellico Mountain Wedding Chapel including a picture of the chapel. (It would be good if we could also include a picture of the lake at Indian Mountain State Park. It sure presents a beautiful scene.)

We have so many areas of attraction and it's a shame that we can't include them all. Where could anyone find a scene to rival our U.S. Highway-25W as it winds through the narrows along the river?

I talked with "Rarity Mountain" developer Mike Ross last week and he said that he was trying to work out the remaining details for getting the interchange off the interstate underway.. He also said that he would have his building on South Main Street appropriately decorated for our Fall Fest.

During our last meeting of the City Council, a motion offered by Councilman Alvin Evans for additional paving of some city streets was unanimously approved by the Council after it was determined that funds can be located for that purpose. In addition to the already approved Hospital Road, Sunset Trail from Hardees to Hospital Road and Douglas Lane, the Council also voted to do some resurfacing of Holiday Lane, Queener Street, High School Loop and Davis Lane.

And as was pointed out in my last article, we also plan to establish priorities for our next budgets so that we can continue to repair as many street as possible during the upcoming three years remaining on our current terms of office. As I often state, those of us who have no plans to seek reelection have the goal of leaving our town in the best condition that we possibly can.

Evans has also been working closely with the East Tennessee Development District to complete a design and obtain a grant that hopefully will provide sidewalks for a sizeable section of town.

Another step toward downtown renovation. The "Christian Journal" newspaper has purchased the former laundry mat building at the Kentucky state line and owner/editor Mike Siwinski says that the paper will move into that building shortly (if it has not already done so) and simultaneously begin renovation of the interior. And he promises that when all work is completed to the interior and exterior, that it will be "the best looking building in Jellico". Here's hoping that he succeeds in that! (The location has changed but the phone number will remain the same 784-7877. Fax 784-6181.)

Mr. Siwinski has invited me to place this column in that publication and I will be glad to submit it if it is carried as I write it. I have had invitations to run my column in other papers and I have attempted to do so. But they have either edited and removed certain topics or unintentionally left out sections that sometimes changed the entire meaning. And words that I spelled correctly ended up spelled incorrectly on more than one occasion. (I am a stickler for correct spelling.)

Angie Washam of Day Spring Family Health Center says that the company preparing the new awnings for that building is running behind and it may be as long as six to eight weeks until they are completed and erected. But its something to look forward to when they are finally in place. And I have again requested Steve Zecchini to complete the painting on the front of the building housing the Heat and Air business. Completion of the painting would add a great deal as would the special type of awning that he informed me several months ago that he has in mind for the facility.

There are some other possible improvements just in the very preliminary discussion stage that could really make a big difference in our downtown. But nothing has been finalized as yet. Additionally the Council has decided to send letters to five or six owners of run down and/or neglected properties in or near the downtown asking one last time that they take action to fix up and/or clean up their buildings and lots. And if no corrections are made, we are determined to take whatever legal action is required including accomplishing the badly needed repairs and then placing a lien upon the property as authorized. We have come to the strong conclusion that no other options are available to us and we must soon act if we are to ever see any corrective action accomplished.

I was in Cincinnati recently and a man who once came to Jellico on a regular basis while his grandparents were still living said that he had not been here now for several years. But he said that folks who do come to Jellico keep him informed of the progress that we are making and he complimented us for it. And he said that he was sure glad to hear that our downtown is no longer as rundown as he remembers it from his last visit. That sure was music to my ears!

Last week's article dealing with the Jellico baseball team that came so close to winning a national championship, stimulated several responses from local baseball fans. Ted Tye said that it brought back a lot of memories for him and the two of us also discussed several of the great Afro-American players that we once had in this area. Jellico's Gatewood Turner played in the old black major leagues although neither of us personally remembers him. And Judy Johnson, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, is said to have played for the Woolridge Mining Company many years ago - before his recognition as a superstar in those long ago black leagues that impressed Ted Williams so much that he refused his own induction into the Hall-of-Fame until provisions were made to include the stars of those teams including Johnson.

But we do remember outstanding players like Damon Ray, Johnny Ross, Norman Newell, several members of the Greenlee family and man, many others. And a couple of those fine players still participate in our "old timers' games" including Gene Tye and former professional player Charlie Jones (who lives in Williamsburg but has lots of ties to Jellico.)

Ted agrees with me that it is sad that all of that great amateur baseball that once involved and entertained so many local folks down through the years is now only a distant memory - replaced by televisions, computers, electronic games, four-wheelers, etc.. As I often state, change is inevitable and usually beneficial. But it is not for the best in every instance.