The movement to call for a recall election has at least sparked interest and served as a topic of conversation. As I stated last week, I have taken no part in such a movement but I have had numerous questions as to what is required to bring about a recall election. Several indicated that they would be willing to sign petitions and some stated that they would be willing to obtain the signatures of other citizens.
According to section 2.06 of the charter, "Any person holding the office of Mayor or Alderman of the city, whether by election, succession or appointment to fill a vacancy, shall be subject to removal from office at a recall election in the manner provided herein". Excerpts from the charter include section 2.06 (a) "A recall of an incumbent of an elective office shall be initiated upon petition signed by voters qualified to vote in city elections. A recall petition shall contain signatures equal in number to at least forty percent (40%) of the vote cast for the candidate for office who received the highest number of votes in the preceding city election for the city of Jellico. Every recall petition shall name the officer against whom it is directed and shall contain a statement of one (1) or more specific grounds for removal from office. A separate petition shall be filed for each officer sought to be recalled." (Approximately 234 qualified signatures would probably be required for a recall of present officials). Section 2.06 (g) states "If sixty-six and two thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the voters who vote on the question at a recall election shall vote "yes", the incumbent shall be deemed recalled and removed from office".
There is much more detail included in the charter in addition to the above information.
It would appear that there is ample time to meet the requirements for a recall election in August if enough citizens desire a recall election. (It is my understanding however that a recall election can be called at any time that the requirements are met for such an election. But since an election is already scheduled for August there would be no extra expense involved.).
Again I want to emphasize that I would want my name on any recall ballott and I would think that all Councilmen would also want their names included as well. We need to know exactly what our people think of developments during the past two years and exactly what direction that they want us to take in the next two years.
My personal feeling is that if the voters feel that I am doing what I should be doing that they would not vote to remove me from office. If they feel that I am not doing the job as it should be done, then they would and should remove me from office.
We have a special call meeting for this Thursday night for the purpose of finalizing the financing of our new fire engine and any other business that may properly come before the Council.
The labor survey taken on Monday, March 20th and March 21st at the new Municipal Building by the non-profit organization apparently went well but more applications are desired.
According to a representative of the organization, more people with sewing skills and experience are needed. A second survey date may be scheduled with more advance publicity designed to identify additional potential skilled workers.
I will make an announcement in this column if a second survey date is scheduled.
The announcement that our State Representative, William Baird, is co-sponsoring a bill in the Tennessee State Legislature that would enable Indian Mountain State Park to remain open and under state financing and administration is certainly great news.
The beauty of Baird's proposed legislation is the fact that revenue already in place would be reassigned from the acquisition of new lands to the maintenance of our present parks. No new financing would be necessary.
Here's hoping that Baird is successful in his efforts to push the bill through the State Legislature. The work of Lisa Casey, David Douglas and everyone who signed a petition, wrote an essay, e-mailed the Governor, etc. has provided valuable material for Representative Baird and Senator Randy McNally to use in their fight to keep our park open and under the auspices of the state of Tennessee.
Baird will certainly win a place in the hearts of a lot of area residents if he is successful with his proposed legislation.
I have been reminding our area citizens for over a year now that the ten-years census required by the Constitution of the United States is scheduled for April of this year. A "U.S. Census Day" kickoff event is scheduled for Campbell County (court house lawn on April 1st, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM). There will be free hot dogs and cokes and free T-shirts will be given to the first 500 people.
Although the kickoff is being held in Jacksboro, the ten years census is as important to our Jellico area as to any in the country. It is vital that everyone is included in the count and if you are missed, please contact the Mountain Womens' Exchange and let them know. 784-8780 (The Mountain Womens' Exchange has been doing a great deal of volunteer work with the census and is performing a vital service for our town).
I had intended to mention n an earlier article the signs that have been erected by the Jellico Community Hospital. Not only do the signs serve a very useful purpose in providing information and directions but they also are very attractive and add to - rather than detract from - the general appearance of the areas where they are placed.
I greatly appreciate all of the effort and expense required on the part of Jellico Community Hospital to erect the signs.
A lot of people are like myself and looking forward to the blooming of the dogwoods in the downtown area. (The Bradford Pears placed in Veterans Park have already bloomed this year. Although they have been in the ground for only a few months they are expected to grow over the next year and be much more evident next spring.)
Street Department personnel have checked the young dogwoods and most have apparently survived the winter. But we may have to replace a few in certain spots.
I often mention the activities that are conducted by our local senior citizens organization. That group has a varied schedule of things to do including everything from "arm chair exercises" to crafts, etc. They also serve dinner each week day at 11:30 AM, take regular trips to visit sites of interest including their last trip to the Harvey M. LaFollette house in LaFollette.
I hope that all of our senior citizens will take advantage of the opportunities provided by our senior citizens center.
The final approval of the Campbell County Commission to expand the board of education from five to ten members is certainly good news to the vast majority of Campbell County citizens. The Commission took that action due to the widespread dissatisfaction with the fact that only three members of the board were able to extend the term of office of the present superintendent of schools beyond the period of four years for which he was elected. That action was very clearly opposed by most residents.
According to the LaFollette Press, the vote was 11-2 in favor of increasing the number of board members with only Commissioner Allen Douglas and Commissioner Keith Clotfelter voting no. Commissioner Johnny Joe Dower abstained from voting and Commissioner Foster Baird was absent. Some think that the 82 percent support from the Commissioners does not adequately reflect the opinions of Campbell County citizens. Some believe that the percentage of our people agreeing with the eleven commissioners actually tops ninety percent or greater. Few actions of any locally elected body have ever received so much solid support from such a great majority of their constituents.
Several potential candidates for the existing positions and the newly created positions on the board of education have already publicly stated their intention of working to reverse the earlier action of the three board members.
As I understand the commissions action, we will now have one new position on the board since the term of James L. Davis has two years remaining. (Seven and possibly eight will be elected county wide in the upcoming August election).
And the race for our new seat promises to be an interesting one. Charles Winfrey writing in the March 20th edition of the Press, expressed the frustrations of the citizens of our county and the fifth district that includes Stinking Creek, Habersham, White Oak, Morley, High Cliff, Newcomb, Little Elk, part of Elk Valley and numerous other surrounding communities.
According to Winfrey in discussing the situation, "You could of course look at it from the viewpoint of a parent in Newcomb who moved across the Kentucky state line when the school closed but continued sending the kids to Jellico Elementary until you learned you had to pay a tuition fee, but thought you could afford it until Uncle Homer got his school bus contract cancelled and you learned that you have to buy all new clothes and see-through back packs, which you did and paid the tuition as well, when the oldest boy took daddy's cell phone to school and got expelled for a year."
Although obviously writing with tongue-in-cheek, Winfrey certainly picked the right community for his example for what has been happening in the school system. A resident of Newcomb told me recently that many people in that area still strongly resent the closing of the excellent community school located there for so many years and the subsequent refusal for a church to purchase the building for community activities. And he also reminded me that the only two school closings (along with Stinking Creek Elementary) have both taken place in the fifth district.
With or without a city recall election, its going to be an interesting summer in our area and its going to be an interesting summer all over the county leading up to the August election.
Final note:
The late Jim Smiddy led Bradley Central High School to 1,215 victories in more than 40 years of coaching. And in honor of that almost unbelievable achievement, Smiddy has been named as the most outstanding womens' high school basketball coach during the past 100 years. (Others selected as top coaches and players include of course, John Wooten of UCLA; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also of UCLA; the legendary Morgan Wooten of Dematha High School and Pat Head Summitt and Chamique Holdsclaw of The University of Tennessee). To be selected as the best coach in a hundred years on any of those levels is an honor that cannot be topped. Smiddy grew up in Williamsburg and spent a great deal of time in Jellico during his early years since he had several relatives living here at that time.
Smiddy's selection reminds me that Jellico has had numerous sports figures to win national and state acclaim. I often stop by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame wall in Thompson-Boling Arena and review that list of honorees including Tom Siler who grew up on Fifth Street, attended Jellico High School and eventually rose to the position of President of the American Sports Writers' Association. The legendary football coach Jake Gaither of Florida A&M is also on the list. Gaither at one time had more players in the National Football League than Bear Bryant and he will always be remembered for his famous quote that he liked his big linemen to be "Agile, mobile and hostile".
I was in New York City in 1963 when Gaither was inducted into the National Sports Hall of Fame and I watched the ceremony on television. I will never forget his acceptance speech when he stated that he had "Come a long way from the coal mines in Jellico, Tennessee".
Others with Jellico connections who definitely should be considered for inclusion in the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame include Major League Baseball player Earl Webb who played for Newcomb and still holds the Major League record for doubles in a single season while playing for the Boston Red Sox; Condy Troutman, Sr. who grew up on Kentucky Hill and served as the captain of one of the first (if not the first) University of Tennessee basketball teams; Billy Harkness who served as the captain of General Robert Neyland's first football team and later worked as an assistant coach under Neyland while the latter was building the Vols into a national football power; Herman Land who was named as one of the three top college linemen in America while playing at Murray State University and was one of the first members selected to that school's hall of fame; and Raymond Moore who still holds some Southern Association records for stolen bases.
And I am sure that there are others from Jellico and the Jellico area who are equally deserving of such state and national recognition.
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