There will be a D-Day Reception at the Jellico Public Library this Friday, May 28th to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the day that has been called "the longest day in history".Many heads of state from around the world will travel to Normandy, France for the commemoration of that momentous occasion and to participate in activities honoring those who fought, were wounded and died there on June 6, 1944 and the days that followed. D-Day certainly helped to decide the future of the western world and ensured that we would not fall under the domination of Nazi Germany, imperialistic Japan and their allies.
The library will have displays of that fateful day and everyone is invited to stop by -especially veterans of World War II. (Jellico Elementary School 7th and 8th grader essay contestants are also especially invited to be present.) I know that we had many local area troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy in one of the first three waves but I certainly do not know the identity of anything like all of them. (My deceased brother-in-law James Elswick was awarded several battle stars and other decorations for his actions between Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and the hedge rows of Belgium. And our family retains them with great pride.)
World War II saw what has been termed "the greatest generation" and there can be little questioning of the designation. The GI's of that era did what bordered on the impossible in bringing about the defeat of the war machine of the Axis powers. Veterans of that war are now said to be passing away at a rate averaging between 1,000 and 1,500 per day and we need to pay them all honor for the terrible sacrifices they made to save our liberty while they are still with us. The slogan, "If you enjoy your freedom, thank a veteran!" still rings true for them and for all those who have served in the armed forces of our country.
The Jellico Veterans Memorial Committee will place flags on the graves of deceased veterans in area cemeteries this weekend. And the Committee hopes to have some type of World War II display at the Monument as well. (Remember that the Committee will conduct a ceremony at the Monument on Monday, May 31st starting at 11:00 AM to honor all deceased veterans. And the name of Sergeant First Class Gregory B. Hicks killed in action, has been added to the Monument and will be unveiled during that ceremony along with a case containing an American Flag and a wall plaque honoring the memory of Sgt. Hicks that will be presented to family members.
(And by the way, have you noticed all of the work that has been done at the Monument to prepare it for Memorial Day? As a community we owe a great deal of appreciation to Herman Heath and all those who help him to constantly maintain the Memorial in such beautiful condition.
There will be plenty of other action in Jellico this weekend since the Trailkeepers will be here for an activity. They will be arriving in town this Friday afternoon (May 28th), meet in our Veterans Park Saturday morning at 7:00 AM and then depart for trail rides. After returning to town, the group will meet in our Public Conference Room in the Tramell Building that Saturday evening. As I understand it, their schedule may also call for rides on Sunday before they leave town.
The last time I spoke with Tourism Director Jake Bennett, the sponsor of the proposed movie had informed him that that activity scheduled for the first week of June will have to be delayed and rescheduled for a later date due to some problems currently being encountered. Jake again pointed out that the city of Jellico is in no way serving as an official sponsor of that activity and that he has personally provided support in the hope that it would prove to be something of benefit to our town if it indeed does become a reality. (Announcements will be made periodically concerning any and all future plans for that privately funded project.)
I earlier mentioned the fact that we expect the weekend of June 18-20 to be a "blockbuster" weekend in Jellico and more and more signs are pointing to that description as being accurate. The UROC national competition scheduled for that weekend is drawing more and more attention from local folks and from out-of-towners who say that they plan to attend the competition at White Oak on Saturday, June 19th and Sunday, June 20th. (Everyone is reminded that the technical inspection will again be conducted in our downtown Veterans Park during the afternoon of Friday, June 18th and the very large number of participants and spectators that we had for that event in April is expected to easily be topped for the upcoming June gathering in Veterans. And it goes without saying that a huge turnout is expected White Oak on Saturday and Sunday.)
Our annual Classic Car Show will be conducted on that same Saturday, June 19th and it too is drawing quite a bit of early interest. (I reported last week that I had met a man in Corbin who stated that he will be entering a vehicle this year for the first time after learning of our show. So the word is getting out all around this area concerning our annual event.) Criteria for the show, judging and awarding of trophies will be as follows: Dash plaques for the first 100 entries; door prizes' music; 50/50 cash drawing; judging on a confidential 100 points format; and presentation of trophies at 3:00 PM.. An added incentive for entrants this year will be two free passes to the UROC competition at White Oak to be presented to the first 100 to register for the show. For more information, contact Jake at 423/784-3275..
(I run early notification of upcoming events because several local businesses have told me that it allows time for them to prepare for the increased number of patrons drawn by those events.)
The Cupp family has informed the Tourism Office that it will not be able to arrange for the Southern Gospel Fest this year for our Fourth of July entertainment. That group has sure gained a large following here, throughout Eastern Kentucky and other areas and an awful lot of folks look forward to their singing as well as the singing of the other very popular gospel groups that they have traditionally drawn to Jellico. But this year, Rev. Troy Cupp is involved in work toward a Doctorate in Divinity and states that he simply does not have available time. We certainly appreciate all that the Cupps have done to make our Fourth of July celebrations so successful.
However the very successful opening and operation of our Jellico Mountain Wedding Chapel and some private donations have produced additional funds that are available to the Commission this year for entertainment. And Jake and the Commission have decided to invite two groups (one for Friday, July 2nd and another for Saturday, July 3rd) that should please a lot of folks.
Barring some unforeseen occurrence between now and July 2nd, the group "John Christopher Knight and Family" that is growing in such popularity, will be here for the evening. Their music has been described as "somewhere between country, folk, bluegrass and rock". That family has just made an appearance on the NBC -TV "Today Show" and according to some of the group's publicity, they were advised by NBC to modify their Web Site to prevent shutdown due to the number of hits expected to follow their appearance on that very popular and nationally televised program. They have also been featured on two Public Broadcasting System shows and those who have seen and heard them are glowing in their praise. The Nashville Tennessean newspaper that covers almost all significant events in country music, recently ran a very large spread about the Knight family and their meteoric climb in the music field.
Saturday night will feature a group well known to an awful lot of locals. As busy as they stay, "Boys' Night Out" luckily had not been contracted for the evening of Saturday, July 3rd when Jake called them. They committed to keep the date open until such time as the Tourism Commission could meet and make the official decision - which they have now done. And "Boys Night Out" too are expected to be here for our celebration. All those who attended the Jellico High School Homecoming several years ago have still not forgotten the performance they put on that night. They are in constant demand in Knoxville and throughout a large radius surrounding that city. And the big New Year's Show in Gatlinburg featuring "Boys' Night Out" sure packed them in at the Convention Center. But everybody is warned! If you attend, get ready to get involved. They like to have folks on their feet and enjoying themselves.
The fireworks will follow their performance. All in all, if everything goes as planned and our weather is good, it should be some kind of Fourth of July celebration again this year!
Jake has been receiving quite a few inquiries as to when the photos made by Steve Meek and Life Touch Photos Ministry/Good Soil Ministries will be returned. They picked up at the Jellico Public Library on Saturday, June 5th from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 PM.. And sponsors again point out that there will be no charge for the photos.
Studies are still going on as to the relocation of Radio Station WJJT that burned several weeks ago. The site originally proposed to be rented by the city of Jellico for that purpose on presently unused land appeared to have too many problems with railroad easements and sewer lines. A new proposed site has been surveyed and staked on the vacant property behind the baseball field.
I recently walked the newly staked area and members of Council have been asked to do the same to see that there are no safety or other considerations that are not covered during final negotiations with the owners of the station.
As I have previously written, if everything is in proper order, I favor granting use of the land since it is not currently projected for any use by the city; a large group of local folks enjoy the type of music; local news, announcements and other programs are carried by the station; and the more activity that we can locate closer to our downtown, the more it will contribute to revitalization. However the Council is correct in insuring that all factors are given consideration.
I often write and I truly believe, that Jellico people are capable of performing any task. Jellico High numbers among its alumni medical doctors specializing in a number of fields, attorneys, accountants, engineers including a senior electrical space engineer, college professors and administrators, governmental officials, administrators in almost every profession, military personnel, and productive and innovative blue collar workers. The list is endless of Jellico natives who have gone on to achieve successful careers in their chosen professions.
I recently mentioned former Jellico resident Fred Wing who once lived on South Main Street and now resides in Florida. Wing informed me that after leaving Jellico, he served as a prestigious Fullbright Professor at Sophia University, Bulgaria; taught at the Federal College in Panama; spent one year teaching in the Peoples Republic of China; and retired from Southeastern Missouri University at Cape Girardeau. That quite a resume' and I am always glad to report on the outstanding accomplishments of those who started in Jellico. Our young people need to realize that the opportunity is here for them as well.
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