My sincere thanks to Reverend Trent Stewart and all of the members of the First Baptist Church who participated in the painting of the lower (sidewalk) level of the old “Bill’s Dollar Store” last Saturday morning. The church has been getting more involved in community outreach programs and when Rev. Stewart asked me about a potential project, I suggested our drive to renovate and revitalize the downtown area. I agreed to be sure that paint and supplies would be there ready to start when the group was ready.
The number of volunteers who reported to assist with the project was very encouraging including a sizeable group of young people who gave up their Saturday morning in order to help. Work began at 9:00 AM and was virtually completed for the lower level by noon. And it certainly brightened up the frontage on that level.
The group had hoped to paint the entire building front but safety concerns prevented work on the upper level above the metal awning. (It was feared that the awning would not support the weight of ladders and painters.) However Russell Edwards who has been so good to help with the downtown improvement project in the past has agreed to spray that part of the building when he has available time to do so. But we will need to locate some type of lift for that purpose.
My thanks also to Jellicoan Mike Smith, Manager of the Williamsburg Wal-Mart Super Center, who furnished the required paint and materials free of charge for the project including enough paint for the future painting of the entire front of the building. Mike has always been extremely good to help with community programs and deserving non-profit organizations and agencies and we certainly do appreciate his help.
And additionally I want to thank Wayne Barton and Ray’s Superior market for donating cold drinks for the workers (as did some members of the church group).
Saturday’s work was just another step in improving the appearance of our downtown. But it was a very important step. And the fact that our young people are getting interested in making improvements is extremely significant. I often hear the questions, “Why don’t you do (whatever)? Why doesn’t the city do (whatever)? Or most commonly, “Why don’t they do (whatever)? But the most important question is, “Why don’t we do (whatever)? We all live here and what is done to make improvements and get things done that need to be done is all of our responsibility. As I have written so many times in the past, our town will be what we all make of it – nothing more and nothing less. And the help of the First Baptist Church group is a perfect example of what I have been writing about. We need more community groups and individuals to get involved!
Several folks stopped to compliment me on what was taking place and what an improvement the painting was making. But as I told each of them, the compliments go to Rev. Stewart and the members of the church who did the actual work and to Mike Smith that provided the paint and materials. On behalf of the city of Jellico I certainly want to thank them all for what they did!
Some of the ladies who were involved in the painting commented on one of my previous articles concerning new recreational businesses that might go well in Jellico including a skating rink, bowling alley, movie theatre, etc. And they pointed out that the Old Bill’s Dollar Store is actually two buildings that were combined and has a very large amount of floor space for such activities. With needed renovations, it could be a great central location for a number of different kinds of businesses with parking available right across the street.
We want all of the local help that we can get in bringing back a renovated and revitalized Jellico. But we certainly welcome outside help as well – outside help such as that currently being provided by groups from all over our country associated with The Community Church/Good Soil Ministries/World Servants. Those groups also include a lot of young people who are utilizing their summers to work on churches and other buildings including the laundry mat building on North Main Street and the soon-to-be offices of the Christian Journal at the state line.
Good Soil Ministries that earlier made free photos of families and won a lot of friends with that gesture also helped to sponsor the World Servants Community picnic that drew such a large crowd to Veterans Park a couple of weeks ago. They along with World Servants, plan a second such community picnic this Thursday, July 15th in the park. (Starting at 6:00 PM)
A bad bout with bronchitis prevented my attending last Saturday night’s performance by the Twin Rivers Band since I did not think I could tolerate that very damp evening air. But from all accounts a very good crowd did attend. So the group will have another performance this Friday evening (July 16th) starting at 8:00 PM.
And Saturday evening (July 17th will see another free wrestling show in Veterans starting at 7:00 PM.
As always I want to be sure to point out that these activities are not officially sponsored by the city of Jellico that will not provide supervision and/or security other than the regularly scheduled patrolling by city police officers. But the activities are good and provide something for our folks to do for entertainment and other purposes that would not otherwise be available to them.
A lot of folks were shocked to read that our city employees did the firing for the fireworks display during our Fourth of July celebration. Eddie Archer said that he had heard that our display would not be as spectacular as usual and he was totally surprised how very outstanding it was. And he was even more surprised to learn who actually did the firing.
Wayne Barton told me that his new place on North Main Street at the state line is expected to open next week. It will be a full-service facility with three grades of unleaded gasoline, both on-road and off-road diesel, and kerosene. Free air.
Tobacco products and other items will be available at a drive-through window.
The recent article in the New York Times was very extensive and included some great pictures of the actual rock crawling competition as well as a good story pertaining to that activity. Anna Bahney, journalist for that paper, pointed out that rock crawling might just be the fastest growing sport in the country. In describing the events taking place here and in White Oak she wrote, “Like other automotive events, this one, in Jellico, 60 miles north of Knoxville in the Cumberland Mountains just shy of the Kentucky border, has the smells of gasoline and smoking rubber. It has drawn taciturn men wearing trucker caps and cowboy boots. But there is no beer – the people carrying coolers are also pushing strollers, and the White Oak Church of God is selling funnel cakes from a tent. Down the way, the Fonde Church of God is offering Frito-chili-pie and barbecued pork sandwiches. These families just happen to enjoy an automotive spectacle with their picnic.” (She writes like a southerner!)
That is the kind of positive publicity that our town needs! And of course the New York Times is circulated and read all over this country as well as out of this country.
A former student of mine, Denny Bridges, now lives in Lexington, Kentucky and follows these columns weekly. Denny apparently was intrigued by a recent article in which I talked about the name Jellico and wondered how many other towns might have that name and in what states they might be located. I mentioned the possibility of Georgia, Alabama and Texas.
Deny says that there may be a Jellico, California. And that would sure correspond to something I wrote quite some time ago. While visiting former Jellicoan Alex Abrams and his family in Mission Viejo, California one summer, he took me to a residential area somewhere in the north Los Angeles area. Some street signs in the residential section were located all in a row and bore the names White Oak, Jellico, Corbin and I seem to recall London. I don’t think there was a Williamsburg. (Maybe the individual who named those streets was an alumnus of Jellico High and just couldn’t stand to look at the name of our biggest rival.)
The August election is right upon us and we will have early voting at the Municipal Building starting July 16th and running through July 31st. The polls will be open for early voting during the hours of 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Monday through Saturday. (Friday, July 30th will be an exception when the polls will be open at 2:00PM and close at 7:00 PM.) Folks may want to retain this schedule for ready reference.
Elections are certainly affected by weather conditions so hopefully we will soon have some continuous dry (but not too dry) days. Some folks at Jerry’s Market in Newcomb commented on my remarks last week concerning so much rain and thunderstorms and they agreed that they cannot recall a spring and summer like this one – even including those corresponding seasons last year.
One good thing about these last two years, we have not had to worry that our water supply is in any danger as we did three or four summers ago. The pond and creeks that help supply our water got extremely low during those summer months – lowering to levels not seen in an awfully long time.
(A cousin of mine out West e-mailed me in response to some recent comments I made about how it is a pity that we cannot ship some of this rainfall out there where those folks need it so badly. He said that anyone who can figure out a way to do that will instantly become a very, very rich person.)
Some other upcoming activities include the annual Church of God, Mountain Assembly (this will be the 98th I believe) during the period August 2-6; UROC Extreme East competition August 20-22; a Candle Light Vigil in Veterans Park September 11th; UROC Sportsman Event September 24-26; Church of God Cleveland Autumn Gathering October 10-15; J.H. S. Homecoming October 29-30; Veterans Day Observance November 14th; Lighting of Christmas Tree November 24th; and Christmas Parade on December 12th. You may want to note those activities on your personal calendar as well.
As I continue to remind everyone, our third annual Fall Fest is now only a few short weeks away (October 1,2). Last week I warned everyone that they had better be getting the blackberry jam and jelly prepared to sell at that event. One fellow must have read what I wrote for he picked and brought me a gallon of some of the prettiest, juiciest blackberries that I have ever seen or tasted. Jenny had a field day making blackberry cobbler – and is there anything any better at this time of the year?
I may have also mentioned apples in that same column. But nobody brought me any fried apple pies. (Not that I am hinting mind you!)
E-mail me at: mayor@jellico.tn.us
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