Oops! Anyone who writes long enough will agree that no matter how many times we proof read for errors, we can still misstate (or misname). And that is exactly what happened last week when I refereed to one of my teachers, Mrs. Charlene Stevens, as Mrs. Charlene Lindsay (as I knew her as a small boy and before her later marriage). But by any name, she was a fine teacher and a wonderful person to work with after I later returned to JHS as principal.
Last Saturday night's entertainment sponsored by tourism, radio station WJJT, the Christian Journal-Leader and the entertainers surpassed even the highest hopes and expectations of those sponsors. Every seat in the Community Conference Room was taken and folks were standing around the back and in the front entrance. Those attempting to keep count of the crowd stopped at 120 since so many were coming and going - but the total may have reached near 150.. The singing was good, individual prizes were awarded all evening long and several kinds of foods were available and in great quantities.
That initial success has led the sponsors to plan other such nights and the next one will have barbeque available. And they told me that one will be held in May or June and presumably outside - with a pig roast as the food source. That one should really bring a crowd.
On another positive note, City Attorney Jeff Hall informed me that he has noticed a growing spirit of cooperation among the Mayor/Council over the past two or three months. And a lady told me before Thursday night's meeting that if things continue with everyone starting to work together as well as we are right now, that our meetings may get downright boring.
We conducted a lot of business during last Thursday's meeting and we were able to do so in a relatively short time when compared to some of the marathon sessions that we have had in the past. And so help me - true to what the above referenced lady had said prior to the meeting - a couple of us looked out into the audience during a lengthy discussion of one issue before the Council and observed a man who appeared to be sound asleep!
And still on another very positive note, sometimes something just happens that really lifts a person's spirits. Last week I represented Boston Elementary School at a meeting and public forum conducted by a Whitley County Planning Committee and following the meeting, a young man approached me after he learned that I am the mayor of Jellico. I failed to ask him for permission to use his name although his enthusiasm was so great that I doubt that he would have minded. But he is known by several Jellico residents and is a relative of Jellico's Tom Siler, former sports writer for a Chicago newspaper, sports editor of the Knoxville News-Sentinel and President of the American Sports Writers Association. He stated that he reads and enjoys my column every week (I assume from the Christian Journal-Leader or from the Internet.) and that he was really intrigued during the Christmas season when he read how a fellow Williamsburg resident, Debbie Partin, had been so highly complimentary about what has been taking place in Jellico - including our beautiful Christmas decorations and lighting, our Christmas parade and the greatly improved appearance of our downtown.
As I understood him, he has been away from this area for college, law school and other reasons and he had not been to Jellico in a few years. And he emphasized that his recollection of Jellico's appearance the last time he was here was not all that favorable and that he found it hard to believe that so much change for the better that I have been writing about, has actually taken place in such a short time. So he said that he decided to just come to Jellico to see for himself and the improvements that he observed really impressed him. In fact he said that he drove around town for quite some time just comparing the difference in what he remembered from previous visits and what he was seeing at the present time. He too was extremely complimentary of what has taken place and encouraged me to keep up the good work.
I of course thanked him for the very favorable comments but also emphasized that I have just tried to exert leadership and that it has taken the efforts and hard work of an awful lot of folks to bring our town back to its present condition. And as I told him, we still have a long, long way to go to get Jellico looking the way it needs to look and can look- and that unfortunately like all other towns, we have our negative influences that sometimes make the job much tougher.
More positives: According to Publisher Mike Siwinski, the Christian Journal-Leader that lists Jellico as its home base, now has a circulation of thousands with copies distributed in nine counties between Clinton and Somerset, Kentucky and is the only newspaper in our general area that belongs to "Associated Press Managing Editors". Siwinski says the paper plans to become much more involved in our community activities and will emphasize the positive happenings presently taking place in our town. We do appreciate that and all help that we can get and several local businesses carry that newspaper which makes it readily available to our citizens.
And to continue with the positive notes: It is absolutely hard to imagine the interest that has developed in reviving the Miss Jellico Pageant. City Recorder Linda Meadors, Tourism Director Jake Bennett and I have all had contacts wanting details, offering help in organizing and helping to prepare a pageant, etc.. And as I understand it, two businesses have already offered to help sponsor the Pageant including the Christian Journal-Leader. For those who are interested in helping in restarting that activity the contact person is Leah Creekmore (anytime on cell 423/871-2524 or at 784-6572 after 4:00 PM on Monday through Friday and anytime on Saturdays).
Even one more positive note: Following the Council meeting, Councilman Dwight Osborn showed me an idea he has for a "community theatre" to utilize a building already in existence that would be almost ideal for producing live performances, showing classic films, etc.. We are going to explore the idea of possibly getting the building donated to the city and/or obtaining a grant through the East Tennessee Development to purchase and refurbish it for that purpose.
As I have written many, many times in the past, for us to bring Jellico back from the economic doldrums and blight brought about by the collapse of the coal industry several years ago, we all must develop a positive attitude that we can get the job done - and then all work together toward that objective. And I believe that I can see the beginnings of that happening right now!
Stay positive and get involved!
E-mail me at: mayor@jellico.tn.us
Visit the Archives of the Mayor's Column .
Visit the City of Jellico's Web Site at: www.jellico.tn.us