Last Sunday was officially the first day of spring and boy, did the weather cooperate! As someone remarked to me as we joined a throng of others walking in the park, if the temperature had just been a few degrees higher, we would have enjoyed a "perfect" day. (And have we had some good winters? Store owner Wayne Barton told me he stocked his store three years ago with snow shovels and "ice-melt" following our last big snow fall. He hasn't sold any of them since!)

As I reported in earlier notes, former Jellicoan John Carroll is presently deployed to Iraq with the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, United States Army National Guard. And now Jellicoan Sam Centers, retired Whitley County school teacher, presently serving with the 149th Infantry (Mechanized), U.S. Army National Guard, faces the possibility of deployment to that theatre of operations as well.

If orders are received by Sam for that assignment - like John - we all certainly wish him God speed, a successful tour of duty and a safe return home. We are grateful for their service and the service of all our active and reserve military personnel and veterans living and deceased who have kept us a free people for the past two hundred and twenty-nine years.

We didn't notice anyone fast asleep at last Thursday night meeting of the City Council. But it was another harmonious and productive session and one member of Council says that he has enjoyed our past few meetings.

Most of what took place will be covered by local media but I do want to mention that I added Jellico Librarian Mark Tidwell to the Tourism Commission. Mark and library staff member Linda Bowlin have always been very good to help with community activities and Mark is a natural for serving on the Tourism Commission. His appointment just made official what he has already been doing for quite a while. And his working right next to the Tourism Office and Tourism Director Jake Bennett is another plus.

I had also hoped to make two appointments to fill expiring terms on the Planning Commission but I wanted to first talk with Mike Smith and inform him of my intentions of appointing him to the Commission out of gratitude for all that he has done for our town in the past if he is willing to serve. And he is! I certainly appreciate the past service of Gene Beck and Charles Leach on the Commission and we are very fortunate to have someone available like Smith to fill the expiring terms. We would have to look far and wide to find a more deserving individual. A native Kentuckian, Smith is married to the former Amy Douglas and has been a Jellico resident for the past eleven years. Presently employed in Lafollette, he has been in management for the Walmart Corporation for a number of years and being extremely community minded, he has been greatly instrumental in obtaining community grants for Jellico from that organization. Funds provided to Jellico by Walmart in the past few years have helped our Children's Learning Center, our Rescue Squad, our downtown renovation project and a long list of other city and local non-profit agencies and organizations. Additionally his management skills and business experience can be very valuable to the Planning Commission.

The bills for natural gas locally have taken a tremendous jump over the past month or two and I have received numerous complaints and questions concerning reason and/or justification for the large increase. On behalf of those contacting me, I called the supplier and was told (as I understood the representative for the gas company) that the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) in Nashville that now has the responsibilities formerly held by the old Public Service Commission, had approved raises in the prices now being charged for natural gas.

I called the TRA and was informed by that regulatory agency that there has been an increase in the price of natural gas and that raises may have been approved for the supplier last year and possibly again this year - although the representative with whom I talked said that the matter would have to be researched to determine the number and scope of any authorized increases.. But in the meantime, she asked that those who had a great increase in their past monthly bill and who wish to have it evaluated, to please complete a questionnaire and to attach a copy of their bill and forward them to the Nashville office to see if they fall within the authorized rates. (It was recommended that they all be collected in one place and then forwarded together in one mailing.)

Blank copies of the very short questionnaire will be placed on the counter of the city recorder's office at the Municipal Building. Any interested in having their bills evaluated should complete the form and include a copy of their bills. (It is a good idea to enclose copies of last two bills.).

(Note: Do not staple the questionnaire, copy of bill(s) or any other enclosures you may include.)

The rumors continue that Taylor Machine will be shutting down operations in Jellico. But as I reported a couple of weeks ago, manager Ron Perkins assured me at that time that the reports were untrue and the possibility of new local business looked good for the company - although as I also reported then, he stated that nothing had been cast in stone.

However one has to wonder what the recent large increases in the price of natural gas will do to that and other local businesses. Whether the raises were authorized or not, any businesses operating on a small profit margin could see that profit margin completely consumed by the new and higher rates. Let's hope they do not deliver a fatal blow to Taylor or any other local business.

As I continuously point out, I am absolutely amazed at the number of e-mails that I receive complimenting our town for one reason or another. It is always good to hear from my former students at Jellico High and one from out of town who calls up our website on a regular basis to see what is going on in Jellico and what activities are planned for the future, signed on to say, "I like everything that you have done for our community since elected. Keep up the good work!"

And I received an interesting one a few days ago that echoes the type of favorable comments about Jellico that are made so frequently by non-residents who have never lived in Jellico:

"I have fond memories of Jellico growing up as a kid. My family used to drive on vacations from Ohio to Florida and always made an overnight stop at the Days Inn in your fine town. As kids, my brother, sister and I used to drive our parents crazy on trips down by repeating the name Jellico over and over because we thought it was a fun word to say. We also used to enjoy walking our dog in the beautiful hills of the area and watch the view of Jellico…………….

Now in my 30's and living the hustle and bustle of South Florida, I like to revert back to fond memories of my childhood when things were simpler. The word Jellico always brings a smile to any member of my family's face as that represents all the good times had many years ago. I will be making another trip back up north to see family at the end of this month and have enthusiastically made arrangements to once again stay in Jellico after an absence of many years.

……………………I look forward to having pleasant memories return very soon."

It speaks volumes that folks who must leave Jellico for employment and other reasons and those who just visit our town, find it such a great place and a place that leaves them with a desire to return over and over again. That is the type of image we want to portrait -and one upon which we need to constantly work to improve. The better our town looks and the more that we have to offer, the more we will present that desirable image to our visitors.

Hearing or reading Buzz Peterson's statement following his dismissal as head basketball coach reportedly nearly brought tears to the eyes of some supporters. And unquestionably it was a sad day for many of us in Jellico who felt that he should have been given another year and that the firing was a mistake. Peterson is a fine man and was a tremendous representative of our state university - and our entire state for that matter. And even those who thought we needed a change feel that the entire thing was badly mishandled by leaving him hanging for such a length of time.

But anyone who has ever held an administrative position must also at least try to understand the position of Athletic Director Mike Hamilton who had to listen to the complaints of fans concerning the disappointment that came with our team's performance this year when compared to the very high expectations that we all had prior to the start of the season - as well as the fact that our record has been so poor for the past two seasons. Even some of us who strongly supported Peterson to have another year have to admit that at times we looked fundamentally weak in some areas. And it is Hamilton who has to worry about the loss of revenue from hundreds of unsold seats in the arena with the corresponding loss of revenue from the sale of concessions, souvenirs, clothing, etc.. (Several games there were only a handful of fans sitting in the section where my seats are located and if they supported Peterson, where were they?)

As Hamilton stated the other night something to the effect, there is no real reason that a university of our size and resources cannot compete for the SEC championship most years and receive an invitation to the NCAA big dance virtually every year. And as he also stated, the University of Tennessee is bigger than any individual(s) including himself and he promised that a capable new coach will be brought in to head up our program. (I for one sure hope that it is not Bobby Knight. I once attended a coaching clinic in which Knight spoke and conducted some player drills. That was enough for me -not to even mention all of his other publicized problems,)

Regardless of what happens, the important questions now are: Will Chris Lofton remain with us or transfer? Will Tyler Smith and the other signees still enroll at UT in the fall? And do we still have a shot at recruiting Jamont Gordon?. Almost anyone could be expected to win with those three on the floor at the same time- especially if we sign a junior college big man capable of playing in the Southeastern Conference (since we so badly need help on the inside).

But through it all, UT will survive and "The Hill" will remain where it has been for all these many, many years. At the time these notes were written, the Lady Vols were still in the NCAA tournament and we usually get enough good basketball from them to satisfy our appetites for round ball. And don't forget, it's only five months or so until we kick off the REAL sport as far as most sports fans in the south are concerned. And the reports are that we're looking good in spring practice in spite of several players being on the shelf or limited due to injuries, etc..

It has happened again! Bad enough that we are losing the Oldsmobile and the Pontiac Bonneville but Ford Motor Company has announced that it will again discontinue its Thunderbird line in July. What? No Thunderbird? Is nothing in the automobile business sacred?

But Ford says that this is not the end of the line for its famous nameplate. Instead, its release referred to the decision as putting the name back in the future-product vault. What a relief! If things continue at their current pace we are not going to have any traditionally American named cars left.. (Could life even go on as we now know it if we should ever lose the Chevrolet?)

E-mail me at: mayor@jellico.tn.us

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