Note: I did not expect to have the time to prepare an article this week but my school's closing on Wednesday gave me a little extra time and I hastily put this column together..

Few things that I have ever written have evoked as many comments from readers as did my recent article concerning Dr. Charles Prater.. Almost everywhere I went someone had a favorite story concerning "Doc" Prater that they wanted to relate. And I enjoyed hearing every single one of them including one that later I personally recalled concerning the time when Coach Clyde Tiller took the football player to Doc from the practice field. The boy had dislocated his shoulder or something. Doc had someone to place his shoe at the player's rib cage, grabbed his arm and gave a big pull. The player gave out a yell that was probably heard downtown - but had everything (whatever was dislocated) back in place when he got up from the floor.

One local fellow told me that he developed a great doctor/patient relationship with Doc Prater while very young and that when he saw my article, he read, re-read it and even re-re-read it since it contained information of which he was not aware.. He also indicated that he is thinking of placing it in a frame and hanging it on a wall at this residence as a permanent reminder of Doc..

But the responses came not only locally but from out of town as well. Folks in Cincinnati apparently took it from the Internet and I received e-mail on the subject. One e-mail came from Mr. Dave King in Louisville. Kentucky that pretty much sums up what Doc Prater was like:

I am a close friend of Bill and Martha Dwyer here in Louisville, Kentucky. Martha is a daughter of Doc's. Although I never had the pleasure of traveling to Knoxville and meeting Doc and his wife, I was often intrigued by the countless stories Bill and Martha would have after a weekend of visiting and taking in a football game. It always seemed to me Doc had a strong opinion on something, anything, and everything and welcomed the conversation. Bill, his son in law, was just the person for this! Your kind words put it all in perspective for me. Thank you and he will be missed.

Thanks for the e-mail Mr. King. It's amazing that you know so much about Doc without ever having met him. In fact it sounds as if you knew him very well indeed!

We have a lot of folks totally dedicated to the best interests of our town and certainly Sam Sharp is one of those individuals. Sam has served on our non-compensated Jellico Planning Commission as both a member and as Chairman and it was with great regret that I received the following letter from Sam a few days ago.

Mr. Clifton, Please accept my resignation as Chairman of the Jellico Planning Commission. This decision is based solely upon my inability to attend regularly scheduled meetings consistently. Over the past couple of years, my job has taken on new responsibilities that require more of my time and does not allow for me to be present on the scheduled monthly meetings.

I personally consider the Jellico Planning Commission a valuable asset to our community. and thank the individuals who give their time regularly to help keep our city building ordinances/ legislature adhered to for the health, safety and welfare of our citizens. As you know, it is not an easy task to tell someone they can't build on their own property! I do take pride in knowing however, that every instance that I have been involved with, in respect to the Planning Commission, has had an outcome, mutually agreeable for the individual and at the same time, kept in line with the state and city regulations. While we have rules to help us all walk the straight and narrow, rules are meant to be adjusted to best serve their intended purpose.

I have enjoyed serving the City of Jellico for the past five (5) + years and have had the opportunity to meet many interesting people of our great town, each of whom seem to have their own unique set of circumstances. It has been a pleasure to work with you and other commissioners.

Please continue to put vital information in your Mayor's column so I can keep abreast of what is changing in our town and what is coming down the pike. I find your column informative and humorous.. Sincerely, Sam D. Sharp.

Thank you Sam on behalf of the City of Jellico for your past service and I just wish that I had been blessed with the ability to express myself so well as you have done in your letter. Few that have not experienced the problems know the trouble a person can have in performing voluntary public service while still having a full time job and maintaining a family and personal life..

And it was our great pleasure serving with you also.. Few have your knowledge of rules and regulations dealing with our zoning ordinances and construction requirements and your input on the Planning Commission will certainly be missed.

I never tire of writing about the successes of Jellico and former Jellicoans and I understand that another former Jellicoan will soon be retiring from the federal civil service after having previously retired from the military. According to information that I have received from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Paul D. Hawkins, Sr., brother of Trula Housley, who has served 24 years in the US Air Force and an additional 24 years in civil service, is expected to retire from the latter sometime this summer.

Hawkins currently holds a prestigious position with great responsibility since he serves as the Fire Chief Eglin - one of our nation's top air bases.

An e-mail from another of our civic volunteer James Ridenour, EMT with the Jellico Ambulance Service and VP/Treasurer, Jellico Life Saving & Rescue Squad, Inc. who writes:

Mayor Clifton I have been thinking (and that can sometimes get me in trouble) about what the Jellico Rescue Squad could do in memory of John Queener, II.. I have been trying since his death to figure out a way to honor all the years he served the citizens of Jellico and the surrounding communities. I had thought of naming the Squad Building in his honor but it is already dedicated to the 10 charter members of the Squad, and I don't think you can dedicate the same building to two different people.

The second thing I thought would be to re-name the Street that runs in front of the building, now known as North Commerce Street, as John Queener Lane (or street, I personally think Lane has a better ring to it). I have no idea what goes into changing the name of a city street, I know it could be a big hassle changing all the 911 maps and all that. But since our building is the only structure located there it wouldn't affect any other businesses or homes.

If you could, think about that and get back to me whenever you get a chance. I will help in any way I can with whatever you and the city needs to get it done, if the city should choose to do it…………….. James

I like the idea James since John and his wife Catherine worked so hard for the squad for so many years (as have you and many others). He is most deserving and as you point out, the name Commerce Street certainly is not as appropriate for that street as it once was. The old City Hall was torn down; the Chrysler/Plymouth dealership that was located there for so many years is long gone; and there isn't even a trace left of the huge H.T. Hackney Company buildings and railway loading areas along that street that served the numerous coal mines, timbering interests and other commercial concerns that we once had here.. (The large Jellico Hardware Building was located next to the area it too was torn down. The concrete base of the building is now used as a parking area for Jellico utilities personnel.) And there similarly is no longer a trace of the community that once existed on the northern side of the railroad crossing on that street.

I will be happy to make the City Council aware of your request.. There is no way that we can recognize everyone for their contributions but it often seems that those who contribute most are the least recognized for their accomplishments. John was always working to improve both the Rescue Squad and the Fire Department and is most deserving of the posthumous honor.

I want to be sure to recognize city employees Scott Queener and Andrew Young for a deed they recently performed.. It's very positive and for that reason, it probably won't receive widespread attention. But it certainly merits coverage.

Queener and Young were picking up cardboard at Hardees for recycling when they found a ladies purse containing wallet, keys, credit cards, medical coverage cards, medical prescriptions and numerous other items of great personal value to its owner. After searching through the contained items, they determined the name of the owner and although it took some doing, they were able to contact a son of the lady in Columbus, Ohio through his business card.

His senior citizen mother and father had just visited him in Ohio and were on their way to Daytona, Florida when he was able to contact them by cell phone at the Georgia state line. They immediately returned to Jellico and met Scott and Andrew to pick up the purse.

It turned out that on their way to Ohio they had stopped at a fast food restaurant in Lake City and she had left her purse in the car. Upon returning to the vehicle, it had been broken into and her purse taken.. Apparently the robbers too had traveled north and stopped at Jellico Hardees (and most likely passed through the drive through). And after taking $ 600.00 from the purse, they just threw it into the cardboard container where Queener and Young found it.

The couple was ecstatic upon the return of the purse and the items that it contained. And they repeatedly thanked Queener and Young for going out of their way to locate them and having them contacted. (If you have ever lost your purse or wallet, you know the feeling you get upon finding it - or having some else who has found it to return it to you.. Words simply can not describe that feeling of great relief.)

I try to always drop of copies of these notes with the fellows working at our Water Purification Plant and they say they look forward to them each week.. In fact one insists that they are so popular with folks he talks with, that they would re-elect me if I should change my mind and run for mayor. That's quite a compliment and I am glad to hear that folks do enjoy them. It is my intention to make them enjoyable and yet as informative as possible.

Finally: A lady in Williamsburg told Jenny and I last week that she had read my comments concerning the negatives that we have experienced in recent weeks and how discouraging they can be. She said that she grew up here (Branam Hill) but does not come to Jellico very often any more. But she said that she sees real improvements being made virtually every time she visits - and she was glowing in her compliments concerning our recent holiday lighting in town...She says that Jellico is once again on the move and to keep it up. Thanks! We needed that!

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

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