I expected a lot of comments from readers following what I wrote last week pertaining to the possibility of obtaining a Community/Recreation Center for our town - and I certainly received those comments. I haven't talked with Councilman Alvin Evans but I would expect that he experienced the same reaction from our citizens. Without exception all who talked to me concerning the center were totally in favor of doing whatever we have to do to provide the $ 200,000 matching funds if the grant application is approved. (As I wrote then we expect to be able to furnish a large percentage of that figure through in-kind services and materials although we might have to supply some portion in actual funds.)
When I first became Mayor I announced plans to begin attempting to get our downtown both renovated and revitalized.. That was not necessarily considered the thing to do back then but we have to lead, follow or get out of the way. And since I had recently been elected Mayor, I felt that it was my responsibility to take the lead in getting some things accomplished that badly needed to be done to our downtown. And I sometimes think that we got a little jump on some other towns in what we sat out to accomplish. But now it is the going thing and almost every city and town is working to renovate and revitalize..
As I have written several times in the past, Knoxville has done an amazing job of bringing back the Gay Street/Market Square area. Once the hub of that city, that entire area was allowed to deteriorate badly when all of the businesses began moving to the west side of town followed by a similar movement to the east side. But the restoration of the downtown now has it looking better than it has ever looked and activities are held there on a regular basis that brings huge crowds back downtown. And more improvements are in progress.
Clinton has restored its "old city". Lafollette has made very impressive improvements. Williamsburg has a formed a "Renaissance on Main" organization and now that town is hoping to replace its Main Street sidewalks and put brick borders around them in addition to moving utility lines underground and replacing existing street lights with old fashioned ones.. Mayor Roddy Harrison is quoted as saying that he would like to follow up that work by placing benches along Main Street with little vignettes for people to sit.
We can always learn from other folks and maybe we need to take a good look at doing those same things in Jellico. They would sure add a lot to the appearance of our downtown that is improving slowly but surely. And it's very important that we stay at the task. As one Williamsburg resident stated, "Downtown is the heart of any community". It's obvious that I couldn't agree more..
But I have believed from the beginning and I still strongly believe, that the one thing that can bring about a remarkable change in the way folks perceive our downtown is the opening of a restaurant with an "old town" atmosphere that serves good food and provides good service. And everything is in place for such an investment. We have the available buildings that could be renovated and made ideal for such a venture. There is ample parking on the street and in Veterans' Park.. But more importantly, there is a potential for patronage by both Jellico area folks and out of town folks who are continuously looking for such a place to eat out.. And that is not counting the possibilities that exist for attracting future residents of Rarity Mountain.
Moreover success of a downtown restaurant could have a ripple effect and attract other businesses as well since the more folks we draw to the downtown area, the more we have to possibly visit and shop at other businesses located there.
As I have written before, the newly renovated Church of God, Mountain Assembly (CGMA) Tabernacle on Florence Avenue is going to be something to see once all work is completed on that structure. I understand that at list some and possibly a good amount of the required work is being performed by folks in the congregation which of course is saving on the construction costs.
But regardless of the costs, it is going to be well worth all that is put into it. With all the facilities that are being included along with the exterior and interior appearances, it will be comparable if not superior to any auditorium of which I am aware located anywhere within our area. The CGMA has grown until it is now an international organization and needs such a facility for its annual Assembly that brings folks into Jellico not only from around a good portion of the United States, but also from other countries where CGMA churches are now located..
If they have been here in past years, I can promise them one thing. They are not going to believe the changes in the Tabernacle that are taking place since they last met here. We have always heard and have tended to believe that "there is no free lunch". But there is going to be free medical care for the uninsured or disenrolled TennCare members. According to Council Member Elsie Crawford, the Providers of Dr. Charles H. Wilkens M.D.P.C. located at 131 Hospital Road, Jellico have announced that they will be doing free physicals for uninsured adults and children. The physicals will include blood glucose and screening urinalysis for adults along with immunizations updated for children (must bring health records).
Individuals do not have to be a patient of the Wilkens Clinic to be eligible for the free medical care but they must be uninsured or currently disenrolled from TennCare.. Call 784-7269 to schedule and be sure to mention "free physical" when you call!
As I wrote last week, we all know its March due to "March Madness" if for no other reason.. The good seasons that we enjoyed with Jellico High School girls and boys basketball got us off to a good start followed by the Lady Vols winning the SEC Tournament Championship.
Now if our men can do well in their conference tournament and then both squads advance in the NCAA Tournaments, this will be the overall best season we have had in many years in round ball. (Spring football practice is in progress on the Hill but so far we are getting little news concerning how individual players are doing. I guess last year's high expectations and failure to live up to those expectations have made the coaches gun shy in saying too many good things about what is taking place. A good spring practice can sure help but nothing done now guarantees success next fall and that apparently is the attitude the coaches are taking.)
We also know for a certainty that it's March due to the typical weather we are experiencing - although no one seems to know for sure if March came in this year more like a lamb or a lion - although most think lamb.. So look out for the lion at month's end. (Sometimes I miss my grandmother Mary Kasee, Clifford "Tootie" Culver, "Doc" Barton and others who used to keep up religiously with such things including the March "borrowed days" that continued on into April. And they kept us all well informed of such important matters dealing with the weather, planting of crops, etc..)
But regardless, we can be sure that it will be unpredictable and changeable upon what seems to be a matter of minutes at times. It's not uncommon this time of year to have days with snow flurries that quickly disappear and then are followed by bright sunshine.. It was those kind of days that drove me crazy years ago when I was principal at Jellico High and was responsible for calling off school on our (Northern) side of the mountain.. I will never forget late one March afternoon just before signing off time when our local radio station received a teletype weather message calling for freezing rain and sleet the next morning with hazardous driving conditions. The station manager at that time contacted me and I in turn consulted with the Superintendent of Schools. After agonizing over the proper decision to make, we finally called off school for the entire county for the following day thinking it better to be safe than sorry. And of course the next day was an almost perfect day weather wise and both of us dreaded to get out in the public.
Mr. Hoyt Morton who preceded me as principal said that a virtual blizzard suddenly developed one March day when he served in that position and the staff frantically worked to get students loaded on to the buses and to get them home before the roads became dangerous... However they had not yet arrived at home when the snow suddenly stopped and bright sunshine emerged - angering some parents that he had sent the students from school...
Traveling to Georgia last weekend, I noticed all along the Interstate that wild flowering trees were blooming starting just a few miles below Knoxville. And the Bradford Pears were in the early stages of blooming - getting thicker and more developed with almost every mile traveled southward. By the time I was well into that state, I saw the Bradfords already in full bloom.. They were beautiful and so white they appeared to be gigantic snowballs. The same was true of spring flowers with beds filled with flowers of every color imaginable and also in full bloom. That made me anxious for ours to reach that point which they hopefully will do within the next three or four weeks if not sooner.
At the time these notes were written, the weather forecasters were predicting temperatures to climb into the mid-70's that should bring the blossoms and that's sounds awfully good. But before we get too excited, we need to remind ourselves that the beautiful and warm days we experience in March, April and especially May are always followed by a series of squalls that we call "winters" including "Whooper Will (our own pronunciation) Winter", "Redbud Winter", "Blackberry Winter" and a big assortment of other "winters"!
And it's for sure I am always reminded of the very warm early March that we had in 1993.. Then the blizzard of the century came on or about March 14th so don't plant that garden too early. In fact I intend to delay thinking about putting out mine until much later..
Looking ahead, Alla Faye Rutherford asked me to announce that she will again conduct a "Health Walk" at Indian Mountain State Park on Saturday, April 15th.. This will be the third such walk and last year's event attracted a total of 139 participants with that number expected to increase for this year's walk.
(I talked with Jerome Cummins, Manager of Indian Mountain State, who said that the Jellico High School Student Council has conducted the Easter Egg Hunt in the Park in the past and he hopes that the Council will continue again this year. He says that he has not had an opportunity to talk with the Council sponsor and does not know yet if the students will sponsor that activity this year. But he is hopeful that they will do so and an announcement will be made later.)
Alla Faye will also sponsor "May Day" again this year at the Park (Saturday, May 6th).. That event too drew a very large number of entries last year although it conflicted with spring break for some area schools.
Those are good community activities that can involve entire families and I would encourage everyone to get involved - for both the fun and the health benefits. Mark them on your calendar.
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