I have heard some comments during the past four years from citizens who have stated that they wish that our city election were still held in April rather than having it with the general election in November. There were two reasons for the City Council taking the action it did in making the change in the dates: (1) The city will not have to bear the cost of a separate election which could run anywhere from $5,000.00 to $8,000.00 and, (2) The general election with candidates for office on most levels generates a much larger turnout of voters.
And our town may possibly be the forerunner of a bill that has been introduced before the Tennessee State Legislature that would require all municipalities within the state to move their elections to November by the year 2010. It will be interesting to see how our election turns out and it will also be equally interesting if all municipalities in our state are required to take the action we have taken.
The issue continues to arise as to whether Charles Allen serves legally on the Jellico Utilities Board. And in talking with a half dozen or more attorneys and agencies, we have gotten about equally differing opinions on the matter. In an earlier challenge to one of my Utility Board appointments, the issue was finally resolved by Chancellor Billy Joe White who ruled that appointments to the Board are placed strictly under the authority and responsibility of the Mayor. But he also recommended that all future appointments obtain an affirmative vote by the majority of the City Council. And I have followed his recommendation to the letter in making every appointment to the Board since that time - including the appointment of Allen.
The entire issue concerning Allen had its roots in the period when we were developing the Urban Growth Plan required under Tennessee Public Law 1101 and the talk that began to develop concerning annexation. Some residents outside the city limits protesting any future annexation insisted that by not having a representative on the Board, that we were practicing something close to the age old complaint of "taxation without representation".
In talking with then Director of Utilities Cheryl Tidwell (and later confirmed by present Director John Leach), we learned that non-city resident utilities users outnumber those residing within the city limits by a 60-40 ratio.
Eventually we were given the opinion that the state act that governs our utilities clearly authorizes the City Council to pass ordinances that are designed to improve the overall operation of the utilities. The Council approved non-residents to have one representative on the Board that is required to reside within the confines of Campbell County. Consequently I placed the name of Charles Allen - retired from an administrative position with the Sate of Tennessee, retired from the US Marines/US Army National Guard, local businessman and a taxpayer of major proportion of city property taxes - before the Council for appointment to the position. The majority of the Council at that time confirmed his appointment as recommended by the Chancellor.
Upon the expiration of his appointed term, I nominated Allen for reappointment as I have done in the case of every member whose term of service has expired. And the majority of the Council again confirmed his reappointment.
We do not have an attorney serving on the Council but we do have an attorney hired for the purpose of advising us on legal matters. And we of course follow his legal advice!
It's a small thing in some ways and a very large thing in other ways! But have you noticed the beautiful paint job done on the flag pole at the Post Office last Saturday? It is just another improvement to help the looks of our downtown and it certainly does. There are few things prettier than a brightly painted flag pole with the American flag blowing in the wind.
Herman Heath and Orin Bray - who has a privately owned bucket truck - had previously painted the flag pole at the Masonic Lodge and had planned to do the pole at the Post Office during our special "Clean-up, Paint-Up, Fix-up Week" starting Saturday, April 29th. But last Saturday was such a beautiful day that was being utilized by military veterans and their families and friends to raise money for the purchase of American flags for placement in area cemeteries, that they requested and received permission from Post Master Bo Robinson to voluntarily do that pole at the same time. And Robinson of course was glad to okay the project. Bray both sanded and painted the pole utilizing paint donated by Billy Douglas for that purpose.
That is the kind of community spirit that we need from all of our citizens if we are going to ever reach the point where our town looks the way that we want it to look and the way that it should look. We still have three weeks until we start our special week for cleaning, painting and fixing up and I hope that all individuals will make plans to perform some project, no matter how large or how small. There certainly is no lack of things that we can do from renovations and/or painting of homes and businesses, clearing up vacant lots, organizing neighborhood litter patrols, planting flowering trees and shrubs, etc. And it will be great if organizations, clubs, school groups, church groups (and especially church youth groups), etc. will participate as well. Many of our young people always leave Jellico following graduation from high school and college for employment and other reasons. But a percentage always remains here and makes Jellico their permanent home. And we need to improve Jellico tot the greatest extent for those folks and for future generations who can have the great growing up period in their life that many of us had the wonderful privilege of enjoying.
Speaking of plantings! Have you driven London Avenue/Black Oak Road yet to look at all of the dogwoods and redbuds that have been planted in alternate sequence starting just a little past the basketball court? Many of them appear already mature enough to bloom this year - especially the redbuds. As I wrote last week, they are really going to be something in future years when they become fully mature trees.
And it will not be long now until our dogwoods in the downtown start blooming. We lost two or three over the winter that will have to be replaced but some of them are big enough now to heavily bear blooms. (Limbs extending out over the sidewalk were pruned over the winter and we will do the same next winter until the trees are tall enough to eliminate all low lying branches that do at times create a small inconvenience. But their beauty more than makes up for it.)
Last Saturday was also a perfect day for our first "ole timers" baseball game and we had at least one representative from Crossville, Lafollette, Lake City and Clinton in addition to our locals. It was especially good to have Travis Welch who grew up almost at the gates of our ball park before spending many years in Ohio who is now retired to the Lafollette area.
Travis was the right handed pitching ace of the last very strong Newcomb baseball team. He pitched the Newcomb Cubs to a high finish in the Kentucky Amateur Baseball Tournament that year. And he like Cracker Welch (no relation) who grew up in Eagan and now also lives in Lafollette, can still throw that knuckle ball that I used to hate to have to catch when I was behind the plate. Although neither puts anything like the "mustard" on it that they once did, we all had a great time swinging away at what they threw up and I thought we were going to have to leave A.B. Foreman, Bob Daniel, Virgil Herron, Gene Tye and some of the fanatics there for the remainder of the day and possibly turn the lights on and let them play after dark.
The beautiful warm spring weather that we were experiencing at the time these notes were being written, reminds me of my sister's birthday. The connection? She was born on April 11th and we had a very deep snowfall the very night of her birth. And others have told me that they can remember snowfalls even into the latter part of April. Here's hoping that that doesn't happen this year. Getting a taste of that recent great spring weather just gives us a taste for more.
I was both highly flattered and honored by the editorial by Mike Siwinski in last week's edition of the Christian Journal-Leader. And apparently that and/or the report dealing with the current issue of the utilities department sold a lot of copies of that paper around Jellico.
I have been contacted by citizens - both in person and by phone - who have urged me to seek reelection. As the article indicated, I had decided to not make the race for a third term. But after thinking about it and talking to folks, I have come to the decision that if enough of our citizens want me to continue in office, I will seek reelection.
Anytime the discussion comes up about the next city election, the topic of these articles seems to always arise. I have had person after person to tell me that these notes have kept them informed on what is taking place in our town - not just in business brought before the Council- but in all aspects. And as one local man pointed out to me last Saturday morning, nothing coming out of the city of Jellico gets as much widespread publicity as does this article carried in a local paper with a widespread circulation and an Internet site that is accessed and read all over the country by former residents who seem to always mention it upon visits back here.
We need to keep those folks informed if for no other reason than the fact that many of them have retired or are working toward retirement with the thought of someday moving back home. Letting them know that we do have our town on the road to renovation and revitalization is important - and whether I am reelected or another candidate succeeds me - I hope that he or she will continue to publish the positive news and items of interest concerning our town.
Not everything that happens in Jellico or any other area is always positive! But the negatives make news and sometimes the positives tend to be overlooked. I try to acquaint folks with the positives and to build an attitude that although we naturally have differences of opinions - we can bring Jellico back if we all are willing to work together for the good of our people and our town.
Condy Alley, one of those many readers from out-of-town and out-of-state who is always complimentary as well as informative, e-mailed from Alabama to say, "I continue to enjoy your weekly column. I appreciate all you are doing for Jellico. It will be good to see you and many others in October at the Homecoming. I have added a page to my website for the JHS Class of 1956. I would invite you and your interested readers to see it.
Note: If you want to spell this out for your column it is www.jhs65.com/56.htm. There are some vintage pictures out there………Please enjoy my website at www.jhs65.com which has many JHS Homecoming pictures."
I looked at the photos Condy and they are very good. Folks who call up the photos will recognize a lot of old acquaintances. But the one labeled John Clifton is apparently incorrectly identified. That fellow is young, slim and with a lot of very dark hair. Couldn't be me. (Still there does seem to be at least a little family resemblance there.)
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