The ceremony conducted by our veterans, the Jellico High JROTC and others at the Memorial on the Saturday preceding Memorial Day was an extremely moving one.. As I stated in my opening remarks, we need never to forget why Memorial Day was instituted and what it represents. Our deceased veterans who gave so much to obtain and insure the continuation of our freedom must never be forgotten or unappreciated. And it was very fitting that time was taken during the Ceremony to thank and pray for our troops that are in harm's way at the present time.. . In keeping with the now long standing tradition, American flags were also placed on the graves of deceased veterans prior to Memorial Day. That task requires several days and a lot of help from a number of veterans, their families and friends. As was remarked to me over that weekend in both the Jellico Cemetery and the Douglas Cemetery at Oswego, the flags sure are beautiful on a bright sunny day standing out in a light breeze. But more importantly, they represent the fact that folks do remember decease veterans, their service and their sacrifices..

It's that time again that comes each year when I extend my thanks and the thanks of an awful lot of area and out-of-area folks to Helen Ruth Sharp for the job that she does in keeping our Jellico Cemetery in such good shape. As always, it looked great for Memorial Day. But it looks good year round thanks to Helen Ruth and the folks that work hard to keep it in such good shape!

Several of us always ask her the same question, "What is going to happen when you are no longer able to perform the job?" She doesn't have the answer and none of the rest of us have the answer. Here's hoping that someone(s) steps up and follows in her footsteps. But unquestionably they are going to be very hard footsteps to follow!

In the past I have been a little derelict in recognizing some folks that are certainly deserving of great recognition - our retiring teachers. And I don't want that to happen in the future.

And one who has just completed her last year of long service to the children of our town and our surrounding area is Gail Douglas Garrett who retired from Jellico Elementary School at the close of this school year. I had the pleasure of working with Gail when I was principal at JES and she was consistently right there when I needed her. She was always having ideas to improve the school - and even more importantly she was always willing to work to carry out those ideas.

There is no way to even begin to estimate the number of young lives that she has positively influenced during her years of service as a teacher, librarian and principal - and just as certainly, there is no way to estimate the extent of that positive influence upon them in the years to come . The same is true of all who spend their working lives teaching and working with children.

And in a non-school related area - that actually is related to the education of our young people - Gail has worked to preserve our local culture and traditions and has one of the largest collections of artifacts concerning our town's history of anyone I know. And that too is important for present and future generations to know and appreciate. On behalf of an awful lot of former students, here's wishing her a most enjoyable retirement.

Speaking of artifacts, since I began writing about the restoration of the old Jellico Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, parents and a grandparents have informed me that children in their family after hearing discussions about my articles, have expressed surprise that Cokes were once bottled and distributed here and have inquired as to the location and history of that building. Adults as well seem to like to talk about those good ole days when we stood outside those big plate glass windows and watched the bottles filling and then being capped as they came of the line. That was our "TV" in the days before there was television.

I understand that some may have unopened bottles of Coke bottled here that they have retained all these years.. And in fact Kay Dobson, widow of the late George Dobson, recently brought me an unopened bottle of that Coke that she and Mr. Dobson had kept as a memento from those days. The cap on the bottle has tarnished badly with time but incredibly, the fluid still retains some carbonation. (It will make an interesting item to display in the Buck's museum of local history.)

Our next Tourism Commission sponsored activity is now upon us. The sixth annual Classic Car Show will be held in Veterans Park on Saturday, June 17th.. The number of entries slowly but surely increases with each passing year and we had a total of eighty-four (84) vehicles last year. The goal for this year is one-hundred (100) and Tourism Director Jake Bennett has gone all out to attract that total for our 2006 show-- contacting exhibitors and clubs from a very large area.

Jerome Smith and other city employees will again voluntarily help organize and conduct the activity. Food, drinks and music will be available in Veterans Park and the nearby "Common Ground Coffee/ Sandwich/ Soup Shop" is expected to be available as well.

There will be dash plates for the first 100 entries plus top 50 trophies and other trophies including a trophy for the club with the most participants. It should make for a great show..

And it's now only a month until our annual Fourth of July Celebration. As has become the custom, our Fourth will feature gospel singing and the Cupp family has arranged to have some of the country's top groups in that field here for that very special occasion. Current plans call for the Park to be open for exhibitors, concessions, etc. starting Monday morning, July 3rd but with the singing beginning at 6:00 PM that evening. (There is a possibility that the large number of participating groups and individuals expected to be here may bring about an earlier starting time.)

Tuesday, July 4th will see an entire day of singing capped off as usual with our fireworks display starting at 10:00 PM.. (Already known for one of our areas finest fireworks displays, additional rockets, etc. will be added to this year's final burst.)

An interesting exhibit that Derrick Brown hopes to bring to the Fourth Celebration and possibly our Fall Fest, is one of the nine (9) especially equipped vehicles located throughout our country that are designed for immediate responses to major disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, etc.. Barring such a disaster at those very times, he will bring one of the units here that is stationed in Louisville, Kentucky.. From seeing a photo of one of those vehicles, the technology they possess staggers the imagination. It is almost the fantasy of something out of star wars but in reality. If Derrick is successful in having one here, it will be an object of great interest to kids of all ages and certainly will be an educational experience for all of us..

I have talked with Mr. Bill Cuel and the chances are very good that we can again have his son, Lt. Col. Scott Cuel, perform the jet flyover during our Fall Fest in early October.. That's very good news because so many folks greatly enjoyed it last year. But there are of course a multitude of details involved that must be worked out with Colonel Cuel.. (We will need good weather!)

E-mail has been received from Phil Lea, Benton, Tennessee::
Dear Mayor, I have put together a website tribute to the Troop Train Wreck of 1944.. www.TroopTrain.com Do you have more photos, information, facts, stories, etc.. to add to it? Do you know anything about the "boy on a rock" photo in a barbershop there? (See the "emails" link on my site). Thank you! Phil Lea

I do not have any additional information to give Mr. Lea but some of my readers may. His e-mail is: drwebman@yahoo.com postal mailing address is: 868 Benton Station Road, Benton, TN 37307

Earlier I mentioned the recently discharged US Marine who said that he had seen a "Made in Jellico, Tennessee" tag in his soft cap while serving in Iraq. And he was sure surprised to learn that all camouflaged soft caps for the entire Marine Corps are made in Jellico.

But I too was surprised to learn that four (4) different types of Marine Corps caps are now being manufactured here - and again only in Jellico. Mrs. Phyllis Lawson at Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries (SKRI) informed me of that fact following my earlier article. Mrs. Lawson says that employment at that plant is very good and now numbers one-hundred and thirty (130) workers. She says that at least twenty (20) more are needed and that they are especially looking for those with experience in sewing. Anyone looking for a job should go to the SKRI office/plant located in the industrial park on Creekmore/Housley Drive at Oswego..

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