The next activities will include a wrestling match in Veterans Park on Saturday, September 2nd organized by Wayne Honeycutt that will be followed by a repeat of last year's very successful "Emergency Awareness Day" on Sunday, September 10th. That will tie in beautifully with the combined "March for Freedom in Support of Our Troops" and the 9/11 Candle Light Vigil on Monday, September 11th.. (We will congregate that evening at the state line a few minutes before dark and march down North Main Street to the stage for the candle light service. We want the route to be long enough to be meaningful and short enough for everyone to be able to participate in the march who wants to do so. But all who may not be able to make the walk are welcome to drive or ride with someone.)

I am expecting a contact soon from Lt. Col. Scott Cuel to work out details for his again making a flyover at this year's Fall Fest on Saturday, October 7th.. His parents have informed me that the chances are very good that he will be able to perform the flight but that it will probably have to be scheduled for an earlier time during the day!

It doubtful at this time that he can have his wingman to accompany him as he did then.. But knowing his outstanding military record posted while serving in Iraq where he saved a contingent of Marines from death or capture, our emotions will run every bit as high when his jet comes roaring in over Veterans Park with John Phillip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" sounding off on the public address system.. Just as last year there will be cold chills a' plenty for everybody.

In an earlier edition I cited the work that Mitch Loomis, East Tennessee Development District, and I had done to obtain a ninety-six thousand ($96,000.00) dollars grant for a "Gateway to Jellico". That grant was approved and presented to our City of Jellico representative Councilman Bob Daniel by Governor Phil Bredesen in Nashville a few days ago.. When brought before the City Council, the required matching money was unanimously approved - although all or part of the matching funds may not be required depending upon the availability of some voluntary in-kind services in the way of engineering.. As I informed the Council during the meeting, it will be a beautiful addition to Jellico as well as helping to attract visitors to our downtown, Indian Mountain State Park and our other attractions..

I hope that everyone saw the sketch of one side (both sides will be identical) of the Gateway in the local press.. Although only a sketch and in black and white, readers got an idea of the beauty of the Gateway.. Mitch and I plan to meet within the next few days and try to decide upon the exact location. Folks have told me that they cannot wait to see it in place and hopefully that won't be too long.

And talking about not being able to wait! During Saturday's activity, Orin Buck showed me more details concerning the work that the Buck's plan for their two remaining buildings. They are going to look great when they are completed and I for one can't wait.

Orin and Jake Bennett reminded me that I am always talking about "lighting up our town". And he showed me something that he plans for those buildings other than just paint that will really "light the place up". I guarantee that it will grab your attention! More later!

I was asked by one citizen if we can possibly extend the work being done on our sidewalks all the way out past Branam Hill. We don't presently have the funding for that extensive an addition but Councilman Alvin Evans and Mitch have spent a lot of time working toward receiving grant funds for that purpose. It is our hope and intention to both repair and extend sidewalks and construct additional sidewalks for several areas if we are successful in obtaining those grants. And according to Mitch, we have a very good chance of succeeding.

Having the Taylor Manufacturing plant to close several months ago was a blow to us. But the automotive industry related plants in small towns are always up and down and we suffered a fate that is now all too common place in this country. In fact one of our country's major automotive manufacturers recently announced a very large cut back in the number of its employees.

But the work force of the Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries plant has now grown to the point where their total number of employees is even higher that the combined number of the two plants at the time of Taylor's closing. That's very good news!

We often get questions as to what if anything we are doing toward attracting new businesses and jobs to Jellico. And I can assure everyone that we are always attempting to do just that. We make contacts with any potential employers of whom we can learn and we always welcome any practical suggestions, approaches, ideas, etc. that anyone can provide us.

But we are exactly like thousands and thousands of small towns all across America that are constantly working and hoping to do the same thing.. We face very, very stiff competition every time that we make any type of contact with that purpose in mind. That is why I have such a strong belief that we need to get our town looking as good as we can and to utilize every job training opportunity available to us - whether academic or vocational - to the greatest extent possible. That is crucial if we expect to be competitive in a "buyers market" for prospective employers who may be looking to relocate or expand.

I personally in just the past few weeks have attempted to learn details of an employer in Michigan who has expressed an interest in the vacated building in our industrial park. And an earlier contact made in a nearby area revealed that the rising price of fuel was a factor in that business's decision to defer plans for any type of expansion for the foreseeable future. I am sure that situation is true of a lot of other small businesses.

A citizen who has always been interested in civic development and who badly wants to see our town continue to improve recently furnished me the name and address of an industrialist located in the Carolinas whom he knows personally and whose firm has been growing and expanding into other states. I immediately wrote that individual and asked him if he would consider coming to Jellico and meeting with us and to take a good look at the opportunities that we have to offer. I am certainly hoping for a favorable response to my request.

Additionally I attempt to make every meeting of the Campbell County Joint Economic Development Committee in Jacksboro and to obtain any leads that become available to the group.

Our Internet site www.jellico.com/jellico/jellico.htm that is annually accessed by countless users throughout the country, lists numerous advantages to locating in Jellico:

1. located directly off Interstate-75,
2. low tax rate,
3. new water purification and waste water treatment facilities,
4. dual feed 160,000 volt electrical substation, and
5. an industrial property of 60 acres with an industrial building available or soon to be available.

A five (5) pages fact sheet "WHY JELLICO? THIS IS WHY!" published and widely distributed by Jake includes much of the same material as the website but also brings in the Williamsburg airport, our highly rated community hospital, our 300 motel rooms, our locally produced activities, our recreational opportunities and many, many other attractions for prospective employers to locate to our area.. And both Jake and I have addressed local civic clubs and groups interested in promoting local area development. And of course, Jellico belongs to the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce and other organizations that work toward that same objective and are constantly searching for leads.

But as stated above, we welcome any input from our citizens that might help us to obtain jobs!

A lot of folks in this area still like to discuss our early coal mining days and some of us recently had a great discussion in Buck's Hardware concerning the railroads, mining camps, scrip (mining company money), locomotives owned and operated by the mining companies, etc..

Ironically, two or three days later I received out of town e-mail from two different individuals bringing up those very same subjects:
Danny Centers wrote from Cleveland, Tennessee: " ….I read them (these notes) with great interest. ……Over the years I worked with three railroads including the L&N and the Southern (coming into Jellico)….. My first job was as a telegrapher." And he adds, " I would appreciate it if you could possibly furnish the name of a very popular restaurant that was on North Main Street in Jellico during the early or mid 1960's that specialized in home style meals and featured delicious pies that were about four inches high with meringue." (I of course replied back that a lot us have equally great memories of Tibby's Restaurant. In the meantime he made me hungry for one of Tibby's great coca nut cream pies.)

Jerry Hicks e-mailed from Somerset, Kentucky concerning some of the mining camps and I am reprinting his correspondence due to the local interest that we do have in the subject:
"Recently I was catching up on your column at the on-line archives. In your column of 4-28-05, you mention East Tn Coal Co. at Dowlais (Black Oak). That piqued my curiosity and I did some googling and found some info that might interest you if you have not already seen it:
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/-duncanrw/seventy-years.html or search "seventy years in the coal mines". This is posted by Baily Francis at Emory University. It is an excerpt of a book by his great grandfather, Philip Francis. It has much info about Jellico, Proctor mines, and Dowlais, which was apparently named for Dowlais, Glamorganshire, Wales."

For those who may not be familiar with the name Philip Francis, he reportedly lived an adventurous life before coming to Jellico (residing where else but on Welch St.) where he became extremely financially successful to the point of operating several coal mines and other businesses.

Jerry listed several other websites of interest including one with a rare photo of Red Ash (Proctor), Whitley County coal camps, etc.. I will be glad to furnish those sites upon request..

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