I want to congratulate Paula Centers who has recently become a member of my favorite band that just happens to be located on the campus of the University of Tennessee.
Paula is presently preparing for her first performance as a member of "The Pride of the Southland". The band will begin the season with its traditional opening show prior to Saturday night's game with Wyoming.
Paula is the daughter of Sam and Patty Centers of Jellico and the granddaughter of James and Ruth Arnold and Artie Centers and the late Earl Centers.
I want to thank "Mike's Graphics" for the banner that has been placed across North Main Street to advertise the "Saturday Nights in the Park". Our crowd almost doubled the first Saturday night after it was put in place.
Attendance for the activity has increased almost every Saturday night and just demonstrates that people will come back to the downtown if there is reason for them to do so. But I don't think anyone expected the level of success that the "Saturday Nights in the Park" have enjoyed in such a short period of time. We had originally thought that several weeks would be required before we would attract so many people - and many of them are regulars and have not yet missed a performance.
And we have been blessed with great weather every Saturday night prior to the time this article was written (8/25).
I recently attended a couty-wide meeting at the court house in Jacksboro (also involving Lake City) dealing with the legislation (Public Act 1101 of 1998) that requires counties and municipalities in the state of Tennessee to place all land lying within the county into three categories (1) urban growth areas (cities and towns), planned growth areas (county) and rural areas (county). Deadlines have been established for completion of certain tasks and failure to comply will result in some severe penalties for delinquent counties including loss of all federal and state grant money, loans, and other sources of funding.
(Our area was also represented by Commissioner Foster Baird, Mr. Roy Price, former Chairman of our Planning Commission, Mr. Robert Sharp and Commissioner Carl W. Baird.)
We have already roughly identified our urban growth area and as I reported last week, a map reflecting that area can be seen in the City Council room. We have also held the two public hearings that are required prior to December 1, 1999. Those two hearings were announced in the local media and were conducted on June 24th and July 1st.
It was pointed out during the county-wide meeting that most towns and cities have had an out-migration of businesses and people from the heart of town - leaving downtown areas under utilized and deteriorating. At the same time, those towns and cities have continued to absorb additional outlying areas through annexation without doing anything to redevelop their neglected downtown areas. One of the intents of the new legislation is to reverse that trend and to begin restoring downtown areas. And guess what town was selected as an example of one that is already adddressing that problem???
Jellico was both commended and congratulated during the meeting for what is presently being done to redevelop our downtown. And I am proud to say that we began the process before the legislation was enacted.
I again addressed the Church of God, Mountain Assembly Annual Convention (93rd) and it appeared to me to be one of the best attended in recent years. And this was an "off" year (non-election of officers) for that organization. If this year's attendance is any indication, the CGMA Annual Assembly might post record attendance for the year 2000. And the large majority of those attending are from out of town, out of state and even from areas outside this country.
During my welcoming remarks, I pointed out the parallels between the moving of the church to the Jellico area circa 1910 and the development of our town. And I expressed our appreciation to the church for all that it has meant to Jellico in the past; what it means to us now; and what it will mean to us in the future. We are very fortunate to have the international headquarters of the CGMA and the annual convention remain in Jellico.
James Edward Branam addressed the convention in several past years and concluded by singing. And he always did a great job. But I did spare the audience my singing. I want them to come back next year!
The dedication of the first "Habitat for Humanity" house in Jellico was very well attended by state, county and city officials and citizens from all over Campbell County. The construction of a house in such a short time with temperatures constantly hovering around 100 degrees is nothing short of amazing.
I conveyed thanks from the city of Jellico to all the volunteers who did the work and pointed out that the city has voted to donate a building lot to that organization for the construction of a second Jellico home sometime in the future. I invited all the participants back to town to "do it all over again".
Johnny Ivey and I recently were called to the Williamsburg Walmart store to pick up the previously announced $1,500.00 donation for the Jellico Rescue Squad. The squad plans to use the money to convert the caboose in Veterans Park into a permanent concession stand that hopefully will produce funds for the organization's community projects.
We are grateful for the willingness of Walmart to help our civic organizations and with our plans to revitalize the downtown area.
(The Tannery Hollow Baptist Church is running a concession stand in the park for the Saturday night activities until such time as the Rescue Squad is able to complete construction on the caboose. We appreciate the help of those from the church who are currently providing concessions to the crowds).
In a related matter, County Commissioners Foster Baird and Allen Douglas were able to obtain $1,000.00 each from the county for the Jellico Rescue Squad. That money will be used to reduce the remaining debt for the new squad building.
We have had numerous requests for bluegrass and gospel music and Mr. Robert Johnson is presently assembling a group to play on Friday nights. He also hopes to get area churches involved. The group will play for the first time on Friday Sept. 10th.
Mrs. Bessie Steely plans to proceed with organizing an "Old Fashioned Night" in Jellico (Saturday, September 11th). The weather should be at least some cooler then; the University of Tennessee football team has an open date; and the "Twin Rivers Band" is scheduled to play in Veterans Park.
Mrs. Steely plans to talk with all business operators in town and ask them to remain open until 10:00 PM or so on that night. She also invites everyone to dress from a bygone era - whether from the 1940's or 1950's or any other period. And bring their old cars and trucks for the event.
I hope that our citizens will really get into the spirit of having an "Old Fashioned Night". Many of us like to remember and talk about the times when we could not find a place to walk on the sidewalks in Jellico on Saturday nights. As Mr. Jerry Dalton told me recently, "Jellico used to seem like a city". It would be great if everyone would park their vehicles and again walk up and down the sidewalks, visit the stores and meet and talk with their friends and neighbors. It would be nice to relive such an experience - even if only for a single night.
And who knows! It just might lead to more such nights in the future. (We will keep our fingers crossed that the good weather holds on Saturday nights.)
Our Tourism Commission has scheduled the annual "Swift Silver Mine Weekend: for September 17-19 and that event usually brings a large number of visitors to our town. The lost Swift Mine has been the source of an intense search since colonial days. And many believe the mine to be located somewhere in our general area - with the "narrows" on highway - 25W considered a likely site. The local television program, "Heartland Series", has featured the lost mine in past presentations and many newspapers and magazines have done stories.
The Jellico Community Hospital will celebrate twenty-five years of service on Sunday, September 26th and that event is expected to bring several visitors from out of town to include former employees, patients, etc.
Earlier in the year, the Jellico High School Alumni Association officers asked me if we had any activities planned downtown for Friday, October 15th. They wanted to include them in the Alumni newsletter.
I told them at that time that we did not have anything scheduled. But later the "Twin Rivers Band" offered to be present that day and to play during the hours of 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM. And the Alumni Association also has the "Parade of Classes" scheduled to come through town later that evening.
All of the above activities are important to Jellico because they do bring in numerous visitors and it is very important that our town presents the best image possible. In addition to binging positive attention, there is always the possibility that one or more of our visitors may be looking for a place to relocate, invest in a business, etc.
Mrs. Dorothy Potter, Jellico Librarian, has informed me that our public library expects to receive a grant of four (4) computers from the Gates Foundation that we hope to place on the internet. And we have just received two new reading tables for the library.
The new building and the new equipment have certainly added greatly to our library facilities and our citizens are responding to the improvements with greatly increased usage. The Summer Reading Program had far more participants than in former years and the number of people regularly using the library appears to increase by the day. And as I mentioned last week, Mrs. Judy Parrott Cooper will work to form a "Friends of the Library" organization of citizens that can help with even more improvements.
A good public library is a great asset to any community and it is well worth the money and time that we have invested.
I want to remind internet users that this column can be found at www.jellico.com/jellico/jellico.htm (Page provided by Interstate 2000 computer service located in the old First National Bank Building on North Main Street). All previous columns can be called up by clicking on "archives".
Mr. James E. Douglas certainly was one of our first citizens to become concerned with the litter problem that we experience. He not only became concerned, but he worked for many years, alone at times, to do something about the problem.
Mr. Douglas has told me that he will be willing to help the city's recycle efforts by collecting newsprint. He will be available every Monday morning (starting Labor Day, September 6th) near the concrete area by the Municipal Building to collect newsprint (8:00 AM - 10:00 AM).
The newspapers, magazines, etc. must be placed in a plastic grocery bag or some similar container.
I hope that everyone will take advantage of Mr. Douglas's offer. Participating will not only help us to keep the environment cleaner but will also help us with our payments at the Kentucky landfill by reducing weight.
The family of James "Jim" Tidwell requested that donations be made to the Jellico Veterans Memorial fund in honor of Jim. As of August 17, Mr. Herman Heath reports the following contributions to that fund: Cherry Lee Artis - $30.00; Chrysteen Kitts - $25.00; Alex and Trula Housley - $25.00; Clinton Probation Office (Carol Gavin) - $38.00; Lola Bridges - $20.00; B.G. Wheeler - $20.00; Donald and Betty Gray - $50.00; Kathleen Burrell - $20.00.
Final note:
I have had so many people to tell me that they now read my article from newsprint or internet that I am almost afraid to miss a week. I missed one week last winter due to a case of the flu and I had several to contact me as to why my column wan't run that week. I actually felt guilty.
And I know that the number reading this column has grown steadily since that time. I have had people within the last few weeks from Dayton, Cincinnati, Nashville, Clinton, Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and several other areas including our local area, to tell me that they now subscribe to the Jellico Advance-Sentinel or an internet service just to get my column.
Ronnie Dabney says that he used to pick up a copy of the paper whenever he chose but that they are now gone shortly after placement in the stores and other outlets. Geneice Thomas says that it is hard to believe that the time has come when people actually "line up" to buy the Jellico paper.
I quoted John Mays in an earlier article when he said, "Your column is so popular because you are giving Jellico area people news about the Jellico area". I sincerely appreciate all of those compliments and I am glad to be able to provide our residents and former residents with the type of infomation that they want to read. Mr. Howard Creekmore, now living in Ohio, recently told me, "I have been gone from Jellico for many years but I still follow what is happening in the ole home town through your column!" I sure appreciate Howard and I hope that his comment is true of many others who continue to love Jellico no matter where they now reside. With all its faults - there's still no place just like Jellico to an awful lot of folks!!!
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