We were forced to cancel our first night of "Christmas Downtown" due to some churches having play practice, citizens doing their shopping, etc. Sue Kepler did appear and sang although there was very sparse attendance since most knew of the cancellation.
Friday night saw beautiful live nativity scenes and some great singing by the Fairview Baptist Church, the girl scouts and the Crouches Creek Baptist Chruch. The crowd was larger although not anything as big as we had hoped. But in the words of Rev. Ellis Hoskins, "those not present missed a very enjoyable experience."
We had beautiful singing and nativity scenes on Saturday night presented by the Saxton Baptist Church and the Seventh Day Adventist Church. We again did not have a large turnout but we did have a good crowd of participants from both churches as we had on Friday night.
The first attempt to have a "Christmas Downtown" was successful in the sense that every group requested that they be invited back next year. The Seventh Day Adventist enjoyed themselves so much that they continued to sing well beyond the planned hour since they were the last scheduled group. I was tempted to join in but I didnt want them to stop. I could have listened to them all night.
All groups were very complimentary of the lights downtown. One said that they are the prettiest this year that she has ever seen them. Mr. Bill Neely told me that he had been in business for many years but this is the first time that he has ever decorated his shop. But he did so to help with my drive to improve the appearance of our downtown and to revitalize the area.
I certainly appreciate Bill's efforts. That is the citizen spirit that will be required as we attempt to bring our town back.
The beer board met in regular session at 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 16th and prior to the regular December meeting of the city council.
The proposed ordinance that was earlier furnished to all members of the board as well as the members of the council is much more comprehensive than the present ordinance, establishes an application form that will provide much more information and includes some changes that will require more attention.
The board only discussed the proposal that is similar to those adopted in other towns. It will continue to study the proposal before making any recommendation to the city council. The council must approve any changes in the ordinance by a two-thirds majority.
The regular meeting of the city council was somewhat abbreviated since many of the items for business had already been discussed at the special call meeting on Thursday, December 9th.
James Hackler appeared before the council and expressed an interest in leasing and/or buying the building on South Main Street that is presently leased to Taylor Manufacturing. Orrin Bray also addressed the council and discussed the problems he is experiencing with the road leading into his property. The council voted to approve specifications for blacktopping the Veterans Park Annex although work would not be completed until spring.
My earlier recommendation that $50,000 realized from the surplus property sale be applied to badly needed street repairs may have met a terrible fate. I reported last week that the council had voted to advertise for a new backhoe and a floor hoist that will probably run somewhere around $45,000 according to the estimates I heard.
During our regular meeting, Councilman Bill Barton insisted emphatically that $5,000 earlier appropriated for cleaning of the old Presbyterian church be taken specifically from the surplus property sale along with the $45,000 for the floor hoist and backhoe -- "coincidentally" totalling the exact amount that I had wanted from those funds to apply to street repairs.
Not only do I have a serious problem with the council's action but a lot of our citizens obviously have a serious problem with it as well. The more that I have opportunity to look closely at the situation and to talk to our citizens - the worse it looks. Not only was it obviously a hurry-up attempt to find some way to spend the $50,000 to keep me from utilizing it for street repairs (two councilmen told me later that they had never even heard of the proposed expenditure mentioned prior to Councilman Vann's motion although it could involve $45,000 of taxpayer money), but I also have heard numerous statements of opposition from our citizens. After reading the article, one slightly irritated individual told me that the council would have no trouble in finding a place to park the backhoe. According to him, "they can park it every night in one of the big holes in the streets." Three or four questioned how many times a week that the backhoe is used to justify spending so much money for a new one. One man that works with heavy equipment insisted that the backhoe could be taken to a higher echelon of maintenance and completely rebuilt for one fourth to one-third of the cost of a new one. Another, obviously speaking sarcastically, requested that it be parked on Douglas Lane since the residents of that area have to travel over such a rough road and the sight of a new backhoe might make them feel much better about their situation. And anyone who lives on Hill Street or travels on that "washboard" understands what needs to be done there. And the same is true of Holiday Lane, the curve on Indian Mountain Road next to the new water treatment facility, the water that regularly flows down the middle of Hospital Road and other streets needing repairs that are too numerous to list. And none of that even takes into account the holes in front of Hardees Restaurant and the traffic light located there. That situation is potentially dangerous and should certainly take priority over a new backhoe. I have had question after question as to when we are going to do something to repair our streets but I have not had the first person to inquire as to when we are going to buy a new backhoe.
Not only was the action of some council members a hurry up proposition but it became very obvious that their main goal was to dispose of the money in any way possible to prevent my using it on our streets that need it so badly. There is no question that cleaning the church, and purchasing a floor hoist and a new backhoe would be desirable to have. And there are a thousand other items that are also desirable. But the condition of many of our streets should be assigned a far greater priority.
I am convinced that had it not been for cleaning a building and purchasing a floor hoist and a backhoe, other items would have been found for spending the money to prevent its being used on our streets. From the sound of things, some of the council members had searched for things to buy and then made the decision in private before bringing it to the meeting. If that is so, it was a violation of the "sunshine law". If a meeting was held and the decision made outside of the council, it was a serious violation of that same law.
It was suggested that I veto the council's action but I would have to check with the city atttorney to detemine my authority in that area. However I can refuse to sign checks for expenditures that are clearly not in the best interests of our town. I plan to inform all bidding vendors of that fact. And I will refuse to sign the check if it is indeed, determined that the old backhoe can be rebuilt for much less money and remain serviceable for several years. And if it can be repaired for less money, I will continue to insist that the remaining money be placed on our streets. (To the best of my knowledge it is still in working condition and used on a regular basis).
I am completely agreeable to placing the question before our citizens and then acting accordingly. That question simply put, "Would you prefer that the $50,000 be applied toward street repairs or would you rather it be used to clean a building, and purchase a new floor hoist and backhoe?" I will be more than willing to follow the will of the majority of our citizens.
I want to make it clear that I have nothing but praise for Randy Douglas who runs our garage. I have previously written in this column that I think he does an outstanding job although assigned an impossible task. And I certainly have no quarrel with the employees in the street department, sanitation department or department of parks and recreation who must utilize our equipment. They attempt to carry out every assignment and they have even worked overtime for no additional pay to help me with projects that they think will help our town. I greatly appreciate them.
I am very much in favor of having the old church thoroughly cleaned by professionals because I think that the church can eventually bring revenue into our town and that is what I am working so hard to accomplish. (No councilman was involved with our acquiring the old Presbyterian Church. Eva Dolcini, JoAnn Watts, Tom Barclay and I did the work that obtained the church building that was donated to our town completely free of charge.) But the money for cleaning the building could easily have been taken from regular city funds as could those for the floor hoist. The $8,000 or so required to purchase both items would barely have been missed since our fund balance has now reached an almost unbelievable $581,355.01 and that does not include the $100,000 capital outlay funds. But regardless, Councilman Alvin Evans heads the Parks and Recreation Department and serves as Chairman of the Tourism Commission that will oversee the work on the church. Evans too, is in favoring of having the church professionally cleaned, but I doubt that he would insist that the money come from funds that should be used for streets when other funds are available. In any case, he should have been the councilman to address the issue before the council since it is his department.
To have $581,355.01 in reserve with our streets and roads in such bad condition clearly cannot be justified. The complaints that I constantly receive from our citizens are valid in most instances. We have had some work done but that has amounted to a drop in the bucket when compared to what we need to do. The $50,000 that came from the surplus property sale would have been at least a start toward taking corrective action and if nothing else - would have demonstrated that we are interested in trying to do something. Most of the work is beyond the scope of our street department's blacktopping equipment and must be contracted.
I have been able to get help from the Campbell County Highway Department and the Tennessee Department of Highways (TDOT) and I am working to obtain additional help from TDOT. But it is past time for the council to do something. And we have (had) $50,000 to at least make a start if we use it wisely.
I have been working for some time to acquire a piece of property for the city that is located within the flood plain. (The property earlier became the property of Campbell County for unpaid taxes). I received a call last week from the office of the county executive that the committee having jurisdiction over the property that had not been sold in the recent surplus property sale, had met and approved my request.
I have now been able to obtain two tracts of property at absolutely no cost to the city of Jellico. (We previously were donated the 1.3 acres near Veterans Park Annex by Norfolk Southern Railroad). I hope to someday see the property in the flood plain built up above the "one-hundred years flood level" that is required for property utilization. We constantly obtain fill material in the way of soil from ditches that have to be cleaned out, bricks from razed buildings, etc.
I asked the United States Corps of Engineers to study the situation and they did. The Corps gave me written permission to accomplish the building up of that area. (I was concerned that an impediment to the flow of the waters of Elk Creek could be created. However the Corps said that there would be no problem with the plans for the future of that property that I outlined for them).
The veterans' list this week includes William C. Lindsay (furnished by Joie Payne); Ray Elmore, Jim Elmore, Ed Elmore, Erman Wirtz (from Flora Mae Gilburth); Jimmy Barton, Ronnie Cooper, Jeffery Tye, Greg Tye, Johnny Parrott, Arnold Musick, Roger Stanfill, Buster Neely, Ned Smiddy, Edward C. Barton, Millard Maples, Jerry Christian, Howell Leach, Arthur Leach (from veteran Truitt Barton). Mrs. George Adkins reminded me that her father, Sylvestor Creekmore was a veteran of the Spanish American War. (I have always been told that he was his company's bugler as well as a trooper). I want to add the names of Maurie Reeves, Howard Heatwole, Alvah Potter, George Wilson, T.J. Wilson, Brian Wilson and Bill Turnblazer.
I have received a letter from Jo Ann Tharpe, Hazel Park, Michigan who states that she visited Jellico in September and that "it really looks nice". She says that she reads my column every week and can remember many of the things I am trying to bring back. She also requested that I add the names of W.J. Douglas and Frances Douglas to my veterans list.
(Some of the above names may have been published earlier but I would rather list them twice than to take a chance on omitting any veteran. I will continue to add every name that I receive although it may be a couple of weeks before I can get them in this column).
Our local cemeteries are filled with veterans dating back to the American Revolution. And one of the most interesting was "Uncle" Billy Beam who served in the Mexican War and the Civil War. The greatest of all Appalachian writers, John Fox, Jr., once lived with Beam in Proctor Hollow. He gathered ideas from Uncle Billy and his wife, "Aunt Hon" and later featured them in the classic novel that became a popular movie, "Trail of the Lonesome Pine". However he moved the setting from Proctor Hollow to the Big Stone Gap area of Virginia.
Mrs. Dorothy Potter, our Jellico city librarian, complimented and thanked me for the recent Pearl Harbor story. She personally knew Charles Echols who went down on the battleship "Arizona". She said that he went to school in Pruden but actually lived in Clairfield.
I want to say hello to Harold and Betsy Downey in Winterhaven, Florida who formerly lived in Jellico and owned Smith Drug Store (later Downey Drug Store and now Jellico Drug Store). They have located my column on the internet and have joined the amazing number of out-of-town, out-of-state and out-of-country folks who now read it each week on the web. (The number of accesses in Florida continues to increase and may eventually reach the number of hits in Virginia that is always the leader. And I have recently had hits in Nebraska. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that we are playing the 'Huskers again in the Fiesta Bowl? Strangely I have not had a hit within the past two weeks or so in the state of Arizona where the bowl is located).
Note: Any internet users with a site location and/or e-mail address who may want to hear from Jellico folks should send me the site(s) designations and I will publish in this article.
I earlier talked with Councilman Jim Dobson and he has met with police department personnel concerning New Year's eve. The department expects no developments outside the normal activities generally encountered on that particular night. However the department plans to be fully ready to respond to any eventuality and will have additional people on duty to prevent anyone capitalizing upon any situation that might develop.
The department has recently received the written thanks of several residents in public housing for the increased surveillance. That increased surveillance will be available during the upcoming weekend.
FINAL NOTE:
I have previously noted that Jellico has an "unofficial" web site in addition to the base page(s) at www.jellico.com . The unofficial location also receives responses from users ranging from those in Jellico and the Jellico area to some from outside the United States. And some are from people that I personally have not had contact with for many years and had no idea of their present whereabouts. (Many I have never met at all). But it is interesting to hear from all of them and I love to read the list of respondents.
Some from outside the area who have signed the "guest book" with any comments (as of Dec. 13th) include: JIM OSBORNE, Hartselle, Alabama ("went to school with Lonnie Gibson and Arlie "Pete" Spencer who were both killed in Vietnam"); FRED E. WING**, Lehigh Acres, Florida; EDWARD REED, Georgetown/Savannah, Tennessee ("born in Jellico in 1936"); KAREN LEIGH JONES, Ridgeway, Colorado ("ancestor 'Uncle' Bud Bennett died in great Jellico explosion"); DARREN FUSON, Middletown, Ohio ("father was from Jellico"); BOYCE O. "BUTCH" GRIFFITH, Oak Ridge, Tennessee ("born in Jellico in 1944"); MARGARET LAWSON/RANDOLPH, McMinnville, Tennessee; KEITH FORMAN, Bellefontaine, Ohio("I'll always be a Jellicoan. I can speak Jellicoese"); JACK EAST***, Cleveland, Ohio ("I was born in Morley but raised partly in Jellico. I lived there in the 1950's"); ANGEL BRAY OAS, unnamed United States Territory; LINDA FINE LOWDER, Anna, Texas ("My grandfather James Harris Fine was born in beautiful Jellico back in 1898"); JIM LAWSON, Dayton, Ohio; SARA SURBER, London, Kentucky; KENNETH WALLACE, Somerset, Kentucky ("nice to see that I was not the only one to live in Jellico, Tn"); CRYSTAL CLARK, Polk City, Florida ("I try to check this site once a week for any changes"); JAMES BRITTON, Benton, Illinois; SHERYL HATMAKER, Cincinatti, Ohio ("My family is originally from Jellico"); SHIRLEY DOUGLAS COX, Dayton, Ohio; and SHANNON SURBER EARLS, Rock Island, Tennessee.
Recent local "signers" include CHRIS BAIRD, COURTNEY EVANS, CAROLYN LEACH ("Even if it is unofficial, it still gives us an insight as to what is going on in the city. Especially the mayor's report"); GREG MARLOW ("from Morley"); and SHERYL THOMAS.
Anyone wishing to contact any of the above individuals can do so by accessing www.jellico.com/jellico/jellico.htm . After accessing that site, click on the listed option "Unofficial Jellico Home Page". Once that page is up, then click on the option for "View guestbook". An e-mail address is available for each individual and some included much more information than I noted above. (I am sure that they would like to hear from Jellico folks.)
NOTES:
**I went to school with a Jack East at the old Jellico Elementary School but that was in the late 1940's. But I am sure that it is the same Jack East and I have not heard of him in fifty years. I hope that he will contact me by e-mail at webmaster@jellico.com after reading this column.
***My father was a good friend of "Hop" Wing and he had a son named Fred. They lived on South Main Street before moving to Covington, Kentucky. That Fred Wing was an outstanding J.H.S. football player. I feel certain that he too, is the same Fred E. Wing.
I'M SIGNING OFF BY WISHING EVERYONE A HEALTHY, SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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