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News Headlines
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
What a Record!
South Carroll Relay Raises $189,630 |
A huge crowd, including 135 survivors, listen
as
opening ceremonies get underway at Carroll South's sixth
annual Relay for Life event. SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE PHOTOS. FOR
REPRINTS,
CLICK HERE.
Friday's South Carroll Relay for Life showed the stuff
Carroll Countians are made of: with one eye to the skies
they nevertheless arrived at Veterans Park in droves where
anxious organizers had dumped sand and sawdust to buttress
fields made soggy by afternoon rains. That's when co-chair
Dr. Tim Tucker says they brought the big guns out: they
prayed. And in its sixth year under the leadership of Tucker
and co-chair Dr. Lee Carter, the event was a huge success,
raking in a record $189,630.54 - over $35,000 more than last
year - as festival-goers partied through the night in a
celebration of life unlike any other.
Present were 135 survivors, more than any of the previous
five seasons. Their triumphant first lap around the relay
track was met with cheers, tears and laughter. In fact,
laughter was a common thread throughout the evening, brought
on early by honorary co-chair Ruby Tharpe, a 15-year
survivor of breast cancer, whose down-home speech relating
her experience with cancer delighted the audience as, with
humor, she dealt with the most difficult issues of cancer:
getting past denial, telling family and friends, dealing
with children's fears, and facing the realities of the side
effects of treatment.
She shared with listeners the wisdom of Winston Churchill,
who said, "Never, never, never, give up."
Concerning her supervisor, William Lee, at the bank where
she is employed, she drawled, "If I even looked sick, he'd
say, 'Ruby, get your purse and go on home,' and I was used
to doing what he told me to do."
Her hardest point came when her eight-year-old daughter,
Quiana, withdrew after some "big girls" at school told her
that people with cancer die. Ruby reassured her, saying,
"We're made of much tougher stuff than that; we're not going
out that way."
She thanked the community and churches for their prayers,
her "bank family", her best friend, Diane, and especially
her children, Quiana and Kodia, and her husband, Ricky, who,
she said, became her rock. It was at his urging that she
agreed to become an honorary co-chair for Relay, when he
assured her, "What comes from the heart goes to the heart."
Honorary co-chairs, Ruby Tharpe (left) and Karen Carter,
team up with Jo Meagan Mansfield (right), a recipient of the
$1,000 ACS college scholarship award.
Honorary co-chair Karen Carter, a seven-year breast cancer
survivor, also balked at the assignment initially, until she
spoke with her daughter, Kelley, who works with Dr. Tucker,
telling her she had been asked to be an honorary co-chair
but was uncertain as to what she should do.
"She had the sweetest look on her face and in her eyes and
she said, 'Mom, you have to do it,' and that's why I'm
here," said Karen.
Like Ruby, she recalled that after her diagnosis she was
able to make it to the parking lot before breaking down.
"At that point I felt just like a bird that just hit the
window," she said, "I ruined (husband) Tim's favorite shirt
with makeup and mascara."
She said she realized she had two choices: sit down and let
the cancer take control of you or take control yourself.
She thanked everyone for helping her through the ordeal,
including her "angels in the kitchen."
"I didn't have to cook for six months," she said, recalling
her then five-year-old son, Ben, saying, "I don't want you
to be sick, Mom, but this is the best food I've ever had!"
"We needed this laughter and appreciated his innocence and
honesty," she said.
While discounting cancer as a blessing, she nevertheless
said she was blessed with the best family in the world and
lived in the best place in the world.
"This is what helps us...," she said, "Help from the
community, friends and family... (a positive) attitude and
family and friends and God are what gets us through each and
every day."
In particular, she thanked her heroes: Tim and their
children, Kelley and Ben.
Jo Meagan Mansfield, the Huntingdon High School graduate who
left for Tennessee Tech University only to discover she had
Hodgkins disease, was on hand to accept a $1,000 American
Cancer Society scholarship, the first award made in Carroll
County. Also present was another ACS scholarship winner and
cancer survivor, Jake Knight from Alabama.
Jo Meagan shows off her
$1,000 scholarship award as co-chairs Dr. Tim Tucker (left)
and Dr. Lee Carter, smile during opening ceremonies.
Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley was recognized for the over
$10,000 donation of "The Dale Kelley Officials Alliance", a
corporate sponsor combining four basketball conferences (Big
12, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Southland) and BellSouth.
Kelley is coordinator of men's basketball officials for the
conferences.
In the category of most money raised, Huntingdon Middle
School excelled with a total of $29,071.45 to become 2005
Grand Champions. Top winners in three categories were:
Business/Industry: First Place: Mallards/Southwestern
Stockyard - $20,403.96; Second Place: Norandal, USA -
$13,806.08; Third Place: Baptist Memorial Hospital
Huntingdon - $4,445.83; Community: First Place: Huntingdon
Middle School - $29,071.45; Blood, Sewat and Gears -
$6,787.73; Third Place: Dilday Soggy Bottom Outlaws -
$5,703.16; and Church: First Place: First Baptist Church
Huntingdon - $11,882.10; Second Place: Huntingdon Church of
Christ - $11,404.58; and Third Place: First Methodist Church
Huntingdon - $10,634.
Combined with North Carroll's $100,000 record-breaking
total, the county is expected to top the nation in
per-capita collections in the fight against cancer. Last
year Carroll County raised more money per capita than any
other county in the state and was ranked number two
nation-wide, missing the number one ranking by only $900.
It was the last year for Tucker and Carter to head the event
they have guided to ever-greater success since Relay began
in South Carroll in 1999. The two have become closer than
brothers, Tucker remarked at a Relay for Life event
recently, since "jumping on the Relay bandwagon." Always
close friends, the pair attended high school together, were
in band together, and lived next door to each other during
pharmacy and medical school in Memphis.
Learn more about cancer awareness
and ways the American Cancer Society can help at www.cancer.org.
Rhett (Jerry Howell) and Scarlet (Jane Smothers) represent
First Methodist Church Bruceton's team. The motto of their
"Cancer Gone With the Wind" theme was "A cure will be found
tomorrow."
Members of the Huntingdon Middle School team decked the
halls for a winning season. They led the pack with
collections of $29,071.45 to become 2005 Grand Champions.
Survivors Bonnie Webb and Marge Tucker fend off threatening
raindrops. Only scattered raindrops fell despite downpours
nearby.
"The 11-year-old Seals" practice with marshmallow shooters
purchased from the First Baptist Church Bruceton team.
Pictured, l-r, are: Will Espey, Matt Dempsey, Kyle Gregory,
Hunter Hamilton, and Adam Price, all of Huntingdon.
Ray Woodard (right), and his "lovely daughter," Keliea Laman,
both of Huntingdon, enjoy corn dogs, a Relay favorite.
Donna Christian, right, leads the cheers at Carroll Bank and
Trust's miniature car races. Also pictured are, l-r, Kristen
Lankford, Jimmy Lankford, Matthew Lankford, Millie Brewer,
and (background) Sandra Dees.
Ray and Polly Meggs of Huntingdon read the memorials on the
Relay for Life Memorial at Veterans Park, which also sports
a new plaque in honor to Dr. Lee Carter and Dr Tim Tucker's
dedication over six years of chairmanship of South Carroll
Relay.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SOUTH
CARROLL RELAY 2005 PHOTOS
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McKenzie Approves Sign Ordinance on First Reading |
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Temporary, portable signs,
with some exceptions, are expected to become illegal in
McKenzie in August following action by the McKenzie City
Council on the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
Mayor Walter Winchester recently noted temporary signs had
been in place at the intersection of Cedar and Highway 79 for
ten years. Flags displayed downtown would be required to have
a seven-foot clearance from the finish elevation of the
sidewalk. After passing the ordinance on first reading
Thursday, July 14, a workshop was scheduled for Monday, August
1, at 7:00 p.m., at which time board members will review the
ordinance and resolve any questions prior to their regular
session August 11. A sign and billboard ordinance proposed by the McKenzie
Municipal Regional Planning Commission was approved on first
reading Thursday, July 14, during regular session of the
McKenzie Board of Mayor and Council.
A workshop was scheduled for Monday, August 1, at 7:00 p.m.,
during which board members will review the ordinance and
resolve any questions.
In particular Thursday, Councilmember Darra Adkins asked for
clarification regarding a clause, which reads, "All abandoned
signs or signs relating to an abandoned use must be removed
within 45 days after abandonment. Removal is the
responsibility of the owner of the property."
"I have a lot of questions," Adkins continued.
"I think we all have a lot of questions," said Vice-mayor Gene
Hale.
In other business, the council passed on first reading an
ordinance adopting the fiscal year 2005-2006 budget that was
approved on second and final reading June 9, during a regular
session of the council. The first reading and a public hearing
were held May 26. The current action formalizes the acceptance
of the budget for the state comptroller's office, according to
Mayor Walter Winchester.
Also on Thursday the council approved a resolution adopting
the National Incident Management System, which was established
by the United States Dept. of Homeland Security and on June 28
this year was adopted for the state by executive order of
Governor Phil Bredesen.
The system will be used for all emergency responses by
departments within the town of McKenzie, notes the resolution.
It further states that all federal emergency funding and
grants are conditioned upon adopting the system.
The NIMS is designed to "provide a consistent nationwide
approach for federal, state, local and tribal governments to
work together more effectively and efficiently to prevent,
prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents,
regardless of cause, size, or complexity," according to the
governor's order.
The new system standardizes terminology and procedures for
managing personnel, communications, facilities and resources
to improve readiness and safety as well as streamline incident
management processes.
In other matters, Councilmember Willie Huffman clarified that
he had not recommended against the city using the services of
the Paris technology center, as was reported during a recent
meeting of the Planning Commission, but that the center did
not have a CAD (computer aided drafting) program to use.
"If they did, I would strongly recommend them," he said.
Adkins reported 143 responses had been made to date by the
Fire and Rescue Department and that $14,000 had been collected
on rural fire contracts.
She said only about half of residents served by the contracts
last year had responded to 1,000 letters sent last month
regarding the continuation of the contracts. Noting letters
had been sent to every residence within a five-mile radius of
city limits, she said the department hoped to exceed last
year's collection.
Upon questioning by Hale, she noted the department responds
with one person and one fire truck to each incident in which a
helicopter lands and clarified the report that indicates
response times and personnel and equipment dispatched as well
as date, location, and situation.
Adkins explained that all responders are not paid every time
they go out, if, for instance, they respond with those on duty
simply because they were "hanging out" at the Fire Department.
"They're real dedicated," she said. She mentioned ISO
regulations specify vehicle fires must be responded to with
one person who remains with the fire engine and two personnel
on line. Two persons are on duty during the day shift and one
at night, she said. |
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Murray Outdoor Products Building Sold |
By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
NASHVILLE- The vacant 334,600 square-foot Murray Outdoor
Products building in McKenzie has been sold to a Texas real
estate development company, according to The City Paper in
Nashville.
The sale was approved last week by Judge Marian F. Harrison of
the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Nashville. Houston-based Hines
Company purchased the McKenzie location and a
100,000-square-foot office building in Brentwood for a total
of $6.5 million.
Billy Barksdale, executive director of the McKenzie Industrial
Board, said the sale of the building is good news for the
community. Originally, the court wanted the $6.5 million
selling price for just the McKenzie facility.
"I'm glad it's out of bankruptcy," said Barksdale, adding the
marketing of the building to industrial prospects will be much
easier without the involvement of the bankruptcy court.
Brad Hurley, president of the Carroll County Chamber of
Commerce, said the sale of the building is "very positive news
and a forward step in marketing the building."
Several industrial prospects and real estate developers have
toured the building since it was vacated in 2002, said Hurley.
"I hope they assign a national brokerage firm to the
property," said the chamber president of the new owners.
Located in the McKenzie Industrial Park-South, on the east
side of the Carroll County Airport, the building has been
vacant since 2002 when Murray Outdoor Products, a go-cart,
snow blower, cultivators, edgers, and lawnmower manufacturer
closed the company and consolidated operations to
Lawrenceburg. Murray filed for bankruptcy last year. Briggs
and Stratton purchased the Murray name, equipment trademarks,
and patents, but not the real estate. The company once
employed 550 in McKenzie and was Carroll County's largest
employer. The facility opened as Noma Outdoor Products in 1988
and was sold to Murray in 1994.
The building sits on approximately 40 acres at 1165 Rochelle
Road, has 26 dock-level doors, two drive-in doors, and 40-feet
column spacing. The entire facility is heated and cooled. Its
appraised value is $5,161,000. |
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Huntingdon Adopts National Incident Management System |
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Members of the Huntingdon Town Council Tuesday, July 12,
approved a resolution adopting the National Incident
Management System, which was established by the United
States Dept. of Homeland Security and which on June 28 this
year was adopted for the state by executive order of
Governor Phil Bredesen.
The system will be used for all emergency responses by
departments within the town of Huntingdon and for other
purposes, notes the resolution.
Previously, the town used the Incident Command Systems for
emergency responses, however, Mayor Dale Kelley said, all
federal emergency funding and grants are conditioned upon
adoption of the new system which takes force in Huntingdon
effective July 12.
The NIMS is designed to "provide a consistent nationwide
approach for federal, state, local and tribal governments to
work together more effectively and efficiently to prevent,
prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic
incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity,"
according to the governor's order.
The new system standardizes terminology and procedures for
managing personnel, communications, facilities and resources
to improve readiness and safety as well as streamline
incident management processes.
In other business the council agreed to change the time of
their twice-monthly meetings from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The
is expected to take place following two readings of an
ordinance effecting the change, beginning with the next
meeting on July 26. The council meets the second and fourth
Tuesdays of each month.
Kelley said the change in meeting time would "accommodate
some things that take place in the summer and sometimes in
the winter, as well."
Council member Dr. Tim Tucker said he would occasionally be
unable to make the 6:00 meetings if he were the only
pharmacist on duty at City Drug Co., which is open until
7:00 p.m.
The recommendation took place in the absence of council
member Melissa Powell, who was attending a church function
in Florida, and Jeanie Newman, who was in Florida for a work
conference.
Kelley called to the council's attention a display board
showing lobby and auditorium finishes to be used at the
Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center,
including a rust-colored curtain, green carpeting, yellow
walls and a gold, tin tile ceiling.
"It's going to be a very plush looking place," he said.
While not discussed at the meeting, the mayor provided
council members a copy of a letter from the state Department
of Environment and Conservation in reference to a recent
inspection of improvements made to the Kelley Sports Complex
pursuant to a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant. The
town received top marks for its timely use of the funds as
well as the quality of the site and safety.
Remarked Gerald Parish, PARTAS consultant, in his June 30
letter, "It is very exciting to see the progress being
achieved throughout the community, particularly in the parks
and recreation area. We look forward to continue working
with the town of Huntingdon in future parks and recreation
planning." |
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West Carroll Board Grants Bid for Central Office to
Diversified Contractors |
By Pat Cole
pcole@mckenziebanner.com |
The West Carroll Board granted Diversified Contractors the
bid for their new central office to be construction on the
site of the old practice field for the band and football team
outside of Atwood. Diversified Contractor's bid was for
$122,185. Two other bids were received. Taylor Brothers
Construction bid $140,828.31 while Rose Integrated Services
bid $164,064.
The board approved a letter of support for the
pre-kindergarten program which has been discussed for several
months. This fall, children who are four years of age will be
able to attend class at the primary school, but will not be
able to ride the bus and must get to the school after bus
routes are completed and leave before other students leave for
the day.
They also approved the test based intervention course, a
computer class for students who failed to pass the Gateway the
first time. This course provides students an opportunity to
gain the knowledge they need to pass this important exam
through the use of a computer class.
Surplus property bids for the following items were approved as
bid: the orange truck for $125; one stove for $20, one mixer
for $20, and tables, $10 for one or $75 for all tables
available.
Board members approved all amendments to the 2004-05 budget.
Director of Schools Eric Williams informed board members of
new employees and transfers made in teaching personnel for the
2005-06 school term. Those who have been recently employed
are: Kristy Roehs for seventh grade math, Jason Martin for
seventh grade social studies, Kayla Martin for second grade,
Shanna Brigance and Kayla McSweeney for third grade, Mike
Greer for high school physical education and to coach boys
basketball, Mark Rich to high school social studies and to
coach junior high football and Tammy Lovell as a teacher
assistant in the elementary school. Transfers were made as
follows: Jim Cutlip to part-time high school science, Pam
Bryant to reading/computer, Shannon Burton to family/spec. and
supervisor and Angie Morris to first grade.
The board briefly discussed options for bonus monies paid to
faculty members with 15 years of experience. The present
policy provides bonuses be paid to any teacher with 15 years
experience, but board members agreed to address this policy at
the next meeting and discuss changing it to those who have
taught in the West Carroll system for 15 or more years,
beginning with the 2005-06 school term.
By consent agenda, the board approved the minutes of June 2
and June 28, the financial report, the accounts payable to end
the 2004-05 school year, amendments to the high school
handbook, the resignation of Gena Holmes and the retirement of
Nancy Johnson. |
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