Hal Carter, son of Horace Leroy and Ethel Harvey Carter, died Sunday afternoon, February 25 at his home in McLemoresville, surrounded by his family. He was 96.

Best known as the father of television personality Dixie Carter and secondly as one of Carroll County’s greatest entrepreneurs, Mr. Carter was born in McLemoresville on December 3, 1910.

Funeral services are noon Thursday at McLemoresville United Methodist Church with Dilday Funeral Home of Huntingdon in charge. Burial will be in the McLemoresville Cemetery.

Visitation is Tuesday, 2-6 p.m. and Wednesday, 4-8 p.m. at the family residence in McLemoresville. The family has requested that children not attend the visitation.

Mr. Carter spent his childhood and youth in McLemoresville, where he was an “A” student at the McLemoresville Collegiate Institute and a star athlete.

With his older brother, Leon, in college, Hal and his sister Melba grew up together in the old Carter homestead in McLemoresville that was first owned by his grandfather. The downtown property is today the home of Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook. In recent years, Mr. Carter shared Dixie and Hal’s homes in California and McLemoresville.

After graduating from McLemoresville Collegiate Institute, Hal was courted by several southern colleges, but chose instead to go into the family business with his beloved father. The original store, Harvey and Carter, sold groceries, dry goods, and hardware. He worked at the McLemoresville store for almost two years before the pair opened another store in Huntingdon, known as H.L. Carter & Son. Eventually Hal partnered with James Williams of McKenzie to add stores in McKenzie, Union City and Dyersburg as well.

Hal’s cousin, Opal attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and introduced him to Esther Virginia Hillsman, a young woman who would later become his wife.

“She had a Spanish look about her,” Hal mused, dreamy-eyed at the fond memory of his wife, during an interview with the McKenzie Banner four years ago. “I got struck on her but I couldn’t get married,” explaining that he was only making $50 per month working at his father’s store.

Despite his stated poverty, Hal admitted living at home with his parents and charging the gasoline for his Ford car, plus shopping in the family store, made life easier.

“I’ve stayed reasonably dressed up all my life,” said Hal during the interview. He recalled wearing knickerbockers as a small boy and continued dressing for breakfast every morning in suit and tie well into his 90s.

Hal married Virginia in 1932, when the depression was at its most fearsome. By the time he was called to join the U.S. Army in 1942 during World War II, they had three children, Halbert Leroy, Jr., Dixie Virginia and Melba Helen (Midge).

Sadly, it was his father’s death that brought Hal home after two and a half years in Europe.

Upon his return to civilian life, he reconceived the Huntingdon business and created a first-of-its-kind self-service department store, with the newly renovated Ben Franklin Variety Store in the basement. Because he had divested himself of all but two stores in order to respond to the draft, Mr. Carter then began to open new stores, rebuilding his business over a period of time. His innovative advertising and promotional techniques, including live music in the store, drew customers from a 50-mile radius, but the essence of his success was his vibrant personality, his generous spirit, and his kind heart.

The store “had everything any dime store had” plus Stetson hats and other goods and “shoes from the biggest shoe company in the world.” The shoes, though expensive at $20 a pair back then, were one of the biggest sellers in the store with lines of customers often stretching from the front door all the way to the shoe department 100 feet away. Customers didn’t mind waiting their turn at the x-ray fitting machine, said Hal.

He installed a central checkout, unheard of in department stores of the day, and insisted with perfectionistic fervor that items be displayed correctly.

In 1950, he moved his family to Huntingdon, their home for the next 35 years, where he became a community leader. Forty-three years later, in 1993, the town’s first Heritage Festival honored him with Halbert Carter Day.

Mr. Carter was open to new endeavors. In the 1950’s he acquired and transformed a beachfront property in Sarasota, Florida into a flourishing residential motel. During the 1970s, he accepted a challenging job in property management which took he and Mrs. Carter to Atlanta for seven years.

After Mr. Carter retired from business, he and Mrs. Carter moved back to his birthplace in McLemoresville, where they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

He lost his beloved Virginia in 1988. He suffered another loss when Hal, Jr. died six years ago after a long illness.

After his wife’s death, Halbert began spending most of his time in Los Angeles with Dixie and Hal. There he made many friends and a number of television appearances. His lifelong appetite for reading continued unabated, as did his irresistible storytelling. He was a natural singer and musician, and charmed lots of folks with impromptu serenades. In October, 2004, he came back home to McLemoresville to stay.

During a 2003 interview, Dixie spoke about her father’s mild manner.

“I remember being in the barn watching my daddy milk one day,” she related. “And I said to him, ‘What would she do if I pinched that bump right her on her hind leg, Daddy?’ And he was in the suit and tie ready to go to Huntingdon to work in his store – he wasn’t paying much attention to his little toddler daughter- so he said something like, ‘Oh I don’t know, Precious, what she’d do.’

“I reached over and pinched the cow on that bump – well, she let out a kick that sent me and daddy and the milk can all flying back into the feed bin. I remember Daddy put his arm out to protect me and he split his beautiful navy blue jacket right down the middle. He didn’t spank me; it just tickled him. He just picked me up and he laughed and turned the bucket back up and finished milking. He wasn’t even angry; he had the most remarkable temperament.”

Living with Dixie and Hal was a saving grace for the widower who said, “She’s been awful good to me, and Mr. Holbrook, Dixie’s husband, he is so good and kind to me.”

A lifelong Methodist and staunch Republican, he is survived by his son’s widow, Mrs. Margo Carter; his daughter, Mrs. Dixie Carter (Hal) Holbrook and Mrs. Melba Helen Carter (Steve) Heath; grandchildren, John (Un Chu) Carter, James (Amelia) Carter, Horace (Missy) Carter, Ginna Carter, Mary Dixie Carter (Steven) Kempf, Hillsman Heath, Stephen Heath, and Christian Heath; great grandchildren Margaret, Adaline, Joe, Halbert, and Gus Carter.

To read the 2003 feature in its entirety here.

  

The deadline for paying 2006 county property taxes without being assessed a penalty is Wednesday, February 28.

County Trustee Pat Rich said Carroll County property owners may pay their taxes in person at the trustee’s office in the county office complex, located at 625 High Street, Suite 106, Huntingdon from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Rich noted the office remains open from 12-1 p.m.

Those paying property taxes after the February 28 deadline will be assessed a penalty of 1-1/2 percent per month. Example: persons who pay in March would be assessed an additional 1 ½ percent, while those paying in April would be assessed an additional 3 percent.

For people who want to sign up for tax relief, Rich said the requirements are that they must be at least 65 years old, be 100 percent disabled or widow of disabled veteran, and had to have earned $20,000 or less in 2005, the year on which 2006 tax is based. The allowable income was raised from last year, when the maximum income figure was $12,980.

A change to the property tax relief program is that spouses of soldiers killed in action are eligible for property tax relief for the first time.

Qualified applicants will receive tax relief on the first $25,000 of their property’s market value. This is a $7,000 increase from the previous value limit.

Rich noted that in October 2006 when the tax notices were mailed out, 456 tax relief participants were on the rolls at that time. Approximately 150 more are expected to be added, she said.

“We are happy to fill out the applications,” said Rich. “We want to encourage people to ask for the tax relief.”

She noted, however, her staff would not be filling out applications for tax relief on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 27-28, because her staff is extremely busy accepting tax payments during the final days.

“We are asking persons to pay their taxes and return later in the week or the following week and we will be happy to assist them.”

Applications for tax relief need to be filled out by the middle of March, said Rich. All persons applying for relief for the first time must pay the full tax amount and those qualifying for relief will be reimbursed by the state, said Rich.

The 2006 tax aggregate for the county is 18,300 parcels of property. The expected revenues if 100 percent of taxes were collected would be $7,446,633.64 for this year, she said.

  

MCKENZIE (February 20) – McKenzie Special School District’s policy concerning prayer will be explained to students, parents, and the public. That’s the thought coming from a committee assigned to study the prayer issue.

An ad hoc committee consisting of the seven school board members, principals Terry Howell and Richard Davy (Jon Frye was absent due to illness) and high school student Blake Milam discussed the issue last Tuesday.

After meeting for more than one hour, the committee decided to reconvene March 15 to examine ways to provide information concerning the existing policy.

McKenzie's home football games are preceded by a moment of silence, not a student-led prayer over the public address system as several other area school systems do. McKenzie Special School District prohibits all school-sponsored verbalized prayer at all school-sponsored or school-directed activity. Board member Greg Barker said his constituents want clarification of when one can and cannot pray.

Howell said the Tennessee School Board Association provides the insurance coverage for the school system. The TSBA indicated it will not defend the school system in case of a lawsuit arising from school prayer. While a moment of silence is observed at football games, Howell said he does not believe that makes MHS students any less religious than those at schools where a pre-game prayer is said over the public address system.

Chairman John Austin said students may pray anytime as long as it is not disruptive to instruction time. Board member Jill Holland said McKenzie students can be seen praying before school and during lunch.

Supreme Court decisions caution against the establishment of religions in schools since the public address broadcast is still in the control of school officials. Board member Monte Cunningham said opening the microphone for prayer may openly violate the establishment clause unless it is a completely neutral. If the school establishes a period of free speech, then it’s open to any student.

Existing policy reads, "There shall be no school-sponsored or school-directed public prayer at any school-sponsored or school-directed activity, but a period of silence shall be observed.

"The teacher of the first class of each day shall call the students to order and announce that a moment of silence is to be observed. No other action shall be taken by a teacher other than to maintain silence for the full time.

"There shall be no sponsorship of a baccalaureate service or other activity which is religious in nature by the board or its employees and no school funds, including paid staff time, will be used for such activities."

While other area schools pray prior to football games, several do not pray before other sporting events, said Board Member Monte Cunningham, a lawyer who teaches business law at Bethel College. During the regular February meeting, Cunningham said he wanted the teachers, administrators, and children to know students may spontaneously choose to pray in a non-disruptive setting. He noted the school has a flourishing "See You at the Pole" and a FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). Cunningham said he has had members of the community say they are willing "to act in contravention of the Supreme Court ruling, as our neighboring school systems are, and await someone to challenge them on that."

Cunningham said the lawsuits, that created the case law, were filed by religious people, not aetheists as commonly believed.

Cunningham said the moment of silence at football games has degenerated to about 20 seconds. He would like for the school board to endeavor to have a full minute of silence.

While a Christian himself, he said the schools should be careful not to establish religion. Howell said the high school begins each day with a moment of silence, the length of which is determined by the individual classroom teacher.

Richard Davy said the elementary school begins each day with a one-minute period of silence. A meeting with approximately 12 parents indicated they prefer a clearer definition of the current policy, said Davy.

   

After more than six years of planning, public hearings, and proposed alternate routes, the Tennessee Department of Transportation might be ready to let bids for the construction of the 3.05-mile stretch of U.S. 79 from Lawrence Street in McKenzie to Sydnor Road.

According to Pamela Marshall with TDOT, the 3.05-mile widening project extending from McKenzie and a second leg of U.S. 79 from the Carroll-Gibson county line to U.S. 45 in Milan have not been let to contractors.

The section in Gibson County from SR 43 (U.S. Hwy 45 E) in Milan to Carroll County line is not scheduled for construction until calendar year 2008 if funding is allocated for the project. The section in Carroll County from west of Snyder Road/Winston Road to the existing five lanes in McKenzie could be in the April 2007 letting, said Marshall.

TDOT has made the necessary land acquisitions for the widening project along the existing alignment from McKenzie. The road will be four 12-foot lanes, a 12-foot center turn lane, and 10-foot shoulders along the three-mile stretch from Carroll Bank and Trust (Lawrence Street) to Sydnor Road. Underground utilities have been relocated to accommodate the construction. Carroll County Electric and Charter Communications will also have to relocate overhead service lines.

In last week’s McKenzie Banner, TDOT published a public notice concerning the impact of wetlands along the 3.05-mile route in and near McKenzie. TDOT is seeking an aquatic resource alteration permit. Interested parties have 30 days to respond to the notice. The state estimates a cost of $133,000 to mitigate damage to existing streams and wetlands affected by the project. For more information on the mitigation proposal, visit www.state.tn.us/environment/wpc/ppo/arap/nrs06_249.pdf

 
Nashville (February 22) The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission (TWRC) elected a new slate of officers for the coming year.

Thomas "Bub" Edwards, from Paris, was elected chairman. The Vice-Chairman seat went to Gary Kimsey of Sweetwater. The newly elected Secretary is Johnny Fred Coleman of Livingston.

Long time TWRC member, Tom Hensley, who has served a total of eighteen years, along with Bill Cox, and Jeanette Rudy, both completing 6-year terms, all reflected positively regarding their time spent on the Commission during time set aside near the end of the meeting on Thursday.

Greg Wathen, Wildlife Division Chief, informed Commission members of the latest discussions between the Canadian Food Inspections Agency (CFIA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) concerning the export permit to bring elk from Elk Island National Park, Alberta, Canada, into the United States. "I'm encouraged that discussions are ongoing for future importation, but I am not optimistic that we can bring any elk to Tennessee this spring," Wathen reported.

Bill Reeves, Fisheries Division Chief, presented a 5-year plan for warmwater and coldwater hatchery improvements. This aggressive plan would double fish production for future stocking if fully implemented.

The TWRC is the governing body of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). The public is invited to attend all future Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission (TWRC) meetings and voice their concerns. The next meeting is set for March 14 and 15 at the Ray Bell Building, Region II office in Nashville.