Heat of the Summer
Summer has officially arrived in East Tennessee, and, even though the heat lends itself to lazy days, the meeting schedule is about to pick up again. It is often during the long days of summer, while the general public is sitting around the pool or lake, that the ground work for the year is laid. […]
Enough to Dampen the Flames
It was an interesting week for Jefferson County. As some were busy planning picnics and lake outings, others were pouring into the Historic Jefferson County Courthouse to express their concerns about fire protection to the Jefferson County Budget Committee. If you think that the meeting went off without a hitch, you would be wrong. But […]
Just a Few Words
Believe it or not, it is graduation time again. Saturday the Jefferson County High School Class of 2017 made their way across the stage, ending their career as Jefferson County students and taking their first step into adulthood. I remember clearly my own graduation from Jefferson County High School. If I try really hard, I […]
Fair and Equitable
It appears that we have some big changes that could be on the horizon for Jefferson County. Last week two municipalities, White Pine and Dandridge, put the County on notice that they can no longer financially support fire service outside their city limits and will be withdrawing from service to the County if Jefferson County […]
It is My Monkey
Sometimes you really want your legislators to think outside the box. There are times that I hope that my elected officials are one step ahead, planning for a future that I cannot yet envision. And then there are times that you just would like to see the craters in the road paved. For me, that […]
Schools Hit Hard
Nothing gives me indigestion more than politicians that talk out of both sides of their mouth. Just last week, I attended a lovely function put on by EDA that featured Randy Boyd as the Key Note speaker. He did a great job. I actually almost bought into the whole thrust of education and its importance […]
Bat and Veto Crazy
Last week was a week of bats and vetoes. And, while neither are necessarily strangers to Jefferson County, they are also not the most welcome guests at the dinner table. In case you haven’t heard, Maury Middle School has bats. No that is not a euphemism for something. They really have bats, if not in […]
It Runs Down Hill
Is it ever okay for the county, city or schools to keep important information from citizens? If there is a line, who draws it and who decides when to exceed it? Is it dependent on what the information is or who it impacts? We all know that there are times that desecration is the better […]
Slighted
I remember, years ago, when Jefferson County was so deeply split that living in a different city or part of the County was like living in a different Country. Some of that went by the wayside when Jefferson County High School opened the doors. For the first time, cross county rivals were on the same […]
Weather And Budget Season Heating Up
Flowers are blooming, the air is getting warmer and things are really starting to heat up in budget meetings across the county. Spring has arrived! Last year was a fairly benign year as far as budgets went in most of the municipalities as well as the county. I fear that it was the calm before […]
A Question of Manners
Sometimes it is the little things that make an impression. A smile, a thank you, eye contact, seem very little to ask and most of us expect these things from the people we do business with but is it too much to expect the same from the folks that run the “have to” businesses and […]
Time for a Change of Thought
The ides of March came one day late for the Industrial Development Board as the Jefferson County Commission turned down their request for funding for a Commerce Park that would have landed on some high interest property on C.H. Rankin Road. Those that are familiar with the area know that it is a beautiful location […]
Trickle Down Theory
You know, it is always nice to see the benefits when a good plan and adequate funding meet. And, while it is true that some really nasty things tend to roll downhill, it is also true that enrichment and exposure run downhill, as well. This weekend I had the pleasure of watching the Class of […]
On a Razor Wire Fence
Isn’t it funny how bad decisions don’t seem to have a shelf life? It may take a year, or ten years or thirty years or a lifetime but somehow truly bad decisions always know just where you live. Take, for instance, the current situation at Mountain View Youth Development Center. Years ago we, Jefferson Countians, […]
A Chunk of Change
The numbers are in, well sort of in, and the bottom line for the proposed Commerce Park in White Pine is just a little steeper than I thought it would be. I figured on being north of five million dollars and even closer to ten million but fifteen million dollars is so north that it […]
Tough Decisions
I have to say that I was more than a little disappointed this week, as the Jefferson County Budget Committee passed a motion to only hear from non profits that made the funding cut for this fiscal year. Just like many Commissioners, I remember the lists of non profits that were requesting funding a few […]
