|
Weather |
|
|
|
Local
News |
|
|
|
___________
|
|
___________
AD RATES
___________
|
|
|
|
National
News |
|
|
|
TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2003
 |
A First Ever Holiday Event!
McKenzie’s Hometown Christmas December 5-6 |
|
| |
| |
By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
| |
McKenzie Lions Club and the City of McKenzie hope to
capture the holiday spirit in true hometown style this
weekend with the first ever McKenzie’s Hometown Christmas,
an event that promises to offer a variety of entertainment
and fun-filled events for the young and old alike.
“The Lions Club and City of McKenzie are sponsoring this
as a charitable fund-raising event in an effort to provide
eye care for the indigent of our community,” said Lions
Club President Herb New. “Since TennCare has dropped some
of the eyecare benefits for the elderly, we have many more
applications that result in an average of $150.00 expense
per applicant.”
“Through this event, we hope to provide quality family
time for area families to enjoy together this holiday
season and at the same time support McKenzie Lions Clubs’
needs,” said New. “We hope with community support that
this will become an annual event that will become bigger
and better each year. We want the community to come out
and enjoy themselves.”
On Friday and Saturday, there will be carnival rides and
concessions on the downtown square, as well as festive
carriage rides, train rides, and hay rides.
Friday’s events will also include an opening ceremony,
love lights ceremony, Christmas Tour of Homes, puppet
show, Santa Walk, Relay for Life Bonfire, Bethel College
Festival of Lights and Monster Truck “Predator” rides.
Saturday’s events will include an Arts and Crafts Fair,
breakfast with Santa, puppet show, Christmas parades and
Christmas Tour of Homes.
There will be live entertainment throughout the day
Saturday in the area beside the McKenzie Fire Station.
Sponsors of McKenzie’s Hometown Christmas are Stambaugh
Roofing, McKenzie Regional Hospital, New Age Skin Care Spa
and Salon, New Generations Furniture and Sonic Drive-In in
McKenzie.
(See ad in print edition for a complete list of activities
and entertainment)
MCKENZIE HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS CARRIAGE RIDES
Horse drawn carriage rides will be available for $5.00 on
Friday, December 5 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and
Saturday, December 6 beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing
throughout the day. Rides will travel eight different
routes that will feature, the open houses, the Manley
Street and Carroll/Forrest Street neighborhoods known for
the elaborate Christmas decorations. Hay rides and train
rides will also be available for $1.00. All rides will be
20-30 minutes in length.
CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR
As part of McKenzie Hometown Christmas celebration, there
will be an open house at three historic McKenzie homes.
Featured will be the homes of Ann and Joe Hames, 118 Paris
Street, Jan and Ricky Cozart, 986 N. Main Street and Myra
and Jon Carlock, 248 Cherry Street.
The tours will run from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on
Friday, December 5. Tickets will be $2.00 each at the door
or a $5.00 ticket for all three can be purchased at the
festival ticket booth downtown Friday evening.
MONSTER TRUCK ON DISPLAY
The Predator Monster Truck will be on display for
McKenzie’s Hometown Christmas Festival on December 5 and
6. The Predator is from Brentwood, TN and travels in a
53-foot customized enclosed semi trailer. Rides in a
smaller version of the Predator will be available for
$5.00 Friday in the Caboose area near the square from 5:30
until 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00
p.m.
ISTEA TRAIN RIDES
McKenzie Business and Professional Women and Carroll Arts
have joined forces to participate in the McKenzie Hometown
Christmas festivities. They have secured the Huntingdon
ISTEA train for two hours following the parade. For a one
dollar ticket passengers will view the many colorfully
decorated houses, Bethel’s Christmas lights, and the Open
Houses being featured especially for Hometown Christmas.
They may leave the train to see the houses and get back on
again later at no additional cost as another train comes
by. Both organizations look forward to providing this fun
filled ride to the community.
The Huntingdon ISTEA Express was designed and built by
employees of the Huntingdon Public Works Department, a
project spearheaded by Jim Tate and Ted Craig. For several
years the Town hired a Kiddie Train from Bolivar for the
annual Huntingdon Heritage Festival. When the Kiddie Train
owner retired, Town employees decided to take on the task
of building their own train. Thus began the design and
construction of the ISTEA Express. Jim Tate was the
creative genius behind the train. Construction details
were the cooperative effort of our employees in the Public
Works Department with Ronnie Breeden, Ted Craig, and Kent
Springer working closely with Jim to transform an old
Massey-Ferguson tractor into the gleaming ISTEA engine
with a colorful trailing of three passenger cars and a
caboose.
ISTEA is an acronym for the Tennessee Department of
Transportation grant program, Intermodal Surface
Transportation Enhancement Activity.
PUPPET SHOWS
Carroll Arts and McKenzie B. and P. W. will be sponsoring
two puppet shows which will be presented free of charge.
Individuals from the community have donated their time to
provide this entertainment for the community of McKenzie.
Both shows are guaranteed to be exciting and fun, show
your support by attending these fun-filled puppet shows.
The first will be that of Tina Winkler, who will present
Pea Ridge Possum Tales for Christmas. That show will be at
the McKenzie Library at 7:00p.m. Friday December 5th. The
second will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, December 6th by
the fire station in downtown McKenzie where most of the
entertainment will be taking place. It will be given by
the youth of McKenzie First Baptist Church directed by
Mary Owen. Both of these sponsoring organizations urge
everyone to come to McKenzie on the 5th and 6th of
December and have a wonderful time. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Sesquicentennial Park Donated to Town of Huntingdon
Mike McLemore Awarded Pinnacle of Excellence Award |
|
| |
Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley announced at the Tuesday,
November 25 regular session of the Huntingdon Town
Council the County had deeded the Sesquicentennial Park,
located next to the Kelley Sports Complex, to the Town
of Huntingdon.
"That ties in well with the property out there," stated
the mayor. The park is the site of the old picnic
pavilion.
The Pinnacle of Excellence Award was awarded to
Huntingdon citizen Mike McLemore, who on October 4 was
inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.
He was recognized as being a three-time world duck
calling champion as well as Champion of Champions, an
honor for which a sportsman is eligible just one time.
He was further recognized for the manufacture and sale
of his own line of game calls.
In accepting the award Mr. McLemore stated, "I feel real
fortunate to grow up in a town like Huntingdon." He said
he was proud his children graduated from Huntingdon High
School and that they had decided to raise their children
in a small town where everybody knows everybody.
Mayor Kelley reiterated awards presented at the
Huntingdon High School on Tuesday morning. The Mustang
Marching Band was presented the Pinnacle of Excellence
Award for outstanding achievement in winning first place
at the 2003 State Division I High School Band
Competition while Friday was proclaimed "Mustang
Football Day" in support of the Huntingdon Mustangs
football team which advanced to the State Semi-finals
with a 12-1 record. Friday evening, the team beat Milan
to advance to the State final.
Mayor Kelley expressed condolences for the families of
the late Patty Edwards, former mayor of the City of
McKenzie, the late Larry Parker, the father of Safety
Officer Joe Parker, and the late Regina Pearson, the
sister of Richard Pearson, a town employee.
Mayor Kelley announced an orientation meeting with the
Department of Economic and Community Development had
been accomplished in which the CDBG sewer rehabilitation
grant was outlined with a projected completion date of
early November 2004.
He further announced a letter had been sent to the
Tennessee Department of Transportation regarding the
increasingly hazardous intersection at the bypass and
Highway 70W, located directly in front of the Wal-Mart
Supercenter.
"That intersection is becoming more congested all the
time as the area develops," said Mayor Kelley, stating
he had requested a study in hopes of curtailing
accidents.
"Shoppers seem to be coming from all directions and
crossing back and forth between Wal-Mart and Huntingdon
Plaza," the letter advised. The new Huntingdon Plaza
includes two restaurants (China King and Pizza Hut),
Movie Gallery and Cato Ladies Apparel.
The letter further stated the Police Department had
reported in increase from five accidents in 2002 to
thirteen in 2003 thus far.
Other announcements included the lighting of the
Christmas Tree at Thomas Park at 6:00 Tuesday, December
2 and the December 8 Christmas Parade in which members
of the Council will appear as riders of the ISTEA
Express.
"The Huntingdon High School Chorus will perform (at the
lighting of the Christmas tree), that will be a fun
event," said Mayor Kelley.
In other business the Council:
* approved payment to Nortrax Equipment Company in the
amount of $18,380.63 for grader repair;
* conducted a public hearing regarding the request of
property owners to rezone their properties, located
adjacent to the business district across from Wal-Mart
on the Highway 22 Bypass, from R-1 (low density
residential) to B-2 (general business) at which two
property owners attended in support of the action;
* approved on first reading the rezoning of the above
properties from R-1 (low density residential) to B-2
(general business);
* approved the use of Veterans Park by the South Carroll
Relay for Life team on July 11-17;
* approved the request of the Carroll County Soccer
League for the use of the Kelley Sports Complex for the
spring and fall season 2004. Dates include April 3 -
June 5 for the spring season and September 4 - November
6 during the fall.
* heard Mayor Kelley announce the December 9 regular
meeting of the Council will take place at 6:00 p.m. due
to conflicts in scheduling for some members;
· heard Councilmember Tim Tucker remind members the
regular meeting scheduled for December 23 will not meet
due to the holidays. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
Bethel to Graduate 180 in Largest Winter Commencement |
|
| |
James Ayers, Chairman of the Board of FirstBank believes
in education. In fact, he is solely responsible for
assuring that all graduates of Decatur County schools
has an opportunity to pursue higher education. He puts
his money where is mouth is. The educational foundation
established by Ayers also provides funding for guidance
counselors in the two high schools in Decatur County.
The counselors work with each student to assure they
receive all possible educational scholarships, grants
and loans.
Ayers will be the commencement speaker this Sunday when
approximately 180 Bethel College students will receive
their diplomas from Bethel College during the December
commencement ceremony at 2:00 p.m. in the Baker
Fieldhouse Gymnasium. The graduation class size is the
largest ever for a December graduation, surpassing last
year's record December graduation class of 157. As a
result, an overflow crowd is expected for the ceremony.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
James Ayers is one of the leading businessmen and
philanthropists in Tennessee. A 1961 graduate of Parsons
High School, and a graduate of Memphis State University,
Mr. Ayers founded American Health Centers, Inc. in 1979.
In 1994, he transferred ownership of the company to the
employees. In 1986, he and a partner bought a bank in
Parsons and then Ayers bought a second bank and founded
FirstBank. Ayers also serves on the Tennessee Bankers
Association Board of Directors.
Business success is only one facet of Jim Ayers
remarkable career. He is involved with numerous
educational, civic, and charitable organizations and
serves on the Board of Trustees of several. In 1999, he
founded the Ayers Foundation, an organization that
supports numerous programs and institutions in Decatur
County and throughout Tennessee. The Ayers Foundation
mission is to provide contributions to schools,
organizations, and agencies that focus on enhancing the
lives of Tennesseans. Jack Bovender, president of The
Community Foundation said the following about Jim Ayers;
"Jim Ayers learned the value of hard work as a youngster
working on his family farm and developed an
entrepreneurial spirit while shining shoes in Parsons,
Tennessee. In the years since, Jim has become one of the
state's foremost citizens."
The Ayers Foundation Scholars Program is one program has
a tremendous impact. Launched in 1999, the Scholars
Program aims to increase educational opportunities
available to Decatur County high school graduates.
Before the program began, only 30 percent of graduating
high school seniors in Decatur County went to college or
technical school. Now, with the help of the Scholars
Program, almost 90 percent are continuing their
education past high school. On Friday, November 21, the
Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee presented the
tenth annual Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award to Mr. Ayers
for all his charitable work. Past winners of the Joe
Kraft Award include Governor Phil Bredesen and Chet
Atkins. The award was established in 1993 to honor
individuals that are committed to helping the community
and people in need.
Ayers was also a principal in the locating of the
McKenzie Healthcare Center in McKenzie. He later
divested his interest in the nursing home business to
his employees.
The commencement ceremony will feature the Bethel
College Balladeers and the parade of Faculty, Staff,
Administrators, and graduating students, all in their
academic regalia. There is a reception for the graduates
immediately following the commencement. For more
information about graduation, please call 731-352-4000. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
These
stories and more exclusively in the
print edition: |
|
| |
|
|
| |
- Mercer, Wilkes Win Lighting Awards
- Projects Underway to Assist Less Fortunate this
Christmas
- Robbye Goddard Seeks Smile, Soul in Taiwan
- Huntingdon Heads for State Title Showdown
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
|
|
Advertisements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
