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TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2004
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Area Christmas Parades Begin This Week |
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Christmas parade officials in the towns of Bruceton,
Clarksburg, Huntingdon and McKenzie are announcing
final plans this week for the annual yuletide
tradition. Parade dates and times will be as follows:
Clarksburg
The annual Clarksburg Christmas Parade will be held
Thursday, December 2. Registration and line-up begins
at 6:00 p.m. at Clarksburg School and the parade will
begin at 7:00 p.m. Units will disband at Clarksburg
Church of Christ.
McKenzie
McKenzie's annual Lions Club Christmas Parade and
McKenzie Junior Christmas Parade will be held
Saturday, December 4 as part of McKenzie's Hometown
Christmas celebration on December 3 and 4.
McKenzie Junior Christmas Parade, sponsored by The
Vineyard Christian Books and Gifts, will get underway
at 1:00 p.m. decorated bicycles, tricycles, ATV's and
costumed Christmas characters of all ages are eligible
to participate. Only Christmas decorated entries will
be judged.
Registration will begin at 12 noon in the former
Cumberland Presbyterian Church parking lot on Church
Street. Persons may pre-register anytime before
December 4 at The Vineyard at 17 Broadway Street on
the square. For more information, call 352-2336.
The junior parade route will begin on Church Street
and continue on Stonewall to Cedar Street. Parade
units will disband at the Gingerbread House parking
lot on Cedar.
McKenzie Lions Club Christmas Parade will begin at
4:00 p.m. Parade judging will take place along the
parade route on Broadway Street, with cash prizes
awarded.
Herman "Smitty" Carter will serve as this year's grand
marshal.
Parade chairmen Herb New and Danny Beal request that
emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks, squad cars,
etc., park on Stonewall Street as directed and they
will be given further instructions at that time.
Royalties, antique cars, floats, etc. will meet at
McKenzie Middle School parking lot on Woodrow Street
at 2:30 p.m. Participants will be given a parade
number at that time. No three- or four-wheelers will
be allowed in the parade for safety reasons. All
horses and horse-drawn vehicles should arrive at 2:45
p.m. and deliver vehicles, trailers, and horses to
McKenzie Middle School and meet near the football
field. Any decorated horses will lead this portion of
the parade.
The Lions Club parade route will begin at McKenzie
Middle School, travel to Stonewall Street, turn onto
Cedar, Waldren, Lee and Broadway, before re-entering
Cedar Street. All units will disband at Gingerbread
House, except horseback riders, who will disband at
McKenzie Feed and Grain parking lot.
Bruceton
The Bruceton Christmas parade will be held Sunday,
December 5 at 3:00 p.m., sponsored by the town of
Bruceton and Bruceton's Woman's Club.
The parade route begins in the municipal parking lot,
which is the former HIS parking lot, travels down the
highway and turns onto Rowland Avenue in front of Life
Care Center, onto College Street, Allen Street and
into Bruceton Memorial Park where units disband.
Entry forms are available at City Hall. Lineup time is
2:00 p.m. Sunday at municipal parking lot.
There will be trophies and cash awards.
Huntingdon
The town of Huntingdon's annual Christmas parade will
be held Tuesday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m.
The parade route will begin at Wendy's on East Main
Street, turning at Browning Avenue and ending at the
Huntingdon Middle School. All entries must
pre-register with the Huntingdon Police Department at
986-2906 prior to the parade. Parade entries shall
meet at the former Wal-Mart parking lot at 5:30 p.m.
The towns of Henry, Hollow Rock, McLemoresville, and
Trezevant will have no Christmas parades this year.
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Unemployment Rates in
Tri-Counties Down Since Last Year |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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Unemployment statistics throughout the tri-counties
revealed little change from the September to October
reporting period. However Carroll, Henry, and Weakley
all reported lower rates that the same period last
year.
Carroll County decreased slightly from 10 percent in
September to 9.8 percent in October, according to a
report from the Tennessee Department of Labor and
Workforce Development. The rate is down more than one
percent when compared to October 2003 when the rate
was reported at 11 percent.
- From a labor force of 12,400 countians, a total
of 11,190 were employed, leaving 1,210 unemployed.
In neighboring Henry County, the jobless rate
increased slightly from 8.5 percent in September to
8.6 percent in October. The unemployment rate for
October 2003 was 10 percent for that county.
- From an available work force of 14,540, a total
of 13,290 were employed, leaving 1,250 unemployed.
Weakley County's jobless rate remained unchanged
from September to October at 7.4 percent. The
jobless rate for the same period last year was 8.5
percent.
- From a labor force of 16,720, a total of 15,480
were employed, leaving 1,240 unemployed.
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Child Advocacy Center Possible
in County |
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Carroll County is very close to landing a child
advocacy center to serve severely abused children in
the county.
Delaine Bottoms, with the Carl Perkins Center for the
Prevention of Child Abuse, said the proposed advocacy
center would bring "everyone to the child" and serve
as a one-point clearinghouse for the child to relate
his or her story. Presently, an abused child has to
appear at different agencies or services, increasing
the shame and embarrassment associated with
victimization. The advocacy center creates a
"child-friendly" environment, where the child feels
safe and comfortable. Various services, such as
police, the district attorney, Sheriff's Department,
Department of Children's Services, and counselors
would report to the center to speak with the child.
Advocacy centers have proved effective in the United
States, said Bottoms. Presently, 25 are in Tennessee.
The goal is to have an advocacy center in each of the
judicial districts, he said. Tennessee's First Lady,
Andre Conte, is a strong believer in the advocacy
centers. Recently, she conducted walks across the
state to increase the awareness of the centers.
The state of Tennessee has promised $30,000 in this
fiscal year for the development of the center that
would be operated by the Carl Perkins Center. Last
Friday, the Building and Facilities Committee in
Carroll County voted to rent a building from Dale
Kelley for the purpose of developing the new center.
The building is located in Huntingdon on Spring
Street, behind Veterans Park.
For more information, contact Tracy Connell, program
director, at 986-5920. Mrs. Connell is a full-time
director in Carroll County. Presently, the Carl
Perkins Center has offices in the basement of the
Carroll County Courthouse.
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Planned Railway Renaissance Would Impact County |
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 The
railroad is back, resurrected by the pragmatic
concerns of regions facing rising transportation
difficulties amid growing populations. Just as the
railroad shaped the face of America in the 19th
century, its resurgence has implications for the
future, as well: reducing burgeoning commercial truck
traffic and curbing the need for ever-more asphalt, in
turn reducing transportation costs, promoting
industrial growth and advancing tourism. Other
benefits include reduction in accidents and energy
savings.
Tennessee's planned railway corridor - slated to
provide passenger as well as commercial services from
Memphis to Bristol - would bypass McKenzie, routing
train traffic from Atwood past McLemoresville to
Huntingdon, which would be established as a major link
in a succession of stations to include Memphis,
Bartlett, Brownsville, Humboldt/Jackson, Huntingdon,
Waverly, Dickson, Nashville, Lebanon, Cookeville,
Crossville, Oakridge, Knoxville, Jefferson City,
Greenville, Johnson City and Bristol. Thus, the
Memphis to Bristol Rail Connection would provide
convenient access to 68 cities and 39 counties; at
year 2000 population figures of about 3.6 million
people, about 60% of the population of Tennessee.
Bruceton would serve as one of four intermodal
(loading/unloading) facilities along with Memphis,
Nashville and Knoxville.
Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley said the enhanced railway
transportation "would be a phenomenal thing" which
could have a major economic impact on the future of
Carroll County.
The initiative to punch up the Tennessee
infrastructure by reviving rail service was sparked by
an interstate highway system that is currently 100
percent over capacity in terms of commercial freight
traffic, according to the Tennessee Department of
Transportation, which quotes statistics that, in 1998,
501 million tons of freight was shipped to, from and
within Tennessee using various modes of transport, a
number that is expected to reach 866 million tons by
2020. For most of I-40 between Memphis and Nashville,
more than 10,000 heavy trucks per day compete with
other vehicles. Diverting 348,185 heavy trucks per
year from I-40 to the Memphis-Bristol Rail Connection
could delay the widening of interstates, which TDOT
projects would otherwise reach severe congestion
levels over the next 25 years.
The department also stresses economic concerns related
to the lack of an interstate railway system, citing
the lack of railroad competition in Nashville was a
major reason the state failed to acquire a Toyota
plant in 2002. Passenger train service, it says, has
been shown in other states to boost the tourism
industry.
Additionally, the population of Tennessee is
increasing, with projections indicating that by the
year 2025, the number of people living in the state
will grow by nearly 33 percent. The U.S. Census Bureau
ranked Tennessee among the fastest growing 15 states,
and estimates 20 percent of that growth will be people
over the age of 65.
Memphis has already completed renovation of its
Central Station which includes a new Amtrak "City of
New Orleans" passenger terminal as well as a police
precinct. Central Station would be the western
terminus point for the Memphis to Bristol Rail
Connection.
Bristol is currently renovating its station with
approximately $4 million allocated to the endeavor.
The station would become the eastern terminus point
for Tennessee's railway system and the western
connection of Virginia's planned Trans-Dominion
Express train service.
In Nashville, $39 million of federal, state and local
monies is being invested in railroad improvements,
passenger stations, and passenger rolling stock for a
commuter rail service consisting of over 32 miles of
railroad from Nashville to Lebanon. This new service,
the Music City Star (East Corridor) will transport
passengers by late 2005. These improvements would also
become a part of the Memphis to Bristol Rail
Connection.
The capital cost of the Memphis to Bristol Rail
Connection is estimated at $1.24 billion including the
closure of the gap between rail service across the
Cumberland Plateau, which would require a 4,325 foot
tunnel near Oliver Springs. Actual operation costs to
run passenger trains at competitive speeds over the
railway would require $210 million for signal
improvements, train passing sidings, passenger
stations, passenger cars, locomotives, and a
maintenance facility. An annual $8 million in
state-funded operating subsidy would also be required.
An economic analysis showed a 2.78 benefit/cost ratio
for the freight portion of the Memphis to Bristol Rail
Connection and a 1.10 benefit/cost ratio for the
additional costs associated with operating passenger
trains along the route.
Tennessee's plans to revitalize railway service,
including passenger service, complements those of
surrounding states, including the Midwest Regional
Rail Initiative that takes in Missouri, Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio; Southeast High Speed Corridor
including Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Georgia; Gulf Coast High Speed Corridor in
Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama; South Central High
Speed Corridor including Arkansas, and two Amtrak
routes in West Virginia.
Enhanced railway service is just one important part of
TDOT's "Long-Range Transportation Plan", a 10-year
transportation program within a 25-year vision for
transportation in Tennessee, expected to be finalized
by June 2005. The comprehensive plan will consider a
variety of transportation modes, addressing the needs
of motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, bus and air
travelers and rail and barge users. An overview of the
plan can be viewed at www.tdot.state.tn.us/plango/home.htm.
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These stories and more exclusively
in the print edition: |
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- McKenzie's Hometown Christmas Features Many
Attractions
- Watershed Authority Reaps $.5 Million Grant
- McKenzie Regional Hospital Announces Opening of
New Emergency Department
- Planned Railway Renaissance Would Impact County
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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