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BISON OUSTED IN REGION, 1B

JUNIOR COTILLION DANCE PHOTOS, 7A

WEDNESDAY » FEBRUARY 27, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

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County slows capital projects

EMPLOYMENT PICTURE BRIGHTENS

Bond could offer funding alternative By Jesse Hughes For the Gallatin News Examiner

Pleas Ford, an operator at RCTENN in Gallatin, assembles a Stanley toolbox. The company is looking to add upwards of 25 new jobs as part of a company expansion. SARAH KINGSBURY/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Gallatin jobs on the rise

Manufacturing plants see growth By Josh Cross and Sarah Kingsbury Gallatin News Examiner

RCTENN President Rob Coleman has an unusual problem for a manufacturing company emerging from a national recession. “We just need more room,” he said Monday during a tour of the Commerce Way plant where the business is based in Gallatin. The company Coleman operates is one of a handful in the manufacturing industry in Gallatin that have been expanding in the past year. Since 2012, ABC Fuel Systems has added 29 jobs, Hoeganaes Corp., has added 39, Salga Plastics hired 136, and Simpson Strong Tie increased its workforce by 40. To keep up with the growth, RCTENN, which manufactures plastic products, is build-

ing a 23,000-square-foot warehouse and plans to hire a combination of between 25 and 35 production workers, process technicians and maintenance employees. “Our customers are doing very well,” Coleman said. Company officials have begun the process of hiring the new workers through a staffing agency, and pending final approval Monday by the Gallatin Planning Commission, hoped to break ground on the warehouse expansion Tuesday. The expansion project is scheduled for completion by June 1. Those jobs will mean bigger things for the city and county as a whole, said James Fenton, the director of Gallatin’s Economic Development Agency, because each of those industrial production hires equates to more employees in the retail and service sectors.

Rob Coleman, president of RCTENN, stands in the company’s 30,000-square-foot Gallatin warehouse. The company is looking to add an additional 23,000 square feet to keep up with increasing demand. SARAH KINGSBURY/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

“Manufacturing for the most part has a much larger multiplier than almost anything else that’s out there,” he said. Whether caused by the success of the city’s production plants or not, Paige Brown, executive director of the Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce, said she has seen a change in the local economy. “The indicators are that things are improving for local merchants and services,” Brown said. “We just hope that it sustains and continues to grow.” Larger-scale examples of

THE BELL TOWLES

Olympic bid would bring gold to Sumner I’ve always been of the mindset that if I can’t get to the Olympics, I’m all for bringing the Olympics to us. Okay, fellow Sumner Countians, this is it; our best and biggest chance, the opportunity of a lifetime, literally. Nashville is among the 35 cities recently contacted by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to gauge their potential interest in ponying up to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. For that, I’m game. Surely, you didn’t think the USOC’s invite to Nashville was limited to just Nashville proper, did you? The current Summer Olympics docket includes more than two dozen sports spread among numerous venues, so there’s plenty to go around.

» GROWTH, 4A

School system veteran’s last day is March 27 By Jennifer Easton Gallatin News Examiner

» MIKE TOWLE When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Games, kayaking and canoeing events, for example, were held on the Ocoee in southeastern Tennessee, about 100 miles from downtown Atlanta. So what can I do to help? What will it take to get the Olympics

» TOWLE, 4A

MetroMix.com

» CAPITAL, 3A

Conner takes job with state

Pat Conner, Sumner Schools coordinator for Safe Schools, Healthy Students, has announced she’ll leave after 27 years with the school district to oversee the Tennessee Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools. Conner steps into her new role as executive director April 1. “I was excited about the opportunity and it came at a time when I was looking for a challenge,” Conner said. As executive director,

233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

service industry growth can also be found in companies like ServPro, which is headquartered in Gallatin. The disaster cleanup business has expanded in recent months with plans to add 94 new jobs. And in 2011, National HealthCare sought a tax break from the Gallatin City Council to bring a 92-unit skilled nursing facility that company officials said would add 92 jobs. That project is on schedule for its planned 2014 opening, Fenton said.

Even as the Sumner County Commission and Board of Education build on their icy relationship over making school improvements, the County Budget Committee is seeking to stop or slow capital spending projects. During the Feb. 11 budget meeting, members deferred for a month schools Director Dr. Del Phillips’ request to fund the 4.5 percent architectural fees for a proposed $8 million addition to Hendersonville High School and $4.5 million addition to Gallatin High School. The vote was 3-2 with Chairman Jerry Stone voting for deferral along with Vice Chairman Moe Taylor, who made the motion, and Com. Jim Vaughn, who seconded. Coms. Mike Guthrie and Shawn Utley voted against the motion to delay it until they could get more information. Com. Paul Freels was absent and the committee was also short its other member from an unfilled vacancy. Com. Frank Freels, a nonmember, expressed his concerns about trying to do too much, saying there was “no way to have the money” to do all of the projects at once unless the county decided to “hold off on everything else.” Members were not happy that about half of the $8 million of the HHS project was to replace an ice-build heating and cooling system that has had problems. It is the only one in the county. The proposed new system is not geothermal, Phillips said. Geothermal was considered but ruled out. “We were estimating it would take about 130 years to pay it back,” he said. Vaughn said he also wanted to be sure the plans took into consideration any safety design changes. Asked by Stone what his priority was with the two high school projects, Phillips said Hendersonville High School “would be the first priority.” After Phillips left the meeting, the committee, at the end of its agenda, discussed what would happen with capital funds if the county took on too many

she’ll oversee the state’s programs related to alternative and nontraditional education, dropout prevention, extended learning, and school safety. The department is responsible for administering $47 million in grants to local school districts for programs including Century Conner Community Learning Centers, Lottery for Education Afterschool Programs (LEAPs), Safe Schools Act of 1998, the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, the Safe and Supportive Schools Grant, Youth Empower Initiative and

Family Resource Center. Director of Schools Del Phillips said he could understand why the state would select Conner for the position. “I think it speaks well of Pat and the work she has done here in Sumner County that she was asked to assume the role of supervising school safety for Tennessee,” Phillips said. Conner began her work in drug and alcohol prevention education in 1986. The daughter of two alcoholic parents, she has first-hand experience with issues many students wrestle with when they leave school. Her 27-year career with Sumner County Schools began by chance after she attended a Wednesday

» CONNER, 3A

NEWS

4A • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Sumner has 6th lowest unemployment in state »GROWTH FROM 1A Low unemployment Based on the number of residents who have jobs, Sumner appears to be doing better than other counties in the state. A December report from the Tennessee Department of Labor showed Sumner had the sixth-lowest unemployment rate in the state at 6 percent. Broken down by city, Gallatin’s unemployment rate was 7 percent while Hendersonville’s was 5.8 percent. Williamson County was the lowest with 5 percent, while Scott County had the highest unemployment rate at 16.8 percent. But unemployment rates alone don’t tell the whole story, said Clay Walker, president of the Gallatin-Based Walker Group, which does economic development consulting throughout Middle Tennessee. Bedroom communities located outside a metropolitan area such as Nashville tend to house workers who commute, meaning a low unemployment rate in any particular county could simply mean it benefits from proximity. But Walker, who worked as Gallatin’s economic director for several years, said he doesn’t think that’s necessarily the case in Sumner County, which is a “very important, very critical and significant contributor to the Middle Tennessee landscape, particularly in manufacturing.” “Look at what’s going on in Portland and Gallatin in terms of manufacturing, and it’s really, really good,” Walker said. “It’s performing very well.” Sumner’s recovery from the recession seems to be following a similar pattern statewide, said Jeremy Thompson, a statistical analyst with the state labor department. “Generally since the recession hit, we’ve seen a lot of slow growth across Middle Tennessee since we bottomed out, and things are gradually improving,” he said. “It’s not a straight line, but it kind of comes in bumps.” Aside from jobs, other economic indicators are on a positive track, too.

The sales tax revenue generated in the city has gone up from $5.4 million in 2011 to $5.7 million in 2012, said Gallatin Finance Director Rachel Nichols.

‘Everybody was down’ RCTENN’s story illustrates the ups and downs manufacturing has seen not just through the most recent recession but in the past decade. Plant Manager David Holder, who began working for the company in 2001, said that layoffs at the end of that year left the company with a staff of fewer than 10. “We got down to eight employees,” he said. “It got really, really small.” Business picked up in 2003, though, when RCTENN began manufacturing Stanley Tools products. By the end of 2008, Holder and Coleman purchased the company outright from its parent company, which was going in a different direction in the midst of the recession. “Everybody had a brave face, but everybody was down,” Holder said. The economy has “mirrored” the action or inaction of Congress, Fenton said, but over the past three months “things have settled down a bit,” and his office has received an increasing number of inquiries from companies looking to expand or relocate in Gallatin. “All indications are that companies are finally ready to spend some of that cash they’ve been saving over the last two or three years,” he said. Still, Brown, the chamber director, said the recovery is moving slowly. “I think existing businesses are pleased and are comfortable with their revenue, but there is still a lot of fear,” she said. “There are still a lot of people moving very conservatively, and there are still a lot of questions about how stable the economy actually is.” Contact Josh Cross at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com. Contact Sarah Kingsbury at skingsbury@mtcngroup.com.

GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Nashville men arrested for embezzling $112K in Gallatin By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

Two Nashville men are accused of embezzling thousands from a Gallatin company where they both worked. James Terry, 53, and his step-son Daniel Frey, 36, were arrested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, Feb. 13 for allegedly stealing $112,000 from Competition Powder Coaters, LLC, according to a release by the TBI. Terry, who was a coowner of the company and plant manager, was

indicted on four counts of theft over $10,000 and one count of Terry theft over $1,000 by the Sumner County grand jury. Frey, who was hired as assistant plant manager in 2005, was indicted on one count of theft over $10,000 and one count of theft over $1,000. Authorities say that from 2001 until 2011, Terry received money di-

rectly from multiple individuals and companies for jobs that Frye were completed using Competition Powder Coaters’ equipment, inventory and labor. Frey also allegedly received money directly from jobs between 2006 and 2011. Since Competition Powder Coaters is a limited liability company, all

money earned through operations is required to go to the company before being distributed to its members. The two men were terminated from their positions in August of 2011 and in May of 2012 the 18th Judicial District Attorney General requested the TBI to investigate the case. Both were booked into the Sumner County Jail and later released on $5,000 bond each.

Tuesday, March 5

Tuesday, March 12

Tuesday, March 19

» The Sumner Trails Chapter of Tennessee Trails Association will have its monthly chapter meeting at 7 p.m. at the Hendersonville First United Methodist Church. Donna McClellan will be sharing her love of the Grand Teton National Park where she has spent the past five summers. 347-2623

» Newcomers Club Knotty Knitters. Call Loretta 824-5655 for info.

» Newcomers Club Movie Night Ladies night Out at NCG Theaters in Gallatin. Movie TBD. $6, popcorn is $2. Contact Kim 822-1117 or kim@stokesvideo.com

» Newcomers Breakfast Club: Join us for breakfast at Panera Bread in Hendersonville, 10 a.m. Call Krys at 815-4538.

Wednesday, March 13

Contact Josh Cross at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

COMMUNITY EVENTS Send your community event to gnenews@mtcngroup.com.

Wednesday, Feb. 27 » Free balance assessment with physical therapist, Park Place Retirement Center, 822-6002

Thursday, Feb. 28 » The Sumner County Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) will hold its monthly chapter dinner meeting at 6 p.m. at the Gallatin Country Club. All active duty, reserve, and retired military officers and warrant officers and their spouses or guests are invited to attend. Call David H. Moomy at 615264-7092. » Renowned eye surgeon, Dr. Ming Wang, to speak at Hendersonville Senior Center, 1 p.m. as part of a day of health beginning at 10 a.m.

Friday, March 1 » Music City RV & Boat Show at Hendersonville Expo Center, 842-9890

Saturday, March 2 » The Sumner Trails Chapter of Tennessee Trails Association will lead a 4.4-mile round trip hike on the Hidden Springs Trail in Cedars of Lebanon State Park, carpooling from Hendersonville 403-0002 » Bob Payne, Patsy Ethridge and Nashville Knights perform country square dancing music at the Gallatin VFW, 7 p.m.

» Gallatin chapter of TVA retirees to meet at King Solomon Lodge in Gallatin. Refreshments and door prizes. 3256938

» Newcomers Club Knotty Knitters. Call Loretta 824-5655 for info. » The Gallatin Public Library will offer free Zumba classes starting March 5. The classes will be Tuesday evenings from 6:00-6:45 p.m. and Saturdays, 2-2:45 p.m., at the library. Call Dwan Avent, 731-335-1792.

Thursday, March 14 » "Springtime in Paris, A stroll along the Seine" Newcomers Club annual luncheon and fashion show 11 a.m. at the Bluegrass Country Club. The French Shoppe will debut fresh looks for the new season. A wonderful meal, fashion show, and door prizes are just a few of the reasons to attend. Reservations: Patty 230-9617 by March 11. Cost $25

Saturday, March 9 » Sumner County Democratic Party hosts fundraiser for Safe Place for Animals, 8 a.m. till noon at headquarters at 1194 Long Hollow Pike in Gallatin. Contact Jeanette Jackson, scdw_president@comcast.net » The Sumner Trails Chapter of Tennessee Trails Association will lead a 2.3-mile loop hike at Bell’s Bend Park In Nashville, carpooling from Hendersonville 351-0122

Saturday, March 16 » The Sumner County Board of Education will be sponsoring free screenings for children 0 through 5 years old at Howard Elementary in Gallatin, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.. These screenings will include speech and language, hearing, cognitive, adaptive, and social-emotional areas. Appointments are available. Call 451-5319.

Monday, March 11 » Newcomers Club Bookworms at 10 a.m. to discuss “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. 989-9036.

Thursday, March 21 » Newcomers Club Lunch Bunch at Chop House in Hendersonville at 11:30 a.m. 826-3990 » Newcomers Club Excursion Diversion at 10 a.m. The ladies plan to carpool to the Tennessee State Capital Building for an 11 a.m. tour. Lunch after will be in the area. 451-2987

Tuesday, March 26 » Newcomers Club Knotty Knitters. Call Loretta 824-5655 for info.

Thursday, March 28 » Newcomers Club Monthly Coffee at 10 a.m. 815-4538

Saturday, March 30 » “Saving Trendy Moms” Consignment Sale at Indian Hills Baptist Church in Gallatin, 8 a.m.-11 a.m., regular price; 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 50 percent off sale; 3-4 p.m. dollar sah. Call 3903483.

Sunday, March 31 Sassy Women Sunday dinner at 4 p.m. at Carrabba’s in Hendersonville. 431-2644

Nashville among 35 cities contacted by United States Olympic Committee »TOWLE FROM 1A mothership to make a soft landing in Middle Tennessee? One of the greatest sporting thrills in my lifetime (so far) came in 1976, when Montreal hosted the Summer Olympics 90 miles from my doorstep. Making application a year in advance as a teenager, I managed to acquire precious tickets to go see some Olympic swimming, track and basketball. I invited a college buddy to head up to Montreal for a day’s worth of global sportsmanship and international goodwill. Between events we wandered the streets of one of North America’s most wondrous cities, along the way bumping into the Lithuanian men’s basketball team while sorting through vinyl LP’s in a

record shop. If an Olympics came to Middle Tennessee, Gallatin as well as Hendersonville, Portland, etc. would see plenty of new foot traffic. Kaching! Dream a bit, and, assuming the following sports are on the list in 2024, we could see boxing in Bethpage, weightlifting in Westmoreland, water polo in White House or modern pentathlon in Portland. Field hockey in Hendersonville and golf in Gallatin sound like good fits. Are we ready? Getting Nashville to pay up and put together a serious bid for the 2024 Summer Games, however, is probably as unlikely as a cajillion-dollargrossing action movie winning a Best Picture Oscar. Coughing up $10 million or more to make a

bid – like New York City did for the 2012 Games and Chicago for 2016 – is a risky bet. Neither won with their bids, even with President Barack Obama making a personal pitch on behalf of the Windy City. This just in: if we don’t try, we won’t get the 2024 Games. Are we ready? An Olympic bid goes light years beyond the usual fiscal politics. Put it another way: if the Sumner County Commission had a hand in this, it would be dead in the water in the time it takes a diver to bound from the springboard and make the first splash. So, is this just a big Music City joke, a chance for local yokels to scoff at this invitation, knowing that building an Olympic stadium costing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars has a

fireball’s chance in heaven of succeeding? And trust this: LP Field, home of the Titans, wouldn’t cut it. Then there’s the matter of constructing an Olympic Village to accommodate 16,500 Olympic athletes, building a media center for 15,000 journalists, significantly upgrading our mass transit system and completely overhauling the network of roads and highways to make all this work –to finally include a bridge across Old Hickory Lake between Hendersonville and Hermitage. Not to mention the added hotel rooms needed. Instead of saying, “Why Nashville?” I ask, “Why not?” What makes us – referring to all of Middle Tennessee, not just Dean’s Davidson domain – any more unwilling and incapable

than any of those 34 other invitees? The New York Times proclaims Music City the nation’s current “it” city, America’s brightest hotspot, and our response is to hop into the long-jump pit and bury ourselves in sand? If Dean lets this one get away without at least a bid, all I can say is, Where’s Phil Bredesen when you need him? If they haven’t already, I hope and expect Sumner County Executive Anthony Holt and our county’s handful of city mayors to get on the horn to Dean to tell him Sumner County is ready to throw its hat into the ring and join forces to make this happen. Let’s get the (soccer) ball rolling. Maybe an Olympic stadium would be too much for Sumner to handle. Maybe not. Sumner

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has been developmentally dormant too long; it could use a “next big thing.” Picture a gorgeous, mammoth Olympic stadium perched somewhere between mile markers 10 and 14 alongside Vietnam Vets, later to be used for one or two UT football games a season, big concerts (think annual Taylor Swift Olympian tour kickoff), World Cup soccer qualifiers, major track and field events, etc. I’d even settle for an aquatics center, complete with world-class swimming and diving facilities. I’m game. Are you?

SPORTS

KNIGHTS PREPARE FOR SECOND HALF, 1B

WMS GIRLS BEAT RIVALS, 1B

WEDNESDAY » JANUARY 9, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

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ONLINE For the latest in local news and updates, visit GallatinNewsExaminer.com

Road upgrades considered Hwy 31, 52 expansion would benefit Portland industries Department of Transportation, would upgrade and expand the intersection at highways 52 and 31 to add a traffic light and turning lanes. Both highways now feature one lane in each direction and a four-way stop sign at their intersection, where a gas station operates. The intersection serves as a major access point to and from Interstate 65 for growing industries in Sumner and Robertson counties, particularly in Portland and the nearby city of Orlinda. In addition to the industrial traffic flow, the intersection also receives significant

By Dessislava Yankova Gallatin News Examiner

Traffic accessibility and safety will significantly improve if a concept to upgrade highways 31and 52 at their Portland intersection receives funding, state transportation and city officials say. The highways and their shared intersection serve as the key access point to and from more than 10 industries and smaller businesses in Sumner and Robertson counties. The project, outlined in a 50page study by the Tennessee

residential traffic as the main northern entrance from Interstate 65 into the communities. “We have a lot of traffic at that intersection especially in the mornings and the evenings,” Portland Mayor Ken Wilber said. “Traffic backs up often. There’s quite a bit work that needs to be done in that area.”

Almost 10K vehicles use intersection daily According to the study, the annual average daily traffic at the intersection area is nearly 10,000 vehicles, 9 percent of which are trucks. Most of the 180 trucks use the intersection daily to transport goods for five of the seven biggest industries

located nearby. These seven industries employ approximately 535 workers and project hiring at least another 215 within the next two years. “This expansion will significantly improve traffic flow and safety,” Wilber said. “Safety is our number one priority, and convenience is our number two priority.” Depending on several expansion options, the total upgrade could cost as much as $3 million. TDOT would fund most of the cost except $70,000, which would need to come from the cities of Orlinda and Portland, said TDOT project manager John Phillips, coordinator for the department’s State Industrial Access Program. “We’re looking to divide the

local match four ways among Portland, Orlinda, Robertson County and Sumner County,” Wilber said. “And if we do that, it’d be $17,500 each. We’re discussing that right now.” Each of the four local governments would probably have to allocate the $17,500 within their fiscal budgets for this or next year, Wilber said. “This is in a very early stage,” he said. “But to get that kind of project done for this kind of local match, that’s a really good deal for everyone.” Once each community commits to the project, they would need to apply to launch the project, which would be funded under TDOT’s State Industrial Ac-

» HIGHWAYS, 3A

Payroll tax cut expires, workers react By Sherry Mitchell Gallatin News Examiner

Many local residents woke up on New Year’s Day to find the U.S. government had steered the nation away from falling off the so-called “fiscal cliff.” But while the nation may have avoided the precipice of the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, a 2 percent payroll tax cut passed two years ago will end up affecting workers. That’s because the Social Security Payroll Tax Cut, enacted in 2011 to drop the tax from 6.2 to 4.2 percent, expired on Dec. 31. While it’s not exactly a tax increase, a resident earning $40,000 a year will pay an additional $800 a year or $66 a month in Social Security taxes. It may be tough for some, but the payroll tax cut was never intended to last, financial experts said. “The paychecks will be going down because the full amount of Social Security is being withheld now,” said Judy Sinz, a certified public accountant in Hendersonville. “Everyone had a couple of years of a break and now it has gone back to (6.2 percent) where it was and where it has been for a long time – it did not go up.” But for some workers already living on a stretched budget, the change back to ‘normal’ could cause a few necessities to be cut. “I noticed a difference in my paycheck last week,” said Taylor Martin of Gallatin. “It’s enough to fill up my whole gas tank. I am just going to be more careful now of how I spend my money.” It’s the same story with many local residents and family bread winners. “I don’t know how I can cut any more corners – this will take money from my

With the expiration of a 2 percent payroll tax cut, many local workers are already feeling the pinch. Agencies like the Sumner County Food Bank, pictured above with Pastor James Gill, director of the agency, worry there will be many more mouths to feed in the coming months. SHERRY MITCHELL/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER.

pocket and off of my table,” said Kim Barbee, a single mother in Hendersonville, who found out about the change last week when she received her first paycheck for 2013. “I think it will affect everybody that lives from paycheck to paycheck, which I think is most of the country now.” Barbee said 2 percent of additional earnings going to Social Security wasn’t huge, if the government actually used it for that purpose. “I doubt they will use all of this for that (Social Security) anyway,” Barbee

said. “I have a problem when they keep taking money from us and sending millions overseas, when they could be helping the elderly and the homeless here.” Hendersonville resident Amanda Ross became the sole income earner for her family of four after her husband lost his job 18 months ago. “The loss of his income has forced us into a position we aren't comfortable with,” she said. “Taking another two percent could really mean less food for my family.” Pastor James Gill, who runs the Sum-

White House moves forward with greenway extension By Josh Cross Gannett Tennessee

White House is moving forward with a proposed bicycle and pedestrian project that would run along Highway 31W following the city’s approval Dec. 17 for CSR Engineering to work on the plans. The grant-funded project is expected to run from the greenway’s south trailhead, located on the south side of Cliff Garrett Drive, roughly a mile along Highway 31W up to Clearview Court, just south of the northern trailhead. Currently, the northern trailhead dead ends into Highway 31W. City leaders hope to one day provide a continuous loop for the greenway. “The project is supposed to help us enhance our bikeway and pedestrian safety to get from one trailhead to another,” White House City Administrator Gerald Herman

said. “That was the scope of it and we realized that having the money that we have, which is $450,000 with our 20 percent match, that we would be able to at least get part of that done.” While old maps showed plans for the northern trailhead to cross over Highway 31W and cut through a field connecting back to the city park, Herman said that is no longer practical. “We thought if we could, follow Highway 31W,” Herman said. “One of the benefits that we did receive was the state came through after we were already approved for this grant and they put in bike lanes in both the east and west side of 31W from one end of our city to another, so that kind of helps take care of the bikeway aspect of it.” While CSR Engineering is still working to finalize the plans for the project, city leaders said that the pathway will likely be a sidewalk, at least until it reaches the cen-

ter of town, and will travel along the east side of Highway 31W. Herman said that the most money for the project will be spent on the pathway through the center of town where the road becomes too narrow and the city loses its bike lanes. “We know that probably the majority of our money will have to be in that block between College Street and Portland Road,” Herman said. “Within that block, block-and-a-half, that is probably where the primary part of our money is going to have to go.” While this project will not connect the north and south trailheads, city leaders said that they plan to seek additional grants to finish the project from Clearview Court to the northern trailhead. The project is expected to take 18 months to complete. Contact Josh Cross at jcross@mtcngroup.com.

233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

MetroMix.com

ner County Food Bank in Gallatin, has also heard from families concerned about going hungry. “I am getting calls on a daily basis,” Gill said. “People are saying they are barely scraping by and they want to know what is required to qualify for food because they know they are going to need it.” Like Ross, many are wondering if they will have to do without some of the basics, he said.

» TAX, 3A

THE BELL TOWLES

Running barefoot not just for beaches I’m pretty much a wimp when it comes to bare feet. Walking across a cold floor is barely tolerable for short distances, and a sun-baked beach is my equivalent of hot coals. Sensitive feet are my Achilles’ heel. The princess had her pea; mine is anything and everything hugging the ground between the front door and the mailbox. With me, there’s no such thing as a quick trek out and back to get the mail or pick up the paper. I’ve got to put on a pair of shoes first. Then there’s Jon Eichert, a self-employed auto mechanic from Hermitage. He won the New Year’s Day Frostbite 10K held at the Sumner County YMCA in Hendersonville, running a tough, hilly course over damp, chilly streets in a little over 39 minutes. Two things about Jon’s victory stand out. One is that he started in last place. In fact, he was nowhere near the start line when the starter’s gun went off. He had to scurry back to his car to drop

» MIKE TOWLE off some stuff, then scamper all the way back to and around the start line so he would be an eligible competitor. Eichert started more than a minute behind the leader, but eventually worked his way up, passing runners one at a time. My son Andrew, at the time running among the top 10 runners, saw Eichert go chugging by somewhere between the 1- and 3-mile marks. Oh, and Eichert was running barefoot. No shoes, no socks? No sweat; he does this all the time.

» TOWLE, 3A

NEWS

GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2013 •

Payroll tax cut reverted Jan. 1 Project could bring turn lane »TAX FROM 1A

“I had one person tell me that he won’t be able to buy his medicine if he still buys food now,” Gill said. “They fear they are going to have make another choice of buying food, medicine or gas to get to work. It has been a really matter of concern for a lot of people.” And like Barbee, the situation is making many distrustful of the government, in addition to creating financial problems, Gill said. “People have a combi-

nation of anger and confusion,” Gill said. “They were told for so long that they would not have their taxes increased if they made under $250,000.” With the agency already providing food for more than 1,200 local residents each month and seeing an increase in demand of 17 percent each month, Gill has his own worries. The food bank’s next giveaway is Jan. 15. “Lord only knows what this is going to do to some people – it’s got me in a crosswind,” said Gill. “We actually have people

coming in now on a daily basis. My prayer is that we will have enough food for all of them. I have to believe that we will, but I just don’t know.” There is one bright spot in the matter where the county’s senior citizens are concerned, said Sinz, the Hendersonville CPA. Since the payroll tax was not taken out of Social Security checks, those residents will not be affected by the change. Contact Sherry Mitchell at 575-7117 or shmitchell@mtcngroup.com.

HOW WILL THE EXPIRATION AFFECT YOU?

“Financial situations are tough enough as it is. Anything extra that is taken out is going to be more of a hardship on my husband and I to make ends meet.” Rowena Brown, Hendersonville

“It’s hard enough to pay bills now and I’ll definitely have to watch my spending.” Judy Pincock, Gallatin

Roger Terrell, Hendersonville

“With the prices of everything else going up, I don’t need my paycheck going down. It’s a shame they could not find a way to work this out without it affecting regular working guys like me just trying to support our families.” Freddie Jackson, Gallatin

Barefoot runner won Olympic gold For the last three or four years, Eichert has run most of his miles barefoot, often exfoliating his feet to cut down on blisters and calluses. That’s thousands of miles on unadorned feet, to include the 2012 Boston Marathon. Minimalist footwear is available for runners, although some, like Eichert, chose to make a clean break going from shoes to bare feet. Amazingly, and Eichert isn’t shy about showing those who ask, his feet aren’t discolored, pockmarked or leathery from all that apparent abuse. They look as fresh as baby’s breath. He even goes barefoot when navigating the occasional trail run, albeit a bit slower to better work his way around slippery ledges, jutting rocks, tree roots and the like. This is no gimmick or cry for attention. It’s all about form, feel and efficiency of stride for a serious runner with a good sense of humor. When Eichert passed the 5-mile mark at the

Frostbite 10K, a spectator yelled out asking if he water skis barefoot. Eichert only grinned, suggesting he was having a good time more than 30 minutes into an exhausting endurance event in which faces of anguish were commonplace. Eichert says he started running barefoot after a quick jog to the mailbox sans shoes and socks got him thinking it felt right. So he started running barefoot for short distances, discovering if he kept his stride short and quick, hitting each foot strike at midsole to absorb the shock throughout his foot, he could do this. Within three months, he was up to a mile and kept improving, reaping orthopedic benefits along the way. Maybe this is how God designed our bodies to run: barefoot. Over time, Eichert found that the pain on the outside of his right knee and in his lower back had disappeared. “I now get out of bed in the morning, ready to go,” Eichert said. By running barefoot,

Eichert says, he feels better connected to the road. With running shoes, he felt like he was running on pogo sticks – too bouncy. Few athletes have competed barefoot in sports not played on the beach or in a pool. The list includes Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila, the 1960 Olympic men’s marathon gold medalist; Zola Budd, who twice held the women’s world record at 5,000 meters; and Tony Franklin, one of several barefoot placekickers who made it to the National Football League. Franklin once held the NCAA record for longest field goal, a 65-yarder he kicked for Texas A&M. If you’re already an experienced runner, feel free to try running barefoot at home. Do so with focused caution, keeping an eye out for broken glass, nails or other items that can cause puncture wounds. Watch your step, and, like Eichert, enjoy the run.

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Project likely to combine several upgrade options To qualify for the state funding, the highways need to be used by industries that are growing themselves and the communities where they are located. TDOT officials recognized growth at the 31 and 52 intersection

Gallatin 615-230-5774 Lafayette 615-688-1041 Portland 615-325-2660

area after one Portland industry requested infrastructure upgrades. This led TDOT officials to take a closer look at the area and conduct the study, Portland’s Economic and Community Development Director Denise Geminden said. The study details several expansion options with prices varying from $150,000 for a traffic light to $2,200,000 for the construction of a continuous center left-turn lane along Highway 31. If moved forward, a potential project will likely include several expansion options, Phillips said. “There’s a good chance we’ll do a combination of options because just doing one option would not

improve access for all industries out there,” he said. “Moving with a 53foot trailer there can be difficult, unsafe and it backs up traffic. It’s a very confusing four-way intersection.” If TDOT officials receive the local application, they would conduct a benefit-cost analysis to examine if the state funding would be justified. “This is a great opportunity to help the existing industries while helping brand new industries,” Phillips said. “It’s a winwin situation for the local governments and the state of Tennessee.” Reporter Dessislava Yankova can be reached at 575-7170 or dyankova@mtcngroup.com

Sumner man, woman indicted for sex crimes By Tena Lee

A Goodlettsville man charged in September with committing several sex crimes against two young children in Hendersonville was indicted Dec. 6 by a Sumner County Grand Jury on several more charges. The Hendersonville woman in whose apartment the crimes took place has been indicted as well. Billy Jack Cook, 28, of Utley Drive in Goodlettsville, faces 17 counts of aggravated rape of a child; 11 counts of rape of a child; five counts of aggravated sexual battery and 50 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor following an investigation by Hendersonville police. According to a Sept. 7 affidavit, Ashlee Wright, of Cardinal Lane in Hen-

dersonville, reported to police on Sept. 6 that she had witnessed Cook, her boyfriend at the time, commit numerous sexuCook al acts on two children, ages 3 and 5, at her apartment. Wright also told police Cook had found an iPhone 4 a few days earlier in the bathroom at the Glenbrook Kroger in Hendersonville, and used the cell phone to make explicit posts on the cell phone owner’s Facebook account. Police searched Cook’s home and found the cell phone in his bedroom, according to the affidavit. Cook admitted that he found the phone and that

it didn’t belong to him. Cook remains in the Sumner County Jail on a $1 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in Wright Sumner County Criminal Court on March 7. Wright, 27, was indicted on seven counts of rape of a child, facilitation; one count of aggravated sexual battery and 10 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. She remains in jail on a $100,000 bond with a hearing scheduled March 7. Contact Tena Lee at 575-7116 or tlee@mtcngroup.com.

Make this the anniversary to remember.

General Manager Mike Towle can be contacted at 575-7122 or mtowle@mtcngroup.com.

Up to $800 Cash!!*

cess Program. Under the program, TDOT can contract with cities and counties to develop “industrial highways” to improve access to industrial areas and to facilitate the development and expansion of industry within the state, according to TDOT.

Gallatin News Examiner

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FRIDAY » DECEMBER 20, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

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ONLINE For the latest in local news and updates, visit GallatinNewsExaminer.com LETTERS TO SANTA

Chain, Palace at odds Nonprofit theater group says it is being blocked from showing first-run films By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

What do you want for Christmas? INSIDE » Read letters to Santa Claus written by Sumner County children in a special section inside this edition.

County approves new judge

The owners of Gallatin’s historic Palace Theatre say a national cinema chain about four miles away is keeping them from showing newly released films, which they hoped would defray a costly equipment upgrade. In November, a new digital projector and sound system were installed earlier at the 100-year-old theater so that it could show new releases as the film industry transitions away from 35-millimeter distribution.

Most of the upgrade costs were covered by a $54,954 federal grant. The rest — about $14,000 — will have to be paid by Greater Gallatin, the nonprofit organization that owns the Palace. The plan was to pull in more revenue by showing new releases of movies rated G or PG, or occasionally PG-13. But when Greater Gallatin Executive Director Donna Belote tried to book upcoming films, she was told by distributors that Michigan-based Neighborhood Cinema Group

» THEATER, 2A

The Palace Theatre in Gallatin recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER / FILE

NEW STANDARDS IN PLACE FOR 2015

New position heads for OK by state lawmakers By Jesse Hughes For the Gallatin News Examiner

Sumner County leaders approved the creation of a new General Sessions Court judgeship Monday, but how it will be funded and whether it will require a tax hike likely won’t be decided until next year. “It’s long overdue,” 18th Judicial District Attorney Ray Whitley said. “We are not servHunter ing the citizens right by not having this court.” General Sessions Judge Jim Hunter said the current number of cases are

» JUDGE, 2A Inmates Anthony Sgro, Mark Aeschbach and Charles Rice pick up trash Tuesday. Next year, inmate supervisors outside the jail will have to complete the same training as correctional officers in order to use inmate labor. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA / GALLATIN

Beloved DQ set to move across town Chain has been at West Main Street for decades By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

The Dairy Queen, which has been at its West Main Street location in Gallatin for 47 years, is expected to move across town. The restaurant’s owner, D&S Management Inc. out of Monticello, Ky, plans to relocate to a 1.09-acre site at Gallatin Center, a shopping complex along Nashville Pike near Sumner Hall Drive, according to plans submitted to the Gallatin Planning Department. The owners would lease the 3,438-

» DQ, 3A

Sophia Grysko, who was part owner of the Dairy Queen, worked at the diner in the 1970s. It opened in 1966 and was owned by Grysko, her brother, Harold Smith, and his wife, Martha. SUBMITTED

NEWS EXAMINER

USE OF INMATES REQUIRES TRAINING All potential supervisors of jail workers will have to complete 40 hours of classes in 2014 By Dessislava Yankova Gallatin News Examiner

Inmate labor is used all over Sumner County, to pick up trash on the highway, decorate Gallatin’s downtown community Christmas tree and help charitable organizations with tasks they couldn’t otherwise afford. But new standards that will take effect in 2015 mean those who supervise the inmates must undergo 40 hours of training in 2014 to continue using the free labor. The training, equivalent to the education required for corrections officers, is part of new language added in the 2015 standards of the Tennessee Corrections Institute, which is responsible for educating staff and establishing minimum rules at jails in the state. While the training rule has applied to personnel who work inside the jail, starting in 2015 it also will apply to individuals handling inmates who are let out for work duty. “The 2015 standards will include language that broadens the defini-

ONLINE

See video of inmates working outside the Sumner County Jail at GallatinNewsExaminer.com

BY THE NUMBERS

2014: 40 hours of training by Tennessee Corrections Institute 2015: 16 hours of training by Tennessee Corrections Institute » 24 hours of training by Sumner County Sheriff’s Office » 100 inmates on average work each day

—Source: Tennessee Corrections Institute

tion to include any individuals who are not part of the sheriff’s correctional staff but do supervise inmates,” TCI spokeswoman Kate Abernathy said. “The clarification is meant to further protect the safety of the public and the inmates through training for all individuals

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who are working with and supervising inmates.” About 100 inmates work inside and outside the Sumner County Jail each day under the county’s trustee program. The program, in place since the 1990s, allows nonviolent inmates, or trustees, to go out on work assignments at governmental agencies or nonprofits. Nonviolent refers to crimes that were not committed against a person, such as a DUI or minor drug charges, said Capt. Doug Canter, who supervises trustees. “Making the training required for those crew leaders can help prevent situations that can arise,” jail administrator Sonya Troutt said. “It’s for liability issues. We haven’t had a problem in the past, but any type of training about a job is a good idea.”

» TRAINING, 3A

NEWS

2A • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013

Palace counting on new releases for key revenue

Gallatin Forecast

Today High 61 Low 58 Wind: S 10-20 mph 10 a.m. Noon 5 p.m. 10 p.m.

A bit of rain A little rain

Rain and drizzle; breezy

Rain and a t-storm; mild

5-day forecast SUN MON TUE

SAT Heavy t-storms; cloudy Wind: S 1225 mph

Rain and Clouds a t-storm; breaking; windy cooler Wind: WSW Wind: N 10-20 mph 7-14 mph

68/62

67/36

44/27

WED

A full Plenty of day of sun sunshine Wind: SSE Wind: SSW 3-6 mph 6-12 mph

47/32

48/35

Across Tennessee Today’s high/tonight’s low Bristol 60/43 Clarksville Chattanooga 60/51 Knoxville

63/58 Memphis 58/49 Nashville

68/62 62/59

National outlook Temperatures 12/20 - 12/26 Above Normal

Below Normal

Precipitation 12/20 - 12/26 Above Normal Near Normal Below Normal

Sunrise/set Sunrise Fri. ..... 6:53 a.m.

New

First

Full

Sunset Fri. ...... 4:34 p.m.

Dec 25 Jan 1

Jan 7

Jan 15

Sunrise Sat. .... 6:54 a.m.

Last

SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840 GALLATIN, TENNESSEE

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»THEATER FROM 1A

(NCG) viewed the theater as “direct competition” and objected to the screenings. “I was really blindsided with not being able to show new releases because of NCG,” she said. “I almost feel like I’m being strong-armed.” Calls to NCG’s corporate office were not returned for this article. Jay Ingrum, president of the board of Greater Gallatin, said comparing the two theaters was “apples to oranges.” “You can look at the front (face) of both buildings — the number of screens, the number of movies shown in a day, the types of movies shown — and see we’re not in competition,” he said. Not being able to show first-run, newly released movies makes it harder to raise money to cover the theater’s operating costs,

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Belote said. The Palace hasn’t shown a film, with the exception of a handful related to a traveling independent film festival, since September 2012 because of long wait times for second-run G- and PGrated movies. “It got to where coming out of the gate, I knew we were going to lose money,” Belote said. The theater’s last showing was “Ice Age: The Continental Drift,” which was a second-run film. The film generated $342 in ticket sales and $185 in concessions over the span of two weekends, according to theater records. Comparatively, when the Palace showed “Shrek 2” as a new release in May 2003 — before NCG opened in Gallatin — it made more than $5,000 in ticket sales and almost $3,000 in concessions over two weekends. While ticket sales

might not seem like much, Ingrum said every bit of revenue is important for the nonprofit, which organizes other annual community events such as Third Thursday, Squarefest and Main Street Festival in Gallatin. “We are trying to take care of all of that as a nonprofit in an economy that is still not all the way back yet, so every bit of revenue that we can get is important to our organization,” he said.

Movies planned

Though new releases are out of reach for the theater right now, Greater Gallatin still plans to show second-run films at the Palace. The first movie to be shown since the new equipment was installed will be “Frozen,” with screenings planned for Dec. 20-22, Dec. 27-29 and Jan. 3-5. If the showings are

well-attended, Belote said, the theater will have a better chance at getting films when they are first released. “If I have those numbers, it’ll give us more leverage (with the distribution companies), which I don’t have right now,” she said. Since it first opened in 1913, the theater has always shown films at its location near the square in downtown Gallatin. Belote said she wants to be able to preserve the theater, which is part of the city’s history. “I don’t want to make a killing, I just want it to sustain itself and I want it to be able to give the community the old theater like it used to be,” she said. “That’s what it is and I think we deserve at least our fair shot.” Reporter Josh Cross can be reached at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

Crowded dockets, safety issues among concerns »JUDGE FROM 1A

Near Normal

Moonrise/set

GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

“too much of a load on the system” leaving the county with few options. “I don’t like tax increases any more than anybody else,” he said. The General Assembly will take up the private act request when it reconvenes Jan. 14. If the state gives its OK, the commission must approve it again with a two-thirds vote by Sept. 1, 2014, and appoint a judge between Sept. 1, 2014 and Sept 1, 2015. Failure of either action renders it null and void. That is what happened in 2002 when the county tried to add a new judge. If a new judge is appointed, the position would go on the August 2016 ballot. The commission approved the measure 20-4 Monday, possibly signaling the body would have enough votes to pass it again if it is approved by the state. Whitley and Hunter urged commissioners to create the position because of crowded dockets, safety concerns, and time wasted by defendants, victims, witnesses, police officers and attorneys. Whitley described recent conditions at the

courthouse in which a line of people stretched outside in the rain waiting for security checks before entering the building. Once inside, crowds stood in the foyer trying to hear cases being called. He said defendants have been let inside the bar where attorneys and bailiffs work. “That could lead to a very volatile and dangerous situation,” he said. The county receives $32.50 a day to house state prisoners after conviction, Whitley said. The county receives zero until then. A criminal defendant has the right to a preliminary hearing and the March docket is already so full Hunter is setting cases for April, he said. Hunter said his court handled nearly 30,000 cases this year and as many as 412 on a single day in November, with some dockets exceeding 500.

Funding

The county would have to pay all costs associated with the position, including an assistant district attorney, an assistant public defender, a secretary and a portion of office expenses. A new court also requires a court officer.

Police: Man shot at cars with BB gun By Sarah Kingsbury Gallatin News Examiner

An 18-year-old man was charged Wednesday with several counts of vandalism after shooting between 40 and 50 vehicles in Hendersonville and Goodlettsville with a BB gun. Hendersonville police said someone was inside one of the cars. Goodlettsville resident Cody D. Sartain was arrested, and investigators are looking into a second suspect. Police in Hendersonville started receiving complaints that vehicle windows were being shot out Tuesday night by a BB or pellet-type weapon, and Goodlettsville police received similar reports. Goodlettsville officers were able to find a 1995 Chevrolet truck that matched witness descriptions, leading to Sartain’s arrest. In Davidson County,

Sartain is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, four counts of vandalism over $500 and one count of vandalism under $500. In Sumner, he was charged with six counts of vandalism over $500, two counts of vandalism under $500 and one count of reckless endangerment. SarSartain tain told detectives he shot between 40 and 50 cars, according to a statement from the Hendersonville Police Department. At least eight of the incidents were in Hendersonville. Sartain was booked into the Davidson County Criminal Justice Center Wednesday with bail set at $25,000 and a court date set for 9 a.m. Dec. 23.

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Office space and a courtroom already are available. Cost estimates have ranged from $500,000 to $1 million. Commissioners debated Monday how to fund the new judgeship. Commissioner Jo Skidmore, who was among the four who voted against adding the position, said she did so because she feared it would lead to a tax increase. Commissioners Mike Akins, David Satterfield, and Moe Taylor also voted against it. But others said the county could handle the new expense if funds were shifted around elsewhere in the budget. “It’s a priority question,” said Commissioner Chris Hughes, suggesting a possible change in the hotel-motel tax that funds tourism. “We’ve got the money to do this.” Commissioner Kirk Moser, an attorney, said defendants were losing their “fundamental right” to a speedy trial because of the long delays due to packed dockets. “Citizens are being denied timely access,” he said, adding the county could shift funds around or ask for an increase in the litigation tax instead

of raising property taxes. Commissioner Jerry Stone, who is chairman of the county budget committee, said in a recent legislative committee meeting he was willing to vote for the new judge position because it was needed. A cost of $700,000 would be 1 3/4 cents on the property tax rate, he added. At a different meeting, Stone said “additional revenue” — like a tax increase — would be required to staff and operate a new courtroom and he has warned committee members in recent months that the county already faces funding more school resource officers in the next budget. There are 21 SROs and the county policy is to put one in each of Sumner’s 46 schools. However, other commissioners, such as Frank Freels, said growth in revenue collections will be enough to avoid a property tax increase. The timing delays final decisions and funding until a new commission is elected next year. All 24 County Commission seats are up in the August 2014 county general election.

Cause of fatal fire remains unknown By Nicole Young Gannett Tennessee

The White House Fire Department said last week that the cause and origin of a Dec. 7 Foster Drive fire responsible for the death of homeowner Susan Fisher, 64, cannot be determined. Assistant fire chief Jeremy Sisk said the case remains open and under investigation. “We are waiting on a few test results from the medical examiner’s office that will help us make some final rulings on the case,” Sisk said. He did not specify what the tests were and did not know how soon the results would be available. Fire Chief Joe Palmer said dental records were used to confirm Fisher’s identity. Her body was at Austin and Bell Funeral Home in White House on Wednesday, according to a recording on the company’s funeral line. Her arrangements were incomplete, the recording said. Palmer said Fisher and her husband were the only people who lived in the home. Attempts to reach Fisher’s husband and other family members were unsuccessful. White House Police Chief Pat Brady said the investigation into the fire is being carried out jointly between the state fire marshal and

the White House fire marshal. His office is not involved, he said. “Our detectives were placed on standby, but they weren’t needed because nothing criminal was discovered in the course of the investigation,” Brady said. “There were no accelerants or anything suspicious at all discovered at the home.” The fire was reported at about 8:15 p.m. Dec. 7 at 308 Foster Drive. The house was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The home was not safe enough to enter until Sunday morning, Palmer said. Fisher’s body was found in the rear of the home. Michael Rochelle, who lives next door to the residence, said he attempted to enter the home after seeing the fire. “I tried kicking the front door in,” said Rochelle, who was unable to enter the house. The fire was large enough to cause damage to Rochelle’s home. Firefighters sprayed his house while fighting the blaze to prevent it from catching fire as well. “Mine was very close to catching on fire,” Rochelle said. “The roof was smoking.” Nicole Young is a reporter for the Robertson County Times.

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WEDNESDAY » SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

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ONLINE For the latest in local news and updates, visit GallatinNewsExaminer.com

Gateway clock ticking on $2M TDOT grant

ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

Martin Ancheyta, 10, of Gallatin does homework with tutor Ralph Troutman at the Achievement In the Making after-school program at the Gallatin Shalom Zone on Monday, Aug. 26. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

The clock is ticking for Gallatin to lure at least one business within the next three years to the second phase of its industrial park or the city will have to pay back a grant used to fund the extension of Gateway Drive. If the city is unsuccessful, taxpayers will have to foot the nearly $1.9 million bill to repay the Tennessee Department of Transportation for the grant. On Friday, city officials held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new road extension.

James Fenton, executive director of the Gallatin Economic Development Agency (EDA), said that he is “100 percent confident” the city will be able to attract at least one business to the 207acre park within the three year time-frame, which began Aug. 1. “We have people already coming back for a second look at this point in time and the road has been here less than a month,” he said. “Realistically, if I didn’t get somebody in here in three years, I probably wouldn’t have a job. I bought a house here, so I’m very

» GATEWAY, 4A

Shalom after-school program expands More tutors needed to help students on waiting list

Gallatin Economic Development Agency Executive Director James Fenton and Mayor Jo Ann Graves at the ribbon cutting for Gateway Drive Friday. JOSH CROSS/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

By Dessislava Yankova Gallatin News Examiner

Energetic children pour into the Gallatin Shalom Zone, their backpacks filled with supplies and their minds filled with the desire to learn. They come for the nonprofit’s Achievement in the Making afterschool program, which is entering its seventh year as a bigger, better and more comprehensive tool designed to help students succeed in school and life. “Our focus is to help children with homework and take them to the next level of academic success,” Shalom Zone Executive Director P.J. Davis said. “We’re also teaching them leadership, organizational skills and manners.” Housed in Sumner’s former Union High School building on Small Street, the Shalom Zone aims to rebuild the physical, economic and social lives of underprivileged residents.

A growing program

Achievement in the Making started about 27 years ago as a teacherorganized program at First Baptist Church on Winchester Street in Gallatin, but dwindled and eventually stopped. Shalom leaders adopted the program seven years ago and have since expanded its attendance, a growth they hope will continue if more tutors volunteer. “This past year, with an increase in children’s attendance and a new direction, we’re in need of additional

HUNGRY TO HELP

Chris Malone, 11, of Gallatin, practices writing at the Achievement In the Making after-school program at the Gallatin Shalom Zone on Monday, Aug. 26. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

ONLINE

See video of the Shalom after-school program at GallatinNewsExaminer.com

qualified, passionate tutors and mentors to assist with the program’s growing demand,” Davis said. Achievement in the Making relaunched with four students and two tutors at the clubhouse of Clearview Heights Community Park; today, it has 15 tutors, two former professional educators and 27 students. The program is at capacity, with six students on a waiting list, Davis said.

Students’ needs vary

The nonprofit’s after-school program runs from 3-5 p.m. Mondays

GET INVOLVED

Learn more or volunteer with the Shalom after-school program Gallatin Shalom Zone By phone: (615) 442-7575 Online: gallatinshalomzone.org The program needs more tutors and snack donations. The program is funded through donations and grants. Tutors are not paid.

Source: Gallatin Shalom Zone

through Fridays. Each day, students get a free snack donated by local churches and grocery stores. On their first day, Monday, Aug. 26, they sat at tables grouped by grade. While the program is free and open to all K-8 students, approximately 90 percent of the children are minor-

» SHALOM, 3A

Gallatin man’s ‘burning question’ to be answered on PBS show

Vaughn claims family ties to Davy Crockett By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

Since he was a child, Gallatin resident David Vaughn was told that he was a descendant of Davy Crockett. Crockett, who was a Tennessee congressman

WATCH

“Geneology Roadshow” featuring Gallatin resident David Vaughn » Airs Monday, Sept. 23, 8 p.m. on PBS (WNPT)

and frontiersman, is perhaps most known for meeting his demise at the Alamo in 1836. Vaugh, who is self-employed as a woodworker,

» GENEALOGY, 4A

Gallatin resident David Vaughn, center, will have his family history pieced together on an upcoming episode of “Genealogy Roadshow.” SUBMITTED

233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

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Pastor James Gill and volunteer Tish Tucker prepare the Sumner County Food Bank for its Friday opening. SHERRY MITCHELL/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

County food bank hopes to meet growing demand Gill, volunteers plan ceremony to open new building Friday By Sherry Mitchell Gallatin News Examiner

He’s met hundreds of people down on their luck, but James Gill tries to make sure none go hungry on his watch. Gill, who is director of the Sumner County Food Bank, started a mission in 2009 to help feed the county’s hungry. Some had lost jobs, others were simply struggling to stay afloat in a recession; the reasons didn’t matter – Gill just wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat, regardless of their circumstances.

RIBBON CUTTING » When: Friday, Sept. 6, 10 a. m. » Where: 1021 Woods Ferry Road, Gallatin

TO HELP To donate money or dry goods, contact Pastor James Gill at 504-6182

Today, that mission has grown into the distribution of more than 40,000 pounds of food each month to some of Sumner’s neediest residents. On Friday, the agency will dedicate its new 12,000-squarefoot space that will help it keep up with that growing need. Gill, who is also pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Gallatin, said volunteers planned to work

» FOOD, 4A

NEWS

4A • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2013 COMMUNITY EVENTS Send your community event to gnenews@ mtcngroup.com.

Wednesday, Sept. 4

» Gallatin Farmers Market, 3-6 p.m. » University of Tennessee Extension Book Club, 658 Hartsville Pike, 12-1 p.m. The club will discuss “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. Call the UT Extension office at 452-1423.

Thursday, Sept. 5

» Sumner United for Responsible Government monthly meeting, Hendersonville VFW, 6:30 p.m. WWE wrestler Kane will be a special guest. Bring canned and dry goods to donate to the veterans’ kitchen. Call Eric at 818-4309.

Friday, Sept. 6

» Cruise-In, The Streets of Indian Lake, 6-9 p.m. Hundreds of antique cars and hot rods, games and contests for children, silent auction, bake sale and concessions. Call 615-440-1271. » Dedication of Civil War trail markers. Hazel Path marker, 105 Hazel Path, will be dedicated at 1 p.m., with Monthaven marker, 1154 West Main St., immediately following.

Saturday, Sept. 7

» Sumner County Republican Party monthly meeting, 9 a.m. at Hen-

dersonville Christian Academy, 355 Old Shackle Island Road in Hendersonville. A buffet style breakfast is available for $7 per person. » Awana Kickoff Carnival, Trinity Baptist Church, 840 Forest Retreat Road, Hendersonville, 12-3 p.m. Hot dogs, chips, drinks, games, and blow-up slide and Tot Town fun for kids. Call 615-826-0874. » Owen Bradley Music Festival and Talent Search, Woodland Park, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Unveiling of historical marker, free concerts with Nashville recording artists, kids’ train rides, mime artist, juggling, vendors, Appalachian storytelling, talent search. Talent search deadline Aug. 30. Call 615-644-3017. » Piranha’s Give and Take by the Lake, Piranha’s Bar and Brill, 248 Sanders Ferry Road, 11 a.m. Benefit for the Sumner County Humane Society. Live music, 5 p.m. silent auction, pet adoption. Bring donations of Clorox bleach, dog toys, Frontline Advantage and laundry detergent. » Eaton/Yale and Towne employees meet at Gallatin Senior Citizens Center, 1 p.m. Pot luck will be served. 4523547

Sept. 7-8

» Hendersonville Performing Arts Center auditions for “A Christmas Carol, the Musical,” First United Methodist

Church, 217 East Main St., 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sept. 7 and 1-4 p.m. Sept. 8.

Sunday, Sept. 8

» Awana meetings begin, Trinity Baptist Church, 840 Forest Retreat Road, Hendersonville, 5:45-7 p.m. No registration fee. Open to age 2 1⁄2through 12th grade. Activities include games and scripture memorization. Call 615-826-0874.

Monday, Sept. 9

» League of Women Voters fall kick-off reception and meeting, Hendersonville Public Library, 6-7:30 p.m. Hendersonville Mayor Scott Foster will speak on the state of the city. Call Kee Bryant-McCormick at 579-8288. » Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon, Epic Event Centre, 392 West Main St., Gallatin, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Mayor Jo Ann Graves will speak on the state of the city. Food will be from Chef Christopher’s Catering. Cost is $15 for chamber members, $20 for nonmembers. RSVP by noon Friday, Sept. 6, by calling 615-452-4000 or emailing info@gallatintn.org.

Tuesday, Sept. 10

» Marshall and Friends, “Bluesday Tuesday” jam session, Gallatin Square, 7 p.m. » Newcomers Club Knotty Knitters knitting group, 2-4 p.m. Call Loretta at 824-5655.

Deadline not a problem, mayor says »GATEWAY FROM 1A

Creating a vision

confident.” The new city-owned industrial site, which was purchased in 2008 for about $4 million, sits adjacent to the other industrial park that is about 90 percent full. Only two lots totaling 20 acres remain in the original park, which are not the most desirable locations for new prospects, said Fenton. One lot is 15 acres and topographically challenged, Fenton said. The other is a 5-acre lot that may be too small for companies needing more room. “Both of those kind of disqualify us from a lot of the companies that are looking,” he said. “We hadn’t had a real solid prospect visit all year until we got this open and now they’re coming in and looking.”

Selling the second phase of the industrial park was Fenton’s first major task when he became director of the agency in 2012. The opening of the new section of the road has changed the way business prospects view the site, he said. “We had people come out and look before, but we were in a four-wheeldrive (vehicle) bouncing around,” he said. “Now, they don’t have to create a vision in their head. The vision has been created for them, so it makes it a true industrial center as opposed to a farm.” Gallatin Mayor Jo Ann Graves doesn’t foresee a problem with meeting the three-year deadline. “This new road is a step forward in economic growth for the city of Gallatin,” she said. “If somebody wants to come

we are ready, so I feel very confident.” The park has sat empty since the city bought it five years ago. The EDA hopes that by October the site will be declared shovel-ready under the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Select Tennessee Certified Sites Program, which helps eliminate uncertainty for businesses about specific pieces of property during their search to locate or relocate in the state. “When site selectors and companies come in to look, they want to remove the risk,” Fenton said. “This puts us on the list of removing the risk, and having the site certified let’s them move forward.” Reporter Josh Cross can be reached at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

» Newcomers Club Ladies Movie Night, NCG Theaters, Gallatin. Movie $6, popcorn $2. Contact Kim at 822-1117 or Kim@stokesvideo.com.

Wednesday, Sept. 11

» The Gallatin Chaper of TVA Retirees meets at the King Solomon Masonic Lodge on East Main Street in Gallatin, 1 p.m. Guest speaker, Shawn Powers from TVA employer benefits. Refreshments served. Call 3256928. » Gallatin Farmers Market, 3-6 p.m. » Shalom Zone and the Gap Distribution Center job fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. First- and second-shift schedules (up to $12.35/ hour). Apply in person at the Gallatin Shalom Zone, 600 Small St., in Gallatin.

Thursday, Sept. 12

» Hendersonville Camera Club monthly meeting at the Hendersonville Li-

GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

brary, 6:30 p.m. Club is open to everyone even if you’re new to photography. Email: trophyman@gmail.com » Newcomers and Community Club of Greater Hendersonville monthly luncheon at Bluegrass Yacht and Country Club, featuring guest speaker Manuel Cuevas, 11 a.m. Contact Patty Hanson at 230-9617 for reservations. » VFW Post 9851 Ladies Auxiliary monthly dinner meeting, 73R New Shackle Island Road, 6 p.m. All VFW and auxiliary members invited. Call 615-824-9851. » Taste of Hendersonville food festival, Streets of Indian Lake, 5-8 p.m. Local eatery booths from Hendersonville restaurants, grocers and caterers; bounce house for kids. Adults $12 advance, $15 at gate; seniors $10 advance, $12 at gate; ages 12 and under $3 advance, $5

at gate. Visit www.hendersonvillechamber.com.

Friday, Sept. 13

» Harvest Moon Soiree, presented by Volunteer State College Foundation, at The Epic Centre, 394 W. Main St. Cocktails and silent auction at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. Entertainment from VSCC Bluegrass Ensemble and Jason Michaels Majik. Tickets $75. Call Lori Johnson at 230.3526 to RSVP. » Southern Summer Night, Sumner Crest Winery, Portland, 5-9:30 p.m. Line dance lessons at 5:30 p.m. Bring a picnic dinner; no outside alcohol allowed. Mystery Cowboys will perform southern rock and country from 6:30-9:30 p.m. » Job Fair, TN Career Center in Gallatin, 1-3 p.m.

Results to air on premiere of show »GENEALOGY FROM 1A

participates in historical re-enactments and even portrays Crockett himself. “I know everything about Davy Crockett,” he said. For the past five years, Vaughn has researched his family history but has been unsuccessful in proving the connection with the famous historical figure. “I looked, and I researched and researched and I couldn’t really come up with the correct documentation,” he said. Then one night earlier this year, Vaughn saw a commercial soliciting participation in an upcoming PBS show entitled “Genealogy Roadshow,” which focuses on researching family histories. After filling out an application and participating in an interview, Vaughn got the call in May that he had been selected for the show.

Show answers ‘burning’ questions Vaughn’s case will appear on the premiere episode of the new PBS series “Genealogy Roadshow” later this month. The series, which Executive Producer Stuart Krasnow said is similar to “Antiques Roadshow,” aims to answer “a burning question” people have re-

garding their ancestry. “Instead of trying to find out the value of an object, they’re trying to find out something specific about their own past, whether it’s a connection to somebody famous, an event in history or a story that has been passed down to their family for generations that they have no way of proving,” he said. Josh Taylor, who is the show’s on-air genealogist, said that a team of researchers spent between 20 and 30 hours researching Vaughn’s family history seeking an answer that either proved or disproved Vaughn’s connection to Crockett. “With the Crockett family, it’s interesting because there is a lot of information out there and not all of it is accurate,” he said. “So, there is a lot of time spent weeding through sort of the masses of paper to figure out exactly what the line is.” Some of the typical records genealogists use in their research include census records, birth records, marriage records, death records, property records and probate records. For Vaughn’s case, the researchers were able to trace his history back to the 1600s. Taylor, who has been a genealogist for 18 years, said that distant connections between random individuals are more common than one might think.

“There were only a certain small percentage of families that came over (to America) when you consider the current population and you’ll find connections all the time,” he said. “Once you sort of add them together and look, it’s possible when you’re walking down the street that you’re a 30th cousin of the person you’re walking next to.”

‘David surprised me’

As part of the show, each participant sits down at a table in front of an audience while their results are revealed to them through documents and the stories behind them. While claims of famous family connections are not uncommon, Taylor said the results of Vaughn’s case were unexpected. “As a genealogist, you become a bit skeptical when people claim relationships to famous people,” Taylor said. “David surprised me.” While he isn’t sure what he’ll do the night the show airs, Vaughn said that he can’t wait for others to finally see the results. “It was so exciting what they found,” he said. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” Reporter Josh Cross can be reached at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

Food bank sees double-digit percent growth in families in line at giveaways »FOOD FROM 1A

through Labor Day weekend to prepare for the opening. The next food giveaway will be held Sept. 17. For many in Sumner, the economic downtown is far from being over. Thirty-one families had to be turned away at the August giveaway, though the food bank came up with another 3,100 pounds of food a few days later to give them. That same month, the agency saw 49 new families that had never been to a food bank before. In July, that number was

47, Gill said. “They can say the economy is getting better all they want to, but for a lot of these people, rather than going back to a sales rep job they are flipping hamburgers,” he said. “We usually see an increase each month of around 13-17 percent, but the last two months, we have had 23 percent growth.”

Protection

With many lining up as early as midnight before the 9 a.m. givewaways, the additional space will offer some protection from the

elements, Gill said. “We have adequate space for about 100 to 150 people inside if it is a really bad weather situation,” he said. “Frankly, it just depends on how many people are out there. This past giveaway, we could not have brought them all in if we had the Civic Center.” The Sumner County Food Bank operates solely off donations and volunteers. Volunteers from Gill’s congregation at Liberty Baptist Church help run the agency with the support of local businesses and at least 11 other

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area churches. The food bank earlier this year purchased the new property at 1021 Woods Ferry Road for $275,000 with payments working out to be only $600 a month more than the West Main Street building, which was only 1,600 square feet. An addi-

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tional lot that came with the property can accommodate up to 200 vehicles, Gill said. As summer draws to a

close, Gill said the focus is already being put on raising enough money to get through the upcoming holiday season when the need to for help grows even more. “It’s safe to say we are walking by faith not by sight,” Gill said. “I believe what we need will be there – it has been for the last four years and I see no reason to believe it won’t this year, but we will just have to wait and see.” Reporter Sherry Mitchell can be reached at 575-7117 or shmitchell@mtcngroup.com.

NEWS

SPORTS

LITERACY COUNCIL CELEBRATES 30 YEARS, 3A

LADY BISON SOCCER TOPS PORTLAND, 1B

WEDNESDAY » SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

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ONLINE For the latest in local news and updates, visit GallatinNewsExaminer.com

Uninsured in Sumner estimated at 21,000 Federal health care exchange opens enrollment Tuesday By Sherry Mitchell Gallatin News Examiner

With enrollment opening for the federally facilitated healthcare exchange next week, an estimated 21,000 uninsured adults in Sumner County may be faced with the decision to buy coverage or face penalties from the IRS.

Volunteer State Community College student Jacob Marina, 21, is among the uninsured, working part-time while he’s in school. Standing outside the Wood Campus Center Thursday, he said he was aware of the upcoming mandate, but wasn’t sure how he would pay for it on his limited income. “I honestly don’t think I can afford it, but I guess I will have to try to get some,” Marina said. “I think, overall, it would help if we had a (totally) funded government healthcare system.”

Marina is among the 21,253 or 15.1 percent of residents in Sumner County between the ages of 18 and 64 who are Marina currently uninsured, according to information released in September by the U.S. Census Bureau. Starting Tuesday, Oct. 1, residents can go online to sign up for individual coverage and see if

PERCENTAGE OF UNINSURED BY COUNTY Williamson

9.2 Wilson

13.8

they qualify for a government subsidy on premiums. Local residents can choose a plan from the federally facilitated healthcare exchange – a requirement that has been received with mixed feelings by some. The mandate was implemented after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. The new law requires every resident to have coverage by 2014 or pay a fine. For individuals, the fine for the first year is $95 and

» UNINSURED, 5A

Sumner

15.1 Rutherford

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Project may be boost for economy

A purr-fect friend

TVA plans to bring 900 workers to city By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

Sugar the cat is eager to get a treat from resident Virginia Gilliam, 90, on a recent Wednesday afternoon at Morningside of Gallatin assisted-living home. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Judge rules no abuse in civil suit against schools By Sarah Kingsbury Gallatin News Examiner

A Sumner County teacher may have treated six special needs children in a “rough and inappropriate’’ manner but it did not rise to the level of abuse and the school system is not responsible for what happened, a judge ruled last week. The suit, filed in 2011, involved six children who had attended either Beech Elementary or Station Camp Elementary. In many instances, the special judge Jane Wheatcraft found that even if the incidents could be considered abuse, half the fault would be on the parent or teacher for not immediately reporting it, making the civil claim moot. The ruling cited several incidents addressed during the trial that were not

ONLINE

Read the complaint filed against the school system and the judge’s ruling at GallatinNewsExaminer.com

found to be abusive, such as requiring a child who often took her shoes off to walk around barefoot, or pulling or shoving a child in a rough manner but without causing physical injury. One of the alleged victims “was made to clean up her own fesces (sic) to teach her to take control of her bodily functions” but the court “did not find that to be abusive.” Wheatcraft ruled Sept. 16 that the parents who sued the school system did not sufficiently prove that abuse had occurred, though the behavior of the accused teacher,

» LAWSUIT, 4A

Two teams from the White House volleyball league square off inside the old gym at city hall on Thursday, Sept. 19. A renovation project will soon begin on the gym. NICOLE YOUNG/GANNETT TENNESSEE

White House invests in rec hall By Nicole Young Gannett Tennessee

Work is slated to begin next week on a gym renovation project at White House City Hall. The board of mayor and alderman took its first steps on the project, approving a bid of more than $75,500 to replace the roof over the old gym, during its Thursday meeting. “That gym goes all day long every day,” said White House City Administrator Gerald Herman. “From seniors walking

233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

MetroMix.com

Local leaders hope the $1.1 billion project at the Gallatin TVA Fossil Plant to reduce emissions will benefit the city economically when 900 workers arrive in Sumner County to help with the project. More than 50 people, including local business owners and representatives, attended a TVA business outreach meeting at city hall in Gallatin Monday to talk about how they can best prepare for the influx of workers in the community. “We are excited about (the project) not only because it keeps our plant open, but also because it provides jobs and an economic boost to this community,” Mayor Jo Ann Graves said during the meeting. As part of the multi-year project, four scrubbers will be installed at the plant to cut sulfur dioxide emissions and reduce nitrogen oxide levels. Once complete, the project is expected to help reduce certain emissions by as much as 96 percent. While TVA estimates that as many as 900 contract workers will be needed to complete the installation of the scrubbers, the majority will be on-site during a12-month period beginning next year. More than 750 of the workers will be at the plant from April 2014 until April 2015, said Ron Nash, vice-president of major projects for General Construction, the company responsible for building the addition. Clay Haynes, owner of Haynes Properties, attended Monday’s meeting. Haynes, whose company manages multiple rental properties throughout the city, said that the TVA project presents a “tremendous opportunity” for both the real estate industry and local businesses. “One of the biggest reasons why I’m here is (to see) how I can support the local businesses that I lease to and help empower them to market directly to these new customers that are going to be in town,” Haynes said. “The more income they have coming in, the more viable their businesses will be.”

early in the morning to kids playing basketball in the afternoon, it’s always hopping. And it is desperately in need of some work.” The board had originally set aside $300,000 for the project, which includes replacing the gymnasium floor, putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls, adding air conditioning and refurbishing the heating system, in its 2013-14 budget. The roofing project was not

The Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce plans to give each new worker a bag when they ar-

» GYM, 3A

» TVA, 5A

Business outreach

NEWS

GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Dave Winnestaffer, director of capital projects for Enerfab, and Ron Nash, vice president of major projects for Generation Construction, talks to local business owners Monday about a $1.1 billion TVA project. JOSH

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Project scheduled for ‘17 completion rive that will include fliers, brochures and coupons from local business in order to encourage them to shop locally. “This is a real opportunity to reach out to these (workers) and tell them about your business particularly if you are not somewhere they drive directly past,” said Paige Brown, executive director of the chamber. One local establishment that hopes to take advantage of the opportunity to increase business is The Whippoorwill in Gallatin. Since it is located on the downtown square and miles away from the plant, manager Richard Ring said that the

Residents consider choices

»UNINSURED FROM 1A will be collected when 2014 taxes are filed with the IRS. But by 2016, that figure will skyrocket to $695 for each year an individual goes without coverage. The mandate might be the push needed to sign up for coverage for residents like 22-year-old Alexis Holder, of Gallatin, who has wanted insurance but hasn’t taken action to enroll in it. “I work full-time and I can afford it but I just haven’t gotten any yet,” she said. Some who have been getting by without insurance might reconsider when faced with penalties. “I’ve been going to the health department because they go by income,” said self-employed Gallatin resident Mariette Nevitt. “If I have to have a policy, I will go get one, and if it’s cheaper, I’ll go through the government system to get it.” Self-employed Gallatin resident Bertha Turner had TennCare but lost it. She takes medication to manage high blood pressure and cholesterol, and could afford a cheap version of them but says she cannot pay for the office visit needed to obtain a prescription. “It does concern me; I have cut off some of my medicine because of it,” she said. “I can go get $4 generics, but I can’t afford to go to the doctor.” And others, like 60year-old Gallatin resident Peggy Long, may continue to opt out of insurance altogether. Long hasn’t been insured for at least a decade. “I don’t worry about it,” she said. “I believe God provides and if I have an accident the medical care would be provided for me probably at no cost.” For individuals who make less than $11,170 or a family of four making less than $24,050 – there will be no government-subsidized health-care plans. Those individuals instead would qualify for Medicaid in states that are opting to expand that coverage, but so far, only 26 states have agreed to participate in the Medicaid expansion. Tennessee’s Medicaid coverage has not yet been determined.

restaurant is trying to figure out how it can best market itself to take advantage of the economic opportunity. “We just have to figure out how to get to them,” he said. “Besides the bags, how can we attract them? That’s what we’re going to have to sit down and figure out, how we can do that.” The sooner that the contract workers become acquainted with the area and local businesses, the more like they are to spend money at those establishments, said Dave Winnestaffer, director of capital projects, power division for Enerfab, which is the company overseeing the project’s workforce.

“As they enjoy their stay more, they’ll stay (in town) more,” he said. “Otherwise, they could be going down to Nashville for the weekend and those kinds of things.” Businesses that would like to include information about their establishment in the initial 300 welcome bags should contact the Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce at 4524000. That information must be taken to the chamber office by the end of October. The project is scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31, 2017, said Nash.

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SUMNER A.M. SUNDAY » OCTOBER 27, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

Jailers prevail in inmate’s lawsuit Jury finds men not liable for attack, excessive force By Dessislava Yankova Sumner A.M.

A former Sumner County inmate lost a federal lawsuit originally filed against the jail Thursday after a jury decided three guards were not liable for failing to protect, and using excessive force on, the incarcerated man. Plaintiff Antonio Freeman, 32, filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Nashville in 2010 after a fight at the jail that Freeman alleged was a racial attack, in which the corrections officers should have better intervened. In the suit, Freeman alleged a violation of his civil right to protection from excessive force while in jail. The trial lasted three days. “The guards are doing their job, and that’s what the jury saw in the testimony,” County Attorney Leah May Dennen said after the trial. Two other inmates were also originally part of the lawsuit — Recco Van and Gordon Storke — but were no longer part of it by the time the case went to trial. The original filing named Jail Administrator Sonya Troutt and the late Sheriff Bob Barker as defendants. Freeman, who is black, specifically sued current guards Alexander Williams and Charles Bandy for failing to protect him the day of the fight. Freeman also sued Bandy and former guard Sidney Joey Rush for using excessive force on him the day after he was attacked by other inmates who he claimed belong to a white supremacist brotherhood. Williams, Bandy and Rush are white. One of the inmates accused of that attack, Michael Hudson, testified that the group was not a racist gang but “a bunch of boys around the neighborhood” who “just grew up together.” During the attack, Freeman said he asked guards for protection from Hudson, but Williams and Bandy, who entered the pod briefly and left, “ignored” his pleas for help. Freeman was hit with a broomstick and received injuries to his eye after an inmate dropped 30 pounds worth of commissary items from the second floor onto his head, Freeman’s attorneys said. A video of the fight was shown to the seven-member jury of five men and two women. “You saw (Freeman) in this video begging for help, and these officers refused to help him,” said Tricia Herzfeld, one of Freeman’s attorneys. “They didn’t do anything.” Freeman’s attorneys asserted that the guards should have used pepper spray and tear gas to stop the attack, but an attorney representing the defendants said such a move would not have been practical. “They said if they would start spraying, it would affect the entire pod — inmates and officers,” said attorney Tom Russell, who represented the guards. “The officers used their hands to break the fight up. Mr. Freeman is the only one who seems to remember that Mr.

» LAWSUIT, 3M

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Senior living expands New developments offer more options for aging residents By Tena Lee and Josh Cross Sumner A.M.

As the number of Sumner County residents entering their golden years grows, housing experts say residents can expect to see more real estate choices to meet their special needs. “There’s certainly a growing demand for that age-targeted buyer,” said Jason

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Brown, regional director of the national housing market research firm Metrostudy. “As our population ages in

Middle Tennessee, we are seeing more and more of these communities come up.” Two new unique developments targeting senior citizens are on the horizon in Sumner County. Hendersonville’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday approved the rezoning of 26.9 acres and a preliminary master development plan for the Fountains of Glenbrook, a senior living development that includes 42 independent living villas and cottages, a 102-room senior living facility and a 101-room assisted living building. The villas and cottages will be for sale.

In Gallatin, a new 47-acre senior living resort community is being proposed along Nichols Lane between Livingston Road and Woods Ferry Road. While still in the planning stages, the Grand Reserve at Clear Lake would include 180 assisted-living units, 46 independent living units across 23 duplexes, and a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility. A meeting to discuss the rezoning, which would allow the project to move forward, is scheduled for Nov. 11.

» SENIORS, 2M

Longtime Green Wave fan gets sendoff

The Gallatin High School marching band played “Anchors Away,” the school’s fight song, during the funeral procession for longtime Green Wave football announcer Jules Brazil on Wednesday. Brazil died Oct. 18 from injuries he sustained after being hit by a car while attempting to cross Hartsville Pike on foot before a GHS football game. See video of the tribute at GallatinNewsExaminer.com. JOSH CROSS/SUMNER A.M.

Halloween festivities set across Sumner cost is $10 per person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 512-5299.

By Sherry Mitchell Sumner A.M.

As Halloween week gears up, there are a variety of spooky events happening throughout the county. With all of the trick-or-treat events, parents are asked to bring a sack or container for each child.

Hendersonville

Gallatin

» Trunk or Treat First United Methodist Church of Gallatin and Newton Nissan will host the Gallatin Community Trunk or Treat at 4 p.m. today. Children can choose from 60 decorated and candy-filled trunks and enjoy the bounce castles. Free food and a live band will also be on hand. The event is at Newton Nissan at 1461 Nashville Pike. » Trick or Treat on the Square More than 30 businesses on

Trick or Treat on the Square in Gallatin is among the many Halloween activities planned in Sumner County this week. This year’s event is Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. SUBMITTED

the square in downtown Gallatin will host a trick-or-treat event for children on Thursday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Many local shop owners will be dressed in Halloween garb to hand out candy. » Ghost Walk 2013

On Thursday, residents can stroll through the downtown square in Gallatin while learning about the county’s history and hearing some popular haunted tales. The tour, starting at 7 p.m., will cover several blocks. The

» Trick or Treat at City Hall On Thursday, children are invited to stop by Hendersonville City Hall in costume from 3–5 p.m. for an afternoon of treat collecting. Each of the departments will have games with prizes and give out candy. » Fall Fest Today, Hendersonville First United Methodist Church will host Fall Fest, a special event for children, from 2:30–4:30 p.m. The event will include games, bounce houses, music and hot dogs. HFUMC is located at 217 E. Main St.

Westmoreland

» Trunk or Treat The Westmoreland Cham-

» FESTIVITIES, 2M

a... Sant Dear

Attentionn Parents P and Grandparents!

There’s noth nothing thing like reading letters to Santa written by those who hope and believe Santaa will bring the gifts they are asking for. Have your little one write their letter to Santa andd drop it off at our office, mail or email it to the address below. The letters we receive will bbe published in a keepsake edition on December 20, 2013 in both the Gallati Gallatin tin News Examiner and Hendersonville Star News.

Huurry, Hurry

the deadline to have the lette letters tters published is December 1, 2013. Our office is located at One Examiner Court, Gallatin. Email: Eand Eanderson5@tennessean.com anderson5@tennessean.com If you need eed mor more information, please call 575-7100. TN-0000939147

233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

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NEWS

2M • SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2013

Sumner County Weather

Today High 62 Low 41 Wind: NW 3-6 mph 10 a.m. Noon 5 p.m. 10 p.m.

Growing demand

Partly sunny

Mainly clear

Clear

5-day forecast MON TUE WED THU

FRI

Partly Pleasant A t-storm Rain and Rain, a sunny and with some possible drizzle t-storm pleasant sun Wind: S 4-8 Wind: SSW Wind: S 10- Wind: W Wind: WSW mph 8-16 mph 20 mph 8-16 mph 6-12 mph

70/51

75/57

73/54

71/46

68/44

Across Tennessee Today’s high/tonight’s low Bristol 58/34 Clarksville Chattanooga 66/47 Knoxville

60/42 Memphis 63/42 Nashville

67/54 62/44

National outlook Temperatures 10/27 - 11/2 Above Normal

Below Normal

Precipitation 10/27 - 11/2 Above Normal Near Normal Below Normal

Sunrise/set Sunrise Sun. ... 7:04 a.m.

Last

New

Oct 26 Nov 3

First

Sunset Sun. .... 5:55 p.m.

Full

Sunrise Mon. .. 7:05 a.m.

Nov 9 Nov 17

velopments that target that age group in the Nashville area, pointing to Cottage Grove at Twelve Stones Crossing in Goodlettsville and Lenox Place in Gallatin. Both are condominium communities geared toward those 55 and older. The two rank second only to the Del Webb community of Nashville in closings and sales, Brown said. The Fountains of Glenbrook will be unique in that it will provide facilities for seniors at various levels of need, according to David Lowry, a consultant for the developer Glenbrook Partners. “I don’t think Sumner

County has anything quite like what we’re doing,” he said. “The goal is to cater to the senior community as a whole.” A resident will be able to purchase a home or villa, and as he or she ages or develops more complex needs, can transition to the assisted living center or memory care facility, or use the rehabilitation services. “They had identified early on that this mix of product would be successful and would benefit the community,” he said. Lowry added that the proximity to Glenbrook Shopping Center, Hendersonville Medical Center

Holiday events held countywide »FESTIVITIES FROM 1M

Goodlettsville

Moonrise/set

The Gallatin Planning Commission will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at Gallatin City Hall to discuss rezoning property for the Grand Reserve at Clear Lake project.

Nationally, more people were 65 years and over in 2010 than in any previous census, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Between 2000 and 2010, the population 65 years and over increased at a faster rate (15.1 percent) than the total U.S. population at 9.7 percent. Brown says Sumner County is no exception, with the 65-and-older population expected to grow 24 percent in the next five years. He said the county is already home to two of the three more successful de-

ber of Commerce is hosting Trunk or Treat tonight at 5 p.m. at the Ricky Woodard Community Park. Jessica Gardner, winner of the Owen Bradley Talent Search, will perform, and guests are also invited to participate in karaoke.

Near Normal

GET INVOLVED

»SENIORS FROM 1M County mirrors national trend

SUMNER A.M.

» Pumpkin Festival The free festival on Thursday includes a hayride, inflatable bouncy toys and a

night of safe trick-ortreating for kids. Children are invited to dress in costume for the event, which takes place at Moss Wright Park, 745 Caldwell Dr. Concession stands will be available. The event runs from 5–7:15 p.m.

Portland

» Trick or Treat at Richland Park The city of Portland will host Trick or Treat at Richland Park on Thursday from 5–8 p.m. Kids are invited to dress up as they visit local vendors for candy treats. The park

is located at 318 Portland Blvd.

White House

» Trail of Treats Children can collect treats on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on a trail walk that starts at White House High School and runs along the city’s greenway. Guests are asked to donate a canned food item for the Hope Center. The school is located at 508 Tyree Springs Road. Contact Sherry Mitchell at 575-7117 or shmitchell@ mtcngroup.com.

INTERSTATE 65 No construction planned.

SUMNER COUNTY, TENNESSEE

Dickson Regional Livestock Center will have another SPECIAL COW SALE ON NOV 30th Details to come!

Come at 1:00pm and listen to Ms. Cheap talk about her cost cutting ideas for your budget, wardrobe and home. Light refreshments served.

November 16th: Sip n’ Stroll Come from 1-3pm and enjoy a chilled glass of wine and stroll through our residents’ beautiful homes!

NEWS Not sure who to call? Try our main newsline at 575-7191 or FAX 575-7181

November 21st: Gift Card Bingo!

lhollingsworth@tennessean.com skingsbury@mtcngroup.com shmitchell@mtcngroup.com dyankova@mtcngroup.com

ADVERTISING Gallatin & Hendersonville offices open 8 AM-5 PM Robyn Williams Retail Ad Manager rwilliams@tennessean.com

For Information on this listing please contact Dickson Regional Livestock Center Contact information Robert Parchman 931-801-2212 Brahm Riley 270-804-6101 Jane Ellen Tomlinson 615-504-7949 Barn: 615-446-9066

November Events at The Hearth

» SERVING HENDERSONVILLE SINCE 1951 » HENDERSONVILLE, TENNESSEE

259-8303 575-7161 575-7117 575-7170

More listings to come. - Now Taking Consignments.

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» SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE

Publisher Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer

Please pass to friends and neighbors Starting Nov. 4th Dickson Regional Livestock Center will move the weekly auction sale day to Monday. We will receive Cattle on Sunday the 3rd - Noon to 7pm

November 2nd: Ms. Cheap Visits the Hearth!

WITH CONTENT FROM

Laura Hollingsworth Sarah Kingsbury Sherry Mitchell Dessislava Yankova

In the Friday, Oct. 25, edition of the Gallatin News Examiner and The Hendersonville Star News, “Longtime educator, civic leader Thigpen dies at 71,” Jane Wheatcraft was identified as a former General Sessions judge. While Wheatcraft served as a General Sessions judge from 1985 to 1994, she more recently served as a Criminal Court judge from 1994 to 2006.

• 100 Heifers Bred to Easy Calving Angus Bulls • 40 Cows Mostly Black Many with Calves • 40 Young Black & BWF Cows Many with Calves

TN-0000940561

SUMNER A.M.

CLARIFICATION

FALL COW SALE

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An article in the Friday, Oct. 25, edition of the Gallatin News Examiner, “Council to vote on marketing position,” listed the wrong date for the next Gallatin City Council meeting. It will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The News Examiner regrets the error.

Saturday, November 9th 1PM

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NASHVILLE PIKE/GALLATIN RD. No construction planned.

CORRECTION

Formerly Dickson Livestock Center Inc

VIETNAM VETERANS PARKWAY No construction planned. 8/4=X/GB=YR 2 K#++/W"=YR 78!! !\UVE'U!\ ;W#0/44=#GYR 2 (/[/GXYJR/

Contact Tena Lee at 575-7116 or tlee@mtcngroup.com. Contact Josh Cross at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

Dickson Regional Livestock Center

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your commute

and Vietnam Veterans Boulevard will make it a great location for senior citizens. What will make the Grand Reserve at Clear Lake project unusual, according to Gallatin planner Kevin Chastine, is its scale. “The fact that there will be two assisted living facilities on the property and large open areas for the independent living villas is kind of unique among anything that is in the city,” he said. “It has the ability for people to live there independently, and if at some point in their life they needed to move on to the assisted living facility, then there would be that opportunity.”

Come Join us from 2-4pm for our gift card bingo party! Ages 55+. Food and Beverages will be served!

575-7141

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION ›› Sumner A.M. is a news and information supplement of The Gallatin News Examiner, The Hendersonville Star News and The Tennessean that is dedicated to covering stories from communities in Sumner County. It is published every Sunday.

419 E Main St Hendersonville, TN 37075 RSVP to 264-0779

›› Published at 1 Examiner Court, Gallatin, TN 37066. e-mail: gnenews@mtcngroup.com. Newsroom fax: 575-7181. Advertising fax: 452-9110. Advertising details: 575-7131.

TN-0000891464

NEWS

SPORTS

CITY HOLDS INAUGURAL DERBY DAYS 5K SATURDAY, 3A

HHS SOCCER DOWNS BISON FOR DISTRICT TITLE, 1B

FRIDAY » MAY 3, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

50¢

ONLINE Vote now for Readers’ Choice favorites at sumnerchoice.tennessean.com

Strawberry crop runs late Cool weather slows fruit harvest for Sumner farmers

By Dessislava Yankova Gallatin News Examiner

Gilberto Altamirano, left, and Cesar Peres pick strawberries at Bradley Kountry Acres in Cottontown Tuesday, April 30. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival offers week of events By Sarah Kingsbury Gallatin News Examiner

The week-long Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival in Portland officially starts today with a pageant at Portland High School, but the biggest draw this year might not be the berries at all. Rain and cooler weather this season caused the berry crop to arrive late, meaning most farms aren’t quite ready to start picking. In contrast to 2012, the weather caused the berries to come out early, and by festival week most were gone. This year, the opposite has happened. “We will have quite a few berries this year, but it’s not going to be the center of berry season,

INSIDE

See page 5A for the Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival schedule of events in Portland

it’s going to be at the beginning,” said Sherri Ferguson, director of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the festival as a way to promote the city. That doesn’t bother Ferguson as much, because it gives festival goers the chance to come back in subsequent weekends to spend time picking fruit and visiting the Sumner farms. The festival, now in its 72nd year, will still have plenty of attractions. Tim Guraedy, known as “Mountain Man” on the pop-

» FESTIVAL, 5A

Weather affects crops

This season’s strawberry harvests has been delayed by cool weather, growers say. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

This spring, however, has been somewhat colder than usual with temperatures in the 60s and at times the 50s, which has pushed strawberry harvesting about two weeks behind schedule. This contrasts with the 2012 conditions, when spring came about two weeks early and brought premature harvesting with sporadic cold waves and insufficient rainfall. In 2012, most farmers started picking the first week of April and had sold many of their berries by the time the Strawberry Festival began. Others, like Portland farmer Wayne

» CROP, 5A

County leaders want state bus rules changed

Millersville wreck shuts down I-65 Tuesday

By Jesse Hughes For the Gallatin News Examiner

By Sarah Kingsbury and Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

A tractor-trailer overturned on Interstate 65 in Millersville Tuesday, causing a fiery crash that stopped traffic in both directions and sent at least three people to the hospital. The crash at mile marker 101 occurred when a car driven by White House resident Michael Douglas crossed into the northbound lane of truck driver Roger Le Noue, forcing Le Noue

Strawberries are coming in later than usual this year due to cool temperatures that delayed the harvest for Sumner farmers. Berry growers are hoping for temperatures in the high 70s with lots of sunshine for a plentiful berry harvest at Portland’s 72nd annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry VIDEO Festival, which See how starts today strawberry and lasts until season is May 11. unfolding at “We need Bradley Kountry dry and warm Acres at weather,” said GallatinNews Examiner.com Mike Bradley while driving a small tractor at his family’s Bradley Kountry Acres in Cottontown. “I’ll take that for the whole season if we can get it.” Picking at Bradley’s farm began April 26, about a week later than expected. Favorable weather conditions for strawberry farmers include a consistency of temperatures in the high 70s to mid 80s and moderate rain with no frost. Under such conditions, growers can start picking fruit the third week of April and continue through the end of May.

A tractor-trailer overturned on Interstate 65 Tuesday, landing on Williamson Road below in Millersville. COURTESY OF KEN WEIDNER

into the median, where he struck a berm, went airborn and hit the southbound bridge, landing on Williamson Road below, according to a preliminary report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Le Noue, a resident of Pensa-

cola, Fla., was taken by helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was in surgery Wednesday, a hospital spokesman said. Douglas was transported by ambulance

» CRASH, 3A

Sumner County leaders are backing a bill that they estimate will save taxpayers more than $1 million if passed in 2014. The recent rush to adjournment by the Tennessee General Assembly April 19 stalled bills in committee – among them was a bill regarding school bus mileage that Sumner County Board of Education member Don Long said would have saved Sumner County $1.5 million. When the bill lost traction, the Rhea County Commission passed a resolution urging other commissions to ask their legisla-

tors to back the bill. Currently, school buses classified by size as class C or D are permanently parked when they are 15 years old and have 200,000 miles on them. If they are less than 15 years old, they can have an unlimited amount of mileage on them. House Bill 381/Senate Bill 523 would allow buses that are 16 or 17 years old to have up to 250,000 on them so that school districts could keep them in service longer. If a bus is in its 15th year of service and has under 200,000 miles, it can be extended another year as long as a fee of $770 is paid for additional in-

» BUSES, 3A

” H S I N I F R E “I ’ L L N E V e’ll show you how. You think

ROGRAMS P R E N R A LE LT U D A U S AP

apsu.edu/adult

yer.

APSU is an AA/EEO emplo

233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

MetroMix.com

NEWS

GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013 •

Main festival day is May 11 »FESTIVAL FROM 1A

ular A&E television show “Duck Dynasty,” will serve as the grand marshal of the May 11 parade and will also make appearances as the honorary guest at a sold-out May 9 dinner, and as cohost for Game Show Night May 10. Guraedy is a 1975 Portland High School graduate. “Because of his fame on the show and because he was originally from Portland, we actually had somebody say, ‘Hey why don’t we try to get him,’ really not knowing if it was a possibil-

ity,” Ferguson said. “It was kind of one of those things that we thought may be a long shot but it worked out very well.” Guraedy will also judge a duck-calling contest during the main festival day Saturday, May 11. The contest replaces the couples balloon popping contest. The festival was moved up one weekend this year because the berries came out so early in 2012, and to avoid coinciding with Sumner high school graduations. The event, which has been around for decades and draws

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL 2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

visitors from around the nation, has become a treasured Sumner tradition. “It’s mainly to celebrate the Ferguson history of Portland, because we have been shipping berries out for many years, and to bring people to realize there are still strawberry farms here,” Ferguson said.

May 3 and 4 » Strawberry Pageant sponsored by Portland High School Cheerleaders at Portland High School Saturday, May 4 » Garden Tractor Pull and Classic Car Cruise In at Days Gone By Museum, 122 Davis St., 12 p.m., $5 Sunday, May 5 » Bradley Kountry Acres Open House 650 Jake Link Road, Cottontown, 1-5 p.m. Monday, May 6 » Choir Night Richland Park, 303 Portland Blvd., 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7 » 13th Annual Strawberry Golf Tournament at Kenny Perry Country Creek Golf Course, 8 a.m. May 7–11 » Carnival Richland Park, sponsored by Portland High School Band, $18 Family night May 9, $15 Thursday, May 9 » Story Hour at the Portland Public Library 301 Portland Boulevard » Honorary Dinner for the Grand Marshal Mountain Man Bottom View Farms, 185 Wilkerson Lane, Portland, 6:30 p.m. (tickets sold out) Friday, May 10 » Game Show Night – Let’s Make A Deal Mountain Man will co-host with Drew Jennings, 6:30 p.m., $5 Saturday, May 11 Main Festival Day » Strawberry Stride » Rotary Pancake Breakfast, 7-11 a.m. » Vendors, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. » Kid Town USA, $5 kids play all day, 106 Main St. » Strawberry Eating Contest, 11 a.m., 200 S. Broadway » Duck Calling Contest (Judge Mountain Man), TBD » Strawberry Jam Live Entertainment, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., free » Parade, 2 p.m. Grand Marshal Mountain Man from A&E Duck Dynasty » Freedom Drive to Portland East Middle » Movie in the Park, after sunset » Casino Party at Richland Gym, 7-10 p.m.

Contact Sarah Kingsbury at 575-7161.

Strawberry harvest about two weeks behind »CROP FROM 1A

England, had no berries at all for the festival after his harvest was ruined by frost in early April. This year, England, whose family has cultivated strawberries for 37 years in Portland, once again does not anticipate having berries ready in time for the festival. “I hate it, but I can’t do anything about it because that’s the weather,” said England, who grows 1.5 acres of strawberries. “We can’t do anything about the weather.” Usual picking time for England starts around the first week of May, but this spring, he said, he expects to have his strawberry fields open by May 15. “They’re going to be late this year because of the cooler, wet spring,” said England, a secondgeneration strawberry farmer, whose father Earl started growing berries in the 1950s. “We got enough rain for the next two weeks. All we need now is sunshine.”

Growing

England prefers the old-fashioned way of growing berries on matted rows and without a builtin irrigation system, a method that depends heavily on favorable weather conditions. It may leave more to chance, but England said the results are worth it. “I let the sunshine ripen the

berries,” he said. “I think you get a better, sweeter berry that way.” The majority of Sumner pick-your-own operations and commercial farmers, however, grow berries using the plastic culture method. The strawberries are grown on raised soil beds covered with plastic and use a drip irrigation system to provide moisture and fertilizer, said Bob Ary, a horticulture expert with the University of Tennessee’s Extension Office in Gallatin. “The amount of precipitation doesn’t affect strawberries that are growing on plastic, and moisture is not an issue for production at this point,” said Ary. “Normally, plastic culture berries would be ready for harvesting earlier than matted row berries.” Gallatin farmer Carl Cooper returned to strawberry growing in 2012 with two acres that he expects to harvest next week. When Cooper harvested berries for years in the 1980s, he used the matted row method. He now uses plastic culture, and said he is much more satisfied. “The production is better, the berries are bigger, and I can make them sweeter,” said Cooper, who calls his farm Cooper Creek. “They taste better.”

‘A day on the farm’

The Bradleys grow using plastic culture, but when they took the crop cover off this year, the strawberry blooms were

outgrowing the plants. “It’s the same with any plant, flower, tomatoes, anything – you need a healthy plant to be able to support your bloom growth,” Bradley’s wife, Cathy, said before selling some berries to two women who stopped by the farm Tuesday. While a plant’s growth is largely dependent on the weather, the size of its fruits is also linked to day length and light exposure, Ary said. “The cold weather discouraged the leaf development,” he said. “Fruit development responds to hours of daylight.” Pickers at Kountry Acres are now harvesting the Sweet Charlie early variety of berries and anticipate a switch to the larger Chandler variety this week, Mike Bradley said. The state promoted Tennessee’s strawberry crops through its Pick Tennessee Products program with a recent media blitz, including a media day at Bradley Kountry Acres April 24. “Nothing tastes better than when it comes fresh from the farm, and you can spend a day on the farm,” said Pamela Bartholomew, an agritourism specialist with the state Department of Agriculture. “It’s a great way to support your community, economy and help farmers do what they love: continue to farm.”

CHURCH EVENTS E-mail church events to gnenews@mtcngroup.com.

May 3-4

» Flea market at Gallatin Church of Christ, 150 E. Main St., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Proceeds benefit mission work and youth group.

Sunday, May 5

» Author and pastor Johnnie Godwin present “Syzygy” at First Presbyterian Church of Hendersonville. Dinner at 5 p.m., presentation at 6 p.m. RSVP by April 26, 824-8604 » Rome Missionary Baptist Church in Hendersonville celebrates Pastor Will Dun-

Contact Dessislava Yankova at 5757170 or dyankova@mtcngroup.com

can’s 38th Appreciation Service. Pastor J.D. Harris and Mt. Zion of Gallatin will be the 11a.m. guest. Pastor Robert E. Bell and St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Hendersonville will be the 3 p.m. guest.

Thursday, May 16

» Young at Heart (senior adult fellowship) will meet at 11 a.m. in Genesis Hall at Hendersonville First United Methodist Church. Program will feature the Merrol Hyde Magnet School (MHMS) String Ensemble. Cost: $8 (includes lunch). RSVP by May 9. 824-8725

An 18th Century Colonial Fair representing the Time Period of

1750-1790

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May 4th - May 6th RAIN or SHINE Friday 9am-3pm

Saturday 9am-5pm

Sunday 9am-3pm

COME AND ENJOY!

• Historic Re-enactors recreate history & life at Bledsoe Fort • Stroll along ancient trails & visit the Pioneer Cemetery • Longhunters & Native Americans

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• French, English & Scottish Camps • Shop Trader & Merchants Row • Taverns featuring 18th Century Recipes • Colonial Arts & Crafts • 18th Century Music, Dance & Street Performers • Tour Historic Homes

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• Lots of fun for the whole family!

Sponsored by Bledsoe’s Lick Historic Association

DIRECTIONS:

(Watch For Our Signs. 9 Miles East of Gallatin on Highway 25 in Castalian Springs, TN.) • From Gallatin take Hwy 25 East (Hartsville Pk). Go 9 miles to Bledsoe Fort Historic Park, located on the left side of Hwy. 25. • From I-40, take Exit 238 N in Lebanon (Hwy 231-N), 16 miles to Hwy 25, turn left, West k, located on the rig wy 25. about 6 miles to Bledsoe Fort Historic Park, right side of Hwy

E02 08 &0 #+,8.H$601$.3&.88.##.F83$0, &0 *0&. &0'F%-

Daily Admission: ADULTS $5

Children (6-12) $3 Preschool Children FREE (5yrs & under) Three Day Pass: Adults $10 Children $7 For Tickets, Directions or More Info: Call (615) 461-0222 or email: staff@bledsoesfair.com TN-0000887561

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FRIDAY » OCTOBER 25, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

50¢

ONLINE For the latest in local news and updates, visit GallatinNewsExaminer.com

Sumner Station gets a buyer Future of former fitness center’s space still unclear By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

Three years after the bankruptcy of Sumner Regional Health Systems, the 100,000square-foot Sumner Station facility on Big Station Camp Boulevard is set to get a new owner. The building once housed a 42,000-square-foot, state-ofthe-art fitness center that has sat empty since 2010.

HighPoint Health System Chief Executive Officer Susan Peach said that her company could finalize the Peach deal as early as November. The purchase would include both the building and the 23.7acre campus on which it sits. “It’s fantastic,” Peach said. “It will enable us to grow and offer additional services that are needed in our community.” Gallatin-based HighPoint is buying the property from KBC

Bank, Scotia Bank and Citadel Properties, but is staying mum on how much it spent on the deal, said HighPoint spokeswoman Rachel Lassiter. Sumner Regional underwent a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010 and was purchased by Brentwood-based LifePoint Hospitals. The center, known as Fitness Center at Sumner Station, was among the casualties. LifePoint rebranded all of Sumner Regional’s properties as HighPoint because the former health system was tied to the bankruptcy proceedings for

» STATION, 5A

HighPoint Health System Chief Executive Officer Susan Peach announced Monday that a deal to purchase Sumner Station could be completed by the end of the year. JOSH CROSS/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Longtime educator, civic leader Thigpen dies at 71

SCHOOL SAFETY

By Sherry Mitchell Gallatin News Examiner

already in place. Two more officers are completing training and should be assigned by November in middle schools, at which point all middle schools will have SROs and each elementary school will have at least floating coverage. A total of 21 officers will be serving the county’s 46 schools, Sum-

Virginia “Ginny” Holtman Thigpen, a well-known educator, community leader and pioneer for women in the Sumner County political arena, died unexpectedly on Tuesday. She was 71. Former Volunteer State Community College colleague and longtime friend Mike McDonald said Ms. ThigThigpen pen would be missed. “She was highly regarded by everyone — students and faculty,” he said. “It was her personality, her intellect and her enthusiasm.” Ms. Thigpen and her husband, Walter, moved to Gallatin in the early 1970s. She was among the first professors at Vol State, where she eventually served as chair of the communications department. She retired in 2008 after 28 years in education, but continued part-time teaching until 2008, according to biographical information from the college. The Thigpen Library at Vol State is named

» SECURITY, 5A

» THIGPEN, 3A

Station Camp High School Principal Art Crook shows where a new magnetic locking door will be installed to direct visitors through the main office before entering hallways as part of ongoing security upgrades. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Security upgrades on track 11 new school resources officers now in place, two more expected in November

ONLINE

By Dessislava Yankova

See video of the ongoing upgrades at Gene Brown Elementary and Station Camp High School at GallatinNewsExaminer.com.

Gallatin News Examiner

and Jesse Hughes For the Gallatin News Examiner

Measures to improve safety are in progress at some Sumner County schools, with more armed officers on hand and $2.4 million in projects underway to update communications equipment, enhance security technology and modify 18 school building entrances. When classes began in August, 11 new school resource officers started work, joining eight SROs

City cites itself for violating state job site standards Project on Stephanie Street did not meet requirements to protect nearby stream

By Josh Cross Gallatin News Examiner

Materials stored too close to a nearby stream on Stephanie Street were expected to be moved after Gallatin Public Utilities was issued a notice of violation by the city’s engineering division last week. JOSH CROSS/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

The city found itself in the unusual position of having to cite itself for violating environmental standards at a job site last week. Gallatin Public Utilities was issued a notice of violation by the city engineering division Oct. 18 after an inspector found that some requirements meant to keep contaminants out of a nearby stream on Stephanie Street were not being followed.

The job site is part of a citywide $1.5 million sanitary sewer rehabilitation project to replace old, leaky sewer pipes, said GPU Assistant Superintendent David Kellogg. According to the violation notice, a silt fence for erosion control was not installed properly and a dirt pile from the project was being stored too close to the nearby stream. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation does not allow dirt or rock material to be stored within 50 feet of the wa-

terway. The requirements are meant to prevent sediment and other items from seeping into the nearby stream, which feeds into Town Creek, said City Engineer Nick Tuttle. “A written notice of violation (to another city department) is probably not all that frequent, but this one was a little more severe than normal,” Tuttle said. “You need to make sure you keep your job site in order, so we wanted to make sure that we were sending the message quickly, and if any further action needed to be taken, then we

» CITATION, 3A

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Attentionn Parents P and Grandparents!

There’s not nothing othing like reading letters to Santa written by those who hope and believe Santaa will bring the gifts they are asking for. Have your little one write their letter to Santa and drop it off at our office, mail or email it to the address below. The letters we receive will bbe published in a keepsake edition on December 20, 2013 in both Gallati tin News Examiner and Hendersonville Star News. the Gallatin

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233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013 •

Schools get new resource officers, upgrades in security »SECURITY FROM 1A

ner County Sheriff Sonny Weatherford said. All high schools previously had SROs. Elementary schools located on a campus with a middle or high school, such as Station Camp or Beech, are handled by the two officers at those adjacent schools. Local law enforcement agencies also now provide patrols and drive-by or drop-by visits. County leaders have provided few details about the patrols and have not used written reports for security reasons, other than stating that the activity is randomized as much as possible around the school schedules to prevent pattern analysis. At the beginning, some middle school principals did not know if they wanted the SROs, Weatherford said. “Now they are tickled to death to have them and they would fight you if tried to take them away,” he said. The SRO program falls under the sheriff’s budget. The new 13 officers were hired in April after the County Commission

approved the money for the new positions. The sheriff’s office applied for a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Justice that would provide up to 75 percent of funds for seven more officers for next school year, Weatherford said. If the grant doesn’t come through, Weatherford plans to ask the commission in February 2014 for funds to hire as many school resource officers as affordable in order to place one in every school. “We’ll definitely consider any proposal he brings,” Sumner County Budget Committee Chairman Jerry Stone said. He cited the finding of a school safety ad hoc committee that each school should have its own SRO as being current county policy. “No one has refuted it.” The policy came shortly after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Connecticut last December. “Having a school resource officer in every school makes the community feel safer,” Weatherford said. “They’re not seen just as security in uniforms, but as a big

Ron Bargatza, project manager with Hewlett Spencer, shows where a magnetic locking door would let visitors into Gene Brown Elementary School in Hendersonville. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

brother or big sister to give students somebody to go to if they have a problem in or outside school.”

Building upgrades

The $2.4 million spending package, approved by the Sumner County Commission and Board of Education this year, will go toward safety modifications, including $793,000 to upgrade telephone communications at all schools and about $349,000 for security cameras, cellphone boosters, portable radios and panic devices. One major goal is to make sure entrances are

secured. “When the work is complete, you will not be able to get into any Sumner County school without going through the office by being buzzed into the school,” said Ron Bargatza, project manager with Nashville-based design and building company Hewlett Spencer, the firm handling the project. Upgrades are partially completed in at least 13 schools, according to the latest progress report from the construction firm. The system is now being installed at Gene Brown Elementary School in Hendersonville,

which was built in 1956. While the school has been using a buzz-in system at a commonly used entrance, that entrance is about 160 feet from the main office and close to the gymnasium and several classrooms. This is considered a safety threat. “If they’re buzzed into the school and they don’t have good intentions, they’d have a quick access to the school,” Bargatza said. Four elementary schools — Gene Brown, Union in Gallatin, North Sumner in Bethpage and J.W. Wiseman in Portland — have needed more upgrades than other facilities, but not necessarily because of the age of their buildings. “Wiseman is the newest of them, but the design of the school created a unique situation,” Bargatza said. “All schools are built in different years and have different design features that dictate what we had to do to make them more secure.” While most buildings getting upgrades are elementary schools, two middle and two high schools are also undergoing improvements. One is Sta-

tion Camp High, where much of the work was done over fall break, Principal Art Crook said. The school will have an outside buzzer and security locks added to its main doors. “That way, someone lays eyes on everyone who enters the building,” he said. “We do that all day, but this will be more efficient and make a big difference of knowing there’s no way to get into the building without going through the office.” The installation of panic alarms at all schools will be another major upgrade. “It works like a bank alarm,” Bargatza said. “It sends a signal to law enforcement for a quicker response.” Another progress report is expected to be released Friday, Nov. 1. The construction upgrades could be completed as early as December. “We’re on schedule,” Bargatza said. “And we’ll be done before the end of the year.” Contact Dessislava Yankova at 575-7170 or dyankova@ mtcngroup.com.

Former fitness center’s space has sat unused since 2010 » STATION FROM 1A

many months afterward. “For the community, this is the last piece of the former health system’s bankruptcy that has been resolved,” Peach said. “Sumner Station will be a department of Sumner Regional Medical Center. It will be a wholly owned facility offering services that will build upon our growing outpatient service offerings already provided there through the hospital.”

While the fitness space in Sumner Station has remained empty since the bankruptcy, leases continued on about 30,000 square feet of the facility used by imaging, diagnostic and rehabilitation services. Those services were not interrupted. Fitness Center at Sumner Station had been open about two years when it was abruptly closed, to the shock of its 1,600 members. Roger Kaiser, Sumner Regional’s CEO at the time, said the health

club was plagued by “major problems” and had lost as much as $2 million in 2009. The gym’s lease was rejected during the bankruptcy because it was unaffordable, even after the terms were renegotiated with Chicago-based owner Citadel Properties. At one point, the YMCA was interested in leasing the fitness space from Citadel, but that deal never came to fruition. The health and wellness facility offered services that included child

care, massage therapy, personal training and a variety of health and fitness classes, and included advanced exercise equipment with a 75-foot lap pool, a warm-water therapy pool and sports facilities. In 2010, Lassiter said HighPoint had no plans to reopen the fitness space.

Future plans

While the future of the fitness space is unclear, Lassiter said there have been discussions about

what additional services could be located at Sumner Station. “Our first priority will be to move our cancer center from the hospital to Sumner Station, offering state-of-the-art radiation oncology services with a community room for education,” Peach said. “We’ll also add office space for medical oncology services and other physician needs.” The site currently has 31,000 square feet of physician office space avail-

able. Sumner Station may also become home to the Tennessee Oncology office, currently located at the Sumner Regional campus on Hartsville Pike, Lassiter said. “These are conversations that are being had,” she said. “Nothing has been decided on yet, but this is something we are working toward.” Contact Josh Cross at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

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SUMNER A.M. SUNDAY » OCTOBER 20, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

50¢

Tax bills late for second year Cash-strapped cities take October revenue hit By Tena Lee Sumner A.M.

For a second straight year, Sumner County property tax bills will hit mailboxes late, causing several cities to miss nearly a month of revenue. By state law, property tax owners can start paying their taxes Oct. 1, but according to Sumner County Trustee Marty

Nelson there’s nothing in state law that says the county or cities have to mail out the notices. Nelson said she’s received a few calls from older residents wanting to pay their bills, but for the most part, few – except the cities relying on the revenue the property taxes generate – have felt an impact. Nelson attributed the delay to software glitches in Tax Assessor John Isbell’s office and the challenges of integrating Isbell’s system with the state’s. Prior to July 2012, Sumner cities and Nelson’s office relied on the state for assessments.

Isbell

Nelson

But when the state changed to a new program last year, Isbell’s office didn’t get on board, opting to adopt a different system, according to Nelson. Last year’s bills were sent out in mid-November and Isbell attributed the delay then to the

new computer software. Isbell did not return phone calls to answer questions about the delay. When a reporter questioned him at his office Friday, he denied that the notices were late because they are not required by law to be mailed. State Comptroller of the Treasury’s Office spokesman Blake Fontenay said most tax notices are sent out by Oct. 1. However, there are usually a few counties each year that go past that date, he said. For Westmoreland, which relies on 65 percent of its overall revenue from property taxes,

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the late notices affect the city’s general fund. “We’ve had a tremendous impact,” said Westmoreland City Recorder Fredia Carter. Notices were mailed out so late last year, the city had to use a $40,000 certificate of deposit to keep it from running out of cash. Carter said it hasn’t gotten that bad this year, but added her city’s general fund is very low. She expressed frustration about not getting the notices sooner from the assessor’s of-

» TAXES, 3M

Employee paid with stolen info for 6 years

Gallatin nursing home worker used Texas man’s SSN By Dessislava Yankova Sumner A.M.

A man who worked at a Gallatin nursing home with a stolen identity for six years faces multiple charges after police arrested him Wednesday. Manuel Espinoza, 42, was arrested Oct. 16 and charged with felony identity theft, simple assault on a police officer and resisting arrest after police discovered he purchased another person’s identification to gain employment at the Gallatin Health Care Center, according to arrest reports. Espinoza remained in the Sumner County Jail on a $20,000 bond Friday. Gallatin police received information Tuesday from Texas detectives about an ongoing identity theft investigation traced to Sumner County. A dis-

» STOLEN, 2M

Friends Kambria Fuechsel, 3, and Jerrica Lewis, 5, use a small wagon to pick out pumpkins at the Rainey Pumpkin Patch off Nashville Pike in Gallatin, Monday, Oct. 14. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/SUMNER A.M.

Gallatin adopts updated signage rules New electronic displays still not permitted in city By Josh Cross Sumner A.M.

Gallatin now has new sign rules and regulations after city council members gave final approval for an updated version of its sign ordinance Tuesday. But, while the new version includes multiple changes, revisions and clarifications, a ban on new electronic display signs remains unchanged. James Robert Ramsey, who is vice chairman of the Gallatin Planning Commission, said the city wanted to focus on updating its more than decadeold sign ordinance first – a process that has been in the works since 2010. “Electronic signs are such a hot-button item that we hated to tie up the updating of all the rest of the sign ordinance with that one item,” he said. While electronic display

Concept One owner Derek Vandercook said he has clients who have been waiting for the city’s new sign rules. Pictured: Concept One designer Garrett Foster. JOSH CROSS/SUMNER A.M.

signs can be tough to control and regulate, Ramsey added that he would like to see them permitted in the city and not banned outright. “I feel very confident that we will address it in the relatively near future,” he said. In Mt. Juliet, for example, electronic signs have been limited to schools, churches and parks and have tight restric-

tions on what they can display and the brightness level of the sign, according to the city’s zoning regulations. Since 2008, new electronic signs have not been permitted in Gallatin, said City Planner Denise Knight, who led work on drafting the new version of the sign regulations. “It is a very detailed subject and it takes a lot of time a re-

233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

MetroMix.com

search,” she said. “There are going to be some things that people are not going to like (in the new ordinance), but I think there are going to be the same amount of things that are going to benefit just about everybody.” Despite Gallatin’s continued outright ban, Paige Brown, executive director of the Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce, said that she believes there are many who are still interested in the topic, which deserves further examination. “I hope (the city) will continue to consider what the best options for our community relating to signs are,” she said. “Signs are the lifeblood of businesses and they are also important to consumers as well.”

Airport cleared to stop paying county loan Committee looks for ways to help board By Jesse Hughes For Sumner A.M.

On Thursday, two days after the new sign ordinance was approved, Derek Vandercook, owner of Concept One, a sign designing company in Gallatin, already had customers

The Sumner County Regional Airport is in financial trouble, but a county committee took steps last week to shore up some of its financial problems. The airport board received tacit clearance from the county budget committee Monday to stop making $2,500 monthly payments to the county to get past a cash-flow crunch. The committee also unanimously approved a multi-pronged approach for a longer term solution to dig the airport out of its debt hole. Airport Authority Chairman Jim Egan reported cash flow had been negative since March. He outlined the dire situation and asked for help. “I was seeking some assistance — any assistance,” Egan said. County Executive Anthony Holt said the airport would run

» SIGNS, 3M

» AIRPORT, 3M

‘Starting point’

NEWS

»AIRPORT FROM 1M out of money in two or three months if nothing was done. Legal fees from a years-long court battle between the county and previous airport board are a major cause of the cash crisis, according to Egan. As of June, a new board, now with 10 of 11 members appointed by the county this year, took control. County Attorney Leah Dennen advised budget committee members not to vote on whether to allow the airport board to suspend $2,500 monthly payments that have been paying down a $300,000 loan from the county to the airport under a 2010 agreement. However, she

City sets new rules »SIGNS FROM 1M coming in to see how the new rules will affect the signs they plan to get. “It’s better than what it was, so from that standpoint I’m sure there are a lot of people that are glad to see this put to rest,” he said. “It has been on a lot of people’s minds for a long time.” One local business that is happy to see the new regulations put in place is Elite Dentistry. Since January, owners Nicole and Eric Schuh have been waiting for changes included in the new ordinance as to how far back their monument sign was required to be. Under the old ordinance, it had to be 15 feet back from the property line, which would have put the sign in their parking lot. “We didn’t have anywhere to put it,” Nicole Schuh said. With the new regulations, monument signs are only required to be five feet from the property line. Other changes in the new sign rules include the lessening of time restrictions on temporary banners and the allowance of temporary banners for grand openings. The ordinance also includes more restrictions on the types of freestanding signs that can be erected in a move away from pole signs to monument signs. “I’m sure there is going to be some time down the road where we’re going to maybe see some things that we need to amend, whether it is to add more flexibility or restrictions, but I think everybody feels like this is a great starting point,” Knight said. And while there are parts she would like to see changed, Brown said that the new sign ordinance is a starting point and an improvement over the previous version. “I’m glad the ordinance is in place,” she said. “I hope they will continue to look at it and recognize changing sign technologies along with the needs of the business and consumer communities.” Contact Josh Cross at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

said, the county could choose to take no action if the board stopped paying, and it would achieve the same result. The committee recommended three actions to shore up the airport longterm: » One is an $800,000 loan of which the airport board would only have to pay interest until the end of 10 years, when it would be required to make a balloon payment of the principal. At that point, the County Commission could choose to forgive the loan. The county would loan the money from an $11 million capital projects fund established from the sale of Sumner Regional Health Systems in 2010, also

known as the hospital fund. The state comptroller would have to approve the loan. » A second proposal closely follows state law for a three-year loan, automatically renewable for two more three-year periods, also with a balloon. It also requires comptroller approval. » The third was to attempt to change state law to allow counties to make loans to another county entity without the comptroller’s authorization. That would have to wait until the state legislature reconvenes in January. Either way, any of the three options would have to be blessed by the state, though the current comp-

troller’s office has typically frowned upon counties taking on more debt, commissioners said. The $800,000 would cover: » Matching funds of about $155,000 to $200,000 for a federal grant that will pay for regrading the older end of the runway opposite the recent extension. » $195,000 owed to the county from the 2010 loan agreement. » An outstanding balance of about $400,000 against a $750,000 line of credit collateralized by two parcels of land.

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Airport in trouble

city’s general fund typically dips to $1 million while in January or February it may reach $10 million when all of the property taxes are paid, he added. Most mortgage companies don’t pay the taxes to the cities until December. However, many elderly homeowners want to pay their bill as soon as it’s due, he said. “Everything is real tight, and it is every year at this time,” Minnicks said. Both county and city property taxes are due by Feb. 28.

TN-0000936261

fice for a second straight year. “By law it’s payable Oct. 1,” she said. “They should not be late. They should be in the taxpayers’ hands by Oct. 1.” Carter said her office has received several calls from residents wanting to know where their tax bills are. She said Westmoreland residents can expect to receive them either the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

ceived final information from the assessor’s office in mid-OcMinnicks tober. “I would prefer to get information sooner,” Minnicks said. “But we are dependent on the tax assessor’s office.” Minnicks said smaller cities like Westmoreland aren’t the only ones that feel cash-strapped. “Typically September, October and November are our lowest months for cash,” he said. During October, the

»TAXES FROM 1M

Gallatin City Recorder Connie Kittrell said she expects her city’s tax notices to hit mailboxes toward the end of the week. She said her office just received the information from the tax assessor’s office and is in the process of flagging those who are eligible for tax rebates or tax freezes. “We’re in the process of tweaking them to our needs,” she said. Hendersonville Finance Director Ron Minnicks said he sent Hendersonville’s notices to the printer and expects they will be mailed out this week. Like other cities, Minnicks said he only re-

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Notices sent late

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013 •

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SUMNER A.M.

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SPORTS

MAN INDICTED FOR ASSAULTING BOY, 3A

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FRIDAY » SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 » GALLATIN, TENNESSEE » SERVING SUMNER COUNTY SINCE 1840

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ONLINE For the latest in local news and updates, visit GallatinNewsExaminer.com

Coach gone after violation

Vol State head women’s basketball coach terminated last week By Craig Harris Gallatin News Examiner

Volunteer State Community College women’s head basketball coach Chris Harris was terminated last week due to a violation of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rules, the college announced Tuesday. The college released a statement saying the violation was “not a criminal matter” and that

an NJCAA rules investigation had been completed leading to a termination of Harris “under the terms of his contract” on Sept. 18. No one else was involved in the matter, the statement said. Vol State officials declined to comment beyond the statement. “Chris has been a successful coach at Vol State, but considering the circumstances, this in the best interest of the college,” it said.

Longtime Portland journalist dies at 80

An interim head coach will be named in the near future, though a specific timetable has not been set, and the team is expected to move forward with the season as planned. Harris had been employed by the college for four years. “Clearly, it will be tough for the players. It is for all of us,” the statement said. Harris could not be reached for comment. Harris led the program to the

NJCAA National Championships in March for the only the third time in the program’s history. The Lady Pioneers had only Harris previously ever played at that level in the 1974-75 and 1992-93 seasons. The team will open the season at home on Friday, Nov. 1, facing Wallace State Community College-Hanceville (Ala.) in

the Vestle “Pops” Hudson Classic. The Lady Pioneers finished as the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) runner-up to Walters State in the regular season and again in the TCCAA/Region VII Tournament. The team – which suffered a 57-49 loss to Midland (Texas) College in its national tournament opener – had a 23-5 record a year ago. Three of those five losses came to nationally-

» COACH, 3A

ECONOMY REBOUNDS

Gilliam worked for local papers for 43 years By Dessislava Yankova Gallatin News Examiner

Few things got past the watchful eye and attentive ear of Ramona Gilliam. For 43 years, Gilliam served her community as a reporter, editor and photographer for local newspapers, using ethics and integrity as her foundation. Gilliam, who dedicated her life to helping people and serving society, died Tuesday from complications of melanoma. She was 80. Her career began in 1956 at the Upper Sumner Press, a newspaper that in the late 1950s merged with the (Gallatin) News Examiner. She was a wellknown newspaperwoman in the Portland area at a time when very few women were journalists. Starting with a three-member staff, Gilliam worked tirelessly covering events, accidents, crime, the school system, local government and just about everything that moved in Portland. Longtime colleague and close friend Kitty Kulakowski vividly remembers meeting Gilliam in 1973. It was Kulakowski’s first day on the job at the News Examiner. “We clicked,” said Kulakowski, who worked with Gilliam for 26 years. “I can’t tell you how much fun we had together. There are nice people in the world, but Ramona was top-notch. I could’ve called her (at) 2 o’clock in the morning and she would have been here, and she would do the same for the paper. She just did everything, and did a great job of it. I loved her dearly, and I still do.” During her career, Gilliam watched Portland change and thrive. She covered the opening of Portland’s first factory and saw at least another 50 industries come into a city that she witnessed grow from about 1,500 to more than 11,000 residents. Portland historian Patrick Meguiar said he admired her commitment to getting the facts right. “She was very conscientious, and she really tried to get to the root of the story,” Meguiar said. “You could tell that she had done a lot of research, and I have a special place in my heart for people who had to do research before email and the Internet. I think the world of Ramona.”

» JOURNALIST, 3A

Ramona Gilliam, who worked in local journalism for 43 years, died Tuesday at the age of 80. Here, she is seen at the Gallatin News Examiner in the 1990s. SUBMITTED

Tamara Nale of Gallatin, right, networks at a job fair at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin on Wednesday, Sept. 25. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Thousands still search for work despite low numbers By Sherry Mitchell Gallatin News Examiner

With resumes in tow, Andrea Hambrick of Hendersonville hit the ground running early Wednesday at the Fall Job Fair at Volunteer State Community College, hopeful of landing a full-time position close to home. Despite having one of the lowest unemployment numbers in the state – 6.7 percent in July – nearly 6,000 people out of a local workforce of 87,700 in Sumner County are still without a job, according to the state Department of Labor. Now in her fourth month, Hambrick is searching for a customer service job, preferably in the Sumner County area, hoping for pay of at least $15 an hour. “It’s hard to find what I am looking for in this area,” she said. “Everything

I find with the pay I need is in the Brentwood area, and I really don’t want to commute that far. At this point, I’ll likely take a pay cut to be in the Hendersonville, Goodlettsville area.” At least one job placement service has seen an increase in helping local residents successfully find employment. Goodwill Career Solutions, which is a mission arm of Goodwill Industries, placed a record number of 565 Middle Tennessee people in jobs in August, including16 in Gallatin, which the organization credited to an increase in job fairs. Only nine were placed in Gallatin in 2012. The agency said those employees throughout the region worked an average of 34 hours each week and had an average starting wage of $9.18 an

Recruitment for warehouse positions in Lebanon When: Oct. 1, 9 a. m.-2 p. m. Where: Tennessee Career Center, 175 College St., Gallatin Macy’s of Portland recruitment When: Oct. 5, 9 a. m.–1 p. m. Where: Gallatin C.A.R.E.S, 241 Eastland Ave., Gallatin Job fair for Kelly Services When: Oct. 2-3, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Where: Career Solutions, 670 Nashville Pike, Gallatin

» JOBS, 6A

Police crack down on beer sales to minors

Mayor proposes separating bond from operating budget

By Josh Cross

Gallatin News Examiner

The Gallatin Police Department is looking to crack down on local businesses that sell alcohol to minors by resuming alcohol compliance checks at local establishments. The department, in conjunction with the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition, conducted a business compliance check for underage alcohol sales at 14 different Gallatin businesses on Aug. 30. As a result, three individuals at three different establishments were arrested for selling alcohol to an 18-year-old con-

» ALCOHOL, 6A

Bandy

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233,000 people in Sumner County read our newspapers and use our websites every week. GallatinNewsExaminer.com

UPCOMING JOB FAIRS IN SUMNER COUNTY

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whether the city could collect property taxes without first approving a Gallatin Mayor budget and if the Jo Ann Graves has city could set a proposed removing property tax rate a contentious bond before passing a issue from her proGraves budget. posed budget. Graves has veBy doing that, she hopes it will help the toed the budget twice. Both versions of the budcity resolve its ongoing get Graves vetoed included budget impasse. Graves’ proposal came divisive funding for a $2 hours after she received an million Civic Center addiemail from Ron Queen, tion that was added to a $7.5 manager of local finance million bond first proposed for the Tennessee Comp- by Graves earlier this year. troller of the Treasury, that raised a question about » BUDGET, 6A

By Josh Cross

NEWS

6A • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Companies ‘can’t get enough’ workers

» JOBS FROM 1A

hour. It hosted three job fairs in 2012, but already in 2013 it has held 11 because employers have asked for more, said spokesman Jamie Berry. Sumner’s current unemployment rate of 6.7 is only slightly higher than the August 2008 figure of 5.8 percent unemployment. That’s also better than the most recently released unemployment figures for August for the state which shows an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent.

Experience needed

Beverly Robson, manager of the Tennessee Career Center in Gallatin, said there are still many local jobs available in manufacturing, particularly in the Portland area, but few people are trained for the positions. “These companies can’t get enough people to fill those positions,” she said. Jimmy Johnston, director of Forward Sumner, said he is working with the Sumner County Board of Education and the Ten-

SUMNER UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS BY YEAR 2008 – August - 5.8 percent 2009 – July - 9.9 percent 2010 – August – 8.6 percent 2011 – July – 8.3 percent 2012 – July – 7.3 percent 2013 – July – 6.7 percent —Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development

nessee Board of Regents to launch a vocational education program in Portland. “We are trying to bring on an applied technology campus in Portland and we are still in discussions,” Johnston said. “There are a lot of job openings in Sumner County and the challenge is to fit those who are (qualified) with the openings.” Robson said the program would be a fast track for young people who wanted to train for a career without going to a two- or four-year program. “There are kids getting out of high school that don’t want to go to college – they want to go to work.”

Richard Green of Westmoreland tlaks with Vicki Brown at a job fair at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin on Wednesday, Sept. 25. DESSISLAVA YANKOVA/GALLATIN NEWS EXAMINER

Police hope to reduce sales of alcohol to minors » ALCOHOL FROM 1A

fidential informant, said Gallatin Police Department spokesman Bill Storment. “It (the sale of alcohol to minors) is a very important topic,” said Gallatin Police Chief Don Bandy. “We’re definitely going to start being more proactive with compliance checks.” The August checks were the first since 2011, said Storment, who added that spikes in crimes like credit card fraud in previous years drew attention away from conducting alcohol compliance. “In 2013, we were able to refocus our attention on compliance checks be-

cause we know it’s important to send the message to these stores and these employees that we keep alcohol out of the hands of our young people,” Storment said. “We do what we can, when we can.” As a result of the operation, Cathy Alexander, 51, Karen Stuart, 55, and Marschella June Carter, 50, were charged with the sale of alcohol to a minor, according to Gallatin Police Department incident reports. The sales took place at the MGM Market at 1303 S. Water Ave., Discount Tobacco at 446 E. Main St. and Cisco’s at 567 Long Hollow Pike. Selling alcohol to a minor is a misdemeanor that, among other punish-

ments, can include jail time, said Sumner County Assistant District Attorney Tara Wyllie. Businesses can also face punishment if one of their employees sells alcohol to a minor. Gallatin Beer Board Chairman Bill Hudgins said that in the past the board has halted the sale of beer at offending establishments ranging from 24 hours to about a week. “It’s very dependent upon the circumstances on whether this is a first offense or a repeat offense,” he said. Typically, the Beer Board has held hearings for businesses accused of selling alcohol to minors after the resolution of the

criminal case against the employee, Hudgins said. “We want to send the message to everyone in the community that selling beer to underage minors is a serious thing,” he said. “We support police in what they do and we’re glad they are going to be doing compliance checks again.”

More checks

Kelly HennessyPierce, executive director of the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition, said that she would like to see each police department across Sumner County conduct compliance checks with local businesses four times yearly. “These (beer license) holders should be a barrier between somebody under 21 and that beer,” she said. “I feel like when you know somebody is checking, then you’re going to

be on your game.” Gallatin police hope to conduct checks for underage alcohol sales at local businesses more frequently than in the past, Storment said. “Overall, we are glad the majority passed the compliance check, but we won’t be completely satisfied until we have 100 percent compliance,” he said. “Idealistically, we would like to have them three or four times a year like we did in 2010.” According to a 2011survey of Sumner County students, 67 percent of teenage students surveyed said they had used alcohol in their lifetime, while 75 percent of students under 21 answered that they were able to purchase alcohol. “(Underage drinking) is still a huge problem,” Hennessy-Pierce said. “There are a lot of kids do-

ing the right thing, but it only takes one for some kind of tragedy to happen.” Earlier this month, the city of Hendersonville held an informational meeting with local businesses regarding the sale of alcohol to minors. During the meeting, city leaders said that Hendersonville would be taking a tougher stance on those who sell alcohol to those under the age of 21. For business owners in the county looking for help with training employees on how to responsibly sell alcohol, Hennessey-Pierce said that they can contact the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition for assistance. “We will offer any help that we can,” she said.

proposed the $7.5 million bond in order to complete the Albert Gallatin/Hatten Track road project, the GreenLea Boulevard extension, a public works building project and to add lighting to Triple Creek Park. In June, the budget was amended and vetoed after the council added the $2 million Civic Center funding to the bond. District 3 Councilor Jimmy Overton said Wednesday that the city needs to pass an operating budget to let city departments “move on with the day-to-day operations of the city.” Because city leaders have yet to pass a spending plan, Gallatin has been operating under a continuance budget since the start of the fiscal year on July 1. A continuance budget means that city departments only get funding for the operating expenses they received in the previous year. “I’m OK with passing

an operating budget as long as we take all of the projects out, the road projects and everything and we can address them separately,” Overton said. “We have to pass an operating budget and let these guys get on with their jobs.” In June, the council approved a property tax rate of $0.99 per every $100 of taxable property at the same time it passed a budget, though the budget was vetoed. Finance Director Rachel Nichols said she believes the city can collect property taxes because it is operating under a continuance budget that was approved as part of the 2012-13 budget ordinance. The issue has been sent to the Comptroller’s Office of the General Council for an opinion, said Communications Director Blake Fontenay.

The Best High School Sports Coverage Council may remove bond In Sumner County » BUDGET FROM 1A

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The funding would add a heated therapeutic pool and children’s splash activity center to the facility. “One of the things I wanted to float out there for discussion is could we go ahead and pass the proposed budget that we all agreed on and take the bond out?” Graves asked members of the Gallatin City Council Tuesday. The city could pass a budget and bond issue separately, said City Attorney Joe Thompson. A special bond resolution would need four votes to pass. “The only way to resolve the budget (impasse), because everybody is going to stand so firm on the bond, is to pull it out (of the budget),” said At-Large Councilor Julie Brackenbury. “It is the only issue. It’s probably going to be the only way to get it resolved for now.” In May, Graves first

Reporter Josh Cross can be reached at 575-7115 or jcross@mtcngroup.com.

Chris Brooks Sports Writer

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