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President Ford  12/28/06

     38th President of the United States Gerald R. Ford, 93,  died in southern California Tuesday night.

     From Grand Rapids MI, he was known as a man of integrity and  became president when Richard Nixon stepped down due to the Watergate scandal.  It is said that he helped heal a nation by pardoning Nixon and ending US involvement in Vietnam.    The WWII vet lived through 2 assignation attempts that were made on his life during his presidency, a time of economic uncertainty and  the end of the Cold War.

Annual Band Festival  12/27/06

       A free concert for the public will be performed by 100 junior high students from Henry County on Tuesday, January 9^th at 6:30 pm in Weston Hall at Grove School . Approximately 100 junior high students from both Paris City School System and Henry County School System will participate in the Paris Henry County Arts Council's 2 ^nd Annual All District Band Festival.

      The event is sponsored by the Paris Henry County Arts Council, Peppers Automotive Group, Amro Music, Pepsi Mid America, Knott Wholesale Foods, Tosh Farms, Burger King, Paris Realty, Laird's Bar-B-Q, and E.W. James & Sons Supermarkets.

      The four schools, Harrelson, Henry, Inman, and Lakewood along with their band directors will entertain the public after rehearsing the entire day at the school. "I am once again excited about the opportunity for this year's 2nd Annual Paris/Henry County Arts Council All District Band Festival. Last year our students benefited greatly from the experience and I look forward to the gains that will be made from this year's festival. It is very pleasing to see that our students are achieving a high level of excellence in Music Education", said Brian Burkett, band director at Henry School.  

  Gas Board  12/23/06\

     The Paris Henry County Natural Gas Utility District Board of Directors Secretary Steve Greer, Vice President  Dr. Tom Wood, President Terry Pierce and Manager Don Green  would like to Wish Paris and Henry County a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Angel Tree12/23/06

     Curves of Paris members gave 44 children, birth to teens, a happier Christmas with their donations to Damascus Road Women and Children's Shelter.

     For the past 5 years members have been providing toys and  clothing to the shelter run by Mariam Paschall.  "It is a chance for women to help other women," stated Curves owner and operator Sharon Boyd.

     Boyd also collects clothes and household items for the shelter plus  holds an annual Food Drive in March in which the members of Curves generously participate. 

HOLIDAY SAFETY12/23/06

     Tennessee State Fire Marshal Paula A. Flowers wants to remind Tennesseans to keep fire safety on their minds as they decorate their homes for the holidays.  

      "Home decorations make a home cheerful and festive, but decorations such as string lights and Christmas trees introduce fire risks," said Flowers.  “All too often, we hear of a family that has lost its home, or worse, suffered an injury or death due to a fire caused by these decorations.”

       The risks can be minimized by following a few fire safety tips:

Try to keep live trees as moist as possible by giving them plenty of water daily. Do not purchase a tree that is dry or dropping needles.

Choose a sturdy tree stand designed not to tip over. When purchasing an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled as fire-retardant.

Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from heat sources, such as fireplaces and radiators. Try to position the tree near an outlet so that electrical cords are not running long distances.

Choose decorations made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.

Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.

Purchase only lights and electrical decorations bearing the name of an independent testing lab, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation and maintenance.

Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload extension cords.

Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation (i.e., use clips, not nails).

Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving the house or going to bed.

"Keeping fire safety in mind and following a few fire safety guidelines will ensure that Tennesseans have a safe and happy holiday season," Flowers said.

  www.state.tn.us/commerce/sfm. 

City Election  12/21/06

     12 noon Thursday was the deadline for filing papers to run in the March 6th Paris City election.  According to Administrator of Elections, Jill Frye, there  were 4   qualifying candidates for the 3 openings on the city commission.

     Turning in their papers by noon were current Commissioner and Vice Mayor Sam Tharpe and  current commissioner Pete Lackey.  Others who will be running include Terry Fuller who is on one of the city's committees and Neal Buettner.  Although Dr. John Vandyke did pick up papers, he did not file them before the noon deadline.  Also not seeking reelection was George Moore.  "I have served for 16 years and although I enjoyed serving due to my age I decided not to run again."

     Early voting for the city election is Feb. 14 through March 1.  Pole hours on election day  are 8am to 7pm and 8:30 to 4pm for early voting with hours on the 2 Saturdays of early voting 9am to noon. 

Rezoning Request  12/21/06

     The Paris City Commission met in a special called meeting Thursday to put a rezoning request on the 'fast track'.  

     The property in question is owned by Ray Hill and is located on Lone Oak Rd. behind the now closed Advantage Mortgage Co.   According to Paris City Attorney Fred Mclean,  Hill wishes to refinance his home but his mortgage co. will not do so while his home is zoned planned  business, the only home zoned thus on his street.  All other homes are zoned residential.  According to zoning restrictions, if the property were destroyed ,as in a fire, it could not be rebuilt due to the  irregularity in the zoning.  By changing the zoning it would no longer be non-conforming and could be rebuilt.  McLean stated that due to this, current interest rates and other financial considerations Hill' desires to change the zoning prompted the special called meeting.    The rezoning request was granted on 1st reading and a public hearing must be held before the 2nd reading that is planned in January.

House Fire  12/21/06

Emergency Management Director Ron Watkins reports that another house fire occurred this past Sunday morning on Irvin St.  The home was severely damaged and most of Ms Porter's  belongings and those of her 12 year old grandson, which she has cared for since birth, were lost.  To help call her at 641-1917.

TRRA  12/20/06

     The Tennessee River Resort Act Study Committee met with Walker & Associates, the public relations firm out of Jackson, that was hired for approx. $75,000 to design a marketing plan to promote tourism in Henry County and surrounding municipalities.

     "We received 638 responses to our on-line survey from residents and 125 responses from visitors to the area," Andy Windham of Walker & Associates told the group gathered in the Henry County Courthouse.

     They presented a marketing research report which they stated had been completed a months ago.  The survey showed that residents and visitors alike were happy with what the area had to offer such as fishing and water sports and activities but would like more diversity in dining establishments and shopping facilities.   Adult oriented establishment and gamboling  did not show up in the survey in any significant numbers.  90% of the residents surveyed viewed tourism as positive for the community.  Visitors to the area ranked the Lake and the opportunity for rest and relaxation as top priority for visiting the area followed by visiting family in the area.  The visitors survey showed that they came from  TN, IL, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, KY,  and Indiana, stay for 5 or more days, have families with children  want family oriented activities and are between the age of 35 and 64.

   At the completion of the 71 slide presentation Windham stated, "The next step is strategic development planning.  A marketing plan and implementation of the plan."

Decorating Winners 12/20/06

      The Board of Public Utilities and the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the 2006 Holiday Decorating Contest Tuesday morning during the Chamber coffee at First Bank.

      The winners are: People’s Choice, Jim Herndon of  Fox Chase; Commercial, El Vaquero, 600 Spruce Street;  Residential Most Festive, Tommy Judd,  Forrest Heights; Residential Most Traditional, Fred and Jill McLean, East Wood Street; BPU Choice, Chris and Linda Smith, Dunlap.

      Each winner received $100 and yard signage from BPU representative John Etheridge, with assistance from Chesney and Aubrey Buttrey.

      Chamber President Michael Murphey, Clifty Farm, said “We appreciate everyone’s participation. This event continues to grow and to help draw people to Paris and Henry County for the holidays.”

BPU  12/20/06

     The Paris Board of Public Utilities met Tuesday, one week earlier than usual due to the upcoming holiday.  The board members approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Industrial Development Board, Institutional Casework Incorporated and Paris Board of Public Utilities.  The document summarizes the terms of the USDA loans and defines two actions to collateralize the BPU.  The Industrial Development Board, who owns the Mohon property, is giving BPU a second deed of trust and ICI is giving BPU a lien on the newly purchased  equipment that is needed for manufacturing.  Also approved by the Board is a similar document that states that the city of Paris will subordinate its first Deed of Trust to BPU's second deed of trust which in effect  gives BPU the first deed of trust.  It was originally thought that if the county and city joined in, BPU would not be liable should ICI default on the loan.  "This is the first loan of this type and it will not be the last so we need to set a precedent," stated BPU General Manager Charles Perry.  "This is good for economic development ," explained John Etheridge, assistant general manager, "but we must protect BPU in the process." 

     In other business  the board approved the fiscal year 2006 audit and will have Alexander Thompson Arnold for fiscal year 2007.

     The board approved Perry's action to take 85 cents on the dollar for the money owned by Dana for  Variable Price Interruptible Power and 65 cents on the dollar for non-variable price interruptible power.  They will also be keeping the $319,000 cash deposit.

     Etheridge told the board that TVA would be setting rates for electric  based on whole sale costs and that already there are seasonal rates.  Etheridge spoke of a 13 cent increase or decrease per customer per month over the next 4 quarters of the year. 

Gas Company  12/20/06

     The Paris Henry County Natural Gas Utility District had a short agenda at Tuesday's board meeting where board members were informed by Manager Don Green that the gas line to Brookvale Subdivision was completed,  there was gas in the line and one home is being built and wants to connect to the gas main.  Green told the board members, "Your foresight in going down to the Lake with the gas line was good for the gas company."  The board was also informed that in November gas had been withdrawn from storage bringing gas in storage to 76.4% of capacity.  He also explained that like other gas companies they had bought gas at purchase prices earlier this year and the law of supply and demand was driving the cost up slightly.

     The meeting ended on a positive note with Mr. Green telling the members of the board that with the increased gas lines they were not as dependent on industrial customers as they were a few years ago.  "The closing of plants in Henry County would have been disastrous for us a few years ago." 

Dr. Doyle to Sign Book  12/20/06

       Dr. Paul Doyle, Superintendent of Schools for the Pairs Special School District will discuss and sign his book, “Leadership and Spirituality from Dysfunctional to Servanthood" on Thursday evening, December 21^st. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at Jack’s Corner Books inside Jack Jones Flowers on the  Court Square in Paris.

       Half of the proceeds of book sales that evening will benefit Hoofbeats of Hope.

County Commission  12/19/06

       Prior to the official beginning of the Henry County Commission meeting Monday evening County Mayor Brent Greer was honored with a presentation of a picture of the Henry County Court House.  Also introduced to the commission was Bobby Nolan who was selected by the Veterans Service Committee to be the new Veterans Service Officer for Henry County.  Nolan was introduced by Chairman of the Veterans Service  Committee and City Commissioner  Gayle Griffith.   A newcomer to Henry County, Nolan is a 29 year veteran of the Marines.  "There are 3,300  plus veterans in our community," stated Greer.  "They are the backbone of our county. "          

     The Henry County Commission spent a  lengthy amount of the  meeting Monday  discussing the county's  employee's personnel policies and procedures.  Recorder of Deeds, Alice Webb, who was not present, can legally develop her own policies and procedures for her staff.  She elected to do so, which   included a change in hours worked and a salary increase of 40% for her staff.  According to the county mayor she can legally change the hours that are worked but a pay increase must be approved by the commissioners.  A Deputy 1 tops out at $29,704  "Alice Webb wants$40,000 plus a year for her deputies, longer sick time off, a 7 hour day, 5 days a week," stated Commissioner Dale Carter.  Commissioner Randy Veazey was also against the change , stating that the Policies and Procedures committee (of which he was a member)  had spent a lot of time developing a 'Court House' system that was originally put in place to control such things as comp time , costs and make the policy fair for all.  Webb's policy was read into the minutes and will take effect Jan 1 but without the requested pay increase.

     In other business the commission approved the appointment of Commissioner Jeff Hamlin, who is filling the seat of the late Reed Brewer, to the county beer board, the rural fire protection study committee and the solid waste committee as well as the vacant property review committee.

     The commission agreed to an interlocal agreement with the city of Paris for a part-time genealogy/archivist  position at W.G. Rhea Public Library.  The city and the county will each  provide $2,000 a year to  Linda Dunlap who has volunteered in the position  and will continue with her work which plays an important role in the development of the heritage tourism for the community.

     The commission deferred action on closing Cold Corner Rd. and will refer the matter back to the Highway Commission to research ownership.  According to Commissioner Dan Paschall the road has had extensive work done on it to make it passable.  A quit-claim for the old Shamrock Rd. was approved.

Water District  12/19/06

     The Northeast Henry County Utility District will be moving into their new office building by the first of the year.

   The double- wide prefab building was purchased from Dinkin's Homes and is being built in Henry.  The new building will be set in the rear parking area with plans to tear down the yellow land mark house on Rice Lane and use that area for parking.  The building will cost approx. $75,000, which according to Board member and county commissioner Paul Mathenia was much less than what renovations to the old building would have cost.

Santa's Last Blast  12/18/06

     Downtown Paris was full of people enjoying the un-Christmas like weather Friday evening, getting in their last requests to Santa before he left for the North Pole to get  ready for his busiest night of the year.

     He once again arrived on a big shiny Fire Truck, courtesy of the Paris Fire Department.  He was met by a long line of young and young at heart.  Once the serious business of talking to Santa was over the revelers could enjoy a variety of activities which included  free hot chocolate and stories at Jack's Corner Books.  The Fire Department was giving out S'mores to all good boys and girls.  The Bird Man and his feathered friends were in town .  There were candles to sculpture and bird treats to make  with 'Friends of the Refuse and all the while there was the live holiday music provided by Jennifer Call.

     The event, sponsored by The Downtown Paris Association, gave shoppers the opportunity to pick up those last minute gifts.  "We are very pleased with the support of the community at all of this years events," stated DPA member John Wambles of the Peddler.  "We have had record numbers for all the events and the merchants are very pleased."  

Paris Planning Commission  12/16/06

     At this months meeting of the Paris Municipal Regional Planning Commission the board approved a re-division of 2 lots in the Arrowhead Subdivision.  They approved a re-division of 2 lots on Hwy 69A.  Also approved Thursday night by the commission was  a re-division of property located on Grove and Brown Streets.

     Dropped from the agenda was a request to purchase city property on Mineral Wells Ave. between NAPA and BIDCO where the old Outlaw Steak House building is located.  In its place the board heard from resident Ray Hill.  Hill's home is located on Lone Oak Rd.  All the homes are zoned residential while his is zoned planed business.  He was requesting a change in the zoning to match  the rest of his neighbors.  The matter will have to come up for a public hearing and then be approved by the city commission.

Beer Board  12/16/06

     The Paris Alcoholic Beverage Control Board met Friday to approve a request for a new Class B permit for Sherry's Pop-A-Top on North Brewer St.  Pop-A-Top will be located in the former King's Brewer Street Lounge which has gone out of business.  The new owner, Ms Sherry Harper, formerly operated the Inner Limits on West Wood St.   Harper stated that the business will not contain a grill but be just a bar.  She plans to open on Saturday. 

Board of Education 12/15/06

          The Henry County Board of Education was treated to a short 

Christmas concert by the 15 junior and Senior's  of the Henry County High School Madrigals, under the direction of Jeremy O'Neal,  before they took up the serious business on this month's agenda.

     Director of Schools, Rick Kriesky announced that there were 2 'Big Things' that he wants to start addressing over the next few years.  One was service learning for Kindergarten  through 12th grade, linking all the curriculums together by doing community service projects.  Kriesky also wants to initiate 'Data Mining'   .  The concept, which is used in Georgia, will put all the test information of students into a few sheets that can be study by teachers in a more effective and efficient manner.  "We have been looking for something like this for 2 years," stated Kriesky.  "This will open the door for individualized educational curriculums."   He also plans to add a 3rd new program, an anti-bulling program.  Henry County will be among 5 of the 25 openings in the state for the program.  Kriesky told the board that they would be hearing more about these 3 programs.  "These 3 items  will be on the front burner."

     Henry County High School will be adding some new courses.   The board approved the addition of Criminal Justice II, Early Childhood Education II, Diagnostic Medical Rehabilitation and Therapy, Automotive Engineer Performance and Modern American Literature. 

     Also approved by board members was the donation of old soccer jerseys to an African league that will be established during a mission trip to Africa. 

     The Director of Schools was honored for his support of  the Coordinated School Health Program by Gov. Bredesen and the State Director of School Health.   Henry County School System Coordinated School Health Director  Stephanie Winders presented the award. 

 The board approved a new position in administration, that of Service Learning/Grant Writing and Public Relations.  The position will be filled by now High School Principal Dawn Poole who will serve as the coordinator for the 3 part position.  Poole was selected for the position, in part,  because she has been involved with service learning since its conception which  is funded by grants.  The job starts July 1.    "Ms Poole understands that we will find a replacement before she takes on the new position.  We will conduct a nation wide search," stated Kriesky  

Fire Victims  12/14/06

Education is the most effective means in gaining understanding and support from the community. The Citizen Police Academy offers citizens insights into how police officers perform their duties and how the department serves the community.

     Mission of the Academy

PHCYO  12/09/06

     The Paris Henry County Youth Orchestra  will hold their Winter Concert on Tuesday Dec. 12th at7pm in the Krider Performing Arts Center.  Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door.

Surplus Property  12/09/06

     At Thursday evening's meeting of the Paris City Commission the board members voted to declare property owned by the city on Mineral Wells Ave. as surplus.  The land is approx. 50 feet by 2oo feet located between Holley Credit Union and Napa Auto Parts where the Outlaw Steak House is located.  According to City Manager Carl Holder the developers did not wish to be named but would be "a good addition to the community."  According to Holder the present building would be raised.

Christmas Break   12/09/06 

     Students in the Henry County School system will begin their Christmas break next week.  The break begins on Dec 13 for those exempt from exams, on the 15 for those who are not and will run through Jan. 4th, 2007

City Commission  12/8/06

     The Paris City Commission approved several items on their agenda which were old business.  The zoning ordinance passed on 2nd reading and a security policy concerning e-mail and security codes was also approved.  Work on the Post Oak bridge will be done by Hayes Construction since the city does not possess the equipment necessary to remove the bridge.  The sign ordinance was once again tabled.

     A discussion of Animal Control fees will continue at next month's Commission meeting when there is more complete information on costs to board, feed and care for animal until they are either adopted or euthanized.  The city also provides a carcass removal service for some local vets.  A percentage of the  animals at the shelter come from the county or surrounding municipalities.

     Carl Holder, City Manager recommended a longer more detailed budget development process for the city.  "We need to developed a balanced budget, we also need to develop a long range plan," he told the commissioners.

     The retail sales were up by 5.2% for the month and the city issued a joint resolution with the Paris Industrial Development Board for his years of service and contribution to the city and the industrial board.

County Solid Waste  12/08/06

     The members of the Henry County Solid Waste Committee were informed at Thursday evening's meeting that present Solid Waste Director Al Misker  will be retiring at the first of the year due to health problems of family members.  "I have enjoyed it," he stated.  "It is a very good program we have in Henry County."  According to County Mayor Brent Greer his last day will be January 2nd.  To replace the retiring director the committee agreed to Greer's recommendation to hire current Emergency Management Director Ron Watkins.  Watkins has a degree in occupational safety and management.  The 2 positions will be combined  to create a full time position.  The Emergency Management position is currently only part time.

     In other business the committee approved using  $16 thousand from the solid waste un-appropriated fund balance to do repairs on the 10 year old baler.  With the new grant that will be coming out in May a new state of the art baler and a new box truck will be purchased.   The baler is used to bale up cardboard, plastics, glass, aluminum and mixed metals.   The truck makes several trips a day logging around 120 miles each day. 

     They also heard a report on the activities at the recycling center.  The sale of recyclables, year to date have been $64,179 with over 2 million pounds collected this year, which beats last years numbers even with the loss of cardboard from Lowe's, who now sells their own cardboard for recycling.  The director has started using women inmates and finds that they are hard working and less intimidating to people who drop off recyclable materials.  8 workers a day are needed to keep up with the amount of recyclables that come in a day.  The recycling building is 10 years old and in need of a new floor which is breaking up from the weight of the front loader used to load the items dropped off at the center.   

Mayor  Lights Eiffel Tower 12/7/06

       Paris City Mayor David Travis will flip the switch to light the Eiffel Tower at Memorial Park at 6 pm on Monday, 11 December 2006, as part of the “Celebrate Holidays” decorating contest sponsored by the BPU, WMUF/WLZK, the Peddler Advantage and the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce.

      Decorated with 840 feet of lights provided by the Paris-Henry County Heritage Center and the Chamber of Commerce, the tower will be outlined by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department and the BPU. Youth choirs from Inman School and First United Methodist Church will perform. Refreshments will be provided.

      Nominees in the commercial and residential categories of the lighting contest may pick up their signs at the park. Winners will be announced at the Chamber’s December Coffee at First Bank on December 19^th.

Advent  Walk   12/06/06

      A progressive worship service will be held downtown on Wednesday evening, December 6th, 6:30 P.M. beginning at the First United Methodist Church.  Sponsored by the Downtown Paris Association and participating downtown churches, worshippers will begin worship at First Methodist and proceed to First Presbyterian, Quinn Chapel A.M.E., Grace Episcopal and conclude at First Christian with a reception.  See each church uniquely decorated for Advent/Christmas. Participants will walk by candlelight from church to church and through our lovely Victorian Courthouse Square.  Van transportation will be available for those unable to walk the route.  For more information contact Dr. Joe Geary at 642-4764.

Holiday Decorating  12/5/06

      The Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, the Paris Board of Public Utilities and WMUF/WLZK, the Peddler Advantage will once again sponsor “Celebrate the Holidays,” a residential and commercial holiday decorating contest.

      Categories will include commercial; residential – most festive; residential – most traditional; a “People’s Choice,” based on most nominations; and a BPU choice award. No phone nominations are accepted.

      Nomination forms are available at the BPU, 117 East Washington; the Chamber office, 2508 East Wood Street ; and through the local media. All nominees must be customers in good standing with the BPU and consent to contest rules. Addresses may be nominated by residents or others. Deadline for nomination is 4:30 pm on Friday, December 8, 2006. All nominations must be received at the Chamber office.

      Judging will be coordinated by the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. The decisions of the judges will be final.

      The winner in each category will receive a $100 prize and yard signage from the Paris BPU. Winners agree, by accepting the prize money, to have their winning display visible, intact and available for viewing until January 1, 2007.

Forgery Prevention  12/5/06

      The Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, the Henry County Sheriff’s Department and the Paris Police Department will present “A Guide to Preventing Forgery and Counterfeiting,” a one-hour seminar designed for business owners at 9 am and 2 pm on Friday, 8 December 2006  at the Chamber office, 2508 East Wood Street, Paris.

      The seminar will focus on steps businesses can take to reduce or eliminate their vulnerability to the ever-increasing issues of check forgery, counterfeiting and bad checks. Specific procedures will be taught to assist local law enforcement agencies in the prosecution of offenders. Techniques for identifying false documents will be presented.

      “The economic impact of check fraud on financial institutions, businesses and the public is estimated at $19 billion annually,” according to Chamber President Michael Murphey, Clifty Farm. “We are pleased to work with local law enforcement to offer this training.”

     The seminar is free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested. Call the Chamber at 642.3431 to reserve a seat.