Fri
Mar 20 2009
01:06 pm
Avoiding the Ash: Switch Shopping to Spring City?
By: onetahiti

I've heard at least 2 people who live out my way (south of Rockwood in Roane County) say that they are looking at Spring City merchants down in Rhea County for their grocery and shopping needs rather than brave the ash dust issues by driving up to Midtown or Harriman.

Has anyone else seen any of this trend? If this continues it does not bode well for Roane County merchants and sales tax coffers.

Topics:

you might want to show them

Submitted by ohenry on March 20, 2009 - 1:18pm.

you might want to show them this, there are probably a few cinders around there too:
Watts Bar Fossil Plant is a coal-fired power station owned and operated by Tennessee Valley Authority near Spring City, Tennessee. It sits adjacent to TVA's Watts Bar nuclear power plant, and near TVA's Watts Bar hydroelectric plant
(source:SourceWatch)

so we are doomed on all sides to breathe coal?

Submitted by onetahiti on March 20, 2009 - 1:24pm.

This makes our area so very attractive to visitors and industry and healthy for our residents.

I wonder what the Watts Bar plant does with all its ash.

Does anyone have accurate (UMD-style) particulate figures for the Spring City and Midtown shopping areas so we can compare?

-- OneTahiti

I would imagine it would be

Submitted by ohenry on March 20, 2009 - 1:25pm.

I would imagine it would be quite difficult to find very many places that have been populated for any significant time that don't have some type of skeleton in the closet.

OneTahiti

Submitted by Ray Collett on March 20, 2009 - 1:52pm.

Isn't it cutting off your nose to spite your face to drive to Spring City to shop when your property taxes are paid to Roane County? Sales tax is our biggest form of revenue (especially in Rockwood.) So far I don't the fly-ash threat has kept any shopping down...Ray Collett

It might be worth it not to have to wear a respirator

Submitted by onetahiti on March 20, 2009 - 2:06pm.

Yes, we would prefer that Roane County get our sales taxes as they always have.

However, one could argue that if Roane County wants shopping dollars it should provide clean air. My sainted mom wears a mask to go to Midtown, Harriman, or Kingston now. We can see that getting even more uncomfortable as spring turns into summer. Spring City isn't any farther.

For the record, we haven't switched to Spring City--yet. We have cut back our shopping to minimize time she has to spend in town.

-- OneTahiti

I'm not trying to sound

Submitted by ohenry on March 20, 2009 - 2:12pm.

I'm not trying to sound nasty or condescending, but has your Mom been wearing a mask for the past 50+ years? The steam plant's been moving those ashes around for quite some time now.
Isaac

OHenry

Submitted by onetahiti on March 20, 2009 - 2:36pm.

Were you trying not to sound nasty or condescending to TVA or to us? :) Not to worry, we know that the ash problems and the general lack of information about it weren't our fault. :)

Mom moved here 6 years ago to be with me. Like many in the county, neither of us knew about TVA's ash pollution until recently. Ironically I moved here 20 years ago for the clean air. My little corner of Roane County isn't usually downwind of much, yet. I did always get sick going into town, though, so much so that I was forced to stop going whatsoever years and years ago.

I'm from a Scouting family so try to "Be Prepared." For years I have kept a supply of N100 masks and respirators at the door in a box, just in case. Mom wears them in town, as I used to, whenever necessary: flu seasons, ash spills, and so forth.

-- OneTahiti

You might also want to show

Submitted by ConcernedCitizen on March 20, 2009 - 3:33pm.

You might also want to show them this.

Watts Bar Fossil Plant operated between 1942 and 1982 and has been decommissioned.

Link:

Thanks, ConcernedCitizen!

Submitted by onetahiti on March 20, 2009 - 3:46pm.

I was wondering why I hadn't heard of an operating coal plant down there. :) This is good news. :)

-- OneTahiti

Watts Bar fossil not active

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 20, 2009 - 7:12pm.

Watts Bar has an old coal generating facility that is quite small and has not been part of the generating mix for a long time. Back in the 1990's TVA used this facility as a training school.

Watts Bar nuclear on the other hand, is running and work is underway on bringing the second unit on line. Watts Bar Nuclear produces Tritium (radioactive hydrogen isotope) for use in nuclear weapons (hydrogen bomb). This is in direct violation of the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty as it uses civilian (peaceful) reactors to make bomb materials. Think about the stink our government raises about Iran nuclear program.
Hypocrisy by our government? Could be!!!

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

Farmer Leaf

Submitted by onetahiti on March 20, 2009 - 7:26pm.

Thanks for the info, Leaf!

-- OneTahiti

Try OREPA

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 20, 2009 - 7:30pm.

The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance has been documenting DOE actions for two decades and should have all the information. Probably a dot org.
We attended a public hearing years ago where DOE first proposed Tritium Production at Watts Bar and Sequoyah Nuclear (Chattanooga). TVA tried to get the DOE to complete their Bellefonte Nuclear facility (at a cost of $2 billion) in Scottsboro, AL. in exchange for producing Tritium. DOE didn't bite.

As far as I know, TVA is the only owner of civilian reactors that produces bomb grade Tritium. All the other utilities turned DOE down.

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

Leaf

Submitted by onetahiti on March 20, 2009 - 7:35pm.

Thanks again! :)

-- OneTahiti

Why wear a Mask or Respirator?????

Submitted by dianaa364 on March 20, 2009 - 8:09pm.

I have not been wearing a mask or respirator for the past 32 years at my lake front house on 364 Emory River Rd. across the lake from the Kingston TVA Coal Disaster. I lived in paradise, I thought, with my beautiful view and having the pleasure of the use of the lake, I thought, that was free from toxic heavy metals.

I am a very sick person now. I have asthma, bronchitis, horrid respiratory problems that never go away, headaches, muscle and joint pain, intestional problems, have had mercury poisoning, and now I have Porphyn Disease (a horrible skin and neurological disease). Now I cannot ever be in the sun light for extended periods of time because it is so painful for my skin. I break out with burn blisters as big as the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a dime on the backs of my hands. The pain from the blisters are excrusiating, it takes a month for them to heal, and they leave horrid scars. That will be your futures if you live here near the plant for 15 to 32 years. The disease cannot be cured, it becomes genetic and it is passed on to our children.

What a glorious future everyone in this area is looking forward to. Your children will love having this disease. I know of two young boys in Swan Pond Circle area who got it from their father who is from here, and now they will have it for the rest of their lives. What do all of you think about that, who do not wear a mask?

So Onetahiti, you tell your mom to keep wearing her mask. She is the smart one. Everyone else is not smart. I was not smart as I did not know that I was breathing toxic coal fly ash over the last 32 years. Now I have to suffer until I die.

dianaa364

Submitted by onetahiti on March 21, 2009 - 8:59am.

Thank you so much for all your sharing and support. My heart goes out to you and all the so many other victims.

I am very glad you post here at RoaneViews. :)

-- OneTahiti

Going out of County..

Submitted by Ben There on March 21, 2009 - 1:36pm.

Alot of the folks down here are now going to Athens. They have about everything you want and no enviromental issues that we know about.

Well guys....

Submitted by RICK on March 21, 2009 - 4:26pm.

I kinda like Kingston and Roane County. So, if I am fighting here, I might as well eat here too. I'll keep my business here at out grocery stores and Wal-Mart.

Shopping at Wal-Mart

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 21, 2009 - 11:03pm.

doesn't exactly help the local economy that much. Sure, they hire some people at minimum wage with no health care benefits, but they have devastated (by underselling) the local Mom & Pop Main Street economy. When you buy from Mall-Wart, you are stimulating the Chinese economy even more than our local, state or national economy. The profits are sent out of state, and out of country.

Also, the labor record of this predatory box store is one of chasing the cheapest global labor pool, depressing our wages at home.
They have even put the screws to "organic producers" by demanding low cost volume production, thereby rendering the organic label a lot less meaningful. You can have cheap food, or you can have quality food, but you can't have both.

Skip Mall-Wart and patronize locally owned Roane County stores.

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

Rockwood government may

Submitted by harrimanite on March 21, 2009 - 11:22pm.

Rockwood government may disagree with you on what Wal-Mart returns to their coffers.. sales tax revenue, business tax, property tax, employment (even at somewhat lower scale labor, it is one of the biggest in Rockwood).

Sadly, today's consumer's love for Wally World is what killed the Mom and Pop stores. If their allegiance wasn't there, Wal-Mart would be shuttered up just like the businesses they replaced.

There are very few "local" stores left. Most are owned by big chains and the profit leaves this area also.
Actually Wal-Mart's "profit" goes to the Arkansas "family" headquarters. They might buy overseas but their profit doesn't go there.

While I agree with most

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 22, 2009 - 12:16am.

of what you wrote, the manufacturing profits are sent (or realized) in China, while the retail sales profits are shipped to Arkansas.

I wonder if Rockwood offered tax breaks to lure Wally World here. Oftentimes local governments will "give away the bank" to undercut competing cities, and draw big business or a factory to their area. I am sure the company honchos (Wal-Mart) know how to exploit local governments and get a great deal. Say what you will about Wally-Mart, but these guys know how to squeeze the utmost concessions out of vendors and suppliers. Why would they not do the same to small local governments (such as ours) to get as much a free tax ride as possible?

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

I wasn't living in Tn. when Wal-Mart

Submitted by Ray Collett on March 22, 2009 - 9:27am.

came to Rockwood, but I am sure the citizens were glad. As for shop USA, what products are being made in our country? Very few. And I am sure Wal-Mart does not have the greatest benefits, but notice how many workers have 20, 25, even 35 years of service on their name badges. Most employers, don't expect a young worker to remain in an entry level position forever, the ones in management make a very competetive salary. I know Wal-Mart has hurt a lot of small businesses but it has helped also. If Rockwood realized four thousand dollars a month in sales tax from Goody's, can you imagine how much it gets from Wal-Mart? I am sure any other town around would welcome Wal-Mart. I DO support the local grocery stores such as Gateway Market.....Ray Collett

That subject

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 22, 2009 - 1:53pm.

"As for shop USA, what products are being made in our country?"
would require a whole ranging dialogue about predatory capitalism and the demise of the labor movement in this country. Maybe after Spring plowing and planting I would have time to critique the whole Clinton Free Trade program that left us as a net importer while millions of good jobs left the country for low paying sweat shops in less developed nations.

I myself find the whole concept of Wal-Mart Super stores rather repugnant.

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

It is much easier

Submitted by Ray Collett on March 22, 2009 - 2:46pm.

to grow your own food,(if you have the land) than it is to grow cotton and make your own clothes. Do you go barefoot year round or were your shoes made in the USA. Seriously, it is a shame how most jobs are outsourced. Try calling aol or internet help, you wind up in India of all places. It is a shame...

Having difficulty seeing the help

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 22, 2009 - 10:29pm.

"I know Wal-Mart has hurt a lot of small businesses but it has helped also."
On June 20, 2008, the Knoxville News Sentinel printed an article about our teaching farm. The reporter described her road trip to our farm with this quote; "...to the four lane highway through Rockwood with its strip malls and skeletal downtown..."
Others have posted here that downtown Harriman is heading in that direction also.
Wal-Mart may technically be located in Rockwood, but it is so far away from the business districts of the three major Roane County cities that it effectively draws shoppers away to a remote location that benefits none of those downtown merchants.

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

And I am sure that

Submitted by Ray Collett on March 23, 2009 - 6:29am.

Lowe's is looked at in the same way as Wal-Mart by hurting our local hardware stores even though Walker's has been in Rockwood for 60 years or so. Scandlyn's is still around, and Ace Hardware is still in business. Strange, but Lowe's and Home Depot are never thought of that way. Hey, don't get me wrong, I managed a large store (not Wal-Mart) when Wally World started it's business, and Sam Walton ran it a lot different than the stockholders do now. I don't think Wal-Mart alone has shut down American factories. Were your garden tools that you use made here in America? And Wal-Mart in a REMOTE location? Let me ask you one question, would you take a room in the local motel in Rockwood instead of one at the intersection of I-40 in Harriman. I don't think you would. I am going where I can get the best value for a pair of shoes. Like I said earlier in a post, my groceries for the most part are purchased at the Gateway Market in Rockwood

So much of what we use

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 23, 2009 - 7:58am.

is recycled from earlier times. Our garden tools, while not all made in the USA (we have some of German manufacture) are mostly the castoff metal parts whose handles broke. Some of our hand powered garden equipment was fabricated on the farm, while the rest dates back 40 years. It still works just fine by the way.

What Wal-Mart (and other similar enterprises) helped usher in, is the disposable culture (mentality). When it breaks, throw it away, buy another. Only now with the economy slipping beneath the waves, are cobblers making a small comeback. It was cheaper to throw those cheap Chinese made shoes away than to fix them. Wal-mart and its ilk have certainly led to the landfill crises with the excessive packaging and disposable everything.

The motel analogy assumes that I am willing to drive a longer distance for the convenience of I-40? The reason the core of small towns and cities collapse is because new businesses move out to the highway, forcing people to get in their cars to shop. It is called "Sprawl." Walking is no longer a viable way to shop in most areas. But driving our cars everywhere has led to a whole new host of environmental and health related problems.

One reason we won't recover from this current global economic depression is that we have lost the ability to produce real goods at home. The stimulus package does not help American small businesses that much, because when people spend, they are much more apt to stimulate the Chinese, Japanese and Korean economies.

I agree with you 100% that it is pathetic that we went to from the greatest manufacturing nation to an importer of foreign made everything, including services. (Bombay tech support!) How? We took our eye off of the ball and let corporate America take over the reins of the government. A local example is Ken Yager, servant of the people or tool of the coal industry?

Wall Street runs America, not the "We the people". We won't get it back either if we continue to elect wingnuts who seem totally focused on stopping gay marriage, arming hockey moms, and fighting evolution.

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

Thanks for your input and you make some really

Submitted by Ray Collett on March 23, 2009 - 11:12am.

good points, and it is a shame that our current towns and living environments aren't like the "Mayberry" TV towns or the times and lives that the Michael Landon type series show us. So many of us living all over the USA are living in apartments and condos and even ghettos in some instances and are not able to enjoy the "country living." I was raised up in a family where growing our own vegetables, and having chickens and a hog or two was a necessity, besides our dads putting in a full days work at a local industry. I remember when Rockwood was a booming town with eight or nine grocery stores downtown, ten taxi cabs, three (Ritz,Lyric,and Roane), yes three movie theaters. Wal-Mart didn't close down all of this. Does Wal-Mart have a theater? Do they sell new cars and caused the closing of the dealerships we had years ago. I am sure the Peggy Ann Restaurant closed because of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart certainly has its bad points, but has its benefits also. I appreciate your comments

Thanks

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 23, 2009 - 12:22pm.

and I appreciated the exchange of thoughts myself. You are right, Wal-Mart isn't the sole cause of Rockwood's demise. Our lust for material "stuff" and a willingness to chase the comfort zone, no matter the long-term cost, has put us in the position of having lots of "things" but being very poor in all the ways that really matter.
Best of thoughts to you Ray.

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

Good points

Submitted by CPhillips on March 23, 2009 - 1:11pm.

I think both of you have some very good points.

I don't think the big business moving to the intersate forced anyones hand, we all choose to go there instead of the smaller local stores. I think we all played our part.

Here is one example: When not every home had a TV and it was a year or two before a movie would be viewable, we all paid to go the theaters to see a new movie. Now that our lives have gotten so busy it is much easier to rent/buy the movie a month later or watch it on TV when we want thanks to DVRs.

Not all is lost though. I use to go to my great grandfathers house in harriman who was also the cobbler so to say as he was the person who would repair those shoes you spoke of. He would pay me a nickel for 5 to 6 hours of work in the garden or orchard. I hated it and never saw myself farming anything and thought that buying a new pair of shoes would also be easier.

I learned the hard way though mistakes and life that the grass isn't always greener on the otherside. Today my uncle continues the tradition of repairing shoes as well as a lot of other things. I have taken up planting a garden and try to show my little girl the fun of watching things grow and the fruit of those labors.

Cobbler

Submitted by macmurchadh on March 23, 2009 - 1:19pm.

Is your uncles shop/store here?

cobbler

Submitted by CPhillips on March 23, 2009 - 8:01pm.

I would be happy to find out what you need done and see if he can help out.He doesn't have a store or local shop though.

My great uncle was the orginal owner of Edwards shoe store in Harriman and my great grandfather was the person who for many years did the repairs.

My uncle worked at the store for years later on until they sold the location and moved the business to Oak Ridge. He kept a lot of the tools and still does some things on the side as more of a hobby.

I have a couple pair

Submitted by macmurchadh on March 23, 2009 - 10:10pm.

of shoes I like that need heel work. I have only been here for about three years, so I know miss a lot of things if I don't ask.
I have noticed the old Edward's Shoes store front sign in downtown Harriman.
A small town in Florida near where I lived at one time was successful in revitalizing their closed up downtown back in the 90s. It took commitment and risk, coincidentally it started there with the restoration of the downtown theater.

Edwards is a wonderful shop, nice folks

Submitted by onetahiti on March 23, 2009 - 10:19pm.

They have supplied my shoes for many years. :)

I miss the late Lucille. She was always very nice.

-- OneTahiti

I remember a story, or at least part of it

Submitted by Ray Collett on March 23, 2009 - 7:33pm.

having to do with a war torn country during WW II. It seems that some American troops came through this town in Europe that was devasted and no one working or had money. A solder had a pack of cigarettes, and a hole in the sole of his boot. He gave a local cobbler the pack of cigarettes to repair it. The cobbler took a cigarette out and traded the remainder to a baker for a loaf of bread. The baker took a cigarette and traded the remainder for a handmade shirt for his son. The tailor took a cigarette and traded the rest to a local craftsman to have his scissors sharpened. In other words, the whole town started working again....I don't remember where I heard the story, probably aboard ship during my Navy years.....Ray Collett

Great Story

Submitted by cielosand on March 23, 2009 - 10:18pm.

Now that's a local economy!

cielo sand

Nature does not hurry. 
Yet everything is accomplished.  
- Lao Tzu

Thank you Farmer Leaf,

Submitted by macmurchadh on March 22, 2009 - 4:59pm.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Frontline on PBS did an excellent expose of Walmart a couple of years ago for anyone who would like to know more about the way they operate.
I applaud the communities that have said no to Walmart and have actually kept them out. There are too few of them however. When I do have to shop a big box, I choose one of their competitors.
BTW, Costco is probably one of the most responsible big box stores. Not sure if there is one around here.

I will be

Submitted by macmurchadh on March 21, 2009 - 6:17pm.

shopping here as well.

You don't kick a dog when

Submitted by harrimanite on March 21, 2009 - 6:20pm.

You don't kick a dog when its down (or ill). Support our county and our cities and the businesses there.

Remember I'm just replying

Submitted by Ben There on March 21, 2009 - 9:00pm.

Remember I'm just replying to a question about seeing new trends!

Im still in Roane County and doing what I have to! But I cant argue with their choices. Thats a personal call when you could be putting yourself in danger.

Sorry leaf

Submitted by RICK on March 22, 2009 - 10:04am.

I used the WAl-Mart as an EXAMPLE of shopping of shopping in Roane County. Sorry I didn't name every mom and pop store here. Gezzz.

Wal-Mart

Submitted by farmer leaf on March 22, 2009 - 10:34pm.

has become a culture shifting, multi-national corporation that wields way too much power and forces producers and vendors to meet their low prices, usually by cutting quality and labor costs to the bone. This is the economic tail wagging the dog. If I produce the goods, I know how much it really costs and how much I need to receive to stay in business. By forcing a vendor to accept a lower payment than it costs to produce, they open the door wide for counterfeits, cheap knock-offs, and fraudulent and unhealthy products. Take note of all the tainted Chinese products in the global marketplace.

As part of the working class, I find Wal-Mart to be more the problem than a solution. It isn't loved everywhere as progressive communities have fought hard to keep them out.

As far as citizens being glad they are here;-due to a lack of basic economic awareness, a lot of the people who shop at Wal-Mart have helped to speed up the demise of the American manufacturing sector and the good paying jobs associated with it, probably in many cases including their own. Cheaper prices are not the only criteria for patronizing a business.

Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.

When Sam Walton died...

Submitted by macmurchadh on March 22, 2009 - 5:15pm.

the business plan for Walmart died with him (Buy American). Subsequent officers have done everything possible to drive down prices at the expense of benefits and wages. Michigan sued Walmart a few years ago and won, because a disproportionate number of MedicAid recipients were Walmart employees who could not afford the company plan.
They have almost single-handedly driven many manufacturers OOB or overseas, because of unit cost demands that the manufacturers could not afford. Their market share essentially put manufacturers and suppliers who would not play ball with Walmart OOB.
Sorry for the rant, but I think there is little doubt they have caused way more harm than good.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

Eco warriors and politics

Science and stuff

Lost Medicaid Funding

To date, the failure to expand Medicaid / TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding.

Sponsors