Wed
Aug 5 2009
11:27 am
Newly elected Councilman Tim Neal flew squarely into the face of the status quo and proposed that the City put 10-12 boat slips at the Gravel Pit in front of Red Bones, our new, and popular full service restaurant. This would give temporary dockage to boaters wanting to patronize the restayrant. There was also some discussion of adding a gas dock there.
Tim went a step further by proposing that the City build a small marina with a gas dock at the location where the Watts Bar Bell was docked.
Council has agreed to immediately study the Red Bones issue and look at the marina issue later.
Hats off to Tim. This is the kind of progressive leadership we need!
|
Eco warriors and politics
- ‘Literally heartbreaking as a librarian’ 150 titles pulled from Rutherford County school libraries (TN Lookout)
- Trump’s Defense secretary nominee has close ties to Idaho Christian nationalists (TN Lookout)
- Top two Tennessee House Democrats retain caucus leadership (TN Lookout)
- Expecting challenges, blue states vow to create ‘firewall’ of abortion protections (TN Lookout)
- Community coalition issues demands for BlueOval City benefits, calls on Ford to negotiate (TN Lookout)
- Stockard on the Stump: Buy your hemp sticks before they clean the shelves (TN Lookout)
- Lawmaker accuses private-prison operator of celebrating potential boost in inmate population (TN Lookout)
- Federal agencies illegally okayed river dredging to restore railroad lost in Helene flooding (TN Lookout)
Science and stuff
- From electric cars to wildfires, how Trump may affect climate actions (Science News Daily)
- Dengue is classified as an urban disease. Mosquitoes don’t care (Science News Daily)
- Refurbished heart pacemakers work like new (Science News Daily)
- Ancient Central Americans built a massive fish-trapping system (Science News Daily)
- Satellite space junk might wreak havoc on the stratosphere (Science News Daily)
- Scientists identify a long-sought by-product of some drinking water treatments (Science News Daily)
- For adult chimps, playing may be more important than previously thought (Science News Daily)
- This is the first close-up image of a star beyond our galaxy (Science News Daily)
- Mars’ potato-shaped moons could be the remains of a shredded asteroid (Science News Daily)
- Here’s why turning to AI to train future AIs may be a bad idea (Science News Daily)
Discussing
- The Constitution Won, Trump Lost in Colorado...Now What? (1 reply)
- Our Very Own George Santos, TN GOP Congressman Ogles is Pretty Much Insane (1 reply)
- Destroying Jim Jordan, All Without Mentioning Jordan's Support For Sexual Abusing Athletes (1 reply)
- Want to See Who Owns Your State Senators and Reps? (1 reply)
- 9-11 Strangest Uninvestigated Fact (2 replies)
- It's Gettin' Real, Now...Gloria Johnson Made Wonkette! (1 reply)
- Does Rep Fritts Want School Shooters to Have Access to AR 15s? (2 replies)
- How many Trees Died Trying Save Us From Global Warming? (1 reply)
- Feel Good Friday,,,From our "If Only" Dept. (1 reply)
- Tennessee Education Worsens Under Bill Lee and GOP (1 reply)
- The Most Important Thing You Will Read Today! (1 reply)
- Friday Toons (1 reply)
Lost Medicaid Funding
To date, the failure to expand Medicaid / TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding.
Sponsors
Brother Websites
Other "Views":
Local Interest:
Folks that Help:
Progressiveness:
Local News Media:
Local Government:
Candidates:
Local Interest:
Folks that Help:
Progressiveness:
- All Hat No Cattle
- American Progress
- Campaign for America's Future
- Daily KOS
- digby
- Paul Krugman
- Talking Points Memo
- Whitehouse.gov
Local News Media:
Local Government:
- City of Harriman
- City of Harriman Code
- City of Kingston
- City of Kingston Code
- City of Oliver Springs
- City of Oliver Springs Code
- City of Rockwood
- City of Rockwood Code
- Congressman Charles 'Chuck' J. Fleischmann
- Rep. Kent Calfee
- Rep. Ron Travis
- Roane County
- Roane Schools
- St. Sen. Ken Yager
Candidates:
Sounds like socialism to me.
Sounds like socialism to me. :)
hey..Would the City be interested in building me some parking space?
If you owned a business....
and the city would benefit from providing parking spaces for your patrons....why not? Called business friendly! Something we have had too little of.
To Randmart
I completely agree that governments should be business friendly to an extent. However direct subsidies are entirely out of bounds. Many are now outbidding each other to attract businesses with amounts of aid that can never be recouped by the sponsoring area.
Here is something Kingston needs to think about before installing gas pumps near the water. Are they going to hire an attendant or will it be automated self serve? I can’t imagine having an attendant so this leaves the latter. What are the precautions and systems for customers spilling gas, causing a leak, or igniting a fire? What will the city’s liability be when this happens as it will?
The gas pumps are an issue.
I am not sure that self serve is even permitted by the Corps of Engineers. Something the City will need to investigate from all angles. Perhaps sub contracting it and splitting the profits would make sense.
Watts Bar Belle revisited
Why not go all the way and build an elevated crosswalk over the very busy highway; better yet a tram so nobody would have to climb the steep banks. Facts are facts and the city is financially under water and the water at this location is sludgville below. I admire anyone with the grit to start up a new business in this shakey time of economic transition and hope the Redbones crew have strong financial feet which I am confident they do. Those feet should bear the risk and expense not the backs of tax payers at a local, state or federal level. The tax revenue generated from patrons parking at 10 slips seasonally would not be recovered in three score and ten. They would probably have to be re-built 3 times during. Bad return on investment for taxpayers. What's new?
The slips would not be built for Redbones exclusive use.
They would be an amenity that the city would own. Users would have access to the park and pavilion and possibly other new businesses, such as a gas dock, bait shop or what have you. It's easy to stand back and criticize...how about proposing something with a better ROI.
Looking toward the future
You seem to have your heart set on a Kingston Marina, no matter the practical, financial and physical obstacles that exist.
I am not a professional economist, nor do I play one on TV. That said, I do think that trying to put the pre-crash financial "Humpty-Dumpty" back together and back up on the wall is not going to succeed. This near-financial depression is not over, no matter what Wall St. and the White House proclaim. It may never get back to where it was, and for millions, the gravy train days are over for good.
When the stock market surges, in either direction, that is not a good or healthy sign. Someone is making a fortune, others are losing their livlihood. We need steady, sustainable growth, and that is not the prevalent mindset. Most want the brass ring NOW! That economic model of quick profits in the pockets of a few will not carry us successfully forward.
The best amenity Kingston could own is an enlightened leadership leading a vibrant population and supporting an innovative business community; something that a marina would be unlikely to contribute to.
Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one Leaf
I hope and believe that your dire forecast for the future is wrong.
As far as the benefits of enlightened leadership in Kingston are concerned; until Kingston develops some of those things that attract and engender a vibrant population, nothing will change. A marina and waterfront development would only be steps toward that end....not the key to it.
You could make the same argument against any single facet of community development.
Dire forecast or financial reality?
Here are a few reasons I think Humpty Dumpty is not getting back on the wall.
Current tax revenues at all levels of government, county, state, federal are less than expenditures. Budget cuts will keep occurring.
Within a few short years, we as a country will owe more in debt than we have the ability to produce for a net economic loss for the first time ever.
Our natural resources are diminishing, while our consumption rate is steady or even increasing in some areas.
Real earnings and wages are in actual (adjusted) decline while the cost of living steadily increases.
The American financial model is not so popular around the world after we precipitated a global financial crash. Global trade is going through a re-examination that has countries turning more inward to meet their own needs.
General Motors filed for bankruptcy and has a greatly diminished presence, this after having been the biggest company in the world.
We are fighting two very expensive and seemingly unwinnable wars that are long term financial drains.
Like every empire before us, we have peaked, and are now in decline on many levels, finance, industrial production, education, health and physical fitness.
Time to change course and prepare for a future very different than what has gone before.
Living and teaching Earth friendly sustainable agricultural practices.
Irony
I agree, as most people are in denial about these trends. Things can turn around however. Regarding improving the local economy - with the TVA situation we still seem focused on economic plans that would have worked pre-TVA spill. What we should be able to count on is the local residents staying; therefore plans to serve them and keep them here could be more productive. It is my perception that we need to focus on the current residents with any benefits to the outside world simply being extra perks. Would the dock be good for the local community? Perhaps, this was one of the goals of the losing Mayoral candidate, even though it was proposed down river. This proposal was meet by politicians shouting words of fear to scare the voters. Now look at where we are. Maybe this could be structured as a public-private partnership through a long term lease with profit sharing coming to the city. There are lessons to be learned from the River Boat.
LOC - glad to see you're still here...
We haven't heard from you in a good while.
RB
I Have To Agree With You on That One Farmer Leaf
I agree with everything that you said Farmer Leaf. I know that everyone wants to pull Kingston out of the slump with the water front marina, boat slips, new businesses, etc. The truth is that they are not looking at what has happened to the town of Kingston because of the TVA disaster. It is as if everyone has blind folds on and and is not looking at the picture in front of their faces. It was like me when I drove down Emory River Road and pretended that the horrid coal ash was not out there in the lake after the disaster. I just wouldn't look, because it was too horrific and depressing.
It is going to take a long time to turn this disaster around, and it is horrible that the town of Kingston has to pay the price for what TVA has done. A lot of people are sitting around trying to think of what can be done to bring the town back to what it was or better. TVA should be the one doing this. They are the ones who should bring the town back to whole and even better. TVA messed it up, and TVA should fix it. That is how I see it.
Kingston decides against opting out of "guns-in-parks" law
KINGSTON - The Kingston City Council on Tuesday night decided against voting to opt out of the state's new law allowing guns in city and county parks.
According to City Councilman Brant Williams, Vice Mayor Teresa Ferguson
(link...)
Randy Ellis
randyellis@gmail.com
Didn't There Used to Be?
Didn't there used to be a boat dock there? Maybe in the 40s or 50s? I think there is an aerial picture showing a dock hanging in the Ridenour law firm, which is next door.
I seem to remember the dock
I seem to remember the dock and gas pumps there at one time, years ago.
~1942
See pic at (link...)
With boat docks, plane, and Esso gas pumps
That's one of the coolest
That's one of the coolest pictures I've ever seen of Kingston's waterfront. Now that is the kind of socialist development I could go for.
No jet skis anywhere!
The city can either take on some risk now,
or we can sit around and complain later that all the growth continues to go on east and west of us.
I agree on the jet skis.
"If there is no wind, row."
Latin Proverb
boat docks in Kingston in past
There are a couple of other photos of the waterfront in (I think) the late 40's or early 50's at RedBones--if you ask to see their photo album of the remodeling process and the photos, they should be together. The photos are from a different viewpoint, and are also very interesting, I thought.
Cheers!
Peggy Blanchard
Swan Pond resident
p.s. Thanks for the blurb on the EPA meeting this afternoon--Juliana was sick (with the flu, I think) and I kept her home, had no babysitting available. Glad to find out what I missed, and doubly sorry I missed it.
boat docks in Kingston in past
There are a couple of other photos of the waterfront in (I think) the late 40's or early 50's at RedBones--if you ask to see their photo album of the remodeling process and the photos, they should be together. The photos are from a different viewpoint, and are also very interesting, I thought.
Cheers!
Peggy Blanchard
Swan Pond resident
p.s. Thanks for the blurb on the EPA meeting this afternoon--Juliana was sick (with the flu, I think) and I kept her home, had no babysitting available. Glad to find out what I missed, and doubly sorry I missed it.
Cool they even have a plane
Cool they even have a plane at the dock!
Randy Ellis
randyellis@gmail.com
That's it
That's the picture I remembered.
THAT is a really cool pic!
I'm glad you shared that one with us, LOC! "Boosts" to ya!
RB
Thanks for the boost. I
Thanks for the boost. I thought that you would enjoy this time trip into our past by way of this picture.
Does Kingston already have a marina? Maybe Yes
I was chatting with a sail boat owner the other day when he informed me that the City of Kingston has an agreement whereby sail boats can be moored in the river right out from of the Lakeside Apartments. I've seen the sail boats there for years, but really never thought about the permission that they've been granted by the City. Knowing this and given the definition of a marina, do we already have a sail boat marina? If so, it seems to be working pretty good as the public can simply park/moor their sail boats there and leave them, plus it ties in nice with the Roane Alliance's billboard over by Harriman's I-40 Exit that paints us as a big sail boat destination.
If so, it seems to be
I would not be surprised if mooring the sail boats there was only for a chosen few instead of the public. I may be wrong.
I do wonder the same thing.
I do wonder the same thing. I would like to see a copy of the agreement. How many sail boats would be too many before it wasn't "working pretty good"? (I know the word should be “well”, but I like using “good”.) Favors for the chosen few is the wrong approach, but like you it would not surprise me.