From high-energy musicals to entertaining authors, Harriman has something for everyone.

This Thursday, April 7th, Dr. Bill Bass (Of Body Farm fame) will be in Harriman discussing his newly-released book 'The Bone Yard' as well as other fascinating forensic cases seen over the years.

Continued...

... or - A Commentary on Education as Often Practiced

I hope this works - it's my first attempt at imbedding. If it doesn't, I know WC and OneT can help me learn.

Anyway - I felt this musical example spoke more eloquently than I ever could.

RB

The researchers at CountyHealthRankings.org just released their report ((link...)) on how thousands of U.S. counties are faring, Roane County included. Unfortunately, Roane County does not rate that well compared to the nation as a whole.

Continued...

First, I want to thank everyone who joined us for the opening weekend of GREASE! We had two fantastic crowds who came along for a fun-filled romp through the 50's.

If you missed it, you're in luck! We have two more shows this weekend, March 25 & 26, 2011. Here are all the details:

GREASE!
March 25 & 26, 2011.
Both Shows begin at 8:00pm - doors open at 7:30pm
Tickets are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for 12 and under
We are located:
426 Ruritan Road, Harriman
(on the corner of Carlock Ave. and Ruritan Rd. - next to the UGO)
For more information, contact the Creative Arts Co-op at 865/765-1129 or visit (link...).

I was dismayed when I read the long list of Koch brothers products ((link...)). We won't be using any of those anymore.

-- OneTahiti

"Make donations to Second Harvest Food Bank at a Roane County ice cream social fundraiser. Cash and checks will be accepted on Saturday, March 5 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Market Street Fountain, 1000 Ladd Landing Boulevard in Kingston. The event is sponsored by the Roane County Democratic Party and the Market Street Fountain."

Source: WATE lists this and other ways to help Second Harvest ((link...))

-- OneTahiti

"Make donations to Second Harvest Food Bank at a Roane County ice cream social fundraiser. Cash and checks will be accepted on Saturday, March 5 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Market Street Fountain, 1000 Ladd Landing Boulevard in Kingston. The event is sponsored by the Roane County Democratic Party and the Market Street Fountain."

Source: WATE lists this and other ways to help Second Harvest ((link...))

-- OneTahiti

Continued...

The rally starts today at noon at on the Charlotte Avenue side of the State Capitol Building at 600 Charlotte Avenue in Nashville.

"There comes a time when the government oversteps its bounds and must be reminded that its one and only role is to serve and protect the people who put it there. We are currently at a crossroads where our government is coming frightening close to forgetting its obligation to the people... its obligation to put the people over personal gain and special interests.

Continued...

The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story: (link...)

Apparently garbage and a lack of cleanliness may be to blame.

I hope Roane County cleans up lest the rats move north.

-- OneTahiti

I figured it and I'm sure many others did... When the RCN's online presence became so accessible and readable, when one could read the entire paper online... It felt like a hook was about to be sunk in our cheeks, and it was. We got used to seeing it all. Now we'll have to pay for it. But I have a question...

Continued...

I've been hearing radio ads from Bechtel announcing their intent to hire for many positions for the construction of the next unit at Watts Bar.

If you're interested in a technical job, check'em out HERE!

And 3000 new jobs in TN has to be a good thing. I know there are arguments on both sides of this issue, and some of the arguments either way seem to make sense. I present it here for your edification, consideration, and possible discussion.

It has to do with an economic impact study on wine in grocery stores, along with beer. See below:
(link...)

RB

Don't miss our local students competing on television. Tune in to WKOP, channel 15, at 6 PM this evening.

I wish there were more shows celebrating academics.

-- OneTahiti

WBIR has the AP story: (link...)

-- OneTahiti

"Tennessee Valley Coalition to End Homelessness (TVCEH) is a regional homeless coalition for the twelve counties surrounding Knox (Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Loudon, Monroe, Sevier, Union)." ((link...))

Roane County touches Knox County. See: (link...) (TDOT map in PDF format).

Why isn't Roane County included? Or are we in some other region's coalition? Just curious. We could really use more help for the homeless here.

-- OneTahiti

WhitesCreek has written a wonderful post on one of his blogs. Read "Letter To a Tennessee Democratic Politician" here: (link...)

Continued...

Councilman Brant Williams sent me a copy of the following letter that he has submitted to the RCN:

That TDEC is requiring the TVA to install a liner in the gypsum storage pond is no surprise.
That there are problems with the pond is, sadly, unremarkable.
As far back as Jan. 2, 2009, at the special-called Kingston City Council meeting when TVA Chairman Tom Kilgore addressed the public regarding the TVA ash spill, former Kingston councilman Jim Rivers raised the issue of the gypsum pond construction.
Mr. Rivers expressed concern that the pond was not being built with a liner (as TDEC is now requiring the TVA to retrofit).
In Mr. Kilgore’s reply was the promise that the people and the city of Kingston would be allowed full review of the gypsum pond construction plans.
When asked about a third-party engineering firm possibly reviewing the plans, Mr. Kilgore agreed that it could be worked out.
Later in a city council workshop, I brought up the gypsum pond issue and reminded council of Mr. Kilgore’s promise to allow third-party oversight.
At the time, council informally agreed to send a letter to the TVA and Mr. Kilgore expressing concern that the pond be built to the highest safety standards.
At a later meeting, I again brought up the gypsum pond issue and expressed concern that the TVA had not responded to our letter.
Unfortunately, by this time then-county commission chairman and Kingston Mayor Troy Beets had seemingly become the TVA’s “frontman” and was actively running interference for the TVA in an apparent effort to thwart organized or official resistance to the TVA plans regarding the conduct of ash spill cleanup, economic recovery and gypsum pond construction.
At one point, then-commissioner and Mayor Beets acknowledged he was actively involved in private discussions and secret meetings with high-level TVA officials.
During a council workshop, the mayor alluded to having inside information regarding the TVA plans on economic recovery.
However, when asked what he knew and when he knew, Beets refused to answer.
When pressed that as our mayor he should not be holding secret meetings and should at the least be informing council of such discussions, Beets steadfastly refused to reveal the nature of his talks with the TVA (however shortly afterward the TVA made a gift of $43 million to the Roane County and made Beets head of the foundation that was to give the money out of which $37 million went to Beets’ pet projects — the schools and a new sewer plant).
In any case, I feel certain that had it not been for Beets’ constant assurances that the TVA would do the “right thing” and had his supporters on city council not refused to use the City of Kingston’s influence to pressure the TVA into allowing oversight of the gypsum pond construction, the pond might already have a liner and not today be leaking.
Finally, it is my sincere hope that the citizens of Kingston and Roane County take this sad chapter in Roane County politics as a lesson and never forget the unnecessarily high cost of allowing one man to hold two high-elected offices at the same time.
Brant W. Williams
Kingston councilman

Adam Goodheart, who blogs for the New York Times, has an excellent historical piece on how Americans practiced Christmas in 1860. See: (link...)

When read with this map ((link...)), a favorite of President Lincoln, one can see the local relevance of the story.

-- OneTahiti

CHRISTMAS EVE:
8:30 AM – HARRIMAN’S 2010 CHRISTMAS PARADE
10:00 AM – MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
11:48 AM – A CHRISTMAS CAROL
1:25 PM – A CHRISTMAS SNOW (starring Muse Watson)
3:15 PM – YULE LOG (Christmas Carols all through the night)

CHRISTMAS DAY:
10 AM – HARRIMAN’S 2010 CHRISTMAS PARADE
11 AM - A CHRISTMAS SNOW (starring Muse Watson)
1 PM – IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
3:15 PM – A CHRISTMAS STORY
4:50 PM - MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
6:30 PM - A CHRISTMAS CAROL
8:15 PM - HARRIMAN’S 2010 CHRISTMAS PARADE
9:30 PM - A CHRISTMAS SNOW (starring Muse Watson)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

MoveOn.org is asking folks to vote for their favorite five charities. The winners will receive donations from MoveOn.org's millions of supporters. You don't need to "join" to vote. Here's the link: (link...)

Please consider voting for the Rockwood Ministerial Association ((link...)), who run the Food Pantry in Rockwood and act as the safety net of last resort for many of our citizens.

Continued...

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR), the state's free market think tank, today announced the Roane County Economic Development Foundation as the recipient of its “2010 Lump of Coal Award.”

TCPR awards this dubious distinction annually to the person or group in Tennessee who, more than any other over the past year, acted as a Grinch to Tennesseans by bah-humbugging the principles of liberty and limited government.

TCPR Press Release - (link...)

Note: I personally understand the potential economic benefit of the Princess Theater and The Princess Foundation for the Arts Foundation.

The Mayor's comment on the gas prices makes no sense, if the Gas dept had enough "overhead" to lend to the Water dept for 5 years then one of two things is wrong either Gas rates have been inflated for at least 5 yrs or we are about to find out that something is wrong with the Gas dept's books. How stupid doe's Mayor Watts think we are. I think and audit of all of Rockwood's Books are in order for all dept's and lets just see what has been going on for years!

Tomorrow (Tuesday 12/21/10) afternoon at 5 PM, Muse Watson, Bill Landry, and Mayor Chris Mason will be at the Channel 15 studio on Roane Street in Harriman (next to the Princess). The City of Harriman and Roane State Community College would love for you to drop by and see the new facility (still be arranged inside) and meet Muse, Bill, and Chris.

Continued...

TVA said plaintiffs "cannot recover based solely on marketplace fear or stigma," that there is no "legally protected interest" in recreational opportunities on affected waterways, no proof that the spill increased levels of airborne ash on their properties and no evidence that particles of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium and zinc - all hazardous substances as defined by the Superfund law - "leached from the coal ash."

Link

UNICEF ranked the 24 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Material well-being, educational well-being, and health well-being all were taken into account.

The United States placed rock-bottom. Charles M. Blow writes about it in the NY Times: (link...)

Where would Tennessee and Roane County rank? What can we do locally to turn this around?

-- OneTahiti

Eighth-graders in Kingston need our help. Their teacher has asked via DonorsChoose.org ((link...)) for money for books. This is a good cause.

Please consider stepping up and giving a little to these students. All donations for this project are matched 100%, so your gift will do double duty.

-- OneTahiti

"Current water quality monitoring looks only at the surface." EPOnline has the story: (link...)

-- OneTahiti

It's going to be a historic evening in Harriman!

Mayor Chris Mason and Bill Landry will host this year's Harriman Christmas Parade “live” via the downtown facilities of the new Channel 15 RSCC/City of Harriman Television Station. The live feed on Comcast’s Channel 15 should begin this evening (Thursday) around 6:45 PM and last until the parade is over.

The show will begin with the Mayor and Bill recognizing the City Council and all the people that made the new station possible.

This is just the beginning of things to come from our Channel 15. In the future there will be live broadcast from local events and in-studio productions. There will also be live shows from the stage of the newly refurbished Princess Theater. Most importantly, our children will have a “real” TV studio in which to gain valuable “hands on” experience.

Watch your community coming back to life tonight on the very first “live” broadcast from our very own Channel 15.

Check out the Princess Blog!

Today we are especially thankful for the fine employees of Rockwood Electric, who are working hard on this holiday to restore power in our area.

We are thankful also that the weather isn't too cold and that we have good food that can be eaten without warming.

And we are thankful that even as I am writing this, our power just came back on.

Happy Thanksgiving to all indeed! :)

-- OneTahiti