15th Annual Relay for Life Kick-Off

Relay for Life Co-Chairs Carolyn Flagg and Alan Callery welcomed over 100 attendees to the 15th annual Relay for Life Kick-Off event held Tuesday, February 22, at the new Criminal Justice Center.

The program, conducted entirely by cancer survivors included familiar faces such as Robert Rooks, County Mayor Franklin Smith, Dr. Jack Pettigrew, John Duckworth, Debbie Sterbinsky, Emma Delk, Ray Dixon, Hope Cannon, Donald Lee, Thalice Kinnon and Johnny Walker.

This year's Honorary Chairpeople were announced. They are John Simmons and Audrey Blue.

The HHS Show Choir performed their rendition of "Celebrate," adding to the spirit of the kick-off and the commitment to continue the fight against cancer.

This year's theme is "Rock n' Rollin' for a Cure." The big Relay event will be Friday, June 17, at the football field.

After the event, attendees were treated to a tour of the new Criminal Justice Center by Mayor Franklin Smith and Solid Waste Director Clinton Neal.

Here are a few pictures from the kick-off ....

Attendees enjoyed a continential breakfast in the lobby of the Criminal Justice Center before the kick-off program.



Dr. Jack Pettigrew talks with Attorney Michael Banks before the program begins.



County Mayor Franklin Smith and Robert Rooks talk during breakfast.

Relay Co-Chair Carolyn Flagg greets guests as they arrive for breakfast.

Honorary Chairman Alderman John Simmons with his wife, Jane.

Brownsville Radio personalities Jerry Wilson and Drew Mcgruder broadcast live during the event.

HHS Show Choir, under the direction of Michelle Tillman, filled the front of the courtroom to perform "Celebrate."

Mayor Jo Matherne talks with some of the younger attendees at the event.

Exit 56 Blues Fest planned for Memorial Day Weekend

A new event is planned for Memorial Day weekend in Brownsville. It's the Exit 56 Blues Fest and will be held at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center.

The fest will include arts and crafts, a Quilt Show, cookbook signing, classic car cruise in and concerts from the porch of the Sleepy John Estes home. Plans are in the works and more details will be released soon. In the meantime, save the date .... Saturday, May 28, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Input needed for Spring Tour of Homes

Habitat for Humanity and Hope for Haywood are teaming to bring you a Spring Tour of Homes this year. The tentative date is Sunday, May 1. They need your help to determine which homes will be best to spotlight. Please take this short 2 question survey and help Habitat and Hope plan for Brownsville's Spring Tour of Homes.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5P92GXY

Seminar discusses disease and diet

Haywood Park Community Hospital will be hosting a seminar on gall bladder disease and how it is affected by diet, Thursday, February 24 from 6 – 7 p.m.

The gall bladder can be affected by several diseases or infections such as gallstones, inflammation and tumors. These and other issues will be discussed by Dr. Michael Saridakis, a board certified general surgeon. Saridakis is the founder of the Jackson Regional Surgery Center and a member of the medical staff at Haywood Park Community Hospital and Regional Hospital of Jackson.

The seminar will be held at the Delta Room behind Backyard Barbecue at 703 E. Main in Brownsville, Tenn. Reservations can be made by calling the hospital administration at 731-772-8432. Light refreshments will be served.

"Brownsville On The Move" Community Meeting

Brownsville Mayor Jo Matherne, the Board of Aldermen, and the Brownsville Regional Planning Commission, are asking local citizens to help guide the growth and development of Brownsville over the next decade. This is an opportunity for all citizens to shape their shared future.

The first “Brownsville On The Move” community input meeting will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, at the National Guard Armory, 221 Morgan Street. 

This meeting is one of a series of community input opportunities occurring over the next 6 months in Brownsville.

Residents are encouraged to come prepared to discuss not only the positive aspects the City can build on, but also discuss issues that might hinder future progress. The meeting will include small group exercises designed to gather detailed input from each attendee. Everyone is welcome.

Want to learn more? Visit www.brownsvilleonthemove.com

Vendor Applications Available for the 8th Annual Hatchie Fall Fest

Plans for the 8th Annual Hatchie Fall Fest in Brownsville, Tenn., are well underway and everyone is invited to be a part of this growing festival. This year's date is Saturday, October 15.

Each year the festival has continued to grow and we know that this is because of all the great folks who choose to participate, whether by being a vendor or just attending the many events, contests and concerts. Last year the Hatchie Fall Fest drew over 8,000 festivalgoers.

This year's Vendor application is now available on the festival website: www.hatchiefallfest.com.  Remember that booth assignments are made on a first come, first serve basis and are also dependent on electrical and other special needs. Deadline is September 15, but your fast action will help insure you a spot and any special requests can be met.

Local Business Owner Honored with Community Service Award

February is Community Service Month for the Brownsville Exchange Club and they are celebrating by honoring local leaders who are making a positive difference in our community.

Albert Campbell (left) and Brownsville-Haywood County Chamber of Commerce Director Joe Ing.

Albert Campbell, owner of Lock, Stock and Barrel in Brownville, Tenn., was honored with an Outstanding Community Service Award Wednesday, February 2, 2011, at a meeting of the Brownsville Exchange Club.

Chamber Director Joe Ing presented the award and thanked Campbell for all he does for Brownsville and Haywood County. Moments earlier Campbell had presented a program on the benefits of belonging to the Brownsville Business Association.

Campbell speaking about the Brownsville Business Association.

Campbell currently serves as president of the Chamber of Commerce, president of the Chamber Ambassadors, Board of Director of the Brownsville Business Association, and is a member of the Tennessee Downtown - Brownsville Steering Committee.

"He cares about our community and the people in it and he helps wherever he is needed," says Marty Williams, member of the Exchange Club Program of Service Committee.

Rotary Valentine Pecans

The Brownsville Rotary Club will be selling chocolate and cinnamon covered pecans for $7 per bag through Valentines Day. What a great way to say "I love you" to someone special and help education projects in Bronwsivlle at the same time. Proceeds buy dictionaries for Third Graders, fund a college scholarship, and buy books for kids under 5 through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Please buy them at any local bank: Insouth Bank, First South Bank, Region's Bank, and First State Bank.

Help Rotary help Brownsville by getting your Valentines gift from us: Delicious candied pecans when you visit your bank.

Friends of the Library Annual Meeting

The Friends of the Library will hold its annual membership and fund raising meeting Tuesday, February 15, 6:00 pm, at the Elma Ross Public Library in Brownsville, Tenn. A light buffet will be served.

Members’ contributions support activities and the purchase of supplies and equipment that otherwise would be unavailable to our patrons.

To mention a few:

• Children’s programs, i.e. Summer Reading, Christmas Gingerbread House Party, etc.
• Recorded books
• Large print books
• Bestseller books subscription
• Quarterly seminars
• Library supplies and materials

Membership applications may be picked up at the library; reservations may also be made by calling the library at 772-9534 or by e-mail to elmarosslibrary@bellsouth.net. Memberships range from $1.00 for students to whatever the donor may wish to contribute. We are suggesting a $25.00 contribution per family, but any amount will be appreciated. The buffet is $7.00 per person.

Our special guest and speaker will be O'Neal Henley, author of the recently released book, Autumn Miracle. In 1982, Coach Henley was a first year coach of the Jackson, TN North Side High School football program. Though a small high school, and an inexperienced team, three things stood out; intelligence, a strong work ethic, and love of the game. Using those positives, the 1982 Indians defeated Jackson Central-Merry and Haywood High for the first time in school history while also adding a win over Milan, finishing the season at 7 - 3.

Coach discusses his problems with the ACLU about reciting the Lord's Prayer after each game, and how this issue was overcome. The focal point of the book is the family atmosphere existing at the high school which led to the Indians having their winning season.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Haywood's Got Talent Auditions March 22

Start getting your act together! Haywood’s Got Talent auditions will be held March 22 from 1-6 pm at the Brownsville YMCA! Young people ages 12-25 are invited to sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes, or show us their other talents.

No registration is required. Come out and show us why YOU deserve to be a star!

The 2011 Haywood’s Got Talent show will be held April 16 at 2 pm at the Ann Marks Performing Arts Center at College Hill. More details to come.

Ladies Night Out to benefit Carl Perkins Center

The Haywood County Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse's successful and fun-filled Ladies Night Out will return this year on Thursday, February 24, 6:30 p.m., at the Brownsville Country Club. All ladies are invited to attend. Please spread the word and invite your friends! Your $20.00 donation will include the auction, food and Karaoke.

Ladies Night Out will be followed by the Center’s annual Dinner and Auction, March 12, at the Wyatt Duke National Guard Armory. Plans are currently underway to make this great fund-raising event successful for the good of those in need.

Added information on these events or becoming involved in assisting the Haywood County Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center can be obtained by calling 731-772-8378; or emailing haywood@carlperkinscenter.org.

Haywood Residents in WestStar 2011 Class

Lisa Carlton, Nancy Cates and Sonia Outlaw-Clark, all of Haywood County, are among 30 members of the 2011 WestStar class.


Lisa Carlton

Carlton is city president for First State Bank in Brownsville, where she has worked since 2008. She has previously worked at Regions Bank as a mortgage supervisor in West Tennessee and Wells Fargo Financial in Southaven, Miss. Carlton is the current president of the Brownsville Boys and Girls Club, vice president and fundraiser chairman for the Brownsville Carl Perkins Center, board member for Brownsville Rotary Club and YMCA and advisory board member for Haywood County School Superintendent Advisory Council. She was named “Rotarian of the Year” in 2009-10.

She believes that by participating in WestStar, she will gain from meeting people in surrounding counties that can help her with ideas and connections to grow her community.

Nancy Cates

Cates is the director of the Brownsville/Haywood County Parks and Recreation Department, where she has served for the past eight years. She is involved in many community activities such as Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association secretary/treasurer since 2008, Senior Citizen’s Board chairman, the Exchange Club treasurer and a member of Carl Perkins Center Board and the Park of Dreams Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership Haywood County. She has received numerous awards such as the 4-Star New Facility Award presented by Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association, the Good Neighbor Award from the Woodman of the World and the Woman of the Year Award in 2010.



She looks forward to meeting other leaders by participating in WestStar and hopes to gain new knowledge from WestStar’s group of leaders.

Sonia Outlaw-Clark

Outlaw-Clark is executive director of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Tennessee Association of Museums, Hope for Haywood Disaster Recovery Services, the Hatchie Fall Fest and the Tennessee Downtown–Brownsville Steering Committee. She is a graduate of Leadership Haywood County. She has received the Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award, 1993 and 2007, and is a recipient of the 2008 Woodmen of the World Outstanding Citizen Award.

Outlaw-Clark hopes to gain a better understanding of the region; network and build partnerships that will benefit all West Tennessee; and learn new ideas and strategies for improving quality of life in her community.



Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk

The Brownsville Police Department has announced that they are joining forces with the National Football League (NFL), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and other State and local highway safety and law enforcement officials to remind everyone to act responsibly by designating a sober driver if they plan on drinking alcohol on Super Bowl Sunday.

“We want to pass our safety message to everyone who will be drinking this weekend, real Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk,” said Chief Lea. “Please call the right play for the big game and pass your keys to a designated driver before the Super Bowl party begins. Getting caught driving while impaired will earn you a costly penalty from local law enforcement and may even result in a turnover of your driving privileges.”

Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s biggest and most entertaining national sporting events as friends and families gather to socialize and watch the big game. Yet, it has also become one of the Nation’s most dangerous days on the roadways due to impaired driving.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired-driving crash.
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.

If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
• Always buckle up – it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.

For more information, please visit http://www.stopimpaireddriving.com.

West Tennessee Solar Farm Receives Environmental Approval

U.S. Dept. of Energy Issues Finding of No Significant Impact, Project Moves Forward
Governor Bill Haslam and Commissioner Bill Hagerty of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced Wednesday, February 2, 2011, that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed its environmental review for the West Tennessee Solar Farm in Haywood County and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), which means the project complies with all applicable federal regulation for environmental protection. The review was conducted under guidelines specified in the National Environmental Policy Act and was part of the requirement for utilizing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for the project. The finding allows site preparation and installation to begin on the five-megawatt solar array.

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