JUST LIKE ON THE NEWSSTANDS (Except for more color photos). Click on the links below to open up the Hilltop Express just like it looks like on
the newsstands.
VFW Post 6277 is again sponsoring the annual Independence Day Weekend Concession and Flea Market
(fleas) at the Monterey City Whittaker Park. Vendors may set up after 12:30 PM on Thursday, July 2 and remain
in place through Sunday, July 5, at 12:00PM (noon). Ten foot (10') Spaces are available on a “first come”
basis with a space donation of $10.00 (ten dollars) per space per day payable for Friday and Saturday only. No advance stakeouts
or saving of spaces will be permitted. Disputes will be resolved by Local VFW Commander. Vendors and Marketeers are requested
to clear their areas after use. VFW Post 6277 will be the only food and drink concession authorized on Saturday,
July 4th. (Memorial Day). The VFW concession will be located at the usual location under cover on the southeast side of the
park. For any additional information contact: Jerry Harley, VFW Post 6277 Quartermaster, Phone (931) 839-3006.
NO TAX INCREASE IN TOWN'S BUDGET
By Dale Welch dawelch@charter.net In last week’s finance meeting, Monterey Mayor Richard Godsey described the town’s new budget as
a “no-frills, bare bones,” one, with no property tax increase. The budget was scheduled for its first reading
on Monday night, June 29, at 6 p.m. All Christmas bonuses were axed
from the budget. That portion of the budget became a sore point in December, when the board of aldermen and mayor finally
voted to pay it. Mayor Godsey told board members that attended the meeting that the plan was to sit down and talk
with department heads about where they are on the budget every month. If there is money in the budget during the first weeks
of December, Godsey said, the board with make the decision to pay the bonuses. Monterey Fire Chief Kevin Peters
was at the meeting to defend cuts made to his department. "Percentage wise,” Chief Peters said, “it's phenomenal
what you're taking out of our budget. It kind of appears that the city doesn't want to have a fire department, to be honest." Volunteer firemen’s pay had been deleted from the budget. Volunteer firefighters are not paid anything,
but historically receive certain funds around Christmas time when everyone else gets their Christmas bonus. Vice-Mayor Jeff
Hicks attempted to explain that firefighters didn’t get a “Christmas bonus,” but “firemen’s
pay.” Hicks is on the Putnam County Volunteer Fire Department and gets paid twice per year. The funds and more that
had been taken out of the contractual services line item was put back. More next week about some other items that
are up for consideration in the budget.
Monterey Planning
Commission Long-range plan approved; Zoning change meets token opposition
By Dale Welch dawelch@charter.net The Monterey Planning Commission’s bold plan to change 38 properties
from residential to commercial zoning has met with little opposition. Only two residents came to the the commission meeting
last week to voice opposition. One, Brenda Gentry, said that she was a member of the American Civil Liberties
Union and told the commission that if they proceed, she will file a “class-action” suit before she will allow
them to change her property’s zoning classification. Darlene Greene, who is the chairperson of the planning
commission, said that she would like to opt of of the change, too, because her husband is against it. Charles
Brown, the state planner who works with the planning commission confirmed answers to some questions made at last month’s
meeting. One of those was, would the zoning change raise taxes for those property owners. “No,” Brown said.
“Only if you change use of the land. As long as it stays as it is, it doesn’t change. In other business
the Monterey Planning Commission voted to approve their long-range use plan, a requirement to be a part of the Tennessee Three-Star
program
A NEW LILLY IN THE GARDEN
Little seven-month-old Lillian (Lilly to some) Leonard was seen sunning in Grandmother Ann Hodge’s
lily garden. She is the daughter of Jonathan and Bekki Leonard Granddaughter of Ann and Ernest Hodge of Monterey and Don and
Lois Leonard, of Crossville. She is the third generation named “Lillian” to live in the same house. See why she
was in the garden on page 3 of the print and online editon. Photo: Dale Welch/Hilltop Express
NEW ORDINANCE-PEDDLER'S RULES SPELLED OUT
By Dale Welch dawelch@charter.net The current Peddler’s regulations in the town’s charter
are so vague and confusing; they neither help the town, those applying for the permits, nor do they protect our local businesses
from unfair competition. For instance, they are to list the “length of time of which the right to do business is desired”
on their application (Reference: 9-203 (5). However, 9-203 (10) says that applicants pay $25 for a three day permit
to cover costs of investigating the applicant. Then, in 9-204 (3) it says if everything is okay, “the
recorder shall issue a permit upon the payment of all applicable privilege taxes and the filing of the bond required by 9-206).
What are those “applicable privilege taxes?” How long can they do business in the town, competing against our
established tax-paying businesses? Until the last few days, nobody applying for a peddler’s permit has ever
been required to even get the $1,000 bond. The town, I feel, has missed out on a lot of revenue With the new ordinance
being proposed, vendors will be required to do a list of things, including paying $70 for each 14-day period.
Also on the agenda: A new board that will be responsible for the Monterey Depot construction and maintenance onthe
Monterey Depot property the town recently aquired.
NEW REGULATIONS SLATED FOR WHITTAKER PARK USE
By Dale Welch dale@hilltopexpress.net Complaints about the shape that the restrooms at Whittaker Park were
left in after the Memorial Day celebration have prompted the Monterey Board of Aldermen and Mayor to come up with some written
rules for groups to follow that hold special events in the park. “I didn't know that there had been
a verbal agreement some years past,” Jeff Hicks, vice-mayor and committee chair, said, “that said whatever
organization has leased the park for that weekend is actually responsible for returning it to the condition it was in when
they leave the park, People asked me all over town 'Who's at fault?' I said I didn't know but I was going to find out." Hicks had contacted Putnam Parks and Recreation director J.B. Dyer about any written rules. Dyer, who was present
at the committee meeting, told him that it there were only verbal ones. Jerry Harley, quartermaster and Bob
Mayo, commander-elect of VFW 6277 were present at the committee meeting also. Harley told the committee, "We'll take
responsibility of not knowing. We knew that we were able to use the park. We should have had the foresight and thought about
it and know that we were going to take care of the restrooms. I agree that we should have an agreement and live up to that
agreement, written, not verbal. But as far as what happened, I can't do anything about it, but we can make sure it doesn't
happen again for us." Hicks replied that the group was not being singled out. In the past, groups
who had special events in the park, such as Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, sponsored by the VFW; Labor Day, sponsored
by the Monterey Civitan Club; and Standing Stone Day, sponsored by the Standing Stone Historical Society got a person to watch
the restrooms, but that person, Perry Eldridge, died a few months ago. Dyer said that he would want to have Bruce
Floyd, the Parks and Recreation employee who works on the Monterey property, to have everything as it needs to be before any
events. He also said they he expected it to be in the same condition the day after the event. Floyd, he
said, already stocks the bathrooms and the group that has the event is responsible for anything else. “If you run out
of the toilet paper that had been stocked, before the event is over,” Dyer said, “you need to bring some additional
toilet paper and trash bags.” The building and grounds committee is working on getting rules written down
that will have to be signed by civic, religious or other groups that have big special events in the park. They will be voted
on, Mayor Richard Godsey said, probably in a special called meeting before the Fourth of July event, which also sponsored
by VFW Post 6277. The committee is also looking at extending the hours the park is open for visitors to daylight
to 10 p.m. Currently, it closes at dark. Proposed rules for Special Events at Whittaker Park: 1.A deposit
of $100 for non-profit civic organizations or religious groups is required by check made out to the” Town of Monterey.”
Any other non-profit group that uses the park for fundraising, etc., is also required to pay the $100 deposit (Those
types of events must be approved for use by the mayor). After the event, a representative of the Putnam County Parks
and Recreation Department, who oversees park operations for the town, will determine if everything is in order before returning
the deposit or determining it will be forfeited. 2. Vendors who set up for special events sponsored by civic or
religious non-profit organizations can set up 2.5 days before the event. They must be gone the day after the event. There
will be NO staking of spots. 3. Restrooms must be kept in a clean orderly manner by the non-profit civic or religious
group. The Putnam County Parks and Recreation Department, who oversees Whittaker Park for the Town, will stock the bathrooms
with toilet paper and necessaries. If the supply runs out before the end of the event, the non-profit civic or religious organization
will have to resupply the restrooms with toilet paper and other necessaries. Litter has to be picked up no later than
24 hours after the special event. Trash cans must be emptied into dumpster(s) until they are full. The Town of
Monterey will provide as many dumpsters as possible.
BACK ISSUES...
METHADONE CLINIC APPLICATION EXPECTED TO BE WITHDRAWN FOR SECOND TIME
By Dale Welch dale@hilltopexpress.net An application for a proposed methadone clinic to be located just
outside Monterey town limits has been put on hold for a second time because of a technicality. A pubic hearing that had been
scheduled for Sept. 16 at Monterey High School and a hearing in Nashville, that had been set for late October has also been
put on hold. “The public hearing has been delayed,”Melanie Hill, Executive Director, of Health Services
and Development Agency, said, “because it is expected that Private Clinic Monterey will withdraw its application.
It will be rescheduled if the application is re-filed.” But, that is not keeping the Putnam and Cumberland
County Commissions and other governments from voicing strong opposition to the proposed clinic. A resolution on the agendas
of both county commissions says that methadone is “a synthetic opioid which produces many of the same effects in drug
addicts as morphine and heroin” and is “increasingly being abused by drug users for recreation an is causing an
alarming increase in overdoses and deaths”; and “contrary to popular belief, methadone is a highly addictive drug,
which could easily end up on the streets of Putnam County and other ares in the Upper Cumberland”; and “the probability
of any positive affects to the health care system, economy or recovering drug users in our area is unlikely”; and “there
are already several drug treatment facilities available for the citizens of Putnam County and the Upper Cumberland area which
include Bradford Heath, Cumberland Plateau Recovery, Recovery Living, Med Solutions and Volunteer Behavioral Health,”;
and “because these facilities are already established and available to the citizens of Putnam County and the Upper Cumberland
Area, there is not a need for a methadone clinic.” Owners of the methadone clinic, called Private Clinic
Monterey, plan to build the approximate $970,000 facility at 16168 Crossville Highway. The address is near Walker Farms Rd.
The purpose of the clinic is to “assist opioid addicted patients to abstain from the use of illicit drugs through detoxification,
treatment and substance abuse/psychiatric counseling services. It is a private for profit outpatient clinic without state,
federal or local funding.” It will serve the adult population in Putnam County and surrounding counties.
J. Paul Connell, CEO of the proposed clinic, told the Hilltop Express in a story that ran in the May 15, 2008 edition, that
his clinic Private Clinic North, in Rossville, GA., already treats around 228 patients from Putnam and surrounding counties.
“We treat everyone from minimum wage earners to doctors and lawyers,” he said. The majority of Private Clinic
patients have gotten addicted to prescription drugs such as: Codeine, Dilaudid, Heroin, Hydrocodone, Lortab, Lorcet,
Percocet, Percodan, Morphine, Oxycodone, and Oxycotin. Connell said, “Its a treatment, not a cure. Its
much like insulin is a treatment for diabetes; or eyeglasses for bad eyes. They don’t cure, but they help.” “With the cost of gasoline going up,” Connell said, “its getting to where the cost of transportation
for those patients are more than the cost of the treatment. If we can get up there into the Monterey community, it would be
easier for our patients.” Connell said that he has already bought a home in the area for his family. Property records show that Connell Properties bought the 7.83 acres where the Methadone clinic is planned over
a year ago, in May, 2007. Connell told the Hilltop Express, “I thought about it and prayed about it. Now,
its time to build it.” He said that while doctors and nurses will mostly come from the present clinics, others could
be hired locally. He said the payroll for the clinic would be from $1.3 to $1.6 million. More information about what the clinic
offers can be found on the Internet at: www.privateclinicnorth.com
Monterey founders Union General John T. Wilder and wife, Dora Lee,
along with Major Robert Moscrip and wife, Emma will return to Monterey on Friday, Oct 10, just about a month away to talk
about the old days. You’re invited out to the Garden Inn (with ticket in hand) for dinner and to hear their tales. Dining with the Moscrips and The Wilders is a special dinner theatre helping kick off the big celebration planned
for Standing Stone Day, Sat. Oct. 11. The Moscrips will be played by Monterey natives Opless and Kay Walker. The Wilders will
be played by John and Judy Wassum, of Rockwood, who live in one of General Wilders home. Gen. Wilder also had a home in Monterey
that still stands. Ruth Ann Woolbright and husband, Bill Longmire, live there. Woolbright will be directing the play.
The play will relive defining moments of their lives, which resulted in a railroad, a town on the plateau, coal mines and
a lumber industry that would touch the lives of thousands of people across America. Moscrip was involved in one
of the most historical events in the history of railroading in America, as one of the civil engineers responsible for the
completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Moscrip had friendships with the likes of Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickok.
Moscrip will reveal in the play how he became a captive of the Cheyenne Indians and how he escaped with the help of his Pawnee
Indian Scout. Besides all these adventures, he was the winner of a contest that gave Monterey its name in 1893. John
T. Wilder, known as the "Friendly Carpetbagger" was the leader of the Lightning Brigade of Indiana and hero of the
Battle of Chickamauga in Sept. 1863 where he and his men armed with 7-shot Spencers gave Thomas time to form a defense
line. He was one of the 20,000 Union veterans who immigrated to the South by 1866, attracted by the possibilities
of places that they had seen during their military campaigns. For a time, he was Mayor of Chattanooga and later, had federal
appointments. In September, 1865, he and his friend, Capt. Hiram S. Chamberlain of Knox County, purchased 728 acres
of land in Roane County along the Tennessee River and founded the town of Rockwood with its Roane Iron Company, one of the
first post-war industrial establishments in the South. Wilder would continue to hold interests in mining and cement and banking
around Knoxville, Tennessee, and built the 300-room Cloudland Hotel on Roane Mt. summit in 1885 as a retreat for hay fever
sufferers. An industrialist, he had numerous business interests in coal, timber, iron, railroads and more. He
built a hotel in Monterey, called the Imperial Hotel in the early 1900s and also a residence. The mining town of Wilder was
founded by him. Tickets will be on sale soon for the dinner theatre at a cost of $35 for one person , $60 per
couple and $150 per table of six, that includes a dinner of a grilled pork chop, sweet potato casserole , corn souffle, dessert,
and coffee or tea. For more information, contact Ruth Ann Woolbright at, 839-2467.
