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Unicoi resident Tomy Bennett became a vendor at the Erwin Farmers Market for the first time this year. He is pictured with the beets, potatoes and squash he brought to sell. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

It’s that time of year again – the time when farmers markets all across the country are buzzing with customers, eager to pick up their farm fresh produce perfect for outdoor grilling, refreshing summer salads, baked goods and much more.

The Town of Erwin kicked off its farmers market season on July 3 as small crowds came and went throughout the evening to see what their local growers had to offer. Now in its third year, the market is coordinated by RISE Erwin young professional group. Jamie Rice, president of RISE Erwin and communications specialist for the Town of Erwin, spoke about the importance of allowing people to become more connected to their food and where it comes from.

“I think knowing where your food comes from has really taken a front seat to our food culture in a way,” Rice said. “We don’t want things that have been shipped thousands of miles and we don’t always know where our food comes from or whether it’s full of preservatives or sprays of pesticides. It’s so nice to be face to face with the grower.”

By purchasing produce at the market, Rice said customers have the opportunity to get to know the farmer and also ask them about their farm, its location and what kind of farming practices they utilize.

“It creates a sort of intimacy with where your food comes from,” she said. “Most of us don’t have gardens in our backyards anymore and so this is the next best thing. Even the farmers can give you tips and tricks on how to cook the produce they are selling.”

Rice said getting to witness the camaraderie of the vendors and the community – all while helping to support a healthy lifestyle – is one of the most exciting parts of market season taking off again.

“It’s more than just getting your fruits and vegetables, it’s about developing those relationships,” she said.

Kale, swiss chard, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, beets, mushrooms, fresh eggs, local meat, canned goods and refreshing summer drinks were all available at the market last week. In addition to the food vendors, several craft vendors were selling items such as handcrafted jewelry, bath bombs, clothing, decorating items and live plants.

“Everybody was really happy with the turnout and we had a great turnout in vendors,” Rice said.

“When we first started we only had two or three vendors and now we have around 15. We’ve pretty much tripled in size.”

To fend off some of the summer heat, RISE Erwin set up a small mister station alongside the market, something Rice said they will definitely continue using.

“The kids and the grownups both loved that and I think that will be a hit the rest of the summer,” Rice said.

Aside from shopping, market attendees can also check out the local food trucks, attend a yoga class and participate in some of the many activities planned to help foster a happy and healthy community.

Each week, yoga classes taught by Bret Forney with the YMCA and other activities, such as a community bike ride organized by RISE Erwin, a splash dance facilitated by the Erwin Fire Department, learning opportunities with the health department, and face painting and barrel trains, are all planned to take place in the coming weeks.

“We’re really happy that the health department is going to sponsor one of those activities each month,” said Rice. “I think they will be doing some nutrition and cooking type demonstrations. It’s all a really fun time.”

The Erwin Farmers Market is held on Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m. in the Unicoi County Courthouse parking lot. For more information about the market, contact riseerwin@gmail.com, or call 743-6231 or 423-220-7624.

(Contributed photo)

From Staff Reports

In August, Unicoi County residents will join together in the inaugural Festival of Hope. It all starts on Aug. 25 at the traditional Relay For Life of Unicoi County to help the American Cancer Society attack cancer from every angle. This year’s Relay For Life event will feature traditional elements, as well as new which will lead to a week full of events that everyone in the community can participate in.

“We are so excited about this year and our new Festival of Hope in Unicoi County,” said Jessica Poff, community development manager for the American Cancer Society. “We are all looking forward to bringing the entire county together through different events throughout the week that will have something for everyone. We are thankful for the support of our community and volunteers to make this possible and we can’t wait to see it come to fruition.”

The American Cancer Society is the cause fighting cancer on every front; standing shoulder to shoulder with cancer patients and those supporting them. Funds raised help the American Cancer Society attack cancer in dozens of ways, each of them critical to achieving a world without cancer – from developing breakthrough therapies to building supportive communities, from providing empowering resources to deploying activists to raise awareness.

The Festival of Hope will feature community-wide awareness activities in addition to the track event. The Sunday focus will be faith-based and feature a community church service and a huge benefit concert with award winning Christian artist, Building 429. Tickets for the concert may be purchased at itickets.com and feature general admission as well as reserved seating.  During the week, events such as a Unicoi County High School volleyball game, Caregiver Café and children’s activities, “Passport To Hope” celebrity waiter event at The Bramble, a barbecue and cornhole tournament night, and more before the week ends at the UCHS football game on Friday night.

The annual Survivor Luncheon is scheduled for Sunday, July 8, at 1 p.m. at Unicoi United Methodist Church. Anyone who has ever heard the words “you have cancer” and a guest are invited to attend. An R.S.V.P. is requested by calling Tina at 743-9136.

In addition to the support of the community, the Festival of Hope is also supported by many local businesses and organizations. To find out how you can get involved, please contact Poff at jessica.poff@cancer.org or visit www.RelayForLife.org/UnicoiTN. Together, we can beat our biggest rival.

Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch addresses the Unicoi County Ambulance Committee during a meeting held on June 20. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

Concerns regarding the county’s ambulance service have been expressed and discussed by both Town of Erwin and Unicoi County officials over the past several months amidst numerous complaints of long wait times, insufficient staffing and too few ambulances.

After the Town of Erwin was unable to garner enough support to create its own ambulance service, the task of addressing the issue fell into the hands of the county, prompting officials to explore the idea of creating a municipally-owned service or accepting a bid from a contracted provider.

However, after the county put out a request for proposals for ambulance service providers to bid on, the only response came from MedicOne, the county’s current service provider that is awarded a $132,000 yearly subsidy and has been accused of incurring several contract violations.

“We put out requests for proposals that were due today, and we sent them out to several companies,” said Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch during the June 20 meeting. “The only ones who responded were MedicOne.”

Abingdon Ambulance Service, American Medical Response, Lifeguard Ambulance Service, Shoals Ambulance and Bristol Ambulance EMS were a few of the companies that received the RFPs, prompting several Unicoi County commissioners to ask why only one bid was received.

“This is the same thing that happened last time,” Lynch said. “We had folks that were interested, but when it came down to crunch time, they didn’t bid.”

MedicOne submitted two proposals, with the first proposal requiring a $225,000 yearly subsidy, or a monthly rate of $18,750. In the first proposal, MedicOne agrees to provide two 24-hour advanced life support (ALS) ambulances and one 12-hour basic life support (BLS) ambulance for seven days a week.

In the second proposal, MedicOne is requesting an annual subsidy of $350,000 a year, or a monthly rate of $29,166.67. In the second proposal, they agree to provide two 24-hour ALS ambulances and one 24-hour BLS ambulance seven days a week.

“That’s an extra $125,000 for an additional 12 hours a day,” Lynch pointed out.

Also during the meeting, Unicoi County Commissioner and Ambulance Committee Chairman Jason Harris asked if the county provided MedicOne with a station would the price come down. Jimmy Erwin, MedicOne operations manager in Unicoi County, said the cost could come down if the county provided them with a station. MedicOne currently pays $1,500 a month to lease its current building off of Exit 36.

It is stipulated in the RFP that the service must be stationed one-and-a-half miles from the Harris Hollow exit and Unicoi County Commissioner John Mosley asked if MedicOne was awarded the contract if they would be in the same location

“I don’t see why we wouldn’t be,” Erwin said about staying in the same location.

MedicOne currently has a total of 26 employees including Erwin, with five full-time paramedics, seven full-time advanced EMTs, nine part-time paramedics, and four part-time EMTs.

“They are keeping the shifts covered,” Erwin said. “One of the things that drew some more part-timers in the last little bit was increasing the salaries. MedicOne is competitive at the high end of the area now.”

Currently, full-time paramedics make $14 an hour for 24-hour shifts and advanced EMTs make $12.50 an hour for 24-hour shifts – rates that Erwin said were at or above surrounding counties.

When asked how often a third truck is required, Erwin said it depends on the day and call volume. He said they currently have five trucks in the county, as soon as one is certified by the state inspector.

“A lot of times there’s confusion about how many trucks we have, but we always have two trucks,” Erwin said. “That’s not to say that we can’t get three, four or five calls at a time though.”

Unicoi County Commissioner Loren Thomas inquired about consequences for contract violations in the request for proposal.

“The attorney was concerned if there was a lot of language in there, it would deter bids,” said  Unicoi County Commission Chairwoman Marie Rice. “Especially in a rural area, you can’t penalize a provider for response times.”

“I don’t see in this RFP any penalty clauses,” Lynch said. “That’s not to say that if we go through with this, that we couldn’t negotiate.”

Thomas asked about instances where there aren’t enough ambulances available and questioned how much more it could cost to have three ALS ambulances instead of using a BLS as the third truck, which is primarily just utilized for transports.

“If you’re going to have to just pay an extra dollar and a half an hour to have the paramedic … it’s not a huge cost increase to go with the ALS instead of the BLS,” Thomas asked. “Why not have an ALS available as the third truck in case, for instance, the first two trucks are on calls and say a heart attack call comes in.”

Erwin said he was unable to answer what the exact cost difference would be and also stated that the training for the advanced EMTs prepares them to handle most calls, with only a “small portion” requiring paramedics.

When Thomas asked Erwin how many scheduled transports they average per day, he was told that only one or two scheduled transports are made per week, but discharges that require transports can come with only an hour or two notice.

Mosley asked if Erwin had an estimate of how many transports were made to Johnson City or Washington County.

“We do transport out and we’ll even transport sometimes, if we have the extra truck, we’ll transport one from there to Greene County or Carter County if no one else can get it and they’re Unicoi County residents,” Erwin said.

Despite Erwin’s statements about the additional ambulance and increased staffing, Unicoi County Commissioner Gene Wilson was still adamant that the county should steer clear of entering into another agreement with MedicOne.

“My recommendation, the way MedicOne has treated Unicoi County, is the county needs to go on their own,” Wilson said. “As much trouble as we’ve had, it’s time for the county to wake up and do something. I voted for them when they first came here and I regret it.”

Lynch pointed out that the county still had the option of starting its own ambulance service and added that Jim Reeves, CEO of MedicOne, promised him a “smooth transition.”

“We’re just putting out a feeler just to see how much it would cost,” said Lynch.

Mosley said since Erwin became director last year he believes issues with MedicOne have been improving.

“We’ve had our biggest complaints in the last three years,” Wilson said.

Erwin said the majority of the complaints have centered around personnel issues, which he said was a regional issue that MedicOne has been able to overcome by increasing pay.

“The citizens thought that we could withhold money from these people for not performing as they should and the bottom line was, it was either black or white, you either have them or you don’t,” Lynch said. “If we had gotten rid of them we would have been in a mess.”

Lynch said his recommendation was to sit down with MedicOne and establish ramifications for contract violations. 

“The biggest thing to me is the taxpayers are paying for a service that they weren’t getting,” Harris said. “So I think they should’ve been fined something for not providing.”

Thomas described MedicOne’s service as “smooth” the first four years, which he attributed to the building and utilities they were provided, along with the $180,000 subsidy as opposed to the current $132,000 subsidy.

“That’s when it started going downhill,” Thomas said. “On top of that, there was a paramedic shortage and in the contract we didn’t have penalties.”

Unicoi County Commissioner Glenn White said he would rather pay $225,000 for a contracted service such as MedicOne, as opposed to the estimated $1.4 million he believes it could cost for the county to start their own service.

“You’re not going to get better service unless you pay more,” White said. “You get what you pay for. To me, since they’re here and if we can get back to what we were doing with them in the first contract, it’s going to save the county a tremendous amount of money.”

Johnny Day, who is running as an Independent candidate for county mayor in the August election, mentioned that yearly operational costs for a county-run ambulance service could be higher than anticipated. Day referenced the approximately $350,000 budget gap that was projected by the Town of Erwin when they were exploring the possibility of creating their own service.

“It’s much easier to work with a contractor and hold their feet to the fire, but it needs to be in the contract,” Day said. “Once you birth that baby and buy all that equipment and set yourself up, the taxpayers are going to eat us alive if we screw this up.”

While Day was concerned about the costs of the county starting its own service, Harris pointed out that the county can still potentially access the $440,000 Community Development Block Grant that was awarded to the Town of Erwin, along with money from the sale of Unicoi County Memorial Hospital to Mountain States Health Alliance, in addition to funds from the Hospital Foundation to start a new service.

“To me, if we were ever going to start our own service … now is the time to do it,” Harris said.

Thomas said his issue with MedicOne over the last four years has been the “weak” contract and said that in moving forward they need to make sure they are able to “hold their feet to the fire” whenever a violation occurs.

“This ambulance issue is the most important thing, period, that we will deal with,” Thomas said. “We need to get it right.”

The committee concluded their meeting with an agreement to meet with MedicOne and discuss the ramifications of contract violations.

Several local and state officials came out to celebrate the F.L.I.G.H.T Foundation flying its 10,000th student. Pictured, from left, are George Huddleston Jr., Tennessee aeronautics commissioner; W. T. Daniels, Greeneville mayor; Jerry O’Connor, CEO of Impact Plastics; State Representative David Hawk; Col. Tom Reeves, former U.S. Army member; Bill Powley, founder of the F.L.I.G.H.T Foundation; State Senator Rusty Crowe; the three Greene County AFJROTC cadets who soared into the air – Jeremy Hankins, George Rapp and Isaac Michalenko; and Daryl Brady, field service representative for congressman Phil Roe. (Contributed photo)

By Kendal Groner

The F.L.I.G.H.T (Flight Lesson Instructional Grants Helping Teens) Foundation continues to aim high, evidenced by the nonprofit’s celebration on Saturday, June 16, for the milestone of flying its 10,000th student.

Air Force Lieutenant Bill Powley, F-4, A-7, F-16 fighter pilot and Vietnam veteran who founded the F.L.I.G.H.T. Foundation, was joined by local and state legislators as three students from Greene County High School soared into the air this weekend.

“We had a great time,” Powley said about the memorable day. “Everyone was so positive and upbeat.”

The program has roots in Unicoi County after the program was approved to be part of the Air Force JROTC curriculum at Unicoi County High School before it moved into the Sullivan County High School in 2001. While serving as a JROTC instructor at UCHS, Powley came up with the idea to offer students the opportunity to fly as an exciting recruitment strategy.

Out of the 10,000 students that have flown with the F.L.I.G.H.T. program, Powley has flown more than 7,500 of them personally.

The program proves the sky is the limit for enthusiastic students in more than 20 high schools and, on average, provides the opportunity for 500 to 600 students to fly each year.

“The idea of this program was to build an infrastructure of people who love aviation and understand the meaning of airports in the state,” Powley said. “If you have flown in this program, you are probably a fan of flying, aviation and airports.”

Since 1996, more than 150 students have earned their solo wings and 14 students have earned their private pilot’s license since 2002.

“I just soloed my 166 student Sunday morning, so it was a good weekend for me,” Powley said.

The F.L.I.G.H.T. Foundation is responsible for sending eight students to the Air Force Academy, three to West Point, one to the Naval Academy and one to Purdue, along with several others who have gone on to attend flight schools in the region. 

“I would say we send more kids to careers in flying than football players that go into sports careers,” said Powley, who was inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame for the program.

In 2010, the program was recognized as the top aerospace science program in the nation among high schools, rising high above the other 10,000 in the nation.

“It’s taken lots of passion, persistence, and miles on my vehicle,” Powley laughed.

He initially funded the program by flying for an hour with three students in Unicoi County and during that time they would take photographs of various properties before compiling a portfolio of aerial shots for the owners.

“I raised $8,000 that way from 80 portfolios over the years,” said Powley.

In the first nine years of the program, Powley was able to fly 250 students, averaging 27 per year. After gaining the attention of NASA and acquiring a grant, he has been able to fly 9,750 students over the last 17 years.

“Grant funding was key,” Powley said about maintaining the program.

After receiving the initial grant from NASA, the Tennessee Aeronautics Division sponsored the program for the last 18 years.

“They have basically sponsored 9,750 of the kids,” Powley said about the Tennessee Aeronautics Division. “It seems like every solo student wants to go on and become a pilot, so that’s pretty cool. Now if we get more funding, we can actually satisfy a lot of dreams for kids to become professional pilots because we do a 50 percent scholarship for them.”

Powley said he expects that the 14 pilots the program has already produced will double in number over the next two or three years.

The F.L.I.G.H.T. Foundation typically flies out of the Greeneville, Tri-Cities, Chattanooga or Dallas Bay airports. Usually, three students fly at a time, although Powley recalls having 14 flights in one day with about 40 students.

“A typical trip would be Unicoi County or anybody else bringing maybe 21 to 27 kids to the airport, so I’d have seven to eight flights which takes about three hours,” Powley explained.

The program is offered to students of all grade levels as long as they are enrolled in a JROTC program. In some cases, Powley said students get to fly several times by staying in the program all four years of their high school career.

“Part of the plan is they get a 15 to 20 minute flight and if they do that over four years they get an hour to hour and a half,” he said. “It keeps them motivated, so hopefully by the time they’re 17 or 18 they get excited and want to get their pilot’s license.”

With a pilot shortage, Powley said it is important to provide motivation for students to pursue careers in aviation, and also noted that for many of the students, the program provides them with their first opportunity to be on a plane. 

Some of Powley’s most touching moments with the program come from reading the assigned journal entries he gives to the students. He commonly finds entries that read ‘this is the first time I’ve ever gotten to fly’, and ‘that’s the neatest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

“I don’t think you can excite someone any more than that,” he said.

Powley also thanked many of the F.L.I.G.H.T. Foundation contributors such as the Aeronautics Division, countless individuals from Unicoi County, Gerald O’ Connor, CEO of Impact Plastics,  and philanthropist and businessman Scott Niswonger and FedEx.

After just recently celebrating his 100th solo student, Powley said a future goal he will aspire towards will be to have his 200th solo student take flight.

“That’s a huge milestone,” he said. “After that, maybe another 15,000 students in the next eight years or so.”

Joey Bailey, president of the Southeastern Autorama Club, and his wife, Chrissy Bailey, pose in front of their 1958 Chevrolet during the Autorama on June 2. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

Anyone around downtown Erwin this past Saturday could hear the roaring of engines that echoed down Main Avenue as hundreds of car lovers came to put some of their most prized possessions on display for the 58th Southeastern Autorama.

With clear skies that held back rain until the end of the event, large crowds could be seen walking the streets on June 2 as they admired each automobile and the efforts taken to keep them in pristine condition.

“I think the area weather affected it a little bit, but other than that we’re pretty happy with what we have going on here today,” said Joey Bailey, president of the Southeastern Autorama Club.

Bailey, who owns a 1950 Chevrolet truck himself, said there were at least 136 cars present on Saturday. Two standouts for him were a 1957 Chevrolet and a 1969 Camaro.

“The hardest part is keeping someone else from hitting them,” Bailey laughed, explaining the efforts that go into maintaining older cars. “You have to keep them clean, make sure all of the fluids are changed and topped off.”

Although for car enthusiasts, any maintenance is a small price to pay for being able to keep the history-rich cars running.

“I love the camaraderie of everyone who attends,” Bailey said about the event. “Everyone’s friendly and easy to get along with.”

Food trucks and a few craft vendors were present at the Autorama, and door prizes were handed out throughout the day. Along with a 50/50 drawing for $290, various items such as car wash kits, water hoses, a hammock, two side grinders and a socket set were given away as prizes.

Mike McIntosh, owner of Model A Mac’s, attended the event with his fiance, Melissa Peterson, and a 1930 Model A Ford Coupe guarded by a life-size sign of Popcorn Sutton.

“We actually knew Popcorn Sutton, he used to buy his Model A parts from me and my dad,” McIntosh said. “He would give dad some moonshine from time to time and trade it for Model A Parts.”

McIntosh bought the coupe from around the Hickory Tree area near Bristol about five years ago when the former owner decided to sell. 

“I was the lucky recipient,” said McIntosh. “It’s all original, of course, and you can tell it’s never been restored. I have done some mechanical work to get it rideable on the highway.”

McIntosh and Peterson utilize an umbrella as a makeshift roof when they drive it during inclement weather.

“If it rains, I’m ready,” said McIntosh as he held a makeshift umbrella for the roof

“We’ve actually done that before,” Peterson added. “We used the umbrella during the Fiddleheads Festival when it started pouring the rain.”

Besides their love for one another, both Peterson and McIntosh are passionate about antique cars. In fact, Peterson’s engagement ring was a lock washer off a 1931 Roadster. On June 16, the pair will host a cruise-in with live music from 3-5 p.m. at the Erwin National Guard Armory before they wed one another.

“We’re opening it to everybody,” said Peterson. “We are so excited.”

Ben McNabb, the owner of Steel Rails Coffeehouse, was also present at the Autorama where he displayed his yellow 1967 Chrysler Newport Convertible that he nicknamed Marilyn.

“I’ve been at the Autorama a lot, but I’ve only had cars here the last two years,” McNabb said. “It’s neat seeing all of our old friends.”

He also said this area in particular is brimming with car enthusiasts, and he enjoys attending an event that allows so many car owners to show off their vehicles.

“You don’t realize how many great cars are in this town and how many people that have a love for cars and a love for history,” McNabb said. “When you come to something like this and you look at these tags, it’s amazing to see how many are from Unicoi County.”

While many car showers were from Unicoi County, some events goers came from neighboring states to enjoy the day. Clifton Honeycutt came from Mars Hill, North Carolina, with his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, which was recognized as one of the top 25 cars during the Autorama.

“I love old cars and I love this town,” said Honeycutt, who sold a 1971 GTO convertible to buy the Bel Air. “It’s in perfect condition.”

Honeycutt purchased the car in Kentucky and shared a funny story about the vehicle’s history.

“Two little boys were playing in this hay barn in Tennessee somewhere, they felt something hard under this haystack and this car was under it,” he said. “They pulled it out and restored it and that’s why it’s in such good shape.”

At the end of the Autorama, right as the rain started to roll in, the awards for Best Antique and Best in Show were announced. Best Antique went to Charlie Miller for a 1953 Chevy Pickup. Best in Show went to Doug Carico for his 1974 Bronco.

“It feels awesome; I was so happy to win,” Carico said about his Best in Show award. “I was surprised because there’s a whole lot of nice cars here.”

Carico, who also owns a 1965 Mercury Comet, said he has been a fan of Broncos since he was about five years old.

“About 20 years ago I found this one in Roanoke and I bought it and used it as an everyday driver for about four years and then it started smoking and leaking oil.”

He parked the Bronco in his garage, where he said his wife actually used it to store Christmas ornaments until he decided to restore it once the value started to appreciate.

“My son was about 14 at the time and I thought about restoring it for him to drive when he turned 16, and the more I got into it, I thought there’s no way I’m giving him this Bronco,” he laughed.

Over the past two years, Carico said if he’s got a free weekend you can usually find him at a car show.

“This one last year was one of my favorites and I’m definitely glad I came back,” said Carico.

By Kendal Gron

George Hatcher, who passed away on Monday, May 20, is remembered as a humble and kind man who lived life to the fullest. (File Photo)

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This Memorial Day marked the passing of George Hatcher, a member of the famous Erwin Nine and a respected Clinchfield railroader, who captured the heart of the community he loved and served.

Born October 14, 1920, Hatcher grew up in the Canah Chapel community of Erwin and was known as a football star at the local high school and college level before he followed his brother, Ed, and went to work for the railroad in 1941. He worked as the fireman for the Clinchfield No. 1, while his brother Ed worked as an engineer.

Mark Stevens, who first got to know Hatcher while he was publisher of The Erwin Record for 13 years, learned more about the rich and exciting lives of the Hatcher brothers while writing “The Clinchfield No. 1: Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine,” a book he co-authored with Alf Peoples.

“They were both picked specifically to do that because they were so good at their job,” Stevens said, taking note of the widespread media coverage that surrounded the steam engine. “They were both outgoing and able to talk to people and make them feel welcome. It was just the perfect public relations piece for the railroad and they were the perfect spokespeople. They looked the part, they were the part and they were just great people.”

After his first six months on the railroad, Hatcher enlisted with the U.S. Army Air Corps in June 1942, and in January of 1943 he left to serve in World War II, followed by his brother shortly after. Hatcher became an icon to the area for more than just his railroad service when he was recognized as a member of the Erwin Nine, a group of nine men from the same small community who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Although none served together and were all shot down at different times and in different locations, out of the more than 50 Nazi German prison camps, all ended up at the same one. After Hatcher and his fellow prisoners were freed from their captors, he came home to Erwin and thrust himself back into the railroad work that he knew and loved.

“It was an honor to haul whoever was on board,” Hatcher is quoted saying in Steven’s and Peoples’ book. “It was such an exciting time for the people who got to ride. All the time I worked on that steam engine I never had any regrets.”

Peoples worked on the railroad for close to 50 years, five of which were right alongside the Hatcher brothers. He recalls the exuberance and skill that George used to do his work and mentor others along the way.

“He was always good to me and helped me long before I got on the railroad,” People’s said. “I never thought about it until George brought it up the other day, but he said ‘we had a lot of fun on that passenger train didn’t we?’ He never fussed or complained, he was always happy and having fun.”

Hatcher is described by those who had the pleasure to meet him as “humble,” “always willing to help,” “great at everything he did,” “a go getter,” “kind,” “energetic” and “happy”.

“It really is sad that George has passed on, but he had an immensely great life, and he lived life to the fullest,” Stevens said. “Everything he did, he put in 100 percent.”

Donald Shelton, left, and Ed Sparks, right, stayed busy selling bundles of ramps to enthusiastic customers during Saturday’s 33rd annual Ramp Festival. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

For many of those in Appalachian communities, the blooming flowers and warming temperatures that are indicative of springtime also represent the arrival of the highly-celebrated ramp season. A member of the lily family, these wild edibles, which are stronger than a leek and more pungent than a scallion, are native to the forests of eastern North America and hold cultural significance for many communities.

Flag Pond once again demonstrated its status as a close-knit community and love for its Appalachian heritage with the 33rd Annual Ramp Festival sponsored by the Flag Pond Ruritan Club and held at the Old Flag Pond school on Saturday, May 12.

“I’m tickled to death with the turnout this year and plus we had pretty weather this year,” said Richard Waldrop, Flag Pond Ruritan Club president, who estimated that the festival had well over 700 attendees.

Several vendors attended the festival, selling handmade jewelry and other items, flower arrangements, essential oils and more. Live music was played throughout the day with performances from the Unicoi County High School Bluegrass Band, Spivey Mountain Boys and the Flag Ponders.

On the menu for the day was soup beans, bacon, coleslaw, cornbread, fried taters and, of course, plenty of ramps. There were also homemade desserts and the option of hamburgers or hot dogs for those who found the strong ramp flavor to be overpowering.

“We went last Saturday and dug ramps and then we went last Tuesday and dug,” Waldrop said. “We hop on the back of a truck and go to the mountains to dig.”

Waldrop estimated that they harvested well over 40 pounds of ramps for the festival and said the best way to eat them is with fried taters.

Putting on the annual event takes teamwork, according to Waldrop.

“We couldn’t put it on if it wasn’t for the volunteers,” he said.

Waldrop also said several volunteers come together to make the festival a reality and contribute in various ways such as collecting ramps, cooking and promoting the large event.

Eddie Farmer, Unicoi County resident, has been cooking at the Ramp Festival for more than 30 years.

“I’ve been here since 6:30 a.m. this morning cooking,” Farmer said during the festival on Saturday. “The festival is just a really good thing for the community and we try to give back in different ways.”

For those who really took a liking to their ramp meal, ramps were available for sale, allowing many excited event goers to purchase their own bundles to take home and prepare.

Ed Sparks and Donald Shelton returned to the Ramp Festival for the 10th year to sell some ramps they had harvested.

“I’ve been eating them for about 65 years,” said Shelton. “I went to school here (Flag Pond School) in 1950. There’s plenty of ramps here if you go in the mountains … they grow in higher elevations”

Sparks and Shelton stayed busy as plenty of festival goers were eager to purchase a bundle of ramps that they could take home and cook up on their own.

“Ramps can be hard to get, but we like to do it for the Ruritan,” said Sparks. “We like the company, music and food at the festival.”

While the Ramp Festival was attended by countless locals to the Flag Pond area, there were attendees from neighboring counties and some who traveled more than a couple of hours to take part in the memorable event.

Johnson City residents Jeff and Delores Moore attended the festival for the first time this year and were eager to try the foraged delicacy for the first time.

“It’s a great festival and I didn’t know anything about ramps before attending the festival,” said Delores.

Jeff said he greatly enjoyed the memory room in the school, a bit of a time capsule that allowed people to learn about the history of the Flag Pond Community, the Ruritan club, and of course ramps.

“That is really awesome,” Jeff said about the room. “I didn’t know there was so much history and cultural significance associated with ramps.”

One of the main attractions at the festival was a memory room in which an informational video put together by East Tennessee State University showed ramps being foraged and how to prepare them.

Laurie Handshu, who traveled all the way from Nashville to attend the event, said she fell in love with ramps after she tried them for the first time in college.

“I fell in love, it was love at first stink,” Handshu said about her first experience trying ramps many years ago. “I lived here a long time ago, about 20 years ago, and I would always come to the festival every year.”

Handshu said she was happy to be back in Flag Pond for the day and described the festival as a “wonderful” event.

“It’s everything it should be,” she said.

While the penetrating aroma of ramps can be a deterrent for some, Handshu said it’s part of the fun of eating them and added that she enjoys other “stinky” foods such as garlic and onions. Waldrop also commented on the powerful smell ramps leave on their consumers and shared a few stories of his own experiences.

“When I was a young’un we’d eat them then go to school and they’d kick us out on the street,” said Waldrop, who recently had a comical encounter during a roadblock after he had eaten some ramps. “I pulled up and the state trooper said ‘are you drinking?”

Waldrop told the officer no, however she did share that she had indulged in quite a few ramps that day.

“‘Get out of there’ he said … he didn’t even check my driver’s license,” Waldrop laughed.

For attendees at the festival, any concerns of bad breath were thrown out the window as people chowed down on platefuls of ramps all throughout the day.

Before the event was over, a ramp eating contest was held and last year’s winner once again proved to have a true liking for ramps. Jasmine Shelton is still the reigning champion of the youth and adult class of the contest and was able to eat 15 ramps in one minute this year.

“This festival is special because it shows that we’re a close community here and everyone knows everybody,” said Waldrop. “We couldn’t do all of this without our neighbors and friends.”

Representatives from Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium drew crowds to the kid’s zone of the Great Outdoors Festival as they held demonstrations with birds of prey. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

Despite the forecasted weather conditions, there were dry skies and warm temperatures awaiting event attendees who flocked to downtown Erwin for the Great Outdoors Festival on Saturday, May 5. The third annual festival was orchestrated by the community group RISE Erwin, and organizers deemed this year’s event as the most successful one yet with estimated attendance numbers between 4,000 to 5,000.

Along with dozens of outdoor-themed vendors, the festival provided a popular music lineup, a kids zone full of multiple activities, a mobile skate park, food trucks, a craft beer tent, live animal demonstrations with Bays Mountain, and the presentation of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival.

“Our food trucks sold out by 3:30 p.m.,” said Jamie Rice, RISE Erwin president and communications coordinator for the Town of Erwin. “The weather definitely helped a lot; last year’s event was pretty much rained out and this year when we went to bed on Friday night we were thinking it was going to be the same outcome, but when we woke up and there was no rain, we were so thankful.”

Rice said the festival was strategically planned to coincide with numerous hikers passing through Unicoi County as they come off of the Appalachian Trail.

“I think everyone was really appreciative of the efforts that have been made to highlight Unicoi County and the outdoor opportunities that are available here,” she said. “We had so many hikers, which is the reason we do the festival when we do it. That’s a huge win for us when people get back on that trail and tell everyone what a great experience they had in Erwin.”

Food trucks present at the festival included Joe Bill’s Kitchen, Bite, Opie’s Pizza Wagon and Italian ice and kettle corn vendors. The extensive variety of vendors could be found selling everything from pottery, jewelry and handmade body products to knives, outdoor apparel and clothing. Vendors were also offering massages and selling live plants, in addition to the various booths set up to represent community organizations.

Alan and Nancy Stegall attended the event for the first time as pottery vendors and said they were “absolutely loving the festival.”

The Stegalls were selling their handmade pottery, which consisted mostly of coffee and tea mugs in vibrant hues of cool earthy green and blue tones, some with intricate designs and others that were monogrammed with names.

“We got hooked on pottery in college,” said Nancy Stegall, who was previously a registered nurse before pursuing pottery full time in 1983.

Ten years later, her husband, who has a 20-year military career, also began making pottery full time. For the Stegalls, being able to do something every day that they love while spending time with one another makes for a fulfilling career.

“That was the biggest attraction,” said Stegall.

This was also the first year that Northeast Tennessee Outdoors set up as a vendor at the festival. Northeast Tennessee Outdoors was selling outdoor-themed shirts, decals and outdoor-themed hats. The new business continues to grow through social media alone, where they also post informational videos related to outdoor activities.

“We’ve been selling an Appalachian trailblazer shirt and one with our logo on it,” said Katie Linkous, who started the business with her husband, Eric. “You can show where you’re from with our stuff.” 

On the company’s Facebook and Instagram pages, you can find various videos on the topics of hunting and fishing, as well as reviews on different sporting products. 

“If we go on a hike we always try to get online and let people know what the trail was like and if it’s suitable for kids and things like that,” said Linkous, who added they had a great time selling at the festival.

After festival attendees made their way past the foods trucks, musical stage and vendors that lined North Main Street, they entered the kid’s zone located on Main Avenue between Gay and Love streets. The kid’s zone included an archery course, target practice with a pellet gun, a petting zoo and two new editions this year – live animal demonstrations by Bays Mountain and catch and release trout pools supplied by Bass Pro Shops and stocked with rainbow trout from the National Fish Hatchery.

Small crowds gathered around Bays Mountain volunteers as they presented rescued birds of prey such as a Red Tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl. Onlookers had the opportunity to learn facts about the birds and their impressive natural abilities.

Rice said the new additions were organized by RISE Erwin members Kristen Anders and Juan Villaba, who sought to kick the kid’s zone up a notch this year with the Bass Pro Shop sponsorship and live animal demonstrations.

“Those were huge additions that both the kids and adults enjoyed and we really appreciate their efforts,” said Rice.

Rice added that Trout Unlimited, which presented the International Fly Fishing Film Festival at Capital Cinemas around midday, was very pleased with the turnout and happy to bring awareness to their organization with the film. 

“Hopefully they will have some new members because of the outdoor festival,” she said.

About every couple of hours a new band performed at the festival and this year’s lineup included the Ripple, Folk Soul Revival, Unicoi County High School Bluegrass Band, Anabelle’s Curse and 49 Winchester.

“It was definitely probably the best lineup we’ve had in the three years,” Rice said. “I mean we had people drive three hours to come and see Folk Song Revival and we were really pleased for the turnout they brought to the festival.”

Rice said she believes each time an outdoor- or nature-inspired event is hosted in Erwin, it draws needed attention to the area and its array of outdoor-themed assets.

Recently, Rice said the festival was mentioned in Blue Ridge Outdoor Magazine and a professor from Maryville College took notice of Erwin and Saturday’s festival.

“Two of those professors actually came to Erwin and spoke to the mayor about their outdoor program,” she said.

Rice also said the college is currently interested in sending students to Erwin and Unicoi County to help work with the area in conjunction with their outdoor program.

“It’s a feather in our cap each time we’re mentioned,” said Rice. “You never know what opportunities that may bring … our hope is the more times we’re mentioned, maybe a small business that’s outdoor-related will come to want and fill a store shop downtown.”

Christy Smith, Unicoi County Prevention Coalition director, left, directs questions towards a panel of experts during an informational opioid forum held on April 26. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

A Community Opioid Forum held on Thursday, April 26, at Calvary Baptist Church gave attendees an opportunity to learn facts about the opioid epidemic and what local resources are available, in addition to hearing from a panel of experts.

The event was hosted by the Unicoi County Prevention Coalition, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and the Washington, Unicoi and Johnson (WUJ) County Medical Alliance.

The panel of experts consisted of: Dr. David Kirschke, Northeast Regional Health officer for the Tennessee Department of Health; Regan Tilson, Town of Erwin police chief; Mike Hensley, Unicoi County sheriff, Angie Hagaman, Diversity Promoting Institutions Drug Abuse Research Project (DIDARP) director; Dr. Paul Jett, physician with Ballad Health; and Angela Murray, director of Corporate and Community development for Watauga Recovery Centers.

“It is our hope that these meetings will continue to educate the public about the opioid epidemic and direct individuals to recovery resources in their area,” said Terry Geraci, president-elect of the WUJ Medical Alliance.

The forum began with an informational video by the American Medical Alliance (AMA) that provided statistics and background information on the growing epidemic.

With an average of 44 people dying each day in the United States from an opioid overdose, many addicts switch to heroin after their supply of pills runs out, according to the AMA. This troubling public health crisis impacts individuals from all classes and walks of life.

Following the video presentation, Christy Smith, director for the Unicoi County Prevention Coalition, began directing questions to the panel of experts and first asked them to differentiate between dependence and addiction.

“When we think about addiction we typically think about people misusing the medication in ways other than intended,” said Dr. Jett.

Jett said that dependence is actually a natural cycle for any opioid use, even as directed by a doctor, and stopping use abruptly will likely lead to at least some withdrawal symptoms. Addiction is characterized by compulsive behavior, continued abuse of drugs, and persistent changes in brain structure.

“If untreated, addiction can last a lifetime,” said Smith. “According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are three factors that contribute to opioid addiction: genetics, environment, and opportunity.”

After being in recovery for 11 years for opioid addiction, Murray said that all three factors played a role in her addiction.

“I do have addiction in my family, for sure,” she said. “Because I was always a business owner and worked for myself, I had a perfect opportunity to use without people knowing.”

Murray said she grew up with chronic migraines and after being treated with several medications that failed to alleviate her pain, she was told her only option for pain relief was hydrocodone.

“The more I used, the better I felt and the more I used, the more I needed,” said Murray. “I became dependent and then full-blown addicted.”

According to statistics shared by the Unicoi County Prevention Coalition, there is a 40 percent increased risk that an individual will become addicted to opioids if a first-degree relative also suffers from opioid addiction.

Environmental factors that contribute to opioid addiction include: availability of opioids; perceived risk of opioids (the coalition found that 75 percent of high school students perceive heroin as dangerous, but only 40 percent perceive prescription opioids as dangerous); psychological stressors; learned coping mechanisms; and traumatic life experiences.

“Substance Abuse and Misuse Statistics from the Tennessee Department of Health show that for every 100,000 deaths in Unicoi County, 28 are caused by drug poisoning and this is higher than both the Tennessee and national average,” said Smith.

In 2016, there were six overdose deaths in Unicoi County, five of which were from opioids. That same year, a total of 32,610 opioid prescriptions were written in the county, or approximately 1,840 prescriptions per 1,000 people.

Around 127 pills are prescribed every year for each person in Unicoi County, according to research by the coalition.

“Most people that fatally overdose in our area are between the ages of 25 and 54,” said Dr. Kirschke. “In our region, we’ve had one or two child or teenage deaths, although non-fatal overdoses in teens are increasing.”

Smith said the coalition conducted a survey on drug use and attitudes towards drug use among sixth, eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders in Unicoi County schools.

“We found in Unicoi County, the average age of the first use of a prescription drug not prescribed to them is 13,” Smith said.

According to the survey, 51 percent of those who used prescription drugs not prescribed to them in the last 30 days obtained them from a relative, friend or someone they knew for free; 17 percent got it from a relative, friend or someone they knew without asking; and 18 percent purchased them from the internet.

Town of Erwin Police Chief Regan Tilson said the number of DUIs have almost doubled in the last few years and the majority are not from alcohol, but abused substances.

“Years ago it was alcohol, but this day and time it’s prescription drugs,” said Mike Hensley, Unicoi County sheriff. “It presents a problem for us when we pull someone over and they’re on something, but they have a prescription for it.”

Tilson said officers go through extensive training to determine if someone is under the influence of an illicit substance and added that each DUI arrest can take two or more hours of an officer’s time.

Kirschke also talked about Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or when a child is birthed from a mother who is addicted to opioids.

“Basically, it’s become somewhat of an epidemic, especially in East Tennessee,” he said. “It seems like many of the child fatalities, especially infant deaths, a lot of them are from neonatal abstinence syndrome.”

Dr. Jett also said that the East Tennessee region has a rate of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome that is 10 times higher compared to the rest of the nation.

“We are leading the way with a lot of bad things,” he said.

• • •

The panel discussed what spurred the opioid epidemic, and pointed to events back in the 1980s and 1990s that acted as a catalyst for increased use of pain medications. Oxycontin was first introduced by Purdue Pharmaceuticals in 1996.

“We started to judge hospitals by how satisfied people were with their pain levels,” said Kirschke. “There was a time period during which physicians were basically graded with how well they treated pain … doctors’ hands were almost tied.”

Hagaman and Murray spoke on the varied treatments available for opioid addiction that include abstinence-based outpatient treatment, more intensive outpatient treatment, inpatient treatment which typically lasts 30 days and medication-assisted therapy.

“There are all sorts of different types of treatments out there and it’s going to be different for each person,” said Murray.

Smith said, unfortunately, many of the treatment programs don’t last long enough and can lead to relapse. She said goals of recovery include: reduced mortality, improved social function, decreased or discontinued drug use and improved quality of life.

Kirschner also mentioned Naloxone, the antidote to opioid overdose that is available in nasal sprays and injectable forms.

“It reverses the effects of the opioid,” he said. “You can get it from most pharmacies without a prescription and many clinics offer it for free.”

Unused medications can be disposed of at the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Department or the Erwin Police Department.

In Unicoi County, CHIPs offers “Living Free” – a faith-based recovery meeting on Thursdays at 9 a.m. For more information, call 743-0022.

Family support meetings are offered in Johnson City at Covenant Presbyterian Church on Mondays at 7 p.m., Tuesdays at 7 p.m, and Thursdays at noon. Harrison Christian Church offers a meeting on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

First Christian Church in Erwin offers an AA meeting on Thursdays at 6 p.m.

To connect to more resources in the region or to learn more about the Unicoi County Prevention Coalition, contact Christy Smith at 735-8407.

The Unicoi County Industrial Development Board discusses potential development opportunities within the county. The board is currently working to build an incentive package for an interested developer. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

During the Wednesday, April 18, meeting of the Unicoi County Industrial Development Board, the board unanimously approved an agreement with special counsel to represent them in connection with a proposed tax increment incentive that will assist with the development of a shopping center in Unicoi County.

The Knoxville based law firm, Bass Berry & Sims will represent the board as their client and the developer, a large regional retailer, will be responsible for paying the legal fees.

“We’re not spending any money and we’re not giving anything away … this is just to develop the incentive package,” said Tyler Engle, executive director of the Unicoi County Joint Economic Development Board and Industrial Development Board member. “It’s very important for everyone to understand that there is no agreement or contract, we have just agreed for Bass Berry & Simms to develop the initial offering.”

The proposed development would occur on Second Street in Erwin; however, Engle asked that the name of the developer be kept confidential until they are further along in the development process in order to prevent the prospective deal from being hindered in any way.

“It has very strong potential and the clients are excited,” said Engle. “We are very pleased and that’s one reason we are really asking for everyone to be patient. We think it will be a really great development that everyone will be pleased with.” 

According to the agreement, Bass Berry & Simms will perform the following duties: assist the board in preparing an economic impact plan that would authorize the proposed incentive; draft the basic agreement governing the incentive; prepare and review necessary documents; assist the board in seeking approvals from other governmental authorities; review legal issues related to the structure of the incentive; and, subject to the completion of proceedings, render their legal opinion of the tax increment note.

Industrial Development Board Vice President Garland “Bubba” Evely asked whether or not the board would be the ones determining what the incentive package will be.

“Yes, and we hope to have that done rather quickly,” said Engle. “The developer is on an aggressive timeline.”

Board member Ted Hopson made a motion to approve the proposal as written and it was seconded by board member James Mumpower before it unanimously passed.

“I think this could be a great deal, provided they go through with it,” said Evely.

• • •

In other business, Engle said the Joint Economic Development Board is working with counterparts from Washington County and Carter County to identify new industrial sites.

“We have all worked together to identify large-scale tracts that would be appropriate for industrial development and we are working on that list,” he said.

He also said they have already enlisted the help of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and will also be working with the State Department of Economic and Community Development.

“That’s a regional project and we are very pleased with how that long-range planning venture is coming along,” said Engle. “We’re not focusing just on Unicoi County or Johnson City, but we are building a regional economy so we can all be strong together.”

To date, a total of $1 million has been spent on the former Morgan Insulation Property Second Street, a potential large industrial site, in preparation of future developers.

“We actually have an agent in Germany right now representing the property and we have this property in front of interested parties all the time,” Engle said. “We’re sharing these characteristics of the property and the information as it’s appropriate to interested users.”

Just last week, Engle said the Joint Economic Development Board met with individuals to craft the best marketing strategies for the site. 

“Because we’ve taken steps to invest in our property resources, I think that pushes us on down the road,” said Engle.

Melanie Feathers, CASA program coordinator for Unicoi County, and Whitney McLaughlin, executive director of CASA of Northeast Tennessee, stand behind the pinwheel garden they installed in front of the Unicoi County Courthouse in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

On April 12, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Northeast Tennessee installed a pinwheel garden outside the Unicoi County Courthouse to recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

CASA of Northeast Tennessee has partnered with Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee to create pinwheel gardens across the Northeast Tennessee community.

“The pinwheel has kind of taken on the symbolism that each pinwheel stands for a happy, healthy child who has been served by child advocacy programs such as CASA,” said Whitney McLaughlin, executive director for CASA of Northeast Tennessee. “When you see this, you see that someone has helped a child in need and now they are better off than they were before.”

CASA, a non-profit organization, works to recruit and train community volunteers to advocate on behalf of children who are in the court system as a result of abuse or neglect to ensure they get a safe and stable home. In order to become a volunteer, individuals must be at least 21 years of age, pass a background check and interview with current CASA workers.

“We have a 35-hour training course, and during that course they learn everything from court etiquette, how to write court reports, how to interview families and cultural diversity,” McLaughlin said.

Melanie Feathers, CASA program coordinator for Unicoi County, said they also teach volunteers how to see risk factors for abuse and neglect such as substance abuse or domestic violence.

CASA advocates are appointed by juvenile court judges and each court has its own coordinator on staff that is available to support and guide volunteers while acting as a liaison to the court.

“Anytime a child comes through the juvenile court system with allegations of abuse and neglect, we are appointed to some of those cases,” said McLaughlin.

CASA of Northeast Tennessee serves Washington, Green, and Unicoi counties, and in 2017 they were able to advocate for 329 youth in the region. Of the 329 youth, approximately 60 were from Unicoi County.

Feathers said that while seeing children placed in safe and stable homes is extremely rewarding, the process can at times be difficult, which is why the volunteers and coordinators work closely to create a support system for one another.

“The most taxing emotional part is on our volunteers because they are the ones visiting with the children regularly, and who are invested in seeing these families succeed,” said Feathers. “That’s another reason the coordinator is there to be available to them … one thing we try to do is be a sounding board for them and kind of walk through what’s happened with a case so they don’t internalize it all.”

The caseload for each volunteer is generally kept small, with only one or two cases at a time so that volunteers can be as available to the children and families as possible.

“We are always recruiting more volunteers because unfortunately abuse and neglect are not going away,” McLaughlin said. “We need new fresh blood to act as the child’s voice.”

She said they see many volunteers who are retired school teachers, nurses or military personnel. Some volunteers are employed; however, they need to be able to commit to at least three to four hours per week with CASA.

No prior experience is required, and anyone interested in becoming a volunteer is encouraged to contact CASA.

“What we really want to see in people is their willingness to serve children who have fallen through the cracks,” McLaughlin said. “If you feel in your heart that you love children and want to be their voice and create change in the world, then being a volunteer with CASA will definitely fulfill that vision.”

If you are interested in learning more about CASA of Northeast Tennessee or becoming a volunteer, contact Whitney McLaughlin at 461-3500, or email mclaughling@casanetn.org.

The Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with CASA of Northeast Tennessee to host the 7th annual Achin’ for the Bacon 5K River Run on May 5. The cost to register is $25, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit CASA of Northeast Tennessee.

If you are interested in registering for the race, contact the Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce at 743-3000.

Unicoi County and Town of Erwin officials once again sat down to discuss the county’s ambulance service options during the March 21 Unicoi County Ambulance Committee meeting. (Erwin Record Staff Photo by Kendal Groner)

By Kendal Groner

After plans for the Town of Erwin to create a countywide ambulance service came to a halt earlier this month when the Erwin Board of Mayor and Aldermen rejected a plan to create an interlocal agreement, Unicoi County officials must now decide how to address the inadequate service they have been receiving with their contract through MedicOne.

During the Wednesday, March 21, Unicoi County Ambulance Committee meeting the general consensus was that the county’s best option would be to create its own ambulance service rather than putting the service back out for bid.

The major obstacle for officials with the Town of Erwin and Unicoi County is trying to find a way for the county to utilize the $440,000 Community Development Block Grant that was allocated to the Town of Erwin to purchase ambulances.

After speaking with the First Tennessee Development District, the agency that administers the grant, Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch said there may be a way for the Town of Erwin to purchase the ambulances, then move them over to the county.

“I think it’s a good possibility that the county could move forward with the grant, or with the actual ambulances, and somehow get them into a county run ambulance service,” Lynch said.

The county can also still utilize the $250,000 for the sale of Unicoi County Memorial Hospital to Mountain States Alliance, and Town of Erwin Mayor Doris Hensley mentioned an additional $115,000 the Hospital Foundation offered that could be paid back over time.

Lynch has been reviewing the business plan drafted by the Town of Erwin for the creation of a new ambulance service, and Unicoi County Commission Chairwoman Marie Rice has been conducting extensive research on the ambulance services of similar sized counties.

“I think it’s a good possibility we can break away from corporate providers for ambulance services,” Lynch said.

Ambulance Committee Chairman Jason Harris asked about a time frame for the grant, and Lynch said that it was still uncertain, but they should have a more definitive answer in the coming weeks.

“I believe that if you all create the ambulance service, we could let you use the ambulances,” said Mayor Hensley. “I don’t foresee a problem as long as you all will pay the matching fees.”

The scope of the grant states 75 percent of the ambulance’s usage must be within the Town of Erwin. However, Unicoi County Commission Gene Wilson stated that he believed close to 80 percent of all ambulance calls actually originate from within the Town of Erwin.

Hensley also stated she had inquired about the possibility of purchasing used ambulances to try and get the most out of the grant funds. She was told that as long as it was justifiable, such as ambulances with low mileage and in good condition, that it was a possibility.

“What we ought to do is apply (for the grant) in the next go round so we can get another new ambulance and upgrade or whatever if we have a used one or two,” said Rice.

Rice said ideally she would like to see the service start with two new ambulances and two used ambulances.

“This was pretty unique, the Town of Erwin getting this Community Development Block Grant,” said Lynch. “The high scoring ones have usually been for infrastructure.”

“It’s a big leg up,” Rice said about the grant.

Bill Hensley, chairman of the Unicoi County 911 Board, said that the best cooperation he has seen between any of the governments happened between the Town of Erwin and Unicoi County in attempts to create a countywide ambulance service before the plans hit a roadblock in the Town of Erwin BMA meeting.

“Everyone was on board,” Bill Hensley said. “The silent people that stopped this are still out there … you’ll have to fight them.”

Unicoi County Commissioner Kenneth Garland said he felt the county ought to look into purchasing a piece of property and building a structure to house the ambulances.

Rice was concerned with focusing on purchasing property at the offset when they currently had locations to house them.

“I think if we were able to get a good director to run this thing, we could make it work,” said Unicoi County Commissioner Gene Wilson.

Mayor Hensley stated the reasoning for the high wages in her business plan was to attract quality workers. In her plan, paramedics would average $18 an hour, full time AEMTS would average $16 an hour, and part time AEMTS would average $13 an hour.

Unicoi County Commissioner John Mosley mentioned that Johnson City pays $17.75 an hour for EMS workers, and noted that two MedicOne employees recently left Unicoi County to work there.

Wilson asked about contracting employees out to save funds, and Bill Hensley responded that it could cause issues with being able to reprimand or fire an employee who was not fulfilling their duties.

In discussing how to finance the service, Garland also stated that if funds weren’t available, the county could borrow funds for the service.

“If we’re in the black it could be its own entity … later down the road if the county had to subsidize some we could,” said Rice

Rice said that back in the 1990s Unicoi County subsidized $380,000 for ambulance services. She emphasized that she did not want to let the opportunity pass to create a new service.

“What do we have to show for the $1 million and something we’ve paid over the last years,” she asked, referencing their past with contracted ambulance services.

Lynch also reminded the committee of the past troubles the county has had with contracting ambulance services, and even mentioned an instance when one contracted company completely pulled out of their agreement, leaving the county temporarily without service.

“The history I’ve had with contracted agencies since I’ve been here has been rough,” said Lynch. “Someone said, ‘you know we don’t contract out our policeman or firefighters … why would we contract emergency medical services’.”

The committee will continue looking into the Community Development Block Grant and meeting again before next month’s Unicoi County Commission meeting.