Signal Mountain Eagles Win Again!!!!!

Signal Mountain Eagles continued their march to the state championship last night with an impressive 46-36 win over top-ranked Trousdale High School. Congratulations to the Eagles for their victory and to Trousdale for an impressive showing consistent with their tradition of excellent football and many (9?) state championships. Go Eagles!!

Musical happenings on the Mountain

The Mountain Arts Community Center Foundation's Music on the Mountain Series has some upcoming events on Signal Mountain.

For those of you who can't go to the away game this Friday, come on down to Lynn's Market from 7-10 and listen to The Orchard Band featuring Robert and Alice Thatcher and, yours truly Paul Hendricks. We'll be "folk" rockin' the house. Enjoy some BBQ or burgers and beer or brown bag and meet your friends for a great night of fun and music. Lynn's is on Taft Highway just past the town of Signal Mountain on the right just past Ace Hardware and next to the WRES volunteer fire station.

The Orchard Band at the Lion's Club picnic recently.



Next, over Thanksgiving weekend we will have a great musical benefit for the MACC.

Home for ThanksGIVING will be Saturday, Nov. 27 at the MACC in the old cafeteria (you won't recognize it) for some non-turkey chili with fixin's and some more great music.

We'll start serving dinner at 5pm and the music starts at 6.

6-7pm - Joseph Decosimo will be performing some traditional "old time" music, followed by:

7:15-8:15 - The Kathy Tugman Jazz Quartert will be presenting some classic jazz with Kathy's inimitable vocals.

Then, last but certainly not least:

8:30-9:30 - The Halcyon Jazz Trio a group of local musicians, young in age but ageless in spirit and talent performing more traditional jazz.

Admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Kids are $5 with a $30 family maximum. Contact Patrick Emanuel at 322-8445 for advance reservations. Dinner will be $5 and dessert $2.

So get out of the house, support the MACC and enjoy some great music Thanksgiving weekend.

Sponsored by Alexian Village, Barnett & Co., and Pruett's! Thanks for the support from our community!

cowards and scoundrels

During my time on the Town Council, I would occasionally receive anonymous letters attacking something I did or said. I treated these with the respect they deserved... I ignored them. Last night, I received an anonymous comment on this blog full of lies and unsubstantiated attacks and innuendos. I consider anonymous attacks to be the refuge of cowards and scoundrels and will not publish them. Everything I have written or said has been under my own name and I have nothing but contempt for those who would not do the same.

As the votes are being cast...

I started this blog four years ago when I ran for office. It was meant as a vehicle to communicate with my constituents. I strongly believe that it is an obligation and responsibility of elected officials to clearly state their positions and reasons for taking those positions and, through this blog I have tried to do so. You may agree or disagree with me, but anyone who feels I have not been forthright in my views and decisions has not been paying attention. If you want to know what I think, just ask me, as anyone who knows me can well attest.


As part of this process, I have occasionally expressed my differences with others on the council. This is part of the process. I have never intended my differences on policy to be personal attacks and, if my passion has occasionally exceeded my discretion I hope you all will realize that it is because of my love for this town. However, Mayor Bill Lusk and Planning Commission Chair Melissa Cantrell, both of whom owe their initial appointments to public office to me, have accused me of being dishonest without offering a shred of evidence or a single example. I resent this deeply and demand an apology from both of them (though I doubt I will ever receive one). Unfortunately, personal honor is far too rare a trait in this modern age.

Over the last four years I have related public comments and positions taken by public officials in public meetings. I see nothing inappropriate about this. In the immortal words of one of my heroes, Harry Truman “They tell me to give ‘em hell, I just tell the truth and they think its hell”. On the few rare occasions that errors have been pointed out to me, I have immediately corrected them and taken responsibility. That those occasions have been rare I take as confirmation of my general accuracy.

As my term ends this week, I will be publishing a formal thank you in the Community News, but, since I can’t thank all my friends and supporters enough, I will thank you all here, also. I have tried to listen to everyone and make the best decisions I could in the best interests of the entire town. I have tried not to let my own opinions and prejudices get in the way of doing what I thought the majority of the town wanted. I do not plan to go away. I have joined the Mountain Arts Community Center Foundation and will be working hard to promote the MACC and arts in general on the mountain. I plan to continue playing music and hope you will come to hear The Orchard Band playing around town. I don’t know exactly what the future of this blog will be, but I’m sure I will at least use it to announce events located at or sponsored by the MACC. My wife has insisted that I enter politician rehab, however I expect an occasional relapse, so don’t be surprised if I express an opinion or two from time to time.

I hope to continue to hear from my friends and supporters and even from those who differ with me politically. If anyone ever wishes to be dropped from my notification list, please let me know and I will do so immediately. Take care.