All About

Brownsville

& Haywood County

January 6, 2006

Volume 2, Issue 1

The first week of January may have seen a slow down as we eased into the year, but now things seem to be picking up pace and everyone is excited about the new year and new possibilities. I have been overwhelmed by your response to my newsletter. Thank you for all the encouragement and support. But I can’t take all the credit. You should be giving yourself a pat on the back for your support of our community. Keep the news and events coming and I’ll promise to keep getting the word out. As many of you already know, allaboutbrownsville.net is online now. While I’m still working on improving the site, I hope you will bookmark it and check it often. In coming weeks, you will also notice a link there for the Hatchie Fall Fest. All About Brownsville will serve as the official site for the festival and will keep you updated as information becomes available. I see many changes ahead for 2006 and I think it’s shaping up to be great year.

Friday, January 6

Attention 501C (3) non-profits:

Today is deadline for reserving your seat at United Way workshops

Are you a 501C (3) nonprofit organization and interested in applying for United Way funding for the fiscal year 2006-07? If so, you are required to attend one of five budget application training sessions in order to be eligible for funding. Applications will only be available at these training sessions. Please call United Way of West Tennessee, (731) 422-1816, by Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, to reserve a seat. The training sessions have been scheduled according to impact areas. This will enable the trainers to share more specific information and provide in-depth training tailored to each type of program. Please make sure the agency representative at the training is the person(s) responsible for completing the application. Budget applications will be available only at these training sessions and can be obtained only by attending the entire workshop. Click here for the complete training schedule.

Sunday, January 8

Historical Society to Meet

The Haywood County Historical Society will meet Sunday, Jan. 8, at 3 p.m., at the home of Joe and Susan Sills on West Main Street.

Tuesday, January 10

Master Gardener Classes begin

Tonight is the first class for those taking the Master Gardener course. If you have not pre-registered, it’s still not too late. Class begins at 6 p.m. at the UT Extension office at 100 South Wilson Ave., and anyone is invited to participate. The class will meet every Tuesday night through March 28. Course subjects include: Soil and Fertilization, Botanical Disease, Pest Management, Woody Ornamentals, Landscape Design, Herbaceous Plants, Weed Control, Tree Selection and Care, Vegetable and Fruit Production, and Lawn Management. Contact Extension Director Walter Battle for more information, 772-2861.

Brag on Brownsville

Local church group travels to help hurricane-stricken Gautier, Miss.

Twenty-four youth and adults from First Presbyterian Church and First United Methodist Church traveled to Gautier, Miss., over the Christmas holiday to help those who are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. "We were there four months to the day after the storm struck, and there is still so much carnage and debris everywhere," says Rev. Will Jones, pastor of First Presbyterian Church. "Demolished houses still stand in a heap of rubble on their slab, and washed-out cars still sit where they did when the water put them down." The group worked hard in a variety of ways: cleaning debris out of yards, tearing out damaged insulation, putting up sheetrock, rebuilding fences and more. It was hard work according to Rev. Jones. "Everyone worked to the best of their ability and beyond. You can be very proud of the youth who went on the trip as they represented the church, and community, very well." Those making the trip were Mary Bailey, Hilarie Dahlhauser, John Dahlhauser, Drew Davis, Martha Jane Jameson, Cap Nunn, William Nunn, Alan Olmedo, Issac Olmedo, Jonathan Pillow, Caroline Prince, Lauren Reames, Hunter Smith, Alaina Smothers, Jordan Turnage, Brittany Williams, Sarabeth Banks, Harry Blackburn, Mark Dyer, David Hooper Sr., Will Jones, Rachel Rooks, Robert Rooks and Jonathan Schwartz. (Click here for group picture.)

Festival plans in the works

You may think it’s a little early to be talking about the Hatchie Fall Fest, but according to festival chairman Daniel Thornton, who is already getting calls from entertainers, it’s a perfect time. “Last year’s festival was a huge success with record crowds and great entertainment. We want everyone to go ahead and mark their calendars now for October 21.” The festival committee has had their wrap-up meeting and, “we were all very happy with the way the festival turned out,” says Thornton. So pleased were the committee members, that many have committed to helping again this year. “It takes a lot of hard work by a lot of volunteers, and money, and to put on a festival. More volunteers and sponsors are always needed.” In fact, Thornton would like to remind businesses to remember the Hatchie Fall Fest in their budgets this year. “We had some great sponsors last year. They were very generous and supporting.” If you would like to help with the Hatchie Fall Fest, call Thornton at 780-1641 or e-mail: drjthorn10@aol.com.

Parks & Rec. honored by state association

The Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association recently honored agencies across the state at its annual conference, Nov. 17, 2005. The Four Star Award, the highest honor the association can bestow on an agency, was awarded to the Brownsville-Haywood County Parks and Recreation Department for the Webb F. Banks Passive Park. Nancy Cates, Parks and Recreation director, and Anne Banks, representing the City of Brownsville, were on hand to accept this prestigious award. Also attending the ceremony was Chuck Walker, landscape architect with Carlson Engineers of Memphis. (Click here for picture.) The Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association serves over 1, 200 park, recreation and leisure service professionals and citizen advocates in the state. Congratulations to Parks and Rec., and the City of Brownsville. If you’ve not walked around Webb Banks Passive Park, please do. It’s beautiful park and just driving by does not do it justice.

News

New State License Plate

If your car tags are due this month, you will be among the first in the state to receive a new license plate. Named "Rolling Hills," the new plate “reflects the magnificence of our state,” according to Gov. Phil Bredesen. The Tennessee Department of Safety issues approximately 5.4 million passenger auto plates each year, plus another eight million plates for motorcycles, trailers and commercial vehicles. In addition, the state currently issues nearly 150 different license plates to reflect drivers' special interests, such as schools, wildlife preservation, parks, the arts and children's hospitals.

UT Extension to offer co-parenting classes

UT Extension – Haywood County now offers the four-hour co-parenting class that is required for divorcing couples who have minor children. For a class schedule or more information, contact Extension Agent Tennille Blakemore at 772-2861.

Help get the word out!

If your group, church or organization is planning a special event that the public is invited to, please e-mail: events@allaboutbrownsville.net. Let’s get the word out about all the great things happening here.

Know someone who would like this newsletter? Forward to all your friends, co-workers, and anyone who is interested in Brownsville and Haywood County and ask them to use this link to subscribe.

Published by Outlaw Design Sonia Outlaw-Clark, Editor

E-mail Events and News to: editor@allaboutbrownsville.net

Visit: www.allaboutbrownsville.net

All About Brownsville is an electronic newsletter published to keep you informed about community events and happenings. To subscribe to this FREE newsletter, click here. If you would like your name removed from these mailings, please click here.