Images Bedford County, TN 2009-10

SQUARE MEALS

Head uptown for delicious dining

FORGINGCONNECTIONS

New bypass gets in gear

Powerful Strides

Walking horse industry moves forward

Video tour of uptown Shelbyville

What’s Online

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2009-10 | IMAGESBEDFORDCOUNTY.COM

BEDFORD COUNTY, TENNESSEE

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Wondering how the federal stimulus package will help you?

IT’S YOUR TURN—to save on your energy bill while improving the environment.—

The economic stimulus package has become a fact. Given the hard times, now it’s your turn to benefit. Get a tax credit for up to $1,500 dollars on the cost of insulating, sealing and weather-stripping your home.

You can be more comfortable and save on your energy bill while improving the environment!

Visit Duck River Electric’s Web site, www.dremc.com, for more information about how you can take advantage of these tax credits.

(931) 684-4621

www.dremc.com

City of Shelbyville201 N. Spring St.Shelbyville, TN 37160(931) 684-2691

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Shelbyville, TN 37160(931) 684-7944

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce

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DEPARTMENTS

4 Almanac: a colorful sampling of Bedford County culture

14 Portfolio: people, places and events that defi ne Bedford County

20 Biz Briefs

22 Chamber Report

23 Economic Profi le

24 Education

25 Sports & Recreation

26 Health & Wellness

27 Arts & Culture

28 Community Profi le: facts, stats and important numbers to know

CONTENTS

FEATURES

8 POWERFUL STRIDESWalking horse breeders play a key role in the county’s thriving equine industry.

12 SQUARE MEALSHead uptown for delicious dining.

18 FORGING CONNECTIONSLong-awaited bypass gets in gear.

BEDFORD COUNT Y IMAGESBEDFORDCOUNT Y.COM 3



Music to Our EarsWoodworker J.W. Gallagher started making fine furniture in

the 1930s, but by 1965 he was specializing in guitars

– the now-famous handcrafted Gallagher guitars.

Don Gallagher, J.W.’s son and mayor of Wartrace,

runs the venerable business and is still making these

top-quality guitars, one at a time, in a small shop in

Wartrace. Every guitar built since 1965 has been

recorded in the company’s ledger by model, serial number, initial

owner, and the date it left the shop. Among the first celebrities to

buy one was Paul Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. Grand Ole Opry

star Grandpa Jones had one custom made for him, and legendary

picker Doc Watson – a Gallagher fan – has a Gallagher

model named for him. Visit www.gallagherguitar.com

for more information.

Stay Awhile in WartraceThe quaint town of Wartrace is a must-see stop on

any visit to Bedford County. The downtown area offers

a weekly farmers market on the square during the

summer, and antique-lovers will find some great places

to browse year-round. Downtown includes commercial

buildings in the business district and restored historic

homes, many of which are listed on the National

Register of Historic Places. Hillbilly Willy’s offers

antiques, collectibles and hand-dipped ice cream

– and it’s also home to a large collection of Mountain

Dew soft drink memorabilia. Other gift, antique and

thrift shops include Old Times at The Wartrace Whistle

Stop, The Treasure Chest and Wet Your Whistle.

Reel AdventuresFishing for rainbow trout on the Duck River,

especially from May through July, is a little bit of angling heaven for outdoor enthusiasts. Trout catches exceed most other fish catches on the Duck below Normandy Dam in Bedford County, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The TWRA operates the Normandy Fish Hatchery, raising a dozen species of fish – including rainbow trout and brown trout – and stocking rivers, lakes and reservoirs throughout the state.

Music to Our EarsWoodworker J.W. Gallagher started making fine fu

the 1930s, but by 1965 he was specializing

– the now-famous handcrafted Gallaghe

Don Gallagher, J.W.’s son and mayor of

runs the venerable business and is still m

top-quality guitars, one at a time, in a sm

Wartrace. Every guitar built since 1965 ha

recorded in the company’s ledger by model, serial nu

owner, and the date it left the shop. Among the first c

buy one was Paul Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. Gra

star Grandpa Jones had one custom made for him, an

picker Doc Watson – a Gallagher fan – has a

model named for him. Visit www.gallaghefor more information.

Stop, The Treasure Chest and Wet Your Whistle. thanks in large part to the efforts oTennessee Wildlife Resources AgenTWRA operates the Normandy Fishraising a dozen species of fish – incrainbow trout and brown trout – anrivers, lakes and reservoirs through

Almanac


Fast Facts The Tennessee

Technology Center at Shelbyville offers hands-on training in a wide range of programs, including practical nursing and machine tool technology.

One of the state’s oldest college preparatory schools, the

Webb School, was founded in Bell Buckle in 1870.

Shelbyville is known as Pencil City for its historical importance to pencil manufacturing.

The Spotted Saddle Horse Breeder and Exhibitor Association is based in Shelbyville.

Shelbyville’s 11-day signature event, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, began as a three-day horse show in 1939.

Raise Your GlassTri-Star Vineyards & Winery, seven miles

north of Shelbyville off U.S. 41A, offers a variety

of grape, berry and other fruit wines ranging

from dry to sweet and from white to deep reds.

Owners and operators Perry and Elaine Casteel

make their wines from free-run juice for more

flavor and less bitterness. They offer free tours

of the operation and free tastes of their table

wines, so visitors can try before they buy. The

5-acre winery is the only one in the county, and

some 2,000 guests stop by for tours each year.

Visit www.tristarwinery.com for hours and

up-to-date wine offerings.

World’s Largest Moon Pie

Sharing the world’s largest Moon

Pie and crowning the Moon Pie

Queen and King are just a few of

many activities to be enjoyed at the

annual RC and Moon Pie Festival.

Each June, more than 20,000 people

travel to Bell Buckle to celebrate the

Southern traditions of Moon Pie and RC Cola.

Events include a 10-mile run, games, contests

(including a hog-calling contest and a watermelon seed-spitting

contest), cloggers, live music, more than 50 arts-and-crafts booths,

children’s activities and food vendors. The day ends with the cutting

of the world’s largest edible Moon Pie – served by the King and

Queen and Knights of the Moon Pie Round.

The Next Chapter

The Argie Cooper Public Library

on South Main Street in downtown

Shelbyville is a bustling hub that

provides much more than books.

The library offers a wealth of

activities, including an online book

club, summer story time for kids,

teen activities and more. The

library is in the midst of a capital

campaign, Moving Our Library Into

the Future, which will fund the

library’s move to a new location.

The new facility will include a

community room and expanded

areas for children’s programs,

collections, local history and

genealogy. For more information,

visit www.acolibrary.com.

Tennessee WalkingHorse National Celebration, began as a three-day horse show in 1939.

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Connecting with Bedford County has never been easier …


1 SIMPLY SEARCH: In a hurry? Find the exact

info you need quickly with our enhanced search capabilities.

2 SMOOTHER SURFING: Explore the site and

interact with us more easily with our reorganized navigation bar.

3 JUST THE FACTS: Get a quick snapshot

of the community with our greatly enriched Facts and Stats section.

4 WATCH AND SHARE: Experience fi rst-hand

views of the community in our video gallery, then share them with friends.

5 VIRTUAL VIEW: Flip through pages

of the digital magazine, an online version of the print publication.

6 MOVING MUST-HAVES: Visit our new

Relocation Tools section for many useful tips and information to make your transition go smoothly.

7 MORE EYE CANDY: Check out our

enhanced Photo Gallery for more stunning photos of the community.

8 OUTSIDERS WELCOME: Read about the

best places to play in this community.

9 IN GOOD TASTE: Get the dish on local fl avor

from favorite restaurants, noted area products and farmers markets in our new Food section.

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Murfreesboro

Bell Buckle

Wartrace

Shelbyville

Tullahomaom

LewisburgLBEDFORD

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Normandy

41A

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Bedford County At A Glance

What’s Online eTake a virtual tour of Bedford County at imagesbedfordcounty.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

Bedford County

Taking to the SkiesShelbyville is just an hour’s drive from a major international airport in Nashville, but the city has its

own airport to serve the needs of local businesses and individuals, including pilots-in-training. The Shelbyville Municipal Airport, on Highway 231 North in Shelbyville, has a 5,503-by-100-foot asphalt runway and houses more than 50 planes. The airport offers flight training and aircraft and hangar rentals, and the Shelbyville Sport Flyers Club has a Fly-In Breakfast one Saturday a month at the airport. The facility recently received an Airport of the Year designation from the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission. Visit www.shelbyvilletnairport.org for more information.

POPULATION Bedford County: 44,696

Bell Buckle: 406

Shelbyville: 19,149

Wartrace: 568

LOCATIONBell Buckle, Shelbyville, Wartrace and

Normandy are all located within Bedford

County in south-central Tennessee,

approximately 50 miles from Nashville

and 25 miles from Murfreesboro.

BEGINNINGS Shelbyville was established in 1807

by an act of the Tennessee legislature.

Respected community leader Clement

Cannon donated 100 acres of land

where Shelbyville now stands.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Shelbyville-Bedford County

Chamber of Commerce

100 N. Cannon Blvd.

Shelbyville, TN 37160

Phone: (931) 684-3482

Fax: (931) 684-3483



Almanac


PowerfulSTRIDES


S helbyville is known among horse fans throughout the country as the home of the Tennessee Walking Horse

National Celebration – the focal point of the area’s horse industry and one of the largest horse shows in the world.

You can’t even get close to Shelbyville without passing a major horse farm or breeding operation. In fact, the Tennessee walking horse breeders and exhibitors who live, work and maintain farms here are major contributors to Bedford County’s culture and economy.

Local horse operations buy feed, tractors, equipment and fences. They hire veterinarians. And the owners and

employees build homes and pay for gro-ceries, gas and a range of local services throughout the year.

These outfits produce the world cham-pions of the walking horse breed while giving back to the community.

“This is the mecca of the Tennessee walking horse,” says David Williams, operations manager for Waterfall Farms, the largest Tennessee walking horse breeding farm in the county.

Waterfall Farms, the picturesque facility owned by Bill and Sandra Johnson, includes 1,100 rolling acres and breeds some 1,500 mares each year to World Grand Champion stallions such as Gen’s Black Gin, John F.K.’s Delight,

He’s Puttin’ on the Ritz, José José, Generator’s Santana, A Specialist and All American Cash.

Like many people in the horse indus-try, Williams got an early start, showing horses on a world-championship level as a young man. Over the course of his career, Williams has managed more than 50 stallions. The Middle Tennessee native oversaw breeding operations for several notable area horse farms prior to joining Waterfall Farms in 2006.

“For a horse guy like me, Waterfall is like being at Disney World,” he says.

Frank and Debbie Eichler, owners of Rising Star Ranch, moved to Shelbyville from Denver, Colo., in 2000 to start their

WALKING HORSE BREEDERS PLAY KEY ROLE IN THRIVING INDUSTRY

STORY BY CAROL COWANPHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY S. OTTO

Debbie Eichler, owner of Rising Star Ranch, rides a walking horse past a doorway in one of the facility’s riding arenas. Above: Horses in fields are common sights throughout Bedford County, home to many horse breeders and exhibitors.


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breeding operation. Rising Star breeds about 800 mares per year, and its lineup of 13 champion stallions includes World Grand Champion Gen’s Armed and Dangerous – also named the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association’s Sire of the Year in 2004. Other stallions are four-time World Champion Generator’s Silver Dollar, and up-and-comers Main Power – the 2005 World Grand Champion – and A Strong Dollar.

“Another popular new producer we have is a horse named Ted Williams – quite possibly the most beautiful horse living,” says Tanya Hopper, breeding office manager at Rising Star Ranch.

Owner Debbie Eichler describes herself as a true animal lover. She says the best thing about horse ranching is seeing her stallions’ offspring.

“We’re in the baby business,” Eichler says. “I love all the babies, and it’s always interesting to see what the combination of a particular mare with a particular stud will produce.

“This year [2009] will be the first time that I will be personally showing babies that I have raised, so that’s fun,” she adds.

Sand Creek Farm specializes in the sale of Tennessee walking horses, along with a few other breeds. Sand Creek Sales buys and sells horses all day every day, in addition to offering scheduled sales throughout the year at the com-pany’s Shelbyville facility.

Broodmares, performance and pleas-ure horses are the focus of Sand Creek’s Celebration Sale, held during the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in August. Its two-day Christmas at Sand Creek sale features premier show horses.

Left: The annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration takes place for 11 days in late summer.

Above right: Horses at Rising Star Ranch Below right: Bits in the barn


A nybody hungry? There’s new cuisine on the scene in uptown

Shelbyville, along with tried-and-true restaurants that continue to offer great meals and friendly

service on and around the courthouse square.Twin brothers Ron and Don Stacy opened 50’s & Fiddles

Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor in July 2008 at 203 Depot St., next door to the Capri Theater. But even die-hard locals won’t recognize the totally transformed interior of the building.

The front half has been turned into a 1950s-style diner, complete with black-and-white checkered floors and a soda fountain lined with vinyl-covered swivel stools. There’s a jukebox in the corner, pictures of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and other 1950s-era celebrities line the walls, and customers can access the modern convenience of free Wi-Fi.

“We had a restaurant in Wartrace that we sold,” Ron Stacy says. “We were looking for another place when we found this building. My brother and I both have great memories of going to the soda shop next to the local theater when we were kids, so we built this 1950s diner.

“We serve old-fashioned milkshakes – with the mixing tin, so they’re really big portions – made with Blue Bell ice cream,” Stacy continues. “And we serve ice cream floats in frosted mugs.”

Milkshakes come in all kinds of f lavors, but the peanut butter and banana Elvis shake is a customer favorite. The diner fare has clever names, such as the Bebop Burger and

You-Ain’t-Nothin’-But-a-Hound Dog. Traditional Southern sandwiches such as barbecue, fried bologna and pimiento cheese also are popular picks on the menu.

The back half of the building looks like the main street of an Old West town, which the brothers have dubbed “Fiddle City.” A stage at one end features karaoke on Thursday nights, open-mike bluegrass on Friday nights and ’50s bands on Saturday nights. Look for the addition of Sunday afternoon gospel music soon.

“We have big crowds every weekend,” Stacy says.Just down the street at 121 Public Square South, The Coffee

Break offers specialty coffees and plate breakfasts all day, along with salads, sandwiches and soups for lunch. The restaurant and coffee shop is also known for its desserts, including cookies, pastries and freshly baked lemon, coconut and chocolate pies.

The homemade chicken salad is a big hit here, along with the Saddle Salad – a hearty green salad served with the restaurant’s own house vinaigrette dressing.

Much of The Coffee Break’s business comes from the Bedford County Courthouse, which is just across the street, and the restaurant often sets up small tables on the sidewalk when the weather is nice. The Coffee Break offers business-to-business delivery in the Shelbyville area on orders placed before 10 a.m.

Another popular restaurant in the uptown area is Bocelli Gourmet Pizza and Pasta Shoppe on Depot Street.

Clockwise from top: The 50’s & Fiddles Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor features a 1950s-style diner in the front and a live music venue in the back; an ice cream sundae at 50’s & Fiddles; coffee beans at The Coffee Break

STORY BY CAROL COWAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY S. OTTO

HEAD UPTOWN FOR DELICIOUS DINING

SquareMeals


What’s Online eTake a peek at 50’s & Fiddles Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor in our quick video. Visit imagesbedfordcounty.com.



An Upgrade for UptownSHELBYVILLE AIMS FOR NATIONAL MAIN STREET DESIGNATION IN 2010

If all goes according to plan, uptown Shelbyville will receive a national Main Street designation

in 2010.That’s one of the goals of Main Street

Shelbyville, a nonprofit organization formed in 2008 to encourage uptown business develop-ment, preserve and upgrade neighborhood buildings, and bring more community events to the uptown district.

“We have a nice uptown area already in place, with our public square courthouse, a riverwalk area, an industrial building that was recently converted into an arts center, and good building owners who have invested in restoring their properties,” says Harold Segroves, chairman of Main Street Shelbyville. “We want to ensure that the uptown buildings survive and that district life survives as well.”

Segroves says that once Shelbyville achieves a Main Street designation, the city can apply to receive federal and state funds from a number of sources.

“Main Street is a big-picture organization that takes a lot of baby steps,” he says. “Twenty years from now, when we look at our uptown, we hope to be similar to the other successful Main Street districts of Middle Tennessee such as Murfreesboro, Franklin and Columbia.”

Segroves adds that uptown Shelbyville has quite an interesting layout to begin with.

“We have our courthouse in the middle of the square, and two streets apiece run into each corner of the square,” he says. “In other words, we have eight individual streets funneling into the uptown district. This type of design is actually known nationwide as the Shelbyville Plan, and it has since been copied by many developing communities.”

Main Street Shelbyville’s biggest project now is keeping courthouse offices on the square.

“We don’t want any of those offices to move away,” he says, “so we’re getting the word out about Main Street Shelbyville and the plans for future upgrades to the district.”

What’s Online

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Take a virtual tour of uptown Shelbyville in our quick video. Visit imagesbedfordcounty.com.


Portfolio


Going Green With Agritourism

Bedford County is home to many local farms, and a few of them open their fields for folks to explore and

partake in outdoor offerings.Cedar Rock Hunting Preserve is a 389-acre hunting

lodge and habitat with 1.5-miles of river frontage. Open to the public for 14 years, it offers lodging, summer camps, bird and deer hunting, corporate events, meeting facilities, hiking trails and now an annual fall festival.

The inaugural Cedar Rock Fall Festival will take place in October 2009. Attractions include a pumpkin patch, corn maze, wagon rides, an activity barn and food booths.

Valley Home Farm in Wartrace is a 350-acre family farm whose main farmhouse is an 1835 Greek Revival home that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The farm is open to the public for six weeks in the spring each year for strawberry picking.

Visitors can pick their own berries or buy them prepicked

from an onsite farm store. Also available for purchase are Valley Home strawberry cakes, strawberry bread, fresh strawberry pie and Valley Home strawberry ice cream.

Additional items for sale include chocolate dipped strawberries, Valley Home honey made right on the farm, and farm-fresh strawberry, peach and wild blackberry jams.

Another Bedford County destination for agritourism enthusiasts is Vannatta Farms in Bell Buckle. This farm has been around since the 1850s. Mostly known for raising chickens for Tyson’s Shelbyville complex, the operation also grows row crops of cotton, corn, wheat and soybeans. Many of those crops are sold to the public during the year. Vannatta Farms is one of the few century farms still in operation in Bedford County.

Tri-Star Vineyards & Winery, just north of Shelbyville, is another popular destination. The family-owned winery offers free tours and free tastings of table wines.

The Celebration has been a big part of Bedford County since 1939. Now, it

has even more to celebrate.The 11-day event each year in

Shelbyville is officially called the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. Walking horses are known for their distinctive high-in-the-air, front-foot gaits, and 200,000 walking horse fans from across the country crowd Calsonic Arena each year to participate in the festivities.

The Celebration is estimated to pro-vide an annual $50 million boon to the local economy, and there are five condominium developments within walking distance of the Celebration grounds – with most of those condos serving as second homes to avid Celebration attendees from around the country.

But the Celebration has undergone controversy in recent years, with alle-gations that some participating horses have been mistreated to get them to achieve their distinctive gait.

To rectify that situation, several new board members and a new Celebration CEO – Dr. Doyle Meadows – are now in place to make sure that such methods will not be practiced in the future.

“In the past, some owners and

trainers actually doubled as horse inspec-tors, so they would often ignore certain situations,” Meadows says. “They were like foxes guarding the hen house. We now have 25 independent top inspectors who have no ties whatsoever to the owners and trainers. Our goal from this point forward is to put quality, sound horses in the ring.”

Changes include the Celebration itself establishing a Horse Industry Organization that will sanction walking

horse shows throughout the country. The Celebration has also formed a SHOW program to oversee every event. SHOW is an acronym for Sound horses, Honest judging, Objective inspection and Winning fairly.

So let the competitions continue. Champions in more than 30 different divisions at the Celebration are still crowned during the 11 days, culminated by a World Grand Champion named on the Saturday night before Labor Day.

Celebrating Some Important Changes

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration draws 200,000 fans.

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Home of the Feet

Yes‚ it’s true. All sports teams at The Webb School in Bell Buckle are

nicknamed the Feet.The private school for grades six

through 12 was founded in 1870‚ with the facility originally opening in Culleoka‚ Tenn. It was moved to its present-day‚ 100-acre campus in 1886. One of its notable alums is actor Wayne Rogers‚ who played Trapper John on the long running M*A*S*H television show.

Besides its quality academics, the school hosts the annual Webb School Arts & Crafts Festival‚ which features more than 120 artists displaying and selling pottery‚ jewelry‚ paintings‚ photography‚ ironworks and more. Voted one of the top 50 arts and crafts shows in the nation‚ it includes live music‚ storytellers and a cultural food court. The festival takes place the third weekend in October.

Bell Buckle is also home to a new Tennessee Shakespeare Festival, which started in 2008 and is also held at the Webb School. In June 2008, more than 1,200 people attended five evenings of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with tickets priced at $10-$15 (and free for children 12 and under).

The town of 405 residents is known for its historic downtown area that features plenty of antique shops and interesting eateries. The downtown district also hosts an annual RC and Moon Pie Festival, which draws about 20,000 people.

What’s Online eCheck out historic downtown Bell Buckle in our quick video. Visit imagesbedfordcounty.com.

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Bell Buckle is known for its historic downtown area, among other attractions.


Portfolio

www.wartracemusicfest.org


The Town of Wartrace is proud of its rich traditions of music and craft,

and plenty of visitors want in on the action each year.

The Wartrace MusicFest is an annual musical get-together that celebrates old-time music and homemade crafts. The event takes place on the weekend after Memorial Day and is a way to bring people together to have a good time.

In May 2009, MusicFest attracted top Nashville-based acts such as Cherryholmes, Tom Brantley & Friends, The Doerfel Family Band, The Creek, Jon Garon, Jim and Inge Wood, Richard Starkey, Angelica Grim, Zack Kerber, Stephan Gallagher and Steve Kaufman. Kaufman also hosted a guitar clinic as part of the Friday festivities.

Other attractions at MusicFest include an arts and crafts show, along with a one-hour open-mike competition for amateur musicians. All proceeds from the festival go back into the commu-nity, primarily for park and downtown improvements.

Even the lodging options for MusicFest are one of a kind, with accom-modations available at the Walking Horse Hotel, Historic Main Street Inn and the Parish Patch – all located in Wartrace.

Besides MusicFest, the town is also home to a Strolling Jim 40-Mile Ultra-Marathon that draws plenty of hardcore runners to the town on the first Satur-day of May. The event is just as its title suggests – a grueling 40-mile run that takes even the top competitors more than five hours to complete.

Wartrace has hosted the Ultra-Marathon for more than 30 years, and the famed endurance event attracts runners from around the world.

Other events in town during the year include a Parks & Recreation Spring Dinner in March, a Bethsalem Homecoming in June, a Parks & Recreation Hamburger Supper in July, a Wartrace Horse Show in August, and a Town-Wide Yard Sale in August. Wartrace is also home to the renowned Gallagher Guitars.

– Stories by Kevin Litwin

Plenty To Celebrate in Wartrace


www.heritagemedicalcenter.com

LONG-AWAITED BYPASS GETS IN GEAR

S tate Route 437 – a longtime item on the county’s wish list – is finally becoming a reality, with construction under way

as of spring 2009.The new road will connect U.S. 231 to

U.S. 41A by looping around northeast Shelbyville – a bypass long sought as a way to relieve truck traffic on city roads and allow better highway access for the county’s industrial-area businesses.

The roadway will be built with an estimated $23 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment

Act of 2009, and the project also received an additional $1 million in funding that Sen. Lamar Alexander included in the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill.

Given the need for the connector, state officials had been drawing up plans and have already completed work on an overpass, says B. J. Doughty, com-munity relations officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

“TDOT did work closely with the Bedford County Mayor and Bedford County Railroad Authority from December 2004 to May 2008 to plan,

develop and construct the Walking Horse Railroad Overpass over the pro-posed location of the roadway,” Doughty says. “Bedford County also made this project its No. 1 priority through the Rural Planning Organization, which works closely with TDOT.”

Because the project could begin quickly and will be completed in less than three years – current estimates call for a two-year construction period – it qualified for the stimulus dollars.

“We are excited about the progress being made with the Shelbyville bypass,”

STORY BY JOE MORRIS

Keep on Trucking


BusinessBusiness

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says Aaron Melhorn, manager of distri-bution at Newell Rubbermaid Office Products’ Shelbyville plant. “One of the primary reasons the Railroad Avenue site was chosen for Newell Rubbermaid’s new, state-of-the-art distribution center was its location in relation to the planned bypass.

“While the financial impact to our site will be minimal, it will certainly simplify carriers’ transit to and from our site and will likely result in fewer ‘lost’ carriers in Shelbyville as driving directions will become much simpler.”

Newell Rubbermaid’s distribution center, set to open in late 2009, is a 155-000-square-foot facility that will add 120 jobs to the local economy.

The project is the first of many that the community believes will be spurred by the new roadway, says Walt Wood, chief executive officer of the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce.

“This is the culmination of nearly 20 years of work by this chamber and the county and city, which have all pressed for a bypass that was conceived and mapped out then,” Wood says. “It has

been a long-term process to get this funded, and it’s going to be a game-changer as far as opening up a whole new area for development. We’re hoping to site a new industrial park on that road in the near future, because prospects that have been looking at us are very keen to have the details on the roadway.

“It’s going to make things like the Newell Rubbermaid distribution center possible, and our existing companies, such as Calsonic Kansei North America and Big G Express trucking, will benefit from having a faster route.”

Clockwise from left: The new bypass will simplify transit to and from industrial businesses; a walking horse relief adorns the new Walking Horse Railroad Overpass; packages move on a conveyor belt at Newell Rubbermaid Office Products’ Shelbyville plant. A new distribution center is in the works.


BUSINESSES – BOTH LARGE AND SMALL – THAT HELP DEFINE

BEDFORD COUNTY’S ECONOMIC CLIMATE

Biz BriefsScorecard

BUSINESS AT A GLANCE

$262,323Retail sales ($1,000)

$6,681Retail sales

per capita

$24,790Accommodation

and foodservices

sales ($1,000)

2,941Total Number

of Firms

Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts

JABIRU USA SPORT AIRCRAFTBiz: Maker of light sport planesBuzz: Jabiru USA Sport Aircraft is the world’s largest distributor of Jabiru-brand aircraft and aircraft engines. Jabiru USA was established in 1999 as a full-service Jabiru center, and it moved to Shelbyville in 2004. The company manufactures and distributes components for Jabiru engine installations, and it employs licensed engine and aircraft repairmen.www.usjabiru.com


Business

BELL BUCKLE CAFÉ & MUSIC PARLOURBiz: Restaurant and live music venueBuzz: J. Gregry’s Bell Buckle Café & Music Parlour on the square in Bell Buckle draws folks from miles around for its renowned country cooking, homemade lemonade and friendly ambiance. Offering live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the café also is fast becoming a center for musical talent from throughout Middle Tennessee. www.bellbucklecafe.com

BEDFORD GYM & FITNESS CENTERBiz: Gym and fitness centerBuzz: The Bedford Gym & Fitness Center, located at 1733 N. Main Street in Shelbyville, is a full-service fitness center offering group fitness classes, strength training classes, free weights, cardio equipment, strength-training machines, a kids’ room, sauna, tanning and more. Bedford Gym & Fitness Center is open six days a week, and members have 24-hour access.www.bedfordgym.com

BEDFORD FARMERS CO-OPBiz: Farm and garden machinery and equipment Buzz: Bedford Farmers Co-op in Shelbyville supplies farmers with just about everything they need, including feed, seed, fertilizer, chemicals, lawn mowers, power equipment, petroleum and more. The co-op also has a gift shop with home-décor items and a bridal registry. (931) 684-3506

JOSTENS INC.Biz: Produces yearbooks, class rings and graduation products Buzz: The multimillion-dollar company Jostens Inc. is headquartered in Minneapolis, but the company runs a busy production facility in Shelbyville. The Union Street site prints the majority of Jostens’ diplomas, and it also specializes in printing high school and college graduation announcements. www.jostens.com


www.thewebbschool.com

www.liveunited.org

S ince 1994, Leadership Bedford has been enhancing its community in big and small ways – from building a meditation garden for a women’s home to delivering

Easter baskets for needy families.Other projects have included building a Habitat for Humanity

House, launching a youth leadership program and building the Celebration Station playground.

Designed to build adult leadership in Bedford County, the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce-supported program has attracted top members of the business, civic and public-service fields.

Each class comes together monthly to learn about the community, meet leaders in a wide array of fields, network and complete a project that benefits the community.

“This year we have students from the business community, including a retired Army general,” says Roger Hawks, Leadership Bedford board president. “We have members from the banking community, from the technology center, a chamber employee. It varies widely from year to year.”

In 2009, nine adults went through the adult leadership program, and 13 high schoolers signed up for the youth program, which often meets in conjunction with the adult program.

Class members launch the year in September with a retreat – including team building and get-to-know-you activities –

that runs from Friday night through Saturday. They meet again each month through May for one-day

training sessions that focus on a different aspect of the community, such as education, social services, government, medicine and agriculture. Classes are held on site, depending on the area of interest.

During the course of the year, class members learn about delegating, problem-solving, decision-making, identifying and analyzing issues, and communication.

“I was able to see things an outsider might not ever see about the community and services and government,” says Hawks, a graduate of the program. “It helped introduce me to the community, and it gave me the opportunity to find out where I could fit best in terms of volunteering and giving back to the community.”

The projects each class chooses may come from members, or they could be submitted by the community and recom-mended by Leadership Bedford.

In 2008-2009, members chose to complete several small projects. They planted trees at Wartrace Community Park, painted at local parks, worked with Habitat for Humanity and built a meditation garden for previously incarcerated women at Next Step Home.

– Laura Hill

Leadership Bedford members planted a meditation garden for previously incarcerated women at Next Step Home in Shelbyville.J

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Making Connections, Building CommunityLEADERSHIP BEDFORD FOSTERS NETWORKING, INVOLVEMENT


Business | Chamber Report

SOUTHERN FLOORS

(931) 680-0804www.southernfloors.net

OWNER: EARL DAVENPORT

PRODUCTS:

BUSINESS CLIMATEBedford County has a strong and skilled workforce, filling more

than 4,000 manufacturing and related jobs. The local government

is very supportive of new and expanding industries. That support

was acknowledged in a 2007 study by the Tennessee Center for

Policy Research, which ranked Shelbyville as one of the state’s

top 25 most business-friendly communities.

BEDFORD COUNTY

TAXES

2.75%City Sales and Use Tax

2.75%County Sales Tax

TRANSPORTATION

Nashville International Airport(615) 275-1675

www.nashintl.com

(about 46 miles

from Shelbyville)

Shelbyville Municipal Airport(931) 684-1669

www.shelbyvilletnairport.org

INDUSTRIAL SITES

Available Industrial Siteswww.dealready.com

ECONOMIC RESOURCES

Tennessee Department

of Economic & Community

Development

312 Rosa Parks Ave.

11th Floor

Nashville, TN 37243

(615) 741-1888

www.tennessee.gov/ecd

Shelbyville-Bedford County

Chamber of Commerce

100 N. Cannon Blvd.


(931) 684-3482


GOVERNMENT OFFICES

Bedford County

Mayor’s Office

One Public Square

Suite 101


(931) 684-7944

www.bedfordcountytn.org/

countymayor.html

City of Shelbyville201 N. Spring St.


(931) 684-2691

www.shelbyvilletn.org/

Shelbyville.htm

MORE ONLINE


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285 Frank Martin Rd. Shelbyville, TN 37160(931) 680-3408 Fax (931) 680-3404

Distribution Center #6062

The DC services 94 Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets. This past year the Distribution Center processed over 42 million cases of freight and shipper over 25,000 trailers, traveling over six million miles. Our associates contributed to many charitable organizations in Shelbyville and other areas

throughout Bedford County and Middle Tennessee.

Here at Wal-Mart Distribution Center #6062, “Our associates make the difference for our stores and our community.”


Business | Economic Profile


www.southernfloors.net

Two new schools are opening in Bedford County – a sign of both the tremendous growth in the

area and the commitment of civic leaders to accommodate that growth.

Learning Way Elementary School is the first non-replacement school to be built in Shelbyville since the 1950s. It will be equipped with new technology, including wireless Internet access throughout the building, extra class-rooms to accommodate future growth, and auxiliary spaces for programs such

as music and special education. Community High School, a new

facility in Unionville, about 12 miles outside of Shelbyville, will be similarly equipped. Both schools are expected to open their doors for the 2009-2010 school year.

“We went from 5,000 students in the district to more than 7,000 in very short order,” says Superintendent Ed Gray. “Now we not only have the space to accommodate our students, we have room to grow.”

Moving ForwardNEW FACILITIES MAKE WAY FOR PROGRAMS, GROWTH

With the new additions, Bedford County’s public school district consists of 13 schools, a vocational annex and Bedford County Learning Academy, which houses alternative learning pro-grams. These schools serve approximately 7,650 students and are staffed with about 950 employees, according to the Bedford County Department of Education.

The school district is expanding to meet the changing needs of the com-munity, which has grown from a small, rural area to a more diverse region that now includes suburbanite commuters, professionals and new residents working in local business and industry.

As more young families move to the area, Gray says a top priority was the new Learning Way Elementary School.

The 80,000-square-foot school – a K-5 school – will house 500 students, and an addition could be built to bring capacity up to 750 if necessary.

The school is being built beside the new Harris Middle School and near the newly renovated and expanded Shelbyville Central High School.

Along with the new Community High School in Unionville, the education facil-ities “really make an attractive addition to our community,” Gray says. “They’re both well designed, well planned, and they add to the county’s overall image.”

The schools received funding through bond initiatives. The $11.2 million elementary school and the $16 million Community High are part of a 10-year master expansion plan, which also includes $3.2 million for an elementary school addition near Bell Buckle and $21 million for renovations and additions at Central High.

– Anita Wadhwani


Education

Time can take its toll on a golf course, but River Bend Country Club’s much-loved 18-hole course is looking healthier – and prettier – than ever as it celebrates its

50th birthday.Widely considered one of the finest small club courses in

the state, the George Cobb-designed course boasts improved greens and the return of its popular pro, Randy Helton, to River Bend.

“It’s your typical member-friendly golf course that’s in good condition with good putting surfaces,” says Helton, who returned from nine seasons at Stones River Country Club in 2008 to work on rebuilding club programs – such as ladies golf and junior golf – to make the traditional country club a family-friendly place to spend time.

“We want to have something for everyone – juniors, seniors, ladies, as well as your mainstay golfers,” says Helton. “In a few years our junior program will be second to none.”

As a full-service country club, River Bend offers more than good golf, a fully stocked pro shop, putting green, driving range and lessons. Members can also enjoy a large swimming pool and kiddie pool, two lighted tennis courts and an outdoor lounge and grill for informal dining.

Chef Antonio Thompson presides over what Helton describes

as “the best food in town” in a more formal setting in the banquet room or smaller dining room.

The club, which has 200 golfing members and just over 300 other members, enjoys a busy schedule of tournaments and events from April through September, but it keeps its members’ needs in mind.

“We try to keep most of our tournaments in conjunction with regular play,” says Helton. “There’s nothing worse than coming out ready to play and having the course be shut down.”

The player-friendly course “doesn’t have a whole lot of trouble, even though we can make it hard depending on the mood our superintendent is in when he wakes up,” he jokes. “Members are going to be happier if they come out shooting 70 rather than 90, but it’s still challenging.”

River Bend is one of the first clubs in the area to install Ultra Dwarf hybrid Bermuda grass on its course, a heat- and water-loving surface that does uniquely well in this area in both winter and summer.

“I’ve been fortunate in my 25 years in this business to play on a lot of courses,” Helton says. “For a town of this size, I can say it’s the best golf club in the state. You have to travel a long distance to find a better-conditioned, more fun golf course.”

– Laura Hill

Celebrating 50 Years in StyleRIVER BEND COUNTRY CLUB IMPROVES GREENS, BUILDS FAMILY-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

What’s Online eGo to imagesbedfordcounty.com and click on “Recreation” to read more about Bedford County’s sports and recreational activities.


Sports & Recreation


A fter serving for many years as an accomplished lung care specialist, Dr. Frederic Seifer

felt he could do more. Voted the best physician in his com-

munity and landing several regional awards, Seifer, nevertheless, says he “started feeling like I was just doing Band-Aids.”

He wanted to help people before they reached the Intensive Care Unit.”

So Seifer channeled his energy into

creating a breakthrough smoking ces-sation program. Now based at Heritage Medical Center in Shelbyville, the program is drawing national attention for its unprecedented success rates in beating the notoriously hard-to-overcome addiction.

The Health-Status Improvement Program helps patients addicted to cigarettes or chewing tobacco quit for good. It has an unprecedented 85 percent success rate after six months, validated

by chemical testing, Seifer says.Key to his program is establishing a

“dynamic dialogue” that is often missing between patients and busy doctors. Seifer establishes this the moment a patient walks into his office.

“I say I’m going to do my job,” Seifer says. “I’m not going to give up on you. I’m going to stand there at the batter’s mound and keep pitching as long as you want to keep hitting.”

That moment of establishing trust – and convincing patients that he will not give up on them – is key to any smoking cessation program’s ultimate success, he says.

Seifer tells patients that they are inhaling 4,000 chemicals with each cigarette puff.

Only one of these chemicals – nicotine – is actually addictive.

He suggests for the first week they switch to a lower-nicotine cigarette brand and smoke all they want. The second week, he might suggest an even lower nicotine brand, or medication. By the time Seifer and his patient set a quit date, he is reasonably confident the patient is ready to physically and psychologically kick the habit.

Seifer has been practicing at Heritage Medical Center since early 2009.

A new chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or lung disease, screening tool created by Dr. Seifer for the general population is being piloted in Shelbyville and soon may be used by hospitals across the country, he says.

Dr. Seifer and other physicians have been drawn to Shelbyville’s new $52 million medical center.

“This really is the right size canvas for me to do what I want to do,” he says.

“There’s no reason Shelbyville can’t be known for pencils, walking horses – and as a leader in health care.”

– Anita Wadhwani

Patients Can Breathe EasierSMOKING-CESSATION PROGRAM AT HERITAGE MEDICAL IGNITES NATIONAL INTEREST

Dr. Frederic D. Seifer, creator of a successful smoking cessation program

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Health & Wellness

With plenty of live music, movies, visual arts and theater, Shelbyville offers a

range of ways to enjoy the arts.The uptown area boasts two major

attractions: the Capri Theater – a restored Art Deco theater that shows first-run movies – and the Fly Cultural Arts Center, offering arts activities ranging from holiday dinner theater to art classes and live music, including Nashville Symphony performances.

“We have special events like our

community theater productions, youth theater and summer theater programs in the summertime, and it’s all local people,” says Janice Cole, director of the Fly Cultural Arts Center. “But we pull people in from Tullahoma, Manchester and other communities to audition for our productions as well as attend them. We’ve made a name for ourselves with our theater programs in particular.”

The Fly highlights a different artist every month or so, and it also hosts dances every third Saturday, including

Heart of the ArtsMOVIES, PLAYS, EXHIBITS DRAW VISITORS UPTOWN

the annual luau in May and the Blue Jean & Goblin Ball in October.

There’s a Festival of Trees before Thanksgiving, and an annual dinner the-ater production during early December.

Other Fly programs include an art workshop, led by Bell Buckle mosaic artist Sherri Warner Hunter, that will culminate in the creation and display of a three-sided mosaic statue – to be called Vision, Action, and Prayer – honoring the women of Bedford County.

“We are a cultural anchor for the area as far as visual art, and we’re always looking to do different things,” Cole says. “We have visitors who come in from all over, many of whom are coming to see our county history museum at the Fly. We’ve always got something new going on.”

Entertainment buffs also enjoy the ambiance at the Capri, which still has many of its original Art Deco amenities, including illuminated signage through-out the interior, steel railing on the staircase and the exterior marquee that has become a Shelbyville landmark. These days, owners Ray and Beth Rhoton are working on installing new seats and doing other renovation work.

“We’re doing the seats and drapes over the summer, but we’re always trying to keep everything up,” Ray Rhoton says. “Everything’s going really well for us here, so we try to keep work-ing on the building while maintaining its atmosphere.”

The movies, plays and other events continue to draw people to the historic downtown area, where the activity helps restaurants and retail stores thrive.

Also uptown, 50’s & Fiddles Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor recently got in on the entertainment action, opening a live music venue in the back of its ’50s-style diner on Depot Street.

– Joe Morris

A mosaic sculpture honoring Bedford County women is in the works at the Fly Cultural Arts Center uptown.


Arts & Culture

visit ouradvertisersAscend Federal Credit Union www.ascendfcu.org

Bedford County www.bedfordcountytn.org

Craig & Wheeler Realty & Auction Company www.craigwheeler.com

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation www.dremc.com

Heritage Medical Center www.heritagemedicalcenter.com

Jostens www.jostens.com

Motlow State Community College www.mscc.edu

Southern Floors www.southernfloors.net

State Farm Insurances www.statefarm.com

Tennessee Technology Center www.ttcshelbyville.edu

The Webb School www.thewebbschool.com

Town of Wartrace www.wartracemusicfest.org

Wal-Mart Distribution Center #6062 www.wal-mart.com

SNAPSHOTWith picturesque rolling hills, a growing number of manufacturing

businesses and an excellent quality of life, Bedford County is one

of the fastest-growing counties in the state – and it’s welcoming

new economic development all the time. The county attracts

about 200,000 people from across the country each year with its

signature event, the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.

BEDFORD COUNTY

MEDICAL SERVICES OVERVIEW

Bedford County Medical

Center’s brand-new facility

opened in June 2008 with

a new CEO, upgraded

technology, more efficient

processes and a whole new

approach to customer service.

The $50 million, 100,000-

square-foot medical center

on U.S. Highway 231 in the

Airport Business Park replaces

a nearly 60-year-old structure

in a different location.

The new Community Health

Systems-owned hospital is

a non-smoking campus, and

all staff members – whether

they’re nurses or maintenance

workers – wear uniforms.

Processes have been

streamlined to cut down on

patients’ paperwork, and new

technology makes for faster,

more convenient service.

EDUCATIONAL OVERVIEW

Bedford County offers quality

public and private school

education opportunities, along

with a Tennessee Technology

Center campus. Additional

higher education options

nearby include Middle

Tennessee State University and

Motlow Community College.

CLIMATE OVERVIEW

Bedford County has a

moderate climate, with enough

annual rainfall to keep plants

lush and green and enough

sunny days for people to enjoy

the great outdoors. Winters

are generally mild, and

snowfall tends to be very light.

10 FJanuary Low Temperature

71 FJanuary High Temperature

57 FJuly Low Temperature

94 FJuly High Temperature

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(931) 684-9112 508 Cannon Blvd.


Experience Matters! – Since 1973 Experience Matters! – Since 1973 www.craigwheeler.com


Community Profile


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Ad Index C4 AsCendFederAl CreditUnion

1 BedFordCoUnty

28 CrAig&WheelerreAlty &AUCtionCompAny

C2 dUCkrivereleCtriC memBershipCorporAtion

17 heritAge mediCAlCenter

2 Jostens

2 motloWstAte CommUnityCollege

23 soUthernFloors

C3 stAteFArm insUrAnCes

C3 tennessee

teChnologyCenter

21 theWeBBsChool

16 toWnoFWArtrACe

23 WAl-mArtdistriBUtion

Center#6062

TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGY CENTERAT SHELBYVILLE

Building SkillsGuiding Careers

Meeting the Needs and Demands

of the Community and Industry

Online Soft Skills and Computer Training

For more information or a campus visit, call:

(931) 685-50131405 Madison St.

Shelbyville, TN 37160www.ttcshelbyville.edu

at SHELBYVILLE


www.ttcshelbyville.edu

www.ascendfcu.org

Documents

Images Bedford County, TN 2009-10