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The Greeneville Sun
Section F
Perspectives
Benchmarks — March 26, 2016
2 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 26, 2016 www.greenevillesun.com
BY SARAH R. GREGORY
STAFF WRITER
The Town of Greeneville has had many accomplish-ments in the last year, and more are expected in the coming months, according to Mayor W.T. Daniels.
In a recent interview, Daniels reflected on some of the town’s most signifi-cant developments in the last several months while looking ahead to other efforts currently in the works.
BUDGET DEVELOPMENTS
In June 2015, the Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen nar-rowly passed a $26 mil-lion budget that included in it a 17-cent property tax increase.
With aldermen dead-locked, Daniels cast the tie-breaking vote that put the budget in place for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
It marked the first time the town has increased its property tax rate since 2001. He noted that a dif-ferent option for dealing with a projected budget deficit — implementation of a per month solid waste collection fee — was dis-cussed but never acted upon.
“We were talking about a fee for door-to-door pickup, and we decided not to go that route,” Daniels said. “Ultimate-ly, what that property tax increase was about was schools.”
Although property tax increases were enacted in 1999 and 2001, the revenue they generated was insufficient to cover repayment of bonds the town took out for school construction projects, including total recon-struction of Greeneville High School.
“We actually had in the very beginning (of the school construction proj-ects) two tax increases, but we never raised the property tax to the point it would alleviate the burden of those bonds,” he said. “Now, we have that behind us.”
When the 2015-16 bud-get was passed, Daniels said it was a “tough deci-sion” to implement a tax increase, but that it ulti-mately put the town on a path toward being debt-free.
“Our debt — our struc-ture of our debt — will
take care of itself from this day forward,” he said at the time.
Although budget hear-ings for the 2016-17 fiscal year have not yet begun, Daniels said he expects the development process to go smoothly.
“I think it’s going to be relatively easy putting our budget together,” he said, pointing to the fact that the amount of last year’s property tax increase is projected to be enough to cover increasing debt payments over the next several years.
GRANT-FUNDED PROJECTS
Daniels added that he believes the board has limited its spending in recent years and will con-tinue to do so.
“One thing that we’ve really tried to concen-trate on is our spending,” he said, noting that grant funds have provided much of the funding for some of the town’s more significant expenses in recent years.
Clean Tennessee Ener-gy Grant program funds from the Tennessee Department of Environ-ment and Conservation covered half the cost of a new hybrid garbage truck put into service by the town’s Public Works Department in late 2015, Daniels said.
The new truck utilizes a drive system devel-oped by Parker Hannifin designed to reduce emis-sions and fuel and main-tenance costs. Its hydrau-lic transmission reuses as much as 70 percent of its braking energy for accelleration.
The town’s portion of the truck’s cost was about $195,000, compared to the nearly $250,000 cost of a new, standard auto-mated garbage truck purchased in 2014.
Grant funds are also paying 50 percent of the $250,000 cost of trans-forming the former East-View Pool site into a new splash pad recreation center.
That facility will include several water features, like jets and sprayers, for children to enjoy during warm weather months. In all, it will encompass about 3,200 square-feet with an actual “wet zone” of about 2,900 square-feet.
“We’re working on the splash pad, and that is exciting,” Daniels said. “I think if you go by other communities, that’s been very successful. Hope-fully, ours can be just as successful.”
A highlight of 2016 will be work to complete the final phase of the Fair-grounds Connector Road
project, which has been in the works for more than 20 years.
This last phase of work, at an estimated $2.5 mil-lion cost, will use about $1.5 million in Federal Highway Administration funds that flow through the Tennessee Depart-ment of Transportation.
“I’m very much looking forward to the comple-tion of the Fairgrounds Connector road,” Dan-iels said. “That will open up a lot of opportunities for commercial develop-ment.”
The new road will start behind Fairgrounds Plaza, near the entrance to the rear parking lot of the Greene County Fair-grounds. It will contin-ue for seven-tenths of a mile and intersect with Rufe Taylor Road. It will have two 12-foot lanes and one 12-foot center lane, and be lined by a 10-foot multi-modal sidewalk.
Daniels said he believes the route will also help alleviate traf-fic congestion along U.S. Highway 11E while pro-viding better access to rear loading areas at existing business devel-opments that front the highway.
“I think it’s going to prove to be a very good investment,” he said.
GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
Growth and develop-ment will continue to be a focus for the town, Dan-iels said.
“We’re seeing an increase in commercial development,” he said. “Ingles built a beauti-ful store out there, we’ve got Publix coming in and Food City is going through an expansion. Eastman Credit Union is coming to Greeneville.”
Daniels said the town is looking to recruit more retail businesses.
“I think you’re going to see more in the retail sec-tor,” he said. “What we’re looking for is retail sales or any kind of service industry. We try to follow up on every contact that we get.”
But, Daniels said, the town wants to encourage responsible development.
“If somebody is looking at Greeneville, we will give that consideration,” he said. “But one thing we’re not going to do is go out and recruit any industry that is harmful to the community or the environment.”
The town’s new Com-prehensive Plan, still in development, will serve as a long-term plan to guide development, Dan-iels said.
“Work on the Compre-
hensive Plan is still under way,” he said. “With that, we’re listening to the peo-ple. We’re not just sitting in a board room and writ-ing this. We’ve gotten all kinds of involvment from the people.”
So far, at least eight public workshops on vari-ous topics and a two-day Town Summit have been held to gather citizen input and steer develop-ment of the 20-year plan.
The lengthy process of developing the new plan is expected to continue well into 2016, Daniels said.
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Work to revitalize the downtown area will con-tinue to be a priority throughout the coming year, Daniels said.
“Thank goodness we’ve got downtown revital-ization going,” he said. “I think people can see where that’s starting to come around.”
Daniels pointed to an increase in special events downtown, like the town’s official Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve celebrations, Main Street: Greeneville’s Lyr-ics on the Lawn summer concert series and plans for a downtown Farmer’s Market and regular First Friday events as proof that those efforts are working.
The Greene County Heritage Trust’s “Win-dows to the Past” proj-ect that has already seen several murals added to the downtown area and several additions to the Downtown Greeneville Quilt Trail also aim to spark tourism and other activity in the heart of Greeneville, he said.
But, the 2017 opening of Walters State Commu-nity College’s expanded downtown campus will also play a significant role in boosting activity downtown, Daniels said.
“Walters State looks like it’s back on pace now,” he said, noting that crews have returned to the site after a several month hiatus while con-tracts for construction on its interior were in the works.
“That is huge. That is a big deal,” he said, noting that the building’s open-ing will attract more stu-dents to the campus and downtown Greeneville in general.
Greeneville Mayor Reflects On Year Of ‘Development’
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W.T. DANIELS
GREENEVILLE MAYOR
On The Cover
The view from a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane made for a unique perspective on downtown Greeneville in May 2015. The plane, also known as a “tin goose,” was in Greeneville for several days in 2015, offering rides to passengers.
Sun photo by Sarah R. Gregory.Cover design by Hala Watson.
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Saturday, March 26, 2016 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION 3www.greenevillesun.com
BY BRAD HICKS
STAFF WRITER
Although challenges lie ahead, Greene Coun-ty made great strides in 2015, according to Greene County Mayor David Crum.
Last year was Crum’s first full calendar year as county mayor, having taken office in September 2014.
“I appreciate the opportu-nity to be in this position,” he said. “It’s where I feel like I’ve been placed for this point in time. As you look back, you can obviously see we’ve had a lot of issues that we’ve dealt with, mainly taking office with a number of new (commis-sioners) and dealing with the budget and the short-fall that we had.”
When Crum, a former county commissioner, took office, he was not alone in assuming new govern-mental duties. Sixteen of the 21 county commission-ers elected last year were newly elected. But Crum said the new officials and officials in new positions have worked well together, which has helped in county matters, including the rel-atively early passage of the county’s budget.
The county’s 2015-16 fis-cal year budget — one that included no property tax increase — was approved by the Greene County Commission on July 20.
“I think the thing I’ve found is most of us really work good together,” Crum said.
One much-discussed measure implemented last year was an increase to Greene County’s wheel tax rate from $20 to $55. It took effect May 1 and was projected to generate $1.7 million for the county.
Crum said the increase helped generate funding for the county’s general fund, a fund that had been depleting over the years, and allowed officials to bal-ance the budget.
The $35 increase was divided to serve multiple purposes: $25 dollars to the general fund, $5 to debt services, $3 for allo-cations to local volunteer fire departments, and $2 to bolster the capital proj-ects fund.
Crum said the money set aside to boost the capital projects fund will allow the county to tackle upcom-ing projects, such as work to repair damage at the Greene County Courthouse caused by leaking.
“That’s going to help us in the long run to develop a maintenance plan,” Crum said of the capital proj-ects funding. “We’re really behind on that, and a lot of maintenance issues have been put off over the years that now can’t be put off any longer.”
Another increase that took effect on May 1 was a $1 fee increase for rabies vaccinations, Crum said. The mayor said this increase will not only allow animal control to purchase a new vehicle, which is in the process of being funded through the fee, but it will help fund future improve-ments at the James H. “Jim” Eagle Animal Con-trol facility.
“I know from talking to (Animal Control Direc-tor Chris Cutshall), one of the long-term things he would like to do is build a fence around that facility, because you do get some vicious animals in down there,” Crum said. “So, for the safety and security with two schools across the road, that’s one of the long-term things we would like to do with that money, to help fund those improve-ments.”
Improvements to the Greene County Hunter Education Range contin-ued throughout 2015.
The improvement proj-ect to the more than 30-year-old shooting range was made possible by $1.6 million in grant funding provided through the Ten-nessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The county has an approximate required match of $400,000.
To facilitate this project, the Greene County Range Oversight Committee was formed and began meeting in late 2014 after the proj-ect was approved.
Movement with regards to the project that occurred over 2015 included the
completion of some site grading, the approval of plans to situate the range’s skeet/trap range on county-owned property, and put-ting the project out for bid. However, the bids submit-ted by the October dead-line exceeded the funding available for the project.
The committee is in the process of again collecting bids for the improvement project. Once the project is complete, the range, which has served as a law enforce-ment training facility, must be open to the public for 21 hours per week.
Crum said the completed project will allow the range to be used for hunter edu-cation and firearms safety courses.
The way for the rede-velopment of downtown Greeneville through the use of a tax-incentive pro-gram was also cleared in 2015. On Dec. 21, the com-mission met jointly with the Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Greeneville Housing Authority Board of Com-missioners. At that time, each body voted to termi-nate a 1992 Redevelopment Plan. This was tax-incre-ment financing plan that allowed for the extensive renovation to the General Morgan Inn and Confer-ence Center.
Greeneville officials have expressed an interest in utilizing TIF for the rede-
velopment of the downtown district, but the existing TIF had to be closed out before a new one could be pursued.
“So there’s the possibil-ity of redevelopment in our county seat that could help improve our downtown community,” Crum said.
Redevelopment discus-sions are expected to con-tinue throughout 2016.
Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better, Crum said funding acquired last year will be put to use.
In October, the commis-sion approved a resolution to budget $10,000 received from the Tennessee Val-ley Authority to the Greene County Highway Depart-ment for the completion of a launch area along the Nolichucky River under the Elbert Kinser Bridge.
The launch will provide improved access for inner tubes, canoes and small kayaks.
“So that should help us from a recreational stand-point,” Crum said.
But there were two areas of concern in 2015 — areas that Crum said will remain as such throughout 2016. There are the county’s solid waste fund and its highway fund.
Neither of these funds were impacted by the wheel tax increase.
Crum said solid waste operated in a deficit this
year. According to the county’s 2015-16 budget, solid waste was projected to see $1.6 million in rev-enues this year against more than $1.85 million in expenditures, leaving the department with a negative fund balance of more than $241,000. After using the remaining fund balance, the fund was projected to end 2015-16 with only $67,000.
Efforts were made prior to the start of the fiscal year to reduce solid waste expenses. In June, Crum announced that hours at each of the county’s 17 convenience cen-ters were being reduced to 30 hours per week begin-ning July 1 in order to cut costs.
But Crum subsequently announced a new sched-ule for the centers. Per this move, the centers’ weekly operational hours continued to total 495, just as they did with the changes announced in June. The difference is the hours were spread out across the centers, with
some to be open more than 30 hours per week and oth-ers less. Unlike the prior plan, this second plan, which went into effect in late July, provided residents the opportunity to utilize a center every day of the week except Sunday.
“I think our citizens have spoken throughout the year that they want more hours,” Crum said of the convenience centers. “That is going to take increased funding. All you have to do is look and see that we gen-erate more garbage, it seems like, per household than we did 20 years ago.”
The solid waste depart-ment has also placed recy-cling containers at some county schools. And Crum said the revenue-generat-ing bins would be placed at all county schools if funding was available to do so.
Crum said officials must look at long-term funding solutions for that would allow the department to operate without a deficit and
allow it to replace expen-sive equipment and increase recycling.
When the commission approved the budget in July, it also approved a measure that would see solid waste funded in 2015-16 through sales collected in the county. Prior to this, approximately 5 cents of the county’s prop-erty tax rate was designated for the solid waste fund.
Crum said sales tax collec-tions are failing to fund solid waste, adding that leaders in the county’s municipali-ties feel solid waste should be funded from the property tax.
The mayor said officials must work to find a funding source that is “fair” for all residents of Greene County.
Highways and associated funding continues to be a topic of discussion from the state level on down, Crum said.
The highway fund was projected to see revenues totaling more than $5.6 million in 2015-16 against expenditures of over $6.4 million. Carving out of the fund balance the projected loss of more than $765,000 would leave the fund with a projected ending fund bal-ance slightly less than $1.4 million.
“I get calls, people com-plaining about their roads deteriorating, and I know they’re deteriorating,” Crum said. “But that comes straight down to funding.”
The cost of paving one mile costs approximately $50,000.
Over the past year, Crum said much of his work has involved “facilitation” — working behind the scenes with county officials and organizations to complete projects and secure grant funding.
And although many citi-zens contact Crum to voice their concerns over a myri-ad of matters, he said many also call to give some posi-tive feedback.
“I do get a lot of positive (comments) and encourage-ment from people,” Crum said. “I think most people realize that our elected offi-cials, it’s not easy jobs we do and we do our best.”
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4 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 26, 2016 www.greenevillesun.com
BY LISA WARREN
STAFF WRITER
Mayor Tommy Gregg and the leaders of the Town of Mosheim always seem to be working some sort of new project involv-ing the western Greene County municipality.
This past year was no exception.
Among the accomplish-ments was the completion of a new $220,000 addi-tion to the Mosheim Public Library, which doubled the size of the existing 2,000 square feet of building space. The project, which was recently completed, was funded largely through state and federal grants.
Because the library is located in close proximity to the Mosheim Elemen-tary and Middle School campus, the town has been working toward the con-struction of a walkway con-necting the two properties for the safety of the school children who visit there.
The town had previously hoped to secure state grant funding to help with the planned walkway through the Safe Routes to School program, but did not receive funding from that particular program.
Despite this, however, Gregg said that the town hopes to still move for-ward in the coming year toward a walkway from the Mosheim School cam-pus to the public library.
“I think we will probably put it in the tree section (between the two proper-ties)” the mayor said.
In addition to the walk-way, Gregg said the proj-ect will most likely also include some park benches and picnic tables.
One walkway that the town decided against this past year was the planned construction of a walking trail at Harmon Cemetery Park.
A state grant had been awarded to the town through the Tennessee Recreation Trails Program to aid with the project.
The 80/20 grant would have provided for the con-struction of a walking trail at the Harmon Cemetery/
Pottertown Road Park.There was just one
major catch: The Town of Mosheim would have been financially responsible for an archealogical dig at the site before the construc-tion could begain.
Because of this, the town’s board members expressed reservations about proceeding with the project — which would have had the added expense beyond the town’s 20 percent construction cost.
The proposed project would have constructed a 1,895-foot walking trail with landscaping, park benches and fenc-ing. The estimated cost of the project was $103,500 with proposed funding of $82,800 from the Ten-nessee Department of Environment and Con-servation funds and the remaining $20,700 to have been provided by the town.
The project has not been entirely ruled out as a possibility for the future, the mayor said. However, it is no longer in
the forefront of planned activities by the town.
One purchase the town did make during the past year, Gregg noted, was a new ladder truck and equipment for the Town of Mosheim Fire Depart-ment.
The truck was neces-sary to replace an aging ladder truck that was put out of commission due to safety issues following a major fire during the past year.
In October, the board voted unanimously to approve the installation of a Business Informa-tion System credit card processing system at Mosheim Town Hall.
This new system, which is now available for use, gives town customers the option of paying their municipal bills via credit or debit card. Until now, the town hall had no such option available to its customers.
Another project that Gregg said he was happy to have completed dur-ing the past year was the completion of a 2.5-
mile paving project for Mosheim’s Main Street. The town spent $262,000 on the Main Street.
In the coming year, Gregg said the town expects to begin an addi-tional paving project for portions of Blue Springs Parkway.
Plans are in the works to pave a six-mile por-tion of the roadway, he said. However, the cost is going to be expensive, the mayor added.
“We had it estimated at about $100,000 per mile,” he said.
Because of that cost, he said the town may have to focus on the most prob-lematic areas first.
Another major proj-ect that the town is launching into is needed upgrades and renovations to its sewer system and plant.
In January, the board agreed to authorize the issuance of $600,000 in sewer revenue and tax bonds to help further fund upgrades to the munici-pality’s Lick Creek Valley Wastewater Treatment
Plant, which provides ser-vice to the muncipality’s residents and some neigh-boring areas.
The $600,000 bond is being combined with a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Develop-ment Agency in order to cover the cost of upgrades to businesses and industry within the town and parts of the municipality’s sur-rounding area.
Town officials say they anticipate that user fees will fully pay for the bond without an increase to existing fees.
Work on the project was scheduled to begin this month by Frizzell Con-struction. The Bristol-based construction com-pany was awarded the lowest bid on the project at $762,750, which came under the planned budget.
The town’s sewer system has been in operation since 1986.
The town is in the pro-cess of applying for a new grant to help with sewer upgrades for the Cherokee and Hartshaw areas.
“We may get that grant — and we may not,” he said. “But it’s almost impossible [for a small municipality] to do sewer work without some financial help,” he explained.
Another project in the works by the town is street lighting where both Bridge Burners Boulevard and Pottertown Road intersects with Highway 11-E.
Gregg explained that the town has been work-ing with Greeneville Light & Power System on the project. GL&PS is install-ing the lighting, while the Town of Mosheim will be responsible for the electric-ity payment and upkeep costs, Gregg said.
The Tennessee Depart-ment of Transportation had previously installed caution lights at the Bridge Burn-ers Boulevard intersection. The Town of Mosheim, he said, is responsible for maintaining them.
In another TDOT proj-ect in Mosheim, surveying studies for a couple of inter-section upgrades have been conducted in the past year. Among the intersections
are ones at the entranc-es to the Dollar General Store, Mosheim Town Hall and Blue Springs Market.
It may be 2017 before work will begin on the proj-ects, the mayor said.
“TDOT officials have really spent the time and money doing extensive surveying here, though,” Gregg said.
A memorial sign for the late Mosheim Mayor Billy Myers was installed during the past year at Mosheim Town Park, and Gregg said he hopes that the town can do some improvement work at the park and playground in the near future.
“We have talked about planting some trees there,” he said.
He said the town also hopes to redo the tennis court surfaces.
Another ongoing project for the town involves storm drainage control in some problem areas, including a couple on Main Street.
“We’re not sure how extensive we’re going to get into that or what exactly we have to do at this time,” Gregg said. “It’s going to be expensive. Some have existing drainage tiling, but they have filled up, so we need to look at clearing those out and getting them usable again.
“Many people also don’t like a ditch in front of their property and some have driveway culverts that have not been main-tained,” he said.
In the coming years, Gregg said he would like to see the town attract additional retail business-es, especially ones such as hardware and home improvement stores, auto parts businesses and sit-down restaurants.
Establishing a police department in Mosheim has also been a long-time aspiration, but he said he doesn’t think it will come to fruition in the near future.
It is something, how-ever, that he said he feels the town will need to do at some point.
“We need some teeth to enforce our ordinances,” Gregg said.
Mosheim Mayor Highlights Year Of Improvements
TOMMY GREGG
MOSHEIM MAYOR
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Saturday, March 26, 2016 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION 5www.greenevillesun.com
BY KEN LITTLE
STAFF WRITER
Alan Corley has provid-ed decades of service to his native city. As mayor of Tusculum since 2014, Corley said in an inter-view this month that ser-vice to the community is important to him.
“I have lived in the City of Tusculum most of my adult life, and have appreciated the oppor-tunity to do so. I have always been encouraged by my family to volunteer and give back to my com-munity and to those who have helped me along the way, and serving as a city commissioner and now as mayor of Tusculum gives me an opportunity to do that,” Corley said.
“I am proud of our city and want to see it grow and prosper, and I appre-ciate the opportunity to play a role in that,” he added.
Corley, owner of Cor-ley’s Pharmacy, is also a long-time volunteer fire-
fighter and active in area scouting as a member of the Nolachuckey Dis-trict of the Boy Scouts of America organization.
“Speaking of scouting, two of the prime objec-tives of that program are to develop good citi-zens and a commitment
to public service — so maybe that lesson ‘took’ with me,” Corley said.
GOALS REALIZED
As mayor of Tusculum, Corley said some goals for improvements in the city were met last year.
“During 2015, we were
able to complete the road/driveway to the new John D. Foster Waste-water Treatment Facil-ity, which was the final step in the completion of that major project. The facility is now completely operational,” Corley said.
He said that a continu-ing goal “is to develop the commercial property along the East Andrew Johnson Highway now that sewer is available.”
“While we have seen much interest in those properties, we have yet to be able to announce a development, so those efforts continue,” Corley said.
As a part of that effort, there has been discussion of placing a referendum on the November election ballot to allow liquor by the drink in Tusculum.
“One of the most com-mon wishes that we hear from residents is for more restaurants, and some restaurants will not locate in an area that is ‘dry.’ If the referendum is
approved by the voters, it may help to attract res-taurants to our available commercial property and increase revenues for the city,” Corley said.
Corley said that resi-dential development is also important to the growth of Tusculum, “and that has seen a defi-nite uptick in 2015 and early 2016.”
Another project com-pleted in 2015 was the update and recodification of the Tusculum Munici-pal Code with the assis-tance of the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Ser-vice.
“This project reviewed our code and ordinanc-es for compliance with state and federal law, made necessary chang-es, and incorporated all new ordinances since the last update more than 10 years ago,” Corley said.
Despite fiscal challeng-es to all area municipali-ties, Tusculum has man-aged to continue operat-
ing in the black without a city property tax, Corley said.
“An always important goal was achieved — we operated within our bud-get with a slight surplus in 2015,” he said.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PLANS
At the city’s request, Corley said that the Tennessee Department of Transportation com-pleted a study in 2015 for the city concerning pedestrian safety, par-ticularly in the areas around Tusculum Col-lege and the Tusculum Linear Trail.
“We implemented some of those recommenda-tions in 2015, and plan to continue efforts in 2016 to improve the safety of pedestrians and motor-ists in those areas,” he said.
The Linear Trail received some needed attention in 2015.
Tusculum Mayor Describes Challenges, Opportunities
PLEASE SEE TUSCULUM | 7
ALAN CORLEY
TUSCULUM MAYOR
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6 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 26, 2016 www.greenevillesun.com
BY O.J. EARLY
STAFF WRITER
An 18 percent jump in sewer rates, the planned retirement of a long-time alderman and debates over pit bulls marked the highlights of Bai-leyton government over the last year, accord-ing to Mayor Tommy Casteel.
When the Bailey-ton Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved the town’s bud-get in July, Baileyton res-idents got an 18 percent jump in sewer rates
“To make us come out even,” Casteel said then, “we have to raise sewer rates 18 percent.”
In July, Casteel gave the board two options.
The first was raise rates 10 percent, a move that he said wouldn’t balance the budget, and the second was increase rates by 18 percent and get a balanced budget.
The new rate went into effect in August.
Here’s what the rate increase looked like: for a Baileyton resident using less than 2,000 gallons each month, the jump meant an increase from $32.85 to $38.76. Commercial property owners using more than 2,000 gallons a month saw a hike from $94.61 to $111.64.
The balanced budget approved last summer
expected most of the town’s revenue to come through local taxes. In 2015-16, Town Recorder Barbara Tilson project-ed $235,000 via sales tax and $62,500 through wholesale beer tax.
The town planned to spend about $450,000.
In a March interview with The Greeneville Sun, Casteel ref lected on the town’s last 12 months.
“With the way the economy has been, we’ve done good,” he said.
ALDERMAN RETIRES
Casteel also high-lighted the planned retirement of J.D. Sen-sabaugh, an alderman since 1979.
S e n s a b a u g h announced his retire-ment in February.
“I have decided that it’s time for me to step down,” he said. “I want to thank the people of Baileyton for electing me all these years.”
Sensabaugh’s work extended well beyond his alderman post. He was an auxiliary police
officer for the Bailey-ton Police Department, and he also performed mechanical work on town vehicles.
“By the time I was 18 years old I was rebuild-ing engines. So when I became an alder-man I began doing a lot of repair work on city vehicles,” he said. “I saved them a lot of labor. All it cost them was the cost for the parts.”
A 1956 graduate of Baileyton High School, Sensabaugh retired
from Eastman Kodak Co. with more than 30 years experience.
He was last re-elected in 2012. The next elec-tion happens in August.
In March, Casteel told the Sun that he plans to run for re-election as mayor.
PIT BULL DEBATE
Over the last year, Casteel said pit bulls were a problem in Bai-leyton.
In January, Casteel told the board that the town would start enforc-ing an on-the-books ordinance that bans the dog breed being uncon-fined in city limits.
In 2009, the board adopted a measure that stipulates what owners of “vicious dogs” can do with their animal.
Among the require-ments: Pit bulls must either be locked in a pen, or the animals must be muzzled and restrained by a chain or leash. Owners of pit bulls must also have public liability insurance that totals at least $100,000.
“These pit bulls are kind of getting ridic-ulous in Baileyton,” Casteel said. “We don’t need vicious dogs run-ning around kids. We’ve had this ordinance for a long time, and it’s a good ordinance.”
Baileyton’s breed-spe-cific ordinance has its supporters. Pat Dun-
away of Rialto, Calif., an advocate for victims of pit bull attacks, lauded the town’s ordi-nance.
“This move by your city means much to us all over the country,” Dunaway wrote. “It means you care about the safety of your citi-zens and I can respect that.”
But Greenevi l le -Greene County Humane Society Manager Amy Bowman felt measures could be taken other than breed-specif ic legislation.
She said a spay/neu-ter law across Greene County would help pre-vent stray dogs from running around. She also wants to see local governments enact anti-tethering ordi-nances to prevent dog owners from keeping the animals chained out in their yards.
“I just think our gov-ernment needs to pay attention to the laws we have on the books and look into making some new laws that make the owner responsible,” Bowman said.
Casteel said the law shouldn’t surprise any-one.
“We’ve had this law on the books for years,” Casteel said. “We’ve had so many complaints here lately we’re start-ing to enforce it heavi-er.”
Baileyton Mayor Reflects On Rate Hike, Pit Bull Ordinance
TOMMY CASTEEL
BAILEYTON MAYOR
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“Trail damage, par-ticularly that caused by tree roots causing unevenness in the trail, was repaired and many fading signs along the trail were replaced,” Cor-ley said.
Annual street paving projects included the entire portion of Rufe Taylor Road within the city, including a portion of Shiloh Road and sev-eral patches of damaged streets.
Corley and the Tus-culum Board of Mayor and Commissioners have other plans for 2016.
“We continue to work with the Tennessee Department of Transpor-tation to make improve-ments to the traffic sig-nals at the intersection of East Andrew Johnson Highway and the Tus-culum Bypass,” Corley said. “We are awaiting the decision on a TDOT spot safety grant to make those major improve-
ments, although we have made some repairs and improvements recently.”
Also in 2016, the city will consider applying for a grant to provide residential sewer ser-vice “to one of our larger neighborhoods where there are currently some septic system issues,” Corley said.
“Whether that proj-ect takes place or not will depend on approv-al of the grant and the amount of the local funding match. Even if approved, the project would likely not occur until 2017,” he said.
CHALLENGES FOR 2016
The city has challeng-es to meet this year and in upcoming years, Cor-ley said.
“As with most govern-ments, maintaining ser-vices for our residents while living within our budget is always a chal-lenge,” Corley said.
Unplanned expenses had to be addressed after a surprise decision by the Greene County Commission to impose
tipping fees on city curb-side garbage collection.
The action, taken after the 2015-16 city budget was in place, cost Tusu-clum thousands of dol-lars.
“It definitely stressed our budget,” Corley said.
As a result, the board “made the difficult deci-sion to suspend curbside garbage collection in January until that issue might be settled in the 2016-2017 budget year,” Corley said.
“That is a decision that will be reassessed moving forward, depend-ing on budgets and revenue. Resuming that service will also likely require the purchase of a new garbage collec-tion truck, which will require a major invest-ment,” he said.
Corley said that since there is no property tax in Tusculum, the city doesn’t have a direct way to increase revenue, “so we have to depend on growth to increase revenues — and that is something we cannot directly control and is
hard to predict.” The future of the Tus-
culum City Hall build-ing at 145 Alexander St. is another issue that must be decided soon, Corley said.
“A recent inspection of our 60-plus-year-old city hall building revealed some pretty serious structural issues that will have to be addressed. We are cur-rently gathering expert advice about how to cor-rect the issues,” Corley said.
The mayor said another challenge “is the continuing need for additional, and better designed, space for the city recorder and police department.”
Additional public meeting space “is also a long-term, but costly, goal,” Corley said.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
In coming years, Corley anticipates an improved economy and population growth in Tusculum.
“Residential construc-tion is underway in
several locations and I would expect that to continue if the overall economy continues to improve. I believe that commercial develop-ment will also occur in the near future and will improve our city reve-nues, as well as the local economy by providing jobs,” Corley said.
Corley also provided his long-term outlook for Tusculum.
“I believe the outlook is strong long-term, with a few bumps short-term. The long-term outlook will be improved once we have some tax-gener-ating development along the East Andrew John-son Highway, which will take some time to mature even if it starts now,” Corley said.
Revenue from new development “will allow us to address some of our challenges while maintaining services to residents without a prop-erty tax,” Corley said.
Tusculum College con-tinues to be a vibrant part of the community, Corley added.
“It is very exciting to see the college continue to grow, with very visible evidence of that now evi-dent as the construction of the magnificent Meen Center for Math and Sci-ence progresses along-side the Erwin Highway, and with new education-al opportunities such as the recently announced nurse practitioner pro-gram,” he said.
Tusculum’s citizens are its greatest asset, Corley said.
“The primary reason I feel positive about the future of our city is its people,” he said.
In addition to the city’s residents, Corley men-tioned the city’s five employees: a recorder, two public works employee, and two police officers.
He also included the city’s dozens of volunteers, such as members of the Tusculum Volunteer Fire Department and Tuscu-lum Planning Commis-sion, and elected officials.
“I am grateful to all of them on behalf of our city,” he said.
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8 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 26, 2016 www.greenevillesun.com
BY SARAH R. GREGORY
STAFF WRITER
Greeneville City Direc-tor of Schools Dr. Jeff Moorhouse says he’s focused on not only main-taining a standard of excellence already estab-lished within the school district, but raising the bar to ensure success for all students.
“Coming in to Greeneville City Schools, I was eager to look at what the secret ingredi-ent was to their success,” Moorhouse said in a recent interview. “Being from the outside, GCS was always a benchmark system. They always did fantastic work in lots of their programs and have for a long time been con-sidered one of the more innovative systems.”
As the 2015-16 school year nears its end, Moor-house is wrapping up the first year in a three-year contract signed in 2015 naming him director of schools.
“Coming in, what I was able to identify early on is that it boils down to one thing. It’s the people that GCS is blessed with,” he
said. “We’ve got great leadership at key posi-tions, from the central office to the principals. But, also, we’ve got some leaders in the classrooms that don’t just lead our system, but play signifi-cant roles in our state, providing input and feed-back in curriculum devel-opment.”
For the size of the school district, Moorhouse said, GCS has a higher ratio of “high fliers” than other systems in the state.
“I think that the reputa-
tion of the system attracts that kind of person. High fliers typically want to be in places where there are high expectations,” he said. “There’s certainly a culture of high expecta-tions here. We want to be standard-setters.”
Moorhouse said that although the school dis-trict is regarded as an innovative one, he’s learned that school lead-ers aren’t looking at new technology and teaching techniques just to be dif-ferent.
“We’re always look-ing for what is the next thing. And it’s not that we have to be the big-gest or the first, but that whatever we choose to do, we do it the best,” he said. “There’s not innovation for innovation’s sake, just to be doing something different.”
Initiatives that GCS undertakes, like the in-progress systemwide “digital transformation,” are taken on “to a very deep level,” Moorhouse said.
“When you’re sitting on the outside, you hear about things because what GCS chooses to do becomes a big deal. There are many things that go on that don’t reach that level of communication out there,” he said.
Like other educators, Moorhouse says he was drawn to the field of edu-cation by a desire to be a positive influence.
“Educators have been a huge influence in my life, impacting me in a posi-tive way. I wanted to do the same thing,” he said.
After 10 years as prin-cipal of Morristown West High School, he began seeking opportunities
to serve as a superin-tendent. At the time he was selected to lead GCS by the Greeneville City Board of Education, he was also being vetted by Unicoi County Schools for its top leadership posi-tion.
“I’m somebody that likes to learn new things. Not that there weren’t challenges in my last stop, but at 10 years at one place, you’ve kind of experienced the majority of things that are going to be happening at that level,” he said. “I was ready for a new chal-lenge. I saw this as an opportunity to learn, to learn from the best and to be trained up to be in a culture of excellence.”
Moorhouse said he’s wants to demonstrate a leadership style that helps students and teach-ers see him as approach-able.
“I want to grow into my style,” he said. “I think (teachers) have the most important job in our country, which is shap-ing the lives, minds and hearts of young people. I want to present myself as, not that they’re serv-ing me, but that I’m
serving them. I want to be a servant leader for our teachers and central office, to be a support to them and what they need to have happen in the classroom.”
In his first year at GCS, Moorhouse has focused on learning about the inner workings of the school system.
“I’m questioning a lot of things as to why we do what we do, and then I’m challenging us that. If we don’t have a good answer to that, do some of our things that are happen-ing in our schools happen because that’s just the way it’s always been done, or because that’s the best way to do it,” he said. “I want to help people formulate their thinking about what’s best for our students.”
In the upcoming 2016-17 school year, he hopes to spend more time in each of the district’s six schools.
“I would like to be in the schools more than what I’ve been able to,” Moorhouse said. “Once I get through that cycle of
City Schools Director Focuses On Innovation, Standards
BY BRAD HICKS
STAFF WRITER
Greene County Director of Schools David McLain has been on the job for about 10 months now, but the new superintendent said he has already seen his share of both challenges and positives for the county schools system.
McLain officially took the reigns of the school system on June 1, filling the spot previously held by Dr. Vicki Kirk, who announced in March she had accepted a position with the Tennessee Department of Education as the department’s chief aca-demic officer.
But Greene County Schools is not unfamiliar grounds for McLain. Prior to being selected as the school sys-tem’s new director in May, McLain had served as the system’s assistant director of operations and students services since 2013. Prior
to this, he had served as principal of North Greene High School since 2007 and had taught in local schools from 1997 up until he became principal.
“I’m humbled to be cho-sen to lead this county, no
doubt,” McLain said. “Not everybody can live this life and say they’ve been chosen to lead a school sys-tem, especially the size of this one.”
And McLain said he has learned quickly that
each day presents its own challenges in a school sys-tem that boasts around 7,000 students across 17 schools.
“It is challenging but it’s also very rewarding at times, as well,” McLain said of the director’s job.
Immediately after his selection, McLain faced the task of replacing eight administrators across several schools. McLain said a new principal and assistant principal was needed at Chuckey-Doak Middle School, a principal and two assistant princi-pals had to be put in place at Mosheim Elementary/Middle School, a new prin-cipal was needed at Glen-wood Elementary School, a new principal needed to be brought in at Bailey-ton Middle School, and a new principal was needed at West Pines Elementary School.
These hires were suc-
cessfully made, McLain said.
“We’re excited about those people, and we’re excited about all admin-istrators,” McLain said. “They’ve done a great job.”
McLain said a director of schools must always keep academics in the front of his mind, adding that one of the things he has worked to address since taking over as director is improving K-2 literacy across the district.
And the school system has had help in this effort. The Niswonger Founda-tion is partnering with the school system to launch the Greene County/Nis-wonger Foundation Lit-eracy Initiative, a project aimed at enhancing K-2 literacy.
“I really feel with the partnership with the Nis-wonger Foundation, we’re trying to do some things there,” McLain said.
McLain also said the district must work to improve the number of Greene County students seeking and completing a post-secondary educa-tion, which he said could include two-year colleges, four-year universities or career technical education programs.
“To me, everything we do in public education or in Greene County, it’s our job to try to prepare these kids, to prepare them for college,” he said. “As edu-cators, we want kids out there that are good prod-ucts to Greene County and, hopefully, have some who want to work and stay in Greene County.”
McLain said he believes state initiatives, such as Tennessee Promise and Drive to 55, will improve local post-secondary per-centages.
County Schools Director Tackles Tests, Praises Progress
DR. JEFF MOORHOUSE
GREENEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS DIRECTOR
DAVID MCLAIN
GREENE COUNTY SCHOOLS DIRECTOR
PLEASE SEE COUNTY | 12
PLEASE SEE CITY | 12
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• Buy • Sell •Auction • Home • Land • Consignment Gallery / Monthly Auction• Licensed Appraiser
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210 W. Summer St • GreenevilleOffi ce (423) 525-5341
www.greenevilleteam.comTFL: 5680
Bill BrownBroker/Owner
(423)972-2246
Becky Rideot(423)631-9196
Hilda Pickering(423)470-1333
Cheryl Fillers(423)620-1564
Charlene Cureton(423)237-4038
Shane Carter(423)552-4528
Jesse Davis(423)972-7151
Glenda House(423)823-1514
Diana Holditch(423)620-1149
www.greenevillesun.com10 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 26, 2016
Contact these fi ne
businesses for all your
service needs
Business & Business &
ServiceService
GuideGuide
201420142014
BRANDON MODENA
Licensed Contractor
Serving the Area Since 1990
423-639-9164
� Home � OfÞ ce
� Farm � Construction
� Maintenance � Repair
Free Estimates
BUSY BEES 2 CLEANProfessional House Cleaners
Pam YoungOwner
Licensed and InsuredFREE Quotations
Tel: (423) 948-2982Offi ce: (423) 257-6007
RENT TO OWN!
We Deliver
&
Set Up
www.cherokeestoragebuildingsllc.com
Custom Built Units Available
Shed Available in Vinyl, Metal or LP SmartSide
Visit Our Facility At7610 Erwin Hwy. 107 • Chuckey, TN
3510 Bristol Hwy., Johnson City, TN 423-283-9374
Storage Buildings
423-257-8244
ASPHALT PAVING& PROTECTIVE SEALCOATING
email: [email protected] www.raymondspaveandseal.com
Raymond Hensley423.791.5040
All Major Credit Cards Accepted
TN License #28315
Commercial/Industrial/Residential
Insured/Licensed
Site Development
Site Prep • Roads • Municipal Utilities
• Footers • Water Lines
Sewer Lines • Septic Systems
Basements • Land Clearing • Ponds
(423) 639-8828 Fax (423) 638-7639
www.brooks-excavating.com
Owner:
Donnie Brooks
EXCAVATING & CONSTRUCTION LLC
General Contractor General Contractor
NEED A HOSE?WE’VE GOT ‘EM!
DAVIS HOSE & SUPPLY1534 Industrial Road | 423-638-1357
Hydraulic • Air • Gas • Oil • Water • Couplings and
Fittings, too!
301 Bohannon Avenue
Greeneville, TN 37745
423-787-2087
[email protected] 423-787-2167
Brown & Son
Construction
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
422-6495, 552-4971, 552-4977 or 552-4975
BROWN BROTHERS PAVING, LLC• Paving • Grading • Stone
• Dirt Work • Sealing • StripingOVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE
FREE ESTIMATES
(423) [email protected]
Licensed & InsuredFax: (423) 638-2263
Charlie & Randy Brown
GREENE COUNTY RENTAL GREENE COUNTY RENTAL INC.INC.
DAILY, WEEKLY & MONTHLY EQUIPMENT RENTALSEquipment for Do-It-Yourselfers, Farmers, Gardeners,
Contractors & Commercial Businesses
We Offer Sales in a Complete Line of New and Used EquipmentIf We Don’t Have It,
We Can Help You Get It!
LET US MAKE YOUR WORK EASIER FOR LESS!
210 Bohannon Ave., • 638-2436 or 638-3207 Since 1974 SR98855
423-638-5712
Thank you for “VOTING US” BEST BEST
LOCKSMITH LOCKSMITH &&
ALARMSALARMS
“Your Total Security Company”
JOHNNY’SLOCKSMITH & ALARMS
SECURITY SPECIALIST
423-638-5712
Your Total Security Company Since 1968 - Celebrating 48 Years
TN-0193 & TN-0163
Residential & Commercial
Burglar - Fire - CCTV
Grading Excavating
Land clearingBasements, Footers
Water & sewerFieldline systems
Road boringHauling
Rock excavationHauling stone
& dirt
TENNESSEE CLEANING
òò Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
òò We Specialize in Air Duct Cleaning
òò Fire & Water Restorations
òò FREE Estimates
òò 10% Discount for Seniors or
Churches
òò 24 Hour Emergency Service
423-620-9230— or —
423-798-01002013201322013
Call for CARRY CLASS DATES
Gun Cleaning Services Insurance Appraisals
HOURS: MONDAY-SATURDAY, 9 am-5 pmGlock • Smith & Wesson • Ruger • Colt • Remington • Henry & Others
PISTOLS • RIFLES • SHOTGUNS • AMMUNITION
RELOADING • SHOOTING ACCESSORIES
(423) 235-10227272 St. Clair Road • Whitesburg, TN
www.mandmfi rearms.comwww.facebook.com/pages/M-M-Firearms
www.greenevillesun.com Saturday, March 26, 2016 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION 11
BusinessBusiness
& Service& Service
GuideGuide
&
e
e
(423) 636-ROTO(423-636-7686)
(423) 639-1221
Michael HarrellOwner
• Residential • Commercial
� Landscaping � Mowing
� Water Features � Decks & More
Simon Wilhoit - Owner
(423) 329-3843 Licensed & Insured
Landscaping & More
Secret Garden
Power Seeding • Core Aeration • Tree & ShrubLime/Sulfur • Residential and Commercial
MAINTAINER CAREPure Granular Fertilizers
Organic Programs Available
Weed Control
Insect Control
Free Evaluations
Licensed Professionals
100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
WE’RE NOT DONE
UNTIL YOU GIVE US
THE THUMBS UP.
OF GREENEVILLE,MORRISTOWN &ROGERSVILLE
Turf TamerPATENTEDGROUNDMETERING
Locally Owned and Operated
423.257.8987CHARTER #827
1.800.4.LAWN DR LAWNDOCTOR.COM
CUSTOM CARE SERVICES
Now Offering Mosquito Control
Snapps Ferry PackingFRESH DAILY • CUT TO ORDER
5900 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy
638-7001Mon - Fri 8-5 • Sat 9-5
Fresh, local meat from our
family owned market
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL FREE ESTIMATES
GUARANTEED INSTALLATION
Terry’s Terry’s FlooringFlooring
• Hardwood • Ceramic Tile
• Laminate • Carpet & Vinyl
• Custom Tile Showers1699 Kiser Blvd. • Greeneville
www.terrysfl ooringnow.com
423-639-9013 • 423-329-3539
TN Alarm License #00001318
SALES - SERVICE - INSTALLATION
• Burglar & Electronic Security• Door & Gate Access Control• Fire Alarms & Evac Systems• Intercom & Paging
• Personal Emergency Response Systems
• Camera Surveillance (CCTV)• Residential & Commercial
Proud Member
201320132013201420142014
• Burglar & Electronic Security
• Door & Gate Access Control
• Fire Alarms & Evac Systems
• Intercom & Paging
• Computer Networking
• Camera Surveillance (CCTV)
• Residential & Commercial
Serving theTri-Cities!
Schwartz & Sons Construction
Greeneville, TNwww.schwartzandsonsconstruction.com
TN LIC# 00066826
Where quality and honesty MATTER
David Schwartz + 423-329-4398
Roofi ng • Additions • Decks • Pole Barns • Siding • Garages • Windows
Specializing in Pole Buildings, Specializing in Pole Buildings,
and Standing Seam Metal Roofi ngand Standing Seam Metal Roofi ng
We build for you as we would
for ourselves.
~Matthew
7:12
Marvin Smucker3755 Chuckey Pike, Chuckey, TN 37641
TN Lic # 00053604 Cell: (423) 306-4930
Mark LawsOWNER
5514 Newport Hwy
Greeneville, TN 37743
Cell 423-278-2428
We Will Show Up!� DRIVEWAYS� DRIVEWAYS
� BASEMENTS� BASEMENTS
� PATIOS� PATIOS
� SIDEWALKS� SIDEWALKS
� PORCHES� PORCHES
� GARAGES� GARAGES
� STAMP � STAMP
CONCRETE
� OVERLAYS� OVERLAYS
� SPRAY DECKING� SPRAY DECKING
20152015
Shelton Homes, LLCSpecializing in Custom Homes, Remodeling, & Additions
Our Quality Speaks for Itself
~ Since 1978 ~
David SheltonAfton, TN
Cell: 423-552-6410Office: 423-552-3618Tn. License No. 28309
Mountain View
EXCAVATING• Land Clearing • Septic System • Basements • Trucking
• Grading • Water Lines • Driveways & Parking Lots
• Track Hoe Work • Demolition & Removal • FREE Estimates
Call 423-502-1195
The clean you expectThe service you deserve
Marlene Randolph
For All Your Residential, Commercial, Fire and Water Restoration Needs.Locally Owned and Operated
423-638-6761
20152015
423-823-0898Martin Malone, Owner
831 Fairview Rd.
Afton, TN 37616
COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND RESIDENTIAL SITE SPECIALISTS
� Large Building Pads � Road Building
� Commercial � Soil
Site Prep Stabilization
� Demolition � Trenching
� Land Clearing � Paving
� Laser Level Grading � Ponds
White’s Window &
Siding CompanySpecializing in Atrium vinyl replacement windows, vinyl siding,
soffi t, insulation, carports and patio covers.
Atrium windows for new construction, sunrooms.
FINANCING AVAILABLE
639-3100403 W. Summer St.
12 THE GREENEVILLE SUN BENCHMARKS EDITION Saturday, March 26, 2016 www.greenevillesun.com
firsts — after I’ve expe-rienced that and as we come around the second time — I’m looking at what personal touch I can put on that, and how can I engage in the class-rooms more?”
Going forward, tech-nological innovation will continue to be a focus districtwide, as new computers, tablets and devices make their way into the classroom, due, in large part, to the GCS Education Foundation.
“If the culture of our school system is to be excellent, and if we now have students with these devices, how do we sepa-rate ourselves out from what anyone else is doing,” he said.
Moorhouse said the system is embracing an increasingly popu-lar educational concept called “blended learn-ing,” where students are engaged with technology and digital content in a way that allows them to work at their own pace.
“That’s the model we’re adopting and we’re wanting to support. Our teachers are allowed a
lot of autonomy as to what depth they engage with the technology,” he said. “What I want to be able to communicate with our teachers is this, again, is a tool. We want to be able to identify best practices and let that influence and drive where we’re going. Tech-nology is here to stay.”
The school system is also using technology to engage parents and the community more, Moor-house said.
“That’s the society we live in. News trav-els, and school newslet-ters are not the only way we’re sending something
home,” he said, adding that GCS educators are using sites like Twitter and Facebook to com-municate the district’s efforts and accomplish-ments.
“What has been really neat coming in is that the culture is already established that people really value what’s happening in the city school system,” he said. “We want to continue to create value. People have made an invest-ment in the school sys-tem and we want to be able to show the return on investment.”
Community support
and engagement cre-ates a “unity of spirit” in GCS, Moorhouse said.
“There is a sense of belonging, that, at homecoming, you see former band members playing the national anthem and alumni choir members singing. Homecoming is some-thing that is a home-coming where people belong, like, ‘once a devil, always a devil,’” he said. “That is to be celebrated. I think there’s an assump-tion that that happens everywhere, and that doesn’t happen every-
where.” That type of spirit,
he said, reinforces that the people that make up GCS are what make the school system unique and successful.
“Everybody’s rowing in the same direction. It’s about excellence in everything. The stan-dard has been set,” he said. “We want to have a vision for the success of all students.
“I think that we’re blessed here, and I’m proud to be able to be a small part of some-thing huge and be a part of something spe-cial.”
CityStarts on Page 8
Another item McLain, administrators and educa-tors have prepared for is the new TNReady test. This marked the first year of the TNReady assessment, which is the state’s new test for English language arts and math for grades 3-11. It replaces the TCAP tests for those subjects.
“The issue we’re faced with in our county right now is, basically this year, you’ve got a new test in reference to TNReady,” McLain said. “That’s been a challenge within itself for our teachers because of the way testing has been done and you’ve got some additional testing in the Social Studies area.”
In February, the Greene County Board of Education, like other school boards across the state, approved a resolution opposing the use of TNReady data for teacher evaluations for the 2015-16 school year.
McLain said work must also be done to improve the district’s composite ACT score. According to the 2015 Tennessee Department of Education Report Card, Greene County Schools’ composite ACT score for the 2014-15 school year was 18.9, less than the state average of 19.4 for the same school year.
“Even when I was a high school principal, ACT was always on your mind,” McLain said. “You look at ACT, and I think that’s something that’s constantly we’re trying to work on to improve.”
McLain said officials have worked to increase profes-sional development opportu-nities to county educators. He also said work has been done to increase dual-enroll-ment, with as many teach-ers as possible being sent to Advanced Placement train-ing to increase rigor in the classrooms.
“No doubt, research proves the more AP classes you have, the better ACT scores you have, so we’re trying to look at those things to improve education,” McLain said.
With a greater emphasis placed on End of Course scores and the accountability based on the new TNReady test, McLain said his year has been more difficult than most.
“It’s kind of a wait-and-see to get that baseline year and then here we go,” he said. “Certainly, we know we’ve got some improvement to make in reference to ACT, but EoCs and the old TCAPs at the K-8 level, which is now TNReady, they’re just some unknowns right now to see where we need to be.”
McLain also said school-level performance varies across the district. He said the goal is to bring all schools up to the highest level of achievement.
“In certain areas we’re doing some great things, and in other areas we’ve got a lot of areas to improve,” he said.
One of the greatest chal-lenges McLain said he has faced thus far is the school system’s food services fund. The board is in the process of determining whether the system’s food services will continue as a self-operating entity or if they will be out-sourced.
Greene County Schools’ food services has seen losses in recent years, including a loss of more than $100,000 so far in the 2015-16 school year.
“We’ve lost substantially quite a bit of money the last two to three years,” he said. “That’s a pretty difficult situ-ation.”
But strides have been made in recent months to improve the environment for Greene County students, including an agreement with PT Solu-tions that would see full-time athletic trainers placed at the county’s high schools and middle schools, and an agree-ment with eMD Anywhere, a telemedicine services provid-er. This agreement would see a nurse practitioner placed within the school system to provided enhanced medical access to students and staff.
“So we’re doing some great things there,” McLain said.
And McLain said he is optimistic about the future of Greene County Schools looking forward, citing the quality of the district’s employees as the reason. He said everyone from the principals and teachers to the bus drivers and custo-dians are assets.
“We have a lot of caring people within our commu-nities and our community schools and, certainly, we strive for every kid to be on grade-level and to make sure they’re pro-ductive citizens,” McLain said.
CountyStarts on Page 8
CenterCenter forfor Outpatient Care Outpatient CareOne of only three facilities nationwide that feature
Philips’ “Ambient Experience” technology.
Laughlin Memorial Hospital1420 Tusculum Blvd. • Greeneville, TN 37745 • 423-787-5000
www.laughlinmemorial.org
A free-standing outpatientdiagnostic
center — more accessible
and more user friendly for our
patients.
• Outpatient Lab (moved from Medical Of� ce Building)
• EKG • Holter Monitor Treadmill Stress Test
• Digital Diagnostic X-Ray • Fluorscopy
• Ultrasound • CT Scan • Nuclear Medicine
• High Field MRI • Open MRI
• Cardiac Catheterization • Endoscopy
• Expanded Short-Stay Surgery
• Expanded Surgical Suites
“Serving the Children of the World”
KIWANIS CLUBHunter Reed, President
Meeting Every Thursday at Noon at
Ryan’sFor more information,
call 423-341-0322
Visit Us On Facebook -
Kiwanis Club of Greeneville
for more information, call Abby Gourley 423-470-3524
P.O. Box 2282, Greeneville, TN 37744
Sponsor of
Art Quest • Scholarships
Free Art Exhibits
Greeneville Chapter #223Order of the Eastern Star
Regular Stated Meeting2nd Thursday of the Month - 7:30 p.m.
at the Greeneville Masonic Lodge #3In Honor of Our Sister Carmen Ricker,
Past Grand Matron
Grand Representatives: Sister Betty Gregg,
South Dakota &
Brother Danny Crum, Massonic Relation
Masonic Charities Committee
Mosheim Chapter #292Order of the Eastern Star
Regular Slated Meeting3rd Monday of the Month - 7:00 p.m.at the Mosheim Masonic Lodge #463
In Honor of Sister Helen Paxton;Past Grand Matron
Brother Lowell GreggPast Grand Patron of the Grand Chapter of
Tennessee Order of the Eastern StarBrother John Harmon, Grand Instructor
Scarlett Harmon, Grand Representative, Utah
Sunshine Court #20 Order of the AmaranthMeets the 3rd Saturday
at 1 p.m. at the Mosheim Masonic
Lodge Hall
In Honor of Sir Knight, John Harmon, Past Grand Royal Patron of the Grand Court of Tennessee
Order of the Amaranth.
