Aldermen Ponder Whether to Keep the Smithville Municipal Swimming Pool Closed All Summer

April 7, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

Will the Smithville Municipal Swimming Pool open this summer?

The question remains unanswered for now.

During the regular monthly meeting Monday night, the aldermen delayed a decision on that until next month after Mayor Josh Miller raised the question.

The pool normally opens to the public on Memorial Day weekend in May.

After acting on his own to close the golf course to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Miller said he wanted the aldermen to make the call on the pool.

“I think its too early for us to make that call right now. I don’t think we can do anything until we know when these stay at home and shelter in place orders from the Governor are lifted,” said Alderman Gayla Hendrix.

“I personally don’t think the pool should open and I don’t have any pool chemicals for this year. I can order stuff (chemicals) but it will just sit there if you don’t open the pool,” said City Public Works Director Kevin Robinson.

“Right now we know we are sheltered (under the Governor’s orders) until the end of this month but this could last until the end of May and we don’t know what June will bring. Its feasible we could even open by late June instead of late May if things change and maybe keep the pool open an extra month,” said Alderman Hendrix.

“The problem with that may be “are these lifeguards (many of them teenagers) going to hang around” asked Mayor Miller.

“You can’t stay open an extra month because they (lifeguards) will be going back to school. We have never been able to have them stay after August 1. They all go back to school,,” added Robinson.

“Maybe. That’s another thing we don’t know yet (when schools will open),” Alderman Hendrix said.

“Well if they don’t go back to school we won’t have the pool open anyway. But I agree it’s too early to make a decision,” said Alderman Brandon Cox.

“ How hard would it be if we made a late decision to open as far as getting the pool chemicals” asked Alderman Cox.

“I need to know a month in advance. We still have to pressure wash and clean it (pool) and I will have to order the chemicals,” said Robinson.

Even if the pool opens this summer, Mayor Miller said the city may have to limit its hours of operation due to the lack of lifeguards.

“I talked to (Pool Manager) Jeania (Cawthorn) today (Monday) because last month we were concerned about life guards. Jeania told me she might have 8 or 9 lifeguards lined up and this time last year we had 20 lifeguards so even if the pool opened and if we were not talking about COVID-19, Jeania said the pool probably could not be open except for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays this year,” said Mayor Miller.

“If the pool is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, remember we’re still having to add chemicals Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (adding to the costs),” added Robinson.

April 6, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

WJLE and participating sponsors are presenting a photo gallery of the DCHS Class of 2020 in April and May.

Graduation is set for Friday, May 15 on the DCHS football field barring any delays due to COVID-19.

Click on the link below to view the senior formals.

https://www.wjle.com/graduation-2/

A WJLE DCHS Class of 2020 Photo Gallery box also appears on the left side of the WJLE homepage that you may click to view the photos.

Once you open the page, click each photo to view a larger image. The name of the senior you select is at the bottom of the photo or you may move your mouse over the photo to view the name.

There are 170 photos in the gallery divided up 48 photos to a page. After you view page 1 be sure to click the links for pages 2-4 ( top or bottom of the page) to view the remaining photos. The names of 13 seniors not pictured are also listed on the left side of the page above the sponsors.

The WJLE photo gallery page is sponsored in April by County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss, County Mayor Tim Stribling, St Thomas DeKalb Hospital, Gill Automotive, DeKalb Funeral Chapel, Alexandria Auto Parts, First Bank, the DeKalb County Prevention Coalition, Woodbury Insurance Agency, and DTC Communications.

April 6, 2020
By:

Athough the DeKalb-Cannon County Farm Service Agency (FSA) currently does not have a program signup available for farmland damages resulting from the March 29 high winds, the FSA office is asking agricultural landowners, crop producers, and livestock owners to telephone the office at 615-597-8225, Ext. 2 to report agricultural losses.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FSA office is not open to visitors. Donny Green, County Executive Director, encourages anyone with significant agricultural losses (fencing damage, debris in cropland/hayland/pastureland, land grading/leveling/shaping, and livestock deaths) to immediately telephone the FSA office so this information can be collected in the event approval is received to implement disaster assistance programs.

The DeKalb-Cannon FSA County Committee has requested approval from the Tennessee FSA State Committee to implement a signup for the Emergency Conservation Progam (ECP). The Livestock Indemnity Program is available for livestock producers who suffered livestock deaths as a result of a natural disaster. Livstock death losses must be reported no later than 30 days from the date the livestock death is first apparent.

When you call the office, staff will ask you to provide your county, name, general address of damage, type of damage (fencing, debris in cropland/hayland/pastureland, telephone number, and if you suffered any livestock losses as a direct result of the high winds.

It is important to remember the DeKalb-Cannon County FSA does not currently have a signup underway for assistance with fencing damage, debris removal, or land grading/leveling/shaping. The purpose of telephoning the office to report the damage is to provide information for FSA to build a contact list in the event a signup is approved.

Again, the office telephone number is 615-597-8225, Ext. 2. You may also email your information to the office at Donald.Green@USDA.Gov.