Target of the Week: Blount County Children's Home
Submitted by Andy on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 10:27.

Last night, WVLT reported the controversy stirred up when the Children's Home board didn't immediately acquiesce to the Mayor's desire for them to share their property with other organizations: Link...

It will be discussed and the problem hopefully corrected in tonight's commission meeting. There's a ton of info in the commission packet about this starting on page 75/Item L4 of Link.... While the change to the charter, the primary intent of which was to add more board members, wasn't brought before the county commission, it looks to me like each of the additional new board members was actually approved by the county commission.

And it sure sounds like the Mayor is questioning his predecessor's authority to sign over the deed for the land without resolution of the county commission. But you'll see in the packet that there was a motion, a second, and a vote of the commission to do so. It wasn't like she signed over something that they didn't intend for her to. And Roy Crawford's signature is right along beside hers. He's as trustworthy as they come.

I would hate to see the county commission exploit the Children's Home on a technicality, when really, they could just bring it up to snuff instead. I've been on a number of boards and I understand the need, sometimes, to infuse them with more energy in the form of more warm bodies. I realize that this property has increased in value exponentially, given its location relative to Hamilton and Hunter Crossing Shopping areas, but this is just not reason enough to back out on a deal that the Children's Home participated in in good faith. Let's do the right thing.
Bully boys
Submitted by mello on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 12:25.

It is really easy for the Bully Boys to point fingers at the prior mayor but no one would dare question Roy Crawford's integrity. Rather handy that Mr. Crawford will be front and center tonight should questions arise. Or is he forbidden to speak?

One other little interesting item with the Childrens Home property. When it was discussed and voted on at the December 2004 CC meeting a sample deed for said property was in the Commission's package. It can be found starting on page 71 of the Dec 2004 commission packet. This appears as a 'sample' deed for the property and states at the top it was prepared by Norm Newton. In this sample deed it states that there is a quarry on the property and that quarry would convey to the Children's Home.

The sample deed and the actual deed that conveyed are two different things.

What quarry? Is it that pond at the back- the land which did not convey to the Children's Home? Does this apparent land grab have anything to do with this quarry?

Quarry Location
Submitted by fbeals on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:34.

Having been a former "orphan of the Blount County Childrens home in the 60's ( you older folks will remember the old two stroy white house on the hill, hith the barn and chicken coop, when we grew a lot of our vegatables in the back)

For those of you that know the layout of the property, the quarry ( from the present building as seen from Google Earth) is toward the underpass of the interstate.

I hope this helps any of you that are not aware that a quarry exists

Frank Beals
former "orphan" of BCCH

Thanks!
Submitted by mello on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:34.

The old quarry is now what everyone refers to as the pond. It would be interesting to know if the quarry was filled in. Last summer it was nearly dry.

Would you by chance recall what the area was which is directly behind the new group home up near the end of Celtic Rd? Now it is a County dumpsite. Lots of great piles of concrete and asphalt.

Setting himself up for a dare
Submitted by BC fan on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 16:20.

It is really easy for the Bully Boys to point fingers at the prior mayor but no one would dare question Roy Crawford's integrity. Rather handy that Mr. Crawford will be front and center tonight should questions arise.

If Mr. Crawford want's to stay beyond reproach, he may want to get beyond advertising for his buddies at the courthouse; Link...

Anyone know if his office is still doing this?

Poll at Blount Today
Submitted by local_yokel on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:27.

Just noticed a poll on this at Blount Today:

Should the Children's Home amended charter be approved by the commission?

A response from the County Mayor
Submitted by Andy on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 08:01.

On his attack on the Children's Home:

Link...

At no time have I, and at no time will I ever, entertain any suggestion that any of the properties which are still owned by Blount County or which purportedly were deeded to the Blount County Children’s Home be sold over to a private developer. I do not know how this rumor started. It is another one of those astounding kinds of statements that seem to take on legs of its own.

It is almost as astounding as him saying the Children's Home Board may have wanted to sell the land to a developer.

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." -Mahatma Gandhi

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