(1) TREE CRASHES INTO HOME ON NORTH SPRINGS ROAD (2) MACON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING (3) NEXT WEEKS FEATURES

(1) TREE CRASHES INTO HOME ON NORTH SPRINGS ROAD



"Early to bed, early to rise..." may not be a wise axiom all of the time.

Red Boiling Springs resident Dorothy Whitley was sitting in the living room of her small mobile home last Tuesday night, January 29, when a tree on the hillside behind the dwelling fell onto the north end of the neat home, crashing through the roof of the bedroom.

A line of fast moving thunderstorms was passing through the county, bringing with it strong winds which took out power to a section of Red Boiling Springs for more than an hour, and on out the Gamaliel Road for as long as four hours.

Ms. Whitley said she was sitting in her recliner Tuesday night when it got real quiet; then it sounded like an airplane roaring close overhead, with pictures falling off the walls.

Knowing a severe wind and rain storm was passing through, she called her daughter, Cathy Greanead, who lives next door, and walked out the front of the house with the cordless phone in her hand.

Ms. Whitley encountered a tree limb just outside her front door as big around as a five gallon bucket, and heard a snap just as she was telling her daughter the power was still on.

The "snap" was apparently a power line, snagged by the falling tree, which broke, leaving the North Spring Road neighborhood in darkness.

The Whitley's were waiting for insurance adjusters to arrive Wednesday morning. Later in the day, Billy Whitley, friends and relatives were able to enter the dwelling and remove his mother's belongings before it rained again.

Dorothy Whitley is staying temporarily with her daughter and son-in-law next door.

"I was really lucky. If I'd been back there in the bedroom, I might not be here today," she said this Friday, February 1.

(2) MCAC ANNUAL MEETING

Macon County Arts Council held its annual meeting on Tuesday, January 29. The meeting began with an introduction to "The Young Americans" by local family Rex, Julie, Meagan, and Jessie Clement. "The Young Americans", an international music outreach group from California, have been invited to do a workshop in Macon County in early 2009.

The chorus of young, teaching musicians will come into our schools for a 3-day workshop and introduce the students to the whys and hows of performing and assembling a show. The three days will culminate in a performance for the community that will include not just "The Young Americans", but also our own Macon County students.

Julie and Rex Clement were members of "The Young Americans", so their introduction was based on first hand knowledge. They showed a video on some recent performances and gave a basic idea of how the workshop would be conducted. They even did a song themselves, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. The Clements are a very talented family.

Two new board members were also chosen that night. Lisa Spivey and Ricky Wilson were elected to fill the positions of out-going board members, J.Y. Carter and Gwen Linville.

Lisa is currently working as a reporter for the Macon County Times, and Ricky is a well-recognized artist in the community. He does wild life art in many forms. MCAC is pleased to welcome these new members to the board.

The meeting ended with review of planned events for 2008 by President Nancy Doss, and a reminder that MCAC is starting its yearly membership campaign. To continue to promote the arts in our community, MCAC would encourage everyone to consider joining or, if you are a member, to renew your membership. For more information on memberships, contact Gay Chamberlain at 666-4349.



ARTICLES IN NEXT WEEK'S PRINT EDITION OF MACON COUNTY TIMES:

* The Macon County Board of Education County Essay Winners - Red Boiling Springs:

Peyton Smith

Avery Hall

Jami Reece