Dec. 15 Deadline Nears

December 15 is the deadline for ACA 2018 health insurance enrollment. If you have health insurance for 2018, great! If not, you may want to check on ACA Marketplace Health Insurance for security and to avoid tax penalty. In 2015 Union County had a 18.8% uninsured rate among working age adults, much higher than the state average.

Union County High School Celebrates Veterans Day

For nearly 20 years now, Union County High School has taken time each Veterans Day to welcome and honor Union County's veterans with a program prepared, produced and performed by the students themselves with coordination from Union County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Clerk Barbara Williams.

Williams is slow to take credit for the program, but guest speaker retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Dooley Buckner recognized her from the podium, saying, "She has worked tirelessly for almost 20 years to coordinate this event for the students, the veterans and the community."

Booker Farm - On The National Register of Historic Places

The Booker Farm (circa 1750) located on Luttrell-Corryton Road in Union County was the second property in Union County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Eighty-nine acres of the Booker Farm was registered along with a collection of historic buildings and landscape comprising a historic district that documented rural architecture and agriculture in Union County. It is the second oldest century farm in Union County and well represents the settlement patterns of this Appalachian Region. The farm lays divided by the Luttrell-Corryton road.

More About Tattooing

I knew it! I just knew when I wrote about tattooing that some of that had taken place in Union County and that I would get some feedback. Sure enough, John Brown, an elementary school classmate and much decorated Vietnam War veteran who had lived on Monroe Road, called to say he had participated in a few episodes that, in Maynardville at the time, was called Tic-tacking. Since I didn’t find that in the dictionary and since it is the exact same description as I mentioned earlier–they were tattooing houses.

Corn Chowder

It seems that hard times are around for some of us sometimes and for others all the time. What made me think of that? Cream Style Corn in the 16-oz can. I received several cans from my son who doesn't like them. Whole kernel corn is fine for him, but not the creamed variety.

Light Up Union County

A fond memory from my childhood is packing the whole family, and quite often several friends, into the vehicle nearing the Christmas season. All of us children, and our parents too, itching with excitement waiting on the darkness to fall so all of the dainty lights could glow through the car windows. Simple or extravagant, that did not matter. The cruising, the laughing, and the twinkle from those beautiful Christmas lights that we had looked so forward to admiring are a strong memory from our youth.

Seek Out the Old Paths

Take a look at your life today; and remember tomorrow, it’s history. Good or bad, it’s history.

In our modern times, it appears we have gotten too busy to teach our children old fashioned values. With our fast paced lifestyle, we are no doubt too dependent on our computers and smart phones. Children are playing with their phones rather than learning common social skills.

Parks & Recreation

The Parks & Recreation Board of Union County would like to thank all who came out to the Comprehensive Parks Master Plan Meeting on November 2nd.

This meeting was a great opportunity for everyone to participate in being a part of seeking a Parks & Recreation Grant for our county.