Happy New Year From Centerville, Tennessee

Whew, I am glad that this year is over. As a Realtor, it has been a tough year. Although I had several sales that I am thankful for, it could have been better. I can tell that the real estate market is beginning to improve, and it is about time.

The news media will give you their top ten of the year and the first decade of the 21st century. I, however, will just wish you a Happy New Year from my house in Centerville, Tennessee in Hickman County.

I will also remind you that if you or someone you know is looking for a house or want to sell yours, give me a call and I will be glad to help you out. You can check out my website http://www.HickmanCountyRealEstate.com for more information.

The Train To Grinder's Switch Is Running Right On Time!

Santa Claus is coming to Centerville, TN on a train on Saturday, November 11 at 10:00 a.m. For several years, this has been an exciting event for the children of Hickman County. Come on out and enjoy the fun.

Centerville Selected To Participate In Program

Matt Kisber, the Economic and Community Development Commissioner in Tennessee announced that Centerville has been chosen as one of 12 communities to participate in a community development program. You can read the full announcement by Kisber at https://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/6440 .

Revitalization is a good idea, but if the organizations that are charged with community improvement would get some jobs in Hickman County, revitalization would take care of itself. It doesn't matter how many places there are to spend money, if you have to go outside of the county to work you will spend your money on your way to and from work.

I believe that Hickman County should have organizations that try to improve the county, but what is there to show for it. In today's economic climate, we cannot afford to wait for business to come to us, the people in charge must go out and find it.

Fish Camp Update In Centerville

I have received several inquires about Fish Camp Restaurant lately. As most of you know, Centerville as well as most of Middle Tennessee was flooded on May 1 and 2 of this year. By some official estimates by The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Hickman County received as much as 18 inches of rain over the two day period. If you haven't seen the pictures, you can click on the archives of this blog and view many of the Centerville area.

Well, I have some good news to report. Fish Camp will open during the next few weeks. I haven't heard an exact date, but according to some "reliable sources" it will be soon. I am including a picture of the new building.

Thanks to the ones that have kept up with us in Hickman County and that read my blog. I know I only update about once every week or two, but there is not usually that much to spread the word about. If any of you have anything that you would like me to cover, you can comment or email me: paul.taylor@crye-leike.com or call me: (931) 670-5316. It may take me a few days, but I will get to it.

2010 Christmas Parade In Centerville, TN

The Centerville, TN Christmas Parade in Hickman County will be held on Saturday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m. The route will be the same as in years past - beginning and ending at the Centerville Church of Christ.

For more information, or to register to be in the parade, contact Rob Mitchell at (931) 729-5491 or email him at ramitchell6639@yahoo.com .

Centerville Grocery Store Closing

After about 60 years in business, a local grocery store is closing on November 7, 2010. Donna's Cee Bee is the latest casualty of the recession in Centerville. The store has changed hands several times during its history, but this time it is closing.

Channel 5 in Nashville carried a story about the local business. You can view it here

One only needs to take a look around the town to see the that the recent past has not been kind. There are plenty of vacant buildings around the Centerville, TN Square. Many are in disrepair and are perhaps casualties of the American appetite for cheap China-made goods that one finds in the big box stores. Over the last few years, many of the older stores have closed and some that just moved in a few years ago have already closed.

Until jobs return to the smaller towns, store closings will continue to be common. It has been that way in Hickman County and Centerville and probably most small towns for years. With Donna's closing, there will be twelve more people that need a job that is not here.

Tennessee Crossroads in Centerville, TN

Centerville has been featured on the local PBS show Tennessee Crossroads. The Grinder's Switch Hour, carried live by Country KIX 96 radio station on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m., is showcased during one of the segments of the show. The segment has been uploaded to Youtube.com and can be viewed at this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_YQsr93tyo

Centerville, located in Hickman County, was the birthplace of Minnie Pearl, the comedienne of the Grand Ole Opry.

A Little Disappointed!

I tried hard not to write this blog entry; I waited several days before I finally decided to.

This past Saturday was a fund raiser for the victims of the "Great Flood" in May. It was billed as "Saturday Night In Hickman County." I suppose this was a reference to the Johnny Cash song by the same name. The concert was held at the Ag pavilion in Grinders Switch - home of Minnie Pearl. Several local acts were performing there and then there was the Crickets - as in Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The drummer, J. I. Allison lives in Lyles, just up the road from Centerville in Hickman County.

Signs were in most business windows around. The information was passed around on Facebook; it was on the radio. So what happened? Where were the people? It only cost $5 to enter and then you could give a donation. I don't know how many showed up throughout the day, but for the Cricket concert, there were only a few hundred.

People in small towns generally don't have a lot of money and perhaps it was too close to the Banana Pudding Festival the week before - at the same location. It drew thousands.

Perhaps it was too long of a day - I only came a couple hours before the Crickets. But, the acts that I heard were great and gave performances fit for an audience of thousands. Thanks to all of the acts that performed, all of the volunteers, and all that came out. I wish more had.

Banana Pudding Festival Winner

The winner of the Banana Pudding Festival in Hickman County, Tennessee is... You can read about the winner on her blog about the festival. Centerville, TN and Grinder's Switch was the place to be. If you missed it, you missed a treat (pun intended).

What a Day In Centerville, TN

Yesterday was a busy day in Hickman County. Usually in small towns, people seem to complain that there is not much to do, however, if you were anywhere near Centerville, Tennessee you knew something was going on. People were everywhere.

While my wife, George Ann was at the quilt show, I started out at the Car Show at theHickman County Justice Center. Even though this has been held for over two decades, I have never taken the time to go there. I know how to put gas in and change the oil. That's about it. But, walking by and seeing these cars - many from years ago - really was fun. I liked the '56 T-bird convertible and the Austin Healy (that is the one Jill had on Home Improvement.). There were lots of Corvettes that I would get a ticket in if I owned one. And there were plenty of trucks. Some of the vehicles looked as though they were handled with "kids gloves."

Next, we - my youngest son Zack and I - walked to the quilt show. A lady at the door handed us a piece of paper and said to pick out the quilt we liked the most. I don't know anything about quilts other than when I was young they would keep me warm at night. However, I know what I thought was pretty so we wrote down a number. There were lots of quilts there and to my surprise, I spent a little time looking at them. I could not imagine how long it took people to make a quilt in the "old days."

From there we drove to the Banana Pudding Festival at the Ag Pavilion and Fairgrounds inGrinder's Switch - the place Minnie Pearl made famous in her comedy routine. I really did not know what to expect and wondered if very many people would show up. Wow! What a surprise. When we arrived, the lady collecting money at the gate said that it had been lots of people through there. We parked in a field and walked to the main pavilion where there were hundreds of people listening to music. People were everywhere. I would like to know exactly how many were there, but I bet throughout the day there were thousands. There were two areas for live bands, a small area for children with the bouncy things, food of all kinds. Free Ice cream from Purity. I ate the rib-eye sandwich from the Lions Club - it was delicious. We ate the banana pudding and put our dollar in the one we thought was best. George Ann and I disagreed - which is not unusual. But, she has the right to be wrong.

I was happy with the way the day turned out. I had a good time although I was tired by the end of the day and I look forward to next year. After seeing the crowds in Centerville yesterday, maybe better days are ahead for Hickman County.

Centerville In The Fall Car Show

If you like cars, Centerville, TN will be the place to be on October 4, 2010, . The annual Centerville in the Fall Car Show will be held at the Hickman County Justice Center, just off the Centerville Square. There will be 42 awards with 10 special awards. The show is open to all makes and models and Dash Plaques will be given to the first 125 entries. Door prizes will be given and food will be available. If you need more information, call (931) 729-4576.

Drew Luckett Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser In Centerville, TN

On Saturday, August 21, 2010, the Drew Luckett Memorial Scholarship fundraiser will be held at the Skyview Country Club in Centerville, TN. The entry fee is $200 per team in the 4-person golf scramble. The tournament begins at 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Shotgun Start. Lunch will be served 11:30 until 1:00 and is only $5.00

$5,000 cash will be given for the 1st hole-in-one and there will be prizes for the longest drive contest and closest to the pin contest. Free demos by Ping, Mizuno, and Callaway Golf are available.

For more information or to reserve your spot contact Tim Luckett (931)209-6944, Buzz Maddox (931) 729-4548 or the Skyview Country Club (931) 729-2444. All proceeds go to the Drew Luckett Memorial Golf Scholarship fund which benefits the Hickman County High School.

Centerville, TN Fair On The Square 2010

Centerville, Tennessee in Hickman County is the place to be on September 11. The 18th annual Grinder's Switch Music And Arts Festival begins at 9:00a.m. with opening ceremonies to be held at 10:00 and a live broadcast of the Grinder's Switch Hour on KIX 96 radio station to follow.

Plenty of food will be available to fill anybody and music will be held just about all day. According to the Hickman County Times, several local acts are scheduled to appear including, Grinder's Switch Skillet Lickers, Brothers In Christ, Double Down Band, Bobby Marquez, raw Country and the Grinder's Switch Ensemble. There is music for everyone.

Come on out to Centerville and have a good time.

For more information visit the Hickman County Chamber of Commerce website http://www.HickmanCo.org or call them at (931) 729-5594

Come One, Come All to the Hickman County Fair

Come one! Come all! to the Hickman County fair in Grinders Switch- made famous by Minnie Pearl in her comedy routines - in Centerville, Tennessee. On August 25-28, the Hickman County Agriculture Pavilion and Fairgrounds will host the annual fair.

Come enjoy the rides, funnel cakes, cotton candy, the games. Throw baseballs till your arms get tired to win that stuffed animal.

Have a good time.

Poker Run In Centerville, Tennessee

On August 7, 2010 the Centerville Public Square will be the place to be if you ride motorcycles. Registration for the Poker Run begins at 8:30 a.m. and continues until the start of the ride at 10:00 a.m. which ends at 5:00 p.m. in Lyles at the park.

The entrance fee is only $10.00 per bike and all proceeds go to the Hickman County Humane Society, which is an all volunteer organization. A $50 prize will be given to the rider with the best hand and a $25 prize will go to the person with the worst hand.

Barbecue meal tickets will be sold for $5 and will be served at the end of the run in Lyles.

For all your motorcycle event information, check out the website www.motorcyclemonster.com and enjoy the ride.

Fish Camp: Casualty Of The Flood

I don't know how many times I ate there over the years, but the food was always good. Not as many as I would have liked, but a real estate agent has to watch what he spends because it may be a while before another payday comes along. However, just about everyone in Hickman County knows about Fish Camp in Centerville, Tennessee and the fish that they cooked.

Well, it is gone now. A casualty of the "Great Flood Of 2010." If you look at the photos of the flood, you can see that the water almost covered the entire building. Over the last few days it has been torn down. I have been told that a new building will be built in its place. I hope so.

It is a part of Hickman County History.

It's Football Time In Hickman County - Are You Ready?

Here is the 2010 Football schedule for theHickman County High School Bulldogs inCenterville and the East Hickman County High School Eagles in Lyles. Here is the legal info that I am required to give since I am a Realtor. I am a Realtor with Crye-Leike, Realtors in Fairview. Equal Housing Opportunity. You can reach me at home at (931) 670-5316 or at the office: (615) 799-6288.

Go Bulldogs. Go Eagles.

I love football and I hope that this is a good season. One of my neighbors is the coach for the Bulldogs and I would love to see him do well. I would also like to see the Eagles do well. I went to Elementary School at East Elementary and was proud to be an Eagle.

See you there at some of the Football Games. I'll be the one wearing Red and Blue.

Gem, Mineral And Jewelry Show In Centerville, TN

The 37th Annual Middle Tennessee Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show will be on July 16, 17, and 18, 2010 at the Tennessee Army National Guard Armory in Centerville. The Armory is located on Highway 50 West, just off of the Centerville Square in Hickman County. On Friday and Saturday, the hours are from 10 am until 6 pm and on Sunday from 10 am until 5 pm.

The admission fee is $3.00 and parking is free. Door Prizes will be given away. The show features 14k gold, beads, sterling silver, rear gemstones, crystals and many other items.

See you there!

Centerville, Tennessee 2010 Quilt Show

Hickman County's 5th annual quilt show will be held on Friday, October, 1 and Saturday, October 2, 2010 at the First Baptist Church located at 100 Murphree Street. Only two blocks from the Centerville Square, the location is easy to reach. This years theme is Quilts...Homeward Bound. The quilts will be documented to be included in a quilt book. The hours of the show are Friday 12 pm to 6 pm and Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. Everyone is invited to attend and view the wonderful quilts.

According to their new website http://quiltsofhome.org/ "the show is free and parking is too."

Angie Laster On Youtube From Grinder's Switch Hour

Each week on Saturday, radio station KIX 96 (96.7 F.M.), has a live radio show from Centerville, TN. It is named the Grinder's Switch Hour, in honor of the town that Minnie Pearl made famous in her comedy routine. Yes, there really is a place called Grinder's Switch that is just outside the Centerville city limits in Hickman County.

This past Saturday, a local favorite, Angie Laster sang on the show. Her rendition of the Janis Joplin hit, "Me and Bobby McGee ' is good and I hope all of you that read this will click on the link on Youtube.com and listen to her. There are several of her songs on there. Listen to them also and tell your friends. You will like what you hear.

Angie Laster on the Grinder's Switch Hour

I have written this blog for a year or two. I started out and titled it centervilletn.blogspot.com. But lately, I have written more about Hickman County, Tennessee than just Centerville. Therefore, I decided to create a blog that was more about the whole county than just one area of it. I don't know how often that I will post to it, although usually I post every week or two. Sometimes, I may make a statement that you don't agree with. That is OK. There is an old saying that if two partners agree all the time, one ain't needed.

If you want to see the new blog, go to http://HickmanCountyTennessee.blogspot.com and see what I have to say.

Things Improving In Hickman County

It seems as though everything is getting back to normal in Hickman County, Tennessee. Although normal for Hickman County is not necessarily a good thing. The Hickman County Times reported that a new Industrial Board has been hired - after the old one was fired by the legislative body. I think that most of the commissioners should be "fired. " Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike any of the members, it is just that they don't work together for the betterment of the county. And Vision 21 is a big joke in the county. I am all for the idea of Vision 21, but "do something." I talk to a lot of people, and most believe that the organization should be abolished.

I understand that this has been the most difficult recession since the "Great Depression," but, there does not seem to be any plan for the future. As the old saying goes, they are just "killing snakes."

The Centerville Jr. Pro. Baseball season is over. It will probably be the last game that Zack, my youngest will play. He will be too old next year. I don't think that he will play High School Baseball. He tried out for the Middle School Basketball team, but didn't make it - he is shorter than some of the others, but I believe that he is one of the best ball handlers around. And, you know how it goes, the best does not always get chosen because someone else's son or daughter wants to play - even though they are not as good others. I imagine it is that way everywhere, but it is especially true in a small town.

I guess I just wanted to rant today, sometimes it feels good just to let your thoughts and words take you where ever they want to.

Back To Normal In Hickman County?

It has been about 11 days since the flood. I could have put hundreds of pictures on here, but I figured that most people had seen the Local and National News broadcasts. I have helped tear out carpet and paneling at the Twomey Church Of Christ in Centerville. Man, that is hard work. I have seen workers at Fish Camp restaurant tearing out everything. There are dumpsters all over the county where people are gutting the insides of the buildings.

I went to the ballfield Saturday morning to help there, but the one that oversees the ballgames said that they were going to wait until FEMA arrived so they could see the destruction. The fence around the ballfields are down and mangled. There are hundreds of places that were either partially or totally destroyed. One bright spot is that Hickman County has a small population so the devastation was not as bad as it could have been had this area been densely populated.

The Red Cross has been helping out and the Churches in Centerville have set up shelters and have been feeding about 2400 people three times a day. Churches from Lyles, Bon Aqua, Dickson, and Columbia are all helping by doing whatever they can. One church sent a trailer truck load that they had collected and had more to come.

The schools are mostly closed, although students in the 10, 11, 12 grades had to return today so they could take "End of Course" exams. The superintendent will decide on Sunday whether the rest of the students will return for the last few days.

Here is an article that will help you to understand better what is going on in Hickman County.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100512/NEWS01/5120371/Already%20struggling%20Hickman%20County%20tries%20to%20claw%20out%20after%20flood

This is the first time that I have seen this amount of destruction, and it just goes to show that Mother Nature only allows us to live here and we better take care of what we have.

Pictures From The Great Flood of 2010

These pictures were taken by Chuck Gilbert, the band director at Hickman County High School. He has allowed me to post them on this blog. Thanks Chuck.

Many of them are of the main bridge going into Centerville on Highway 100. A few are of the Riverfront Park area and a few are of the ballfield at Doyle Bowen Park.

This is probably the worst disaster that Hickman County has ever seen. There have been tornadoes before that destroyed several houses, but the magnitude of the flood has been amazing. Places that have never seen water in the area are flooded. Everyone in the area knows someone that was directly touched by this catastrophic event.

The Great Flood of 2010 In Centerville

Well, I guess most of you have heard by now about the flood in Middle Tennessee this weekend. The Duck River in Hickman County escaped its banks once again. Although the likes of this flood has never been seen. According to one Nashville TV station, some areas in Hickman County received as much as 18 inches of rain over a two day period.

A picture of the river near Fish Camp restaurant shows just one area. Fish Camp is a popular restaurant in Centerville and is the building that you can only see the top of on the left. The picture was taken by Truman Borntrager. This photo was shared on Facebook by one of my friends, Sheila Wooten of KIX 96 radio station. I hope Mr. Borntrager does not mind me posting his picture, but I will give him a little advertisement. He is a local auctioneer with Coble Realty in Bon Aqua. So, If you need an auctioneer, give him a call.

Skirmish Of Centerville ON The Duck River

On Saturday, April 24, 2010 the 3rd annual reenactment of the 7th Tennessee Co. B Skirmish of Centerville on the Duck River will be held. See the schedule of events at this blog.

http://blog.hickmantn.org/2010/04/battle-of-centerville-reenactment.html

On a personal note, my family and I watched the event last year and enjoyed it. As the cannons erupted you could hear the echoes for long distances. There is limited parking and you may have to walk a little bit, but it is worth the effort. Hickman County is the place to be.

Hickman County High School Featured on Channel 4's "Cool Schools"

Most of the students at Hickman County High School spent last night at the school. Channel 4's Aaron Solomon visited the school and proclaimed Hickman County High School "Cool." Many programs were featured as well as many students who explained the classes. The High School is located in Centerville and has about 600 students.

View the program online at the link below.

http://www.wsmv.com/video/22798292/index.html

Hey, that is cool. Thanks, to the staff at the school that put up with the students all night and to the Channel 4 staff. According to my son, Jake, they had a good time.

Snow, Snow, Go Away!

Well, it snowed again. School's out in Hickman County and most of Middle Tennessee and the kids are happy. Although this is the eight day they have missed due to snow. I hope they don't miss many more or they will have to make up some days. Our school system adds 11 days that they can miss due to weather. Usually we don't have much snow and they have several days left over, but this year has been unusual.

Centerville does not have the equipment to keep the roadways clear and the least bit of snow causes major problems. Most people in the Hickman County area - Lyles, Centerville, Bon Aqua - must drive elsewhere to work and it makes it hard on them. They can stay home and lose a day's work or drive and take a chance of wrecking their car.

Usually the real estate market is slow during the winter months, and this year is no exception and the weather has made it even tougher for a Realtor than usual - although I see signs that things are beginning to pick up. So, if you are looking for a house, or want to sell yours, give me a call and I can help you. Now is the time.

Home Sales Fall in 2009

Home sales in Hickman County fell to their lowest level since 2002 when 163 houses were sold. From a high of 276 sales in 2005, the total number of sales decreased to 165 in 2009 – a decrease of 40.2%. According to Multiple Listing Service Data compiled by real estate agent Paul Taylor, sales volume has fallen three out the last four years.

The service, which aids real estate agents, tracks home sales in the Middle Tennessee Area. Most agents belong to the service which allows one agent to sell another agent’s listed property.

According to Taylor, who is a Realtor with Crye-Leike, Realtors of Fairview, the median value of houses sold decreased 12.5% from $102,773 in 2008 to $89,900 in 2009.

Taylor states that he expects the First-time Homebuyer’s tax credit that President Obama signed into law will help the real estate market improve in the New Year.

Snow In Centerville!

Well, it doesn't happen a lot, but snow is falling here in Centerville. I don't know how much we will receive, but my wife and kids are happy with any. We usually make snow cream if it is enough so that we can collect the snow off of the top of the car or deck without getting dirt in it. Schools are out today and tomorrow. They closed them last night for today before even the first snowflake fell. All of ya'll in the North probably don't understand that, but we don't usually get much snow so we don't have the equipment to keep the roads clear like you do. Anyway, the snow is pretty.