I recently saw an episode of The Andy Griffith Show that I must have seen dozens of times. A Google search will tell you that this was Season One, Episode 13, “Mayberry Goes Hollywood”.
In that episode, the town decided to really “put on the show” for the film crew. Everybody dressed up in false finery, and the storefronts spiffed up their window displays. I never noticed it before, but the window of the funeral parlor advertised its convenient “layaway plan”.

This is so good. Much different from usual brined cucumber salads. Add as much sweet onion as you like.
Peel cucumber and cut into thin slices. Slice peeled sweet onion into thin rounds. Combine in medium bowl. Set aside. In small bowl, combine sour cream, vinegar, salt and chives. Pour dressing over veggies. Toss gently to coat. Chill at least 2 hours and serve.

With the bitter sub-zero weather we had a few weeks ago, I’ve kept my eye open for a type of tree damage called frost crack, a long vertical split in the tree trunk. I didn’t find a fresh one but did find one or two cracks that had healed over.

By Marilyn Toppins
At the January Union County Commission meeting, Finance Director Melissa Brown told commissioners that Union County had no debt and repeated the statement three times at Union County Mayor Jason Bailey’s request. However, she explained that the Union County School Board still owes for the School Energy Saving Program and the wheel tax will be paying for the construction of Paulette Elementary through possibly 2028.

As Union County teachers, students and parents look forward to the new age of education in the community, there is a new leader ready to embark on the journey of additional educational opportunities in new facilities.
Greg Clay, born and raised in Tater Valley, looks forward to assisting the community in improvements and additions to Union County Public Schools (UCPS).

January 30 was the first day on the job for Greg Clay, the new Director of Union County Schools. At the regular meeting on January12, the Union County Board of Education approved a motion by Brad Griffey to accept a three-year contract as negotiated with a minor change to delete the word academic and broaden the scope of the four performance goals.

This past month, Union County 4-H members were hard at work preparing and rehearsing their speeches for the County Public Speaking Contest.
Competitors and their families gathered at Horace Maynard Middle School recently to hear a variety of speeches on everything from 4-H projects to historical figures and personal experiences.

In 1997, Paula Napier discovered that an elderly lady in the community was eating cat food when she ran out of money at the end of the month. Soon after, Paula started a food pantry in a little red building on Maynardville Hwy., and soon Kitty Lewis joined her.
At that time, they provided additional food for about 25 Union County residents. When Paula had to resign, Kitty took over the operation. The Food Pantry of Union County would continue to grow and soon moved to the Cedar Grove Community Center in 2004.

by Helina Bailey
Chances are, you’ve heard about people in Sharps Chapel who are worried about having to smell manure. I certainly have heard of them, and being that this is rural Tennessee, home to beautiful cattle farms and the like, I have no sympathy for them.

By James and Ellen Perry
Sunday January 15, everyone at the monthly business meeting at the Roy Acuff Museum and Union County Historical Society in Maynardville had our spirits uplifted after two years of covid restrictions, fuel prices through the roof and inflation soaring into outer space here in the good ole USA.