A good life in Clinton
Mike Stair looks over his mother’s high school memories before they are donated to Clinton High School. His mother, Betty Stair, died Jan. 16. She was the first majorette at Clinton High School, in 1949. - Ken Leinart
Betty Stair was 88 years old when she died Jan. 16 from complications of COVID-19. She had lived a full life. She was a true friend, she loved her family unconditionally, and she was a Clintonian to the core. So, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when her son, Mike, found one symbol of his mother’s legacy “tucked away in the back of a storage closet in an old laundry bag,” he said. Betty Stair was — and she wasn’t shy about telling anyone within earshot at high school reunions throughout the years — the first band majorette at Clinton High School in her senior year in 1949. Mike Stair smiled at the memory. “Oh, she was proud of that,” he said. “You know she wrote her own obituary almost every year,” he said, laughing. “And she always included that. When I was going through her 34 revisions of her obituary, it was always mentioned.” And sure enough, when Mike composed his mother’s final obituary, that fact was included. So maybe it shouldn’t have been that big of a surprise when Mike reached into that old laundry bag and felt something … Silky? “I thought, ‘Is that a wedding dress?’” he said. “I had no idea what it was.”
Read MoreFormer Mayor Brown donates Market Street lot for downtown park
Former Clinton Mayor Cathy Brown stands in front of the Market Street lot she recently bought and donated to the city to create a “pocket park,” which will include a gazebo and live Christmas tree. It will be named Maude W. Brown Park in memory of Brown’s mother. - G. Chambers Williams III
There’s a new gazebo and even another live Christmas tree coming to downtown Clinton in a new city park being built where the taxicab stand used to be on Market Street. To be called the Maude W. Brown City Park, it will be on a piece of property donated to the city last November by former Mayor Cathy Brown, who stipulated that it can only be used as a park. The lot has about 35 feet of road frontage on Market Street. Other stipulations require that the city erect a gazebo on the land, along with a Christmas tree and a walkway made either of brick or concrete stamped to look like brick, Cathy Brown said Monday. “I bought the property from the heirs of Rachel Southerland on Oct. 28, and I promised I would turn it into a park,” said Brown, who served three terms as Clinton’s mayor in the mid- to late-1980s. “I didn’t want to restrict it too much, because I wanted it to be city property for use by the people,” she said. “But I thought it was important to name it for my mom. She loved the gazebo across the street in the Hoskins-Lane Park, which has now been moved down to the fairgrounds park area. “I’m also grateful to the Hoskins and Lane families that let the property across the street be used as a park for years.”
Read MoreLegislators give update on COVID-19 vaccine rollout
There have been “hiccups” in Tennessee’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. During a “Zoom” meeting with members of the Tennessee Press Association Monday, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton addressed the vaccine rollout and the obstacles that have cropped up, as well as teaching in a pandemic, and public meetings. “This is the first time we’ve had mass vaccinations in our state,” Sexton said of the COVID-19 vaccine. He said the vaccines were first offered through health departments only, but pharmacies will soon be a part of the vaccination effort. “We’ve expanded the number of people who can give it right now and hopefully that number will increase,” he said. Pharmacies are in line to be eligible to give the vaccine, but one of the hiccups the state is seeing is the nature is the time line. Those eligible to sign up — the state is currently vaccinating those 75 and older with underlying health conditions and 70 and older with underlying health conditions. The state is hoping to move past the initial phases and begin vaccinating teachers soon.
Read MoreClinton merchants’ ‘Sweetheart Sale’ pulls in customers
Clinton’s downtown merchants played host to plenty of customers on Saturday (Feb. 13) as they conducted their Sweetheart Sale to celebrate Valentine’s Day. “We’ve had a steady stream of people all day, even with the cold weather,” Mollie Farrar, manager of Hoskins in the Flat on Market Street, said in the early afternoon. “The weather hasn’t deterred people at all,” she said. “But we do wish we could have had a food truck here.” Because of COVID-19 precautions, there were no street vendors or food trucks, and the city would not allow Market Street to be shut down for the day, said Donna Raines, operator of Burrville antiques on Market Street and president of the Historic Downtown Clinton Merchants Association, which sponsored the sale day.
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News
Legislators give update on COVID-19 vaccine rollout Read More
A good life in Clinton Read More
Hoops district tournament is this week Read More
Opinion
I wanna see you eat, just not at my table Read More
The Holiday Bureau thanks you Read More
The greatest decade equals big and bold Read More
Sports
Johnson picked to lead CHS volleyball Read More
Dragon and Mav wrestlers advance to state meet Read More
Lady Dragons playing big time at the right time Read More
The Orange and Black struggled late, but won Read More
Lady Mavs close regular season with win over Ambassadors Read More
The Hutchison sisters live the sporting life (it’s a family affair) Read More
Mavs take win from Ambassadors heading into tourney play Read More
Community
Former Mayor Brown donates Market Street lot for downtown park Read More
Saying ‘Goodbye’ to James Cox Read More
Business
Clinton merchants’ ‘Sweetheart Sale’ pulls in customers Read More
New boutique in Norris fulfills its owner’s dream Read More
Photo Galleries
Anderson County Youth Wrestling at Maryville tourney View
Clinton Youth Wrestling at Maryville tourney View
Clinton City Blaze complete season, recognize players View
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