ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 6760
District Governor
Rufus Clifford Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Columbia, TN Trenton, Ontario
RCliff7760@aol.com Canada
International President
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Trenton, Ontario Canada
Today,
Rotarians will hear from Ray Jamieson, "Lawyer turned honest Bootlegger" or so reads Ray’s new business card. Ray recently started construction on the first still built in Kentucky in more than 30 years. His bourbon distillery is on a 15 acre tract on Ky. 125, just outside Hickman, and represents a 2 million capital investment. He expects to employ about 15 people initially and hopefully grow from there.
Ray expects to begin production of bourbon whiskey and other distilled products this fall, and estimates that 2,500 barrels of bourbon would be produced the first year and double that by the second year.
He has been in the bourbon industry in Tennessee for the past four to five years, but sold out his interests there to start this Kentucky venture.
He also sees the Hickman project as a tourist attraction, and plans to blend the distillery project with his love of baking fresh ham and bread in brick ovens and making pickles.
According to Jamieson, he chose this site because it is close to the I-69 route but in a rural setting and has close proximity to Union City and Fulton also.
Ray is a life long Memphian, Graduated at the University of Mississippi in 1965. Practiced Law in Memphis since then, having attended Memphis State, graduated at the University of Miami and then at Ole Miss. In his words, "I am a Memphis State, University of Miami, Ole Miss, and now a Louisville Fan!!
Ray has one son Hugh, who is his partner in the Distillery Venture, he is married and has triplets...all girls. Ask me about them!!!
Next week, is another big week in Union City Rotary Club’s annual scholarship give-a-way, as the Club will issue the Verhine Scholarship Awards at First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center.
This year’s Verhine scholarships will total $165,000, handed out to some 117 deserving students from Union City High School. This along with the Rotary Scholarships three weeks ago bring the total dollars in scholarships this year to $294,650.00, handed out to 227, Union City, Obion County Central and South Fulton High School Students.
Now in it’s sixth year, the Verhine Scholarship Program is funded by a $3.5 million endowment to the Rotary Club form the Vernon Verhine Estate. Mr. Verhine passed away in 1972, Mrs. Verhine, Fern, died in 1976. Following Mrs. Verhine’s death, Hardy Graham served as trustee of Mrs. Verhine’s charitable trust. Under Graham’s stewardship, the fund grew significantly until the death of the last surviving relative in 2001. At this time, the charitable trust principal exceed $5.5 million in value. $3.5 million of the Verhine Trust was distributed to the Union City Rotary Foundation as a permanent endowment, Thus the Verhine Scholarships.
Last Week,
there was no meeting, due to the Distinguished Speakers Banquet. Several Rotarians were entertained on Thursday night with a powerful talk by Linda Hooper as she revealed the story behind the "Paper Clips" Project in a little coal Mining town in southeast Tennessee. She began her presentation with a short film and then on to the explanation of the "Paper Clip" project which gained National and Worldly attention. A project which eighth-graders in Whitwell Middle School started to try and comprehend the magnitude of the Holocaust, which later prompted a book and an award winning film.
Two weeks ago, after being slightly roasted by former U.C. Coach Randy Barnes, Coach Shane Sisco and his 2007-08 TSSAA Class A Boys Basketball State Champions visited Rotary. There were several guests, as his Coaching Staff, there wifes and U.C. Cheerleaders also were present.
Before Coach Sisco took the podium, President Barry Keathley called Roger Williams, chairman of scholarship committee, to the stage and presented him with a plaque, which U.C. Rotary recently received for it’s 2007, Scholarship Program at the Rotary Multi-District Conference in Nashville. At this time President Keathley asked the entire Scholarship Committee to stand and they received a nice round of applause from Rotarians and Guests.
Coach Sisco began by introducing the U.C. Cheerleaders and their sponsors and commended them for their support throughout the year. Starting with his freshman class he introduced the entire roster for the State Champion Team and the various individual stats and awards the members had accomplished over the past year.
He also lauded the Seniors and the rest of the team for their record over the past four years, and also was very excited for the past year’s 37-0 record. The teams average points per game this year was 83 points per game while giving up an average of 62 points per game.
Shane recalled his talk to Rotary before the season started and mentioned one of the questions asked was how far would this team go this season, and his response was "he would be very disappointed if this team didn’t go to the State Tournament", but had no idea they would accomplish the season we just finished. He said this team was very disappointed after the Humboldt loss last year in the Regional Tournament and that loss is what motivated them accomplish this perfect season.
Coach Sisco said he thinks next years team will also be exciting, the reason being, the team they have had to practice against on a daily basis this past year.
Coming Attractions
The Union City Grayhounds open their season tonight by hosting the Tradewater Pirates, with games also Saturday and Sunday
