Union City Rotary Club - Weekly Bulletin & News

Today, it seems just a short time ago that Coach Bowling visited Rotary for the first time as U.C.’s Head Coach, he explained at the time, he had lost several of his upperclassmen, due to the fact they didn’t want to give-their-all to the program. He said that was OK, because he would build a great team from the ones that did give-their-all, and he would have a team which other teams would respect and know they were going to be in a physical football game when they got off their bus, thus South Pittsburg. so here-we-are. TENNESSEE CLASS A FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPS after just two years.

The program has come a long way in two years, as he promised, and today we welcome those State Champs with a great deal of pleasure and honor.

Union City Rotary extends a congratulatory and warm welcome to the Team, Coaches, and Managers.

Senior Members; Caleb Alexander, Will Arnold, Rance Barnes, Ronnie Fair, Stevie Gossett, Carlo Guercia Sammarco, Lee McCord, Josh Nicks, Antuwan Powell, Kendrick Price, Dominic Watson, and Jacob Worley.

Senior Manager; Dewain Dewalt

Head Coach; Darren Bowling.

Assistant Coaches; Brandon Duncan, Mack Moore, Nick Markle and Morgan Cruce.Congratulations!

Union City Football!

Next week, last week we got a week ahead of ourselves, so please accept my apologies and read the following article in repetition, when we welcome Retired and highly decorated Colonel Chuck Harrison.

Col. Harrison is a Master Army Aviator, and spent most of his career leading aviation units and flying Cobra, Kiowa, Apache and Apache Longbow, and Special Operations Little Bird Gun helicopters. The last 5 years of his career have been devoted to strategic level planning for the US Special Operations Command and as the Inspector General for the Tennessee National Guard. His career has taken him to some of the great tourism locations in the world to include Iraq, the DMZ of Korea, Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, Somalia, and other undisclosed, yet desirable locations. In Somalia, he was a member of Task Force Range, and flew 17 hours in close air support during the battle that was depicted in the book and movie "Blackhawk Down". He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during that battle. Some of his awards and decorations include the Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and several more.

Last week ,President Barnes inducted a new member into Union City Rotary. Michael Hagan, of Reelfoot Bank becomes the second member inducted in as many weeks.

Also on last weeks program we had the pleasure of hearing from an Obion County native son, as Circuit Judge Claburn Peeples visited and did an excellent job of giving us a history lesson on West Tennessee.

One could tell Judge Peeples has spent many a hour researching the history of our great state, by the way he presented the knowledge he has gained.

He spoke of the difference in the people of West Tennessee, as compared to the people in the middle and east portion of our state and even the difference in the people going from Union City to Paris. He said "the good things in history were almost all done by smart people, and throughout history we have utilized our best people to do our hardest jobs".

While to find articles written by his father for the Union City Paper during the 30’s he said he has gathered some wonderful history of Union City and shared some of that with us. He spoke of the different geographic areas of our state, pointing out the difference in the lay of the land from East Tennessee to West Tennessee, and explained the different types of soil found in our state, saying the excellent soil conditions and the climate found in West TN. and Obion County make it one of the best plant and food growing areas found in the world.

The rest of his program was explaining the immigration into our part of the state, and how they arrived. He said the area was once a Indian Reservation, but later was broken into 5,000 acre plots and given to various groups and individuals, it was then sold 13 to 60 cents per acre. (At today’s prices, the IRS would love the capitol gains taxes, I’ll bet.) He said the first road in this area was the old turnpike levy road, going from Trenton to Hickman.

The program was very informative, but space does not allow us to cover even all the high spots.

Coming Attractions

Jan. 29 - Colonel, Retired, Chuck Harrison

Feb. 05 - Al and Laura Oliver, recent trip to Australia

Feb. 12 - Kurt Baggett, United Way of Obion County

Birthdays

Jan. 23 - Mike Cox

Jan. 24 - Bruce Culver

Jan. 25 - Skipper White

Jan. 28 - Rob Jordon

100 Years Ago - 1910

Inventions included safety glass and infrared photography. Baltimore tool-and-die cutter Duncan Black sold his car for $600, borrowed $1200 from a bank and went into partnership with fellow worker Alonzo Decker. They rented a warehouse and started making tools - a bottle-cap machine for a local dairy, a vest-pocket adding machine, a device for the government that split and coiled stamps, etc. We now know the firm as tool maker Black & Decker.

Basketball Tonight

Union City Hosts Trenton

So. Fulton Hosts Bradford

OCCHS Open

Tomorrow

UTM Men @ East IL

UTM Women @ East IL

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