Gulf State Towers has made a first payment of $3,500 to the town of Lookout Mountain, Tn., for a conditional permit and the one-year option to build a new cell phone tower. The option began on Dec. 2. The company remains confident that it will be able to sign up providers, said Town Consultant Dwight Montague.
Mr. Montague said the November financial report for the town was “short and sweet” at the commission meeting Tuesday evening.
Building permits for three new homes and various remodeling projects were $25,700 for the month. Interest on the town’s invested money is $5,000 above what it was last year, and $97,500, half of the PTA’s yearly contribution for the school, was received during November.
Lookout Mountain School is getting ready for the holidays. Commissioner of Education Don Stinnett introduced Principal Ruth White who said that the children will be out beginning this coming Friday. There will be pizza parties for each class at 10 a.m. and students will be dismissed early at 11:30 a.m. The week leading up to the break has been busy with field trips. The fifth grade went to Atlanta on Tuesday, where they attended several programs, and the first grade went to The Polar Express. On Dec. 2, the second grade went to the Nutcracker where they saw fellow students perform. Music teacher Will Casada put on the musical program “Music of the Continents” where fifth graders helped set up the stage. In the future, he plans on letting students help with lighting and sound as well as the stage.
Teachers will return after the holidays on Jan. 2 and classes begin on Jan. 4. The book fair will be at the end of January and parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for Jan 31. Night out for Lookout and Grandparents Day will be on the same weekend toward the end of February, said Ms. White.
She thanked the commissioners for all the support that they give to the school, and the Lookout Mountain Police Department for the help they provide for keeping the children safe.
Commissioner of Fire and Police Jim Bentley presented the statistics for the month of November from the two departments. The list was compiled by Chief Randy Bowden. During November there were 58 police calls, 3,966 miles patrolled, 19 burglar alarms (all false), nine assist citizen calls and 24 calls to 911. There were also five incidences where the department backed up other agencies. During the month, eight traffic stops were made and there were no auto accidents or burglaries. There was one theft of an automobile from a tourist parked at the Incline station. The Lookout Mountain Police recovered the car in South Pittsburg and had it returned to the owners within four hours. They put the people back on the road quickly, said Commissioner Bentley. The department also responded to four medical calls and one fire alarm that was false.
The short daylight hours during the winter make it even more important for drivers to be vigilant, said Mayor Carol Mutter. She urges everyone to slow down and watch out for walkers on the curvy roads.
Basketball sign-ups are still going on, said Commissioner of Parks and Playgrounds Brooke Pippenger, and the games will begin after Christmas. Problems with both bathrooms at The Commons have resulted in having to close them while the cause is being diagnosed. The WWTA is scheduled to use cameras to check the lateral lines, later this week. It is hoped that the problems will qualify for help from WWTA for making repairs.
Leaf removal is the main focus for the public works department, said Walker Jones, commissioner of public works. There are now two leaf vacuums in use. The department also purchased a new tractor that will replace old worn-out equipment. Mike Blevins, a town employee, was recognized for earning a reward for his recent work as a volunteer firefighter in battling the wild fires that surrounded the community. The dumpster will be back on the mountain in February.
Mayor Carol Mutter said that the annual employees breakfast held at the golf club is a way the town shows appreciation for its employees. She thanked the residents for their contributions that were given out in the form of checks and gifts.
The mayor also would like to urge residents to patronize the businesses on the mountain during the Christmas season.