The Lookout Mountain, Tn. Police Department has instigated a new procedure for keeping residents of the town safe. Chief Chuck Wells said the practice of conducting “field interviews” is being done to identify people who are around areas on the mountain during hours when they are closed. He said the officers are not only stopping vehicles without mountain decals, but are talking to the passengers to hear what they are doing and why they are there and documenting these incidents.
Cars that are stopped will also be checked for outstanding warrants. The police are using the car decals as a tool, said Commissioner of Fire and Police Jim Bentley, so it is important that residents display them on their cars. He continues to ask residents to lock their car doors.
In October, there were 123 field interviews conducted.
The commissioner also said he would like to clear up mis-information about the Lookout Mountain, Tennessee’s fire department. He said that it is a fully staffed department with all paid employees. The fire department on the Tennessee side of the mountain is rated Class 2, as good as it can be, and is outfitted with the best equipment. “We are not a volunteer fire department,” he said. “We are fully staffed.”
Statistics from the month of October show that police answered 400 calls. Most were related to a single, large event. Officers patrolled 4,713 miles, checked eight false burglar alarms, responded to 30 calls made to 911 and assisted eight citizens during the month. There were seven auto accidents and 232 traffic stops, including 19 suspicious persons/vehicles or activities. The police gave 31 parking citations and made nine arrests - one for narcotics, one for felony eluding and seven were for a warrant arrest. Of the 22 medical calls, 17 were in Tennessee and seven in Georgia. And there was one fire call and four fire alarms checked.
Commissioner of Parks and Recreation David Paschall reported that the flag football season has gone well with play-offs taking place this week and the next. The playground and The Commons have continued to be active and are still being sanitized. The next hurdle, he said, will be basketball because it is an indoor sport. The gym continues to be closed and is expected to remain that way, like all Hamilton County School gyms. Walker County has different standards, he said, and there is the possibility that basketball can be played at the Fairyland School gym. That basketball court is not regulation size, he said, and is better for first and second graders, but may be the only place the games can be played.
Lookout Mountain Elementary School is teaching in person at the moment, said Commissioner of Schools Brooke Pippenger, but the teaching method is based on the number of coronavirus cases in Hamilton County. Things may change depending on the numbers, and she said the latest information can be found on the Hamilton County School website. The school is in a group of schools known as “Rock Point,” where Dr. Robert Sharpe, Rock Point Director, visited and was pleased with the new ELA (English Language Arts) curriculum and the culture of learning and engagement at the school.
The annual Book Fair fundraiser will be held at the end of February or early March, depending on the pandemic. There will be a lottery for students who do not live in Lookout Mountain, Tn., but who would like to attended the school. The number of available spots for fall 2021 is not yet known. The lottery for school choice to attend LMS will take place on Dec. 1. The school will be closed the week of Thanksgiving.
The Virtual Fun Run to benefit LMS was held on Halloween, hosted by the PTA. Miss Bookout’s class came in first place, Miss Johnson’s class, second and Mrs. Weeks’ class was in third place. Thomas Hopper with 109 miles and Margaret Carr with 40 miles are the students with the most miles and will be this year’s King and Queen of the Hill.
Leaf season is now in full swing for the public works department. Commissioner of the department, Frank Schriner asks residents to separate leaves from limbs when the debris is taken to the street. On Saturday, Nov. 14, Ann Caldwell and Wendy Robinson have organized “Lookout for Litter.” Volunteers will pick up litter from 9 a.m. until noon and are asked to meet at the lower parking lot at The Commons. Commissioner Schriner gave a reminder that only vehicles with Lookout Mountain, Tn. or Ga. decals will be allowed to use the recycling center at the public works department.
October was a good month for revenues received, Assistant Treasurer and Court Clerk Samantha VanAlstyne told the commissioners. Property taxes have started to come in and in October $349,000 was paid. Income from the parking kiosks at Point Park is also increasing with the reopening of the National Park. During the month, $15,000 was received from the parking meters. And Lookout Mountain, Tn. received $27,990 from the Tennessee Cares program that the state provided to municipalities to be used for expenses incurred from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flossie Weill, Lookout Mountain, Tn., municipal judge, has been given the honor of being presented with the Southeast Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women’s 2020 Lioness of the Bar award. This award recognizes Judge Weill for her “exemplary legal expertise, strong community involvement, dedication to SETLAW and furtherance of the careers of female attorneys.”
Mayor Walker Jones recognized and thanked the organizers for the upcoming Lookout for Litter event, which he said, along with the work done by the multiple garden clubs and the organized fundraiser for the fire department, exemplifies the volunteer spirit on the mountain. He thanked TDOT for the work that has been done on Ochs Highway. “They did just what they said they would do to increase safety,” he said. The just-completed work put a non-skid coating on the new pavement.
The mayor also thanked the poll workers for the presidential election. He said that Lookout Mountain, Tn. had 81 percent participation, with around 1,500 people voting.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn. Commission is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m.