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New firehouses give added safety
It's going to be a happy weekend for members of the Cullowhee and Balsam fire departments as the two groups – volunteers all – celebrate their new buildings.
Balsam-Willets-Ochre Hill firefighters have a brand-new modern building to replace a small, outdated one. Their new location and added equipment will help the department continue to provide protection to the community while also giving many area residents a break on their home insurance.
Cullowhee's new addition is the much-anticipated Caney Fork substation, which will allow firefighters to reach homes in the Caney Fork valley much sooner when a need arises. And, with the lessons of September's devastating flooding still fresh, the building will be able to double as an emergency shelter.
Balsam Chief Johnny Nicholson and Cullowhee Chief Richard Frady each said their new building is a "dream come true."
We're happy for them, and we're grateful to live in a county with dedicated volunteers whose dreams revolve around the safety of their neighbors.
Pondering choices of commissioners
Surprise doesn't begin to cover how we feel after commissioners' decisions (see page 1A) to remove longtime Economic Development Commission Chairman Tom McClure from county-appointed posts and place veteran economic development employee Tamera Crisp on paid administrative leave.
In addition, their plan to immediately seek foreclosure on QC Apparel's outstanding loan raises as many questions as it answers.
McClure has had his critics over the years. This newspaper was one of them in 1998 when we questioned the need for the intense secrecy that surrounded Orkand's impending move into the former Buster Brown plant.
QC owner Clemmey Queen said at the time that the EDC was only interested in out-of-town companies and offered no help to struggling homegrown enterprises.
McClure listened. He became more responsive to media requests, and he and the EDC held out a hand to QC, Jackson County's sole surviving textile manufacturer.
What are commissioners looking for, and what do last week's decisions mean?
We wish we knew.
All the information we could gather by press time is in the front-page story. It is unfortunate that it raises as many questions as it answers.
We'll have to wait to see what the audit reveals.
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