West: Spring brings good, bad news

By MIKE WEST

Spring weather always brings a mix of good and bad news.

I suppose you can tie that to the turbulent weather accompanying the change in seasons.

Early last week, straight-line winds caused major property damage throughout Cannon County and in particular in the southern part of the county including Bradyville, Iconium and Woodland.

Rutherford, Warren and other surrounding counties were impacted by the winds which ripped through at speeds of 95 to 102 mph.

But in Cannon County residents have a true volunteer heart and were out helping neighbors as soon as the storm winds settled.

The Rescue Squad, public safety, 911 and utility personnel worked to get Cannon County back in working order by patching roofs, clearing downed trees and getting electrical power up and running. In many cases, volunteers worked throughout the night, expecting nothing in return.

It was a busy night at Cannon County's 911 call center which received and answered 166 calls between the hours of 5 p.m. and midnight.

But by mid-day Wednesday most everyone was "back in business" except for the most severe damage where work continued.

That's the Cannon County way. Everybody helps.

The warm temperatures also rendered good in some circles as business began to pick up out of the winter doldrums.

In county government, the Budget Committee took on Cannon's financial issues with renewed vigor due to the strong (let's put it this way) encouragement from the State Comptroller's Office.

Initial Budget Committee meetings were organizational in scope. Proper goals were set along with a timetable that should help the County Commission to approve its budget in record time. The Comptroller expects the final budget to be drafted and approved by the Budget Committee by May 31.

As always, it is up to the full County Commission to approve the final budget and set the tax rate by July 20.

It's a tough battle particularly this year especially with the close oversight provided by the Comptroller. A property tax hike is likely.

But in downtown Woodbury progress is hammering along.

New businesses are popping up like Southern Charm Cafe and Bakery, Affordable Computer Repair on the Square and Anthony's Florist. With the growing success of places like Iron Pig Antiques, Woodbury seems to be slowly pushing towards being a unique shopping designation backed by the growing popularity of the Arts Center of Cannon County.

Meanwhile it's up to "us" (the citizens of Cannon County) to keep spreading the word about our community and its unique attractions. If you think about that, it's another great way of helping your neighbors.