Category Archives: Government

Want to Be a Good Land Steward? Here’s How

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Enjoying the Scenery in Sharps Chapel, TNI’ve mentioned many times that Jim and I frequently go out into our woods and do forest conservation.  We did not always know what to do, and we are still learning, but it is easy enough to get started.  There are so many benefits in doing so.

We first got exposed to the details of forest conservation about 10 years ago when my father bought 45 acres in Chillicothe, Ohio.  It was reclaimed pastureland that had some nice mature forest and some low-lying scrubland.

My brother learned that there were free services that the government provided whereby a forester comes in and spends some time marking trees for culling that are either unhealthy or non-native and competing with native species.  Additionally, the forester would cut vines that climb on the trees and apply herbicide to the stems.  The vines are very destructive in that they eventually kill the tree by cutting off their ability to get light and create food.

I made sure I went around with him to learn all that I could.  I have used that information on our property here in Sharps Chapel.  The very first thing we started doing was cutting vines and wild rose bushes.  That would be a good place for you to start, as well.

The TN Department of Agriculture has a similar program to help you manage your land in TN.  The contact for Claiborne, Union Counties is:

Steve Roark, Area Forester
2178 Hwy 25 East, Suite 1,
Tazewell, TN 37879
(423) 526-2992

If you have any land at all, we encourage you to learn more about developing your property to its fullest potential to conserve its natural beauty and meet your objectives.  We find that the joy of working outside gives us exercise and slows our busy lifestyle down so that we actually can experience and enjoy the many aspects of nature that would otherwise get missed if we stayed only on the well-worth path.

Life is an Adventure!

 

Hiking During Hunting Season at Chuck Swan WMA? Yes!

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Hiking in Chuck Swan WMA, Sharps Chapel, TNI got the official word from Forester Stephen F. Grayson at Chuck Swan State Forest about hiking during hunting season.  Here is his reply:

“Chuck Swan is open to the public every day, from sunrise to sunset, except during managed hunts, when the following rules apply:

Managed turkey hunting will be ongoing each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday  from March 28, 2013 through May 11, 2013.  On those days, (Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays), access to the State Forest and WMA is restricted to hunters until 1 pm.  After 1 pm, and until sunset,  the state forest and wma is open to the public.”

TWRA’s website has information about hunting season on WMA’s.

The current (2012) Hunting and Trapping Guide (.pdf) has the details for Chuck Swan (WMA 403 is in Region IV – scroll to page 22 of the .pdf which is numbered page 62 at the bottom of the subset of the main document)

http://www.state.tn.us/twra/pdfs/wmaseasons.pdf.

Dustin McCubbins is the area Manager for Chuck Swan’s Wildlife Management Area, his telephone number is 865 278 3248.  He can answer specific questions about hunting seasons and regulations.

Currently there are no maintained hiking trails on the state forest and wild life management area, hopefully that will change in the future.  There are, however, plenty of old roads on the area that are worthy of exploration.  Some lead to old home sites. (the home sites are protected historical resources.) Wildflowers are spectacular in areas.  Wildlife is abundant.

Tennessee’s Tax Freedom Day: March 31 2012

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Tax
Tax (Photo credit: 401K)

Tennessee Beats All 50 States
Tennessee’s Tax Freedom Day is March 31, 2012. Residents of Tennessee will bear the lowest average tax burden in 2012, with Tax Freedom Day arriving for us on March 31. Also early are Louisiana (April 1), Mississippi (April 1), South Carolina (April 3), and South Dakota (April 4).

See map of Tax Freedom Day by State.

On average for all 50 states, Tax Freedom Day® 2012 arrives on April 17 this year, four days later than last year due to higher federal income and corporate tax collections. That means Americans will work 107 days into the year, from January 1 to April 17, to earn enough money to pay this year’s combined 29.2% federal, state, and local tax bill.

Interestingly, the latest ever Tax Freedom Day was May 1, 2000—meaning Americans paid 33.0% of their total income in taxes. A century earlier, in 1900, Americans paid only 5.9% of their income in taxes, meaning Tax Freedom Day came on January 22.

Another great reason to live in Tennessee!

 

 

 

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Trash Drop Off Site in Sharps Chapel

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Sharps Chapel Dump

Free Trash Disposal in Sharps Chapel

Sharps Chapel Convenience Center
865-278-4007
HOURS
Mon. Wed. Fri.: 9 am – 5 pm
Sat: 9 am – 1 pm

You CAN get something for nothing and in Sharps Chapel, that is free trash disposal.  Officially named the “Sharps Chapel Convenience Center”, this household waste disposal facility is run by the Union County Solid Waste District.

How It Works

Sharps Chapel Trash Disposal Site

Transport your trash to the one drop-off facility located on the same road as the Sharps Chapel Post Office.  When you drive in, pull your vehicle up to the central dumpster.

You’ll be greeted by “Pete” who will help you deposit your trash, but his primary purpose is probably to make sure you don’t dump anything you are not supposed to.  Pete has been there 5 years.  He’ll help you with any questions you might have.  We were curious whether they would take an old tire we had and he said no.  They do not take tires or paint (unless the paint is dried in the can).  Nor do they take anything flammable.

All trash goes in the one dumpster. Pete said they used to separate the trash, but that stopped once the price of gas got too high to support the multiple trips required to empty multiple containers.

Great Way to Meet Your Neighbors

The first time we dropped off our trash, Pete already knew who we were.  The people we bought our house from gave him the news.  I keep forgetting this is a small town.  The second time we went (see truck on the left in the photo) my eye caught a beautiful 1965 Ford truck driven by two locals.  I really wanted to know who they were and what they did, but that will come with time.  I want to hear everyone’s story.

Sharps Chapel Post Office

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Sharps Chapel Post Office

800  Deliveries a Day

HOURS:
Monday – Friday: 6:30 am – 3:15 pm (closed 11-noon for lunch)
Saturday: 6:30 am – 10:00 am

On most days when you go to the Sharps Chapel Post Office, you’re bound to see Cheryl, the postmaster.  She has been there 16 years and was quite knowledgable  about the goings on in the area.

I had heard about possible Post Office closings nationwide and was curious if she had heard if Sharps Chapel would be affected.  She said that the closings would most likely affect post offices that were within 10 miles of one another and the closest post offices to Sharps Chapel are Maynardville and Tazwell – both about 15 miles away.  Couple that with the fact that Sharps Chapel Post Office makes 800 deliveries a day and that this will only continue to grow with new home development at Sunset Bay and Norris Shores, then it seemed pretty unlikely that Sharps Chapel Post Office would be affected.

Post Office Hours

 

 

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