The Newport Plain Talk

2008 NTP Photo By Caleb Abramson Members of the Tennessee Division of Forestry, General Federated Women's Club, Vision 21 and National Bank of Tennessee gathered to celebrate the construction of a natural resource center in Edwina. Builder Roger Kelly said the center is near the location of the old Edwina School and that the land behind the center was used as a campsite during the Civil War. Bill G. Williams, recently appointed to the State Forestry Commission, said, " This facility is for education and will be important for maintaining our natural resources. We have an asset base in our natural resources that can be vital to our community." Pictured from left are John Henderson, Assistant District Forester; Freddie Swatzell, Forestry Technician; builder Roger Kelly, GFWC's Patsy Williams, Quinton Parrott, Betty Freeman, Linda Leslie, Bill Parrott, Evelyn Smith, National Bank of Tennessee CEO Keith Ketterman, Vision 21 President David Popiel and State Representative Eddie Yokley.

EDWINA-"A partnership including General Federated Women's Club (GFWC) Newport, (formerly Twentieth Century Club), Vision 21 of Cocke County and National Bank of Tennessee has made a commitment to the conservation of our natural resources," state Wilda Parrott, FGWC Newport Club President.

An educational center is now under construction adjacent the Tennessee Division of Forestry on Highway 73 in Cocke County. This facility will provide a venue for informational programs to students and adults on the sustainability of our extraordinary natural resources in the area.

GFWC is the oldest active organized club in Newport. It began as the Twentieth Centruy Draper's Mothers Club in 1914. The club motto was, "It is not a question of how much we are to do, but of how it is to be don; it is not a question of doing more, but of doing better."

In 1916, the name was changed to the Twentieth Century Mother's Club and later the "mothers" was eliminated. Before the turn of the 21st Century, the name was again updated to reflect their affiliation with the GFWC.

This is an organization of several thousand clubs in the United States and in 20 countries around the world. GFWC Newport continues its long and award-wining service to Newport and Cocke County.

"This new commitment to advance an information and education component to our club mission extends our reach to this generation and beyond...it's exciting," continued Parrott.

Construction of the Natural Resource Center is scheduled to be completed in late summer.