PARROTTSVILLE-Parrottsville's Mayor and Commissioners quickly make it clear Thursday night that the Parrott-Myers-Larue Park is a public park available to all citizens.
The group's pronouncement came after Parrottsville Elementary School teacher Mitzi Lane and parent-volunteer Amy Click voiced complaints about an incident at the park earlier in the week.
According to Lane, she and two other teachers, accompanied by several parents, took their students on a field trip to the park to play.
"We were not going to use the pavilion, and we had no drinks," said Lane.
According to Lane, "As I was getting the kids off the bus, this gentleman came across the street and questioned our being there. Then he said we couldn't stay because we had not reserved the park."
Tim Kearns, the person indicated by Lane, responded, "The only reason I said anything is that I was doing work in the park and was concerned about the safety of the children. There was a ten-foot ladder there. What if one of the children had climbed up that ladder and fallen?"
In response, Lane countered, "But you had left the Park and gone home. The ladder was there by itself. I did not appreciate it, and I felt like it was wrong."
Commissioner Elisa Brown told Lane, "I think you should have had the courtesy to call the city and reserve the park," a comment which elicited the following response from Parrottsville resident Randy Massingale, "But it's a public park."
Brown's statement regarding park reservations referred to a policy the city has which allows citizens to reserve the park for special occasions such as weddings and reunions. For a $35 fee, groups such as those can have the park to themselves.
However, on the day of the Parrottsville students' visit, no other people were at the park, according to Lane.
Another Parrottsville resident, Mary Keller, added, "Ten years ago, when the park was built, I was the one who convinced the lady (Martha Middlebrooks) to give the property to Parrottsville. Her grandparents' home stood on that site and she spent the summers here when she was a child."
Keller continued, "Her love for children was instrumental in us getting this property."
Then Keller related another incident regarding the park's usage.
"On Easter Sunday of this year," said Keller, "my daughter-in-law, my granddaughter, and I went to the park. My little granddaughter had six eggs. I took her to swing while my daughter-in-law hid the eggs. Just as she laid the first egg on the ground, Delma Kearns screamed at Stacy, my daughter-in-law, 'You can't do that!'"
Kearns, however, told the Plain Talk on Friday, that Keller's comment was "incorrect."
According to statement faxed to the newspaper, Kearns "saw a woman hiding eggs in the park who then proceeded to walk into the center flower bed hiding eggs. I said...'Ma'am, excuse me ma'am...they'd appreciate it if you would not hide eggs in there..."
When Brown again recommended calling and reserving the park, both Lane and Click responded, "You don't have to do that at Newport's City Park."
Debbie Hommel, who is also a teacher at Parrottsville but who was not at the Parrottsville park on the day in question, added, "On a field trip to Sevierville with my students, we stopped at the Sevierville park to allow our students to play. We didn't have to call for permission. You don't have to obtain permission to go to a post office or to the courthouse."
At this point, Parrottsville Mayor Ronnie Hommel stated, "This is the way it's going to be. It's a public park. But if you want to reserve the park for a special occasion, you will have to pay."
Tim Kearns added, "I've very sorry. It won't happen again."
Another problem facing the Parrottsville city government and one which wasn't as easily dealt concerns traffic flow issues in the town's western residential area.
"Catbird Street is the widest street we've got," said Mayor Hommel. "The only way to alleviate this problem is to make it wide enough for two lanes."
Keller, whose home abuts Catbird Street, countered, "If we do, we'll have to do something about the chicken litter. Why not make all the streets one-way?"
When Hommel said, "There's no easy solution. Any way we do it will make somebody mad," Keller responded, "The more we try to help the city, the more you try to put on  us. I will fight it."
After additional discussion, Hommel proposed a town meeting to address the matter. "We need to have more people here who will be involved," he said.
The council then opted to table the issue until their next meeting and send notices to Parrottsville residents urging them to attend. Brown and fellow Commissioner Judy Reed volunteered to make personal visits as well to ask citizens to come to the meeting.
The board approved the purchase of a drop box for Parrottsville citizens to use for the payment of their sewer bills. The cost of the box is $379.
Hommel asked for volunteers to help with the upcoming Saturday Night at the Park. "The event will be free, but we will have a donation box to collect money to help meet expenses," he said. "Anything extra will go for the playground."
Don Ellison, representing the American Red Cross, updated the council on the Spring in the Mountains Festival.
"We have about a dozen craft vendors, three food vendors, and six public service groups already lined up," he said. "Beauty pageants have been scheduled. We'll have two sound stages, Karaoke, and dance contests."
"On Sunday, we'll have a community stage for gospel groups," he continued. "We're also working on 'Spring Flower Races' in the creek."
A representative of residents living along Gilbert Street asked for help with recurring potholes on the thoroughfare.
"Could the street be chipped by the Town of Parrottsville," she asked.
"We can do it, but you will still have potholes," answered Hommel. "Right now we can't afford to pave it."
"We let the developer get by with it, and now we have to put up with it," pointed out Brown.
Brown's motion to pave Gilbert Street "at some point when we are able" did not receive a second.
"We need to get estimates first," said Hommel.
Regina Holt, who resides of Red Bird Street, addressed the council on the issue of odor resulting from the spreading of chicken manure in the area.
"I have emphysema and asthma," said Holt, "and the ammonia from the manure is damaging to people's health. I'm not here to start a ruckus, but I feel my health is more important than chicken manure."
Hommel, who is one of approximately eight chicken farmers in the area, replied, "I'm going by the law. I try to put it down when rain is called for. On the day in question, the forecast called for rain on Sunday, but it didn't rain for a week. I think everyone involved is within EPA standards."
At the beginning of Thursday's meeting, Parrottsville City Attorney swore in Sheilah Strobel as City Recorder.
Strobel replaces the late Polly Ottinger, who died suddenly following the April meeting.
Those present observed a minute of silence in memory of Ottinger.