Tater Town is a busy place as the Gleason Gazelles gear up for the 35th annual Tater Town Special.

  This year’s activities began with a reception honoring the accomplishments and contributions to the Gleason community. Those honored included Grand Marshal, J.C. Carey, P.A., and honorary grand marshals, the 2007 and 2008 Gleason Football Bulldogs, as well as Gleason citizen Jimmy Vaughan. The reception was held Monday night, August 25 at Gleason First United Methodist Church.

  The Gleason Gazelles are sponsors of an Old Fashioned Gospel Singing scheduled for Tuesday, August 26, at Gleason Methodist Church, featuring solo artists, and quartets.

  Other activities scheduled this week include Youth Bingo for ages 5-17 on Wednesday, August 27, beginning at 7:15 p.m. at the Gazelle Grounds. Those wishing to play Youth Bingo must attend the devotional. For more information, call Alicia Verdell at 648-5827.

  The Gleason Gazelles are also sponsoring Adult Bingo scheduled for Thursday, August 28, at the Gazelle Grounds starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free, and everyone is invited to come and enjoy the excitement of winning valuable prizes. Those wishing to participate in this event must be at least 18 years old.

  The second annual Gazelle Cake Auction is during intermission at the Adult Bingo, with proceeds to benefit the Gleason Community Benevolence Fund. Ten of Gleason’s best cooks will prepare their finest to go on the auction block. Come prepared to take home delicious deserts while helping a worthwhile cause.

  Fire up those grills for the last big cook-out of the summer and enter the Tater Town BBQ Cook-Off set for Friday, August 29 at the Gazelle Grounds, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Categories include: Backyard BBQ, Chicken, Ribs, and Pork Shoulders. There is live entertainment by the “Gleason Pickers.” Adult admission is $5 to enter and eat until it’s gone. For more information or to enter a team, call Cristi Wallace at 648-2198.

  Also on Friday, entries for the Sweet Potato Bake-Off must be in the Gazelle cook booth by 5 p.m. for judging. Cooks must submit the recipe, along with their entry, which must have sweet potatoes as an ingredient. Cash prizes are $100, $50, and $25. For more information, contact Cil Weddington at 648-0443.

 

Tater Town Day

 

  The 5K Race starts the events on Saturday, August 30.  Entries register in front of Gleason School at 7 a.m. The entry fee is $10. For more information, call Kerri Burden at 648-5632.

  Other events on Saturday include the Junior Parade at 10 a.m., followed immediately by the Grand Parade. In the Junior Parade, kids are invited to decorate bikes, trikes, 4-wheelers, go-carts, etc. and ride them in the Jr. Parade. Registration is in front of Gleason Lumber Company at 9 a.m. Registration for the Grand Parade is at the American Legion parking lot, beginning at 9 a.m. Trophies are awarded in several categories. There is no entry fee for either parade. All horse entries register at the Gleason Saddle Club.

(Read the rest of this story in the August 27th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

    A fugitive from justice from Gasconade County Missouri, who had eluded capture for almost nine years, has been apprehended in Dresden.

    The Weakley County Sheriff’s Department charged 62-year-old Israel Schwartz of Parsons, Tennessee with driver’s license and seatbelt violations during a recent traffic stop. However, it wasn’t long before Sheriff’s deputies discovered Schwartz had been running from the law since October 1999 when he failed to report for sentencing following a child abuse conviction in Owensville, Missouri. In addition to the traffic charges, Schwartz faces a charge of being a fugitive from justice.

    According to Weakley County Circuit Court Clerk Pam Belew, Schwartz, was taken into custody on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008 for being a fugitive from justice, after appearing in Weakley County General Sessions Court on traffic violations.

    During Schwartz’s preliminary hearing Wednesday, Aug. 20, General Sessions Judge Tommy Moore set the defendant’s bond at $500,000. Up until that time, Schwartz, who is fighting extradition back in Missouri, had been held without bond.

    Belew stated that it is very unusual for a defendant to refuse to sign a waiver of extradition since the time they serve in jail does not officially begin until they sign the extradition papers. In fact, she noted that this is the first time that anyone has ever fought extradition in Weakley County that she knows of.

    Belew said Assistant Public Defender Colin Johnson, who has been appointed to represent Schwartz, would be filing papers in the case, which would be heard in Weakley County Circuit Court on Thursday, Aug. 28, with Judge Bill Acree presiding.

 

(Read the rest of this story in the August 27th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)

   Martin Police Department officers cited two individuals into court last week, who were responsible for vandalizing a statue memorializing a Martin soldier killed in action two years ago while serving in Iraq as a member of Union City’s National Guard unit.

    The statue was erected to honor 23-year-old Dustin Laird, a Westview High School graduate and sergeant with the Tennessee National Guard, who lost his life July 31, 2006 when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle. Following Sgt. Laird’s death, a road in Martin was named in his honor and his parents adopted a site erecting a soldier’s statue in their son’s honor.

    Those charged are 23-year-old Brandon T. White and 22-year-old Sara H. Gallimore, both of 410 Lee Street. The pair turned themselves to Martin Police on Monday, August 18, after concerned citizens provided their names to Lt. Jason Arant over the weekend.  Lt. Arant followed up and took a statement from Gallimore. This information was provided to Inv. James Hatler, who charged Gallimore and co-defendant White with one count each of vandalism.

    According to a Martin Police report, at approximately 6:42 p.m. Saturday, August 9, 2008, Ptl. John A. Miller of the Martin Police Department responded to a possible vandalism to a statue at the corner of Dustin Laird Drive and Hawks Road. When he arrived at the scene, Ptl. Miller states that he noticed that a statue of a soldier had been painted with red and green paint. The words written on the statue in red paint were, “You don’t know what’s right.” Ptl. Miller spoke with the complainant, Ben Moore, via telephone, who informed him that he noticed the statue was fine on the previous date. Ptl. Miller learned from Sgt. Laird’s father, Billy Laird, that the value of the statue is estimated at $200.

    In response to the vandalism, the Laird family offered a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for vandalizing the statue honoring Sgt. Laird. Also, local citizens with any information concerning the vandalism were urged calling Crime-Stoppers at 587-2611 to report the perpetrators anonymously. Additionally, Crime-Stoppers posted a cash reward for information that resulted in the case being solved.

    Martin Police Chief David Moore said, “Thanks to the community for providing information regarding this crime in a timely manner and for the local media for emphasizing the need for information on the case. Statements made by the defendants indicated that the intent of the vandalism was to make a political statement about the war, and were not intended to be directed at any individual.”

 

(Read the rest of this story in the August 27th print edition of the Dresden Enterprise.)