October 2026

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sa. [00:00:30] Speaker B: Welcome to the October edition of the Smith County Chamber Corner. We got a good show for you today. Mr. Mina Massad is going to be here. He's at the Carthage Tavern talking about his restaurant that he just opened up here actually a couple of months ago here in town. It's right off of Main Street. Stephanie Winfrey's coming to talk about Halloween events. Kathy Sheffield is going to be here about her cookie company. All about him. UT extension. We got Mary. Rachel is going to be here. And we've also got Katie from Smith County Drug Prevention Coalition. Actually they call it Community Wellness alliance now. And of course, we got some other things going on. It's a good show today, so stay tuned. We are outside at the Carthage Tavern here just off of Main street. And it's a beautiful day, isn't it? [00:01:20] Speaker A: Yes, it is. It is. [00:01:21] Speaker B: It sure is. Introduce yourself. Tell them who you're with. [00:01:24] Speaker A: My name is Lexie Tipton. I'm one of our four H agents here in Smith county with the UTTSU Smith County Extension office. [00:01:31] Speaker B: Okay. And Lacey, you got a lot of things going on, so I'm just gonna let you take it away. [00:01:35] Speaker A: Awesome. So starting back in September, Rachel and I got back into our in school clubs. So we meet with almost all of the fourth through eighth graders within Smith County. So our first meeting with them was just a basic overview of 4H, letting them know how our year would go and everything that they could be involved in. And then this month, we're in the classrooms getting them ready to give their 4H speech next month. So I know some of our 4Hers are a little nervous about that, but we're looking forward to hearing those in November. [00:02:03] Speaker B: Oh, ye. And that's always a lot of fun to be able to attend and hear what they have to say. Yes, they come up with some good ideas. [00:02:09] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, they do. I had some telling me today that they already had their topics picked out. So it ranged from some really in depth things that I don't know a whole lot about to animals and things like that. So we're excited. [00:02:21] Speaker B: Okay, well, that's good. What else is going on? [00:02:23] Speaker A: That's probably our biggest thing right now. I know Rachel's gonna hit on. We had some of our four hers go to poultry judging, and that was kind of her thing, so I'll let her get into specifics on that. But we did have our officer training for our four H club officers where they were able to come and learn about some parliamentary procedure as well as some more leadership skills to be a good Leader within their clubs and to represent Smith County 4H well throughout the year. [00:02:47] Speaker B: Yeah. And you don't realize this when you're young and you're learning that, but you follow that. It goes all through your life. You know, I know I was on the county Commission for about 24 years, and the parliamentary procedure that I learned was still in place, you know, when I was in the commission. So you're teaching them well. [00:03:07] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you. Yes. I learned about parley in high school through ffa. So it's something that I joked last night. I was like, I get to nerd out about that a little bit. I really enjoy parliamentary procedure. And we did a trail mix to help them kind of understand how to make motions and they had to vote on what items they wanted in their trail mix. So it was a good time. [00:03:24] Speaker B: Yeah, that is. That's a good time. Lacey, thanks for coming by. [00:03:27] Speaker A: Yes, thank you. Have a good day. [00:03:29] Speaker B: All right. All right. We're still at Carthage Tavern. And Rachel, I think everybody knows who you are, but you better introduce yourself anyway. [00:03:36] Speaker C: I'm Rachel Petty. I'm one of the four H agents at the uttsux extension office here in Smith County. [00:03:41] Speaker B: Okay. And you got some special stuff going on. I think maybe poultry. [00:03:46] Speaker C: Yes. So we recently had our 4H poultry judging regional competition. So we had 10 4Hers kind of from all across Smith County. We had a few from Gordonsville elementary, some from our homeschool group, some from Forks river that competed in that contest. And they have spent the past couple months learning all about chickens and eggs. So we talk about how to determine egg quality. They look at the exterior of eg, at eggs broken out, and then they candle eggs. So they're looking at the inside of eggs. And we talk about different retail cuts of poultry and how to identify those. So the things you might find in the grocery store, the different chicken parts that you can buy for the consumer to then cook. So all different aspects of the poultry industry, they look at live birds and learn how to determine which are the best quality laying hens. And a lot of these four hers that do poultry judging are in our chick chain project. And we recently had our CH show and sale as well. So lots of chicken stuff this time of year. We had 24 4H'ers come back and participate in the chick chain show in sale. So that was our largest sale in a while. We had a great group of buyers. And I want to give a shout out to Mr. Mike Searcy and Smith farmers Co Op. They're a Great partner for 4H in lots of different ways. But the Chick Chain show is something that they help sponsor every year. So Mr. Mike comes and bids on a lot of the pins, donates them back to that kid, and then give some extra money at the end to 4H too. So we're really appreciative of that partnership with Smith Farmers Co Op. [00:05:22] Speaker B: Well, those guys over at Co Op, they're great guys. A lot of people may not. Well, I'd say most people do realize they have a tire shop and they really do a good job with that. They do a lot of things. In fact, from front to back, if you're into farming or doing anything like that, they can help you. [00:05:40] Speaker C: That's right. [00:05:41] Speaker B: Yeah. So they're really great. Well, it sounds like you had a good time going on with that. Anything else? [00:05:48] Speaker C: So just a busy time of year, as always. In the fall, we're starting our in school club speeches. So we're giving speech lessons this month. I think Ms. Lexie mentioned that. But then we are also so speeches in. Sorry. So in the month of October, we do our speech lessons and then we actually listen to the kids speeches in November. So public speaking is something that I'm really passionate about. It's one of my favorite 4H contests. And of course, we offer 4H to all 4th through 6th grade, most of our 7th through 8th grade in public schools in Smith County. And then we have a homeschool group as well. And we had our first homeschool club meeting at the end of September, and it was our largest so far. So we had 39 homeschool youth come to that group. So we were so glad to see so much participation. And if you are a homeschool student or a family that's listening, it is not too late to join. So we have families kind of learn about us and get plugged in all throughout the year. And typically we meet at the Ag center on the last Tuesday of the month. So if you are interested in joining our homeschool group or Learning more about 4H, you can always call our office at 615-735-2900. [00:07:01] Speaker B: Okay. And I remember you had some that followed all the way through and they were actually doing some 4H stuff or helping one way or another all the way through high school till they graduated. Is that not correct? [00:07:13] Speaker C: It is correct. So we do offer programs for high school youth. Typically, the reputation, I think, is that 4H is for younger students. That's what we think of when we think of 4 hers and think more of FFA at the high school level. But we have lots of programs that 4Hers can participate in. We've recently started our 4H Green Team, which is a leadership group here in Smith County. But we order green jackets for some of Our High School 4H members, give them leadership opportunities here in the county. And then there's opportunities at the region level and the state level as well. They can compete for scholarships in their particular 4H project, attend different camps and conferences. So it doesn't stop once we stop meeting in the classroom. It doesn't stop once they get into high school. They can have a lot of unique opportunities if they stay with it at that level. [00:08:01] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's wonderful to see them go all the way through. And a few of them come back and actually work for you guys? [00:08:08] Speaker C: They do, yes. So we have some 4H alumni working as extension agents. And then here in Smith county, we have a couple of alumni volunteers as well, that we really couldn't do what we do without them. So we do love to see former 4H'ers come back and give back to our program. [00:08:23] Speaker B: Okay, well, Rachel, thank you for coming by. [00:08:25] Speaker C: Of course. Glad to be here, Bill. [00:08:27] Speaker B: Well, it's always a pleasure to have. Mary. It's always have a pleasure to have you here. Tell them who you are and who you with. For the folks that don't know. [00:08:35] Speaker D: So I'm Mary Draper. I work with the UTTSU extension office here in Smith County. I'm county director and also the family Consumer Sciences, or fcs, agent. [00:08:45] Speaker B: Okay, well, now you've taken the job of director. You've been actually in that for a while now, is that right? [00:08:51] Speaker D: So a year? Yes, a year. [00:08:53] Speaker B: Okay, that's what I was thinking. Director, then you oversee all the programs that are involved in the UT extension, Is that right here in the county? [00:09:01] Speaker D: In our office, yes. So we have our agriculture agent, Will Herbert. And so he does all of our farm visits. He does lunch and lunch geared toward agriculture. Then we have two 4H agents. We have Rachel Petty, who you just heard from, who is our UT4H agent. And we have Lexi Tipton. So Lexi is our newest addition. She's actually funded through TSU Tennessee State University, but she does 4H work here in the community as well. So right now, they're actually meeting with four H clubs. They do lots of good work promoting public speaking and leadership through our youth. So we're very thankful to have them. And then I'm the family and consumer sciences agent, and so I deal with the areas of home, food, Family money and health. And so a lot of my programs I geared towards the older population. So we work at the senior center a lot and do programs like Drums Alive or Cardio Drumming. We do Walk with Ease, that helps with arthritis and just better walking techniques. We do Tai Chi. So that's kind of a slow form of martial arts. So all those are evidence based programs means that they are done in a way that shows those long term benefits. So if you have any questions about those, I would be happy to talk to you about them. [00:10:20] Speaker B: Okay. And let's insert the number here, even though I'm going to ask you some more questions. [00:10:24] Speaker E: Sure. [00:10:25] Speaker D: 615-735-2900. And we're located in South Carthage. We moved about two years ago to South Carthage. Our address is 67 Cookeville highway and we're located directly from Moonstone Spa. And then the Spar Gas is next to us as well. [00:10:47] Speaker B: Yeah. Now Will is not here, so let's talk a little bit about what he does. If somebody wants a farm visit or if even if you don't have a farm, he is available to help with questions about crops and grass and things like that, right? [00:11:05] Speaker D: Absolutely. So we just had a question today. Does our ag agent go out to do farm visits? Yes, he goes out to do farm visits. He can test Johnson grass for nitrates, do that, they bring it into the office. Or he can go out and visit the land and see the different parts of the fields. He can do soil tests. So he can help. If you've never done a soil test, you can get the boxes and the paperwork from our office. But Will can also help actually take that soil test in the field as well. So he actually goes to the homes or the farms and helps do those things. [00:11:43] Speaker B: Right. And there's a small charge for I think, soil testing. But still it's worth it if you need to know. [00:11:49] Speaker D: Correct. It goes on to the lab in Nashville. [00:11:52] Speaker B: So. [00:11:52] Speaker F: Yes. [00:11:53] Speaker B: Okay. Now we talked about Will a little bit. Well, now fce, well, it's a pretty big program and you mentioned some of the things that you do. But you've got several clubs in the county too, don't you? [00:12:04] Speaker D: Yeah. So FCS is part of the extension office and then FCE is its own entity. But we have a big FCE membership here in Smith County. And FCE stands for Family and Community Education Club. We have seven clubs throughout the county, so they do a lot of good work. So I'm meeting with the club this month and we, we talk about different things. We're Playing financial bingo this month and learning about different things that have to deal with scams and how to be proactive and not in protecting our identity and that nature. And then they do lots of good community service. So I believe our which club did the courthouse planners and which has amounted the courthouse planners for the fall. And our defeated club is going to do the courthouse planners for the winter. And they do lots of good work like that. They do work for the pregnancy Help Center. They help with the spot. They often make desserts for the community Thanksgiving meal that's coming up. So they help really in a lot of ways. There are a lot of good bakers, so they're asked to help in that way a lot as well. [00:13:16] Speaker B: Yeah, well, they're very active and I see their touching different things in the county. So it's great that you have that going on. Well, Mary, is there anything you wanted to announce other than what you've already covered? [00:13:29] Speaker D: I think if you just have any questions about anything related to FCS4H or agriculture, be sure to give our office a call at 615-735-2900. You can also give us a follow on our Facebook page. That's where we do the majority of our marketing for our programs that are coming up and our social media. So Instagram as well. But we always invite you to call our office or stop by with any questions. [00:13:56] Speaker B: Okay. Well, Mary, thank you for coming by. [00:13:59] Speaker D: Yes, thank you, Bill. [00:14:00] Speaker B: Okay, we're here at the Carthage Tavern. Boy, it's a nice day out here, isn't it? [00:14:04] Speaker G: Yes, it is. [00:14:05] Speaker B: Stephanie, tell them who you are. Who you with. [00:14:07] Speaker G: My name is Stephanie Winfrey. I am the chair of Smith County Events Committee. We do the Back to School Bash and Hometown Halloween. [00:14:14] Speaker B: Okay. And so we're going to talk about those two events here. Back to School Bash is basically over, but you do that every year. Let's put a plug in if somebody wants to donate or anything. Work with that. Tell them about how that works and about the time of the year that it goes on. [00:14:30] Speaker G: Yeah. So the Back to School Bash happens in July of every year somewhere near Tax free Weekend. We always try to make sure it is completed before the end of tax free weekend. So still have the ability to get anything they weren't able to get from us during Tax free weekend. It is tailored to the county school list. Last year we increased that reach by having parents pre register and pre filling backpacks based on the students supply lists and that worked really well. That's probably the method we will keep so make sure next year you're looking out for the posts on social media and on our website. And. And we send it to the school so they can send it out to fill out the application so that you don't miss that and get to take advantage of it next year. And if you want to donate or help out in any way, you can fill out the contact form on the Smith county events website or message us on Facebook. That one's not as effective. We don't have anybody who monitors that all the time because we're all volunteer run. But the most effective way would be to reach out through the form on our website. [00:15:34] Speaker B: Okay. And if you got a question about it, you can call the chamber and you generally can answer most of them, but that's a good program. Now let's move on. We've got an event coming up here, Halloween the 31st. It's almost Saturday this year. [00:15:47] Speaker G: Yes, it is. [00:15:48] Speaker B: So there's a lot of good things to talk about with that. [00:15:52] Speaker G: And it won't, you know, not for our event, it won't matter. But for everybody else who loves Halloween, the time changes. So we get an extra hour of Halloween this year. [00:16:02] Speaker B: Oh, I guess that's true. [00:16:04] Speaker G: Yep. [00:16:04] Speaker B: I hadn't thought about that. But we're gonna have it here on the square. [00:16:08] Speaker G: Yep. [00:16:09] Speaker B: And we're gonna be giving candy away. And basically we're gonna line the cars up on Main street and they're gonna be able to just walk through Main street and backing around. And I'm sure the businesses that are here. I know the hotel has planned to having, you know, kids stop in. So I'm sure some of the businesses here will be open during that time. But it's going to be from five, six to nine. Six to nine, I want to make [00:16:36] Speaker G: sure six to eight, nine. So it is going to run pretty much the same as it has for the past five, six years now that Smith county events has been spearheading it. The trunk or treat will be down Main Street. Several businesses will be set up outside their businesses giving out candy. The maze will be in the veterans hall again, and then on the lawn there will be some yard games and an information table and signing up for a costume contest. This year the costume contest will be done virtually so that you don't have to wait around to try to participate in it. You can go sign up for it and prizes will be able to be picked up at a later date. [00:17:16] Speaker B: Okay. All right. And Halloween, of course, they have a big bash over at Gordesville and we're not really part of that in such, but it's a sister organization, Gordonsville Events, and they, they run about the same time that we do or. [00:17:31] Speaker G: Yeah, theirs is five to eight. That's why we, we stagger ours with theirs so that people have time to get back and forth if they want. And there's. They have a big event. It's a great event over there. I don't know a whole lot about it, but it's been going on long enough, I'm pretty sure. Yeah, pretty sure. It's all out there. People know how it functions. [00:17:49] Speaker B: It's going to be great. And if you got questions about that, they run that. Gordonsville City actually takes part in that. So you could call the City hall over there and find out about that. And if you got information or if you got questions about ours, you can call the chamber 615-735-2093. And we'd be happy to answer any questions about that. [00:18:09] Speaker G: The streets will close at about 4 o' clock that day on Main street will close like it always does. So just be prepared to go around. [00:18:17] Speaker B: Okay. And then let's talk a little bit about Christmas. I know it's maybe a little bit early, but then again it's, it's not really early. Hey guys. [00:18:26] Speaker G: Yeah, Building. Building afloat takes a long time, so. [00:18:28] Speaker B: Yeah, that's true. But this year it's December 5th and December 6th. December 5th is the Gordonsville parade. And of course it's a drive through, through the main street there in Gordonsville and they block everything off and, and have their parade. And then December 6th is Sunday parade here and everybody lines up over at the. Well, it's across from the old Robert Shaw property, across from where the school has their new building. [00:18:56] Speaker G: The old Save a Lot. [00:18:57] Speaker B: Yeah, the old Save A Lot. So they'll line up there and then they'll start to parade there about 4, 4:30. And they'll come into downtown and come past the courthouse. And so there's festivities happening on the courthouse lawn. People can get involved in and things happen in there. There's going to be some entertainment and just a few things going on. And then this year the Smith County Heritage Museum is hosting Santa Claus in their performance hall. So it's going to be decorated up for him and Santa Claus will be in there. And the way I understand it's going to work and this could possibly change. You'll pick up a number at the courthouse and therefore you'll know where you are in line to see Santa Claus. And then you'll after the parade is over, of course, Santa Claus circles around and gets set up in there. And then you come. And if you're number one, then you're the first one to go in and see. And while you're waiting, you can be looking around the Heritage Museum down there. And if you need to know where it is, you just come down 3rd Avenue going toward the high school, you turn left there at Future Alley, and the Heritage Museum is right there behind the Hotel Walton. So it's pretty easy to get to. And it's only. What is that? Maybe a block at the most? [00:20:20] Speaker G: Yeah, it's a block. It's right behind Main Street. You aren't gonna have to go get your car and drive to it. It's right there. We can see it. [00:20:27] Speaker B: It's just right here. So that's gonna be what's happening Christmas. And of course, if you want to do a float in the parade, all you gotta do is call the smith County Chamber, 735-2093 and register your float. And entry fee is the same as always. We do toys is your entry fee for a float, and we give those to the children that are this year in the foster children. We're also working with the Rotary Club and Justified Riding Group and some other folks that are in the town about a Christmas tree, like an angel tree. And we're going to try to work that. And it's in conjunction with Walmart, so we'll give you more information about that probably in November, but that's some of the things that are going to be going on for Christmas. [00:21:19] Speaker G: I love that the parades are back to back this year, so it's easier for the community organizations to keep their floats together. [00:21:27] Speaker B: I think we'll have both parades will be bigger because of that this year, so I'm looking forward to that. Well, Stephanie, again, Halloween was the big thing we wanted to talk about this time. And so if you want to sign up for Halloween and do a trunk or treat with us on Main street, all you got to do is call 615-735-2093 and we'll get you a spot in the lineup. All right. Thanks, Tiffany. [00:21:53] Speaker G: Thank you. [00:21:54] Speaker B: Okay. I keep saying this is a beautiful day out here. We're at the Carthage Tavern, sitting in the, I guess the alcove that they have, and you can actually dine out here. So it's pretty nice. Anyway, we came to talk about your company. It's all about him. Cookie company. And go ahead and introduce yourself, tell them who you are, and I've already told them who you're with. [00:22:17] Speaker E: Okay. I'm Kathy Sherfield. I'm the owner and baker of All About Him Cookie company. It's a home based bakery cookie business. It's a Christian business. And all of my cookies are scripture inspired. They're dessert cookies. [00:22:32] Speaker B: Okay. Well, now the first thing we need to get out of the way is if somebody wants some cookies or they're doing something and they decide they want some of them, how do they get in touch with you? [00:22:43] Speaker E: I've got a Facebook page, but my orders are through my [email protected] Very easy to use. All the, the details of all the cookies that are offered are on there. Pictures, descriptions, ingredients, and there's a way to order on there, various methods of payment. You can also, there's a calendar to choose the date you want to have your cookies ready. You can even select a time frame. It's very user friendly. [00:23:12] Speaker B: Okay. Do you do seasonal cookies or are you pretty much steady all the way? [00:23:17] Speaker E: Well, I am going to do seasonal as a matter of fact, because my cookie business officially started in May. I've been doing a little longer than that, but I became an llc or not May, but February. Excuse me, it started in February. But I'm gonna fix and introduce a couple of new cookies for fall that I'm getting ready to add to my website. The sweet potato casserole cookie and the apple cider cookie. So like I said, they're based. A lot of them are based on desserts. [00:23:43] Speaker B: Yeah, well, and I know my wife is a pumpkin spice fan, so somewhere down there. [00:23:48] Speaker E: Well, she would like the sweet potato casserole cookie. It's got some pumpkin and sweet potatoes in it. [00:23:52] Speaker B: Okay, so that's going to be your sub for that then. Well, if they go on your website and your website. Is it all about him cookie company? Is that the name of the website? How do they. [00:24:06] Speaker E: It's All About Him Cookie company. Yes, sir. Yeah, company's happening. [00:24:12] Speaker B: All right. [00:24:13] Speaker E: Abbreviated. [00:24:13] Speaker B: I'm probably gonna stress your memory here, but go through some of the flavors and stuff that you do on a regular basis that people can get. [00:24:20] Speaker E: Oh, wow, banana pudding cookie is. That was my original. It's pretty popular and it does taste like banana pudding. And that's what started all of this. And how I got the idea is I've got a pecan pie, a cherry cheesecake, and my son, he said, mom, you gotta have some kind of a chocolate chip like cookie. So back earlier in the year, I Developed the triple chocolate chunk cookie. It's pretty popular because everybody likes chocolate. And I also have some that are reminiscent of childhood for me. So I have peanut butters, like flavors like peanut butter and chocolate sundae. Chocolate sundae is a popular one. It's got the sugar waffle cone in it, maraschino cherries and all that. So wide variety. Some traditional, like oatmeal raisin is in there. So. And I'm constantly. They're my recipes that I have created, and I'm constantly developing new recipes, and I am working on a couple that I probably have for Christmas also. I'm not ready yet, but I'll have those as well. [00:25:27] Speaker B: Well, what I like about it is, you know, your generic cookies that you can buy just every day anywhere in any store. We all know the names and go through that like that. But what you just named, many of them are unique to your business. And they're not going to get a banana pudding cookie anywhere else. And several of those other. A pecan pie cookie. I don't know of anybody that makes that. So if they want something that's unique and tastes good and it's locally made, you're the really only choice they got. [00:25:59] Speaker E: I think that's exactly right. I'm also a Christian business, and this is something that God called me to do. And it's both a ministry and a business cookie business. So if people are interested in my devotionals and newsletters, they can go to my website and sign up for that and it'll come emailed to them. I usually do something every month, and I've been doing some devotionals actually based on my cookies. For example, the banana pudding cookie is based on scripture, God is love. And I have a devotional on there I did a few months ago based on how God is love. So people can subscribe to that on my website if they like to receive those. It's a twofold kind of a business. [00:26:42] Speaker B: Yeah, well, there's a spiritual aspect to it and actually a mental health aspect when you think about it. And then, of course, there's the good taste and the fact that you're eating something that is a comfort food. [00:26:54] Speaker E: That's exactly right. [00:26:54] Speaker B: Because when I was a kid growing up, my mom said she was gonna make oatmeal cookies that made my day. And of course, you can't do this, but I loved it when she put them out on wax paper and she would let me get some of them right when they were hot. Yeah, yeah. And so obviously you can't do that. [00:27:16] Speaker E: You Mentioned that my cookies few seconds in the microwave, heated up, they're great and they taste just like they came out of the oven. It's funny you mentioned that about oatmeal cookies. That's why I developed a recipe for the oatmeal raisin that I do because I grew up. My mom made us oatmeal cookies growing up. I've got a fond memory of that and that's why some of my flavors are based on child as well and what I had. So I did that in honor of her because I grew up eating not the chocolate oatmeal. Yeah, I think you're talking about the old. [00:27:47] Speaker B: I'm talking about the old tasting chocolate oatmeal. [00:27:49] Speaker E: I did too. So I kind of did an elevated type of a recipe and honor my mom to add to my selection. [00:27:56] Speaker B: Yeah. And if you've never. When you're a kid, if you get to eat a chocolate oatmeal cookie off of a piece of wax paper, it's like heaven. Well, okay, tell you what. Is there anything else you wanted to mention? [00:28:12] Speaker E: Not that I'm aware of. I do have, if anybody, I have a website and if anybody wants to contact me, they can call me. They can reach out to me on the website as well. There's a contact page on there if anybody wants to reach out to me. I can do some group events and I have done some of that. Some group events, you know, large orders, a few dozen. And if. [00:28:35] Speaker B: Well, I imagine you would do weddings if you got a call. [00:28:37] Speaker E: I did a wedding rehearsal last month actually. Just depends on the size of the event. But if they're not certain, they can contact me and we can talk about it. You know, what they've got coming up and what they're thinking it may be something I can provide for them. [00:28:52] Speaker B: Yeah, work something out with them. Well, I tell you what, thank you for coming by. Thank you. Thank you for being a Chamber member. [00:28:58] Speaker E: Thank you. [00:28:59] Speaker B: And we appreciate you joining chamber. And just give them that contact information one more time about your website. [00:29:06] Speaker E: It's all about him. Cookie companyco.com alright, Kathy, thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate it. [00:29:14] Speaker B: Okay, I've said this in every interview, might as well do it with you. It's a beautiful day out here, isn't it? [00:29:19] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:29:19] Speaker B: Yes, it sure is. Tell them who you are, who you with. [00:29:22] Speaker F: So my name is Kaitlyn Williams. A lot of people call me kk. I work for the Community Wellness alliance here in Smith County. We are a drug prevention coalition. We provide resources for people Going into recovery or lock boxes, that kind of sort of thing. And another thing that I do specifically as a youth Engagement coordinator is I talk with the youth and give them the facts and help them understand how these substances are damaging themselves, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. And we just want to help everybody be aware of that. [00:29:56] Speaker B: Okay, and where are you doing this? Are you in all the schools or one school or two? [00:30:02] Speaker F: I'm currently right now, Thrive Youth Coalition, which is the youth coalition that we work with. We are in Gornsville High School right now and we visit other schools as well. The whole office visits different schools as well. For example, some Kayla and Emily, they visit Gornsville Elementary School during guidance hours and they've been doing a new thing about vaping and catch my breath and all that stuff. So it's been really fun. We try to go to as many schools as we can, try to be, get all of the kids aware, not just one area. [00:30:35] Speaker B: Right, right. Well, I knew you guys were very broad based and then you have some events now. I don't think you've got got an event coming up here soon, but we [00:30:44] Speaker F: have our Walk for Recovery happening this month. [00:30:47] Speaker B: Oh, it's this month? [00:30:49] Speaker D: It's this month. [00:30:49] Speaker B: When is that? [00:30:50] Speaker F: It is October 22, 6pm it is on Rails to Trails right there. And we're going to start around the gazebo. We're going to order pizza for everybody to have. And we're going to this event is for us to show our support for people who is going through recovery and it's gonna be a great time. [00:31:08] Speaker B: Okay, well that is wonderful. I'm glad you mentioned that because I know you do that and throughout the year. And then of course in the spring you guys have some events too. But anyway, a walk for recovery October 22nd. Okay. [00:31:22] Speaker F: Yes. Also coming up is Red Ribbon Week. Everybody knows this. It's the last week of October. This is a big campaign for students to show their stand against drugs. What we do is we pick dress up days for every day of the week. For students to dress up during school, it has to be a school appropriate. And we came with the dress up days and we have posted it online on our social media and we have sent it to the school board for them to send out to all the schools. [00:31:50] Speaker B: Okay. All right, well, is there anything else we need to talk about? [00:31:55] Speaker F: I don't believe so. [00:31:56] Speaker B: Okay. Well, Caitlin, thank you for coming by. If anybody wants to get in touch with you or they want to find out more about your programs, how do they do that? [00:32:05] Speaker F: Absolutely. So we have Facebook and Instagram, Community Wellness alliance or Thrive Youth Coalition. You can find us on there very easily. And then you can call our office. We usually there Monday through Thursday at 615-588-1622. [00:32:21] Speaker B: All right, well, thanks for coming by. [00:32:23] Speaker F: Thank you so much, Bill. [00:32:25] Speaker B: Okay. It's a beautiful day here at Carthage. We're just off of Main street, and we're at the Carthage Tavern. That is a good place to eat, isn't it? [00:32:34] Speaker H: Yes, sir. [00:32:35] Speaker B: Tell them who you are. And of course, you're the owner of Carthage Tavern. Tell them who you are. [00:32:40] Speaker H: Hey, everybody, I'm Mina Mossad. I'm the owner of Carthage Tavern. We are here in the off of Main Street. We have a lot of American food and different other specials and stuff like that. [00:32:54] Speaker B: Well, let's do a little history here. When I first met you, you guys had the Sparta Greek Grill, and it's still going down on Highway 70. And I think a lot of people know about that. Very good food. [00:33:07] Speaker H: Yeah. So the story started the Greek Style Guru off of the Highway 70. So we were in business for almost 17 years. My dad, actually was the one who started it. His name is Najah Ibid. He started it a long time ago. We had another business down in the Nashville area, and then we moved here in Carthage, and then we were here for a couple years at the Greek Style Guru, and we moved here to the Carthage Tavern. [00:33:44] Speaker B: Okay. When Carthage Tavern has only been open, what, about six months? [00:33:48] Speaker H: Maybe less than that. Around three. Three. Three and a half months. [00:33:54] Speaker B: Okay. All right. And if somebody wanted to come here, what are your hours? When are you open? [00:34:01] Speaker H: We're open from 11 to 11 on weekdays. On weekend, we're open from 11 to 12. 12. [00:34:08] Speaker B: Okay. And inside, you've got enough seating for about what, 30 people? [00:34:15] Speaker H: 40 we have. On the inside, we have enough seatings for around 50 people. And then on the outside, we have enough seating for like, 10 more. [00:34:25] Speaker B: Okay. [00:34:26] Speaker H: Yes. [00:34:26] Speaker B: So you can handle 60 people in a night when you come here. [00:34:30] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:34:30] Speaker B: Now, I ate here, and I got the Hawaiian burger. [00:34:35] Speaker H: Yes, sir. [00:34:35] Speaker B: It is absolutely excellent. Yeah, yeah. But now you've got a lot of other menu items that are really good. You want to just kind of walk through those and tell us what you've got. [00:34:46] Speaker H: Yeah, The Hawaiian burger is one of our specialty. We have Hawaiian chicken fajita. We have steak fajita. We have steak nights. We have special shift special specials that we come up with outside of the menu on every Thursday. Also, we have other stuff like we have smash burgers. We have wings. Philly steaks. We had briskets. We had to take them out. We try to rotate our food seasonally so we would have something for a season, and then once that is, like, the season is over, we try to bring them something else that people would probably like more. And then whenever we bring it back, a lot of people would ask us, oh, it's really big, and they really love it, you know. [00:35:37] Speaker B: Well, that is a good way to do things like that because people do, like, seasonal items, and you want to try something new and having it on the menu, that's really good. I got a steak from here to go, and when I got it home, it was really good, too. I really enjoyed that. You guys. You guys have a pretty wide variety of what you can serve here, I believe. [00:36:01] Speaker H: Yeah, we have few of, like, the quality food that we have. Our steak is actually one of the top quality. It's. It's 100% black Angus steak. It's premium steak that I don't think you would find it anywhere in town here. The steak is, like, one of our specialty. We have other special things that are coming up soon. We're gonna have lobster tails. We're gonna have clams. We're gonna have grilled shrimp and rice. We're gonna have other stuff that we're gonna try to bring. And the way we do it is that we get the special and we run it for a whole week. And then the week after, it's gonna be from Thursday to Thursday. And then the week after we come up with something else. [00:36:48] Speaker B: Okay, so you're gonna be rotating your menu then, like you were saying. Yeah, if a person wanted to. Do you take reservations or is it just walk in? [00:36:57] Speaker H: So, yeah, on the steak nights and like, every Thursday, that's a great day for family out, like to go out with family and stuff like this. Yeah, we do take reservations. You just gotta call us and let us know a day before or something. So that way we could have a seating for your table, reserve the seating outside. [00:37:19] Speaker B: Of course, you're gonna do that seasonally as the weather permits. But I guess you could sit out here anytime you wanted to, even if it is cold, right? [00:37:28] Speaker H: Yeah, you can sit out here anytime you want. We also have some other games that we try to, like, have people. People play. We got Cornhole. We got some golf. We got some more activities and events that are coming up. We got darts inside. We got Bingo night is coming up soon. We've got Trivia Night. That's gonna start off this Sunday. We're also trying to do something like a club night in the near future where people come and play different games, like card games, or they want to, like, social and like, have some fun with, like, family friend time. We also talked with some people on scheduling a comedy show here that's like, something that's not in town. We're trying to bring, like, some family that's trying to have some fun instead of you driving all the way to, like, Nashville hour away or two hours away to just have, like that experience there. We were trying to bring that experience here to Carthage. [00:38:26] Speaker B: Boy, that would be a great thing. [00:38:28] Speaker H: Yeah, yeah. [00:38:29] Speaker B: And that would be unique. I don't believe it's ever happened before. [00:38:31] Speaker H: Yeah, we're trying to do something for the community here. The people here have helped us a lot. And yeah, we're trying to, like, if people have the other ideas that they recommend for us, for us to, like, bring here in town that they haven't had the experience in a long time, I would be more than happy to work with with them on how we can get that, like, sorted there, what we can get started on. [00:38:57] Speaker B: Okay, well, that's. That sounds really wonderful, and I know we're glad to have you guys in town and appreciate you being a chamber member. All right, so Mina, tell us that phone number that we can call to make a reservation. [00:39:09] Speaker H: Yeah, the phone number is 615-281-6718. [00:39:15] Speaker B: Okay. So if you want to get some good food and you want to have a nice night in Carthage, Tennessee, come to the Carthage Tavern. Mina, thank you for being here. And we know you're going to have a success here because the food is excellent. [00:39:30] Speaker H: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure talking with you and it was a pleasure being in Carthage. The people here has been amazing and helpful, and we're welcome everybody here in town to like to be our guest. [00:39:46] Speaker B: Okay, well, hey, come by and talk to Mina. He's a really good guy and he can. You can send him to Sparta Greek Grill too, can't you? [00:39:54] Speaker H: Yeah. Sparta Greek Grill has opened doors for everyone. [00:39:58] Speaker B: Okay. Thank you a lot. [00:39:59] Speaker H: Yeah, thank you so much. [00:40:01] Speaker B: Okay. We hope you enjoyed the show today. I've got a few things I just want to reiterate or go back over. Smith County's foster children dinner and auction is at the Smith County AgCenter. That's 159 AgCenter Lane in Carthage, and it's to benefit Smith county foster children for Christmas. It's Saturday, October 24th at 4pm and they'll be serving food and then the auction starts at 5pm and they've got a lot of items being auctioned and you got tools, home decor, canned goods, gift certificates and a whole lot more. You can purchase tickets at the door or in advance following the businesses and the following businesses have sponsored this and Citizens bank, well Worth Bank, Tennessee Wilson bank and Trust and tickets are like $15 for adults and $10 for children and the chicken and fish are provided by Helen's Restaurant. And we are we all know how good Helen's stuff is, so you can look forward to that. And you need to come by and help support this Smith County Fine Arts Theater. I'll just read their blurb that they put out. Get ready for a Christmas adventure that's nuttier than fruitcakes. Jamie A runaway kid lands in a quirky little town filled with colorful characters, Christmas chaos, a lost cat, a Christmas hog, and enough lights to brighten the whole town. What starts as a strange place to quickly become a place of friendship, laughter, love and belonging. Come for the laughs, stay for the heart, and leave filled with Christmas cheer. And that's at the Pleasant Shade Community center and it's taking place Saturday, November 7th at 6:30pm and Sunday, November 8th at 3:00pm and Friday, November 13th at 6:30pm and Saturday, November 14th at 6:30pm you can buy tickets in a section and they'll assign individual seats that night. Each section has 10 seats. Individual seats will be determined when you arrive. You go to the Smith County Fine Arts Facebook page for more details. And that's going to be a really fine show so you try to go by and support them. The Smith County Heritage Museum is having a Christmas tree contest and you can decorate and put your tree up in the museum anyway. Call 615-735-1104 for details on that. We talked about this earlier, but the Christmas parades are December the the fifth in Gordonsville and December 6th in Carthage. And Santa Claus will be seeing the children at the museum after the parade. So go by and see Santa Claus for that. Lights of Long Branch are taking place and it's November 28th through December 3rd. The cost is $15 per vehicle and this is kind of a Tiger football Club. And the U.S. army Corps of Engineers are presenting this and it's at Long Branch. Long Branch is the campground over by Center Hill Dam and it's a drive through Christmas light display and I think you'll really enjoy that. So remember that the address is 478 Lancaster Road in Lancaster, Tennessee, and it's the lights of LongBranch.com if you want to get more information on that. And they're also on Facebook. Also, Granville has holiday events going on from November 13 through December 31. You can do a stocking stroll. They've got Sutton Home historic Christmas traditions. I'm sorry, I got tongue tied there. The Granville Museum will be open with their Festival of Trees. Sutton Store will be open with special menus. Pioneer Village will be open with their vintage toy show. Independence hall has a timeless Christmas tradition throughout the years. And all of this is going on through from November 13th through December 31st. And I want to thank the Granville group over there for being members of the chamber and we support what they do over there. And it also it draws stuff into Smith county and also drove drive stuff into their venue as well. Got a lot of good things going on in Smith county and especially this time of year. So you just get out and visit these fine folks that are in business here and support them. And I guess we'll see you again in November and tell you about what's going on in Smith County. Until then, may God bless you. [00:44:57] Speaker A: Sa.