PLEASANT HILL RAMBLINGS: Uplands residents treated to special performances

By Jean Clark / Chronicle contributor

There are about 560 people in the town of Pleasant Hill. Three hundred ten of them live in the Uplands Retirement Village. Pleasant Hill was incorporated in 1903 and Uplands was chartered in 1922 under the Charitable Services Act of the State of Tennessee as the Cumberland General Hospital. The Uplands Cumberland Mountain Nursing Home was dedicated in 1957. Its name was changed to the May Cravath Wharton Nursing Home to honor Dr. May’s health ministry. During the following years the vision of the Uplands’ properties becoming a retirement community began to develop. Out of this has come the Uplands Retirement Village of today. The Wharton Nursing Home presently has 59 residents the majority of whom come from all over the region.

Lee Skinner, activities director, welcomes those groups who wish to share holiday joy with the residents. Already the 4-H All Stars from the Extension Service in 20 counties of Eastern Tennessee entertained on Dec. 1. Artists from the Cumberland County Playhouse performed on Dec. 6. The Tennessee Toners delighted with hand bells on Dec. 11. On Dec. 12, the May Cravath Wharton Association held an annual Christmas party complete with Santa Claus giving out gifts to 46 children of the Wharton staff and presents to each of the residents. The Singing Sisters and Brothers from Fairfield Glade will delight on Dec. 16. Rusty McClanlan, Fairfield Glade’s “Frank Sinatra,” will croon his mellow tones on Dec. 17, and Pleasant Hill’s Monica Henson will sing on Dec. 23. The Helping Hands organization is planning to distribute gifts and cards to the residents.

Elizabeth Fletcher House of Assisted Living was built in 1983 and doubled with an expansion in 1999. Its namesake, Elizabeth Fletcher, was one of the founding mothers of the Uplands Cumberland Mountain Sanitarium. Presently there are 50 residents enjoying the care and semi-independent living there. Crystal Welch, Fletcher administrator, residents Sara Morrison and Edna Briggs plan the activities. Monthly there are wine and cheese and birthday parties, weekly bingo, and twice weekly movies. The residents enjoy the Wii activities both physically and mentally challenging three times a week. Three days a week they are led in Flex and Stretch conditioning by a personal trainer. They enjoyed poetry readings by Berwyn Coovert and Russ Peery on Dec. 1, a trip to Forte's for lunch on Dec. 4, and the dulcimer group, the Noters, strumming Christmas songs on Dec. 8. The Pleasant Hill Ensemble performed on Dec. 11. Holiday festivities yet to come will be the Mennonite Youth Group singing on Dec. 18, Todd Hitchcock, son of residents Beth and Ed, playing instrumental music, and residents touring the area to see the Pleasant Hill area Christmas lights.

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The children and parents of Pleasant Hill Elementary School enjoyed Literacy Day at the school on Dec. 12 having had the opportunity to purchase half price books the week before. Their holiday music program featuring Pre-K through second grades is scheduled for Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. with a distribution of gifts from Santa’s Closet on Dec. 16. Students and teachers will process through the streets of Pleasant Hill on Dec. 17 in a Winter Welcome Parade dancing in front of both Fletcher House and Wharton Nursing Home, if the weather cooperates. What great delight these young people bring to Pleasant Hill senior citizens at this season. Children and teachers are looking forward to their winter break starting on Dec. 18. The girls basketball team will sell cookies at the Outlet Mall on Dec. 19.
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The Pleasant Hill Town Council passed two resolutions at their regular Dec. 8 meeting: an ordinance regulating the use by and with animals on the public streets, sidewalks, pathways, and trails, and establishing penalties for the violation thereof was adopted into town code. The council resolved to commend the work of the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council and its Advisory Board in their search for new energy sources and praised their advocacy to produce more renewable energy.

Mayor Jim Olds reported that the Pleasant Hill Town Hall will be a 2010 Census station staffed to assist persons filling out Census forms next year. He cautioned that the recycling bin doors at Town Hall must be secured to keep papers clean and dry.

The Community of Character focus this month is on caring: empathy for those around us.

The new town plow had a successful debut after the Saturday, Dec. 5, snowstorm. Bids are due in the Town Hall office by noon on Dec. 18 for the old snow plow. In final action the council voted Christmas bonuses to town employees with great appreciation for their faithful and dedicated service during the year. 




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