Dear Editor,

Life Care Center of Copper Basin wishes to thank the following people and groups for helping make Christmas special for our residents. Thank you: McCaysville Church of Christ, Cherry Log Baptist, Hopewell Baptist, Cleveland State Community Center, New Canaan Baptist, Strings and Things, American Legion, Georgia Mountain Classic Cars, Copper Basin Auxilliary, Community Garden Club, Copper Basin Band, Fannin County Band, World Harvest North, Crofts Chapel, Mobile Baptist, Fairview Baptist, Sudden Change Band, Betty Payne, Mae McKamey, Jimmy Rhodes, Judy Keys, Elsie Nelson, Delmar Davenport, and Bill & Alice Johnston.

Shirley Williams

Dear Editor:

“THE REST OF THE STORY”

Within the last month, many residents of the Copper Basin area have received checks from the Chattanooga Bankruptcy Court. These checks are repayment of monies loaned to Tennessee Chemical Company in 1984-85 to enable the Company to continue operations. It is estimated that $750,000 to $1,000,000, much needed dollars, came into the Basin Area. Several stories have been written about this situation, but perhaps not all has been said.

In 1984-85, the Tennessee Chemical Company employed several hundred men and women from the Basin Area. The Company was the major employer in the area, and the payroll was vital to many businesses. There were four entities involved at the time-four Labor Unions and Management personnel. The four Labor Unions were the Boilermakers, Chemical Workers, Electricians and Machinists. The members of the four Labor Unions recognized the need to maintain employment for the good of the workers, and the good of the communities depending on this employment. An agreement was reached wherein employees agreed to loan the Company contracted wage increases, and management personnel had no choice but agree to contribute also. The loan amount was about $5 million dollars. With these monies, Tennessee Chemical Company was able to continue operating for several more years, until the bankruptcy of 1989-90. The Company was then bought by Trellborg (Boliden), and operated a few more years by subsequent owners. The plant began its slide into obscurity when management decided to operate without those same Labor Unions that had sacrificed to help the Company continue operations. But that is another story for another time.

Today, many families in the Basin Area have received a portion of the money workers loaned to Tennessee Chemical Company. Money much needed in this area, and I believe much appreciated by not just the workers receiving the checks, but also by merchants selling their products to these families. Several persons were active in assisting this repayment to reach all workers and descendants of workers no longer living. Bankruptcy Trustee Scott Brown worked with local people to make this happen. Mack York and Nick Wimberley organized meetings to allow workers to sign up for their claims, required by the Bankruptcy Court. Intertrade personnel, Barbara Holder and Leigh Wood, were instrumental in this process. But there is more to this story.

In order for workers to receive repayment of their loan, the workers had to file a claim in the bankruptcy court during bankruptcy proceedings. A few did this, most did not know to do so. But there was one person, one person, who saw the need to file those claims. And he did so. Not only for himself, but for every worker in the plant. Thomas W. Chastain, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, the International Representative for the Basin Area, foresaw that one day there could be a possibility of repayment of those loans and he filed a claim on behalf of every worker.

The Bankruptcy Court agreed those claims were valid, the Bankruptcy Trustee worked with local persons to get the addresses and validity of employment of the workers, and the checks were mailed. Many things happened to bring these repayments to their rightful owner. But without Thomas Chastain’s filing of claims, for many this probably would not have happened. I am glad to have received this money owed me, and I publicly thank Tom Chastain for his foresight. Unfortunately, Tom is no longer with us. But his memory shall remain with me always, not just because he did this service to benefit me and others, but because I was privileged to call him my friend and co-worker. This, then, is the rest of the story.

Nick Wimberley

McCaysville, Ga