Blackburn Institute

Blount County/Oneonta Travel Experience

January 28, 2011

In late January, the Blackburn Institute visited Blount County for its second travel experience of the New Year. At the first stop the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Donny Ray, welcomed the students and talked about his goals for improving development in Oneonta and Blount County.  As an Oneonta native and son of the current mayor, Chamber President Ray believes the city leadership must first convince the people of Oneonta to desire and work for growth. Ray also explained that sales tax is currently the primary revenue stream for Blount County; however, he firmly believes that Blount County can become a home for people and businesses looking to escape the problems plaguing Jefferson County.

After the welcome by Chamber President Ray, the Blackburn Students traveled to Oneonta High School to speak with the Superintendent and several teachers. In his presentation, Superintendent Scott Coefield brought to light the challenges that are pressing to their school, explaining how the cuts in funding have placed the system under tremendous financial pressure. Superintendent Coefield went on to discuss how advances in technology and changes in educational trends are affecting students and administrators. Lastly, Mr. Coefield and the teachers mentioned that Oneonta has experienced a rapid increase in their Hispanic student population and emphasized the importance in the system adequately adapting to this change in demographics.

Later in the day, the Blackburn Students traveled to the Hope House and met with Brother Bud Jones, a former minister and founder of Hope House. Developed initially to assist families of addicts and those in poverty, the Hope House now provides well over thirty social services.  The services provided include a GED certificate program, substance abuse recovery, and drug testing for the entire county. Interestingly enough, the Hope House has also become a branch of the county court system and is home to all drug court hearings for Blount County. Visiting the Hope House was a unique insight into Oneonta’s social structure, and the Blackburn Students were touched by Brother Bud’s lifelong commitment to serving his community.

Friday evening, the Blackburn group traveled to Wallace State Community College to meet with President Vicki Hawsey and Dr. Tomesa Smith, Vice President for Students and Learning. Dr. Hawsey explained the role community colleges play in Alabama and the variety of educational programs Wallace State offers. Dr. Tomesa Smith then led the students on a driving tour of campus, which included a stop at the auto tech shop to meet with the director of the program. The director gave the students details, and for most, their first insight into the benefits of certificate programs offered by community colleges. After a trip into Wallace State’s athletic coliseum, the Blackburn Students wrapped up their evening at Cullman’s famous All Steak restaurant.

On Saturday morning, the Blackburn Students visited Miller Farms to learn about agriculture in Blount County. Four area farmers met the group to explain the practice and economics of row cropping, cattle and poultry farming. While at the farm, students had the opportunity to converse with the farmers and learn about the challenges facing the agriculture industry. At the end of the tour, Jimmy and Lance Miller showed the students the inside of chicken houses filled with over 30,000 chicks. Both men shocked the students in describing the advanced technology and science used in poultry farming. 

After the farm, the group traveled to Oneonta City Hall and met with officials from the Oneonta City government and Blount County Commission. City officials shared details of how well Oneonta has survived during the recent economic times, offering a pay raise to employees this year. All of the county leaders emphasized the county’s reliance on Oneonta’s stability and stressed the importance of the community members’ pride and support.

The Blackburn Students’ final stop on their trip was St. Vincent’s Blount Hospital. At the hospital, the students heard from Lisa Nichols, VP of Patient Care Services, and Kidada Hawkins, VP and Chief Operating Officer, about the challenges of operating a rural hospital and the future needs of the area. Mrs. Nichol’s described the difficulties in bed side service and communication caused by the growing Hispanic population. Mr. Hawkins explained his hopes to make accommodations for new medical technology, more specialists, more full time staff members, and increased surgery volume. St. Vincent’s Blount seemed to be another example of a content yet successful entity in a supportive, rural community.

The Blount County Travel Experience gave Blackburn Students a look into rural Alabama life. As with any place, Blount County has its fair share of problems, financial and otherwise, but unique to Blount County is their sense of community and pride in the small Southern place they call “home.”

Sarah Hughes, Blackburn Class of 2010

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