The Jackson Sun from Jackson, Tennessee • 3

Editor: Kathleen Merrill Phone: 425-9629 I Toll free: (800) 372-3922 Fax: 425-9639 Internet: contactusjacksonsun.com Across West Tennessee Mofirm A i un Deaths 6A "World 12A Sunday, April 22, 2001 QJr GOP's Hilleary to speak on faith, family If you go Phone call made teen's life easier Peggy Ryan of Jackson was a worried woman when she called last week. Ryan said her nephew, Tracy Stewart, needed help and she didn't know where to go to get it Stewart has twin sons, Bryan and MichaeL Bryan, who attends West Middle legislators are doing, or we can get involved in the process." She's also a champion of the gubernatorial race of Congressman Van Hilleary, R-4th District, who is the keynote speaker at the event. Also on the agenda will be Michael Gilstrap, president of the Tennessee Institute for Public Policy. The event is co-sponsored by the West Tennessee Republican League. Davis, a Freed-Hardeman University graduate, equates Christianity with politics.

"In West Tennessee, citizens believe strongly in Christian values. Everybody has something they believe in. They have to take their beliefs and put them into action, so many Christians are looking to the Republican Party." Ivy Scarborough, a Jackson attorney and Republican activist, also is helping coordinate the event to introduce Van Hilleary to local Republicans. "From everything we can see, there is no one else who has generated as high a profile as Hilleary has. He's one of the hardest working political figures I've ever seen," Scarborough said.

"It appears that he has a majority of Republican support" Hilleary has been making the rounds in West Tennessee and sending his press representatives out making calls. He spoke Monday in Union City to a large crowd at their Lincoln Day By JACQUE HILLMAN The Jackson Sun When Tennessee's Young Republicans gather at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Union University for the "Faith, Family and Freedom" dinner, there may be more women participating in the political process than serving the tables a goal of some young politicians hungry for change. Penny Davis of Trenton, vice-chairman for the Madison County Young Republicans, is working hard to make sure that trend continues for Republicans, quoting membership figures that show the local organization has a 5050 split in male-female membership. 5 dinner.

"I am looking forward to getting together next week with about 500 West Tennesseans who care very much about the future of our state and nation," he said. "I want to share my vision with them for making Tennessee's education system one that gives all children an equal place at life's starting line. President Bush and I agree that providing access to a quality education is a conservative principle that requires a combination of funding, measuring results and accountability." Doug Home announces gubernatorial candidacy, 4A. restored Between By KIMBERLY HEFLING The Associated Press GOLDEN POND, Ky. Restoring St.

Mary's Cemetery on the Tennessee side of Land Between the Lakes is something Between the Rivers Inc. takes seriously. The group of former LBL residents and volunteers meet nearly every Saturday in the winter months to clear brush and place stone markers at some 250 cemeteries spread out among LBL. Many of the 400 graves at St. Mary's possibly belonged to black slaves who lived in the area during the 1800s.

The Tennessee Valley Authority relocated them to the cemetery when Kentucky Lake was formed in the 1960s. Metal markers placed at the graves by the TVA are now bent and barely legible. The volunteers are working to restore the markers with gravestones. "We feel all graves should be respected and protected," said Ray Parish, president of Between the Rivers. "They're part of our heritage here, so it's important to leave a permanent marker." The organization is one of two main private groups that work at LBL to preserve cemeteries.

Several other church groups and individuals also help. LBL, an inland peninsula in western Kentucky and Tennessee about 90 miles north of Nashville, was formed when the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers were impounded to create Kentucky Lake and Lake Berkley. The federal government used powers of eminent domain to buy and tear down houses, businesses and community buildings to create LBL Many former residents say they are drawn to the cemeteries because they are some of all uninsured adults as part of a lawsuit settlement announced last month. The current enrollment is 1.37 million, with 150,000 deemed uninsurable by private insurance companies. Tennesseans now are able to qualify for TennCare by obtaining a denial letter from a private insurance company.

Some insurance companies charge up to $50 for the letters. "Such a policy would appear to encourage such a form rejection letter without scrutiny to see whether the underlying "Politics gives me an opportunity to be successful in a man's world, said Davis, who is also the assistant secretary for the Tennessee Young Hilleary Republican Federation. "Women are rolling over in Tennessee politics today. Only a few even hold seats. One, a former Young Republican chairman, was just elected this year as a freshman Republican.

She gives inspiration to those of us who believe in political representation. If our responsibility. We can sit and complain about what our fM WHL i get more neighborhoods involved in this," Jacobs said. During the cleanup, the city street department's employees drove around each neighborhood with dump trucks picking up bags of trash. Volunteers who spent their morning toiling in Saturday's partial sunshine said they hope that their efforts are appreciated.

"Most people have been real nice to us today by waving and smiling as they drove past," said Maria Mitchell, executive director of Lambuth Area Neighborhood Association. Mitchell and another LANA resident, Virginia Washburn, picked up trash along Lambuth Boulevard. For them, cleaning up their force state Judge William Haynes advises the state to use criteria other than denial letters from private insurance companies in determining who is eligible for the state's $3.7 billion health care program. The ruling is meant to prevent private insurance companies from dumping chronically ill people onto TennCare, the judge said in a memorandum. TennCare spokeswoman Lola Potter said the state has asked Haynes to reconsider his decisioa "We're not qualified to i 1 1 limit -V Stacie Garian, 11, looks for more trash at Highland Park bars during the Great American Cleanup.

The West Tennessee Republican League and the Tennessee Young Republican Federation will host the "Faith, Family and Freedom" dinner at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Cobum Dining Hall at Union University. Immediately after the dinner there will be a reception with Congressman Van Hilleary for those interested in meeting him. For more information concerning the dinner, call Penny Davis, vice-chairman of the Madison County Young Republicans, at (731) 855-0179 or Ivy Scarborough at (731 78441 1 8. being at Land the Lakes the last reminders of what existed before about 700 families were forced to moved.

"It's all we have left of what we are as a community. Everything else has been taken away," said Delia Oliver, a former resident and member'of Between the Rivers. Kathy Harper, LBL spokeswoman, said it's no surprise that former residents feel such a link to the cemeteries. "It's very important for genealogy research and also for people who want to come back and learn about their roots and heritage," she said. About 60 to 70 cemeteries at LBL are regularly maintained.

On Sundays beginning in the spring and lasting into the summer, various groups sponsor homecomings with potluck suppers that attract former residents from hundreds of miles away. Even when LBL was created, many of the cemeteries some dating to the 1700s had been forgotten because there were no remaining descendants in the area. Since then, others who cared for the cemeteries have died or left the region. 1 Only about 30 of LBL's 250 cemeteries contain more than 100 graves. More than half have less than 10 graves and are just small family plots.

Some of the graves contain babies or small children buried near a home where the mother or a family member could keep watch, said Sylvia Canon, who along with her husband, Beale, are leaders of another LBL cemetery restoration group Rescue Our Cemeteries. Members from both groups say they have found graves of white settlers and veterans from nearly every war including the Revolutionary War, but also those of black slaves and Chinese immigrants who worked in the region's iron furnaces. eligibility medical condition actually exists," Haynes wrote in his ruling, issued Wednesday. "A lack of scrutiny would appear to allow a shift of questionable uninsureds into the public program." Attorneys for Rural Legal Services of Tennessee in Oak Ridge sued the state in 1998 on behalf of two East Tennessee residents with serious medical conditions who were unable to enroll in TennCare because they did not have denial letters from private insurance companies. "1 School, has muscular dystrophy and is in a Michael attends South Side High School.

"When Tracyis lacque H1LLMAN at work, "Mchael takes care of Bryan after school. But they needed amp for Bryan's wheel-Thair, and the doorway to the bathroom is too small for the wheelchair to get through. -Mchael knows everything he needs to do for his brother1 Ryan said. Ryan said her nephew lorks three days a week so dieli have time to be with Bryan, and since he works -art-time, modifying the -Ijtwuse was not on their Wheelchair ramps are expensive to build because they have to be designed in a 1 certain way for safety, she jsaid." I TennCare is taking care of Bryan's medical costs, and he's checked by the Muscular XQrsiropny Association oen-' ter in Memphis, she Explained. 'l A few years ago, I had done a story on the Jackson for Independent Liv-.

so I gave Ryan their phone number. Friday she called back, her excited words tumbling over. 1 called them and Glen Barr said, No problem. Wei take cfcre. of that this And 3hey did.

Just like that. They tirfe unbelievable, they're so pnderful." is the director, and TRyan also worked with Karen Climer on eettine Ryan said her biggest concern is that JCIL has such a small budget and is apparently not well known out in the community. JCEL serves Madison, Dyer, Haywood, McNairy, Carroll, Henderson, Gibson and Weakley counties and United Way contributions go directly to things such as wheelchair ramps and making doorways wider.The center also helps disabled people understand what their legal rights are, provides computer training, individual counseling and housing assistance. And that's the short list of what they do. Ryan's goal now is to help them with a fund-raiser.

They had a fund-raiser last year and raised only $800," efob said. "You know the thud abuse center, WRAP others get a lot of attention, and they're all very deserving. But nobody fighting for JCBj. I don't 'know how to do it, but I'm trying to learn." 1 JCIL is located at 231 North Parkway in Jackson. more about JCIL, call (731) 668-2211, go to thgir Web site at www.j-dveom or e-mail them at Caique Hillman is The Jtiekson Sun's communities editor.

To reach her, call 372-3922, ext. 679, or 'caU 425-9679. 7 'i1 i i or Hub" HELEN COMERThe Jackson Sun play break on the monkey "We try to stress in our area the importance of keeping our property up," said Ode Hodges, president of the neighborhood association. Hodges along with other residents, Hattie Jones, Paul Cheairs and W.C. Person, all pitched in with lawnmowers and weed eaters to clean up the empty lot.

"We've been working on this area for a long time and we need to keep working to keep it clean," Jones said. After a morning of spring cleaning, Jacksonians were treated to a picnic. "This day was very important," said Faye Thomas, Highland Park cleanup leader. "Who else is going to do this ifwedon'tr broaden their risk and stabilize costs. The result: more people receiving medical care for the same amount of money.

But the idea was more simple than the implementation. So many uninsured Tennesseans signed up for TennCare that the state came close to the federal government's 1.5 million enrollee cap. The state closed adult enrollment in 1995. In 1997, enrollment was reopened to children of parents without insurance, and enrollment eventually will reopen to Mexico r. while Melia Hoyt, 11, takes a neighborhood is a weekly effort that is important for their neighborhood.

Washburn, who affectionately refers to herself as the world's oldest Girl Scout, spends her weekends picking up trash. "We've picked up a dead bird, lots of beer bottles and even a dirty diaper," Washburn said. "The only difference between today and all of the other days we spend picking up trash is that today we get T-shirts and lunch," Mitchell said. Across town at the intersection of Scallion Drive and Whitehall Street, residents tended to a city lot that has become the neighborhood trash depository. By TAJUANA CHESHIER The Jackson Sun Jacksonians kicked off their role in the Great American Cleanup on Saturday morning by pulling together to keep their city beautiful.

Organizers of the event estimate that around 750 volunteers armed in yellow Jackson cleanup T-shirts, work gloves and black garbage bags pitched in to pick up the city's trash. "Everything went well, and everyone worked so hard," said Jodi Jacobs, coordinator of Keep Jackson Beautiful. The citywide effort was the first in seven years and included five neighborhoods across the city. "Next year, we would like to Ruling may Judge says private insurance companies' letters should not determine enrollment for health care. The Associated Press NASHVILLE Private insurance companies should not be determining who is uninsurable and therefore eligible for TennCare, a federal judge has ruled.

The ruling by VS. District to adopt new criteria for TennCare determine medical uninsur-ability," she said. "We depend on insurance companies who are medical underwriters to make that decision." TennCare is the state-federal managed care program that replaced Medicaid in 1994 and opened enrollment to uninsured Tennesseans, who pay premiums on a sliding scale based on income. The idea was that by expanding health care enrollment beyond the standard Medicaid population, doctors and other providers could MORNING BRIEFING March children return to police investigate deadly house fire Feedback Is there a story that interested you that you would like to see us update? Tell us what you would like to see in the paper. Bradford, Gibson County, McKen-zie and Weakley County responded to the blaze which took them four hours to control.

Parrish's son, Nickey McMinn, said the fire started around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday and that the family thought that his father was at home sleeping while his mother was at work. Parrish, 76, is a retired factory worker at the Milan Arsenal His services are scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Williams Funeral Home, 2209 N. Meridian in Greenfield.

Parrish is also survived by his wife, Lorretta; a daughter, Kelly McMinn; and six sisters. The Jackson Sun Janet March, a 33-year-old artist, disappeared in 1996. Her body has never been found, and no criminal charges have been filed. March has said he came home the day of his wife's disappearance to find her complaining she needed a vacation. He said she left in her Volvo with three bags, a passport and $5,000 in cash.

Last year, a probate judge declared in a civil case that Janet March was legally dead and ruled Perry March responsible. A jury awarded the Le vines $113.5 million, the biggest such compensation in state history. the Associated Press NASHVILLE The children of former Nashville attorney Perry March were put on a flight to Mexico on Saturday, to be reunited with their father after he won a custody battle with his former in-laws. Ten-year-old Samson and 6-year-old Tzipora were escorted by Perry March's brother Ron March on the flight, said Robert Catz, one of Perry March's attorneys. "We saw the children depart," Catz told WTVF-TV.

The children were the subjects of a custody dispute between Perry March and Lawrence and Carolyn Levine, who believe their former son-in-law killed their daughter. A Weakley County man died in a Jibiise fire on Wednesday. Officials with the sheriffs department said the investigation juito the blaze, which killed Greenfield resident L.D. Parrish, will continue on Monday. No cause has been determined yt.V Greenfield Fire Chief Bob Dudley "said that Parrish's body was found im'the floor board of bis car in the garage.

house was too engulfed by Jthe time I arrived to attempt a Tescue," Dudley said. "We didn't know that anyone was in there right away." Firefighters from Sharon, Name Address. City Phone. Return to: Feedback, co The Jackson Sun, 245 W. Lafayette.