There’s a constant drumbeat to bring tourism dollars into Warren County to make our economy dance.

When it comes to local tourism attractions, Smooth Rapids takes its place on center stage. The kayaking business and popular restaurant overlooking the Barren Fork River just released the lineup for its fourth annual Reggae at Smooth Rapids music festival set for Aug. 3-5.

Among notable information, the festival is adding an extra day and is now a three-day experience. Also of note, rapper Afroman is the festival headliner. Yes, that Afroman.

“Afroman will be the biggest act we’ve had so far,” said Smooth Rapids co-owner Jimmy Barker. “I’m sure there will be people who come just to see him.”

Reggae at Smooth Rapids attracted 650 visitors last year. That included about 150 campers at the tree-covered Smooth Rapids campground.
“We had people come from as far away as California and New York and all surrounding states,” said Jimmy. “We expect it to grow and keep getting bigger this year. It’s good to bring people to Warren County and bring tax dollars to Warren County.”

Also in the Reggae at Smooth Rapids lineup are Of Good Nature, The Quasi Kings, Elementree Livity Project, and Whyte Noyse, among other bands. Jimmy says a three-day pass is your best value, although day passes are also available.

Tickets can be purchased at smoothrapids.com/rasr-2018.

Still kicking after 40 years

Gary Steele has a fascinating story of how he came to start Gary Steele Karate Studio, which is celebrating its 40th year at Plaza Shopping Center this month.

Gary had been training at the facility under the direction of Jess Betschart for four years when Betschart made the decision to relocate to another town. He offered the karate studio to Gary. That was in April, 1978.

“I had just gotten married, my wife was pregnant, and I had a good factory job at Carrier,” said Gary. “But I decided to quit my job out of the blue and buy this karate school. A lot of my family members didn’t like what I was doing. My uncle sat me down and asked me what I was thinking. He didn’t know why I’d leave a steady job and he told me I should go back to Carrier. I guess I was full of too much youthful enthusiasm. I didn’t think too much about it.”

Now 40 years later, Gary Steele Karate Studio is still thriving. Carrier is long gone.

When I asked Gary on Friday what karate has given him over the years, his answer was straightforward.

“First and foremost, it’s given me a career. That has to top the list,” said Gary, 63. “It’s helped me sustain good health, a positive attitude and a high level of confidence. I hope it’s also given me humility, although that’s not for me to say.”

Karate as we know it today has interesting origins. As Gary explains, it dates back to when Japanese soldiers invaded and conquered the island of Okinawa. To the best of my memory, that was in the early 1600s.

When the Japanese assumed control, they took all the weapons from the Okinawa people. Thus, any defense they mounted would have to be without weapons, or with “empty hands,” which is what karate means.

Over the years, Gary says he’s been blessed to make an impact on the lives of thousands of people who have come through his school. Sometimes he is treated to amazing success stories.

He said one of his former students was in St. Louis when he was the target of a strong-armed robbery attempt. Using skills he learned at Gary Steele Karate, the man was able to disarm the robber and hold him until police arrived.

Gary says another one of his former students used his karate skills to survive a knife attack while serving with the U.S. military in Iraq. He said the soldier was ambushed by an Iraqi militant armed with a knife. The soldier suffered several wounds in the fight, but he was able to kill the Iraqi.

While Gary has been an enduring force for 40 years, the business has been filled with obstacles. One of the biggest came just a few years after he bought the karate studio. The United States was engulfed in a fierce recession in the early 1980s which chopped his business in half.

“I just wanted to teach karate, but that downturn in the early ’80s forced me to become a businessman,” said Gary. “You can be a good technician and a bad businessperson and it won’t work out. You have to have both.”

Gary says his business is still alive and kicking with a strong student headcount. He says the talent of longtime instructor Paul Byars is a big reason for his success.

If you’d like to learn more about Gary Steele Karate Studio, the phone number is 473-KICK.

A business that really shines

Justin Shrum says he was looking to fill a community need when he opened Clear Shine Window Cleaners. It turned out to be a need indeed as his squeegee has been busy.

“I never knew when starting the business it would be so well received,” said Justin while taking a break from cleaning a window Friday at Images, a hair salon on The Strip. “I have been overwhelmed by the show of support from residents and businesses in our community.”

Justin said it’s always been his dream to own his own business and Clear Shine Window Cleaners hasn’t smudged his expectations. He offers professional window cleaning for offices, churches, houses and restaurants. He is proud to say he is fully licensed and insured.

“I feel being properly licensed and insured is part of doing business,” said Justin. “You want your customers to be comfortable. Being insured is part of the comfort level.”

If you’re wondering about the cost, wonder no more. Give Justin a call and he will provide a free estimate. He also offers gutter cleaning.

“I understand the value of good customer relationships,” said Justin. “I also understand it’s important to give back to the community.”
Even though his business is getting started, Clear Shine Window Cleaners has already sponsored a youth league basketball team and it’s paid for the movie “Storks” to be shown at the Park Theater for free.

“We want to say thank you to a community that support us,” said Justin.

Clear Shine Window Cleaners can be reached at (931) 224-4531.

Liquor store number 4

The last call for alcohol won’t be coming anytime soon in McMinnville. It’s just the opposite.

What will be the city’s fourth liquor store is well under construction on Nashville Highway in Newtown. A sign outside the building site has created some confusion as it says “Future Home of Hina Retail Center.”

A retail center seems like something a little more extravagant than what’s being constructed. There will be a separate restaurant, possibly a sub shop, but the bulk of the building, 4,200 square feet, will be for wine, liquor, beer and tobacco.

“I’m excited,” said owner Sid Patel, who also owns the market and gas station across the street. “I thought we’d be done by now but we’ve had so much rain and bad weather we’re behind schedule.”

Sid said restaurant details have not been firmed up but he’s looking to land franchise rights for a sub shop like Subway, Quiznos, or Firehouse Subs. Since Warren County already has three Subways, I’m cheering for one of the other options.

Hina Market will remain open to give Sid stores on both sides of the highway. Despite this being liquor store No. 4 for McMinnville, Sid said he has received positive comments from his customers who like his location on the outskirts of town. He says he hopes to be open in a couple months.

Early harvest has arrived

A stiff wind and chilly temperatures Saturday did not provide a conducive atmosphere for opening day at the Farmers Market. The weather didn’t provide an atmosphere to do much of anything except scamble indoors to stay warm.

But it was opening day nonetheless for our fertile Farmers Market. A handful of brave, honorable merchants braved the cold to sell their products to warmly dressed customers.

Market manager Ann Brown said she’s gearing up for a stellar year after receiving interest from several vendors who have never sold at the Farmers Market before.

“The whole purpose is to produce an outlet for farmers to sell their crops,” said Ann. “I’d say 80 percent of our vendors are from Warren County. We have just a few from Van Buren, Grundy, and just over the line in DeKalb County.”

The market always starts slow before bursting with vegetables in June, July and August. Early produce this time of year includes fresh tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and kale. There’s also beef from Willow Oak, baked goods, and food from High Roller Smokers and Hickory Creek BBQ.

The Farmers Market is open every Saturday in April from 6 a.m. to noon. In May, hours extend to Saturday and Wednesday.

One last tribute

We published an obituary for Cumberland Caverns founder Roy Davis on the front page of Wednesday’s edition. I thought that was a comprehensive report, but I do want to add just a tad by talking about how Mr. Davis was responsible for thousands and thousands of dollars pouring into this community.

There’s no way to determine how many families made a trip to Warren County to tour Cumberland Caverns and then ate a meal at a local restaurant on their way out of town. How many families spent the night here at a hotel because of Cumberland Caverns? How many filled up with gas as they prepared to hit the highway?

By its 50th year in 2006, there were around 35,000 people visiting Cumberland Caverns each year. It was estimated that about half that total, some 17,000 people, came to visit from outside Warren County.

Using a basic tourism spending calculator of $35 per night, per person, those 17,000 visitors spent $595,000 while in Warren County. The $35 is a low-ball estimate as I’ve seen tourism calculators that show average spending of $50 per night, per person.

Regardless, Mr. Davis and his love of caves certainly served to the financial benefit of Warren County.

That’s all folks

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