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Shady eating area may come to Gilley Pool
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Shade could be on its way to the eating area of Gilley Pool. Two structures, similar to those pictured, will be facing each other and extending over the area to offer shade to patrons as they eat.
Lisa Hobbs
Updated: May 18, 2017, 10:59 PM
Published: May 19, 2017, 12:00 AM

Gilley Pool opens for the 2017 season in less than two weeks and visitors could notice a little something different in the eating area.
McMinnville officials are considering the purchase of shade, a nylon cover to stretch over the eating area that’s located between the concession stand and bathrooms.
“We basically received five bids,” said McMinnville Parks and Recreation director Scott McCord to members of the city Parks and Recreation Committee.
The lowest bid received was $17,998. McCord says that bid is not accurate because it did not include any concrete work in the installation.
“In their bid they said the bid assumes no rock removal, or concrete or asphalt installation,” said McCord. “There is. To be fair to them, I contacted them. Yes, this will be concrete work – cutting into the deck and she told me she would get me numbers. I have yet to hear back from them.”
Officials included $24,000 in the budget of Parks and Recreation for shade at that spot.
The next lowest bid was from All Recreation for $24,114.
“We did budget $24,000 for the project, and they do meet all the specifications,” said McCord.
Committee members unanimously approved the bid from All Recreation. The measure will be sent to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for its consideration.
The pool opens May 27.
Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Published: Apr 2, 2025, 11:31 PM

Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community