I received several phone calls this afternoon from faculty, parents and community members of the Cedar Bluff community inquiring as to why I had not attended the Cedar Bluff Primary School ground-breaking.

I was not aware that the school district was having the 10:30 a.m. ground-breaking until 8:45 a.m. when in a phone conversation with Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, the Mayor asked if I had been invited. I informed him that I had not been invited.

I represented the Cedar Bluff community for four years and during my term of office, the Knox County School Board put the Cedar Bluff Primary School on the capital plan. The agreement with the church next door to share the parking lot and the purchase of the two houses next door to the school occurred during my term of office. The architects, school facility department and I presented the design plan to the faculty and staff and the PTA officers in January 2004. My term concluded on September 1, 2004.

To the community members, students, faculty and staff of the Cedar Bluff community, Congratulations on your ground-breaking, 30 years late. Best of luck to you and please accept my apologizes for not attending your event, today. I was not aware that the ground was to break at 10:30 a.m. on January 12, 2006.