CAEZ CLUSTER
Nov 7 2023
  During the last 29 years, we've sat thru some gut wrenching meetings. So bad they were, we almost cried from the dimly lit malfunctions. The Nov 7th Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone (CAEZ) meeting over at the Dundon Campground has to go down in history as one of the worst examples of how rotten things get worse.. worser, Yes that's a word!
  On the 7th there were just enough Boardsters for a quorum. County Commissioner Dave Schoolcraft participated via the phone.
  When Boardsters stop showing up, that's a sure sign that things are sour. 
  Another example of an agency in tail spin is when a quasi govt agency loses it website. The long standing URL for CAEZ, when you click it, up comes some kind of Hong Kong based gambling opportunity. Note: Several years ago, back during the Big Lup time period, CAEZ paid out over $5000 for the now defunct website design and footprint on the world wide web. Their Facebook page stopped updating in 2015.
   CAEZ Board Chair Leslie Osborne was absent from duty opting to coach a basketball practice. That left Amanda Shelton at the helm of the sinking ship.
  A few minutes before the 6pm start time, Boardsters started showing. Based on the actions and talk, it appeared, they hadn't thought about CAEZ since the last meeting, four weeks prior. Mail was opened, quiet chatter was done while pointing at papers.
   When you're trying to cover your tracts, IE: disguise pitiful leadership, what do ya do? For the CAEZ leadership, the answer is to point fingers at the last Office Manager, Michelle Bodkins. At every turn in the discussion, most started in again on what a rotten job Michelle did.
   Merlin Shamblin is a Roane County rep on the CAEZ . He's been around several years and knows many of the ropes. Most scary, Mr Shamblin can read. Yelp, hard to believe but it's true. Worstest yet for his fellow Boardsters, Shamblin has read the group's by laws!
  Shamblin came to the aide of Bodkins stating, she did a good job for years and they never had a complaint. Those up front rolled their eyes. One topic where the fingers were pointing at Bodkins was the CAEZ owned apartments and housing units compliments Federal $$$. Shamblin told the Board that he had called State housing officials to inquire about that previous office manager's performance. According to Mr Shamblin, the Charleston folks gave glowing accolades for Bodkins. He added, during Ms Bodkins time on the job, there were no problems.
  He was being kind to those up front. He could have been more accurate if he had told em: You dumb shirts have screwed up everything.
   Behind the scene decision making is another example of an agency going to H in a hand basket. Once again, that guy that reads the by laws, Merlin Shamblin was leading the charge on some kind of decision on hiring someone to handle housing "books" for $1000 a month.
  Shamblin told all that Chair Leslie Osborne had called him and told him, no matter which way he decides, she had enough votes to make the hire.
  Merlin is also a Roane County Commissioner. In that capacity he has had training in open meeting laws, etc.
  With the secret decisions being done, Shamblin asked: where's that decision to hire someone in the meeting minutes? Mr Shamblin had em by the short hairs and they knew it. He knew , all decisions MUST be made during a regular meeting and recorded in the meeting minutes to be legit.
  We did not hear a vote on Nov 7th to hire the guy. We think Mr Shamblin's sunshine on the matter, that killed that one unlawful decision.
   How about a non profit that doesn't know what the other hand is doing. Here that comes.
   CAEZ owns the Dundon Campground. They contract out on site camp care-taking duties to make sure the place is maintained and secure. Several fellers have held that position over the years with non lasting very long. For the last two caretakers, both quit after trying to deal with Boardster Mickey Boggs.
  For this meeting, a new face was in the peanut gallery. He asked about being hired to be the care taker.
  Almost in unison the Board explained, they already have a guy for that purpose.
  The new face said, well, no you don't. Caretaker Joe Nichols has NOT been there for weeks and at this time the sewer system ain't working with "floaters" overflowing the jons and running out in big puddles. From the new face, "Everything is messed up."
  Gulp!
  The expression on their faces said it all, no one knew, or at least would admit in public, that Joe had quit and the sewers, septic tanks were messed up.
  For this reporter, here comes the saddest part of the meeting and the future of CAEZ.
  At every fork in the road, on every topic discussed, the Board's first instinct was to go behind closed doors and make decisions in secret. For the record, acting Chair Amanda Shelton said that exactly, she wanted to go into secret time to make decisions.
   Although Shelton has had open meeting training while on her seat on the Health Dept Board, we think she just open's her mouth behind her brain kicks into gear.
  For us, saddest of all is County Commissioner Connie Kinder who is also on the CAEZ Bd as a citizen rep. For this meeting, she showed her colors. Ms Kinder at least three times expounded, let's go secret to discuss that.  With Boardsters willing to break the law any time a topic gets embarrassing, there can be no good future.
  Karl Kraus once said: Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is  a match
  The Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone is a cluster of epic proportions. Sad.

AW