(The following column by Mayor Jo Ann Graves appeared in The Gallatin Newspaper April 20, 2010)
When our nation was being formed there were many factions that represented diverse groups desiring a voice in the way our country would be run. As a young country, representatives from each group would attend meetings and return to each group and/or community with news of decisions and events. Folks depended on word of mouth to keep up with current happenings.
Then there was the advent of the telegraph, the radio, and the telephone. Information began to flow in all directions. When televisions came into our homes we not only heard the news but we could see the events unfolding.
Today we communicate electronically. There is YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and a myriad of others. Communication is now 24/7.
At the heart of all this communication is a person’s need to not only know but to also be heard and to have input.
When I first moved into City Hall in 2007, my office wasn’t wired for a computer. The only way to directly communicate with the Mayor was to either call or come to City Hall. For people who worked, particularly out of town, that was an obstacle to communication. Today, thanks to the addition of a computer, citizens communicate with me electronically, when it is convenient for them. Emails are sent late at night or early in the morning asking for information or help in solving an issue. Appointments are set up not just by phone, but over the internet. Messages are sent on Blackberry’s and the reply is to the Blackberry. However, phone calls and personal visits still take place. (click here to read the entire column.)
| Current Events/News |
(August 24, 2010) The Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee selected Gallatin as the backdrop for a video it is producing on the future of mass transit in Middle Tennessee. A film crew was on the Square in Downtown Gallatin this week filming interviews with Mayor Jo Ann Graves and other elected officials and business leaders from Sumner, Robertson and Davidson Counties.
 If you have an idea or concern you would like to share with Mayor Graves, please drop by for Mayor's Night In, an opportunity for you to stop by after regular business hours to talk to the Mayor on Monday, September 27, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Mayor's Office, 132 W. Main Street. |
As part of back-to-school activities, the Shalom Zone at Union Resource Center sponsored a school supply give-a-
way on July 31, 2010. The day was filled with games, activities, food and a complete set of supplies. For information on the non-profit Shalom Zone, contact 615-442-7575 or visit 
The Gallatin Farmers Market has new hours. The Farmers Market will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am-6pm and Saturdays from 7am-2pm. For more information on the market, or to rent booth space, please contact Greater Gallatin at 452-5692.
