Published: December 16, 2009 11:27 am      

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: December edition

Dear editor:

I truly miss Ms. Anna Belle. Lois and I met socially and politically on many occasions with Sen. O'Brien and were always just fascinated with her personal charm and the incredibly entertaining stories she related from her years in Nashville.

I personally stressed to Anna Belle how very important I felt it was to preserve those experiences and examples:

1. The public official who lost his false teeth in Printers Alley. It was determined that only one individual in Nashville could find them, and Anna Belle DID!

2. The bill was before the legislature to legalize liquor in the state of Tennessee. When the religious (anti-liquor) lobby came into her office, she asked them, "Did you see those fellows in the thousand dollar suits leaving my office ... they are the bootleggers and they want the same thing you want, obviously, for different reasons."

3. A delightful story of a young state representative who had two different girlfriends come to visit him at his legislative office, at the same time, and how Ms. Anna Belle helped to keep them separated without either having knowledge of the other.

There had to be many, many more stories just as interesting and entertaining which, if not compiled and preserved, will be lost.

My first encounter with Ms. Anna Belle came when Lois and I sat with her at a Knoxville fundraiser for Sen. Bill Owen. Someone came over to our table and told her that Sen. Owen needed her to make a speech. We were amazed how she made a few notes on a paper napkin and then preceded to give the best, most entertaining speech of anyone. Lois and I paid our money but refused to wear a Michael Dukakis button. Ms. Anna Bell was wearing his button, but on the inside of her coat.

The second was when I received a call from Sen. O'Brien asking what could be done to alleviate the traffic problem on Hwy. 70 N in front of my Flea Market. I related the problem was not the Flea Market, but the stock barn and the "pen-hookers" stopping the stock trucks (it was most amazing to me, with all her experiences, she did not know what a "pen-hooker" was). The bottom line, six weeks later, TDOT was unloading equipment at the stock barn and a turn lane was built for the stock trucks, thus alleviating the traffic problem.

Third, when I ran on the Republican ticket for the office of Assessor of Property, I was knocking on doors in Tansi. Even though observing Ralph's sign in front of her house, I preceded anyway. She came to the door and said, "Now, Mr. Wilbanks, you know I can't vote for you." I said, "Yes, I know, but I wasn't going to be in the neighborhood and not say hello." Then she invited me in for a glass of tea. That's who she was!

Fourth, Ed Lewis, chairman of the Peavine Road project, called me relating his need to get to Gov. Bredesen. I called Ms. Anna Belle who informed me that she would be meeting with the governor at a fundraiser in Livingston the following evening. At my request, she called Ed and gave precise instructions as to exactly how he was to word a memo to the governor and director of TDOT. Ed met her the next day in Crossville with the memo, and Ms. Anna Belle personally intervened with Gov. Bredesen and TDOT on his behalf. This was another example of how she always did the right thing when important issues were involved.

Lois and I, representing the Tennessee Flea Market Association, have had a fair amount of dealings with the legislature. Sen. O'Brien always wanted to be helpful, but required a lot of information before she agreed to do so. However, once she agreed to sponsor a bill, it was a "slam dunk" for our lobbyist to get it passed.

All of Cumberland County will miss Sen. O'Brien, not just because of the wonderful person she was, but also because of her influence and connections in Nashville, and her tremendous ability to open doors and get things done. V.J. Dodson gave the best account of how Republicans felt about Ms. Anna Belle when he told me, "I haven't always agreed with her politics, but I have always liked Ms. Anna Belle."

Dennis R. Wilbanks

Wildwood Lane

Crossville