FRANKLIN FIREFIGHTERS CLEANUP FOLLOWING a two vehicle accident in front of the Macon Plaza Shopping Center entrace Monday evening.

 Macon Bank Presi-dent and CEO Everett Stiles has announced his decision to retire. Edward Shatley, Chairman of Macon Bank, has been named interim President and CEO.
“This is clearly a time of transition for Macon Bank, but in the past 82 years, Macon Bank has come through many transitions,” explains Shatley. “Everett’s contributions to the bank are immeasurable. We wish him every success in his future. Now, its time for all of us to move forward.”

The March of Dimes 2004 Macon County WalkAmerica fundraising walk will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 17, at Jaycee Park on West Main Street in Franklin.
Hannah Shope is this year’s Ambassador Child for the walk. She is the daughter of Lisa and Jerry Shope. She was born with premture lungs, developed pneumonia. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. at Jaycee Park and the walk will begin at 10 a.m.

The Town of Franklin moved a step closer to adopting a permanent sign ordinance on Monday night after a presentation about the proposed ordinance by Mike Decker and members of the sign ordinance committee. They also set May 1 at 6:00 p.m. as the time for the public hearing on the ordinance.

Macon County’s senior athletes and artists 55 and over are starting to plan their participation in the many sports and artistic activities that await them in the 14th Annual Senior Games and SilverArts competitions that run from April 28 to May 15. Registration deadline is April 23.

The summer of 2004 is rapidly approaching and that means it is time for the “Macon County Old Bones” senior softball team to begin practice for their summer schedule.
This year they will be playing teams from Hiawassee, Blairsville, Blueridge, Gainesville, Ga., Seneca, SC, Murphy and Hendersonville.

WESTERN CAROLINA TO STAGE "LARAMIE PROJECT" APRIL 16-18, 22-25 The 2003-04 theatre season at Western Carolina University comes to a close in April with the ground-breaking play "The Laramie Project,"

The Second Annual Promenade on Main will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 24, in downtown Franklin.
The “Promenade” is a fun and fashionable spring event for men, women and children, according to Gail Chapman, organizer, who said that everyone is invited to participate in the hat contest. Wearing hats either purchased or made by the participants, people strolled up and down Main Street, in and out of the shops, last year and plans are to do so again this year, she said.