By Krista Craig, Contributing Writer
Turtletown, Tenn. – The people have spoken, and their voices have been heard, thanks in large part to a petition Ronney Freeman Sr. started in 2021 to have Runion Road repaved and for helping to keep the road cleaned of trash.
Freeman’s journey began in July 2021, when he teamed up with William Wallace, Tennessee litter grant director for Polk County, for the first trash cleanup on Runion Road. That resulted in 30 bags of trash weighing about 750 pounds being removed and a spotlight being shined on the need for the road to be repaved for both residents and travelers’ safety.
Freeman and Dee Dee Deal, owner of the Kick Start convenience store, together authored the petition to repave Runion Road. The petition was posted at two local businesses, gathering 300 signatures, and Freeman collected 100 more standing on the side of Runion Road by vehicles traveling through. The petition was presented to the Polk County Board of Commissioners for their consideration in October 2021.
Freeman and Wallace – along with Mike and Karen Herring, and Frankie Womble – have completed several litter pickups on Runion Road in the last two years. Upon learning that the road was going to repaved, Freeman, Wallace, Womble, the Herrings and Michelle Degner teamed up on July 8 to pick up trash along the road in preparation for the repaving, collecting 11 bags weighing about 275 pounds.
“We hope for our part that it is helpful, and we are thankful to Highway Chief Roy Thomason for hearing the people’s petition to pave the road. This cleanup was easier than times past due to Mike and Karen Herring,” Freeman said. “After hearing that I had lung cancer, and was undergoing chemo treatments and was too weak to pick up or organize a trash pickup of the road, the Herring and Wallace took it upon themselves, unknown to me, to pick up 23 bags of trash, five tires and a toilet equaling 570 pounds.
“On our way home from one of my chemo treatments, my wife noticed the trash bags along the road and asked who had done that. With tears in her eyes, she thanked God for sending our neighbors to help.”
In addition, Freeman has also adopted a 6-mile stretch of Tennessee 68 from Runion Road to the Polk County line under the name Appalachia Dam Watchers and by Timber Oaks Ridge Log Homes.
The Appalachia Dam Watchers highlights Freeman’s other petition, “Can we work with TVA?” to get the gate and boat ramps reopened for public use again. That petition, which was also co-authored by Deal, has around 300 signatures so far.