Williams said, ‘This arena will serve all of southeastern Ky.’

I remember standing on the hillside several years ago where the Corbin Arena is located with a group of city leaders and former Senator David Williams said something to this effect. “I want this arena to be an arena for all of southeastern Kentucky, for Corbin, Williamsburg, Barbourville, London and Somerset.”

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

Although the honeymoon soon ended with Sen. Williams and his name was removed from the arena, he was right about it being for all of the area.

We have seen evidence of this with the number of graduation exercises by area schools being held there. Last week in this newspaper I read the story about a 13th Region prom for 2020 graduates being planned by people from London. What a great idea.

Jina LaFary, of Jina LaFary Photography, and her business partner Keisha Amburgey, of Elegant Moments by Keisha, are behind this idea.

I like what LaFary said. “No matter what I have to do, I am going to give these kids a senior prom even if I have to do it in my own backyard.”

Well that backyard has turned into the Arena where thousands of people can attend and celebrate an occasion that Covid stole from them.

It is not cheap to rent the Arena but area businesses and others are getting behind this idea and at a nominal cost all 13th Region students are invited to attend.

Presently the prom is scheduled to be held on July 24. The theme for the prom is “The Roaring 20’s.” For information or tickets contact LaFary at 606-260-7522 or Amburgey at 606-309-1061.

The Corbin Arena has been busy lately. I hope the name Corbin on the Arena will not drive away potential customers for this kind of event. The name just tells you where it is located but it is for all of the area to use.

I remember going to my senior prom some 65 years ago at the Edwards Gym in Corbin. That old gym was decorated to the hilt. The music was loud and we had fun.

The answer is “no.” I did not have a date. My buddy Phil Taylor and I met each other at the door and spent the night awkwardly moving around in conversation with others.

So much has changed since then and for those who spent big bucks on prom dresses they will now have a chance for the pictures and the big celebration at the 2020 Prom.

• I just returned from a trip to Dawsonville, Ga. where my wife and I and a granddaughter visited my wife’s sister. You have heard of Dawsonville because of the famous Elliott’s NASCAR racing family.

What was revealing to me was there are two parts to Dawsonville. The town that has been there for many years and a new Dawsonville a few miles down the road.

I don’t know the history of it but the new part had only new buildings and had expanded over a big area. Every kind of store and restaurant I have ever heard about is located there. It is so unique because of the newness of everything.
We also went to Helen, Ga. I had never heard of Helen, Ga. It is a small Gatlinburg. There is a river that runs right thru the middle of the town and it is only two or three feet deep. The tubing business was alive. Bus loads of tourists, one after the other, loaded up passengers to take them to the head of the river for a long ride down the rapids.

Adults, small kids, everybody was enjoying the rides. The furnished tubes were colorful and we ate our lunch at a restaurant overlooking the river. What a sight that was.

We also visited Dahlonega, Ga. It is a beautiful tourist town also located in north Georgia. I wouldn’t mind spending a vacation week there. There are good places to stay downtown, plus there are good places to eat and I understand in the summer that music groups perform nightly in the town square.

These were hidden secrets for me. The same is true right here in our state. A road trip through Kentucky will bring you many pleasant surprises.