February 23, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
Honoring the memory of three local dedicated public servants.
During Monday night’s monthly meeting, the County Commission will consider adopting a resolution in support of State Representative Michael Hale’s efforts in the Tennessee General Assembly to pay tribute to former Liberty Mayor J. Edward Hale, Jr., former Sligo Marina manager and employee Darwin Gard, and Joseph Bowen, former DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputy and at the time of his death member of the Lebanon Police Department. Representative Hale’s plan is for the state to name Sligo bridge in memory of Gard; to name the unnamed bridge on Highway 70 near Dowelltown for Bowen; and to name the stretch of Highway 70 within the town limits of Liberty in honor of the late Mayor Hale.
Bowen, age 28, lost his life in a crash in the predawn hours of March 1, 2018 on Highway 70 at Dowelltown while returning home from work. The bridge to be named is near where Bowen died. Again, this bridge is currently unnamed and is not to be confused with the Dry Creek Bridge on Highway 70 which is named for the late PFC Billy Gene Anderson who was killed in May 2010 while serving in Afghanistan.
From the early 1970s until his death in December 2017 at the age of 85, the name Darwin Gard and Sligo Marina were synonymous. For many years Gard was manager of the boat dock and later stayed on as an employee until his retirement in July, 2015. Mr. Gard was a retired veteran of the Air Force, serving from 1950-1971, he served in the Korean and Vietnam War. Darwin was a professional fisherman for Hydra Sport and Winner Boats. He was a well-known and respected fishing guide on Center Hill Lake lovingly known as “The King of Center Hill.”
From the time of his first election in 1971 until his passing in May, 2013, J. Edward Hale, Jr., age 95, served as mayor of Liberty. At 42 years, Mayor Hale held the distinction at the time of having been the longest serving public official in DeKalb County. During his time in office Hale was credited with having worked to improve streets and sidewalks, restore local landmarks, and preserve history for future generations. Even before his time as mayor, Hale found other ways of serving the public. Hale spent many years as an educator in the school system and he once held a rural carrier position in the postal service. It was for his years of leadership and devotion to his community and county that in 2013 Hale was presented the Leadership DeKalb “Legacy Award” during the annual membership banquet of the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce.
Although the county commission no longer names county roads and bridges in memory of others, County Mayor Matt Adcock said it doesn’t preclude the commission from giving support for the naming of state highways and bridges by the Tennessee General Assembly if requested by state lawmakers.
“I know we have talked about not naming roads and bridges but State Representative Michael Hale reached out to me because these are state bridges and highways. The state does have the authority to name bridges and highways. When he (Hale) got to the chairman of the committee at the state level, he (committee chairman) wanted to see at least some community support for this (request) and that is the reason they are asking us (county) to adopt a resolution in support of the state naming these bridges and Highway 70 at Liberty,” said Adcock.