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By Charlotte Underwood
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- After 40 years working for the City of LaFollette, Parks and Recreation Director Johnny Byrge served his last day on the job on Friday. Byrge served in this capacity since 2004 and prior to that worked for the city street department for around 20 years. He also served on the Campbell County School Board for 24 years and was honored, in the above photo, along with his family at his last school board meeting.
“My employment with the City of LaFollette for the past 40 years has been an honor,†Byrge said, adding that for the past twenty years, he served as Park and Recreation Director, which is a position he has “enjoyed immensely.’
Byrge started working for the city at the recreation department in 1984, he later transferred to the public works department and then “around†2004 he became the Park and Recreation Director.
“I have always loved sports and in my junior year in high school, I started coaching a youth basketball team and I coached for several years. That led to coaching baseball, and I did that for three or four years too and all it total, I coached basketball about 10 or 12 years and that really got me into the Recreation Center,†Byrge said.
According to Byrge, the Recreation Center opened around 1970 and it “was a joy as a child†for him to spend time there as a kid.
“It’s always been a special place to me; I met a lot of life-long friends there and we still remain friends today,†Byrge said. When he first started at the Recreation Center, Nowell Porter was the Recreation Director, and he was a “mentor†to Byrge.
“I worked in the summertime there on a summer youth program and started there when I was 16. After my summer youth job, Kyle Dunn came in as the Director and I worked for him for a short stint and then I worked a few years for Butch Hatfield†Byrge said. Afterwards, Byrge transferred to the Street Department. Around 2004, Byrge was hired as the Park and Recreational Director, a position that he said he felt “fortunate to have held.†He said he “met a lot of people and made a lot of friends over the years.â€
“The kids that have came through our programs, you see them today and they will run up to ya and say hey, you used to do my ball game or be my referee, that has been a great joy,†Byrge said.
Another joy for Byrge is “seeing the improvements and expansions†that have been accomplished during his tenure as the director.
One of the greatest accomplishments that Byrge is proud of is expanding the number of gyms and teams for the city’s youth basketball program and providing ample space for local organizations to meet and have community-oriented programs.
When Byrge started as recreation director, the city had 12 youth basketball teams and one gymnasium, this has grown to a much larger number due to the addition of gymnasiums.
Johnny Byrge said he has “cherished the opportunity to work under the leadership of many city council members, mayors and city administrators. He also asked for special recognition of his staff members and to his city co-workers.
“When the school system built new LaFollette Elementary School, they closed East and West LaFollette Elementary Schools. I was elected to the school board in 2000, so whenever the schools closed, David Young and I worked with the current mayor and council at the time and we approached the school system and were able to acquire those two buildings and today, both those buildings play an important role in the community,†Byrge said.
The old West LaFollette School was turned into a community center that houses the Campbell County Cancer Association, several artist groups, the East Tennessee Human Resources Agency that does food giveaways quarterly, the Clinch-Powell Head start and much more.
“We were able to sign a long-term lease with Clinch Powell Head Start that has had a very positive impact on the community. Many children have been able to utilize that and still are today,†Byrge said.
The East LaFollette Community Center had renovations done on it and it is being used for a weekly food giveaway done by Food Life Services every Tuesday for “basically anybody that needs a helping hand.†The building is also used as a “maintenance shop and storage facility.
Around five years ago, the city signed a lease with the Housing authority for the Dewey Hunter Center.
“A lot of people in the community use that. It is also used for the Jr. Pro Practices and people lease it out for birthday parties, reunions and everything else,†Byrge said.
“Adding these facilities gave the city’s recreation department a total of four gyms, which is rare for a small city of our size. Especially now that our teams have increased from 12 teams to 51 total teams. Chris Smith is the activities coordinator over that, and he does a great job,†Byrge said.
Other improvements under Byrge’s tenure include an upgrade to Seargent’s Park with restrooms, pavilion and walking trails, the addition of the splash pad, which was recently repaired and is back up and running and “is heavily utilized by the community.â€
“We have upgraded all of our ball fields which includes Pine Park, Liberty Park and Frank Archer Field with new bleachers, fencing and new score boards, we have also a newly renovated tennis court and two pickle ball courts at Liberty Park,†Byrge said.
Another improvement is the Ken Snodderly Complex, which is the soccer complex behind LaFollette Elementary School. Over 300 to 400 kids participate in the soccer program yearly in a spring and fall league. Other upgrades at this location include a walking trail, bathrooms, concession stand, band stage and fencing.
The recreation department now also oversees the flea market and has been able to add new restrooms, a concession stand, and a stage to make it more user friendly for the public.
Another exciting recreation department addition for the city of LaFollette that will be opening soon is the new building on Depot Street and has a golf simulator and two batting cages.
“It also has restrooms, concession and storage area; it will be opening soon,†Byrge said, adding that there “have been many more improvements over the years.â€
“I want to emphasize that all these improvements couldn’t have been done without working with former mayors, councilmembers and administrators. I also want to make mention about all of the people and parents that have volunteered their time by coaching a team and working with our youth groups,†Byrge said.
He said his co-workers and his recreation staff had been some of his greatest friends.
“I am thankful for all the people that have worked in the recreation department, it has been a joy to work with all of them and I have a wonderful current staff. We have always maintained our parks and kept them clean and neat. I never did want anyone to go into a dirty building and they do a great job keeping everything looking good,†Byrge said.
Byrge said he has “cherished the opportunity to work under the leadership of many city council members, mayors and city administrators. He also asked for special recognition of his staff members and to his city co-workers.
He had an extra special thank you for his family, especially his wife of 39 years.
“A special thank you goes to my wife Laura, for always being by my side with her love, support and encouragement. I would not have been able to serve without her support and, also the undying support of my four daughters and their families,†Byrge said. He and his wife are expecting their eighth grandchild in October.
He said he has “worked with a lot of great people down through the years†and that he had “really enjoyed his time and the friendships†he had made while at the city.
“Just to be able to make a difference and help out in any way possible has been my goal … I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together … and I will cherish the relationships and memories I have formed during my tenure with the city of LaFollette,†Byrge said. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-09/03/2024-6AM)