The miracle continues

Grayson City Council passed a resolution in their September meeting recognizing Hayden the Miracle Pig. The potbelly pig was named “Miracle Pig” due to being what is considered the only survivor of a rare birth defect. Hayden was born with a diaphragmic hernia, and it left a hole in his diaphragm. Then his liver developed in the void, further complicating the situation. Hayden’s owner, Deborah Pack, has been traveling to many local towns showcasing Hayden as a symbol of hope being possible even in bad situations.
Grayson Mayor Troy Combs presented a resolution that would recognize Hayden the Pig as an Honorary Citizen of Grayson, a move which granted the 5-month-old Hayden dual citizenship of sorts because the City of Olive Hill had previously recognized him as a citizen in their August meeting. Along with Deborah Pack, representatives from the Grayson Tractor Supply, Gillian Welch and Jennifer Houk, were also present to support Hayden as he received his honor. Tractor Supply is planning an event for Hayden in the near future.
In other business, the city council discussed an updated bid for the new fire truck they are in the process of purchasing. Part of that discussion involved a sizeable increase ($89,752) in the bid they had previously received. Because of that, the council decided some research into the cause of the increase would need to be undertaken before they would be able to vote. Mayor Combs recommended to the council that bids be taken, and a committee appointed to make future recommendations to the council.
The city council also discussed other business, including when to set the official hours and date for the upcoming Halloween holiday. The council voted to set trick-or-treat for October 31 with the official hours being set at 5:30 to 8 p.m. that day. The mayor also informed the council that he did not yet have anyone to appoint to the clerk’s position vacated by Dawnita Lewis May who recently resigned.
Council also discussed the possible replacement of several vehicles used by the police department, but further discussion was deemed necessary and no vote to approve the purchase was taken. Grayson Emergency Management discussed the Red Cross free smoke alarm project, and the benefits to Carter County. Assistant Emergency Management Director Joanne Dunfee said she had registered 36 people to receive the free smoke detectors at that time, with possibly more to register.
The city council also revisited the problem with signage being placed too close to roadways and potentially obstructing traffic. A sample ordinance from other cities was looked at, but no decision was made at the meeting. Once a decision is made on an ordinance governing signage, violators will incur fines that may increase depending upon the number of violations after the first offense. A first reading of a potential ordinance was conducted at the city council’s August meeting, but a motion to table the second reading in favor of additional research resulted in no second reading at the September meeting.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com