‘Fall Drive’ will preserve visionary’s legacy

Phil Cobb

I’m going to say it was probably seven years ago.

I know that because I was in my first stint as “general manager” of the Maryville Daily Forum.

As he would countless times over the following six or seven years or so, Jim Fall bounded into my office with a certain type of look on his face that only those who knew him would understand.

See, once Jim set his mind on something, it was going to happen … doubt never entered into the equation. It was always a matter of “when” not “if.”

“We need to have a lodge at Mozingo Lake,” I remember him saying (or something to that effect).

And I can fully recall thinking something like, “Well, that would be great, but it will never happen.”

Looking back, I realize what a valuable lesson I was being taught.

I couldn’t see it, but to him it was crystal clear.

Sure, he didn’t know exactly how it would come together, but somehow he knew it would.

Like so few people can, Jim had the ability to see a vision of something that could — should — happen, and then paint a picture for those who have the ability to turn imagination into reality.

Several people have filled that implementation role throughout the process, enough that I’d hate to try to name them all because I’d be sure to leave someone out, and frankly, I don’t know them all because many have been behind the scenes.

But leading the charge has been the leadership of the City of Maryville.

It started with Jim, who at the very beginning of the effort was Maryville’s mayor, and his good friend Glenn Jonagan, who at the time was on the city council, and permeating throughout the council and to Jim’s protégé and former mayor Renee Riedel who took over the reins and continued the charge, all the way to today’s council, headed up by current mayor Jason McDowell.

All the while, the leg work — a whole lot of leg work — has been done by City Manager Greg McDanel, Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland, and the city staff.

My applause goes to all involved.

Probably around the end of this year the conference center and clubhouse should be finished with final touches likely spilling into 2018.

What started as simply, “Hey we need a lodge,” has turned into so much more.

Who could have foreseen the addition of the Watson 9 brought about by another local visionary, Bruce Twaddle and golfing legend Tom Watson.

But those are the kinds of things that can happen once a “ball” like this gets rolling.

Boulders Inn and Suites, a privately funded hotel situated adjacent to the Watson 9 junior golf course and what is now the construction site of what will be a new golf course clubhouse and municipal conference center at Mozingo Lake Recreation Park, was recently completed and will begin lodging guests April 1.

When construction started on that project, the access road to the golf courses — Watson 9 and Sechrest 18 — had to be rerouted.

When Jim passed away in August of last year, it was clear that something needed to be done to memorialize the role he played in making it all happen.

From now on, that new road will be known as “Fall Drive.”

Jim never liked the use of exclamation points in journalism, but I can’t help it:

Wow!

That name has so much meaning, and I know his family has grins from ear to ear knowing Jim’s memory will live on forever at the place he loved so much.

Not only is that a great name for the entrance into the golf courses, conference center, and hotel, but it represents what it took to get those projects done.

It was certainly Jim Fall’s drive that made it all possible.

Now, I can only speculate on this last part, but I can’t help but imagine what Jim might say if he could bound through my office door today.

I’m pretty sure it would be something like this:

“What’s next?”

Phil Cobb is the owner and publisher of the Maryville Daily Forum and The Post.