SPRING 2017
WEDDING VENUES
Get Inspired For Your Special Day
The Tornado of 2016 Stories from the First Responders Calhoun’s Witness House DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMEN PROGRAM
Volume 2, 2015
A magazine for the people of Farragut, West Knoxville & surrounding communities.
Seasonal Culinary Inspirations Truffle Ricotta Cheese Recipe With Chef Deron Little
KIPPY BROWN Behind The Scenes With
Seattle Seahawks Coach Kippy Brown And His Amazing Life Story
THE MUSCADINE FESTIVAL &
HOT AIR 20 BALLOONS
Tsali Notch Vineyard The Largest Muscadine Vineyard In The State Is Also The Prettiest!
DR. HAROLD BLACK
One Of The First African-Americans To Attend The University Of Georgia
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Community Health Services
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McMinn Life PUBLISHER
The Bingham Group
Letter from the Editor Welcome Spring! It has been a challenging winter for many people in our area – myself included! I spent 4 months in a sling after dislocating and fracturing my right shoulder, which required surgery. I learned patience, became ambidextrous and learned to appreciate the help of others. People helping people is the focus of a special section in this issue about the tornado that ripped through our county, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. I had the pleasure of interviewing a cross-section of a few of the dozens of fearless first responders. We are so fortunate to live in a county that has such dedicated and hard-working people who give 110% to help those in need. John Gentry is the featured “Interview of the Issue.” John has done a lot for McMinn County in his 14 years as County Mayor. His background is fascinating, and his goals will surprise many readers. This issue features articles from some very gifted writers in our area. Gayle Fisher is always uplifting and refreshing, and her article on apple trees is perfect for Spring. Ron Clayton is a retired newspaper reporter who has a knack for finding great stories. Calhoun Mayor, Joe Bryan (with a little help from his cousin, Laura Spann), has submitted a story of a house in Calhoun that has been through so much history it is referred to as the “Calhoun Witness House.” One of our community’s best photographers, Brittany Toomey Casavant, has written an article to accompany the beautiful country wedding she photographed. Greg Moses produced an article that is a compilation of several articles in the Daily Post Athenian about the amazing efforts of the DPA and WYXI Radio to continue to serve readers and listeners following extensive tornado damage. Last, but not least, is a story about the Van Dyke Mansion. I believe most everybody in Athens has watched the restoration progress of the historic home where General Sherman stayed during the Civil War. And we all were horrified when the tornado swept away most of the second floor. Owners, Lisa and Jim Long, are perfect examples of patience, hard work and a grateful attitude. Thank you for all the story ideas. Please keep them coming. Call me at (423) 435-1650, or message me at chari@binghamgroup.com.
President Lisa Atkins Bingham Local Editor Chris Hari Art Director Abby Swabe Graphic Designers Kevin Harris Contributing Writers Joe Bryan Brittany Toomey Casavant Ron Clayton Gayle Fisher Chris Hari Contributing Photographers JoPhoto Brittany Toomey Casavant Ron Clayton Bruce Hari Chris Hari Copy Editor Jennifer Porterfield Cover Photography JoPhoto Advertising Sales Mignonne Alman Tel: 865.523.5999 mignonne@binghamgroup.com Chris Hari Tel: 423.435.1650 chari@binghamgroup.com Susie Smyre Tel: 865.523.5999 susie@binghamgroup.com Subscription or Editorial Inquiries Tel: 865.523.5999 Fax: 865.523.0999 www.mcminnlifemagazine.com The Bingham Group, Inc. 11921 Kingston Pike, Suite 201 Knoxville, Tennessee 37934 www.binghamgroup.com www.mcminnlife.com
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Planning your event at Tsali Notch The vineyard hosts weddings, receptions, reunions, civic clubs and other events. In addition to the vineyard grounds we also offer the following facilities: • The Tasting Room • The Upper Barn (for large events) • The Jackson Lounge We can also arrange for a tent for your event. Please give us a call at 423-506-9895 for availability and to inquire about rental rates.
SPRING 2017 McMINN LIFE 423.506.9895 • 140 Harrison Rd. • Madisonville, TN 37354 • www.tsalinotch.com
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Calhoun’s Witness House
Contents
38
features
22
The Story Of The First Responders After The Tornado
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28 Van Dyke Mansion
Saved From Destruction Three Times
John Gentry McMinn County Mayor
34 33Distinguished Young Women
WEDDING VENUES
10
7
departments 2 From The Editor 30 Gayle Fisher:
34
Apple Trees
36 Nothing Stops The News Not Even A Tornado
46 Happenings
40
16 The King Country Wedding
McMinn County Organization
Donates Life-Saving Weather Radios SPRING 2017 McMINN LIFE
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Award-winning cakes to complete your Special Day. 6
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McMINN LIFE SPRING 2017
WEDDING VENUES
Knox Photo Bus: Stella, a 1969 VW Bus, Kathleen and Joe Atkins with best buddy, Murphy.
Weddings are a time to create memories that will last a lifetime, and what better way to capture the beginning of one’s marriage journey than through stunning professional photos? JoPhoto is a husband and wife team that has been shooting weddings for nearly ten years. From York, England, to the Great Smoky Mountains, JoPhoto turns photographs into stories with a timeless and classic approach. Though they call Knoxville home, Joe and Kathleen travel throughout the southeast, capturing weddings at classic barns, lovely gardens, Southern-style homesteads and even luxury hotels. Take a journey through some of these special days, and perhaps find inspiration for your own! www.jophotoonline.com | Kathleen@JoPhotoOnline.com | Instagram: @JoPhotos
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Kara&Perry
WEDDING UES
VEN-
Barn at Chestnut Springs This Barn at Chestnut Springs wedding is full of earthy mountain details and one of the sweetest couples! Kara and Perry’s wedding was on May 19, at one of the most gorgeous Smoky Mountain wedding venues in Sevierville, Tennessee.
Kara and Perry are huge Disney fans, so the theme for the day was “The Best Day Ever.” They incorporated Disney details throughout the day, and they also had the cutest Coca-Cola bottles that said “The Bride” and “The Groom,” as well as bottles for their wedding party!
On her wedding day, Kara had a beautiful floral crown that she wore with her veil, and flowers were by Lisa Foster Floral Design. The Lisa Foster crew created one of the most beautiful ceremony arbors we have seen! The blue flowers were a striking contrast against the green mountains. Kara’s wedding gown was from Wedding Wonderland by designer Lea-Ann Belter Bridal, and their wedding cakes were by Faith Baked Cakes.
The Barn at Chestnut Springs is a barn wedding venue in Sevierville, Tennessee. Hidden in a cove in the hills of the Smoky Mountains, it was built in 1954 to store tobacco. At one time, Dolly Parton’s parents owned the barn! It has been restored and now serves as a Sevierville wedding venue. It includes both indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception spaces, an outdoor fireplace and beautiful cafe lights that twinkle after sunset.
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WEDDING UES
VEN-
Catherine &Britton Dara’s Garden Winter Wedding
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more perfect pair than Catherine and Britton, and their winter wedding at Dara’s Garden in Knoxville, Tennessee, is sure to tempt you to want a December wedding. Even the chilliest of winter temps couldn’t keep them from their dream of a garden wedding! Wearing white bridal cowgirl boots and her mother’s fur wrap, Catherine met Britton for their first look at what Dara’s Garden lovingly refers to as “the quarry.” Within minutes, Britton was wrapping his arms tightly around his bride to keep her warm. The flowers were arranged by Melissa Timm Designs and the wedding was coordinated by Heels & Veils.
Between Catherine’s lace sleeves, the bridesmaids shawls and the greenery and floral with twinkling candles, this Knoxville wedding had us beyond ready for the cozy days of winter! 10
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WEDDING VENUES
Ali&Corey The Homestead at Cloudland Station in Chattanooga The Homestead at Cloudland Station is full of gorgeous locations from the moment you enter the property! Ali and Corey got married on October 15, and it was an absolutely gorgeous day with a rich blue sky and a steady breeze. Ali and her bridesmaids got ready in a Southern Living style home on the property, and Corey and his groomsmen got ready in an on-site cabin nestled in the woods. Floral design by Petaline Floral, the wedding coordinator was Instyle Weddings & Events and the DJ for their reception was Sequoyah Entertainment. The Homestead at Cloudland Station is one of Chattanooga’s newest barn wedding venues. With a beautiful ceremony site overlooking a pond, the venue also includes a 150-year-old Amish barn, farm home and carriage house. Draping – Luma Designs 12
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WEDDING VENUES
Marvyl &
Eric The Historic Southern Railway Station in Knoxville This wedding at the Historic Southern Railway Station in Knoxville, Tennessee, will whisk you off and away to one of the most gorgeous travel-themed weddings! Marvyl and Eric’s winter wedding was January 16, and these two world travelers jam-packed their wedding with unique details from exotic countries and foreign lands! The floral design was by Whimsical Gatherings. This historic venue was built in the early 1900s as a train depot. Recently renovated, it is now available for weddings and events, and guests can also walk through the renovated train cars.
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The King Country Wedding
Written and Photographed By Brittany Toomey Casavant
T
heir story is a classic one. Two people in the midst of summer heat. It is often said that summer loves don’t last; however, for this duo, the summer was the foundation of a relationship that was sure to blossom and grow just as quick as summer passes. Molly was a twenty three year old student, studying to become a teacher. She had recently moved back from school and had obtained a summer job at Mayfield’s Visitor Center. People described her as passionate, driven, and carefree. Josh, a scruffy young man, was known around town as being laid back, charming, and kind. The two had grown up in the same town, attending the same events, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2014 that their paths would officially cross. Molly was not looking for a relationship, in fact, she was die hard against it. She had fallen in love once before, and it had ended poorly. She was not prepared to experience that again, at least not yet. So, when her manager at Mayfield’s introduced her to her nephew, Molly saw it as just another new friend that she enjoyed talking with time from time. Blueberry cream pie with caramel was his ice cream of choice. When Josh met Molly, his visits to Mayfield’s became more frequent. His usual Friday afternoon snack became a daily visit. He enjoyed their talks and marveled at her wittiness. She intrigued him, and he wanted to know more about her. Two months after they met, Josh finally mustered up the courage to ask Molly on a date. They have been inseparable since.
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And now, on October 8th, the two would officially be inseparable for life. The wedding was complete with memorabilia from their past. They opted out of many traditions because they wanted their wedding to be light, carefree, and faith based. It was a true representation of their relationship and what they wanted for their marriage. They were wed at Molly’s childhood church, Central Baptist, by her grandfather. They were completely engulfed by family and friends. The reception took place at Molly’s grandparents house under a beautifully lit white tent. The dessert, instead of cake, was homemade pies with freshly dipped Mayfield’s ice cream, blueberry cream pie to be exact. Stemming from the core of the dance floor, stood a beautiful green tree, draped in golden bistro lights. Guests filled their bellies with Mexican cuisine including tacos, salsa, guacamole and delicious white chicken chili made from an old family recipe. The couple’s three year old golden doodle, Clark, even made an appearance, sporting a bright blue bow tie. Now, Josh and Molly reside in Athens, TN. Molly currently works as an eighth grade math teacher while pursuing her Masters in Education. Josh is excited to be working for the local hospital while completing his degree in Accounting. Both enjoy traveling to new places and seeing new sights and look forward to where their future takes them. The couple is ecstatic for their future as one and are excited to see where the journey takes them.
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E&E E&E Manufacturing Manufacturing of of Tennessee, Tennessee,LLC LLC “We are committed to become the leader in design and manufacture of structural and chassis component assemblies for wheeled vehicles in the automotive, military, commercial, and industrial markets� - Wes Smith, President E&E Mfg. Co.
E&E Mfg of Tennessee, LLC 2000 Tellico Ave., Athens, TN 37303 423-649-1700 | 423-649-1701 (Fax) www.eemfg.com
Clayton Homes of Athens 423-745-4752 | www.newclaytonhomesofathenstn.com SPRING 2017 McMINN LIFE
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Stories of the
First Responders after the
Tornado November 30, 2016 In the early morning hours while most people in Athens and McMinn County were sound asleep, a tornado ripped randomly through the area, leaving a trail of darkness and destruction. The first 911 call came from the laundromat in the strip mall on Highway 30. The message: Sav-A-Lot was literally in the middle of the road. That was the first of over 300 calls.
T
he Emergency Operations Center was immediately staffed and ready to begin the difficult recovery effort. First responders were at scenes of destruction within minutes. They faced a seemingly insurmountable barrage of obstacles, making access to survivors extremely difficult. It was totally dark and raining. The AUB tower was out, and power lines and a major TVA transmission line were down across the roads. There was no cell phone coverage. Highway 307 was hit particularly hard,
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littered with pieces of homes, trees and debris. Ambulances couldn’t get through, and many first responders had to walk 2-3 miles to get in to find survivors. Superintendent Micky Blevins got school buses out as close as possible to the carnage to provide transportation and shelter from the pouring rain. Heavy equipment owners and dozens of volunteers came out in the night to clear roads to make them passable. In the morning, E & E Manufacturing opened
their cafeteria to people needing food and assistance. Restaurants donated food. Whatever was needed, was provided. There are dozens of stories of people reaching out to help others and what was done to accomplish so much in so little time. The following stories are representative samples of the many first responding agencies involved in the rescue effort. There are so many more, but these will give the reader insight into what it was like that terrible evening.
An inside look at how the community came together. weather and to transport victims to the Emergency Operations hospital. State Police Strike Teams were on Center In times of tragedy, first responders call to assist law enforcement if needed. The need guidance, information Chattanooga Urban Search and and equipment to perform Rescue Team sent 30 highly trained search and rescue efforts. people who were ready to go by McMinn County Emergency daylight. The job of this team was to Management is the agency search the damaged and destroyed responsible for getting them residences. Once the location was everything they need to get secured, the property was marked their jobs done. In the early with an “X” to let responders know morning hours of November it had been done. 30, 2016, Tom Trotter, Director Director Tom Trotter The main EOC was closed at noon of McMinn County Emergency Management, arrived at the center just on the following Wednesday and relocated minutes after receiving the initial tornado to the conference room at E & E. Here is warning. Moments after arriving, the first where the decisions on what needed to 911 call came in describing the Sav-A-Lot be done during next 12-hour operation store Tom had just passed as having been period were made. destroyed and relocated to the middle of Highway 30. Tom sprang into action, A wrap-up meeting of representatives from all and by 2:00 a.m., the center was manned the first responding agencies was held after by key personnel to help monitor and things settled down. Tom Trotter related manage every aspect of the first response. their conclusion. “It didn’t go flawless, and some things may be done differently next A command post was set up in the parking time, but not one life was lost.” lot of E & E Manufacturing, the closet point to those most in need. A 40-foot Englewood Fire Department Hazmat trailer was set up, with Billy Roach The Englewood Fire Department was just one of as the Incident Commander. The trailer several responding fire department and rescue was equipped with a smart board, radios, squads. The Chief of the McMinn County Rescue computers and a generator. The trailer Squad, Chuck Burris (also Athens City Mayor) also provided an area for responders to was presented with News Channel 9’s “Pay it rest and rehab. In a short time, there were Forward” for working virtually day and night in overwhelming donations of water, snacks the days following the tornado. and coffee in the trailer. Englewood firefighters were tired, physically, Soon after the command post was set up, emotionally and mentally, on the evening of many different teams responded to calls Tuesday, November 29th. They had gotten from the Emergency Operations Center home late that afternoon from fighting the (EOC) to help. County school buses were horrendous wildfires that ravaged Gatlinburg. provided to be used as shelter from the They had been up since 3:00 a.m. Monday
morning and had worked straight through the long night and most of Tuesday. First word of the tornado occurred as they returned to the fire department following a house fire call. The call was to rescue three people trapped in a mobile home with a tree down on it on highway 307. Then the power went dead at the station. Firefighters loaded up the truck and headed for the intersection of 307 and County Road 422. They were unable to get close to where they needed to be because of the downed trees and debris in the road. So they broke Form left to right: Billy Roach, Chief; Kansas Casteel; Sam up into four crews Ingram; and, Josh Roach. of three to four people each and started walking. Each group had a flashlight, a medical bag and a radio that worked only intermittently. They walked three miles in fire gear that weighs 30 pounds when it’s waterlogged, crawling over or under trees that obstructed the road every few feet. It was very dark and very rough going. Firefighter Kansas Casteel remembers that it was eerily quiet. “There was a calm rain. You could hear smoke detectors and fire alarms going off, and clearly what people said even from a distance.” It was Casteel’s crew that found the family they had originally been dispatched to rescue. “They were all crammed in a car – 6 or 7 people – and it looked like something straight out of a scary movie. They were bloodied and crying, and one girl
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obviously had major head trauma.” Fire Chief Billy Roach received a warning on his intermittently working radio that he dreaded to hear – strong winds of up to 70 miles per hour and hail were on the way. His crew was out there, somewhere in the dark, and all he could do was trust that they would know what to do to stay safe. When the storm hit, 20 firefighters packed into the bed of a pick-up truck driven by a man and his wife that they didn’t know. The driver knew the area well and drove through farms and fields to get them to E & E, where a Command Post had been set up. Says Chief Roach, “I can’t say enough about E & E and what they provided for us. Money was no issue. We were given everything we needed.”
in the renovation area and said, “We need help.” Then at 3:30 a.m., Karen Reynolds, HR Coordinator, got a call from Cameron Balaban at Emergency Management Center asking if a mobile command post could be set up in the parking lot. They came to the right place. The facility was unlocked and doors propped open to receive first responders and victims. E & E was officially a community resource. E & E’s owner, Wes Smith, and his wife, Joan, have a philosophy: the Lord has blessed our company and we need to give back to this community. So when Mr. Smith was contacted, his response was to spare no expense – take care of everyone. And so they did.
The Englewood Fire Department has been through a lot of natural disasters since 2011. But this was the worst, according to Chief Roach. “I’ve been with the department for 32 years and this tornado was by far the worst we’ve ever dealt with … October, November, December… I’ve never seen anything like it.” His son, firefighter Josh Roach, had one final thought. “When we saw the horrible destruction, I just knew we would find bodies…it is a miracle of God that there were no fatalities.”
The first responders were there from Wednesday through the weekend. The plant provided meals from Michael’s, Bojangles and other local restaurants. The E & E cafeteria was filled to capacity with victims and rescuers. The owner of Lotus Thai Cuisine restaurant, which was destroyed by the tornado, took all the food in the restaurant, cooked it and brought it to E & E, free of charge. E & E vending machines were left open for folks to help themselves. E & E intended to pay for the items, but the vending company paid for them.
E & E Manufacturing E & E Manufacturing is not a first responder agency. It is a very successful automotive stampings and assemblies manufacturer in the process of expanding their facility to accommodate growth. In the wee hours of November 30th, a first responder entered the building through a hole in an outside wall
E & E became the first tornado relief center as outreach poured in. People in the community brought in huge crockpots of chili, sandwiches, drinks and other food. E & E purchased dozens of Walmart gift cards and handed them out to victims, even paying for hotel accommodations for victims with nowhere to go. First responders treated minor wounds
from their parking lot tents. Says HR Assistant Manager Trish Laney, “We started the effort, and we provided the building, but the community immediately kicked in – the outreach was awesome. Folks were so appreciative, often turning down offers of food items thinking that someone in worse shape may need them more.” E & E has given out 1400 food baskets at Christmas to families whose names were given by schools, churches and the Senior Center. Employees donated to a fund to buy $1200 worth of toys for kids from Polk County who lost their Christmas, as well as $1000 more worth of toys donated. It is a very giving company. E & E Manufacturing employees just want Wes and Joan Smith to know how much they appreciate all that they have done for this community. Starr Regional Medical Center Starr Regional Medical Center performs at least three simulated emergency drills annually so all hospital personnel will know exactly what their role is in a sentinel event with multiple injured patients arriving simultaneously. Karen Morrow, Director of Surgical Services, has been through dozens of drills in her 25 years at the hospital. “You never really think you will have to use it. It’s one thing to talk about it, and quite another to experience the chaos. While you are in the throes of patient care in such a hectic situation, all that training does kick in.” When Karen got the alert at 2:30 a.m., she didn’t have a clue what to expect. A chain saw was in the back of her vehicle in case debris in the roads blocked her way. Dr. Michael Sumida, the trauma surgeon on
Melissa Tullock, Karen Reynolds, Trish Laney, all in HR Department.
call, was already at the hospital when she arrived. They immediately went to work, going room to room in the emergency department, cleaning up and stitching wounds, using a triage process of patient care. Says Karen, “It felt to me what it must be like to work in a M.A.S.H. unit. We were truly taking care of so many patients just as fast as we could. There were so many people there, so much anxiety. I almost felt like a social worker trying to communicate and reassure patients and family Karen Morrow, Director of Surgical Services, and Dr. members as well.” Michael Sumida, Surgeon
Dr. Sumida was highly complimentary of the first responders, ER staff and particularly Dr. Steven Ratcliff, who was the ER physician there that night. “I give them total credit that we were all able to do so well. The ER staff was ready, waiting and prepared. It was organized chaos, but with everyone working together, we got the job done.” Dr. David Childress, an ER physician who was called in at 5:00 a.m., also says, “Dr. Ratcliff did a phenomenal job.” An interesting note – one of the injured patients was pregnant and went into labor early. The baby was delivered by C-Section, at the same time her leg injury was being stitched up. Both baby and mom did fine. Red Cross Volunteer and Coordinator of Tornado Relief Center Mary Brown was packed and ready to go serve as a Red Cross volunteer in Gatlinburg where wildfires had ravaged
one of Tennessee’s most popular tourist towns in the pristine Smoky Mountains. It was not meant to be. Mary received a call from Red Cross Coordinator Julia Wright asking her to remain in McMinn County, where her help was urgently needed following a big hit by a devastating tornado that left 218 homes and structures either totally destroyed or with major damage. The Red Cross decided to set up a temporary shelter at Keith Memorial United Methodist Church for tornado victims with nowhere to stay. Mary was responsible for coordination of this effort. Within a week victims were staying with friends or family or housed in local hotels, and Mary began to address the tremendous long-term needs. A Tornado Relief Center was established in a centrally located building on Dennis Street that was the old home of American Bedding. Mary coordinated the Mary Brown partnership of Red Cross with several local disaster assistance organizations to form a Multi Agency Resource Center (MARC) to offer relief and recovery resources. Response from the community was tremendous. Clothing, food, water, furniture and household items flooded in to the Center. Many of the volunteers that helped at the Center were victims displaced by the tornado. Mary also coordinated matching volunteers with clean-up detail in the hard hit areas. The Tornado Relief Center closed after nearly three months, but Mary Brown continues to work with the agencies and volunteers to assist victims with resources and clean-up.
She was recognized for the tremendous time and effort she spent helping . United Way The United Way of McMinn & Meigs Counties was seen in a whole new light in the days, weeks and months following the destruction of so many homes and organizations by the tornado that ripped through McMinn County during the early morning hours of November 30th. United Way is known for being the most effective way to financially help neighbors in need and does an incredible job of raising money for its 18 partner agencies. It is now also known for its ability to mobilize the caring power of communities to advance the common good and as a leader in organizing resources and getting them into the hands that need them most during major disasters. Director Stephanie Linkous visited the temporary shelter set up at Keith Memorial United Methodist Church for people without a place to stay. There were so many things that these victims needed. She spoke with Mayor John Gentry about having a meeting of people with the ability to provide resources and ended up coordinating that effort. She invited people using all the quick social media sources she knew, and the meeting was held at the Courthouse the Monday following the tornado. A “Resource Guide” came out of the meeting, as well as the decision to have a central location for people to access resources. The location for the Tornado Relief Center was provided by American Bedding, and efforts were coordinated by Red Cross volunteer Mary Brown.
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According to Director Linkous, the response from the community was overwhelming. “We have an amazingly generous community and also received donations from other states brought to the Center by the truckload.” Within a few days, it became apparent that volunteers were needed to help sort the clothing, food and furniture. United Way contacted local churches, businesses and industries for volunteer help and received it in droves. Mary Brown became the volunteer coordinator, matching volunteers with Stephanie Linkous, Director; Melanie Adams; areas where help was needed and Darla Solsbee. most. The United Way also set up a fund so people in the community could give monetary donations to help tornado victims. Thousands of dollars were raised. United Way also provided funds for building supplies so that partner agency, Helping Hands Ministries, could repair damaged homes and allocated $5000 to Coordinated Charities. Kevin Lane, Director of Coordinated Charities, used these funds to help folks who needed food, clothing or a place to stay. The Tornado Relief Center has now closed, but there are still families requesting assistance. United Way has opened its doors to these families. Mary Brown now meets with them one-on-one in the United Way Conference Room. Helping Hands Ministries Helping Hands Ministeries was founded five years ago to do household repairs for the uninsured or those who didn’t have enough money to have needed work done. It was the concept of Frank Davis,
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who was working at the time as a Habitat volunteer. Habitat only builds houses and can’t do repairs, so Frank decided to fill the niche. Helping Hands is now a United Way partner agency that also receives funding from Athens Federal Foundation grants, several churches Jeff Brandon and Frank Davis. on a monthly basis, personal donations and donations of materials needed. Frank and his friend, Jeff Brandon, were steadily busy doing home repairs, ramps and other projects, generally for disabled and elderly people. Until the tornado came and “raised the roofs.” Frank, Jeff and many volunteer workers, including a large number of men from the Mennonite Community who arrived in buggies, have definitely had their helping hands full. They have repaired countless roofs and roof-related issues. They built a ramp in record time for a woman coming home from the hospital whose vertebrae had been broken during the tornado and had no way to enter her home. They redid a bedroom for a little girl whose bedroom was totally wiped out. Victims were sent to them for help from Mary Brown, home health agencies and Cherokee Medical Center. Frank and Jeff were invaluable in assessing what needed to be done for structures damaged by the tornado and then taking charge of the work to be done.
A Whirlwind Romance Scott Thompson has been with McMinn County Fire Department for over 35 years, many of them spent as Chief/Coordinator. His jurisdiction includes 11 fire districts and Hazmat. Angela Vincent is the Chief of Hillsview Fire Department in McMinn County. When the tornado struck, all fire districts were paged. Angela’s district is on the other side of the county, so she wouldn’t have had to go. But she did.
The Deerfield Estates area was in total chaos with debris everywhere when Thompson arrived. “The troops had already been on the ground, but the magnitude of what needed to be done was enormous. There were certain responders that I couldn’t have done without. They were lifesavers, enabling me to perform to the best of my ability to get the job done.” One of those people was Angela Vincent. “Anything and everything that needed to be done, she did it. All I had to do was think out loud, and she was on it. I didn’t have to micro-manage her and, in fact, almost didn’t have to ask her to do anything.” Scott appreciated the hard work, dedication and intuitiveness of his fellow fire chief. He also noticed and appreciated something else. “I liked how she presented herself, her mannerisms, and thought, ‘I like this girl.’ But I was her supervisor and really cautious about crossing the line or being out of order.” Angela, having been with the fire department for so many years, vowed she would NEVER be involved with someone
in emergency services. But their paths just kept crossing, and she found herself tongue-tied around him. “We met at the Gondolier to exchange pagers, and I found myself looking from side to side and up at the ceiling just to be able to talk to him. I was so intimidated.” Eastanalle Church held an event called “Night of Honor” for all the first responders in McMinn County. The appreciation service was followed by comedian and motivational speaker, Tim Lovelace, to provide much needed laughter and relaxation. After the event, Scott and Angela were starved and decided to go to Western Sizzlin’. The conversation flowed, to the extent that they were finishing each other’s sentences. A brief hug in the parking lot brought down all the barriers. “I realized I was suddenly never more sure of anything in my life,” says Scott. The couple was married on February 21, 2017 – less than three months after the tornado struck. Closing By Community Editor I met so many first responders while researching this article. They are an incredible, selfless, hard-working and fearless group of people. Almost everyone I interviewed concluded with the thought, “Nobody died.” My conclusion in reflecting on the emergency personnel I met was best stated by Scott Thompson, McMinn County Fire Chief, during our interview. “We are blessed in this county with the quality of people that are first responders. If I had hand-picked them, I could not have done a better job.”
Drone photos by first responder Wayne Runkles.
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Van Dyke Mansion
Saved From Destruction Three Times Written By Chris Hari | Photographed by Bruce Hari, some photos contributed by Jim and Lisa Long
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he Van Dyke Mansion overlooking Eastside Shopping Center, formerly known as Whiteway Shopping Center, and Cedar Springs Cemetery has been spared from destruction three times. The house was built by Samuel Cleage for Judge Thomas Nixon Van Dyke and his wife, Eliza Ann, and their 10 children circa 1840. Many of Cleage’s workers were Angolan slaves who were extremely skilled builders, particularly in the art of brickmaking. The mansion features Federal style and Greek revival style elements, twelve-over-twelve wood sash windows and bricks made by hand. The first threat of total destruction came in 1864. The house was ordered to be burned by Union soldiers, but the order was revoked when General Sherman decided that it made better sense to use it as a headquarters for his officers. The house survived the Civil War, and several generations of Van Dyke descendants
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enjoyed living in the stately mansion with its mature trees, gardens terraced to conform to the slope of the hill and view of Athens from “Prospect Hill,” as the home was called. In time, the 1800s mansion was vacated without a family to live in it and fell into a state of disrepair. Its residents were vagrants who built fires to keep warm in the old family dining room, causing major fire damage to the floors in that room. Looters helped themselves to anything not attached. Year by year, the mansion deteriorated until the year
2007. The second imminent threat of destruction inevitably surfaced. The City of Athens made plans to condemn the historic home. In May of 2007, Stan Womac purchased the house and land to prevent condemnation and loss of the irreplaceable Tennessee historic icon. Jim and Lisa Long had wanted to restore an older home for a long time. When the Van Dyke Mansion came up for sale, they made an offer. They waited a long time before their offer was finally accepted. They moved into the yellow block structure adjacent to the mansion built in 1950 by Max White for his son and daughter-in-law. It sports a ‘drive through garage’ of 1600 square feet and living quarters of 1200 square feet. The Longs started restoration with the top floor. Sam Moser of Main Street Studio was the architect for the major
Above left: The McMinn County Historical Society held an open house prior to the time it was purchased by the Longs. Guests wore period costumes from the 1800s. Above right: Photo taken of the upstairs right after the tornado. At right: The fireplace near the center of the upstairs remained intact The bricks were collected from the debris upstairs.
project, and Jeff Wilkins of Wilkins Custom Woodwork created doors and windows to replicate the originals. Jeff Walker of Southern Walker Landscape Design worked on the patio and entrance. Jim Long spent two years restoring the 21 windows and four doors with glass. The paned windows required several time-consuming processes and a lot of patience. He and Lisa searched antique stores and nooks and crannies for old windows with wavy glass to replace dozens of window panes with period glass. On November 30, 2016, the top floor was close to completion.
taken out by the tornado. That part of the house is completely gone. Many people lost their homes. We have a place to stay as we start over again. We are blessed.”
The Longs have also been blessed by the large number of family, friends, members of the Historical Society and contractors who have worked on the restoration, who came to help clean up the mess. The people who had worked on the restoration were among the first to call to see what needed to be done. Jeff Walker and his landscaping crew showed up to pick up and place on pallets The third threat was the bricks that could be not man-made. An EF-2 salvaged. Clean-up volunteers tornado ripped through filled 27 pride cars with McMinn County, randomly debris and six 30-yard roll jumping from structure dumpsters. In addition, a Go to structure, tree to tree. Fund Me campaign, www. The painstakingly restored gofundme.com/prospectupper level of the Van Dyke hill-tornado-restoration, Mansion was one of the first was started to help with the structures hit. It was nearly What remains of the barn. enormous expense involved blown to oblivion, along with in starting over. trees and an old barn. Lisa Long’s mom said when they Yet, the Longs’ outlook was one of purchased the 1840s mansion, “When I thankfulness, even though they had to first saw their new home, I prayed that I start over. Says Lisa, “Had we started would live to see it finished.” Now, she the upstairs first, we would have been says, “I pray that Lisa and Jim live long sleeping up there and may have been enough to see it through.”
Jim and Lisa Long and Lucy the Cat sitting on one of the many piles of bricks they picked up in the front yard after the tornado. The handmade bricks are from the original home and will be reused.
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Apple Trees Written by Gayle Fisher
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f you have ever walked through an apple orchard when trees are blooming, you know what the sweet smell of spring is. Petals appear before leaves so that they are a flowing cloud of perfume in pink and white. These flowers can last from three to five weeks. I guess anybody who read the story of Johnny Appleseed dreams of having fresh, crisp apples available from your yard or garden. John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) traveled widely, particularly in Pennsylvania and Ohio, pursuing his profession. While the legend of Johnny Appleseed suggests that his planting was random, there was actually a firm economic basis for Chapman’s behavior. He established nurseries and returned, after several years, to sell off the orchard and the surrounding land. The trees that Chapman planted had multiple purposes, although they did not yield edible fruit. The small, tart apples his orchards produced were useful primarily to make hard cider and applejack, but
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orchards also served the critical legal purpose of establishing land claims along the frontier. As a consequence, Chapman owned around 1,200 acres of valuable land at the time of his death. If you have room for an apple tree start your search now. Look for diseaseresistant trees that give you the ability to grow organic fruit and use fewer chemicals. Then you need to choose a rootstock. All apple trees sold have two parts: a “rootstock,” or foundation, and a “scion,” or top portion, which determines the fruit variety. A rootstock can be a seeding (which produces a full-size tree) or it can be “dwarfing” or “sizecontrolling” (which produces a smaller tree for easier care and harvest). If you are short of room, you can chose a dwarf tree; make sure that the rootstock is specified. Buy dormant, bare-root, 1-yearold nursery trees with a good root system. Dwarfs and semi-dwarfs will bear in 3 to 4 years, yielding 1 to 2 bushels per year.
Standard-size trees will bear in 5 to 8 years, yielding 4 to 5 bushels of apples per year. Most apple varieties do not pollinate themselves, so you should plant at least two different varieties close to one another so that the bees can cross pollinate. For best pollination results, include a Grimes Golden, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious, in your planting. These varieties are cross-pollinators in our area. Sadly, not every apple grows everywhere. Each variety has a specific number of days needed for fruit maturity. If the tree is termed long-season (Zones 5 to 8, that’s us), apple quality will be best. Each variety has a number of chill hours needed to set fruit (i.e., the amount of time temperatures are between 32 and 45 degrees F). The farther north you go, the more chill hours an apple variety needs to avoid late spring freeze problems. Apple trees need well-drained soil, not too wet. Choose a sunny site. For
best fruiting, an apple tree needs “full sunlight,” which means six or more hours of direct summer sun daily. The best exposure for apples is a north- or eastfacing slope. Tree spacing is influenced by the rootstock, soil fertility and pruning. Make sure the tree will not be planted in a “frost pocket” where cold air settles in a low-lying area. After you purchase the tree, protect it from injury, drying out, freezing or overheating. If the roots have dried out, soak them in water about 24 hours before planting. Dig a hole approximately twice the diameter of the root system and 2 feet deep. Spread the tree roots on the loose soil, making sure they are not twisted or crowded. Continue to replace soil around the roots. Do not add fertilizer at planting time, as the roots can be “burned." The graft union (where the scion is attached to the rootstock) must be at least 2 inches above the soil line so that roots do not emerge
from the scion. Do not order your tree based simply on price. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and a 5-foot tree for $1.59 could mean that roots are extra. When given a choice, I always order from a local nursery. Plants that are grown in our area have a better chance of surviving. While going through a mail order catalogue last winter, I was amazed reading about six different apples growing from one tree (I guess this tree should not be pruned since it will be a mass of grafts). The company didn’t show a real picture but an artist rendition. That was a big red flag. I finally decided not to order an artistic rendition of an apple tree the thought of six different apples from the same tree does sound wonderful, but this year, I will stick with real trees.
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Distinguished Young Women Program Teaching life skills and awarding scholarships to young women in McMinn County for 54 years Written and Photographed By Chris Hari
T
he Distinguished Young Women Program (formerly known as Junior Miss) is the nation’s oldest and largest program of its kind for junior and senior level high school girls. In McMinn County, it is sponsored by the Optimist Club. The representative that wins the local event goes on to compete in the state event and then on to the national competition. Jackie Newman, Optimist member, has been chairperson of the event for eight years, having assisted for many years prior to that with long-time chair, Larry Rhodes. It is an intensely timeconsuming endeavor. The girls practice from the end of February two days a week for 14 weeks and then every day the last week prior to the event, which is June 3rd this year. According to Jackie, it is well worth all the time she spends. “It is such a self-confidence builder. It is so rewarding to see even the most shy girls evolve into outgoing young ladies.” The girls learn life skills such as interviewing, public speaking and self-confidence building.
McMinn County has not had a state or national winner yet. Jackie Newman is convinced that this will be the year. “The participants this year are so outstanding that all 30 will compete. The girls are judged on a point system that includes scholastics, interview, talent, fitness and self-expression. The points are usually fairly widespread, making selection of participants an easy process. This year, the point spreads were so small that we couldn’t get down to just 20 and decided to have all of them participate.” It takes an army of volunteers to successfully coordinate an event as large as the Distinguished Young Women competition. One of the volunteers, Lacey Starkey, has volunteered countless hours helping with both dance and talent routines during practice for the past 16 years. The 2001 winner of the prestigious award says, “It is my desire to motivate (the girls) and reassure them that they all have worth. I hope that one day, if one of my three girls decides to do the program, someone makes the sacrifice that I have and takes the time to enrich their lives.” Lacey has also
Above left: The Distinguished Young Woman of 2016. Fitness routines are entertaining and take many weeks of practice. Above: Anna Luttrell’s awarding-winning interview.
performed with her father’s “Jr. Miss Band” for 15 years at the event, and they both love every minute of it!
The Distinguished Young Women event is scheduled for June 3rd at 6:00 p.m. at the Athens Middle School auditorium. The representative selected will receive a scholarship from the Optimist Club and the chance to compete at the state and national levels. All participants will receive a $1000 scholarship from Tennessee Wesleyan University. Tickets are available at the Middle School the week prior to the event or from any of the participants or Optimist Club members.
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John Gentry
McMinn County Mayor Written By Chris Hari
J
ohn Gentry is a sixth generation McMinn County citizen endowed with family values that have served our county well for the 14 years he has been our County Mayor. He is from the Englewood area and comes from a family that believes that deep roots are worth pride in community and instill better citizenship and a desire to give back to community. His grandmother taught school for 40 years, and his grandfather was a member of the McMinn County School Board and bought the first school bus in the county with his own money. The County has prospered under John’s leadership and remains debt free as it was during the tenure of his predecessor. Money has been set aside so future needs can be addressed with cash, saving many tax-payer dollars. McMinn County has the third lowest property tax in Tennessee and is the only debt free county in Tennessee. Considering Tennessee has the lowest debt per capita in the United States and McMinn County is Tennessee’s only debt-free county, McMinn County citizens have the lowest public debt burden per capita in the United States. Not many people realize this fact. John is a true leader and goes way beyond what his job requires. I wondered (hoped) in the future he might aspire to becoming a senator or governor to serve the people of Tennessee. He kind of
The Gentry Family: Emily, John, Will, and Justin.
chuckled, and when he told me what he’s thinking, I couldn’t have been more wrong. “I always wanted to be a history teacher. My favorite teachers were the ones who had real life stories to tell and were able to teach the philosophical with the practical. Right now I am just getting classroom material. You can’t teach history without knowing government and religion. I see the hand of God in history.” John has seen the hand of God in many of his major life decisions. He planned to follow in his brother’s footsteps and go to Carson Newman College, but when he visited Lee University in Cleveland, he knew absolutely that was where he was supposed to be. While at Lee, Gentry had
the opportunity to attend European Bible Seminary in Germany to study religion and politics. He was there right after the Berlin Wall came down. “I had the benefit of driving from West Germany, which was a thriving capitalist country, through East Germany, which was under communist rule. Germany, was being unified, but not rebuilt yet. Driving through East Germany you could feel the oppression and see first-hand what happens when you remove God from society. There was no progression, no character. I felt what happens when government controls every aspect of people’s lives and eliminates the value of individual potential. I FELT LIKE GOD WANTED ME TO SEE THIS.” Also while attending Lee University, John was selected to spend a semester in Washington, D.C., at the The Berlin Wall. Photo taken by John Gentry.
Harry Hunter was Division Manager of Armed Forces History at the National Museum of American History while John interned there. The photo depicts one of the many rooms full of guns from historic eras. Photo by John Gentry
Christian College Coalition. At that time, the right thing to do, so he took the LSAT the coalition consisted of 88 Christian and was accepted into the University of colleges of many different Tennessee School of denominations. Only 40 Law in Knoxville. The fit students were accepted did not seem right. One to attend each year. day while in the library, Because of his interest in John happened to see a history, John was given Regent University catalog. an internship at the The Christian college’s Smithsonian’s National foundation is based in the Museum of American philosophy that servant History in the Armed leadership and study of Forces Division, where he government go hand in spent 20 hours per week, hand. It occurred to him and the rest of the time “in right then and there that class.” Classes were often he had found what he taught in the respective was looking for. The rest department responsible Photo of intern John Gentry holding is history. Abraham Lincoln’s Henry rifle, a for whatever public policy priceless national treasure. area they were studying, John Gentry is not a such as the State Department, an embassy “9 to 5” leader. He is hands-on, and or even the White House by leaders in the when things happen, whether they field being studied. For John, this was an be community events or community awesome learning experience. tragedies, John is one of the first to lend support. During the recent tornado, “I lived and studied with students of he spent countless hours helping all different beliefs. I saw truth in all with rescue efforts and countless days denominations – some were better in their cleaning up debris. His children, 16-yearstyle of worship, and some were better with old Emily and sons, Will, 13, and Justin, social positioning – a bunch of parts that 10, often help him on Saturdays. work together. God uses every one of us, and I learned to appreciate everyone and “Actually, volunteering to help others their differences.” is kind of a selfish thing for me. I feel good when I help people, and I enjoy After graduating from Lee, it was unclear that feeling. Like the Gentrys before to John what his career path should be. It me, I have deep roots and a lot of seemed that going to law school might be pride in this community.”
Mayor Gentry sits at his desk.
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Nothing Stops The News Not Even A Tornado Courtesy of the Daily Post Athenian
B
oth The Daily Post-Athenian and WYXI-AM 1390 in Athens were affected by the EF-2 tornado that ripped through McMinn County on Nov. 30, 2016. Yet, in spite of the damage, both were back up and running in no time. Since the Wednesday morning of the tornado, DPA staffers have been working from various locations to continue to print the newspaper Monday through Friday. The DPA’s sister paper, The Monroe County Advocate & Democrat, hosted several DPA departments – including the newsroom, composing, business, classifieds, advertising and circulation – from Nov. 30 until Jan. 13, when the final employees set up shop at either lessdamaged areas at The DPA’s location at 320 S. Jackson St., or the basement level of SouthEast Bank on Congress Parkway. “I don’t think most people really think about how difficult it would be if everything they use to do their job was gone,” said DPA Publisher Jeff Schumacher. “I know I never really thought about it before this.” Still, each publication day, DPA staffers at the SouthEast Bank location work to put together the newspaper and send the pages electronically to the Knoxville News
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Sentinel to be printed. A DPA employee drives to Knoxville to collect that day’s edition and bring the papers back to the newspaper’s permanent location on South Jackson Street where the mailroom prepares them for distribution to the carriers. This process takes more time than when the paper was printed in-house, so delivery has been later than customers are used to – this issue is a concern that The DPA works daily to improve, although delays should be expected. As the employees continue to do their work, so do the crews working to rebuild the newspaper’s offices. “Once the new roof is complete, work on the interior can begin,” Schumacher said. “We are probably looking at three more months before we can anticipate being back in our newly remodeled building. And that will be cause for a huge celebration. “Meanwhile, we cannot give enough thanks to the great folks at SouthEast Bank for our temporary home,” she added. The contact number for The DPA is 745-5664, and any department can be reached by calling that number.
Unlike The DPA, WYXI was not forced out of its building, though it still sustained some damage. “We were on the air at the time the tornado hit giving updates as we always do,” WYXI co-owner Bob Ketchersid said. However, as the wind funnel passed through town, the roof was torn off the station’s transmitter building, causing the building to flood and WYXI to go off the air. A 10-foot satellite dish was blown about 100 yards away and the AM transmitter was completely destroyed, and the station’s metal tower was damaged by the harsh winds. The roof of the studio building on Slack Road was also badly affected, allowing water to seep in and damage some equipment. WYXI was off the air until Thursday afternoon, Nov. 31, when another transmitter was installed to allow the station to continue broadcasting on its FM feed, 94.5. “We get pretty good range with that,” he noted. As of today, WYXI is back to broadcasting 24 hours a day on both AM 1390 and FM 94.5. While WYXI AM is required to reduce its power at sunset, WYXI FM’s power remains the same around the clock.
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Calhoun’s Witness House Written By Joe Bryan with edits by Laura Spann
Located on Main Street, in the older part of Calhoun, Tennessee, is the Taylor - Maddox home place. The unique architectural elements, reminiscent of a country farmhouse, are subtle reminders of a by-gone era. Perhaps the oldest surviving building in Calhoun, locals refer to it as their “witness house,” a structure that has seen and experienced much of the early history of Calhoun. Recently the Mike Myers family became the 5th and 6th generations of the TaylorMaddox families to return to their roots and take up residence in this Calhoun landmark. Mike’s great-grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. H.F. Taylor, purchased the house in the early 1900s and brought their family there. A great-great-great aunt also occupied the house at one time. Mike’s grandmother, Mrs. Fannie Taylor Maddox ,grew up in the house, as well as Mike’s mother, Ruth Anne Maddox Myers. Mike, his wife Sandy and daughter Julie are now experiencing the memories and history of the house, as it has become their home. The house sits on Lot 46 of the original Cherokee reservation granted to John Walker by the Treaty and Hiwassee Purchase of 1819. The town of Calhoun grew up around it with early merchants,
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settlers and military personnel from Fort Cass across the river. One of the earliest records indicates that I.H. Bond, an early merchant, built a small home on the lot, the beginning structure that later became the Taylor-Maddox house. Descendants of the Taylor family recounted that the Bond house was assimilated into a larger structure as new owners enlarged the home over the years. Throughout its existence, the house has witnessed significant events in the history of Calhoun. On the night of April 29, 1909, most of the business district of Calhoun was destroyed by a fast-moving fire. The Taylor-Maddox house was spared but sat just
a few feet from many of the buildings destroyed. In 1920, the house saw the first section of concrete highway appear in Tennessee, as Main Street was paved with this new material. This roadway still exists today; it is part of the National Historic Highway designation and was also the route 3,000 North Carolina Cherokees traveled on the Trail of Tears in 1838. Before TVA began their flood control of the Hiwassee River, residents of the house frequently watched from their porch as flood waters engulfed the lower sections of Calhoun. In 1935, a destructive tornado came up Main Street, just feet from the house. Although damage in Calhoun was extensive, the
home was spared. Bess Taylor Cofer (a teacher, now deceased) grew up in the house and told her students how she ran outside as the tornado passed and saw a large funnel of fire at the north end of the street. Mike’s great grandfather, Dr. H.F. Taylor, had his doctor’s office and practice on the site and for decades provided medical services to thousands of people throughout the area. In August 1946, the town honored him by proclaiming “Dr. Taylor Day” with a huge celebration near the old school. During his career, Dr. Taylor delivered 9,000 babies, and on this day, hundreds returned as adults to honor him. Perhaps the most historical event the house has endured was a disastrous fire at the structure itself in January 1994. On that cold winter day, Ms. Fannie Taylor Maddox, then in her 80s and resident at the time, built a fire in the dining room fireplace and returned to her living room. Speculation is that an ember from the fireplace started the blaze, which traveled to the attic. Employees of Padgett Furniture Co. down the street noticed smoke coming from the house and rushed to the scene.
One employee, Terry McGuire, rushed into the burning structure and found Ms. Maddox, disoriented and trapped in the rear of the house. He quickly picked her up and started carrying her towards an exit when an explosion knocked them to the floor. He crawled on his back with Ms. Maddox on top of him until they reached the door to the porch. Once outside, he collapsed and was taken to a local hospital. Ms. Maddox was only slightly injured. By now, the dining room, kitchen and upstairs of the entire structure were engulfed in flames. Local residents, employees of Padgett Manufacturing and members of the Calhoun Fire Department entered the burning structure and were able to save many valuable family heirlooms and antiques. Firemen were able to stop the fire before it consumed the entire house. Calhoun’s witness house could have vanished at that time, but Ms. Maddox chose to rebuild the destroyed sections of the house and make it appear much the same as it had been before the fire. Six months later, Mrs. Maddox was once again living in the house, and its destiny of being a witness house continued. She remained there until her death in 1999.
Today, Mike, Sandy and Julie Myers continue to enjoy the large wraparound porch of the home. No longer can they see the many stores, bank, depot, female academy and boarding house across the street. These have vanished, though the witness house remains and stands in testament of what once was a thriving community. The Myers family are the new caretakers of this historic structure. Inside, several of the rooms remain the same as 150 years ago. Some still bear the scars of the fire in 1994 while others destroyed have been rebuilt. History abounds, not just within the walls, but the entire vicinity of the house. The Myers family, representing the fifth and sixth generation family members, now continue to watch events unfold in the town as the witness house gathers more memories for future generations.
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McMinn County Organization Donates Life Saving Weather Radios Written and Photographed By Ron Clayton
I
t was about 1:30 AM in McMinn County. Weather alert radios began ringing out warnings of a dangerous weather system approaching the area. A possible tornado in late November? Although surprised by the warning, many followed the emergency directions and found cover in bathrooms and basements. But others without the radios had no idea what was about to take place – a categorytwo tornado that would injure many and damage and destroy homes and businesses along a multi-mile path in McMinn County and the city of Athens. Air Force veteran, Bill Devine, was one of the lucky ones who was warned and took cover. He had retired for the night when his weather radio sounded out an alarm. “I took off for the bathroom, covered my head and the tornado hit,” said Bill. He had been given the weather radio through the MECM program, adding, “That radio saved my life.” His Deerfield Estates home was nearly destroyed. “Fortunately, no one died from the storm, but many were injured, and homes destroyed,”
said Phil Prichard, Chairman of the McMinn County Emergency Communication Group (MCECG). That organization was created in 2011 as a non-profit 501C3 organization with the prime purpose of supporting emergency communication operations in McMinn County. Their current long-term goal is to supply emergency NOAA weather radios to all county residents who cannot afford to purchase one of the life-savings units. As a start-up project, MCECG members recently began distributing radios to local school systems in the city and county whose radios were obsolete or with malfunctions. Others were donated to the YMCA, Women at the Well and similar organizations. Now the group is providing free radios for low income and disabled veterans through a partnership with the Veterans Services Office of McMinn County. Current funding for that project is from a $1,000 VEC shares grant from Volunteer Electric and local donations through Belk Charity Sales events. Total costs for supplying the radios county wide could exceed $135,000, and future success
depends upon donations, Phil said, adding that all donations to MCECG are tax deductible. Gifting can also occur through Amazon Smile purchases, he said. Another project supported by the organization is helping to establish a warning system for McMinn County that will alert residents of various emergencies. “Over several years we had looked at a variety of warning systems, but they were very expensive and not as compatible as current systems available,” said MCECG board member and former Athens Emergency Services Director Carl Sturgill. McMinn Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Trotter agrees. A recent meeting with emergency organizations gave approval to begin seeking systems that would be applicable for McMinn County. Tom hopes to have a system in place sometime this year. The MCECG board is seeking volunteers who can help in a variety of ways when emergencies occur. “We can find a place for any volunteer,” said Phil. “In times of emergency, there are many needs area residents can fulfill, and we welcome anyone interested in volunteering.”
For more information about MCECG for donations or volunteering, visit their Facebook site at “McMinn County Emergency Communication Group” or website at www.mcminnecg.org. 40
McMINN LIFE SPRING 2017
Beauty waits just outside your door… (423)920-2574
info@avltn.com www.avltn.com
Design. Create. Maintain. SPRING 2017 McMINN LIFE
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McMinn County Living Heritage Museum Adventurous, Educational and more!
3 levels, 30 exhibits and over 10,000 artifacts to explore
Heritage School & Special Events offered on Saturdays! Beautiful rental space! Temporary exhibits quarterly! Self-guided tours daily!
522 W. Madison Ave Athens, TN 37303 423.745.0329 www.livingheritagemuseum.com
Hours: Tues - Fri (10am-5pm) Saturday (10am-4pm) Closed: Sunday - Monday
Admission: $5 Adults $3 Sr/Students
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Museum Members: Free
Guild Room
Over 10,000 artifacts
Holds up to 125
McMINN LIFE SPRING 2017
1911 S CONGRESS PARKWAY ATHENS TENNESSEE | 423 745 2630
SPRING 2017 McMINN LIFE
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McMINN LIFE SPRING 2017
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Happenings: May 5 Ikebana Classes (Japanese Flower Arranging) Time: 10am-12noon Where: Mcminn County Heritage Museum Visit the museum every Friday in May to participate in Ikebana classes. Students will practice the art of arranging flowers in the IKEBANA-IKENOBO tradition. Please call the Museum to register at (423) 745 - 0329 May 5 Farragut Food and Wine Festival Time: 6:30-9:30pm Where: The Renaissance Farragut From hometown bakeries to 4 Star experiences, it is a showcase of ‘best bite’ samples from Farragut’s area restaurants and food providers. Then patrons can pair those bites with wines, beers and ready-to-drink cocktails (ID required) from Farragut’s wine stores and their distributors. Tickets available at Farragut merchants along Kingston Pike: Snooty PaTootie, Goin’ Postal, CH Interiors, by phone at 865-656-4444 and online at www.knoxvilletickets.com May 19 Monroe County Friends of Animals Fundraiser Where: Tellico Village Yacht Club Champagne and Cash Bar Happy Hour, Dinner, Pianist, Live and Silent Auction. Comtact Susan Kimball to purchase your tickets at 248.534.0340. Price: $75 per person Dress: Smart Casual May 19, June 16, July 21, Aug 18, Sept 15 Movies in the Parks When: Dusk Where: Lenoir City Park Price: Free Our Movies in the Park series offers a free, outdoor movie night each month beginning May 2017 and running through September 2017. This season’s movie themes include family, children and comedies. Pack some snacks, grab a blanket or chair,and come watch a movie with us! All movie ratings are posted in the title. Movies begin at dusk. May 20 Nine Lakes Wine FestivalWinemakers Dinner When: 6-10pm Where: 102 Deerfield Lane, Oak Ridge Price: $110 Experience award-winning wines served with a gourmet dinner on the lake at the beautiful
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McMINN LIFE SPRING 2017
Calhoun’s Event Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Enjoy live music, and meet leaders of Tennessee’s growing wine industry. You’ll experience sparkling wines with hors d’oeuvres, whites and reds with dinner and specialty fruit wines with desserts. May 20 Knoxville Doll & Toy Show When: 9:30am - 3:00pm Where: Holiday Inn 9134 Executive Park Drive Price $6.00 Children 12 & under Free. Antique, Vintage and Modern Dolls and Toys, Doll Furniture, Clothes and Accessories, Reborns, OOAK, Figurines, Legos and much more. www.SoutheasternDollShows.com May 21 Children’s Festival of Reading When: 10am-3pm Where: World’s Fair Park Join us for storytelling, music, arts, crafts, science exploration, food and fun as we kick off our Summer Library Club! For more information, visit www.knoxlib.org/calendar-programs May 21 Open Streets Knoxville When: 1-6pm Where: Central Street, Knoxville Open Streets Knoxville offers the opportunity to engage in physical activity in Knoxville’s communities and neighborhoods. Events include bike rides, street dancing and more in a fun, safe setting. The event provides them with a chance to walk, ride bicycles, hula hoop, Zumba in the streets — all in a setting that is fun and safe. The event is hosted by Bike Walk Knoxville, with significant support from the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and City of Knoxville. May 27 Rockin’ the Docks (Memorial Day Celebration) When: 4:00pm - 10:00pm Where: Lenoir City Park/Cove area Rockin’ the Docks will again bring live music and fireworks to the Lenoir City Park/Cove area. Live music will begin at 4:00pm and will continue until the fireworks show at 10:00 pm. Food vendors will be providing a wide variety of our favorites, so there is no need to bring any food or drinks with you. The children’s play area will also be back for kids to enjoy!
June 2 Starr Mountain Street Rod and Custom Car Show Time: 7am - 5pm Where: L&N Depot Grounds The Starr Mountain Street Rods and Customs Club will holds its annual car show at the L & N depot on June 2. The club is celebrating their 36th Anniversary of holding this show in Etowah. Food and entertainment will be offered at the Show. For more information, contact Blake Hockman at 423-572-0999. June 2 School’s Out Pool Bash Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm for grades K-5th 8:00pm-10:00pm for Middle School and High School. Where: Claire Donahue Aquatic Center, Lenoir City Come to the pool and celebrate the end of another school year at our School’s Out Pool Bash, where there will be music, games and lots of pool time! Concessions will be available for sale. This event is free. Contact Lenoir City Parks & Recreation at 865-986-1223 for more information. June 16 SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Darren Knight’s Southern Momma: An EM Comedy Tour When: 7:30 Where: Knoxville Civic Auditorium Price: Starting at $26 Bang Productions presents Darren Knight’s Southern Momma: An Em Comedy Tour 2017 produced by John Edmonds Kozma. Featuring Rocky Dale Davis, who was hand-picked for Kevin Hart’s new stand up show “Hart Of The City.” Hosted by “The Distinguished Gentleman” Gary Cargal. For pricing and more info, visit www.knoxvillecoliseum.com June 24 Festival of Friends Time:11:00am - 4:00pm Where: Lenoir City Park The Festival is designed to provide public awareness of the disabled communities in the area as well as a fun opportunity to get the family out for festive activities including: music, food, games and vendors. The Patricia Neal Innovative Recreation Cooperative will host a water ski venue for the day. Festival of Friends is hosted by the Lenoir City Pilot Club and the Lenoir City Parks and Recreation. Other sponsors include local businesses and community service organizations of Lenoir City, as well as the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, Ingles and Wamplers.
MONROE LIFE MAGAZINE’S 5TH ANNUAL
Benefiting CASA Monroe
September 2nd & 3rd at Tsali Notch Vineyard, Madisonville www.muscadineballoonfiesta.com The New 2017
Coming this April (800) 843-1663 ext. 404 (865) 531-6275 13125 El Camino Lane, Knoxville, TN 37932 Hours: M-F 8:00 - 5:00, Sat 9:00 - 12:00, Sun Closed SPRING 2017 McMINN LIFE
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Serving the area for 30 years!
Providing Service and Quality Since 1988
WHOLESALE PETROLEUM MARKETERS
Fuller’s Frame Shop specializes in professional custom framing, large Art Gallery with national and local artists.
Now offering Wide ´ Printing Format Giclee
Celebrating Over 25 Years of Serving East Tennessee 423.337.6671 www.sweetwatervalleyoil.com
Monday - Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm
302 W. Bank St. Athens 423.745.7489
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
601 Congress Pkwy N. Athens, TN 37303 • Unlimited monthly yoga membership (includes discounts on massage) • Alpha Spa Capsule • Isolation Float Tank Call for details 423.920.5507 Facebook/CreeksideMassageStudio
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McMINN LIFE WINTER/HOLIDAY 2017
Dedicated To Delivering Compassionate
CARE Life is too short to wait!
HOURS OF OPERATION Monday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Tuesday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Wednesday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Thursday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Sunday CLOSED Walk-Ins Welcome
HWY 411 North, Madisonville 423.442.2121
909 Congress Pkwy N, Athens 423.745.6610
SWEETWATER HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION AND ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE:
FOUR NEW BOARD CERTIFIED PHYSICIANS AS MEMBERS OF THEIR MEDICAL STAFF
DR. VERNON PEGRAM III Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist
DR. SEAN DeLAIR Board Certified Urologist
DR. WALTER CHILES III Board Certified Urologist
DR. TIMOTHY LeROY Board Certified Urologist
Dr. Vernon Pegram III completed his undergraduate work at the University of the South in East Tennessee and then moved to the University of Alabama, where he obtained his medical degree in June of 1993. He completed his OB/GYN residency at Greenville Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1998. Dr. Pegram is a board certified OB/GYN and a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, Fellow. Dr. Sean DeLair earned his medical degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University. He completed his urology residency at the University of California School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. DeLair is a board certified Urologist and a member of the American Board of Urology. Dr. Walter Chiles III earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1999. He completed his urology residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2005. He was also Chief Resident from 2003 to 2005. Dr. Chiles is a board certified Urologist and a member of the Board of Urology and Fellow American College of Surgeons. Dr. Timothy LeRoy obtained his medical degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina in Greenville, North Carolina, in 2006. He completed his general surgery internship and urology residency at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2011. Dr. LeRoy is a certified Urologist and a member of the American Board of Urology.
All physicians are accepting new patients. Sweetwater Hospital Association is fortunate these physicians have chosen to serve our community. Their offices will be located in the Sweetwater Hospital Association Professional Office Building, 304 Wright Street. To schedule appointments, please call: Dr. Pegram (865) 213-8592, Dr. DeLair (865) 938-5222, Dr. Chiles and Dr. LeRoy (865) 690-3811.
www.sweetwaterhospital.org
865.213.8200