4471 NORTH ROAN STREET • JOHNSON CITY • 423.928.6667
HOLE
at the
Gathering unofficial
TH
FOUNDER/PUBLISHER Angela J. Baker CO-OWNER Mickey J. Baker CREATIVE DIRECTOR Angelica Ares OFFICE, SALES, AND EVENTS Felicia Conners EDITORIAL ASSISTANT James Helms DISTRIBUTION MANAGER James Helms ACCOUNT MANAGERS Lark Adams 423.612.3583 Lark@vipseenmag.com April Barnes 423.646.4626 april@vipseenmag.com Payton Carter 423.963.1661 payton@vipseenmag.com Susan Couch 423.483.5591 susan@vipseenmag.com Sally Dodson 423.612.3758 sally@vipseenmag.com Jacqueline Joseph 423.367.6785 Jacqueline@vipseenmag.com Carolyn Kestner 423.292.3436 Carolyn@vipseenmag.com COPY EDITOR Lucy Honeychurch CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lark Adams Ashley Andrews Liz Bushong Payton Carter Brooke Couch James Helms Lucy Honeychurch Sherri Jessee Savanna McDavid Beth Street PHOTOGRAPHY Mickey J. Baker Lark Adams Ashley Andrews Liz Bushong Payton Carter Linda Coffey Ed Conners Felicia Conners James Helmes Jacqueline Joseph Carolyn Kestner Savanna McDavid DISTRIBUTION Ricky Adams Bobby Flowers James Helms Charles Kilgore Sarah Moody WEBMASTER Robert Neilson Wired Web Development VIPSEEN, Inc., Tri-Cities 151 E. Main Street, Suite 5 Kingsport, TN 37660 423.398.5321 info@vipseenmag.com WWW.VIPSEENMAG.COM
4 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Letter from the Publisher
She Says ... Where to begin?
In 2011, when VIPSEEN first began, I had no idea what the future of the magazine would look like. I did, however, have a few unrealistic goals: fancy cars, a big boat, and opening additional VIPSEEN publications in other markets within the first year. All of those ideas make me giggle now. Those were things that, at the time, I viewed as rewards for all of my hard work. You gotta love reality! After five years of having the honor of producing VIPSEEN, I have learned a thing or two about “rewards” and they are not the things that can be bought or easily obtained. They come in various forms, but most of all rewards aren’t given; they are earned. I have been immensely rewarded, in various ways, over the last five years. From the formation of amazing friendships to the meeting of my husband, I have been richly blessed; however, one of the greatest rewards is my knowing that VIPSEEN is helping. We help to connect our community, to show that there are beautiful hearts and selfless givers all around us. This magazine was never created to showcase the “who’s who” of our region. It was created for the nonprofits to have a voice and to expose the riches of art, entertainment, and life in our region. Nothing feels better to me than to be able to help someone else. I have said it before and I will once again, we were created to serve others, not ourselves. Being able to showcase the giving nature of the residents of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee has given me great joy. Thank you for allowing VIPSEEN to serve our community since 2011. It has been a rewarding journey.
Angela J. Baker, Publisher, angela@vipseenmag.com
ON THE COVER
VIPSEEN Staff – Angela J Baker, Mickey J Baker, Angelica Ares, Liz Bushong, Payton Carter, April Barnes, Lucy Honeychurch, Bobby Flowers, Beth Street, Mark Kilgore, Savanna McDavid, Charles Robin Kilgore, James Helms, Sally Dodson, Felicia Conners, Jacqueline Joseph, Martin Kilgore, Linda Coffey, Ricky Adams, Lark Adams, Carolyn Kestner, and Susan Couch Not pictured: Sherrie Jessee and Sarah Moody Photo by Nick Bowen, Cumberland Marketing
Contents
FEATURES 9 SPECIAL SECTION
54
VIPSEEN’S 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
78 EVENTS
47
FATHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE
58
VIP POFILE STAR THE CLOWN: 25 YEARS OF SMILING
DEPARTMENTS
62
H.O.P. E. presents Black History & Awards Program
24
Queen of Hearts Gala 2016
26
Nashville Legislative Dinner
65
A Night at the Museum
28
Arts & Economic Prosperity 5
67
Franchise Business EXPO 2016
29
Tri Food Truck Rodeo
68
Gypsy Circus Media Mayhem
30
2016 Impact Awards Luncheon
69
The Volunteer Leadership
34
Corazon Latino Festival
Committee Breakfast
6
HAPPY
38
8th Grade Career Carnival
70
3rd Annual Yum Yum: Power of the Bite
7
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
43
Tennessee Environmental Conference
73
Boys & Girls Club 2016 Alumni Reunion
18
SERVE IT UP SASSY
44
Chateau Selah - Open House
74
Chillin’ & Grilin’ 2016
46
#HashtagLunchbagJC
78
Thirsty Orange Brew Extravaganza
48
Denim & Diamonds
83
SOTM 9th Annual Evening of Musical
53
14th Annual Ronald McDonald
CELEBRATE IT!
36
VIP BEAUTY MUSIC FESTIVAL HAIR
72
PET PERSONALS
80
WIT BIT WHAT WE LEARN FROM OUR DADS
90
54 56
SEEN ON THE SCENE
House Benefit and Auction
84
Spring Women’s Expo
2016 Carousel Fine Craft Show
88
Bank of Tennessee Ground Breaking
& Brass Ring Gala
95
Women Empowered:
DEDICATED TO EVERY STEP FOR THE
CURE SUNDAY, OCTOBER
23
2016
www.komentricities.org
Featuring Amanda Valentine
Symphony of the Mountains Youth Orchestra’s Spring Concert
57
& Epicurean Delights Benefit Gala
Rock & Bowl for Kids Sake
96
Young Professionals Tri-Cities St. Patrick’s Day Social
Happy June Happy Birthday Aundrea!
Happy Birthday Chantz!
Happy Birthday Marc!
Happy Birthday Camille!
Happy Birthday Chris!
Happy Birthday Jeff!
Happy Birthday Jane! Happy Birthday Seth!
Happy Birthday Kevin!
Happy Birthday Darren!
Happy Birthday Rhonda!
Happy Birthday Steve!
Happy 2nd Birthday Lily Pope!
Happy Birthday Dawn!
Happy Birthday Josh!
Happy Anniversary Penny!
Happy Birthday Morgan!
Happy Birthday Jennifer!
Happy 80th Birthday Daisy Lovin! Love, Lesa, Lauren & Lily
Happy Birthday Deborah!
Happy Anniversary Greg & Lesa Horne!
Calendar of Events / JUNE 2016 JUNE 2 Paint the Town Purple – Alzheimer’s Awareness 5:30pm – 7:00pm Awards for best purple display will be presented. Downtown Kingsport – Broad Street 423-928-4080 sherri@downtownkingsport.org Downtown Kingsport Thursday Night Bluegrass on Broad Street 7:00pm Mike Bentley & Cumberland Connection Line Dance (non partner) Intermediate/Advanced 7:15pm – 8:15pm This class is for experienced dancers who appreciate challenge. $5/class Memorial Park Community Center Bert Street Johnson City, TN JUNE 2 – 4 Oil / Cold Wax Workshop with Lisa Boardwine 10:00am – 5:30pm Cindy Saadeh Fine Art Gallery 128 E. Market Street Kingsport, TN Cost - $395 423-245-2800 www.cindysaadeh.com JUNE 3 -18 Rock of Ages Johnson City Community Theatre 600 E. Maple Street Johnson City, TN 37601 www.JCCT.info JUNE 4 8th Annual Woofstock 4K4Paws Run/Walk 9:00am Sugar Hollow Park Bristol, VA 276-591-5790 taylor@mbmspayneuterclinic.org www.mbmspayneuterclinic.org Blue Hop Brew HaHa & Founder’s Park Concert 4pm – 8:30pm Founder’s Park 120 Commerce Street Johnson City, TN info@superflyfab.com
JUNE 6 Johnson City School Board of Education Meeting 6pm Central Office 100 E. Maple Street Johnson City, TN 423-434-5224 bentleyd@jcschools.org
JUNE 13 Annual Covered Bridge 5K/3K Walk 8:00am City Hall Parking Lot Hattie Avenue Elizabethton, TN 423-542-1338 sheppardsf@msha.com
JUNE 6 – 10 KEYPAD Summer Arts Camp Rising grades 6 – 12, 8am – 5pm, Renaissance Arts Center 1200 East Center Street Kingsport, TN 37660 423-392-8420 ccfaust@gmail.com www.KingsportARTS.org
JUNE 16 Downtown Kingsport Thursday Night Bluegrass on Broad Street 7:00pm Turkey Creek Band
JUNE 9 Mini Explorers 8:30am – 1:00pm YMCA Wellmont Center Meadowview Parkway Kingsport, TN 423-765-9753 rpierce@ymcakpt.org Regional After Hours & VIPSEEN 5-Year Anniversary Party 5:30pm – 7:00pm 151 E. Main Street Kingsport, TN Downtown Kingsport Thursday Night Bluegrass on Broad Street 7:00pm Boots on the Ground JUNE 10 Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast TN 30th Anniversary Celebration 9:30am Second Harvest Food Bank 1020 Jericho Drive Kingsport, TN 423-279-0430 www.netfoodbank.org Mini Explorers 8:30am – 1:00pm YMCA Wellmont Center Meadowview Parkway Kingsport, TN 423-765-9753 rpierce@ymcakpt.org JUNE 11 8th Annual Tri-Cities Dancing with the Stars, Doors Open at 5pm Meadowview Conference Center Kingsport, TN 423-257-7512 dancingwiththetricitiesstars.com
JUNE 13 – 17 Arts4Kids Summer Arts Camp Age 3-5, Half-Day Camp, 8am – 12pm Rising grades K-5, Full Day Camp, 8am – 5pm Renaissance Arts Center 1200 East Center Street Kingsport, TN 37660 423-392-8420 ccfaust@gmail.com www.KingsportARTS.org JUNE 18 “Dining with Wolves” 3pm – 4pm Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium 853 Bays Mountain Park Road Kingsport, TN 423-229-9447 Middle School Night 6pm – 9pm YMCA Wellmont Center Meadowview Parkway Kingsport, TN 423-247-9622 JUNE 20 Johnson City Chamber GolfTournament Lunch: 11:45am – 12:45pm; SHOT GUN: 1:00pm Johnson City Country Club 1901 East Unaka Avenue Johnson City, TN hill@johnsoncitychamber.com Mini Explorers 8:30am – 1:00pm YMCA Wellmont Center Meadowview Parkway Kingsport, TN 423-765-9753 rpierce@ymcakpt.org
JUNE 21 Mini Explorers 8:30am – 1:00pm YMCA Wellmont Center Meadowview Parkway Kingsport, TN 423-765-9753 rpierce@ymcakpt.org
JUNE 24 Mini Explorers 8:30am – 1:00pm YMCA Wellmont Center Meadowview Parkway Kingsport, TN 423-765-9753 rpierce@ymcakpt.org
JUNE 21 - 24 Vacation Bible School First Broad Street UMC 9am – 12pm 100 E Church Circle Kingsport, TN 423-246-4471 http://fbsumc.org
JUNE 25 Run the Tweetsie Half Marathon and 10K 6:00am – 9:00am Tweetsie Trail - Johnson City side Johnson City, TN www.runsignup.com
JUNE 22 Mini Explorers 8:30am – 1:00pm YMCA Wellmont Center Meadowview Parkway Kingsport, TN 423-765-9753 rpierce@ymcakpt.org JUNE 23 Paint the Town Purple 7pm – 10pm The Martha Washington Inn & Spa 150 West Main Street Abingdon, VA 423-928-4080 jtankersley@alz.org Downtown Kingsport Thursday Night Bluegrass on Broad Street 7:00pm Appalachian Trail
Farm to Table Dinner 7pm, Broad Street (Downtown) Kingsport, TN Hosted By: Downtown Kingsport Association JUNE 26 Solar Viewing at the Dam 3pm – 3:30pm Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium 853 Bays Mountain Park Road Kingsport, TN 423-229-9447 www.baysmountain.com JUNE 30 Downtown Kingsport Thursday Night Bluegrass on Broad Street 6:45pm Tennessee Skyline Keep checking our online calendar @ www.vipseenmag.com as we update daily!
JUNE @ BARTER THEATRE THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB, June 16 – August 13 Five unforgettable Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids, and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives. These women increasingly rely on one another, through advice and raucous repartee; to get through the challenges (men, sex, marriage, parenting, divorce, aging) that life flings at them, including some hilarious and unexpected twists and turns.
OTHER SHOWINGS FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE: Charlotte’s Web Greater Tuna Mamma Mia!
Cry Wolf! Peter and the Star Catch The Princess and the Pea
Visit www.batertheatre.com or call 423-628-3991 for show times and to purchase tickets. JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 7
5 Years and Counting... VIPSEEN Magazine, as many of you already know, is deeply committed to shining a spotlight on the community and those who work tirelessly to make our neighborhoods, businesses, and cities a better place to live, work, and play. We would not, however, be able to accomplish what we do without the very hard work of those in the community who help to support us. Our magazine is and always will be free so we rely on advertising dollars to keep us afloat. Faith is required for many things in life and faith in the magazine, its mission, and its continued success is something that we have worked hard to earn from those who have chosen to advertise in our pages. Print, despite what many might say, is not dead and the belief that our advertisers have shown in the idea of VIPSEEN and the mission of the magazine is not something that has gone unnoticed. Each and every business, doctor, medical practice, non-profit, educational institution, business leader, educator, wedding, holiday, music event, or parade that we have covered over the past five years has all been done in order to showcase the single biggest driving factor to this region’s success: YOU! We have always wanted, and hope to continue to be, a mirror that reflects the successes of this region that so many others across the country do not notice or take for granted. Everyone who lives here, whether native or a transplant, takes great pride in the Eastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia region. It holds a special place in all our hearts or none of us would live here or work so hard to make better what we have. After five years of consistently covering the goings on in this region I have come to realize how special this area is and how incredibly giving the people of this community are. The support that everyone has shown this magazine is overwhelming and it continues to fill my heart and days with happiness and gratitude. Thank you for the endless support, boundless faith, and constant positivity.
9
FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BASH
12
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? CONTINUED…
14
IT’S BEEN AN EVENT-FULL 5 YEARS!
16
SUCCESS & CELEBRATIONS IN OUR REGION JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 9
DJ
5-YEAR BASH!!
KidZone Photo B o o Open Bar t h n a i c i g a lling M
Stro
EVERYONE IS INVITED!
We would like to thank all of our sponsors to date: FOOD & BEVERAGE Reedy Creek Vineyards and Cellars Pratt’s BBQ Moe’s Southwest Grill Subway O’Neil’s Grille Main Street Pizza Company ENTERTAINMENT DJ Alan Dodson EQUIPMENT Tri-City Tent & Event Grindstaff, Inc. KIDZONE Star’s Big Top Amusement 10 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Door Prizes
DOOR PRIZES Golf Lovers Dream Package Tri-Cities Golf Course • Clear Creek Golf Cattails at MeadowView Blackthorn Club • The Virginian Golf Club Ridgefields Country Club
Baker’s Jewelry
Southern Gates 36” Vermeil Necklace with chalcedony and white quartz gemstones. Valued at $569
Alfresco Lifestyles
MiniMax Big Green Egg with Eggcessories Estimated Value is $900
Changes Medical Spa One-Year Worth of Treatment Estimated Value is $1,000
NovaCopy
Konica Minolta bizhub B3301 Printer/Copier/Scanner/Fax Estimated Value is $500
Social Butterfly - Tickets to the Tri Tickets from area venues, events, theatres, and much more around our region.
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 11
AUGUST 2014
JULY 2014
ACCREDITED
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA. © Custom Compounding Centers of America.
6/18/14 10:50 AM
JohnSon City 423.207.4290
701 N. State of Franklin Rd., Ste. 9 • Johnson City, TN 37604
Arts & Entertainment Throughout the Tri-Cities Scene Custom Compounding Centers of America Prescription Compounding Specialist
www.cccarx.com
ACCREDITED JohnSon City, tn LoCAtion
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA. © Custom Compounding Centers of America.
CCCAVIPAD-July copy 3.indd 1
CCCA
Compounding Pharmacy
PCAB Accredited Compounding Pharmacies are recognized by the AMA as adhering to “quality & practice standards”.
KinGsPoRt 423.245.1022
109 Jack White Drive • Kingsport, TN 37664
Johnson City 423.207.4290
701 N. State of Franklin Rd., Ste. 9 • Johnson City, TN 37604
www.cccarx.com
Arts & Entertainment Throughout the Tri-Cities Scene Custom Compounding Centers of America Prescription Compounding Specialist
Compounding Pharmacy
P h a r m a c y
www.rxpremier.com
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA.. © Premier Pharmacy, Inc.
8/20/14 11:53 AM
CCCAVIPAD-October.indd 1
AUGUST 2014 Medical Showcase
SEPTEMBER 2014 College Bound 101
On the Cover Whitney Taylor
Photography by Mickey Baker
On the Cover Deanna and Coach Dave Rider with grandson Jason Witten and wife Michelle
Photography by Mickey Baker
Personalized Medicine.
MENU GUIDE
Special Section
109 Jack White Drive • Kingsport, TN 37664
HOT BODIES 2015
NABP Verified Pharmacy Program
www.rxpremier.com Arts & Entertainment Throughout the Tri-Cities Scene Enhancing Patient Care for Over 25 Years
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA.. © Premier Pharmacy, Inc.
9/17/14 4:45 PM
VIP Exclusive Automotive Section
Early Birds
DR. KATHY GIFT S. SANDERS KINGSPORT GUIDE | 423.245.1022
NABP Verified Pharmacy Program
Enhancing Patient Care for Over 25 Years Arts & Entertainment Throughout the Tri-Cities Scene
JULY 2014 Law of the Land
• Can be billed on patient’s insurance. • Free delivery available. • Personalized formulations are for patients who are not ideal candidates for commercial pharmaceuticals, oral medications, or surgery. INSIDE VIP PROFILE RESTAURANT
109 Jack White Drive • Kingsport, TN 37664
Johnson City, tn LoCAtion
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA. © Custom Compounding Centers of America.
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7/13/14 8:44 AM
ACCREDITED
PCAB Accredited Compounding Pharmacies are recognized by the AMA as adhering to “quality & practice standards”.
Personalized formulations are made specific to each patient’s individualized needs.
2014
PCAB Accredited Compounding Pharmacies are recognized by the AMA as adhering to “quality & practice standards”.
KinGSPoRt 423.245.1022
109 Jack White Drive • Kingsport, TN 37664
P C A B
be billed on patient’s • Personalized formulations are for patients Personalized formulations are made specific • Can insurance. who are not ideal candidates for commercial to each patient’s individualized needs. • Free delivery available. pharmaceuticals, oral medications, or surgery. VIP Spotlight Jason Witten COLLEGE WELLMONT SCORE Bound 101 Foundation Dinner Special Section KINGSPORT | 423.245.1022 LEADERSHIP & Football Camp 12th Annual
2014
JohnSon CitY, tn LoCation
• Take advantage of campus meditation and yoga programs • Spend time with friends • Build new friendships • Keep backpacks from being too heavy • Ensure that your medical insurance covers physicians in the area
2014
CCCA
Compounding Pharmacy
P C A B
Diana harshbarger, Pharm.D. Hormone Specialist
• Keep your room dark and quiet when going to sleep • Get regular exams • Wash your hands • Drink lots of fluids • Keep immunizations up to date • Create a routine • Put limits on work hours
INSIDE
Multiple variations of compounded formulations individualized to fit patients needs.
• Keep healthy snacks around • Limit sugary and caffeinated beverages • Take vitamins • Don’t fight stress by eating • Head to the gym • Walk to class • Don’t work in bed • Avoid all nighters
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT THE TRI-CITIES SCENE
compounding pharmacies.
Custom Scar Formulations by CCCA
2014
423-245-1022
Neither are
Premier Pharmacy would like to thank the men and women who are currently serving our country and those who have served in the past.We salute the personal sacrifice you have made to protect our freedoms, and pray for your safe homecoming.
NOVEMBER
Griffin
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT THE TRI-CITIES SCENE
Bobby
Between exams, papers and maintaining an active social life, many college students feel they can’t really find the time to keep up on their personal health and wellness until an illness catches hold and stops them in their tracks. Here are a few tips to help students make the most of the resources at their fingertips and to ensure they stay healthy and illness free throughout their education.
OCTOBER
created equal.
VIP PROFILE
FoR MoRE inFoRMAtion, Go to WWW.CCCARX.CoM
2014
mpounding Centers of America ion Compounding Specialist
P C A B
from your EXPErT PharmacisT
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT THE TRI-CITIES SCENE
Not all scar gels are
CifiC at CuStom Compounding CenterS of ameri de patient Spe Ca
for more information, go to WWW.CCCarX.Com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT THE TRI-CITIES SCENE
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT THE TRI-CITIES SCENE
• Can be billed on insurance • Formulations are made specific to each patients individualized needs • Formulations can contain multiple variations of: • Antibiotics • Topical Steroids • Antifungals • Antihistamines
LAW OF
THE LAND Special Feature
Personal Sacrifice.
So why not your medicine?
SEPTEMBER
SUMMER
AUGUST
JULY
Customized Compounding Services
You were created from scratch...
for college students
INSIDE UNPLUGGED
CCCA
health & wellness tips
CustomScar Formulations
SEPTEMBER 2014
less You!
OCTOBER 2014
JULY 2014 – JUNE 2016
NOVEMBER 2014
At VIPSEEN we take pride in our covers. Every detail is important and discussed before sending it off to the printer. It is our mission to provide a cover that stands out and represents our region in a positive way. We love when we are able to get super creative and artsy. A special thank you to all of our cover models for making VIPSEEN look so darn good!
CCCAVIPAD-November2.indd 1
VIP Veteran Tribute
HONORING
OUR VETS
Arts & Entertainment Throughout the Tri-Cities Scene
10/17/14 9:08 AM
OCTOBER 2014 Restaurant Menu Guide
NOVEMBER 2014 Hot Bodies On the cover Andy Dietrich, Chantz Scott, and Dustin Walters
Photography by Mickey Baker
Photography by Mickey Baker
Photography by Mickey Baker VIPSEEN
Which Would You Prefer?
VIPSEEN
Premier
You Choose. Make It Personal.
It’s Personal.
COVERED BY MOST MAJOR INSURANCES*
I Do, I Do...
Flonase®
Nasonex®
Single Ingredient*
Single Ingredient+
Single Strength*
Single Strength+
No Patient Follow Up*
No Patient Follow Up+
CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN NORTHEAST TENNESSEE & SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Can be billed on patient’s insurance. Free delivery available. Personalized formulations are for patients who are not ideal candidates for commercial pharmaceuticals, oral medications, or surgery.
CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN NORTHEAST TENNESSEE & SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Personalized formulations are made specific to each patient’s individualized needs.
VIP BRIDAL EXCLUSIVE
APRIL
JANUARY
Your wedding day is both special and personal. The combination of two unique individuals can lead to a lasting formula of love and happiness. Allow Premier Pharmacy to help create personalized medications with your health and well-being in mind.
VALENTINE’S DAY
GIFT GUIDE
RX ONLY THE REGION’S CHRISTMAS
PARADES
PERSONALIZED INGREDIENTS PERSONALIZED STRENGTHS PERSONAL PATIENT FOLLOW UP Formulations can contain multiple variations of:
ANTIBIOTICS • STEROIDS • ANTIFUNGALS • ANTIHISTAMINES
HOME & GARDEN
SPECIAL SECTION:
SPRING HAS
SPRUNG
*http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2014/205434Orig1s000lbl.pdf. Accessed February 4, 2015. +http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/020762s044lbl.pdf. Accessed February 4, 2015 *Flonase® is a registered trademark, used under license by GlaxoSmithKline Inc. + Nasonex® is a registered trademark, used under license by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. *Coverage may vary and depends on the patient’s specific prescription insurance plan.
KINGSPORT | 423.245.1022 109 Jack White Drive • Kingsport, TN 37664
www.rxpremier.com
MARCH 2015 Act like a Lady. Think like a Boss. Power Women of the Tri-Cities
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: NOT YOUR DADDY’S ADDYS
KINGSPORT | 423.245.1022 109 Jack White Drive • Kingsport, TN 37664
NABP Verified Pharmacy Program
Enhancing Patient Care for Over 25 Years
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA. © Premier Pharmacy, Inc.
www.rxpremier.com
NABP Verified Pharmacy Program
2015
2015
Enhancing Patient Care for Over 25 Years
MOTHER’S DAY GIFT GUIDE
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA. © Premier Pharmacy, Inc.
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12/14/14 10:27 AM
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DECEMBER 2014 Fitness and Beauty On the Cover Ian Mitchell Aidan Mitchell Ireland Mitchell Photography by Mickey Baker
12 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
JANUARY 2015 VIP Bridal Exclusive, I do, I do… On the cover Nikki Burdine Williams and Justin Williams Photography by Jennie Andrews Photography
FEBRUARY 2015 Money Matters On the Cover Steve Johnson Photography by Mickey Baker
3/4/15 11:40 AM
APRIL 2015 Home and Garden Spring Has Sprung
On the cover Aundrea Wilcox
On the Cover Evelyn Elora Bunn
Photography by Mickey Baker
Photography By Mickey Baker
Cover concept by Madison Perkins
Official Provider of ersonalized Medicine. Personal Medicine Starts at Home OFFICIAL PHARMACY SPONSOR OF YOUR HOMETOWN
d College Boun
E R E C R E AT E D F R O M S C R ATC H . . . S O W H Y N OT YO U R M E D I C I N E ?
SPECIAL SECTION:
KINGSPORT | 423.245.1022 109 Jack White Drive • Kingsport, TN 37664
www.rxpremier.com DOWNLOAD OUR FREE APP AT
NABP Verified Pharmacy Program
ient Care for Over 25 Years
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Rotary Club of Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee Frank W. DeFriece, Jr. Teacher Awards Banquet
Compounded formulations require a prescription by a licensed prescriber. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA. © Premier Pharmacy, Inc.
4/13/15 3:38 PM
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MAY 2015 College Bound
4/27/15 3:18 PM
JUNE 2015 Tri-Cities Finest
JULY 2015 Law of the Land
AUGUST 2015 The Medical Issue
On the Cover Ben Talley and Mary Johnson
On the Cover PEAK – Kingsport Young Professionals
Photography By Mickey Baker
Photography By Mickey Baker
Photography By Mickey Baker
On the Cover Troy Bowlin, Amber Floyd Lee, Sarah E Larkin, Mary Russell, GC Hudson, Kyle Vaughn, Dan Bieger Photography By Mickey Baker
JANUARY 2016 Tying the Knot SEPTEMBER 2015 Grub & Pubs On the Cover Drew and Kenneth Draper Jimie Barnett
OCTOBER 2015 On the Cover Katy Sikorski, Breast Cancer Survivor Photography By Mickey Baker
Photography By Mickey Baker
NOVEMBER 2015 2016 Auto Feature On the Cover Tom Hall, Jessica Brewster, Brian Griffith, and Andy Dietrich
DECEMBER 2015 New Year, New You On the Cover ONE KINGSPORT
On the Cover Jessie and Chad Barrett Photography by Lisa Baker, Oh So Haute Photography
Photography By Mickey Baker
MAY 2016 Men of Measure
FEBRUARY 2016 Money Matters
MARCH 2016 Power Women of the Tri-Cities
APRIL 2016 Home and Garden
On the Cover Daniel Norris
On the Cover Krista Wharton
On the Cover George DeVault
Photography By Mickey Baker
Photography By Mickey Baker
Photography By Mickey Baker
On the Cover Jim McGlothlin Photo of Jim McGlothlin by Richard Mink Background Photo by Larry Lambrecht
JUNE 2016 VIPSEEN’s 5-Year Anniversary On the Cover Jim McGlothlin Photography by Nick Bowen, Cumberland Marketing JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 13
It’s Been an Event-FULL 5 Years! VIPSEEN
Magazine was started five years ago with the primary intent on bringing to light the fantastic, and tireless work, that so many do in the community. There are too many unsung heroes to count, but we have tried over the years to do just that. Many might claim that the magazine is simply photo after photo of fancy parties, but those parties have purpose and many non-profits in the region would be bankrupt without them. Sure the pictures are filled with attendees dressed to the nines and enjoying food and drink, but the auctions that go on behind the scenes and the networking that takes place is the very lifeblood of the organizations that put them on. We at VIPSEEN believe strongly that community is, by its very definition, a society whose members often have a shared cultural heritage and common interests. We all want to see our community become stronger. We already understand how unique Eastern Tennessee and Southwest Virginia are and many of us are deeply proud of that heritage and want to protect it, but with pride also come the hard work of helping everyone in the community at large to live the best life they can: this is where the non-profits come in. Without the non-profit organizations that do so much work in and around the Tri-Cities there would be thousands with no food, no dental work, nowhere to turn for escape from abuse, no help with home repairs, no backpacks for school, no help finding work, no help re-building lives. In other words, our community would be sorely lacking some basic and necessary services were it not for the kindness, generosity, and hard work of those who are employed by or volunteer for non-profit organizations. These past five years VIPSEEN has hoped to shed light on these organizations and the selfless individuals who work so hard and want no personal credit. We have covered countless events over the years and what follows is just a smattering but we hope you enjoy, as we have, going back and reminiscing about where we’ve been. We look forward to the next five years and, God willing many more after that, of putting a spotlight on those in the community who do so much with so little.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44.
AccelNow Road Show Bristol Chamber Luncheon Hammond Post 3 Media Day Annual Kingsport Chamber Dinner Johnson City State of the City Address CASA Red Shoe Gala Winter Soup Cook-Off Libation Station Event The United Way Leadership Giving Awards Ceremony MSHA Spirit Gala Mapping the Cosmos Daddy Daughter Dance Girl Scouts Sweetheart Sock Hop Johnson City Home Gala NN Inc After Hours Fisk Jubilee Lucy Simpson Foundation Uncorked Grand Opening Kathy Dunagan Ordination Bristol Ballet Daddy Daughter Ball Generations Art Show AAF Southwest Virginia Awards Gala Battle of the Batter Chasing Snakes Collaboration Meeting of the Brewers for the Tri-Cities Craft Beer Week ETSU Auction Generations Art Show Glenn Case @ Ligero Home and Garden Show Joggin For The Noggin 5K Ladies Night Out at Performance Medicine Lucy Simpson Foundation Annual Fundraiser Midway Eye Care After Hours Not Your Daddy’s Addys Peak Event Red Shoe Gala Relay for Life Kickoff Shake Your Shamrock Uncorked Grand Opening Abuse Alternatives Wine Tasting A Night in Tuscany Abingdon Quilt Festival Art in the Park ALS Celebrity Bartending Event
14 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
45. Boutique Hotel to be in Executive Plaza 46. Appalachian Service Project Annual Golf Tournament 47. Annual Autism Awareness 5K 48. Kingsport Ballet’s Ballet & Bubbly 49. Food City 500 At BMS 50. Boots at the Chateau 51. Boys & Girls Club of Bristol Steak and Stake Dinner 52. Bristol Half and Half Marathon 53. Bud’s Prom 54. Junior League of Bristol Caterpillar Crawl 5K 55. Chillin’ and Grillin’ 56. Chow Down for Dogs 57. JDRF Cinco de Mayo Party 58. Superwoman Smarts Book Release Tour 59. BASA All Sport Golf Tournament 60. ETSU Tour 61. Fiddlin’ on the Greens 62. Friends for the Fight 63. Bristol TN/VA Chamber Of Commerce First Friday Business Briefing Breakfast 64. Governor Haslam Luncheon - Drive to 55 65. Green and Growing Gardening Show 66. Diamonds and Ice Luncheon 67. Healthy Kingsport Week 68. Holston Innovation Academy 8th Grade Formal 69. Joy Prom 70. Marsh Regional Blood Center Inaugural Scholarship Golf Tournament 71. Meet and Greet with Senator Bob Corker 72. Muncy Chiropractic 100 Year Lifestyle 73. Northeast State Derby Party 74. Once Upon A Time 75. Prayer Breakfast 76. Peak Derby Party 77. Public Relations Society of America Awards Dinner 78. Rotary Club of JC Derby Days Casino Night @ Blackthorn 79. Run Like A Princess 5K
80. Second Harvest Food Bank’s Annual Golf Classic 81. Spine Health Foundation Derby 82. Tri-Cities Dentistry Open House 83. Wine, Women, and Shoes 84. Downtown Bristol Open House 85. Annual YWCA Tribute To Women 86. Milligan College Leaders and Christian Service Convocation 87. Battle at Bristol Dinner 88. Boots and Bow Ties 89. Boys & Girls Club Gala 90. CASA Golf Tournament 91. Chow Down for Dogs 92. Crawfish Boil at Garland Farms 93. Cross Fit Games 94. Girls Inc. Friend’s Party 95. Racks by the Tracks 96. Super Woman Smarts Book Signing 97. Kingsport Chamber Golf Scramble 98. Taste of Jonesborough 99. Uncorked Book Signing 100. Monroe at the Mansion 101. Holston Home for Children at the Olde Farm 102. Blue Plum Festival 103. Bristol Historian 104. Covered Bridge Festival and 5K 105. Farm to Fork 106. Johnson City Golf Tournament 107. Jurassic World Premier 108. Kingsport Art Guild Beach Party 109. KOSBE After Hours 110. Dennis Phillips: KP Mayor Appreciation 111. Legislative Barbeque 112. Luke’s Pizza Golf Tournament 113. Mazda Miata Zoomin the Mountains 114. Monroe At The Mansion 115. Olive Oil Divine After Hours & Grand Opening 116. Push Film Festival 117. Reedy Creek Winery Racks Pre-Party 118. Relay for Life, Johnson City 119. Ride for Red 120. University of Tennessee Business College Dinner 121. Waiting to Hear 122. William King Art Ball
123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166.
4th of July Celebrations Bristol Rotary Awards Dinner Carousel Ribbon Cutting Celebrity Shootout Dancing with the Tri-Cities Stars Farm to Table Friendship After Hours Funfest Hometown Throw Down Indian Path Block Party Jonesborough Days Lavelle Denim Launch Libation Station Event Mardi Growl Niswonger Par-Tee Now or Never Tattoo One-Year Anniversary Paramount 50-Year Anniversary PEAK Mayor Roast Tennessee Ridge Runners United Way Week Of Caring VIPSEEN/ETSU News Conference Woofstock Veterans Memorial On July 4th at Historic Sinking Spring Cemetery Johnson City Chamber Time Capsule Holston Home for Kids Alzheimer’s Kickoff Big Wigs Press Conference Bristol Back to School Bash Bristol Country Music Museum Anniversary Cocktails at the Castle Come Sit With Me Dawn of Hope Golf Classic Dine Johnson City Downtown Kingsport Wine Festival Farmer and the Chef Festival of Tables – Salvation Army Golf for Hope Healing Hands Open House Celebration with Bill Haslam Johnson City Back to School Bash JC Chamber Centennial Celebration Kingsport Idol Kingsport Back To School Bash Lakeview After Hours Low Country Boil
167. Meltdown 168. Miss Kingsport - Miss Sullivan County Pageant 169. Paddle Boat Race 170. Pinnacle 5K 171. Polynesian Beach Party 172. Share A Coke 173. Susan G. Komen 174. Music at the Mansion 175. Umoja Festival 176. ACS Hope Gala 177. Greek Fest 178. Premier Pharmacy Event 179. Yee-Haw Brewery Grand Opening 180. Abingdon Bluegrass and BBQ Dinner 181. Abingdon Buskerfest 182. Barberitos Triathlon 183. Battle at Bristol Press Conference 184. Big Wigs at the Carousel 185. Blackbag Doctor Grand Opening 186. Breast Cancer Awareness Kickoff 187. Bristol August Race Suites 188. Bristol Chamber 1st Friday Breakfast 189. Buddy Walk 190. CASA Golf Tournament 191. CASA Par-Tee 192. CASA Rooftop Party 193. Kingsport Chamber of Commerce Membership Drive 194. Children’s Advocacy Center Golf Tournament 195. Country Music Mural 196. Delta Waterfowl Banquet 197. Dragonboat Festival 198. Eastman Road Race 199. Fairfield Inn and Suites Grand Opening 200. Farm to Table 201. Healing Hands Gala 202. Idaho Big Potato Tour 203. Jonesborough Brews and Tunes 204. Ligero Cigar Rollout 205. Appalachian Christian Village Dancing with Seniors Moonlight in Paris 206. Mountain States Evening with the Path 207. Pinnacle Press Conference 208. Real Men Wear Pink Press Conference 209. Red Legacy Recovery Gala 210. Southwest Virginia Outdoor Expo 211. Speedway Children’s Charity Golf Tournament 212. State of the Cities 213. Step Out to Stop Diabetes 214. Sullivan County Imagination Library Bunco Night 215. United Way of Elizabethton Kickoff Campaign at Elizabethton Chamber Of Commerce Breakfast 216. Serving Orphans Worldwide Gala 217. Serving Orphans Worldwide Golf Tournament 218. Walk To End Alzheimer’s 219. Annual Unicoi County Apple Festival 220. Appalachian Food Summit 221. Annual Storytelling Festival 222. Magical Night of Giving 223. Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival 224. Advanced Medicine Ladies Night Out 225. Wallace Nissan of Kingsport Ribbon Cutting and After Hours 226. Taste of Johnson City 227. Younglife Kingsport Annual Fundraiser Banquet 228. Mud, Sweat, and Cheers 229. Fall for Downtown Folk Fest and Pepper Festival 230. ETSU College of Public Health: The Celebration Gala 231. J.A. Street’s 30th Anniversary 232. Turquoise Boutique One-Year Celebration 233. Children’s Advocacy Center Golf Tournament
234. St. Jude Walk and Run 235. Fellowship of Christian Athletes Golf Tournament 236. Junior League of Bristol Follies Idol 237. March of Dimes Signature Chef Event 238. Oktoberfest 239. Eastman Road Race 240. Lexus of Kingsport Gives Away A Car To SOW Raffle Winner 241. Magical Night of Giving 242. Leadership Kingsport & Premier Pharmacy After Hours Event 243. Walk To Defeat ALS 244. Armstrong Construction 100-Year Celebration 245. Fine Art in the Park 246. Arthur Campbell Awards 247. BAE Veterans Day Marathon 248. Benjamin Walls Fine Art Gallery Five Year Anniversary & Unveiling Party 249. Big Stone Gap Movie Premier 250. Bikers and Bows 251. Breast Cancer Survivor Dinner 252. 1st Annual Tri-Cities Boo Bash 253. Contour to Cure Breast Cancer 254. Grand Opening of Cornerstone Village 255. Craft Beer Media Announcement 256. Crossroads Medical Missions Gala 257. Dining... Fit For A King; Dinner at Downton Abbey 258. Disability Mentoring Day 259. Food City Grand Opening in Johnson City 260. Forbidden Barter 261. From These Hills Art Show 262. Haunted Half Marathon 263. Friends of Children Benefit Dinner 264. Holston Valley 80th Anniversary 265. Johnson City Chamber Of Commerce Membership Breakfast 266. Kingsport Carousel After Hours 267. Milligan Buff 5K 268. Second Annual Notes at Twilight 269. Northeast State at Johnson City Open House 270. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K 271. Real Men Wear Pink End of Campaign Reveal 272. Annual Fall Fusion: Rotary on Tap 273. Second Harvest Food Bank Regional After Hours 274. Sharky 500 275. Leadership Kingsport Dennis Phillips Golf Tournament 276. Etsu Celebration of Arts 277. Junior League of Kingsport Gangsta Gala 278. Journeys of Women Art Show 279. Junior League of Bristol Folleys 280. Stowaway Self Storage After Hours 281. Miss Smokey Mountains & Miss Mountain Empire Pageant 282. The Subway Speedway in Lights 5K 283. Southwest VA 20/20 Summit 284. Tri-Cities Heart Walk 285. Tweetsie Trail Golf Classic 286. Walk To End Alzheimer’s 287. Younglife in the Fast Lane Annual Fundraising Banquet 288. March of Dimes Spooks and Spirits 289. Halloween Spook-Tacular 290. Animile & Human Race 291. Annual Thanks for Giving 292. Bristol Ballet Champagne Soiree 293. Bristol Christmas Tree Lighting 294. Bristol Downtown Open House 295. Children’s Miracle Network Gala 296. Christmas Parades Around the Tri 297. JC East Coast Wings After Hours 298. ETSU Basketball 299. Faith in the Future Awards 300. JC After Hours at Wellington 301. JC Chamber After Hours At Old South 302. JC Chamber AH At Renasant Bank
303. 304. 305. 306. 307. 308. 309. 310. 311. 312. 313. 314. 315. 316. 317. 318. 319. 320. 321. 322. 323. 324. 325. 326. 327. 328. 329. 330. 331. 332. 333. 334. 335. 336. 337. 338. 339. 340. 341. 342. 343. 344. 345. 346. 347. 348. 349. 350. 351. 352. 353. 354. 355. 356. 357. 358. 359. 360. 361. 362. 363. 364. 365. 366. 367. 368. 369. 370. 371. 372. 373. 374. 375. 376. 377. 378. 379. 380. 381. 382.
JC Up and at ‘Em Turkey Trot Jonesborough Christmas Open House Kingsport Holiday After Hours Kingsport Loft Tours/Bristol Loft Tours Kingsport Tree Lighting Legislative Reception Ligero Breakfast One Warm Coat Drive Sophisticated Smiles After Hours Southside Culinary Tour St. Jude’s Give Thanks Walk WCQR Day Of Service - Bell Ringing Fall Gala Santa Train Abingdon Parade Bellafina Chocolates Open House Big Boys Holiday Toys Bourbon Fest Bristol Christmas Parade Bristol Rotary Bristol Tree Lighting/Open House Cake Bud’s 4-Year Anniversary Party Candy Classes at Gazebo Party Shop ETSU Stadium Groundbreaking FRAG Nation Art Show Friends in Need Garden Club Girls on the Run 5K Gray Fossil Museum 5K Hands on Museum Healing Hands After Hours Holiday After Hours Holidays Event Downtown JC Honoring Our Heroes Hope Fashion Show Johnson City Christmas Parade Magical Night of Giving Mayor’s Summit - OneKingsport Miracle on 34th Street Opening Reception Mistletoe Gala Night Of Holiday Miracles Premier Pharmacy After Hours Red Shoe Gala Richard Petty Apearance Robins on Roan Open House Spirits of the Season St. Jude Putt-Putt Tournament Studio Brew Subway - Niswonger Sugar Free Friday Tree of Life Celebration Tri-Cities Cosmetic Open House Veterans Day Memorial Yoga Event Young Living Oils Holistic Pet Care Seminar YWCA Turkey Trot Abingdon First Thrusday Acoustic Christmas Bristol Tour of Homes Cocktails and Confetti Kari’s Heart Foundation New Year’s Eve Gala Kingsport Chamber Holiday Breakfast Mac’s Medicine Mart Grand Opening Magic in the Needle Support the Dream Event Ugly Christmas Sweater Party ABC Launch Party Aesthetics Grand Opening/Open House American Advertising Awards 2016 Austin Moody Flight Concert Bath Planet After Hours Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City Bristol Awards Tailgate Kickoff Bristol First Friday Breakfast Conservus After Hours Cornerstone 50th DB Signing Day Domtar Chili Cookoff ETSU Awards Dinner Greg Isbell Trunk Show
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Home and Garden Show Johnson City Membership Drive Jonesborough Chocolate Festival Kingsport Chamber Dinner Kingsport Hunting and Fishing Show Lexington Senior Living Open House Lucy Foundation Event Martin Luther King Parade My Little Valentine Pure Foods Grand Opening Racks by the Tracks Press Conference Regional Legislative Breakfast Studio Brew Be Mine Beer Dinner Swing & Swank United Way Campaign Celebration Kingsport Chamber Friday Breakfast 2016 SWVA Advertising Awards Advance Medicine After Hours Aesthetics Grand Opening/Open House American Advertising Awards 2016 American Cancer Society Breakfast and Awards Ceremony Be A Saint Body Painting Event at the Willow Tree Bristol CSA Fair Cocktails & Cute Handbags Downtown Johnson City Brand Launch Food City Grower’s Appreciation Luncheon Girl Scout Sweetheart Dance Home and Garden Show Interstate Career Fair Kingsport 100 Leap Year GLOW Run/Walk Man Up Campaign for BBBS Over Mountain Outdoors PEAK Event Farmers Market Regional Leaders Breakfast Rock Springs Elementary Presentation The Local Company Grand Opening Turquoise Boutique Keta’s Closet United Way of Bristol - Past, Present & Future #HashtagLunchbagJC Annual Yum Yum Annual Ronald McDonald House Benefit & Auction Impact Awards Luncheon A Night at the Museum Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 ASP’s Race to Build Bank of Tennessee Ground Breaking Big Brothers Big Sisters Boys & Girls Club Alumni Reunion Career Carnival Carousel Gala Chateau Selah Chillin’ & Grillin’ Corazon Latino Festival Denim & Diamonds Franchise Business EXPO Gypsy Circus Media Mayhem H.O.P.E. Black History & Awards Program Lamplight Theatre Fundraiser Queen of Hearts Gala SOTM Annual Evening of Musical & EpicureanDelights Benefit Gala Spring Youth Orchestra Concert The Volunteer Leadership Committee Breakfast Thirsty Orange Brew Extravaganza TN Environmental Conference Tri-Cities Chamber Dinner in Nashville Tri-Cities Food Truck Rodeo Wallace Nissan of Kingsport After Hours Women Empowered - Amanda Valentine Womens’ Expo Young Professionals Tri-Cities St. Patrick’s Day Social
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 15
Moments of
SUCCESS & CELEBRATION Throughout the Region MOVING RIGHT ALONG
Three years ago when VIPSEEN magazine celebrated our third anniversary, we highlighted several notable successes and community improvements that had taken place since the magazine began in 2011. Now we are looking back at the past two years and what has been new and notable in the Tri Cities region since 2014. As we have often said, we are an “All-Positive Publication.” That means that we highlight things that have a positive impact on our area and its citizens. Enjoy basking in a few of our region’s recent successes!
Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia BREWLY NOTED
The Tri Cities has always been known for the beauty of our natural resources, the fine people that live here, and many successful businesses. Now our area is beginning to become known for our recent abundance of fine, local breweries. The “Brewly Noted” beer trail has been a partnership, not only of the breweries, but also between states, as the trail extends from Tennessee into Virginia. Craft brewing has become more and more popular across the country, and the Brewly Noted trail allows our unique area of Appalachia to be showcased in a new and exciting way. The trail organizers encourage people to visit one, two, three, or even all of the breweries that participate in the trail. In addition, several new events and contests have sprung out of this new focus on craft brewing in the Tri Cities. We’ll drink to that!
PASSENGER RAIL FEASIBILITY STUDY
Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee are no strangers to collaboration. Recently, the city governments of Bristol, on both sides of the state line have come together for a new venture – passenger rail. A comprehensive feasibility study has just gotten underway, and will be a chance to look at all aspects of passenger rail through Bristol. The piece under scrutiny will be the part that connects Bristol to Roanoke. This could open up access by train from the Tri Cities to places all over the Northeast, including major metropolitan areas like New York, Washington, and Boston. This would make Bristol a potential hub for rail traffic in the Southeast, and could open up a whole new reason for people to visit the Tri Cities. Hopefully the project will move forward and it will be “full steam ahead” for Bristol and the Tri Cities. 16 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Johnson City, Tennessee DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
In recent years, the downtown area of Johnson City has been focused on becoming “the place to be” in Johnson City. Restaurants and other businesses have been flocking to downtown, and now the area also boasts new and highly sought after office spaces, residential complexes, and higher education opportunities. In addition, public spaces have seen much improvement with new parks, street-scaping, a multipurpose trail system, and substantial art installations. There has never been a better time to go to downtown Johnson City!
NN INC.
NN, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of high precision metal and plastic components and assemblies. Founded in 1980, the company is headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee. Recently, NN Inc., explored the possibility of moving to a larger metropolitan area. Not only did they decide to remain in Johnson City, but they have also invested in the local community and created dozens of high quality new jobs. NN Inc., has over 5,400 employees at 42 manufacturing facilities in North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Asia. NN Inc., proudly serves customers around the globe with high quality precision solutions. They serve clients as a global partner offering high-precision, quality, on-time delivery and worldclass customer service. Major steps forward in technology often require doing the impossible, but with NN’s experience, innovation and expertise, they are able to give their customers a unique problem-solving resource that simply does not exist anywhere else.
Kingsport, Tennessee ONEKINGSPORT
The OneKingsport campaign was created as a venture between public employees, small business owners, and city leaders. These people wanted to share the excitement and unity they feel towards all areas of Kingsport with everyone else, both inside, and outside, Kingsport. OneKingsport.com is a place to go to get access to the best of Kingsport - anytime, anywhere. There is a lot of pride in the great things going on in Kingsport, and OneKingsport promotes and recognizes all the positive and unique elements of Kingsport. They believe that being united around the mission of OneKingsport, will allow everyone to accomplish great things.
KINGSPORT CAROUSEL
Pal’s Roundhouse at 350 Clinchfield Street is now home to the Kingsport Carousel. This community-focused project with hand-carved animals is not only beautiful to see, but fun to ride and enjoy with your family. In addition, both private and community events are now being held at the Carousel, including a Kingsport Chamber of Commerce after hours event in the fall of 2015. To learn more about the carousel, or to book a birthday party or event at the Carousel, visit engagekingsport. com/Kingsport-carousel.
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 17
Celebrate Serve it up Sassy
18 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
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It!
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hat are black, white and red all over? Are you guessing? Nope… it’s not a newspaper, it’s not a sun-burned penguin, and it isn’t Santa, it’s a dessert buffet! Time to CelebrateIt! Whatever the “it” occasion may be. Whether you are hosting a graduation party, bridal shower, or anniversary reception, celebrate the occasion with a black, white and red dessert buffet table. Any time is an occasion to host a sassy soiree with simple elegance and delicious sweets as with this dessert buffet. A dessert table is a festive and fun table that is spread with luscious little bites of small desserts usually in the same color family as the overall color scheme of the event. There are candy buffets, pie and cookie buffets, chocolate buffets and many other wonderful creative buffets that can be featured as a dessert table. This dessert table features all décor and food in black and white with accents of red. Behind our dessert table is a festive wall of hand-made tissue and paper flowers that bloom like a summer garden. Each flower bursts open with red, black or white centerpieces and arranged on the wall touching each other for impact and drama for the dessert table. The large tissue flowers are made from tissue paper that is accordion pleated, paper clipped and edges cut to resemble flower petals. Each petal is spread open into a blooming flower and glued to a cake board round for support and attached to the wall with Command Strips. For more information on the tissue and card stock flowers go to lizbushong.com. The table top is draped with a solid black damask linen table cloth. For the centerpiece and height, two different cake stands in black and white are used interchangeably to create a graduated large to small tiered stand that holds decorative mini chocolate cupcakes with tiny candied red roses. Black and white polka-a-dot to stripes in cardstock, wrapping paper, and cupcake liners supports the overall black and white color scheme. Mixing pattern on pattern in the same color family will add interest and intrigue to your table. Desserts for this table are variations of the black and white color scheme. Black and white butter cookies, Pecan Honey Bites dusted in confectioner’s sugar, small round red and black macrons with white butter cream frosting, and a pure chocolate Whippet, a “cloudlike marshmallow cookie coated in pure dark chocolate”. This cookie was purchased and accented with white butter cream stripes. You don’t have to be a baker or decorator to make everything for your table. Purchased little treats from your local bakery or specialty shop can be transformed by placing in decorative cupcake liners, paper cups and other decorative containers for a pretty presentation. Paper lanterns, flowers, pennants and other party décor can be ordered online or purchased at a party shop. Just keep your theme and color scheme in mind and run with it. A dessert in small bites and variety keeps your buffet easy and elegant. Three to four mini desserts per person is the recommended serving size if the guests are not eating a slice of cake, as in a wedding. You don’t want to overwhelm your guests with too many choices so offer 2-3 desserts per person with 5-6 dessert varieties. Serving large cake pieces on the dessert buffet can prove to be messy and unattractive. To solve this challenge, precut the slices into a 1 X 2 inch slice and serve it up sassy on a special individual small plate or other decorative container. Decorative cakes are beautiful on a cake stand, but not really practical for a dessert buffet. Although, it is your party and if you want them to eat cake and see your masterpiece, let them eat cake. Weddings will have a separate cake table with someone cutting and serving the cake. Presentation for any party is important. People eat with their eyes first so your desserts will need to be garnished with special details and displayed at various heights on the table. Take the time to think through how the guests will approach the table and how to serve each item. Provide small plates and utensils if your desserts require the assistance. Decorative paper napkins are appropriate and necessary. Small labels at each dessert will notify guest what the dessert is and if it has nuts or other allergens. These labels can be decorative with flourish and sometimes as simple as chalkboard stickers. Beverages can be served but on a separate beverage table. Colorful punches, small water bottles with decorative labels and fruit juices make delicious drinks for simple receptions. Creating a beautiful table for your special events will bring great joy to you and your family and friends.
RECIPE DEVELOPMENT, FOOD STYLING, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND ARTICLE BY LIZ BUSHONG
Celebrate some good times! Find a reason to celebrate, be a clever hostess and turn an ordinary day into a special occasion; just remember to Celebrate-It with a lovely dessert buffet. JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 19
Serve it up Sassy
Mini Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Roses www.lizbushong.com
INGREDIENTS 1-18.25 ounce package dark chocolate fudge cake mix 1-3ounce package chocolate instant pudding and pie mix-dry 1 1/3 cup water ½ cup vegetable oil 3 large eggs ½ cup mini chocolate morsels 1-teaspoon vanilla GARNISH 2 cups dark chocolate butter cream frosting*purchased ¼ cup dark cocoa for dusting-optional Pre-made tiny rose Icing Decorations-tested Wilton
Yield: 50 mini cupcakes /24 regular cupcakes
Additional information: Black, White and Red riddle: http://wikipedia.com Command Strips: http://www.command.com/3M Whippet Marshmallow Cookies-Dare company http://www.darefoods.com/ca_en/brand/Whippet/17
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare cupcake pan with liners. Combine all cake batter ingredients. Beat batter for 2 minutes to blend. 2. Fill plastic zip lock bag with batter, clip end of bag to ¼ “. Pipe batter into mini cupcake liners. 3. Bake cakes 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. 4. Frost cooled cupcakes with dark chocolate butter cream frosting. Pipe frosting using small round tip or opening. Dust with dark cocoa powder in a small sieve if desired. Garnish with tiny rose icing decoration to center of each cupcake. Serve the mini cakes in a decorative regular sized cupcake liner for presentation. Do not remove mini cupcake liner from baked cakes.
Make a Statement, Make it Sassy and Make it Yours!® Liz Bushong is an expert in the three-dimensional art of entertaining. She transforms simple dining occasions into beautiful and memorable moments by adding a touch of her own “sassy” style. For the past several years Liz been entrusted to decorate the White House for several Holidays. She is a featured monthly guest chef/designer on Daytime Tri-cities, Daytime Blue Ridge and other television shows. Liz is the author of the Just Desserts and Sweets & Savories cookbook as well as a contributing writer for VIPSEEN and Bella Magazine. For more information about Liz go to www.lizbushong.com or www.serveitupsassy.com
When you’re ready to tell the world you’re awesome...
Let us do it for you.
VIDEO • WEB DESIGN • SOCIAL • PRODUCT • CAMPAIGN
FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES
FEATURED ARTISTS
SCOTT MILLER Ever since Steve Earle declared Miller a “world class” songwriter – signing him and his former band The V-Roys to his record label E-Squared and producing their two bedrock Americana albums JUST ADD ICE and ALL ABOUT TOWN with Twangtrust partner Ray Kennedy – Miller has been known as a writer’s writer. Even on the next four albums Miller recorded and releasedon Sugar Hill Records from 2001 to 2008, Miller’s songwriting remained genuinely thoughtful, for the most part regional and history based– but always cloaked in what one New York Times reviewer called an “epic vernacular.” In other words, he wrote big.
CATFISH FRYE BAND
The last two years have seen big changes for the malapert Miller. Moving home to take over the family cattle farm and establishing a new base from which to tour in Staunton, VA – all while embracing a new life of sobriety – has been challenging and time consuming. “Most of my touring the last couple of years has been in spurts, not like I used to do.”
THURSDAY NIGHT SERIES
During this time of transition and scaled down touring Miller was often on the road as a solo performer. It was then that he happened to meet old-timefiddle maven, Rayna Gellert, and the two began performing together and incorporating Gellert’s old time fiddle style with Miller’s rock sensibilities, ultimately releasing an EP, CODEPENDENTS (F.A.Y.Recordings). Gellert’s fiddle now adds another sonic layer to BIG BIG WORLD.
KARL SHIFLETT & THE BIG COUNTRY SHOW Among the most beloved and respected entertainers in the music industry today, The Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show continues to keep the spirit of the past alive with their authentic delivery of Bluegrass and Classic Country Music. “Real Music” as they like to put it. Harnessing the synergy and raw edginess of Classic Country Acts of the 1940’s and 50’s they bring the best of the past to the present with their high energy single microphone stage show. For nearly a quarter of a century they have touched the hearts of countless fans across the United States, Canada and abroad while establishing themselves as one of the most dynamic musical acts of this generation. Their last recording project “Take Me Back” on Pinecastle Records received rave reviews and widespread airplay. It was ranked as number 8 in Bluegrass Music Profiles top 10 albums for 2012. Their frequent guest appearances on RFD-TV has further enhanced the groups popularity, giving them world wide exposure and making them a household name among many viewers of the rural network. For a down home, audience pleasing, good natured, toe tapping good time this is one band you don’t want to miss. Check em out!
22 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
FOLK SOUL REVIVAL
Catfish Frye Band is the Tri-Cities based “Rockin Boogie Blues” band! If you like to feel the soulful old school electric blues along with tappin your feet to the boogie feelin then this is the band for you. Several blues/rock classics are thrown in to cover all styles of blues. Duane “Catfish” Frye plays the old school Chicago harmonica along with the more modern style that is growing fast in the blues world. Catfish plays from the soul and you will know it from the first note. Adam Graybeal has been well known for long time in this region as a flat out smokin blues guitarist. His seasoned vocals shine thru as well. You do not want to miss when Catfish and Adam start “cuttin heads”. A battle to behold. Aaron Faust is the backbone of CFB. He truly gets what being a blues drummer is all about. His high end vocals will bring the chill bumps to anyone that “feels” the music. Jamey Gillenwater IS da man on da bass! Feelin the groove and laying it down! Killer player and a great singer. If you like to surrender yourself to “feelin the music” then Catfish Frye Band is for you!
Based in Bristol, VA/TN, a.k.a. the birthplace of country music, FOLK SOUL REVIVAL is one of southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee’s most beloved and sought after acts. Performing original roots-rock, the quintet’s distinct, radio-ready sound and back-porch instrumentation have garnered success with high profile gigs opening for the likes of Travis Tritt, Jason Isbell, Eric Church, Justin Townes Earle, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and more. FSR’s loyal fan base, fondly referred to as “The Congregation,” consistently packs sold out shows across the southeast while singing along with the band word for word.
VISIT US ONLINE FOR MORE INFO TWILIGHTALIVE.COM
THE BOXCARS MIKE BENTLEY & CUMBERLAND GAP CONNECTION Mike Bentley & Cumberland Gap Connection have spent a lot of time honing and perfecting a sound all their own. From its inception, the group’s efforts have taken a unique, harddriving style of bluegrass to a new level, combining clever instrumentation with a distinctive knack for vocal harmony. Comprised of Mike Bentley on lead vocals and guitar; Rod Smith on vocals and banjo; Matt Hiser on vocals and mandolin; Jeff Smith on vocals and bass; and Aaron Smith on vocals and guitar, this five piece ensemble shares a fun sense of camaraderie within the band, making it easy to see how the group has won so many fans in a very short time. Mike Bentley & Cumberland Gap Connection enjoys playing songs in the traditional bluegrass style, while performing as much original material as possible, fulfilling what the band sees as its two part goal—enjoying what they do while making their fans happy.
Adam Steffey, Ron Stewart, Gary Hultman, Keith Garrett and Harold Nixon make up the group “The Boxcars.” With collective stints with Alison Krauss & Union Station (Adam Steffey), J.D. Crowe & The New South (Ron Stewart, Harold Nixon), Blue Moon Rising (Keith Garrett and Harold Nixon), and most recently The Dan Tyminski Band (Steffey and Stewart), this quintet starts out with an impressive rap sheet. Award winning instrumentalist Ron Stewart will deliver rock solid banjo work, but will also lay down the banjo for the fiddle on some tunes. It’s always a rarity to have multiple strong vocalists in the same group, and The Boxcars benefit from strong vocal performances from Keith Garrett, Ron Stewart, and Steffey’s signature baritone. They are on Crossroads/ Mountain Home.
BRING LAWN CHAIRS. NO PETS. NO COOLERS. TWILIGHTALIVE.COM
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 23
Queen
SEEN IN ABINGDON
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER
of Hearts Gala PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICKEY BAKER | STORY SUBMITTED
The Southwest Higher Education Center in Abingdon, VA buzzed with excitement on Saturday, March 19th as the American Heart Association hosted the 52nd Queen of Hearts Gala. Seven local young ladies have worked since November to raise funds for the American Heart Association through their campaigns and attended the Gala for the crowning of the 2016 Queen of Hearts. More than 100 attendees filled the ballroom for an enjoyable celebration as the Queen of Hearts 2016 candidates were recognized and the winner of the campaign announced. Through fundraising efforts, the seven candidates were able to raise a combined $50,024 for the American Heart Association. These funds will support ground-breaking research and education to fight heart disease: the number one killer of all Americans. The Queen of Hearts winner is determined by the young lady who raises the most money for the cause through donations, fundraising events and the selling of sponsorships, program recognitions, memorials and honorariums. This year, Caroline Kole Creasy, the daughter of Debbie and Todd Creasy, was crowned the 2016 Queen of Hearts, raising an impressive $24,595.68. Miss Creasy is a junior at Abingdon High School. Caroline also represents her school as a Varsity Cheerleader, a member of the Varsity Girls Tennis Team, the DECA Club treasurer and a member of the Civinettes. Miss Creasy attends Highlands Fellowship Church. “It was an honor to participate and be crowned the 2016 American Heart Association Queen of Hearts. I enjoyed being able to contribute time and money for such a great cause and it was a great learning experience about giving back to my community”, said Caroline. Second place went to Madyson Kent, the daughter of Martin and Vonda Kent, raising $9,101.81. The Tennessee High School sophomore is active in a number of school activities. In addition, she is in the Bristol Ballet Senior Company and assists with Bristol Ballet classes once a week. Madyson was just recently accepted into a 2016 Tennessee Governor’s School. Madyson feels that participating in the Queen of Hearts Campaign has been a very rewarding experience. Rounding out the top three was John Battle High School junior, Maggie Capell, raising $6,672.87. Maggie, the daughter of Michael and Penny Capell is a sophomore at John Battle High School. Maggie is a member in the school band as well as involved in other school activities. Maggie’s decision to participate in the Queen of Hearts campaign was because her family has personally experienced the impact of heart disease. In addition to the individual awards, the High School that collectively raises the most money is recognized with the Crump Memorial Award. This year that award went to Abingdon High School. 24 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 25
SEEN IN NASHVILLE
UNION RESTAURANT
Nashville
Legislative Dinner STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARK ADAMS
On Tuesday, March 1, The Kingsport, Bristol, and Johnson City Chambers of Commerce hosted their annual Legislative Dinner in Nashville, Tennessee, at 417 Union Restaurant. For over 10 years, the Tri Cities Chambers of Commerce has organized this event so that Legislators from our region, and local business and community leaders from the Tri Cities can gather in Nashville while the Tennessee Legislature is in session.
John Rainero, Leah Ross, and Mitchell Rainero
During the winter and spring of each calendar year, local representatives and senators in the Tennessee Legislature spend a great deal of time in Nashville conducting the business of the state. This event gives people in our area the opportunity to interact with our state government officials in a unique way.
Maria Ketron and Sharon Hayes
John Rainero, Elliott Moore, Mitchell Rainero, and Dustin Goforth
Jason Mumpower and Representative David Hawk
Miles Burdine, Dustin Goforth, and Nicole Austin
ever
Set d com histo cours
To le Senator Steve Southerland, Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, Representative Timothy Hill, Representative Bud Hulsey, Beth Rhinehart, Miles Burdine, Deputy Comptroller Jason Mumpower, and Representative David Hawk
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Beth Rhinehart and Bud Hulsey
Where The Sinclairs
meet the
Virginia Highlands.
every family has a story. what will yours say? Set deep within the Virginia Highlands, The Virginian is a private, residential community with a deep heritage. Now, your family can be a part of this history. Experience the best of quiet, country living with a Tom Fazio-designed course, fly fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, tennis and more. To learn about life here, visit TheVirginian.com. Homes from $450k. 866.862.2153 | 22512 CLUBHOUSE RIDGE, BRISTOL, VA 24202
SEEN IN GRAY
THE GRAY FOSSIL SITE
Arts & Economic
Prosperity 5 PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY CAROLYN KESTNER
The Natural History Museum at the Gray Fossil Site welcomed Anne Pope, Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission on Wednesday March 16th. With Americans for the Arts (AFTA) preparing to launch it’s Arts & Economic Prosperity 5, Pope along with Grace Robins met with local arts organization representatives to educate them on the study. AEP5 is a national study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry of which The Tennessee Arts Commission is one of nearly 20 statewide partners participating. The study will document the key roles played by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences in strengthening our economy. The statewide findings from this study will serve as a critical advocacy and branding tool for Tennessee’s arts industry. Thirteen area art organizations attended including, Create Appalachia, Kingsport Ballet, ETSU, Symphony of The Mountains, International Story Telling Center, Umoja, ROSE Center as well as, City of Kingsport Cultural Arts and Kingsport ARTS. For more information on this or Tennessee Arts Commission visit www.tnartscommission.org.
UMOJA’s Karen Sullivan and McKinney Center’s Jules Corriere
Tennessee Arts Commission’s Anne Pope and Grace Robinson
Kingsport’s Bonnie Macdonald and Cathie Faust
THE KINGSPORT FARMERS MARKET
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
Tri-Cities Food
Truck Rodeo PHOTOGRAPHY BY ED CONNERS | STORY BY BROOKE COUCH
Tri-Cities Food Truck Rodeo was held on Saturday, March 19, 2016, as part of the 4th Annual Carousel Fine Craft Show & Brass Ring Gala, which took place March 18, 19 & 20th. The Food Truck Rodeo took place at the Kingsport Farmers Market in Downtown Kingsport. The list of Food Trucks present consisted of: Lil’ Delights Concessions, The Caribbean Grill, B&B Barbeque, Just Write Food Hut, Foodie Fiction, Wholey Smokey Waffles, and Spanqui’s. There were many different tastes for people to invite to their pallets! Some of the mouth-watering food included jerk chicken, caramel apple nachos, and Kimchi quesadillas. Make sure to follow these trucks on Facebook so you know where they are headed next!
Spanqui’s
Foodie Fiction
The Caribbean Grill and Just Write Food Hut
Lil’ Delights Concessions
SEEN IN BRISTOL
SUSAN G. KOMEN
2016 Impact
Awards Luncheon STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAYTON CARTER
On Tuesday, April 12th, Susan G. Komen® Tri-Cities held their 2016 Impact Awards Luncheon in Bristol, Tennessee. Susan G. Komen® Tri-Cities’ mission is to save lives and end breast cancer forever. At this event, Komen Tri-Cities presented awards to local grantees. These grantees include E.T.S.U., The University of Tennessee, Wellmont Health Systems, and many more. Breast Cancer research can be very expensive and time consuming. It can take up to 15 years and $5 billion to transfer a discovery in the lab into a medication that can be used by patients. Cancer is a very serious issue, but it can be solved. Susan G. Komen ensures quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures. Thank you Susan G. Komen Tri-Cities for all you do for our local Breast Cancer patients, survivors, and their families! Lisa Marie Pierson, Leslie Gilliam, and Mara Owens
Lisa Marie Pierson, Mae King, Michelle Matzek, and Mara Owens
Leslie Gilliam and Sally Shelton
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Lisa Marie Pierson, Trisha Mims, Jessica Triska, and Mara Owens
Dedipya Immadisetty, Mara Owens, Lisa Marie Pierson, and Lori Brown
Lisa Marie Pierson, Rebecca Muncy, and Mara Owens
Rebecca Muncy and Dedra Crouse
Mara Owens, John Abe Teague (Congressman Phil Rowe’s Rep.), and Lisa Marie Pierson
Lisa Marie Pierson, Dedra Crouse, and Mara Owens
Sherry Jones and Crissy Milhorne
Lisa Marie Pierson, Sherry Jones, Crissy Milhorne, and Mara Owens
2015 WINNERS 2016 live competitions will begin on May 31, 2016 and winners announced on July 30, 2015. Early rounds of the Live competitions will be held on the 2nd floor of the Renaissance Center Theater.
AGES 18-24
AGES 8-12
AGES 25 AND UP
Kristen is 22 years old and was very excited to be named the winner of Kingsport Idol in the 1824 your old category in 2015 making her third year of competing in this competition her year. She has won many titles in several competitions including 2014 Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year at NACAMI in 2014. She continues to pursue her dream of singing by writing songs, competing, performing, learning to play guitar as well as keyboard, and hopes this will lead to a professional singing career.
Noah is 13 years old and in the 7th grade at Richlands Middle School in Tazewell County, VA. He has a passion for music, and currently plays guitar, piano, and drums in addition to his singing. This summer he will be competing in 5 categories at Youthquest, a national level competition in Daytona, FL where he will be singing, playing all three instruments, and rapping.
Jess has lived in beautiful Kingsport, TN for about 5 years and is currently working for Citibank. She is recent newlywed to the love of her life, Nick Lewakowski. Singing has always been her passion and loves being a part of this challenging competition with amazing local talent.
KRISTEN Trent Arwood
NOAH Spencer
AGES 14-17 (OVERALL WINNER OF 2015 COMPETITION)
KAITLYN Miller
Kaitlin Miller is a 17 year old student at Central High School daughter of Tracie Becknell and Jim Miller member of the show choir and softball team. I am so thankful for all the people who support me my family and friends and that I am getting the opportunity to perform and live my dream of being able to sing to everyone. Kaitlyn was named the overall winner during the Kingsport Idol 2016 Competition.
2016 SCHEDULE FOR COMPETITION
The dates for auditions will be held at Renaissance Center in Room 310 at 6p.m.
AGES 18-24, MAY 3 AGES 8-13, MAY 5 AGES 25 AND UP, MAY 10 AGES 14-17, MAY 12 LIVE SHOWS
May 31, June 7, June 14, June 21, June 28, July 5th at Renaissance Center Theater 2nd Floor.
JULY 12TH Semifinals, 6p.m. – Farmers Market JULY 30TH Finale – Place and Time TBD
JESS Lewakowski
KINGSPORT IDOL COORDINATOR AND HOST
MARK Kilgore
Mark Kilgore started Kingsport Idol back in 2006 as a local competition for youth. He works as Recreation Coordinator at the City of Kingsport Bays Mountain Park. I think this competition is fabulous in the way it allows for family members to participate in a signing competition together. The competition has grown to be the largest talent show in the Tri Cities and Southwest Virginia. Its been an honor serving as Coordinator and Host and to be able to showcase this amazing talent in the area. My goal was to give our community a singing outlet to showcase their amazing abilities.
For more information contact us at sing@kingsportidol.com or 423-230-6357 32 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
IN LIVE SOUND, INTELLIGIBILITY IS EVERYTHING! That’s why you want a partner like Top Gun Systems, Inc. & Alan Dodson to ensure that every spoken word is heard loud and clear. If the sound quality prevents the audience from enjoying the event, it will not only leave them with an unfavorable impression, it will likely cost you money! That’s why we invest in state of the art equipment and well trained personnel. We know that in order to create an event that is both appealing and impactful, you require the very best. DON’T DEPEND ON CHANCE FOR QUALITY SOUND! FROM AMAZING WEDDINGS!
TO LARGE TRAINING SESSIONS TO SMALL CORPORATE MEETINGS
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SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
DOWNTOWN
Corazon Latino
Festival PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY JAMES HELMS
The folks who put on the Corazon Latino Festival in downtown Johnson City not only made it fun, entertaining, and family friendly but educational as well. There were a multitude of volunteers who lined the streets teaching folks about the culture of many of the countries that make up the Latin population. Countries such as Puerto Rico, Columbia, Spain and many others were represented with volunteers teaching folks about music, food, and geography. The public was given passports that they got signed off on as they visited each one of the countries. Beyond that the crowds were also treated to live bands playing traditional Latin music and local dance instructor B.J. Holiday wowed crowds by teaching free dance clinics such as salsa dancing. There was a kid’s area also where children could do arts and crafts, play hop scotch, and try to whack a piùata that hung above the street. One of the main treats were all the street vendors who were set up serving traditional Latin food such as fresh fruits, tacos, burritos, snacks and other street fare.
Nawaf Alsubhi
Science Hill Volunteers
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Street vendors
Tri-Cities Rugby Club
Candace Simerly
Puerto Rico
Washington County Health Department
BJ Goliday
Maria Aparcero
Panama ETSU volunteers
Music Festival Hair
VIPBEAUTY
BY SHERRI JESSEE
Take a small section from the front top on each side and twist back away from the face. Lightly pull on the twisted rope to make it looser and larger.
1
Apply a small amount of a bodifying mousse and blow dry hair with a center part. Spray each section with hair spray and wrap hair on a 1� ceramic curling wand to create beautiful waves in the hair.
36 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Direct each twisted section to the back and slide in a few bobby pins. Keep the pins closed for a tighter hold.
2
Lightly tease the top crown section and pull to the center back and secure with bobby pins.
3
4
Braid the hair framing the face in the front on each side. Allow a few pieces to gently drop out. Be sure to hold the sections toward the back and gently pull the braid out to make it larger.
5 Drape the braids to the back and slide in a few pins.
6 Mist with Sherri Jessee hairspray for humidity control and hold.
7
SEEN IN ABINGDON
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER
8 Grade th
Career Carnival PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY FELICIA CONNERS
VHCC Educational Talent Search hosted its 2016 Career Carnival on March 23rd held at the Southwest VA Higher Education Center in Abingdon, VA. About 45 businesses contributed in this event, sharing everything from the brightly colored cupcakes at the Food City booth to live snakes at a VHCC biology table. This event was held to provide 8th graders an opportunity to explore a diversity of careers. Handson material, activities and thought-provoking demonstrations helped make this event a success. Participating schools were Virginia Middle, Glade Springs Middle, EB Stanley Middle and Wallace Middle.
VHCC BIOMEDICAL Science: Jenny Gross, Nathaniel Price, Courtney Rice, and Carissa Justus
Food City: Tiffany Justus, Catherine Lawson, Carrie Owens, Kimberly Prater, and Midge Barbrow
Glade Springs Middle School Students: Autumn Leonard, Amariah Casto, Cora Boardwine, and Jazmine Tuggle
VA Highlands Community College: Kevin Shah
Schiller IPN: Joyce McCormick and Beth Thomas
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Wallace Middle School Students: Keelie Pippin and Macenna Poe
Wallace Middle School: Shannon Mutter, Regina Hawkins, and Laura Counts
Bell Helicopter: Adam Martin and Jillian Brassel
Virginia Middle School Students: Erington Cox, Emerson Aldridge, and Katie Brown
 MSHA Wings Air Rescue: Brian C. Lonon, Flight Paramedic
Abingdon Parks And Recreation/Coomes Recreation Center: Jennifer Johnson and Melisha Wynne
VCU School of Allied Health: Joshua Williams
The Lane Group: Chris Mullins and Paula Riffe
Highlands Fellowship Youth Ministry: Martha Jessee
VCA Highlands Animal Hospital: Dr. Gina Robinson
Ella Ratcliffe, Trio Office Manager , Kimberly Holmes, Advisor for Educational Talent Search; and Brianne Green, Coordinator of Educational Talent Search
Kiddie Care College: Carole Carmack
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 39
8TH ANNUAL DANCING WITH THE TRI-CITIES STARS PRESENTED BY CITI
AMY MOONEY
Amy Mooney is a native of Johnson City, TN and a graduate of both Science Hill High School and Converse College in South Carolina where she majored in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Amy taught for the Knox County School System before returning to Johnson City. She has worked as an instructor for National Crime Prevention Council and, most recently, as a Personal Fitness Trainer. Amy is also active in the community serving in several leadership roles. Amy and her husband, Matt, have two children, Will and Emma Cate. In addition to running & exercise, her hobbies include traveling, attending sporting events and spending time with her family.
CRYSTAL PHILLIPS-WALTON
Crystal Phillips-Walton is the Director of Sales at the Carnegie Hotel. A native of Jonesborough, TN she graduated from David Crockett High School in 1994 and attended East Tennessee State University majoring in business administration. During her fifteen years with Carnegie Hotel she has volunteered with several distinguished organizations. Crystal is currently a Johnson City Chamber Ambassador, Board Member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association and is an active member of Tennessee Hospitality Association and Tennessee Society Association of Executives. Crystal’s most important job is being mom to her children, Zackery and Noah. She enjoys running, working out, and traveling.
GINA PINNEY
Gina Pinney is a pharmacist and owner of Pinney’s Prescription Shop in Kingsport, TN. She attended Clemson University for her pre-pharmacy requirements then graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. As an advocate for pharmacy and the desire to inspire the next generation of pharmacists, she is a pharmacist preceptor for ETSU. Gina and her husband Fred are proud parents to Spencer, 22, and Justice, 16. Gina has served on the missions committee at First Broad Street United Methodist Church for nearly 20 years and the board for Mustard Seed Ministries for 3 years. She has been a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and is very excited about getting involved with SteppenStone.
LEA ANN RASAR
Lea Ann Rasar is the Director of Move to Kingsport, an economic development program that focuses on recruiting individuals to our community. Originally from Piney Flats, TN, Lea Ann is a graduate of ETSU with a degree in Mass Communications and Public Relations. Lea Ann serves on numerous boards throughout Sullivan County and the state of Tennessee, including the March of Dimes. Lea Ann’s daughter, Presley, loves to sing, dance and rescue animals. In her spare time, Lea Ann enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, dancing, exercising, listening to live music, and volunteering at area animal shelters and rescues. Most recently, she was awarded the Tennessee Chapter Volunteer of the Year with the March of Dimes.
LINZI HATLEY
Linzi Hatley, a Kingsport native, now resides in Johnson City, TN. She attended ETSU with a concentration in nutrition/dietetics. She and her husband David own a hot tub manufacturing company along with many retail stores throughout the country, LPI Inc. & RecDirect. Linzi recently stepped away from the day-to-day operations at their business. Along with taking care of her son and two stepsons, she is very active in the community and with local charities. In 2015 Linzi chaired the ACS Hope Gala at her home, and this past New Years Eve she hosted a fundraising event that benefited SteppenStone. Linzi is an active member of Christ Fellowship Church where she helps with the toddler program.
DONNY REEVES
Donny Reeves, M.D., grew up in Ogden, Utah where he received his undergraduate degree from Weber State University and his medical degree at the University of Utah. He began his Ophthalmology career in 2004. Army Reserve Captain Dr. Reeves served as an Ophthalmologist and Medical Doctor during Operation Enduring Freedom. After receiving his honorable discharge in 2005, he returned to practicing Ophthalmology and in December of 2011, he realized his dream of opening his own office in the Tri-Cities. Dr. Reeves specializes in treating numerous eye diseases and eye conditions. He performs Blade-Free Custom LASIK to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. On the weekend, you are likely to catch Dr. Reeves with his family enjoying the great outdoors.
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RUSSELL INGRAM
Russell Ingram, a native of Johnson City, graduated from The University of Mississippi with dual degrees in Economics and Managerial Finance and, from there, continued his education at Tulane University in New Orleans completing his Master of Finance. He then moved to Chicago where he traded Natural Gas and Crude Oil futures, but six years ago, Russell moved back to Johnson City to work with his father, Duke, at Ingram Financial Services. Outside of his career, Russell enjoys playing golf, hiking with Max (his golden retriever), and traveling. He has been on the board of the Children’s Advocacy Center and is proud to participate in Dancing with the Tri-Cities Stars.
RUSTY LITTLE
Rusty is a native Floridian and grew up next to the Kennedy Space Center. Rusty’s father was a personal friends with many of the astronauts so Rusty was able to meet many of these space pioneers. After graduating from Astronaut High School, Rusty went to work for an engineering firm, becoming an electronics technician. This led him to a 30-year career in the cable TV and broadcast television industries. He currently works with Charter/Spectrum Reach in Kingsport. Rusty is now happy to call Tennessee home, moving to Johnson City in 2008. He is active in many east Tennessee charity events and fundraisers and is thrilled to be a part of the 2016 Dancing with the Tri-Cities Stars.
SCOTT EDWARDS
Scott Edwards is the CEO and President of CSE Construction/Development. He has a degree in Church Administration and Church Growth from South Carolina. He has three boys, Chandler, Chase and Cole. He played basketball in high school at David Crockett in Jonesborough. Scott took hold of his entrepreneurial spirit right out of high school and started his own business. He calls Boone Lake his home and his hobbies include wakeboarding, camping and travel. He brings joy and laughter to anything he is a part of and hopes to touch you with his performance at this year’s event.
SHAWN WITTEN
Shawn Witten is a native of Elizabethton, Tennessee and is a graduate from Elizabethton High School. Shawn received a full athletic scholarship to play football at Virginia Tech University and was a four-year letterman from 1999-2002. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Shawn accepted a graduate assistant football coaching position at the University of Tennessee, where he also received his master’s degree. In 2007, Shawn returned to his alma mater where he is the head football coach and teacher at Elizabethton High School. Shawn and his wife Katie have three children: Natalie, Rider, and Brooke.
MEADOWVIEW CONFERENCE RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
15th Annual 2016 Tennessee
Environmental
Conference PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY EDWARD CONNERS
TriAD Environmental Consultants, Jeff Postell and Chelsea Williams
A clarion was sounded this spring in East Tennessee, a call to action! What action you say? To act locally, but think globally when it comes to environmental conservation. The proactive fight to stop global climate change was stressed at the 15th Annual Tennessee Environmental Conference on March 15-16, held at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, TN. One of the keynote speakers, Bridgestone Americas CEO and President, Gary Garfield, stressed the importance of taking action now, not later. Other keynote speakers included, Bob Martineau, Commissioner of TDEC, Andy Likes, Vice President of Vandiver Group & Toks Omishakin, Deputy Commissioner & Chief of Environment and Planning Tennessee Department of Transportation. Environmental Consultants, Hazardous Waste Transporters, Analytical Laboratories, Departments of Environmental Conservation, all gathered to disseminate and discuss cutting edge information concerning the environment and the conservation of our natural resources. Topics discussed ranged from, Household and Hazardous waste disposal, Biofuels for cars and trucks, Electric cars, Environmental Conservation and Toxic spill cleanup to name a few.
Marion Environmental (MEI), Mark Hunter, Steve Wright, and Barry Lasley
Heritage Environmental Services, Don Grudzielanek and Glenn L. Magley Tennessee Tech University, College of Graduate Studies, Andre Porter
PACE Analytical, Craig Griffin and Justin Hensley
HEPACO, Chuck Stanton
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 43
SEEN IN BLOUNTVILLE
CHATEAU SELAH
Chateau Selah
Open House PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY LINDA COFFEY
Chateau Selah sits atop of a beautiful mountain in East Tennessee. It is hard to say what you notice first, the chateau or the panoramic views. The architecture of the chateau is detailed and exquisite. There are three master suites, a conference area, a state-of-the-art kitchen and many outdoor spaces. Every room has a view and an open feeling. The house and the location are perfectly blended into a unique venue that hosts weddings, corporate events, showers and parties; as well as accommodations for a weekend getaways. On March 20th, Chateau Selah hosted an Open House for the public to view the facility. Guests were greeted with warmth and encouraged to tour the chateau and the grounds, while enjoying provided refreshments. For more information about Chateau Selah, visit their website: www.chateauselah.com
Michelle Lea Photographie
Trevor and his Mom, April Lawson touring the chateau
Suzanne Bawgus, Addison Bracken, and Leah Winegar
Amanda and Addison Bracken
Brian Godwin and fiancĂŠ, Paula Giovanetti tour the chateau
44 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Alexandria Barrington and Michael Vondran considering the venue for their wedding.
Engaged couple, Kristen Weddle, and Adam Henderson
SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
MUNSEY MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
#HashtagLunchbag PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMITTED | STORY BY ASHLEY ANDERSON
What do you get when you combine passion, drive, a desire to help others, and a great group of friends and family? You get #HashtagLunchbagJC. This community outreach event helped to feed hundreds in need in Johnson City. Like every other story, this story has a small back story. My husband and I have a combined passion for business, investment, fulfilling our purpose, and helping others. Our goal is to eventually mesh these entities. Like many others, we have volunteered and served, but I had the desire to take it to the next level. I wanted to spearhead my own event to allow it to be the ripple to develop and grow our outreach into more. I stalled for several years trying to find my starting point. I needed to get my feet wet. Then one night, I saw an ad for #HashtagLunchbag. (I’ll fill you in on their story in a moment). This would be a one day event to make and hand out lunch bags to the homeless and in-need population. I thought to myself, “I can do that. It’s just one day. It wouldn’t require complex planning.” I had found my starting point.
Daisy, Tara, Billy, Matt, Aaliyah at one of our distribution sites
I then needed to find out how to reach those in need. While networking with the most helpful lady at ETSU and pinning down resources and distribution sites, I was connected with an employee of Johnson City Housing Authority. They were planning food distribution alongside Second Harvest on the same day as our event. She asked if we could come on board and donate lunch bags to their residents as well. Of course, I was excited to help. What started as a goal to prepare 150 lunches for the homeless had quickly turned into 650. I knew then I wasn’t just going to dip my toes in the water, we were just going to jump right in and give it our all. I will briefly pause and fill you in on #HashtagLunchbag before getting back to our event story. #HashtagLunchbag began on Christmas 2012 in a Los Angeles apartment by a group of friends who were having trouble finding a fun and meaningful way to give back. They came up with the simple, yet effective idea of preparing and giving lunch bags to the homeless in their area. The ripple continued and ever since, the original group has hosted #HashtagLunchbag events at least once a month in Los Angeles. Through their committed efforts, they began to see others replicate their model. They shared their story with anyone interested and empowered many to bring the movement to their local community, which is what we did. #HashtagLunchbag is the perfect example of how a small group of people on a local level can make a tremendous impact, one small act at a time. I began gathering my team and we got to work. I had the vision and strategy, while Julie and Tara had years of experience as well as connections. We had a combined, effective list of skill sets. We acquired donations and gathered friends and family to stuff bags. The bags contained a simple 5 item lunch along with an inspirational note to its recipient. We stuffed 644 total lunch bags. Of those, 467 were given to the Johnson City Housing Authority. The other 177 were handed out at 2 distribution sites we set up in downtown Johnson City. The bitter sweet part is we ran out of bags within about an hour.
Julie, Ashley, and Tara - Day of the event before distributing bags
My daughters Halle and Mariah stamping event logo on lunch bags
We had such a great turnout, reception, and success that it definitely confirmed and inspired my desire for growing this outreach. This has led to the concept of the inception of my own non-profit organization. This will give us the platform to not only recreate this lunch bag event, but also many other charities, community outreach programs, and even scholarship opportunities. This is only the beginning. This will not be the last you see of us!
A HUGE THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT HELPED AND DONATED:
Family and Friends helping to prepare the lunch bags
My wonderful husband and kids – Troy, Mariah, Jayden, Halle, Maddox, and Maddison My parents Carma and Pete My dear friends Julie and Tara and their amazing families – Judy, Billy, Susan, Debora, Aaliyah, Daisy, and Matt Our friends Debbie, Landon, and Conner; Amber, Tacie, Susanne, Dawn, Nancy Smarty Pants, Wynne Tyree, Radames Rodriguez East Tennessee Eye Care • Mickey and Angela Baker • Subway • Food City Eastman • Pristine Springs • Simm’s Pizzeria • Fatz Café • UETHDA Goodwill • United Grocery Outlet • Eric and Kim Thrasher JCDDC • JCCHC • Carter Wade • Vivian Clayman • JCHA • Patty Muse Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church 46 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Mariah, Conner, and Landon handing out lunch bags
Maddox handing out lunch bags
No More Ties for Dad
UGG men’s slippers are made for indoor/outdoor use! Soft, comfortable, and durable! Bristol 527 State Street (Downtown) 276-644-3275
GIFT
Kingsport 1880 N. Eastman Road (behind Starbucks) 423-247-3995
GUIDE
Ligero Cigar Lounge Has Dad Covered With the area’s largest humidor, Ligero Cigar Lounge has virtually any cigar dad could want. All of them are at the perfect humidity, temperature and taste. This year, get dad a unique, timeless gift. 4471 N Roan Street Johnson City, TN 423-928-6667
Take Care of Dad Head to Toe at Pixie Salon
Fades, Undercuts,” Man”-icures & Sandal Savvy Pedicures. Services starting at $20.00. Gift Certificates Available.
Olive Oil Divine is celebrating Fathers Day 2016 Gourmet Grilling with Dad with 16% off!
128 West Main Street Downtown Kingsport 423-392-0804
FATHERS DAY SPECIAL #1: Gift Basket with Cask 8 Aged Balsamic with 18 Spice Chicken Rub. Regularly $35.50, now $29.82 after 16% off! FATHERS DAY SPECIAL #2: Gift Basket with Cask 25 Aged Balsamic with Espresso Steak Rub & 18 Spice Chicken Rub. Regularly $48.50, now $40.74 after 16% off! *Offer good only on these pre-made baskets, and while supplies last.
Comfort for Dad on His Special Day
Men’s Jack Rogers shoes and sandals. They’re the pieces that take Dad from an afternoon bike ride to evening cocktails and the ones you never forget to pack, wherever you’re headed. 2515 N Roan Street Johnson City, TN 423-328-9488
Give Dad the Summer Off From Pool Cleaning for Father’s Day
Aquabot Rapids 4WD – $799.95 ($50 mail-in rebate through the end of July)
The Other Dads Will Be Green With Envy No other outdoor cooker can match the quality and versatility of a Big Green Egg – it truly is The Ultimate Cooking Experience!
Available at The Pool Doctor 423-239-7712 5275 Ft. Henry Dr. Suite 6 Kingsport 1 1/2 Miles from Colonial Heights on Old Hwy 36
Alfresco Lifestyles 450 Commerce Drive Abingdon, VA (I-81 Exit. 17, Near Hampton Inn) 276-628-4797 | www.alfrescolifestyles.com
Surprise Dad with a Power Smile!
Professional teeth whitening for $99, up to six shades whiter! MMC Skin, Laser and Med Spa 1000 E Center Street Kingsport, TN 423-378-6337 JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 47
Denim &
SEEN IN JONESBOROUGH
GRACE MEADOWS FARM
Diamonds PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY JACQUELINE JOSEPH
Grace Meadows was the perfect venue for Northeast State’s (NES) Denim and Diamonds scholarship fundraiser held March 19th. Denim and Diamonds is one of several signature events to celebrate Northeast’s 50th anniversary. The casual gala included a silent and live auction as well as dinner and dancing. Community and business leaders from around the region enjoyed the evening, which was coordinated by Perfectly Planned, LLC. Lee Shillito, Northeast State Foundation Chair hosted the evening along with primary sponsors Appalachian Community Federal Credit Union (ACFCU) and Dempsey’s Jewelers. Shillito spoke of the impact Northeast has had around our region while ACFCU’s Ron Scott, told guests how important it is for NES to have the Washington County campus. Many students would not be in school were it not for the convenience of the downtown Johnson City Campus. Chris Jordan, with Dempsey’s, highlighted that his company has several NES graduates as employees. Additionally, two current scholars spoke about what their Northeast State experience has meant to them.
Richard Yett, Cindy Yett, and Ken Leonard
Rebekah Bishop and Lottie Ryans
Jamie Jackson, with Robin and Jeff Williams
Kelly and Chris Jordan Karen and Matt Wilhjelm, with Phillip and Sarah Cox
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Marc Joseph and Chris Jordan
BUY LOCAL. When you buy from
YOU ARE SUPPORTING OUR
COMMUNITY
Grindstaff, Inc. supports many nonprofit
organizations throughout
Coalition for Kids • SteppenStone Mountain States FoundationNiswonger Childrens Hospital
the region. STEVE and
Little Milligan School in Butler, TN
ASHLEY Grindstaff believe
Washington County Animal Shelter
in GIVING BACK.
Here is a list of some of the organizations that have benefitted from the commitment the GRINDSTAFF’S have
Carter County Animal Shelter Special Spaces • Hands On! Museum American Cancer Society • March of Dimes East Tennessee State University
to supporting their
COMMUNITY.
STEVE GRINDSTAFF, Owner/President/CEO www.543Boss.com
Boss
Sally J. Dodson
On one of the most important days in your life, I will assist you in creating a remarkable wedding while removing the stress from you! FOUR REASONS WHY A WEDDING PLANNER IS SO IMPORTANT: 1. To Save You Time: It can take up to 250 hours or more to plan a wedding, which would equate to 6 to 8 months of weekends for you to plan your entire wedding. Spend that time enjoying each other! 2. To Save You Money: A consultant is part of the wedding budget, not an additional expense. I work within your budget and often save you money by avoiding costly mistakes and helping choose the right vendors. 3. To Relieve Stress: I remove the burden from you, your family and friends by doing all the legwork. It is my responsibility to bring all the details of orchestrating your wedding into place. No worries for you! 4. To Have An AMAZING Wedding!: I help couples explore their imagination to help them realize the wedding of their dreams. Together we build on your love story, personality and sense of style and weave that into every aspect of your wedding, far a day that is memorable, unique and distinctive! That is what you deserve, isn’t it?
Sally J. Dodson www.WeddingBoss.net 423.612.3758 Sally@WeddingBoss.net
THE VENUE
SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
14th Annual Ronald
McDonald House Benefit and Auction PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY PAYTON CARTER
Jonarae Wade and Cameron Salyer
Caitlin Olive and Payton Carter
Caitlin Olive (Pres.), Tori Cox(organized event), Madison Smith, and Ashley Carlson
Alison Downer, Kailey Hill, and Kirstin Tipton
Aramis Bennett, Tim Callahan, Carl Overstreet, and Clayton Walker
On April the 9th, 2016 “Alpha Delta Pi” held their Annual Ronald McDonald House Benefit and Auction in Johnson City, Tennessee. Ronald McDonald House Charities is Alpha Delta Pi’s international philanthropy. Each year Alpha Delta Pi seeks community minded support to help and ensure the continued success of the Ronald McDonald House and their service for families and children in our region. In addition to the above philanthropies, Alpha Delta Pi participates in events on and off campus. They also support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and many other local charities. We are proud to have Alpha Delta Pi and we are thankful for the positive things they are doing in our community!
Victoria McCullah, Amanda Hickman, Ali Kilgore, Kara Ford, and Taylor Oglesby
Brooke Gardner, Jacy Richardson, Lara Byerley, and Ryan Grinnell
Blake Bise and Bailey Purkey
Casey Chandler, Gracie Norman, Carly Jones, Roslyn Cordell, Sarah Miller, and Torie Naegle
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 53
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
THE KINGSPORT FARMER’S MARKET
2016 Carousel Fine Craft Show & Brass Ring Gala PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY LINDA COFFEY
The Carousel Fine Craft Show opened on Friday, March 18th, with the Brass Ring Gala at The Kingsport Farmer’s Market. Guests to the Gala, enjoyed a delicious menu, rides on the carousel, music, and the opportunity to shop for fine crafts from local artisans, along with bidding on items in a silent auction. The Fine Craft Show continued on Saturday and Sunday. The Fine Craft Show was sponsored by The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts and Engage Kingsport in partnership with Tennessee Craft: NE Chapter. Professional craftsmen and artists displayed their work for the public to purchase, as well as watch live demonstrations. The event also provided opportunities for the community to learn about the efforts for the Kingsport Centennial Celebration in 2017.
CeeGee and Jeff McCord with Amanda Dean and Justin Steinmann
Ton and Gail Cole with Richard Dwyer of “My Turn” Woodwork
TN Craft: NE Artists
Anita Clark with her son, Kingsport Mayor John Clark Ellen Turpening of Kingsport
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Music provided by Gerald Sheppard
Mary Porter and Bonnie MacDonald
Lucy Fleming, Ruth Leonard, and Cindy Lemons
Keener and Nancy Mallicote
Brenda White Wright (Chair of Kingsport Centennial Legacy Project and Jeanette Blazier (Vice-Chair)
Michele and Ralph Howe of Rogersville, TN
Lorrie Cooper and Julie Bennett
SEEN IN ELIZABETHTON
SEEGER CHAPEL, MILLIGAN COLLEGE
Symphony of the Mountains
Youth Orchestra’s
Spring Concert PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY LINDA COFFEY
On Sunday, April 10th, a Spring Concert was presented by the Youth Orchestras of the Symphony of the Mountains at Seeger Chapel on the campus of Milligan College. Wendy Royston directed the Primo Orchestra. Concertmaster of the Primo Orchestra is Audrey Jones. Ross Bader is the conductor of the Youth Orchestra and Bryant Denmark is the Concertmaster.
Jimmie Self (Principal Trombonist) and Cornelia Laemmli Orth (Music Director/Conductor/Chief Operating Officer, Symphony of the Mountains)
High School seniors were honored at the end of the concert and were guests of honor at a banquet following the concert. Senior, John Floyd delighted the audience with his solo, “Concertino for Clarinet”. He is the winner of the Joyce M. Brown Senior Concerto Competition. The Youth Orchestra is a regional auditioned ensemble open to instrumental players, grades 12 and under. Both orchestras are underwritten by the Symphony of the Mountains. Auditions for the 2016-2017 year will be held on August 13, 14, 15.
Bryant Denmark, concertmaster of The Youth Orchestra
Ross Bader, Conductor of The Youth Orchestra
Seniors Ken and Patty Denmark (Patty serves as Manager/Librarian for The Youth Orchestra)
Audrey Jones (Concertmaster) with Wendy Royston (Conductor)
John Floyd, Joyce M. Brown Senior Concerto Competition Winner
56 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Primo Orchestra Pianist , Julie Davenport
GRAY FOSSIL SITE
SEEN IN GRAY
Rock & Bowl for Kids Sake PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY PAYTON CARTER
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Tri-Cities’ “Rock & Bowl for Kids Sake” took place in Gray on April the 8th, 2016. For over 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child are the ability to succeed and thrive in life. BBBS (Big Brothers Big Sisters) makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers and children, ages 6 through 18, in communities throughout the country. They develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. Their mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-toone relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. BBBS of Greater Tri-Cities are in need of some local “Big Brothers” and “Big Sisters” for some local children. Becoming a volunteer doesn’t involve too much time or effort. All it requires you to do is that you take your “little brother” or “little sister” out twice a month. Have you always wanted that little brother or sister? Well here is your chance!
Sydney Sumpter and Mary Whitt (interns, together have spent over 700 hours with B.B.B.S.)
Sharon Bumgardner, Teresa Darnell, and Tammy Willet
Miranda Mitchell, Sydney Sumpter, Mary Whitt, Melissa Dixon, Kristy Smith, and Lisa Marie Pierson
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VIPPROFILE
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25 Years of Smiles STORY BY LUCY HONEYCHURCH
F
or Kay Millsaps being a clown is something she takes quite seriously. Many of us see the end product of years of hard work, dedication, and hours of practice when we witness a clown at work: Kay gets to see the smiles that drive her life’s passion. “It never gets old. After twenty-five years I still love doing my job today as much as I did when I started. Retirement homes, hospitals, and birthday parties still get me excited. I love performing and making people happy.” Millsaps didn’t start out in life thinking she would perform as a clown and own a successful business. Kay is owner of a full service company providing set up and take down of inflatables, magic shows with Star the Clown, and train rides among other activities for parties but, like many of us, her life took an unexpected turn one day and the rest, as they say, is history. Born in Carter County, Kay comes from a long line of residents dating back to original settlers arriving in the 1700s. She has studiously traced her family tree and submitted paperwork relevant to get her admitted into the Daughter’s of the American Revolution, which she says, “will only take members who can provide the right documents to show that they are descendent from early settlers.” Kay travels around most of the year dressing in Revolutionary Era clothing in order to teach others about how those from this time period lived, worked, and played. “I have games from this era that I show kids. I sit under this shortened table so that kids can come up and see the games up close. They are amazed that nothing was electronic and how simple, but fun, the games were. It is great to see them light up when they play the same games that kids used to play three hundred years ago.” Traveling with Revolutionary and Civil War reenactment encampments is something she likes to do in her spare time, what little of it she has, but her full time gig is performing as Star the Clown and running her business Star’s Big Top Amusements. When Kay first started out she was selling for a corrugated box company and spent all day on the phone. “Ugh! That phone. I was on it from the minute I got to work until I left. It rang and rang or I called and called. I didn’t have a phone at home because of it. I told my husband, ‘no phone’ and he was okay with that.” Not having a phone at home was no big deal until Millsaps decided on her new venture. “I used to get home after work in the evening and teach myself magic. There was no Internet in those days so I had to look around for magic kits and books on what to do. I learned a great
58 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
A
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deal from magic conventions too. The first magic convention I ever went to was in Gatlinburg and, boy, did I learn a lot that weekend! I got pretty good at magic and making myself up as a clown so I decided to see what I could do.” She took a week off of from the corrugated cardboard company and worked the nine shows that she had booked handing out brochures to those at the parties. The interest that Kay received was much more than she could have imagined. “I kept having people ask for my phone number so they could book my services. Well I had no phone, but even still, I couldn’t make take phone calls for Star the Clown at my regular job. I gave them my mother’s phone number so she could take messages for me and I went back to work.” Parents will do a great deal for their kids. Anyone who is a parent would probably say as much and I am sure Millsap’s mother felt the same way about her daughter Kay, but all parents also have a threshold; a point at which we say ‘no more.’ “My mother agreed to answer the phone and to take messages for me while I was at work, but what started as a few phone calls turned into her phone ringing off the hook. She couldn’t get anything done during the day because of all the phone calls.” So Kay hatched a plan, “I said ‘mom what we need to get you is one of those machines that will take messages.’” Kay’s mother had had enough of the calls however and put her foot down, a memory that Millsaps smiles about now. “My mother told me I needed to get my own phone and machine. She was done.” A phone was put in Kay’s home, on the wall and with a cord; nothing like what many of us have today. “We had one phone at first and it just rang and rang and rang and my husband finally said ‘we need two phones’ and pretty soon we both quit our regular jobs to answer phones, book parties, and put on parties as Star and Twinkle the Clown.” Kay, in all the lead up to her two phone reality, had been teaching her husband how to “clown” so that he could join her in the business. “He was a natural,” says Millsaps, “kids just gravitated to him and he ate it up.” Kay tells the story of a time when she had booked a party at the Johnson City Country Club and she first realized that her husband had the potential to be a clown with her in the business. “So here we both go out to the country club for the gig that I have. I set my tent up and I’m in my full Star the Clown get
U
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up and doing magic tricks for all of the kids and adults who are coming around. My husband was just supposed to be along for the ride and to help set up but he was surrounded by all of these kids. I mean…here is this man who is just about six foot three and all of these children were paying more attention to him and his stories than to me doing magic in a clown costume.” Kay’s husband had a knack for telling stories; so much so, that he kept nearly everyone he talked to enthralled with the yarns that he would spin. She taught him how to put on his clown make-up so that he could start going out with her and, after he got the eyebrows right, Kay and her husband started booking parties as Star and Twinkle. The business continued to grow and for a long time Star’s Big Top Amusements was the only game in town and beyond. “We used to get calls as far away as Atlanta, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, and even Louisiana. No one in the area had all of the stuff that we did with the inflatables, the train, and the costumes. We have three thousand square feet in our building and it is so full that we had to build a lean-to on the side to park the train under.” Kay reminisces of a time when nothing was computerized and everything was kept on paper. Contracts had to be written and rewritten and appointments had to be made via the phone and kept in a large calendar. She would work all day at the functions that she had booked and then most of the night on paperwork. Star’s Big Top Amusements had to hire help and trucks were bought to carry the equipment from function to function. The smallest inflatable the company owns weighs in at around 250lbs and the largest is close to 1000lbs. She is consistently given glowing grades from the inspectors that keep the industry in check and is often heralded as a prime example of how a company renting inflatables should be run. As with much in life though, things changed: fate threw Kay Millsaps a curve ball and boy was it a doozie. The day was beautiful and had been successful for Kay and her crew. Heading back from a party in Grundy, Virginia, all was right with the world but that changed in an instant when a car from the opposite lane came over and hit the work van that the foursome was traveling in. Kay remembers that time slowed down a bit and she actually had time to process what was going on. “I remember seeing the woman come over at us. We were in one of my four door work
JUNE 2016 | VIPSEEN | 59
VIPPROFILE
trucks and were hauling a trailer with an inflatable. It’s funny how the brain works because I actually had time to think ‘do I want her to hit me here or do I want to head over toward that pole?’ I turned just a bit and she hit us right on the side in between both gas tanks. Everything was fine though and we all got out and walked around. I remember telling my employees that they had workman’s comp so they should all go get checked out; other than that everyone was okay.” Her initial feelings of being fine from the accident turned out to be wrong, however, and what was cooking inside Kay’s body would change her life forever. A few short weeks after the accident Kay found herself staying with her daughter in Jonesboro in order to avoid being alone at the house while her husband was in the hospital for heart surgery. As luck would have it, Kay’s granddaughter stayed at home that day from school feeling under the weather as well. Millsaps was tired from staying with her husband and run down from work so she lay down to rest, but when she woke up later it was she who was in the hospital having suffered from a massive stroke. The accident that she had been in, and had asked her employees to get checked out for, had left her with blood clots: two of which had traveled to her brain and done massive damage. “I had to learn everything over again. I didn’t know how to talk or read or write: nothing. I knew who I was, but getting anything from here,” at which point in the story she puts a finger to her head, “to here” Kay points to her mouth, “was impossible. I just couldn’t do it. I had no idea what anything was.” After she was physically well enough to leave the hospital she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility in order to learn to speak again and read again. Flashcards were a big tool used by the staff for Kay’s recovery, “they would hold up cards for me to look at: dog, cat, ball, and so on. I couldn’t say what any of the pictures were. Sometimes I would get them mixed up or I just wouldn’t know at all. So they kept flashing them and flashing them until I learned. I learned letters faster than the pictures and one time this aid came in and just happened to sit in my room with the mirror behind her and I was reading off all the names of the pictures,” Millsaps breaks out into a raucous laugh. “I was reading the words in the mirror since I couldn’t recognize the pictures. They were amazed with my quick recovery until they caught on to what I was doing.” It would be easy for any of us to give up after going through something like this, but for Kay Millsaps that was never an option. “All the doctors and nurses always asked me how I managed to keep smiling and how I kept such a good attitude. My answer was always, ‘what’s my other option? Not being happy? That’s not an option for me.’” Kay returned home, eventually, and to a business that was still there and still in operation. “My employees took my date book and calendar when I had my stroke. No one ever asked them to, but they did and they took over everything that had to do with the business while I was sick.” Kay starts to cry when telling me this and there is a noticeable tremble in her voice. “I’ll never forget that. No one asked them. They just did it. They took on all that extra work to keep the company going. I’ll never forget 60 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
that-never.” On the homefront, Kay’s husband was not recovering from his heart surgery as well as others thought. “The day before he died he went to my mother’s house and cleaned and got all sorts of things in order. Then he came home and he did the same thing there, like he knew he wasn’t going to be around any more. He told me over and over that day to take care of myself, because he saw how much I was wearing myself down from work. ‘Take care of yourself!’ He kept telling me. The next morning I woke up and found him in the kitchen. He had passed away.” The saying ‘when it rains it pours’ certainly does apply to many things in life and it applied to this time in Kay’s life as well. Her employees had to put pictures up of all of the products they had so that she could operate her business: she couldn’t remember everything that Star’s Big Top Amusements rented out. She had to teach herself magic again and had to learn to talk and to read-she had to hire an accountant. “I had to listen to my husband and I remembered the promise that I made him. I had to take care of myself. I wasn’t doing that by trying to do everything by myself so I had to learn to let others help me.” Kay’s stroke and her husband’s death all happened about twelve years ago and it has been a long road back from both events: for Kay, her employees, and her family. The one thing that kept her going though was Star the clown, in the physical and metaphorical sense. “People asked me to sell my business. They tried to get me to do something else because they could see how hard it was for me and how tired it was making me. I told them no and they just didn’t understand. I can’t sell the business and stop being Star the Clown. It isn’t a job-I AM Star the Clown. It is all as much of me as is breathing or laughing: I can’t stop those things either.” Star the Clown lived through those trials and has come out on the other side a stronger woman and a better clown. “Clowning around is serious business and it takes a lot of work, but it’s a passion and a labor of love. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I truly feel that I have been given a gift. The Lord bestows a gift on each of us and he wanted me to keep clowning. There were so many prayers said for me by those I knew and those I didn’t: each of those prayers was heard and helped to lift me up.” For Kay Millsaps the past twenty-five years has prepared her for the next twenty-five and everything that she does now is because of something she has learned from past occurrences and mistakes and happenings: both good and bad. Life is layer upon layer upon layer and nearly anyone can tell you that being successful means building upon a strong foundation of faith and love and trust. Kay has built her business and her life on top of all of those things, but the strongest part of her foundation is the one that many overlook when building their lives-laughter. “Laughter really is the best medicine and that saying is so true. Laugh, laugh, laugh and smile and have fun. I love bringing the laughter out of people, young and old, and I will not stop doing what I do for as long as I can keep on doing it. I love making people happy. It’s as simple as that.” Funny how something so simple for one woman has brought so much joy to so many over so many years and across so many boundaries. Simple is not a good word to describe what Star the Clown does: amazing is a much better moniker.
Opening June 2016
CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT 276.645.4482 L B O G G S @ T H E OL D E FA R M . C O M
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SEEN IN KINGSPORT
HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER
H.O.P.E. presents Black
History & Awards PHOTOGRAPHY BY STELLA ROBINETTE | STORY BY BROOKE COUCH
H.O.P.E. presented Black History and Awards Program on March 13, 2016. This event was held at the Higher Education Center in Kingsport, TN. Many awards and Certificates of Appreciation were given out to a variety of Board Members as well as several community volunteers. The Certificates of Appreciation read, “For outstanding contribution to our community and to our organization.” The theme of this awards program was “One Kingsport.” Miss Kingsport, Tessa Gonce, was there, as well as, Miss Sullivan County, Whitney Shelton, and even Junior Miss Kingsport, Maegen Tittle! Overall, this was an inspiring awards ceremony and a great way to celebrate Black History and Future!
Tammy and Jeff Tankersley, Sheriff Wayne Anderson, Chiaba Bloomer, and Miss Kingsport Tessa Gonce
AWARDS WINNERS: James “Moose” Henry Regina Gray Curtis Montgomery Pastor Perry Stuckey of Central Baptist Church Dr. Rev. Lester L Turner, Sr. Selina Hall Mary Hamilton, Owner of Miss Kingsport and Sullivan County pageants Jeff and Tammy Tankersley, The Loft Terry Moore Kevin Mitchell Sheriff Wayne Anderson Dr. Teri Hunter, Speaker 62 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Mayor John Clark, Mary Hamilton, Jasmine Robinson and Dashell Barlow (HOPE Youth Leaders), Miss Kingsport Tessa Gonce, and Miss Sullivan County Whitney Shelton
Dr. Teri Hunter
Stella Robinette and Emily Spencer
BMA Member and Alderman Darrell Duncan, Johanna Morales, Jasmine Robinson (HOPE Youth Leader) and Mayor John Clark
THE BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM
SEEN IN BRISTOL
A Night at the
Museum
(a murder mystery themed party) STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDA COFFEY
Believe in Bristol hosted their 7th Annual Showcase event on Thursday, March 24th at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It was a murder-mystery themed party and there were many “famous” people in attendance! Party-goers enjoyed food, drink, music and a silent auction. Meanwhile, as country music legends interacted, a homicide happened! The guests were called upon to help solve the mystery. All proceeds from the event went to benefit Believe in Bristol’s Main Street Program. For more information, visit www.believeinbristol.org
Sarah and Madyson from Bristol Ballet
Jimmie Rodgers (Kris Truelsen)
Tammy Whynot (Marie Appleby)
Julie Newman and PJ Johnson of WCYB
Christina Blevins, Believe Bristol
Dolly Parton (Vicie Dotson)
Kathryn Cole, Marjorie Tester, and Nancye Rahn
Maybelle Carter (Becky Littleton) and Sara Carter (Rene Rodgers)
Merle Haggard (Eric Childress) and Emmylou Harris (Tracey Childress)
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THE MILLENNIUM CENTRE
SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
Franchise Business
EXPO Tri-Cities STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDA COFFEY
The Franchise Business EXPO Tri-Cities was held on April 19th at The Millennium Centre in Johnson City. Several Tri-Cities organizations participated in the event to share information about their communities and assistance in locating your business. Workshops and Panel Discussions were available to attendees on subjects to help entrepreneurs. Several franchise organizations were present that are interested in expanding to the Tri-Cities area. Sponsoring organizations for the event included The Tennessee Small Business Development Centers (TSBDC), FranNet of Alabama & East Tennessee, City of Johnson City, City of Kingsport, KOSBE, City of Bristol (TN), Mitch Cox Realtor, Inc., Carter County Tomorrow, Washington County Economic Development Council, and Bank of Tennessee.
Will Barrett, Gary Mabrey, Andrew Harris, and Joe Carr
Angie Charles and Betsy Bird
Jerry Bird and Angie Carrier – event organizers
Dianna Cantler (Washington County Economic Development Council)
Cody Leihgeber, Shannon Castillo, and John Speropulos (Mitch Cox Realtor, Inc.)
Panel Presentation by Andy Osbolt, Larry England, and Steve Gartner
David Deutsch (Presents of Mine)
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SEEN IN KINGSPORT
KINGSPORT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Gypsy Circus
Media Mayhem PHOTOGRAPHY BY FELICIA CONNERS | STORY BY BROOKE COUCH
Tennessee’s First Craft Cidery, Gypsy Circus Cider Company, presented Gypsy Circus Media Mayhem at The Kingsport Chamber of Commerce on April 1, 2016 at 10:00am. The event helped kick off Tri-Cities Craft Beer Week with the grand opening of Gypsy’s production facility, by sharing there locally sourced & freshly pressed apple cider. Gypsy Circus offered samples of their all-natural cider, as well as handmade truffles made by Bellafina Chocolates and appetizers from Stir Fry Café. You can find Gypsy Circus cider at three locations in the region: Sleepy Owl Brewery, Atlantic Ale House and Beer Run. Visit them on http://gypsycircuscider.com for more upcoming events and the latest information on where you can find the cider!
Aaron Carson and wife, Stephanie, co-owners of Gypsy Circus Cider Company, shows off some of their cider
Judd Teague, Executive Director for KCVB
Andrew Feltey, Sales Director for Gypsy Circus Cider Company
MOUNTAIN REGION FAMILY MEDICINE
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
The Volunteer Leadership
Committee Breakfast:
Alzheimer’s Association PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY JAN TANKERSLEY
Alzheimer’s Association “The Brains Behind Saving Yours” Breakfast on March 23, Community leaders from the Kingsport area attended an informational breakfast at Mountain Region Family Medicine to learn more about the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association. These leaders have joined forces with the Alzheimer’s Association to be a voice for the millions of families affected by this disease. They were each presented with a shirt printed with the Alzheimer’s Association slogan, “The Brains Behind Saving Yours.” Attendees learned about current research taking place in the TriCities as well as the Alzheimer’s Association, Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The walk is scheduled for October 1, 2016 at Warriors Path. Interested individuals can register for the walk at www.alz.org/walk. Bright Star Care and Smoky Mountain Home Health and Hospice assisted in organizing this event.
Kingsport City Mayor, John Clark
Tim Story, Bank of Tennessee
Jerry Flannery, Mountain Region Family Medicine
Mr. and Mrs. John Harrison, Central Baptist Church
Beth Barnette, Town Planner Calendar
SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
NELSON FINE ART GALLERY
3rd Annual Yum Yum:
Power of the Bite STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAVANNA MCDAVID
YUM-YUM Power of the Bite was held at Nelson’s Fine Art Gallery in beautiful downtown Johnson City on Thursday, March 26. The International Tapas night featured foods from all around the world such as brats and sauerkraut from Freiberg’s and escargot prepared by Master Chef Jean-Claude Seruga of the Millennium Centre; some foods were prepared with a local flare as well. People came out to enjoy one of Johnson City’s favorite events not only for the delicious exotic tapas, but also to support the great cause YUM-YUM organizer, Virginia Buda, has in the works this year. YUM-YUM began as a one-time event to help fund a piece of public art, but as Virginia kept scheduling the event each year to raise more money for the project, she realized it was more than a fundraiser. This event is a wonderful and fun way to get the local community together to showcase culinary art along with local art and businesses. This year’s project will be a bicycle themed art piece that will be in Veterans Park. The event showcased art from local schools in the form of decorated bicycle wheels. More information about this event and the project itself can be found at www.artlandia.com
Millenium Centre
HomeSteep Teas
Liz and Will Smith
Jeff Keeling with Scott and Winona Jenkinson
Yum-Yum organizer, Virginia and husband, Doug Buda
London Buda and Alistair Ares
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Susan Lachmann and Dick Nelson
Jeremy Maden and Tamara Winters
Deborah Hoilman and Andrew Hoilman
Eric and Cindy Myers
Freiberg’s
Robin Fisher and Cecelia Dowd
Tess Oerly and Laura Leal
Lindsey Farris and Matthew Carroll
Main Street Pizza Company
Pet Personals VIPSEEN TRI-CITIES CLASSIFIEDS
June 2016 | The Premier Meeting Place for Pets and their Prospective Owners
SBK Animal Center Kingsport Location 2141 Idle Hour Road Kingsport, TN 37660 (423) 247-1671
MEOW HEY THERE MY NAME IS PIGEON. I am just the cutest tabby cat you will ever meet. I’m very friendly and love to purr and play all day. Stop by the Blountville Shelter today and I promise when you meet me you will fall in love right away.
Blountville Location 380 Massengil Rd Blountville, TN 37617 (423)-279-2741
Hello my human friends. MY NAME IS BIRDIE and I am a fun loving beagle mix who loves the outdoors and is looking for a new family to bring me home. I am 6 years old and love learning new tricks and could be a perfect hunting companion.
HI, MY NAME IS BULLET and I am looking for a best friend to run and play with. I am an energetic 3 year old lab mix with a great personality and a loving disposition. If you want a forever friend I am the perfect boy for you.
Washington County -Johnson City Animal Shelter 3411 N.Roan St Johnson City, TN 37601 (423)926-8769
WOOF WOOF. THIS IS BLONDIE and I am a creamy white husky looking for the right adults to adopt me. I love being the center of attention and would be the perfect solo companion for a loving single person or married couple. Come to Johnson City and lets make a connection. 72 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
HELLO I AM A 5 YEAR OLD BOXER NAMED NIKI and I am looking for a sweet family to adopt me. I like other pets and would love to meet them when you come to visit me. If you want a low maintenance pet who is house friendly then I am the perfect ďŹ t for you. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
If you are looking for the best companion ever then I am the perfect dog for you. MY NAME IS STORM and I am an adult female Pit Bull Terrier who is an excellent travel pet. I love riding in the car and taking trips. I am athletic and I love to run, jump, and play and would be a great partner to take to the park.
JOHNSON CITY BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
Alumni &
Friends Joe Arrowood (came as kid, studied at ETSU, later became executive director)
Ken Howell (came as kid in 1948)
Lawrence Hahn (director of club 1954-1957)
Reunion PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY PAYTON CARTER
Ray Burchfield (came as kid and played sports)
Carl Williams
Gary Mabrey(1958-1965, now Johnson City Chamber President)
On April the 8th & 9th, 2016 the Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County had their first ever “Alumni & Friends Reunion”. In 1944 the Club started out as the “Red Shield Boys’ Club” through the Salvation Army. Later, in 1969 The Club branched out and joined the National Boys Club organization. It wasn’t until 1996 when The Club decided to let females join the fun. That is when they became known as The Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County. Most of the people pictured were a part of the Johnson City Club when they were kids or young adults. The Club places a positive impact on young people’s lives nationally and locally. Many entertaining stories were shared over the weekend amongst the 300 plus Alumni & Friends from 8 states. Words given to explain their experiences at the Club were Camaraderie, FUN, Lasting Friendships, Opportunity, Lifelong Friendships, Great Futures Start Here and Priceless.
Gary Mabrey, Jimmy Starr, Robin Crumley, Carl Williams, Richard Dugger, and Bill Durham
Ken Howell (played baseball in the 1950’s)
Terry Landers, Gary Bailey (picture from 1963)
Richard Dugger, Joe Ferrell, and Ray Burchfield
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SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
FOUNDER’S PARK
Chillin’ &
Grillin’ PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAQUELINE JOSEPH | STORY BY MARC JOSEPH
On Sunday, April 3rd, the Children’s Advocacy Center of the 1st Judicial District hosted its annual fundraiser Chillin’ & Grillin’ 2016 at Founder’s Park Pavilion in downtown Johnson City. The weather was a little ‘chilly’ but the sun felt great and the large crowd thoroughly enjoyed the festivities. Greg and Kelly Sentell with Courtney and Michael Wells
Live music was provided by My New Favorites, and the event showcased a variety of beers, wines and liquors provided by Cherokee Distributing, B&T Distributing, Beverage Control, Triple C Distributing, Knoxville Beverage, D&V Distributing, Holston Distributing, R.S. Lipman, Plaza Package & Libation Station. The grills were out with an array of wonderful dishes were provided by local businesses such as Holy Taco and Cantina, Tipton Street Pub, Label Restaurant, and Buffalo Street Downtown Deli. A big ‘Thank You’ to all who attended, and also the businesses and individuals that contributed to make the event a great success!! Proceeds for The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) benefit children who have been severely physically or sexually abused. The CAC serves children from Washington, Carter, Johnson and Unicoi Counties.
Jeff and Robin Williams Kelly Masengill, Ann Marie Wolfe, and Kayla Owens
Zakhia and Zac Dent, with Dallas Stephanie Summers Marc Joseph and Greg Sentell
Lemy Dao, Kelly Sentell Armond and Amber
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Sheila Cash and Rusty Little
Your Day. Your Way. Tents, Linens, Tables and More ...
423-246-5181 1861 N. Eastman Road Kingsport, Tennessee
www.actionpartyrentalkpt.com
THE SOCIAL
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
Lamplight Theatre presents:
Catch the Vision Banquet PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY CAROLYN KESTNER
The air was full of His spirit and love, the evening of Tuesday March 29th at The Social in Downtown Kingsport as Billy Wayne, along with Vision Productions, Inc. hosted their “ Catch The Vision” Corporate Banquet For Community Leaders. Vision Productions, Inc., is a multifaceted Christian organization made up of Lamplight Theatre, Billy Wayne Ministries, The Emporium and H.A.L.O. (Hope and Love Outreach). The banquet served as both a “ Thank you” to existing supporters and an invitation for other community leaders to come learn about their mission and how they can help support it. Attendees got to see Billy Wayne and other members of Lamplight Theatre perform, hear stories from individuals whose lives have been touched by the ministry, and learn about the upcoming Lamplight Theatre Emporium opening and it’s fundraising efforts. By the end of the evening, $45,937 of the $50,000 goal had been raised, with an anonymous donor’s offer to match all donations made through April 15th. The Lamplight Theatre is located at 140 Broad St Downtown Kingsport with The Emporium: Museum, Gift Shoppe and Banquet Hall opening soon next door. Visit them at www.LampLightTheatre.com to find out more.
Caleb “Legoman” Evans with Mary and Larry McClure
Mary and Jim Miller, Adrienne Johnson, Kent Carter Lecrow, Sam and Susie Jones, Michelle and Bill Cox
Lamplight’s Terry Jones and Nonna Arrantis
Joel Sanders, Luanne Malone, and Tyler McMullins
Tammy Wallen, Lee Gragg, with Jim Overbey and Cathie Dulaney
Billy Wayne and son Payton Carter Retired Army nurse turned lead actor, Patrick Tindall
Marty Polson, Cindy Martin, Hannah Spurlin, and Jordan Stovall
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SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
THE FARMER’S MARKET
Thirsty Orange Brew Extravaganza PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAVANNA MCDAVID | STORY SUBMITTED
The Johnson City Farmer’s Market was alive with craft beer lovers on Saturday, April 9th. People from all over the region turned out to taste unique craft beer from miles away. This year, the brewers participated in the Tennessee Iron Brewer Challenge where brewers added their secret ingredient in an amazing brewing challenge; the result- some delicious, one-of-a-kind brews! New this year was the Shandy Station where guests had the chance to bring in spring with some refreshing Shandy. Also new to the festival was Gypsy Circus Cider Company- Tennessee’s First Craft Cidery based in Kingsport. The annual Thirsty Orange Brew Off kept the craft tradition alive with some many distinct flavors to choose from. First Pour and Grand Tasting guests piled into the beautiful venue and enjoyed a day full of beer, festivities and a festival like atmosphere. Good music and great food from local food trucks was an added bonus to the day! If you missed it this year, be sure to get your tickets for next year’s Thirsty Orange at thirstyorange.com.
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What We Learn From Our Dads… BY BETH STREET
Typically, moms get most of the glory when it comes to raising children. This is due, in part, to the fact that those children ruined our bodies as we carried them for 10 months. Yes, I said ten months. A full term pregnancy is 40 weeks. There are 4 weeks in a month. Forty divided by four is always equal to ten, even by Common Core standards. My theory is that a man decided to subtract a month from the actual gestation time to make it sound less burdensome. Moms also get more credit, because let’s face it; most of the time it’s the mom who is the taxi driver, nurse, homework helper, laundress, cook, housekeeper, and general ‘righter of all wrongs’. Our society rightfully places high value on the contributions of mothers, but since June is the month we celebrate Father’s Day, I’d like to remind everyone of the great impact dads have had on our lives. Dads are excellent at teaching their children the value of a dollar. If not for our dads, we would have never known that money does not, in fact, grow on trees. Our dads taught us that having champagne taste on a beer budget is a recipe for financial disaster. And let’s not forget, “Don’t’ buy anything unless you have the cash money to pay for it”, which seems to be ‘dad advice’ that most people have ignored. Dads remind us of ‘the good old days’, by telling us how difficult their lives were when they were growing up. They love to tell us stories that start with the phrase, “When I was your age”. They shock us with the knowledge that a loaf of bread “just cost a quarter” and Cokes were “just a nickel” when they were young. It must have been hard for them walking barefoot uphill both ways to school and killing bears with their loose-leaf notebooks while carrying wood to build a fire in the one-room schoolhouse. Those of us who rode cushy school buses and sat in air-conditioned classrooms are definitely too spoiled to comprehend how hard it was for them. It’s no wonder that every father reminds his children, at least once per day, that “Life’s not fair”. Our dads also teach us practical lessons. For example, think of how many children were saved from certain death because their dad asked them, “If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?” I can’t imagine the amount of money that has been saved on home electric bills because of dads telling their kids to “Shut the door”, because we really shouldn’t try to ‘refrigerate the world’ and we really weren’t ‘born in barns’. Only dads can use “because I said so” as a reason and have no one question them. Dads are practitioners of practicality! Some dads use minor falsehoods to make their own lives easier. It’s a tradition that all fathers pass down to their sons. As we become adults, we realize that our faces really won’t “get stuck that way” and that our dads really were sleeping and not just “resting their eyes”. We also come to the realization that it was a lie when our dads told us that they would “treat us like an adult when we start acting like one”. Dads never treat their kids like adults, and for that I am thankful, because adulting stinks and we all need an occasional break from it. So, for those of you who have grown up to find out that it’s not true that the ice cream truck only plays music when it’s sold out, don’t hold it against your dad. He was just doing what he learned from his own father, and I’m sure the money he saved on ice cream went directly into your college fund. There’s no one else on earth like your dad. I mean, don’t you find it amazing that the same man that will dry your tears and threaten bodily harm to anyone who hurts you will also ‘give you something to cry about’. Dads love you even when you do unspeakably stupid things and they will always come to your rescue. Your dad taught you to always “exceed expectations”, so this Father’s Day, exceed HIS expectations. Take your dad out to lunch, buy him a useful gift (VIPSEEN is helping you with that in this issue – you’re welcome), then put your phone down and listen intently as he sits in his favorite chair and gives you unsolicited advice. One day you’ll miss his random, unsolicited advice.
Love,Beth 80 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
THE CLUB AT RIDGEFIELDS
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
Symphony of the
Mountains Gala PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY LINDA COFFEY
The Symphony of the Mountains celebrated an evening of Musical & Epicurean Delights on April 9th at The Club at Ridgefields in Kingsport. The elegant evening featured a six-course dinner with specially selected wine pairings. Guest enjoyed musical entertainment by Tensegrity, Jimmie Self, Jimmy Stokes, Mary Gayle Green, and Vicki Fey. A silent auction took place with items such as fantastic vacation packages, handcrafted jewelry, and wines from around the world. A live auction included a Kiawah Island vacation package, Walt Disney World passes, and a private dinner at the home of conductor, Cornelia Laemmli Orth. Jenny Smith and Tonia Ellsworth
Cornelia Laemmli Orth (Chief Operating Officer)
Peter and Ann Holler
Tensegrity (brothers and sisters aged 13-19)
Sabra and Ryan Carmody
Sue and Tim Attebery
Bottom left picture: Angie Spencer (Women’s Symphony Committee) and Rebecca Osborne (Women’s Symphony Committee)
The season line up for 2016-2017 was revealed throughout the evening event. For more information, visit their website at SymphonyoftheMountains.org.
Charles Gentry, Carene Hunt, and Dr. Ronald Hamdy
Melissa Roberts (General Manager) and Suzanne Kerney-Quillen (Gala Chair)
Linda Alexander, Reid Blackwelder, and Suzanne Kerney-Quillen
Bridget Jennings and Frank Harrington
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SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
THE MALL AT JOHNSON CITY
Spring Women’s Expo STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDA COFFEY
The Mall at Johnson City hosted a Spring Women’s Expo on March 19th & 20th. The event featured local vendors, displaying a variety of items. From Easter baskets of flavored popcorn, handmade soaps, monogrammed clothing, jewelry, makeup to Tupperware and Thirty-One, there was something for everyone! Many shoppers were at The Mall and they enjoyed the opportunity to discuss products with the vendors and find customized, one-of-a-kind items.
Robin Cline of Robins Nest Boutique
Angelica Markland of Artistic Icing
Tamara Olinger of Divine Crystal Jewelry
Deanna Irick of Pure Romance Danielle Hale “For the Love of Suds”
Amy Venable and Rachel Nottinham “The Lavender Window”
Debbie Alvis of Simply Blessed
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Erin Wolfe, Nyela Edwards, and Reagan Penix of “Spoiled Silly Bow Boutique”
Georginia Gibson of Plexus Products
Melody Henson with Tupperware
Taylor Clabough and Nyela Edwards of “Thirty-One”
Registering for prizes
Geek Girls – Bella and Katie Blackmore
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
WALLACE NISSAN
Wallace Nissan of Kingsport
After Hours STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAVANNA MCDAVID
Wallace Nissan of Kingsport hosted a Chamber of Commerce After Hours Thursday, March 17, 2016, in their beautiful newly remodeled show room. The entire show room was decorated in green and themed for St. Patrick’s Day. Members from all over the Tri-cities came out to support Wallace Nissan. In the beginning of the evening, Kingsport Mayor John Clark spoke a few words about Wallace Nissan and how valuable the business is to the community of Kingsport. After that, a few door prizes were given away and everyone enjoyed a delicious meal served by McAlister’s Deli.
Kingsport Mayor John Clark, Vann Avirett, and Miles Burdine
Guests enjoyed themselves, drinking Irish beer, wine, networking and looking at new Nissans. Entertainment was provided throughout the evening. Owner, Vann Avirett, personally welcomed all guests and thanked them for showing their support. The Wallace family has been opened in business for over 50 years with locations in Bristol and Kingsport and they believe in treating each customer with the upmost respect. To find out more about Wallace Nissan, stop by East Stone Drive to see them or visit them online at www.wallacenissan.com
Jason Miller and Cori Johnson, with George and Angela Price
Robert Reedy and Amanda Looney
Tony Huff and Shannon Counts
Wayne Fortney, Gina Hensley, and Theresa Bright
Alderwoman Michelle Mitchell and husband Mark
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Kathy and Pat Kennedy
Donna Parkinson, Katie Carrico, and Mandi Cambre
SEEN IN KINGSPORT
BANK OF TENNESSEE
Bank of Tennessee Ground Breaking Ceremony PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY PAYTON CARTER
A groundbreaking ceremony for Bank of Tennessee was held on Monday, April 11th, 2016, now taking their successful, local company to the next level. Bank of Tennessee has offered their services to our area for over 40 years and is building a 12,000 square foot banking center directly beside their existing location in beautiful downtown Kingsport. The new building will feature a brick and precast concrete exterior. This new building will also have a patio facing Center Street so employees and customers as well can enjoy our beautiful downtown Kingsport. This project is costing 5 million dollars and will begin construction in late April or early May. Bank of Tennessee is planning to have this project done by May of 2017.
Dennis Phillips and Bill Greene Jr.
Sherri Mosley
Bill Greene Jr.
Roy Harmon, CEO, Bank of Tennessee
Mayor John Clark and Mike Macintyre
CeeGee McCord
Michael Estes, Valerie Ketron (father was the founder of the bank), and Will Barrett
Stan Johnson and Jenny Dugger
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Darla Scott and Detra Cleven
VIPSEEN EXCLUSIVE COMMUNITY COVERAGE JUNE 2016
Seen on the Scene TERESA TREADWAY TO ASSUME ROLE AS AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION’S DISTRICT 7 GOVERNOR (Johnson City, Tenn.)—Teresa Treadway has been sworn in as the Governor of the fivestate District 7 of the American Advertising Federation. She will assume the role officially on July 1st. The veteran advertising executive is Vice President of Media and Operations at Creative Energy and is the agency’s co-owner. The American Advertising Federation (AAF) provides national leadership on issues involving and affecting advertising so as to advance and protect the industry. The AAF’s District 7 includes advertising firms in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Treadway, who represents her firm’s membership through the Northeast Tennessee Chapter, is the first from Northeast Tennessee to earn a governorship of District 7 in nearly 40 years. “Our agency has been a very active member of the local chapter and District 7 since we formed Creative Energy in 1992,” Treadway said. “We have helped many from our area become true advertising professionals through AAF activities. I’m honored to serve as Governor and look forward to helping chapters across our five-state region grow and advance the quality and significance of advertising across America.”
“CATCH THE VISION” WITH LAMPLIGHT THEATRE Vision Productions, Inc. is a multi-faceted Christian corporation that umbrellas LampLight Theatre, Billy Wayne Ministries, H.A.L.O., and The Emporium. We are located at 140 Broad Street in Kingsport, TN and have been established as a non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization since 1994. This is an exciting time in the history of our organization. Our ministry has grown tremendously. We have had the opportunity to see countless lives changed through our theatrical productions at LampLight Theatre. Through other programs like H.A.L.O. (Hope and Love Outreach), we have also had the blessing of reaching out to thousands of “at risk” and underprivileged children. This year, for the first time ever, we are going to be hosting our “Catch the Vision” Fundraising Event. The fundraising event was held on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at LampLight Theatre at 140 Broad Street in Kingsport. It started at 6:00PM with catered hors d’oeuvres and a “meet and greet” time. That was followed by a special presentation of our vision for our organization and its outreach to the community. We are hoping for businesses, churches, organizations, and individuals in our community to be inspired to join us in continued service to our community. Everyone is welcome to attend. We also hosted the “Catch the Vision” Corporate Banquet for Community Leaders the following week on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at The Social 240 East Main Street in Kingsport. It will also begin at 6:00PM. We do have a few openings left for the banquet. The catered meal is free and a “thank you” to those who attend. If you know of any pastors, business owners, community leaders, or philanthropists that might be interested in learning about our mission and how they can support us, please contact our office.
For more information on AAF District 7, visit www.aafdistrict7.com. For more on Teresa Treadway, go to www.cenergy.com.
We are also excited to announce some great news about The Emporium. This new facility is scheduled to be open by June of this year and will house a Gift Shoppe, Banquet Hall, and Passion Museum. We are within $50,000 of being able to open. Someone has come forward with a matching grant. For every dollar given toward construction of The Emporium between now and April 15th, the donations will be matched. All donations are tax-deductible. If you are interested in helping in this endeavor, or would like to learn more about our “Catch the Vision” campaign, please visit www.catchthe.vision, or contact our office.
AREA 8TH GRADE STUDENTS VISIT KINGSPORT ACADEMIC VILLAGE FOR REGIONAL CAREER EXPO 2016 Approximately 1,600 eighth grade students from Kingsport City, Sullivan County and Hawkins County schools visited the Kingsport Academic Village during the Regional Career Expo 2016.
ASBURY PLACE STEADMAN HILL NAMES MCKINNEY ADMINISTRATOR Asbury Place continuing care retirement communities has named Tammy Christian McKinney assisted living administrator for its Steadman Hill campus in Kingsport.
Students had an opportunity to learn about a variety of careers, including arts and communications; automotive; business and marketing; culinary arts; education; engineering and science; health and medicine; human services; legal services; manufacturing and technology.
McKinney, who has served in health care for 26 years, has experience in the fields of geriatric, home health and cardiac care. She has been with Asbury Place since 2004 and previously served as nurse manager.
The four-day event is sponsored by Eastman, Northeast State Community College, Junior Achievement of Tri-Cities TN/VA and the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Tammy is a proven leader and true asset for Asbury Place,” said Marjorie Shonnard, chief operating officer for Asbury Inc. “She has a huge heart for serving our residents and for Asbury’s nonprofit mission.”
Treadway has served in various leadership roles within the Northeast Tennessee chapter and District 7, including President of the local chapter. She is the first to be elected Governor from Northeast Tennessee since Jay Fields in 1978-79.
BABY EAGLES WILL SOON HATCH LIVE ON ETSU’S AGLECAMS JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University’s Department of Biological Sciences is live streaming activity at two local nesting sites of American Bald Eagles, one in Johnson City and the other in Bluff City, through the EagleCam Project. The nests can be viewed at www. etsu.edu/cas/biology/eagle-cam/ Right on schedule, the Bluff City eagles presented viewers with two eggs, one on Feb. 3 and another on Feb. 6. The Johnson City eagles joined them a few days later, with eggs appearing on Feb. 10 and 13. If the eggs develop as predicted, little eaglets should hatch on March 9 and 12 in the Bluff City nest and on March 16 and 19 at the Johnson City site. Once hatched, the fledgling eagles should be visible through June.
McKinney said she is fortunate to be at Asbury Place doing what she loves. “I’ve worked in a lot of fields, but serving older adults is my passion,” McKinney said. “I enjoy being at Asbury Place because our home-like environment makes it feel like family. Since we’re a smaller community, there is a lot of one-on-one time between our residents and associates.” Over the last year, Asbury Place’s Steadman Hill campus has undergone numerous enhancements, and more are planned this summer. The campus opened for residents in 1994. McKinney is a graduate of Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and earned ACLF administrator certification in August 2015. She lives in Johnson City with her husband, Bryan.
Eagle watching through a home computer or mobile device has proven highly popular, with 190,727 visitors in 112 countries viewing the nests as of early March. GATTON COLLEGE OF PHARMACY DEAN NAMED ‘OUTSTANDING DEAN’ BY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION JOHNSON CITY – Dr. Larry Calhoun, founding dean of the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University, is the recipient of a prestigious national honor from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Calhoun has received the 2016 APhA Academy of Student Pharmacists Outstanding Dean Award, which was was established in 2004 by the APhA to recognize a school or college of pharmacy dean who has made significant contributions to the APhA-ASP chapter and promoted the welfare of student pharmacists through various activities. Loren Kirk, a fourth-year pharmacy student at ETSU and 2014-15 Speaker of the House for the APhA-ASP, nominated Calhoun for the honor, citing in his nomination letter Calhoun’s dedication to “creating a unique culture marked by student-centeredness and a family-like environment among students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors” at the pharmacy school. 90 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2016
Seen on the Scene CYCLISTS AND WALKERS: JACOB’S RIDE SET (Johnson City, Tenn.) - Spring is officially here and local cycling enthusiasts will be glad to know it’s time for the 12th annual Jacob’s Ride, an opportunity to choose from two scenic bike routes around Washington County. “Cyclists have a choice of quarter century or metric century (25 mile or 62 mile) routes,” said local cycling enthusiast Dave Holben. “The benefits are challenging routes, good roads, good SAG (support and gear) support, and a great cause.” The ride takes place each year during the first Saturday of Earth Week.
DOLLY PARTON TO WRITE FOREWORD FOR BENJAMIN WALLS’ NEW BOOK PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (March 23, 2016) – Today, at a media event at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, Tri-Cities artist Benjamin Walls announced the release of his new book entitled “Beyond,” which will include a foreword written by entertainment icon Dolly Parton.
Local attorney Bill Francisco started the event in memory of his young son Jacob, a Cherokee Elementary kindergartner who passed away nearly 11 years ago after contracting E.coli 0157:H7 in 2004. Proceeds raised from the ride will go to the Boone Watershed partnership, a 501(c)(3) funding the Boone Watershed Partnership-Sinking Creek Restoration Project to build an environmental education park.
Beyond is a compilation of Walls’ best work and will feature all of his museum-exhibited pieces. It has taken Walls 12 years, one million miles of travel, and 300,000 exposures to capture the images featured in Beyond.
For those who prefer a slower pace, there’s a scenic 2.5 mile Awareness Walk beside Brush Creek on the Millennium Trail parallel to W. State of Franklin toward downtown Johnson City. The walkers will begin their walk in front of the departing cyclists, and will enjoy E.coli awareness-raising artwork completed by area elementary students in an open-air gallery. Fruit and refreshments will be available to all participants.
The book, which will begin shipping to clients in November, is available now through the Benjamin Walls Gallery and at www.BenjaminWalls.com at a special pre-publication price.
Participants will gather at the East Tennessee State University (ETSU) parking lot behind Knight’s Pizza on W. State of Franklin in Johnson City, Tennessee. The event begins with walkers starting at 9 AM. Cyclists will follow immediately thereafter.
At the press conference, Dolly Parton toured Benjamin’s on site exhibit and expressed her interest in his work. “I paint the Smoky Mountains in words” Parton declared, “And you do the same with your camera.” Cassius Cash, Superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, expressed his enthusiasm for Walls’ work and helped him unveil a new image entitled, The Smokies, as Benjamin shared the story behind his inspiration with the crowd.
Registration is $10 for walkers and $25 for cyclists before April 1 and $40 after April 1. For more information and registration information please visit www. jacobfrancisco.com.
Walls, who has a great passion for conservation, announced that he will donate a portion of the proceeds from his book to Friends of the Smokies. Jim Hart, President of the Friends of the Smokies, expressed his thanks for Benjamin’s support.
THE BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM – OPENING NEW SPECIAL EXHIBIT Bristol, VA (March 1, 2016) On March 1, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum unveiled the special exhibit Made in Tennessee: Manufacturing Milestones. The exhibit chronicles the rich variety of manufacturing traditions in Tennessee over the past 2 centuries from the early agricultural and craft heritage to our current age of advanced technology and global competition. The diverse panels and artifacts highlight the history of manufacturing in Tennessee, while also featuring a huge variety of the industries and companies that were once found or still exist throughout the state, from Jack Daniels and the Chattanooga Glass Company to the Musgrave Pencil Company and Gibson USA. Several local manufacturers past and present are also featured, including Mapes Strings, L. C. King Manufacturing Co., Kingsport Press, and Eastman Chemical Company. The museum will also host a variety of programs throughout the life of the exhibit.
SNAKE CREEK FARMS OF CARROLL COUNTY, VA RECEIVES WAYNE SCOTT MEMORIAL GROWER OF THE YEAR AWARD Abingdon, VA (Thursday, March 3, 2016) – Food City is wellknown for their locally grown produce initiative. Through a partnership with local farmers, the supermarket chain is able to bring their customers fresh-from-the-field fruits and vegetables during local growing seasons. Many items are delivered directly from the farm to the store the same day they are picked. What began over ten years ago, with a small number of items supplied by a handful of area farmers has now grown into a multi-million dollar operation. Today, Food City purchases an average of $6,000,000 in fresh produce from local growers annually.
This special exhibit is a wonderful fit for our museum, says Rene Rodgers, Curator of Exhibits & Publications. While it is less focused on music content than our previous special exhibits, Made in Tennessee provides a wonderful learning resource to adults and children alike through its interesting history of Tennessee manufacturing. At the same time, this different content will bring new visitors through our doors, allowing us to share the wider museum and the story of our music heritage with them too. “The Museum of East Tennessee History is honored that the Birthplace of Country Music Museum chose to host Made In Tennessee,” says Adam H. Alfrey, Curator of Exhibitions and Operations Manager for the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. “The exhibition touches on all aspects of manufacturing from across our great state, and it is so rewarding to see how the Birthplace of Country Music Museum has added Bristol’s voice to the exhibition by highlighting local manufacturers.” Alfrey adds, “It is our sincere hope that Bristol and its surrounding communities use the exhibition to engage in dialogue about what it means to be ‘made in Tennessee.’” Made in Tennessee: Manufacturing Milestones is a traveling exhibition organized by the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville, Tennessee. The exhibition project was made possible through an educational grant from the Alcoa Foundation to highlight Tennessee s manufacturing story past, present, and future. The grant was awarded in honor of Alcoa Tennessee Operations 100th Anniversary and the announcement of its automotive expansion project on May 2, 2013. Additional support comes from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The exhibit will run at the museum from March 1 to August 14, 2016.
“We pride ourselves in selecting the best possible products for our customers,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “Our local farms are known for producing some of the finest products in the country. Buying locally is the logical choice. It provides our customers with the freshest produce possible, while lending additional support to our local economies. In many instances, our locally grown produce arrives at the store the same day it was picked. It simply doesn’t get any fresher than that”. In 2007, Food City created the Wayne Scott Memorial Grower of the Year Award. The award is named in honor of Unicoi County farmer Wayne Scott, one of the first to partner with the retail supermarket chain. Wayne Scott’s leadership, passion for the business and dedication to delivering the “best produce possible” are just a few of the reasons for his tremendous success. The award recognizes one outstanding grower each year. Snake Creek Farms of Carroll County, VA was selected as this year’s award winner. Founded in 2002, the farm is owned and operated by brothers JC and Leonard Banks and sons Travis and Curtis Banks. The local business has quickly grown into a reputable operation, producing cabbage, pumpkins, sweet corn and several varieties of greens. EPA RECOGNIZES EASTMAN WITH 2016 ENERGY STAR® PARTNER OF THE YEAR KINGSPORT, Tenn., March 28, 2016 | For the fifth consecutive year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE: EMN) with a 2016 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award for continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements. This year marks Eastman’sthird consecutive ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award, EPA’s highest ENERGY STAR honor. The award reaffirms Eastman’s commitment to its energy management program, which continues to drive sustainable and impactful improvements in energy performance, resulting in energy intensity reductions, avoided costs and lowered emissions. With awards in 2014 and 2015, Eastman became the only chemical company to receive the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award. Additionally, the EPA named Eastman an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year in 2012 and 2013. “To be recognized by the EPA five years in a row for Eastman’s commitment to energy management and environmental stewardship is a tremendous honor,” said Mark Costa, Chairman and CEO of Eastman. “At Eastman, we’re mindful that we manage energy-intensive operations, which is why we’re committed to implementing innovative solutions to maximize efficiency and reduce our environmental impact. Our worldwide energy team continues to lead the charge and engage our employees globally to make a positive difference. I could not be more proud of the success they are driving across the company.”
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Seen on the Scene EASTMAN CEO TALKS GROWTH WITH TRICITIES REGIONAL LEADERS KINGSPORT, Tenn., March 3, 2016 – Growth for Eastman and for the Tri-Cities region was the theme for Eastman’s Regional Leaders Breakfast held today for leaders in the Tri-Cities community. Chairman and CEO Mark Costa discussed the importance that partnerships and collaboration can contribute to growth for both Eastman and the Tri-Cities. Costa spoke to regional leaders during the company’s annual event, which was held at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport. After highlighting the company’s 2015 accomplishments, Costa described how the company is investing in innovation and market development in order to ensure long-term growth. “We have a lot of growth initiatives and the most robust innovation pipeline that we have ever had,” said Costa. “Many others in our industry are pulling back on growth due to the tough environment, but we see that as even more reason to invest in our future.” During his presentation Costa also highlighted the benefits of regional partnerships and collaboration to overcome challenges and achieve goals. “The real value in meetings like these is the opportunity for us to come together as a region—as one greater community,” said Costa. “I firmly believe what is good for one town or community is good for our whole region and by finding common ground, we are better able to showcase our strengths as a region.” Costa also thanked regional leaders for their support and partnership in Eastman’s Project Inspire, a $1.6 billion reinvestment in the company’s Kingsport site. The project includes construction of a new corporate business center located on the company’s corporate campus. He added that the company has made it a priority to use local contractors. More than half of the contracts for the construction of the building have been with local and Tennessee-based industries. For example, the silica for the glass was mined in Hawkins County, Tennessee, and the glass sheets were manufactured in Hawkins County, Tennessee, both within 30 miles of the site. FRANKLIN WOODS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL NAMED ONE OF NATION’S ‘100 TOP HOSPITALS’ BY TRUVEN HEALTH ANALYTICS/ HOSPITAL ALSO EARNS EVEREST AWARD FOR PERFORMANCE AND RAPID IMPROVEMENT JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Franklin Woods Community Hospital has been named one of the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” and an Everest Award winner by Truven Health Analytics. The “100 Top Hospitals” honor recognizes Franklin Woods for meeting the highest national standards in 11 key areas, including patient care, operational efficiency and financial stability. The Everest Award, offered to only a select few, honors hospitals that have achieved both the highest current performance and the fastest long-term improvement over five years. Only 17 hospitals nationally earned an Everest this year. The list of 100 hospitals was divided into five categories, based on hospital size and whether it is a teaching hospital. Franklin Woods, in the “Small Community Hospital” category, was benchmarked against 842 other similar hospitals – and made the top 20. It was one of only two in the category to receive both the “100 Top Hospitals” honor and the Everest Award. “Our No. 1 priority is giving our patients the best care we possibly can,” said Lindy White, CEO/VP of Franklin Woods. “This recognition is quite an honor because it shows the commitment our team members and providers have toward quality care for our community.” Truven, a leading provider of data-driven analytics and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare, has conducted the annual study since 1993. To compile the “100 Top Hospitals” list, Truven uses a national scorecard of 11 key measures to identify hospitals and leadership teams that provide the highest level of value to their communities. Hospitals do not apply for this recognition and winners do not pay to promote the honor. Making the list indicates that hospitals deliver effective care at a reasonable cost, have systems in place that safeguard patients from medical errors, provide evidence-based treatments and produce superior outcomes. Measurable areas include readmission rate, length of stay, mortality rate, patient throughput in the emergency department, cost per patient, and patient satisfaction.
FIRST TENANT ANNOUNCED FOR OLD JOHNSON CITY TOBACCO WAREHOUSE REDEVELOPMENT Johnson City, TENN. – In the Fall of 2016, what was once known as an emblem of blight in downtown Johnson City will soon be a magnet for family fun and fitness. Built in 1931, the former Central Tobacco Warehouse building, located at 113 Cherry Street -- adjacent to the Portico Restaurant -- is being transformed into a new shopping center, branded as the “Cherry Street Commons.” Owner Philip Cox, development partner at Mitch Cox Companies, said the historic nature of the building will be structurally preserved but significant renovations will occur, including a new roof, new façade, new floors, and new HVAC systems. Cox said, “I am excited for the opportunity to redevelop a key piece of property in downtown Johnson City; the visibility, proximity to Roan Street and the downtown square, along with the parking from the Cherry Street lot allows this to be a first class development.” The building’s 42,000 square feet will be subdivided for several new tenants in 2016, the first of which is Olson’s Martial Arts Academy. Founded in 1997, Olson’s Martial Arts Academy provides Taekwondo, Tai Chi, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Weaponry, and Boxing classes for all ages at its Johnson City and Kingsport locations. The self-defense training and fitness operation is more than doubling its Johnson City space – by moving its 5,000 square foot location on Roan Street to the 12,000+ square foot space in the new downtown Cherry Street location. The academy’s owners, Glenn and Amanda Olson, have been teaching martial arts since 1988. Together with their son and daughter, they own and operate – and instruct – at the company, in addition to 30 employees. “We look forward to supporting the growth of downtown -- we have 430 enrolled students, so we expect around 200 families to come through daily at 5-6 hour time spans,” Olson said, “Our students are very excited about [the move].” ETSU FAMILY PHYSICIANS OF KINGSPORT ETSU Family Physicians of Kingsport cut the ribbon on their new home at 102 E. Ravine Road, Wednesday March 31st. The newly renovated location is where Kingsport Family Medicine Residency Program started out in 1976 and now includes 20 exam rooms, two procedure rooms and a training area on the clinical floor. With space allotted for teaching, meeting and office spaces for the Kingsport Family Medicine Residency Program, the clinic doubles as an educational facility affiliated with East Tennessee State University, The Quillen College of Medicine and Wellmont Health Systems. Medical and pharmacy students, as well as resident physicians provide team-based primary medical services and receive cutting-edge training and valuable clinical experience at the site. Dr. Mark Brummel, associate professor for ETSU Department of Family Medicine and program director of the Kingsport Family Medicine Residency Program stated “This project has been a tremendous undertaking, but we’ve successfully brought the facility into the 21st century” Located on the corner of Broad and Ravine streets, near Holston Valley Medical Center, the clinic provides health care to all ages and is accepting new patients. To make an appointment, call 423-245-9600. THOM CROSBY, PRESIDENT OF PAL’S SUDDEN SERVICE, HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS BUSINESS AWARD (Franklin, Tenn.)—Thom Crosby is the recipient of the 2016 Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award presented by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE). Crosby is the president of Pal’s Sudden Service, a privately owned, quick-service restaurant chain with 28 locations in Tennessee and Virginia. Crosby was presented the award during the Excellence in Tennessee awards banquet held at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs on Wednesday evening. The Ned R. McWherter Leadership Award annually recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding leadership in the pursuit of performance excellence and has worked to further performance improvement beyond the boundaries of his or her organization. As President of Pal’s Sudden Service, Crosby is committed to the core values of the TNCPE program, including customer focus, integrity, collaboration, leadership and continuous improvement. “From the beginning, Pal’s has operated with a clearly defined set of goals and procedures designed to provide exceptional customer delight,” says Crosby. “I’m honored to be presented this award and be among an outstanding group of leaders to be recognized by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence.” “Thom Crosby and Pal’s Sudden Service exemplify outstanding leadership in the pursuit of performance excellence,” says Patricia Weiland, Chair of the Board for TNCPE and CEO of TRICOR. “Through the Business Excellence Institute he co-founded, Crosby shares the practices and processes he has developed so that other businesses might benefit. He is active in his community and a shining example of integrity and excellence in business.”
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Seen on the Scene LEADERSHIP KINGSPORT HONORS BRAD AND LEIGH ANNE HOOVER WITH DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP AWARD The Kingsport Chamber Leadership Kingsport program is proud to honor community leaders and volunteers Brad and Leigh Anne Hoover as the newest recipients of the Distinguished Leadership Award. “Brad and Leigh Anne Hoover mean so much to this community,” Kingsport Chamber President and CEO Miles Burdine said. “They are tireless, devoted, selfless volunteers who neither want nor seek recognition. They simply just want to help others and give of themselves…time and time again. They are model community volunteers and exemplify servant leadership at its finest. We are thrilled to present this most-deserving honor to them.” “We are so happy for Brad and Leigh Anne,” said Vanessa Bennett, Kingsport Chamber Leadership Kingsport and operations director. “They have been longtime supporters of Leadership Kingsport and are such dedicated volunteers for so many organizations in Kingsport. They do so much to help others and are continually giving of themselves.”
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Created in 1989, Leadership Kingsport’s Distinguished Leadership Award is presented annually to an alumnus of Leadership Kingsport who has exhibited outstanding leadership and made significant and notable contributions to the Kingsport community. Brad and Leigh Anne Hoover have been longtime leaders and volunteers with the Kingsport Chamber and a number of community organizations. KINGSPORT CITY SCHOOLS NAMES TRUE AS ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT – ADMINISTRATION KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Kingsport City Schools has named Andy True as Assistant Superintendent – Administration, effective immediately. True will be responsible for the leadership and implementation of the district’s administrative functions. He has most recently served as the KCS Chief Administrative Officer. “I am pleased that Mr. True will further broaden his current responsibilities overseeing district administration in his expanded role as Assistant Superintendent – Administration,” said KCS Superintendent Dr. Lyle Ailshie. “During the five and one-half years he has served in a district leadership position, he has demonstrated great skill in addressing an everincreasing administrative workload, while utilizing his combined experience in the areas of administration, communications, and community relations. I look forward to the many ways Mr. True will continue to support the Kingsport educational community in this position.” True’s educational experience includes 15 years with Kingsport City Schools, most recently serving as the KCS Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing all system communications, community relations, managing district administrative functions, and completing special projects for the system. His school-based experience includes teaching 4th and 5th grades at Kennedy Elementary School and serving as an associate principal at Jackson Elementary School. At the district level, he has also held the positions of Race to the Top Implementation Coordinator and Chief Information Officer. SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF NORTHEAST TENNESSEE OUTPERFORMS MOST OTHER CHARITIES Northeast, TN – Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee has just received a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator for the ninth consecutive year. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates the food bank adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes their mission in a fiscally responsible way.
423-543-2265 www.citizensbank24.com
Only 1% of charities rated by Charity Navigator have received 9 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee outperforms most other charities in America. Food bank director, Rhonda Chafin, said “This means we are one of the most respected charities in the nation. For every $1 donated we can supply up to $7.00 worth of groceries to people in need.” The need for food assistance in Northeast Tennessee continues to grow. Approximately 10.3 million pounds of food and grocery products were distributed by the Food Bank during fiscal year 2015 through food bank agencies and programs serving over 40,000 individuals per month. The Food Bank encourages the community to get involved in helping feed the hungry in Northeast Tennessee. Ways to help include making a monetary donation, becoming a Food Bank agency, volunteering or holding a food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee. Visit the Food Bank’s website www.netfoodbank.org for more information or call (423)279-0430.
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BRIAN
HULLET residential & commercial services
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c 423-817-7500 w423-343-4307
THE GALLERY
SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
Women Empowered featuring Amanda Valentine STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAVANNA MCDAVID
Project Runway’s Amanda Valentine had some brilliant advice for an ambitious room full of women Thursday April 7th. Bank of Tennessee’s Women Empowered hosted an evening at Portico in downtown Johnson City. Ladies from around the Tri-Cities enjoyed delicious finger foods and light drinks while networking and socializing. Afterwards, the guest of honor, Amanda Valentine, took center floor and shared her inspirational story with the room.
Rhonda Trivette and Debbie Snap
Rita Medlin and Judy Fowler
Melanie Smith, Cindy Haren, and Jenny Dugger
Abbey Miller, Denise Arnold, Jan Yates, and Debbie Keith
Amanda Valentine founded her brand Valentine Valentine several years ago off and on. After her first appearance on Project Runway, she settled in to her home in Nashville and really focused on building Valentine Valentine. Amanda now designs dresses for clients as well as styles famous singers and dancers in music videos among many other things. She left the women with many words of advice, but her most important was to be yourself no matter what and never let other people drown out your own voice. To learn more about other events like this, visit bankoftennessee.com/womenempowered
Paulette Byrd and Lynn James
Rita Medlin and Judy Fowler
Cassidy Hathorn and Abby Hathorn
Wynne Tyree and Robin Kerkhoff
Amanda Valentine, Rebecca White, and Detra Cleven
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SEEN IN JOHNSON CITY
WHITE DUCK TACO
Young Professionals Tri-Cities
St. Patrick’s Day Social STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAVANNA MCDAVID
The Young Professionals of the Tri-Cities held a networking social at downtown Johnson City’s White Duck Taco to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Many young professionals attended the event, socializing and meeting new acquaintances. During the evening, Vice President Scott Clark introduced the group’s newest president Tyler Parsons. Tyler is the General Manager for the Johnson City Cardinals. He was honored to take the position and looks forward to the next year. YP Tri is a community organization based in Johnson City, TN. They strive to provide the young professionals who live, work, and play in the region with a variety of opportunities in which they can enrich their lives and further their professional development. Their purpose is to connect young professionals in Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol and the surrounding areas both socially and professionally and improve the quality of life for regional young professionals through unique social, professional and philanthropic opportunities among many other things. To learn more about YP Tri and how you can get involved, visit their website at yptricities.weebly.com.
Rene Drenk and Liz Lewis
Nikki Frazier, Jennifer Helton, Maxi Ferguson, and Hannah Ferguson
Lynnea Hunter and Chris Dyer
Tony Austin and Russell Ingram
Lindsey Wilson and Clarissa Tatum, with Yancey and Lauren Johnson
Tyler Parsons and Scott Clark
Laura Cloer and Steve Darden
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Edwin Williams and Jeff Orr
When I had cancer‌ I didn’t choose to get cancer. But when it happened, I made a choice I will never forget. I chose to turn to our region’s most comprehensive network of cancer physicians, who have more than 200 years of combined experience. I was blessed to have the support of my family, friends, church family and co-workers. Feeling their love and support and knowing I was constantly being lifted up in prayer meant the world to me. Although the diagnosis was a shock, it changed my life for the better. It made me realize my purpose is to serve others and be selfless instead of selfish.
Cancer is never a word you want to hear, but today there is hope associated with it. None of us know what tomorrow or even the next minute holds, so it is important to live every second of every day to the fullest. When I had cancer, I chose hope. I chose the Wellmont Cancer Institute.
Amy Thacker, 18-year kidney cancer survivor
wellmont.org