Shopper Blog: A new place to worship planted in North Knoxville

HALLS

A new place to worship planted in North Knoxville

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Leaning on the power of prayer has been a positive part of the process for the newly planted Gospel Hope Church in North Knoxville.

Rev. Craig Johnson had gone through the planting procedure before. In New Hampshire, he started a church from scratch and lasted seven years when a former classmate from his seminary in California took notice.

Rev. Chris Riser is the teaching pastor at Grace Community Church in Maryville. When the church’s mission became planting a church in North Knoxville, he thought of Johnson.

Johnson, a Detroit native, has been in East Tennessee two years getting to know the area and the Maryville congregation. For about six months, Johnson had been teaching the Maryville congregation, so they could get to know him.

“Then, we talked to people to see who might be interested in coming to the plant church,” Johnson said.

Fifty-five adults and their 20 or so children committed to being part of the new endeavor. Johnson said a few have even adjusted their housing arrangements so they would be closer to the new location.

Finding a home for the plant church

Johnson and his wife, Tiffany, have six children ranging in age from 20 to 6. Before the plant process ever started, Johnson and his wife would drive around North Knoxville looking for somewhere suitable for the plant to happen.

“We were praying to find a building, preferably free,” Johnson said with a laugh.

They scoped out Reunion Baptist Church (4206 Central Avenue Pike) and made a call.

“The church had a sign out front but there was nothing on it,” he said. “What Baptist church doesn’t have a message on its sign?”

Johnson learned that the church’s congregation had dwindled to 15 and its pastor died. Black Oak Heights Baptist Church had absorbed the 15 members, but had no use for the building.

The congregation at Black Oak Heights voted to allow the old building to be used by Gospel Hope Church for very reasonable terms.

“We removed the pews and added chairs to get more people in,” Johnson said. “We did a lot of work fixing up the building.”

A “soft” opening was scheduled for Jan. 21, the day the snowstorm hit East Tennessee. The first service was pushed back to the next Sunday. The grand opening was set for Palm Sunday and 141 people attended. On Easter, 151 were at the service.

Jesus grows the church

The early success has been nothing short of amazing to Johnson. But, he refuses to take any credit.

“I don’t put much stock in the methodology of planting a church,” Johnson said. “It’s not me. It’s not the people. Jesus says it’s Him that grows the church.

“Our church family loves the scriptures. They are eager to learn and know God. Our motto is: Preaching every verse, exulting in Christ. To know Christ is to love Him.”

As Gospel Hope Church settles into its normal routine, there will be a lot more to offer than its 10:30 a.m. service on Sundays.

Sunday evenings feature fellowship in members’ homes, Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. are the Adventure Club for children and Youth Meeting for teens. Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. are reserved for young adults (age 18-30). Women’s Bible study will be on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and Fridays at 9:30 a.m.

FARRAGUT

New STEM program for Farragut Intermediate gets $5,000 boost

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

Farragut Intermediate School received $5,000 from TVA for a new STEM program. While the check was presented May 9, Principal Suzanne Parham said the funds are already spent on two 3D printers.

Parham deferred to computer science teacher Kristi Shedden as being the brains behind the fledgling STEM program. Shedden coined the program “NRG,” a take on “energy.”

Shedden has served as computer science teacher for eight years at FIS. Next year, the school is starting an official STEM program and Shedden plans to be ready. She is studying to complete her Education Specialist degree with a STEM concentration.

For now, she has implemented a STEM club with six kids excited to learn about renewable energy using the 3D printers.

The kids made water wheels, solar panels and wind turbines. They started with the question “What is renewable ‘NRG’ and what is not.”

“They did the whole process from asking what is renewable energy and what’s not renewable. The kids use Generation Genius, which produces science videos for kids for research,” Shedden said.

The kids prepared an elaborate presentation showing their projects with an informative slide program and interactive presentations to wow the TVA visitors.

“We’ve even done experiments with the things we printed for NRG. These kids have been coming in early to learn how to run the printers,” Shedden said.

“It’s all new and exciting for me as well.”

TVA and BVI (Bicentennial Volunteers Inc., TVA’s retiree organization) certainly steps up to the plate when it comes to funding kids and STEM programs.

TVA engineer-turned-public relations manager Robbie Ansary explains that TVA has given away about $6.5 million in STEM grants since 2018.

“This is a record year for TVA and BVI. We’ve donated $1.5 million this year to 343 schools that received anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 to kick-start STEM programs,” said Ansary. “This year, we had 715 schools request STEM funds. That’s a record number.”

Ansary gave special kudos to Parham for spearheading an excellent grant application explaining plans for the new STEM program.

“TVA is committed to supporting schools and educators who are inspiring an interest in STEM education in students across our seven-state region, as we know our young people will design and build the energy systems of the future,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA executive vice president and chief external relations officer, in a press release. “Providing resources and access to STEM education is key to inspiring innovation. We’re proud to contribute to the next generation’s visionaries.”

Info: www.TVA.com/news and www.knoxschools.org/FarragutIS.

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

Johnson Architecture celebrates new offices in South Knoxville

Mitch Moore, Shopper News

Johnson Architecture has been operating out of its new South Knoxville offices since the middle of December. But on May 9, the full-service architecture, planning and design firm made things official by hosting an open house.

The event was intended both as a celebration of the new facility and as an introduction of the company to its new South Knoxville neighbors.

The headquarters occupies a 6,250-square-foot building on Davenport Road, off Sevier Avenue. Built in 1910, the structure most recently served as the longtime home of Advance Metal Fabrication. Joseph Construction began renovation work in late 2022 and spent about a year transforming the former shop into a functional and aesthetically comfortable space for Johnson Architecture employees and clientele.

“We look forward to contributing to the vibrant business district in South Knoxville,” said Daryl Johnson, founder and president of Johnson Architecture. “Thanks to the loyalty of our clients, our firm has experienced significant growth. It’s important we ensure that our workspace accommodates both clients and staff so that we continue providing exceptional service.”

The company’s move from a multi-tenant complex to a standalone building has added several benefits, including ease of access, dedicated parking and extra meeting spaces.

Designed by firm project manager Jimmy Ryan, the new space merges the building’s original concrete-block and gabled-truss construction with a host of modern features. These include adding a glass, wood and steel box to the front of the building to serve as the main conference room and creating an open floor plan where staff members work in partitioned areas. Two additional conference spaces, reception and break areas, a coffee bar and a materials library round out the interior points of interest.

Behind the building, a private enclosed courtyard with tables and nearby trees can serve as an area for hosting company or client events or as a space for employees to work or take a break. The rear also looks out on the site of the proposed 1.5-mile-long SoKno Art Trail.

Future Art Trail users will be able to enjoy one noteworthy feature of the Johnson Architecture property, an art installation that will change on a rotating basis. Currently, a 9-foot-tall steel scorpion sculpture titled “Scorpianis Grande” towers over the lawn. Created by artist John Parker and installed in April as part of the Art in Public Places sculpture program (a Dogwood Arts initiative), the piece will be on display for one year.

“Our hope is that when that one is gone, we will be able to have another one installed,” Ryan said.

Although the facility has been open only a few months, the firm’s 24 employees are already enjoying the benefits of both their new work environment and the South Knoxville community at large. For example, it’s common for staff members to walk to the nearby eateries on Sevier Avenue for lunch or dinner or to take walk breaks on riverfront walking trails.

“We’ve gotten to know the local business owners, and we’ve joined the Old Sevier Merchant Association,” Ryan said. “It’s been a very positive experience. Our employees have become invested in the community from a business standpoint, and with so many nearby apartments and homes coming online, the number of our employees who live in South Knoxville is increasing. We have more people who can ride their bikes or walk to work.”

Founded in 1994, Johnson Architecture provides design, planning and full in-house interior-design services for facilities of all types, including commercial, residential, education and themed entertainment work. Covenant Health, DENSO, Dollywood, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Knox County Schools and the University of Tennessee are among its notable clients.

“We don’t plan to move again,” Ryan said. “We’ve put down roots here and become invested. We’ve ridden the coattails of the businesses that have been around here for years and that have worked to revitalize Sevier Avenue. We’re happy to be here.”

POWELL

Appalachian Musicians tuning up for kids' program in Fountain City

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Keeping the tradition of bluegrass and old time music alive has been a passion of Cody Bauer’s since he was young.

While growing up in central Indiana, Bauer’s relatives were involved in playing bluegrass. He gravitated toward the fiddle and has made it his instrument of choice.

“I love how versatile of an instrument it is,” Bauer said. “Bluegrass and old time music are so rhythmic. The fiddle is a very communal instrument. You can sit in a circle and play with friends.”

For the past three years, Bauer has been the Field Office Coordinator for Junior Appalachian Musicians. JAM, which has a mission of preserving the traditions and offering affordable exposure to the music to youngsters, has 60 programs over six states.

One of its newest programs will be at Northside Christian Church (4008 Tazwell Pike) in Fountain City.

Low cost music opportunity

JAM is a program specifically geared toward students in fourth to eighth grade, but high school students are eligible to participate.

Sessions run between eight and 15 weeks, normally in the fall or the spring. Classes meet once a week for two hours. The first hours is group instruction, usually with an 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The second hour is enrichment time when students play and sing together, or enjoy a guest presenter.

Appalachian musicians and storytellers have been part of the programs.

Students can choose between the fiddle, guitar and banjo. Later, the mandolin is added. At the end of the session, students can stay with the instrument that was chosen or switch. All instruments are provided by the program.

The student cost for the program is determined by the family’s ability to pay.

“In most cases, it’s a low-cost sliding scale,” Bauer said. “But the students have to have some buy-in in the program.”

The Fountain City program will be a summer session. Sarah Pirkle (865-724-6507) will be the administrator. Registration day is May 28 at 4 p.m. at the church. Average students for a new program is 25.

“Most of the students will be beginners,” Bauer said. “They should all be starting from the same point.”

Partnerships are critical

Bauer found his way to East Tennessee from Indiana when he attended Johnson University. After graduating with a degree in education, Bible and history, and a master’s in religion, it took a while for him to find his niche in the music community.

He has played in several groups, but found his calling with JAM.

He has joined the organization as it has gone through some significant growth. From its humble beginnings in North Carolina 24 years ago, it has grown to several surrounding states where bluegrass and old time music is held in high regard.

The overall plan is for each affiliate to partner with non-profits or churches that will provide space for the program to happen. There are also partnerships with festivals to provide opportunities for performances and workshops with accomplished musicians.

“This is a way to share this music with youngsters who might otherwise not have the opportunity,” said Bauer.

BEARDEN

West Valley Middle School celebrates 25-year milestone

John Shearer, Shopper News

To paraphrase the popular old Prince song, West Valley Middle School recently celebrated like it was 1999.

That year was certainly on everyone’s mind when the school community on May 14 marked 25 years since the opening of the school near the intersection of Ebenezer and George Williams roads.

Among those attending the festive celebration in the school’s gymnasium were Beth Abee and Lori West, the only two current faculty members who were also part of the original faculty from that first school year of 1999-2000.

Abee still sounded as enthusiastic as the first-year teacher she was a quarter century ago as she reminisced about getting hired.

“Dr. (Bill) Wilson, who was principal at the time, he was interviewing downtown in the Andrew Johnson Building,” she said, adding that the building was still under construction. “There were about 300-400 teachers who wanted to transfer, and I was a brand-new teacher from Carson-Newman. I called him and said, ‘Is there any way you can interview me,' and he said to come on down. And about three weeks before school started, he called me and offered me a job. It has been fantastic.”

She started out teaching English and language arts first in the sixth grade and then in seventh. She has spent most of the last 15-plus years as an eighth-grade teacher and is now in her fourth year of teaching social studies.

Despite the changes in her jobs and responsibilities there, the school, on the other hand, has changed little in her mind in both popularity and even appearance. She added that some people do not believe the building is 25 years old.

“It’s a great community school,” she said. “We have the best teachers and administrators and it’s a great place to work.”

West, who has been teaching physical education there for 25 years, has additional connections to West Valley that have also endeared her to the school. “I live in this community and my kids both went here, so I’m very invested in this school,” she said. “It’s been fantastic. This is my third school and my last school.”

She said she had been at the then-overcrowded Farragut Middle School that in part precipitated the construction of West Valley. She then had a chance to come over with Dr. Wilson, who was assistant principal at Farragut Middle then and also attended the ceremony. West added that most West Valley students move on to Bearden High School, with some also going to Farragut and West.

Lavonne Pierce, who also attended the event with her husband, former Knox County Housing Authority executive director Bo Pierce, said she had been the secretary at Farragut Middle before coming over as the first secretary at West Valley.

“When we were getting ready to open, we didn’t have a whole lot,” she recalled with a laugh. “The county didn’t have a lot of money, so I had to buy all my office supplies and things like that.”

But the school was not lacking in emotional and other kinds of positive support. “It’s a wonderful school,” she said. “It still is, and it was then. We worked hard.”

She worked there until going over to Hardin Valley Academy as secretary when it opened in 2008, jokingly adding, “I’m an opener.”

Original parent-teacher association leaders Nancy Meyer and Julie Mills also attended the celebration and remember being asked to be involved 25 years ago when each had a child getting ready to enter the seventh grade there.

“We worked with Dr. Wilson for about six months before West Valley opened up, when he was down at the Andrew Johnson Building,” said Meyer. “We started with a meeting at Lotts. Diane Jablonski was a school board member, and she was the one that got the meeting together. She was our very first PTSA member and we got to be the next two.”

Besides the celebration event, the school also made note of the anniversary on its sign out by George Williams Road.

POWELL

Powell Presbyterian plans first Blackberry Festival this summer

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Though the congregation comprises fewer than 50 active members, Powell Presbyterian Church continues to be a force when it comes to supporting its mission partners.

“It was last November when we decided to make 2024 our year of giving,” said Rev. Katina Sharp, in her sixth year as pastor at Powell Presbyterian. “By January, we nailed down the idea of how we were going to support our mission partners.”

On June 22 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the church at 2910 W. Emory Road will host its first Blackberry Festival.

The event will include a 5K road race that will start at 8 a.m. at Powell Middle School, wind through Broadacres subdivision, then finish at the church. Overflow parking for the festival will be at the middle school.

Also included on the church grounds will be more than 30 vendors, a woman who will bring her goats and products from goat’s milk, food trucks, an inflatable obstacle course, a mechanical bull and a 28-foot climbing wall. The School of Rock band will provide music from noon to 2.

Blackberry jam will be popular

Powell Presbyterian is considered a Matthew 25 congregation. According to Sharp, it’s from a Bible verse meaning that the world is treated as though Jesus Christ himself is being hosted.

“I’ve been amazed,” Sharp said. “We’re a small church with an even smaller budget. But, they’ve been creative to take on a challenge to help our mission partners. What we’ve lacked financially has been made up with enthusiasm.”

When brainstorming the idea of a festival, members Paul and Martha Fisher came up with an idea that led to the festival name.

“The Fishers are known for their blackberries,” Sharp said. “They have more blackberries on their property than they could ever use. When we were thinking of a small event, they offered to give the first 40 people a jar of their blackberry jam.”

The scope of the event has grown, but those jars of jam will still be a prize for the early birds.

Making a difference with two groups

Two very worthy mission partners will be the recipients of the festival’s proceeds. Family Promise of Knoxville, which tries to keep homeless families together, and the Central Plateau Scholarship Fund of Haiti are the mission partners.

With affordable housing limited in Knoxville, Family Promise tries to keep life as normal as possible.

“It tries to get families in temporary housing, where they can work toward a more permanent situation,” Sharp said. “Once the family is in a house, there is education on budgeting so they can stay there.”

The turmoil in Haiti is at a crisis level. Poverty is at the root of the violence that has overtaken the republic.

“Haiti is caught in a cycle of poverty,” said Sharp. “Education is the best way out. If people can learn a skill or trade, they can be able to find a way out.”

Sharp also said that, because of Haiti’s high infant mortality rate, birthing kit materials are sent to hospitals. Those materials are distributed to midwives for their care in baby deliveries.

For more information, or to register for the road run or to be a vendor, go to: www.blackberryfest.com.

HARDIN VALLEY

HVA athletic council hits the ground running

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

Hardin Valley Academy last month voted in new and returning leadership on the executive board of its athletic council (HVAAC) for the 2024-25 school year.

The council is a membership program consisting of parents, coaches and volunteers who come together to help fundraise and distribute money to promote HVA athletic core values – integrity, growth, teamwork, sportsmanship, success, and excellence.

Executive board members include:

• Michelle Goodson, president. Goodson serves as the director of ORAU’s Workforce Solutions team, where she leads a team of recruiters and staffing managers.

• Paul Rome, director of fundraising. Rome has been part of the Hardin Valley community for 18 years. He manages the Regions Bank branch in Hardin Valley and served as HVAAC president 2019‐2024.

• Mitch Daugherty, director of public relations. Daugherty is a real estate appraiser and owns and operates Hawk Aerial Imaging, LLC, a media company he started eight years ago.

• Trish Fellers, secretary. Fellers served on the executive board 2013‐2016 when her daughter attended HVA and was a member of the HVA Dance Team.

• Matt Jerrell, president-elect/VP. Jerrell has volunteered his time helping coach the middle school track team for the past three years.

• Brandon Hackett, treasurer. Hackett is a commercial banker with HomeTrust Bank. He volunteers with HVAAC “to give back to the community.”

• Matt Stimson, director of banners. Stimson, when not volunteering for HVAAC, excels in orthotics and prosthetics with a focus on pediatric care.

Daugherty said there are some exciting things happening with HVA sports. No small feat is a new app from Ballfrog available for download that gives information on scheduling, scores, and helps drive community engagement and grow sponsorships. Each business sponsor has a hyperlink from the app to their business’s website.

“The business banners are great along the fence, but nothing beats business information right in the palm of your hand … along with push notifications,” Daugherty said. “It’s great and it’s been great fun helping to develop it.”

Links to the app can be found on the HVA sports website (www.hvaathletics.com).

Daugherty edited the header video showing a dynamic sports program despite no funding from Knox County for sports.

“The main job of the HVAAC is to fundraise – well, we have lots of jobs – but fundraising is a must. The parents have to buy in with shoes, equipment, and travel. We don’t really have an alumni presence most schools have to help out, because our oldest graduate is about 25. Our alums are busy in college and with starting a family,” Daugherty said.

HVAAC will hold its biggest fundraiser in August 2024 with a gala featuring speakers, a silent auction, and Sterling Henton (former Vols quarterback) as DJ.

HALLS

Kricket's Door Decor can add to a festive mood

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Boredom launched Kristine Morello into a new career − slowly.

With the advent of artificial intelligence, the job of a medical transcriptionist has changed drastically. Morello, who had 25 years invested in that field, saw the workload diminish. In time, it will all but disappear.

During the pandemic, Morello filled a lot of empty hours with looking for a new challenge.

“I started looking at Dollar Tree Crafting and saw videos about how to make a wreath,” Morello said. “I really liked doing it. It was something I could keep doing.

“My mom was very crafty when I was growing up (in south Florida), but I was more into music. I could play the violin and sing.”

Morello’s love for the art of making wreaths went to a new level in November 2022, when she sold her first Christmas wreath.

From that point, the Halls resident for the past 15 years officially started Kricket’s Door Decor, using her nickname to identify her company.

Face-to-face every Saturday

From that humble beginning, Morello caught the bug that goes along with making inroads in the wreath-making world. Social media and an Etsy store − as well as setting up a booth at the Black Oak Plaza (from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) − were her go-to venues for sales.

It was spring 2023 when Morello got her first taste of face-to-face sales. She was a vendor at the opening Halls Women’s League Farmers Market. That experience was so positive that she and others continued to be there every Saturday, even though the market happened just once a month. She continues to be among the regulars every week.

“As a medical transcriptionist, I was in my house all the time,” she said. “This was a great way to get out to talk with people.”

Morello said most of her sales are local. When customers look on her Etsy site, there’s a Square page that has prices that reflect local pickups rather than those that require shipping and handling.

Morello said her wreaths range in price from $75-$130.

Holidays, Vols are big sellers

Deco-mesh wreaths are fast and easy to make, according to Morello. They are on the cheaper end of her price spectrum.

“I start every day by picking out what I’m going to work with,” she said. “That’s really the important time. It takes about an hour to get all my materials together. After that, things go pretty quickly.”

Morello said she usually works three months ahead. She’s putting the finishing touches on Fourth of July wreaths now and starting to think about the start of the University of Tennessee football season.

“Christmas wreaths are big sellers,” she said. “So are anything associated with the UT Vols. Also, patriotic and military themes are popular.”

With about 60 wreaths on hand in her Etsy shop, Morello said she doesn’t do many special orders.

“I like to do what I like, and it usually sells,” Morello said. “When I’m making a wreath, I listen to music and let my mind wander. It’s pretty mindless and relaxing.”

For more information, or to order, go to Kricket’s Door Decor’s Facebook page or call (865) 214-2003.

POWELL

Keri Ferrari's shop helps those on path to spirituality, healing

Al Lesar, Shopper News

All Keri Ferrari wants in her Awakened Soul Spiritual Shop is positive energy and a safe place for people to feel comfortable.

“No matter what spiritual path you’re on, we’re here to welcome you,” Ferrari said of her shop on 2330 Merchant Drive in Powell. “There is so much bad in the world. You can learn so much by talking to people. Just pull up some folding chairs and hang out.”

The Awakened Soul Spiritual Shop offers something for everyone. If Ferrari doesn’t have something on hand, she’ll order it.

There are holistic healing components like herbs and crystals. Also on sale are tea, candles, incense, books and an assortment of other items that can be used in different spiritualistic rituals.

Ferrari doesn’t advocate the occult, but she does stock things that can be used in the practice.

“We have some things that are witchy,” Ferrari said. “If someone wants to do that, it’s fine with me. We’ll help as much as we can.”

Navigating a spiritual path

Ferrari moved to East Tennessee with her family when she was 19.

“I was raised Catholic, but I never felt Catholic,” Ferrari said. “I felt like I didn’t fit in. I had to travel my own spiritual path.”

She was someone who always needed a guaranteed paycheck at the end of the week to help her peace of mind. Ferrari found her way into the medical field. She worked several jobs within nursing homes.

“I was someone who didn’t like to give medicine unless it was something major,” Ferrari said. “If someone had something minor, I would like the holistic approach.”

In September 2022, Ferrari wanted something better for herself. She decided to throw caution to the wind, get over the need for the steady paycheck, and take the leap into the world of the entrepreneur.

“Since we first opened, it has been all about the community,” Ferrari said. “Like in the nursing homes, this has been my way to help people.

“I realized that I could open a shop on my own. I never had the belief in myself. That helped me get over needing that paycheck. I could do this.”

Ferrari said she has had a lot of people visit her shop who have had “Christian trauma.”

“They feel and believe differently from what is being taught,” she said. “This is a place they could come to talk about it.”

Vendors add to offerings

Besides the items that are on sale, Ferrari said she has several vendors come in throughout the month to deliver services.

There’s a woman who does energy work; a medium; several Tarot card readers; someone who works with sacred calendars; Crystal Reiki is offered; sound bath crystal bowls and more than 20 artist vendors. She is also planning pop-up vendor markets on random Sundays.

“With everything we have, it’s all geared toward helping people,” she said. “Everyone who comes in here says they love the energy of the shop. They say it’s a time-warp, back to when things were simpler.”

Awakened Soul Spiritual Shop is open 12-8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 12-6 Sundays.

OPINION

It's not easy to be normal

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

I’m making a salad for dinner, but I’m not paying attention to the cucumbers or the lettuce. I keep thinking about Zack and Olivia and their journey to buy a reasonably priced house in West Knoxville. It’s a daunting task.

As I pull the arugula out of the refrigerator, I think about all the things I want to say to them about buying a home in such a tight housing market. I want to tell them they’ll have to move faster than they’re comfortable moving. I want to explain that the old rules about making an offer have changed.

My mind is buzzing with information. So, I put my radishes aside and pick up my phone instead.

Zack answers on the first ring and I jump into a conversation about real estate. Only it’s not really a conversation. It’s more a forceful monologue or a verbal explosion. I have a lot of ideas in my head, and I want to share them all with him.

After five minutes of me talking and Zack listening, I hear him say, “Thanks for the information, but I’m at my apartment now. I better run.” I tell him I love him then turn back to my salad.

And for about five minutes I feel really good about the conversation. I’m pleased that I was able to share so many pearls of wisdom with my eldest son. Then the doubt starts to creep in like it always does, and I start talking to myself.

“You were pretty free with your opinions,” I say in my mind. “Why didn’t you wait until Zack asked for advice before you gave it? He has a realtor. You should let her do her job instead of jumping in to do it for her.”

Then the self-flagellation begins.

“You’re too opinionated.”

“You don’t respect boundaries.”

“Stay in your lane.”

During dinner, my stomach is twisted in knots. I wonder if Zack is mad at me. I wonder if I should apologize. I agonize over all my possible missteps while I load the dishwasher. Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I text Zack with a heartfelt apology.

“I’m so sorry I crossed a line while we were talking. I need to do a better job with boundaries. Next time, I’ll wait for you to ask for advice before I give it.”

He texts back immediately. “I was wondering how long it would take you to send your apology text. You did nothing wrong! You were trying to help us and we’re new at this. Why would I be angry? What’s wrong with you? Haha.”

The relief washes over me. And a memory pops into my head.

I was apologizing to a friend for some comment I’d made that might have sounded offensive if she took it the wrong way. She just laughed and said, “You’re so funny. After a conversation passes, I never think about it again. You think about everything!”

That was when I discovered that not everybody hand-wrings and worries over every conversation. I was stunned.

Every day, perfectly normal people have conversations and don’t dissect them. They don’t reexamine them for possible slights when they’re finished, and they don’t beat themselves up for any unintentional missteps. It blew my mind. I didn’t even know that was a possibility.

It turns out that adage I made up is true: There are two kinds of people in this world: those who agonize over every word they utter, and those who sleep at night.

Leslie Snow may be reached at snowcolumn@aol.com.

Money 'disappeared,' and donors to the defunct Liminal group are in the dark | Ashe

POWELL

New owners add amenities at Norris golf driving range

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Maybe a little “ding” at the Tennessee Tee golf facility can revolutionize the driving range industry across the country.

That “ding” would be part of the Ding System that is being patented by Tammy Diamond, the new owner of the driving range − which sits adjacent to Exit 122 Outdoor Power Equipment and near the Museum of Appalachia on Andersonville Highway − and James Bible, an electrical engineer who loves to work his way through a couple buckets of balls.

When Diamond bought the driving range in February 2023, there was an immediate push to clean up the facility and cut the grass. Among the early additions were yardage markers to lend perspective to the clients hitting balls, and a couple targets − just for fun.

The metal sheets that served as targets were slightly elevated. The 12 x 12 sheet is placed at 130 yards and a 2 x 6 piece is at 30 yards. When the targets are hit, it makes a pretty loud “ding.”

The fun doesn’t end there, though. Bible figured out a way to program an app that causes the target to light up when it’s hit. That little extra pizzazz could make it attractive to driving ranges everywhere.

Play any of 26 courses

Those “dings” and lights are just part of the fanfare that goes along with the revitalized facility.

Last fall, a simulator was added to the building adjacent to the hitting area. The high-tech equipment can be programmed to allow golfers to “play” one of 26 courses available. Every shot − except putts − is assessed by the computer after it’s taken. It’s located on the backdrop of the course projected onto the screen.

The simulator, in a building with four air conditioners and two heaters, can be rented for $60 for two hours. It is available by appointment only.

It is also equipped to have video taken for swing evaluation and lessons.

Diamond, who had traveled frequently for her sales job, moved to East Tennessee from the Corbin, Kentucky, area several years ago to be closer to a major airport. After initially settling in Halls, watching a stunning sunset from Brookstone Ridge was enough to encourage another move.

When she saw the driving range available, she thought that would be an entrepreneurial challenge to take.

“Owning a driving range is probably one of the more enjoyable businesses,” Diamond said.

Besides cleaning up the facility, solving vandalism issues was critical. Thanks to a machine that delivered balls automatically, the driving range had been available 24/7. However, once hours were limited to 7 a.m.-10 p.m., with surveillance and other security precautions taken, the vandalism has subsided.

Charging anywhere from $5 for 30 balls to $15 for 140 balls, they haven't increased rates from previous ownership. In the 11 months of 2023 that Tammy owned the facility, 1.3 million balls were collected.

The guy doing most of the collecting has been a lifesaver. Victor Miller is a retired veteran who donates his time just about every day. He’s mostly on the tractor picking up balls or mowing grass.

Don't forget the coffee

But golf isn’t the only selling point at the facility.

It’s kinda like, come for the golf, stay for the coffee.

One day, Diamond was standing in line at Starbucks. She noticed as her latte was being made, water was added.

“I didn’t want someone watering down my latte,” she said. “Right then, I knew I could do better.”

That’s when Brewtopia Craft Coffee was born.

For now, the high-end brew comes from a trailer that will remain stationary next to the driving range. Diamond is hoping to expand it to a mobile cart for events.

“When you order your coffee, we grind the beans right then,” Diamond said. “Everything is fresh. I’ve worked with the science of the coffee to make sure everything is smooth, not bitter.”

Diamond has even invented the Clinch River Latte: An espresso shot, steamed milk, caramel and a hint of cinnamon.

“I’ve spent lots of hours looking for the right product,” she said. “We didn’t want to open until we got everything just right.”

Besides the lattes, espresso and drip coffees, Brewtopia has muffins, Lotus (plant-based) energy drinks, hot chocolate and Arnold Palmers (tea with lemonade syrup).

“From all the research I’ve done, iced drinks are supposed to be more popular than hot,” Diamond said. “That’s not the case in what I’ve seen so far. Hot drinks are much more popular.”

Brewtopia Craft Coffee opened March 30. In its first five days, 209 cups of coffee were sold.

This gives the Norris area a high-end coffee opportunity nearby.

“Serving people has always been important to me,” Diamond said. “This new endeavor is a great way to do that.”

FARRAGUT

Rib Roast Fundraiser helps feed kids facing food insecurity

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

Year 18 for the Feeding God’s Children Chicken and Rib Roast Fundraiser was a rousing success as usual May 4 and 5 at Belk, 11397 Parkside Drive.

Feeding God’s Children board president Nathan Kluemper explained that the proceeds go toward feeding children in Appalachia and Guatemala.

It all started in 2004 when Sid and Shannon Kemp from Two Rivers Church in Lenoir City visited one of the poorest and most desperate communities in Guatemala City. They were so moved by what they saw, they co-founded Feeding God’s Children. The organization earned its 501(c)(3) status in 2008.

“We sponsor about 50 kids at a time in conjunction with Guatemalan medical staff who travel from one village to another. They team with several churches to provide medical care and supplements to improve the overall health of the child,” Kluemper said.

“It wasn’t long before we saw a need here at home in Kentucky.

“We do a food program for about 150 kids in six different schools in Kentucky. They go home with seven meals they can prepare themselves.”

The fundraiser offered a little something for everyone. Ribs were at the ready as was barbecued chicken, pulled pork sandwiches made with Texas Roadhouse rolls, and a side of coleslaw with baked beans.

Kluemper said he wanted to give special thanks to everyone who worked the fundraiser, but especially board member Luke Loveday, who organized the once-per-year fundraiser.

“All the volunteers put a lot of love … and a lot of fun into the food each year. It’s a lot of work, but we enjoy it,” Kluemper said.

At this point, 100 percent of the proceeds from the fundraiser go toward feeding children facing food insecurity.

“Without this event, we would have overhead; but since the rib roast is so popular we’re able to put 100 percent back into feeding the kids in Guatemala and Kentucky, Kluemper said.

“We need sponsors, but we’re competing with some really great organizations out there. We just have to find new ways to bring in income. The Feeding God’s Children Chicken and Rib Roast has been going on for about 18 years now and we do have a few corporate sponsorships that jump in there and help us with this event to make it a huge fundraiser for us every year.”

The organization recently launched a summer feeding program to reach those same kids dealing with food insecurity in Kentucky.

“We have teamed up with a ministry called Henderson Settlement,” he said. “We like to keep the money local, too, so we teamed with Mike Long’s Pic Pac, a local grocery store known for giving back to the community in Kentucky. They actually provide the food and deliver it; we just provide the funds.”

The organization also helps provide a Thanksgiving dinner at Mooreland Heights Elementary and Inskip Elementary with plenty of volunteer power so the teachers and staff can sit down and enjoy the meal with the kids.

Info: www.feedinggodschildren.org.

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Weekly mountain-music jam carries on Appalachian tradition

Jack Coker, Shopper News

Picture this: You’re walking down Central in the Old City, when you hear, distantly, distinctly, the melodic plucking of the banjo. Fear not, and no need to “paddle faster,” you are hearing the Old Time Jam at Boyd’s Jig & Reel.

For the past 10 years, Sarah Pirkle has played host to the Old Time Jam, helping to expose as many people as possible to the wonderful tones of the heartland.

“Jenny Boyd, the owner of the pub, is a friend of mine,” she said, “and is actually one of my former fiddle students. She had experienced jams in Ireland where people all sit around a table and play together, which is what we do. She asked me if we could host a similar thing at the pub.”

The jam session follows in the great East Tennessee music tradition of Appalachian folk tunes. The Old Time style is achieved by everyone playing together at once to achieve the mountain sound. “We take turns picking the tunes as we go around the tables, and mostly play instrumentals.”

Anyone is welcome to join Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. − if they are considerate and follow one key rule. “No percussion. I don’t want anyone breaking out a set of spoons,” Pirkle said.

Pirkle got her start in bluegrass when she was 19. “I was going to college for nursing and didn’t get my grant to go to my second year, so I had to take a year off. A friend of mine turned me on to bluegrass music and it lit my head on fire. I rented a fiddle and took some lessons. It took over my life. After eight months of lessons my teacher, Marty Kaufman, was moving out of state and couldn’t find anyone to teach the 10 students that she had. So she trained me to do it and it's all I’ve ever done since.”

Pirkle loves to share her love for music with younger musicians as well. This summer, she is running the summer semester Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program to serve the young people of Knox County. JAM seeks to preserve the mountain music heritage by offering low-cost lessons in fiddle, banjo, guitar, and other instruments of the Appalachian region to small groups of students in afterschool settings.

“It is $15 per two-hour session. It includes a snack and enrichment like visiting other musicians and storytellers. We also loan instrument to students that don’t have one,” Pirkle explained. You can find registration details at https://www.northsidedisciple.com/about-4.

While speaking with Pirkle, I did take the opportunity to ask her to explain the difference between a fiddle and a violin, a request she happily obliged. “You don’t spill beer on a violin,” she said.

BEARDEN

Biking and hiking trails around Concord Park enhanced by 70 volunteers, Parks and Rec

John Shearer, Shopper News

Several dozen Knoxville area residents who enjoy hiking or biking on the trails around Concord Park and elsewhere took some time on May 4 to do some building of them as well.

“Over 70 people came out and helped with the trail work,” an excited Matthew Kellogg, executive director of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, said of the effort done behind the ballfields in the multi-tract park. “We accomplished more than we ever expected.”

He added that when completed, the six trails – two of which will be specifically for mountain biking – should join in a seamless way with the existing 16 miles of trails and paths in the area. It should also give trail users and off-road bikers in this West Knox County park off Northshore Drive a little more of the urban wilderness feel like that at Baker Creek Preserve in South Knoxville, he pointed out.

AMBC board chairman Charlie DeBevoise added in an email that the work is very meaningful to enhancing outdoor opportunities in general in this part of town. “This is the culmination of a partnership between AMBC and Knox County Parks and Recreation,” he said. “With the completion of this last phase, Knox County will connect over 20,000 residents within two miles to their parks, trails, and green spaces. This is big news for that area.”

The volunteers, who worked side by side with a professional crew that has been doing a good part of the work, focused on such tasks as trail treadwork, burn landform work, putting in a picnic table, clearing a corridor for trail alignment, and even trying to remove some invasive brush. A local Master Gardener helped with the latter, Kellogg said, and other volunteers doing some of the work included a youth cycling wing of the club, a women’s only team, and others with AMBC.

Besides building trails, the workers were fostering positive relations and neighborly camaraderie. As Kellogg added, “It is unlocking a lot of community connections.”

The bike club has also been keeping busy in other areas of land preservation for outdoor use. Kellogg said the group has a contract to purchase two small tracts of undeveloped land to add buffer space and tree canopy by the Lost Chromosome Trail of the South Loop Route in South Knoxville.

They are busily trying to raise $35,000 for the purchase and development of a multi-use neighborhood connector trail there. “This property will conserve nearly three acres of land and bolster the buffer along the Urban Wilderness South Loop,” he said.

More information about the fundraising efforts and other activities of the group – including regular volunteer trail work on the first Saturday of each month during non-summer months – can be found at the group’s website, ambcknox.org.

“We’ve been around for 17 years and we have proven that we are willing to put in the work to get projects done,” he said in summing up the group.

Kellogg, who said the club has two fulltime staff members as well as two staff members provided by AmeriCorps, added that he became connected with the group as a volunteer several years ago before moving into the role of executive director.

Raised in Chattanooga, where his older sister, Jenny Hill, currently serves on that town’s City Council, he said he likes the non-work benefits of his job as well.

“I enjoy getting outside and breathing fresh air and getting out of the office,” he said, adding that he often takes his 3½-year-old with him to exercise.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper News brings you the latest happenings in your community