out 'n about - april 2011

Out ‘ N About Magazine

Furniture Warehouse 124

in the heart of downtown Johnson City Says:

60% off!!! For the Entire Month Of April

Furniture Market Clearance Sale!Hours:

Tuesday Thru Saturday10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Continued on Page 3

Upholstered Furniture & Treez Made in America

April 2011

WHOLESALE PRICES TO THE PUBLIC!!!Free Delivery to all ETSU Students within 10 miles

Most Unique Selection

on the Planet!

New LeatherFurniture,

Mirrors, Beds and Mattresses Now

in Stock!

NewArrivalsWeekly!

Furniture Warehouse 124124 Tipton Street Downtown • Johnson City, Tennessee

423-926-5124Visit Our Other Locations:Furniture Warehouse 124:

2151 N. Center Street • Hickory, N.C. 28601: 828-322-5433Furniture Warehouse 124:

930 Highway 70 S. W. Hickory, N.C. 28601: 828-322-1907

E-mail:mail-to:[email protected]

A Wide SelectionOf Beautiful

Mirrors & Bedding Now In Stock

Custom Made Furniture:* 8-Way Hand Tied Springs

* Self-Decking* Solid Maple Wood Frames

Custom Made Treez:* Treez Palmz * Floor Plants* Florals * Ledge Planters

* Youth Furniture * Home Accents* Sofas and Chairs

* Media Centers * Bedroom Suites* Wood Dinning Collections* Metal Dinning Collections

* TV Stands * Occasional Tables* Lighting * Bars and Stools

* Wall Systems

Corner Nest Antique Mall100 West Elk Avenue Eliz., TN

423-547-9111Hours: Monday-Thursday 10 am-6 pm

Friday & Saturday 10 am-8 pmSunday 10 am-6 pm

Apples to Oranges Café & CateringOpen 7 Days a Week

from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.423-543-6378

Offering: Catering, Teas, Banquet Rooms, Bridal Showers, and Private Parties.


Elizabethton, TN. --- As the calen-dar turns to April, we welcome warmer weather and the zest to get outside and visit interesting places in our region.

Spring has sprung and that fact is very evident at the popular Corner Nest Antique Mall here in Elizabethton. The Corner Nest Antique Mall, located at 100 West Elk Avenue near the heart of the downtown business district, is a must-see stop off while in Elizabethton.

Store owner Robin Blackwell [as usual] has been very busy decorating the store with new spring-time motif and her 90 + vendors have been equally busy bringing in unique items and special col-lectables. The store has been re-stocked with an outstanding array of unique and collectable items worthy of display in any home or business.

“With spring finally here we’re really

looking forward to seeing many new and old friends come in for a visit here at the Corner Nest Antique Mall,” Robin Black-well said. “The support from our cus-tomers, who literally visit us from all over the Tri-City region, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina and beyond, is always rewarding and heartfelt. It was a harsh winter weather-wise but that’s behind us now and I know everybody is ready to get out. What a better way to spend the day than at the Corner Nest?” she added with a smile.

The Corner Nest Antique Mall boasts over 30,000 square feet of space present-ing items from nearly 100 vendors from all over the Tri-Cities to Mountain City, North Carolina and Virginia.

“We always have hundreds of dis-counted items on display and in stock and there are always bargains galore here at Corner Nest,” Robin points out. “We currently have discounts up to 50% off in many booths as our spring promo-tion begins. You really never know what you’ll find here. Our vendors are con-stantly changing their displays, re-stock-ing their spaces and I have a lot of fun changing the window displays and re-decorating the store even though it’s a lot of work,” she admits. “Spring is always a time we look forward to as the days are longer and the weather is warmer; espe-cially after being stuck inside for quite a while. We have decorated the storefront with spring accents and pretty Easter dis-

plays. It’s a time to re-new our spirits and get out and have some fun!”

When you visit Corner Nest, you will want to plan to spend some extra time in the store as it goes on and on with hun-dreds of unique items to view and people are encouraged to browse the huge open-air store.

“You really don’t want to be in a hur-ry when you visit us,” Robin said matter-of-factly. “With two floors of wall-to-wall merchandise that special item you are seeking may in fact be on the top floor. Or, if we don’t have an item you are look-ing for we will try our best to find it and that service is free of charge. We have many contacts around the region and beyond.”

Because of the new spring season the Corner Nest dealers are bringing in truck load after truck load of merchandise to compliment the store’s already well-stocked rooms of unique furniture and collectables.

Robin says it is all about the custom-er when they visit her store. “Customer service is the cornerstone of my business. We are fortunate to have many repeat customers because we offer a wide vari-ety of unique furniture, collectables and hundreds of other items that you won’t find anywhere else at reasonable prices. Plus, we are conveniently located no matter where you might live in the Tri-Cities or surrounding towns. We look forward to seeing you!”

Elizabethton’s Corner Nest Antique Mall Welcomes Spring With Excitement

Mountain City, TN. --- Picturesque Mountain City is situated on one of the highest valleys in the State of Ten-nessee. Doe Mountain rises to the southwest, Forge Moun-tain rises to the east, and a series of rugged hills (part of the Iron Mountains) dominate the landscape to the north. The Tennessee-North Carolina border runs opposite Forge Mountain approximately 5 miles east of Mountain City, and the Tennessee-Virginia border passes about 10 miles to the north.

U.S. Route 421 connects Mountain City with Bristol and the drive to Mountain City through Elizabethton via the ending route along the shores of Watauga Lake is [well], literally breathtaking.

Population estimates in 2009 listed Johnson County with 18,006 residents with about 2,400 of those living in Mountain City proper. Dave Loggins, the famous singer/songwriter best known for the song “Please Come to Bos-ton” was born here in 1947. Clyde Shoun a standout Major League pitcher (1912-1968) was also a native.

HistoryWhen the first Euro-American explorers arrived in what

is now Mountain City in the late 17th-centry, well-worn

Native American trails passed through the area. In 1949, workers at the Maymead quarry (just south of Mountain City) discovered a cave with several early Mississippian-era (ca. 1000 AD) burials inside.

The Needham and Arthur expedition of 1673 is believed

to have passed through the area, making use of the gap at Trade to the south. Explorer Daniel Boone made use of the same gap on an expedition to what is now Kentucky on 1769, and today part of the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail --- which follows Boone’s route --- passes through Mountain City.

The first permanent Euro-American settlers arrived in the Mountain City area in the late 18th-century, among them Leonard Shoun and Revolutionary War veteran Alex-ander Doran. The area was initially part of Carter County, but the difficulty of reaching Elizabethton (the county seat) led to the creation of Johnson County in 1836. That year, a county seat for the new county was platted on land purchased from William Vaught, and named Taylorsville after Colonel John P. Taylor.

The name of the town was changed to Mountain City in 1885, presumably at the urging of Roderick R. Butler (1827-1902), a prominent citizen and U.S. Congress-man, who wanted the town’s name to reflect its situation amidst one of the highest valleys in Tennessee. Butler’s mansion, listed on the National Register of Historic Plac-es, still stands near the center of town.

Rediscovering Mountain City & Johnson County

Today, Mountain City’s downtown district continues to grow. Back in March, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community De-velopment selected the town as one of only 12 official “Tennessee Downtowns.”

In recent years, the downtown area has transformed itself into a bustling thoroughfare. Anchored by several banks, Mountain City’s

downtown has delightful stores, shops and fine restaurants on Main Street including Tributary and Uba’s. When you go, make sure you’re hun-gry because a variety of culinary de-lights [including great desserts] await you.

Armed with a $15,000 grant for being named a Tennessee Downtown, Mountain City town leaders plan to invest even more into the central busi-

ness district in the form of revitaliza-tion and a facelift. . .here and there.

Around the corner from Main Street is Heritage Hall Performing Arts Center that was literally built from the ground up and offers productions in [somewhat] traditional Barter Theatre fashion. A variety of events are staged throughout the year with the building serving as a community center as well as a performing arts

center.Johnson County Mayor Larry Pot-

ter is looking into the development of Doe Mountain in an effort to attract even more tourists who visit Moun-tain City annually for great outdoor activities including: hiking, camping and fishing in and around the Cher-okee Forest, Watauga Lake activities including boating and swimming as well as golf at one of the most beauti-

ful courses in America.Throughout the year, Mountain

City and Johnson County play host to many events and festivals including Trade Days, Cranberry and Pumpkin Festivals, a county fair and a rodeo to name a few.

Just a short picturesque drive from anywhere in the Tri-Cities region Mountain City is certainly worth a Day Trip!

Mountain City Named Official “Tennessee Downtown”

April 2011


Bristol, TN --- Jim Cook, owner of Appalachian Rider Education Program, has been riding motorcycles since 1965 and he’s been teaching motor-cycle safety classes since 1993, a subject he’s very passionate about.

“I take great pleasure in teaching people to ride safely and enjoy the sport. “I have taught over 7,000 students through the years and my goal is to save lives and prevent as many accidents as I can,” he said recently. “You are never too young or old to learn about motorcycle safety.”

Cook offers classes for be-ginners, experienced and ad-vanced riders. For student-age riders [he even offers scholar-ships to students] who may not be able to afford the tu-ition.

The Basic Rider Course is taught in three-day classes on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The comprehensive instruction includes learning to ride a motorcycle safely

in a controlled environment with professionally trained in-structors who are enthusiastic about riding and teaching others to ride safely. They’ll even provide the motorcycles for you to train on.

Upon successfully complet-ing the Basic Rider Course, you will be able to go to the DMV and obtain your motor-cycle license without taking the written or riding tests. You’ll also save 10% off your motorcycle insurance.

The Basic Rider Course tuition is $225. Cook offers discounts to students 15 years of age and older and to the military. The experienced and advance rider courses are one-day classes and tuition is only $100. Discounts are also available in these classes if you have completed the basic course prior to registration.

Gift certificates are also available for purchase for family and friends or that first-time motorcycle owner.

The 2011 class schedule is

beginning to fill up. You can register for a class by visiting Cook’s web site www.appala-chianridereducationprogram.com where you can down-load a class registration form, check the upcoming schedule and get additional informa-tion about the specifics of the classes offered.

Please be advised when you do sign-up for a class you need to come prepared:

A DOT (State Department of Transportation) helmet is required along with eye pro-tection.

Wear long sleeve shirt/jacket.

Bring full-fingered gloves.

Wear long jeans and shoes or boots that cover the ankle.

While the classes are meant to be educational and fun, they are also a tool for you to use to safely enjoy the sport of motorcycle riding. The classes are well worth the time and ef-fort and what you learn could be life-saving.

Education Program Available: Learn to Ride Your Motorcycle Safely

Jim and Heather Cook

April 2011


CaughtOut ’N About

A year since Obamacare became law, the American peo-ple see its failure to address the cost crisis in health care and have a better understanding of the long-lasting negative impact it will have on our health care system and our fed-eral budget. This anniversary is not a cause for celebration, but a sober reminder that Congress must repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that will work to control costs and that are built upon the principle that when individuals are given control and ownership, we will achieve better access to coverage and see the entire system move in a positive, patient-centered direction.

Among its first actions this year, the U.S. House of Rep-resentatives passed H.R. 2 – legislation to repeal the job-destroying health care law. This was critical in showing people that we will keep our word, but the law’s supporters control the Senate and the White House, so for the time be-ing, the American people are forced to reckon with Obama-care.

The new health care law has created uncertainty for our small businesses through burdensome regulations. For ex-ample, included in its 2,000+ pages is a law that will require every business that conducts more than $600 worth of activity with another business to file a 1099 form with the IRS. Not only would this new tax regulation create mounds of need-less paperwork, but it is nonsensical. Congress is considering legislation to remove this provision, but it is a testament to the major defects included in the new health care law.

Furthermore, Obamacare has accelerated rising premiums many were already struggling to pay. An analysis by President Obama’s own Administration finds that seniors will pay more because of the health care legislation. In an in-terview by Medicare actuary Richard Foster, he “concedes that seniors may have to dig deeper into their wallets next year thanks to the health care law.” He also admits that the analysis “finds the health care overhaul will result in increased out-of-pocket costs for seniors on Medicare Ad-vantage plans.” Many of our seniors are on fixed incomes and cannot afford higher costs, but that’s exactly what is going to happen with the implementation of Obamacare. Ultimately, it will reduce access to care and reduce the quality of care because rationing is inevitable. This is not what I want, nor is it what Tennesseans want – but emerging details indicate that it is what we’re going to get unless we act soon to change it.

Remember President Obama’s promise when talking about health care reform: “If you like the health coverage you have today, you can keep it”? Well, new rules released from the Obama Admin-istration contradict that statement. The health

care law allows Americans to keep their health care cov-erage – so long as their health care plan doesn’t make any significant changes. The reality is, health care plans c o n s t a n t l y change out of necessity, and now when they c h a n g e , Americans will be at risk of los-ing their e x i s t i n g h e a l t h care plan – like it or not. The p r o m i s e that Ameri-cans could keep their existing insurance is tempo-rary.

As we learn more about this l e g i s l a t i o n , we see bad ele-ments tucked away like the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) – a board that

has a mandate to meet a budget. This will harm patient care because the only way to meet a budget is by delaying access to care or denying care altogether. That is why I introduced legislation to strip the IPAB provision from the health care law. The IPAB will lack full Congressional Oversight, com-promising its accountability to the American people. This simply cannot be allowed to happen. We have bipartisan agreement around the idea that unelected bureaucrats shouldn’t be able to make unaccountable decisions.

This anniversary is a reminder that Congress must re-peal Obamacare at the request of the American people, and pass meaningful health care legislation that will reform the system by controlling costs and getting rid of waste, without costing jobs and compromising care.

Please feel free to contact my office if we can be of as-sistance to you or your family. You can contact my office by mail, email or phone. Our contact information can be found on our website, www.roe.house.gov.

Visit www.roe.house.gov for more press, floor speeches, member resources and to sign up for our e-newsletter.

The Health Care Law At Year One

CongressmanPhil Roe

April 2011

Thompson Boling Arena:July 1 Taylor Swift (currently sold out)Aug 12 Keith Urban with Jake Owen

Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville:Apr 17 Steve MillerMay 9 Jackson BrowneMay 24 Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rang-ers

Bijou Theatre in Knoxville:Apr 13 George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic

Fox Theater in Atlanta:Apr 23 YanniMay 6 Kylie Minogue

The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Atlanta:Apr 18 Lady GaGa

Knoxville Civic Coliseum:Apr 20 Trans-Siberian OrchestraMay 4 Matin Lawrence

Knoxville Civic Auditorium:May 23 James Taylor

Bridgestone Arena in Nashville:Apr 3 RushApr 16 SugarlandApr 19 Lady GaGaApr 21 Bob SegerMay 28 Jimmy BuffettJuly 3 Motley Crue, Poison and the New York DollsAug 19 Katy PerrySept 16 & 17 Taylor Swift

Ryman Auditorium in Nashville:Apr 9 Boz ScaggsApr 27 Jeff BeckMay 19 Paul SimonJune 4 Jonny Lang

Harrah’s in Cherokee, N.C.:Apr 8 Huey Lewis and the NewsApr 22 Bret Michaels

Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville:July 2 U2

Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, N.C.:Apr 8 & 9 Widespread PanicApr 17 Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, TN:Jun 9-12 Eminem, Widespread Panic, Gregg Allman, Buffalo Springfield, Robert Plant & Band of Joy, Warren Haynes Band, Dr. John, Arcade Fire and Many others.

Philips Arena in Atlanta:Apr 19 Bob SegerMay 14 Bon JoviJuly 9 & 10 Taylor SwiftOvens Auditorium in Charlotte, N.C.:May 22 Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon RangersApr 28 Craig Ferguson

The Fillmore in Charlotte, N.C.:Apr 7 Jonny Lang

Verizon Wireless Ampitheater in Charlotte:Apr 21 Jimmy BuffettJune 6 Kenny ChesneyJune 17 PhishJune 22 Def Leppard and HeartJuly 12 Motley Crue, Poison and The New York DollsAug 21 Journey, Foreigner and Night Ranger

Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta:May 24 Jimmy BuffettJune 18 Def Leppard and HeartJuly 10 Motley Crue, Poison and the New York DollsJuly 30 Rascal Flatts

House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, S.C,:Apr 8 Jonny LangApr 14 Dierks Bentley

The Tabernacle in Atlanta:Feb 24 Buckcherry

Time Warner Pavilion at Walnut Creek in Raleigh, N.C.:Apr 19 Jimmy BuffettJune 18 PhishJune 24 Def Leppard and HeartJuly 8 Tim McGraw with Luke Bryan and The Band PerryJuly 22 Toby Keith with Eric ChurchJuly 30 Rascal Flatts with Easton Corbin and Justin MooreAug 20 Journey, Foreigner and Night RangerSept 25 Brad Paisley

For more details visit our website, look for our listing in Out ‘N About Magazine every month or call us at WQUT!

WQUT Concert Schedule

Saturday, April 2nd: Wolf Creek 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 6th :Bob Livingston8:00 P.M.

Friday, April 8th: The Boxcars9:00 P.M.

Saturday, April 9th: The Jompson Brothers

9:00 P.M.

Friday, April 15th: The High Reel Boys9:00 P.M.

Saturday, April 16th: The Mosier Brothers ~ 9:00 P.M.

Wednesday, April 20th: Story Slam7:30 P.M.

Tuesday, April 26th & Wednesday, April 27th:

ETSU Bluegrass7:00 P.M.

Down Home Concert Schedule300 W. Main Street, Johnson City, TN.

423-929-9822


ETSU Softball Coach Enjoying 1st Year

April 2011 Website: www.outnaboutmagazine.com Volume 1, Issue 11Composition and Printing by Star Printing, a Division of the Elizabethton STAR.

Send news and photo items to: [email protected] advertising to: [email protected]

Ron Scalf, Publisher Jon Ruetz, Associate Editor Bert White, Graphics Editor Pam Johnson, Vice President & General Manager Tressa Samdal, Graphics Editor Graham Bannister, Advertising Sales Associate Jeri George, WQUT Music & Concert Information Congressman Dr. Phil Roe, Featured Columnist Phil Scharfstein, Columnist, One Stop Robert Kostreva, Sports Editor Cheryl White, Vice-President for Marketing & Advertising Tim Lyle, Advertising Sales Associate

For Advertising Call: 423-534-8657. • For Editorial Call: 423-930-4184All free-lance material submitted becomes the property of Out ‘N About Magazine.

Out ‘N About Magazine is not affiliated with any other newspaper or magazine published in the USA.Advertising contained in this publication is accepted by the publisher upon the representation that the individual, agency or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter contained in the advertisement. The individual, agency or advertiser agrees to indemnify and save and hold harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims, legal action or suits

based upon contents or any advertising, including any claims or suits for defamation, copyright infringement, libel, plagiarism or right of privacy.

Johnson City, TN. --- Brad Irwin, East Tennessee State University’s women’s softball coach admits his squad is in a re-building year but he still expects a 100% effort from his team every time they hit the diamond.

“Yes, sure winning is important because that is how your program is gauged and it’s the end result of all your hard work,” he said. “But first and foremost the focus is [also on] running a good program, having your team en-gaged in the community and graduat-ing your players. There is absolutely a lot of pressure on winning but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not interested in coming to work and roll out the ball with no accountability.”

A native of Chattanooga and in his first year as a head coach, Irwin said he was not interested in leaving his home town, “just for any head coaching job.”

“I love it here and as an assistant at a successful program [UTC] where I worked 10 minutes from my family I wasn’t interested in leaving for any ole’ job.” He credits ETSU Athletic Director Dave Mullins and ETSU Assistant Athletic Director Barbie Breedlove as catalysts for his move deeper into East Tennessee.

“Everything was in place when I ar-rived,” he said matter-of-factly. “ETSU offers great facilities and as a coach I

have received great support from the ad-ministration.”

Irwin’s young squad is in the midst of tournament play and is holding on to the hope of a winning record. “We were picked 10th out of 11 teams and I’d certainly like to do better than that. But, you know we are in a very strong ‘mid-major’ conference and we are in a re-building process this year.”

Next year could be brighter for ETSU’s women’s softball team as only two players are graduating linked to 12 fully-funded scholarships. Irwin was reluctant to dis-cuss individual players but did say Catie Henderson, of Jackson, has been a bright spot. “She’s been solid both on offense and defense and in a leadership role. She catches and plays 3rd [base] and is bat-ting .382.”

Irwin also said he was a somewhat surprised with his team’s offensive performance. “Offensively they have performed much better than expected. They’ve scored a lot of runs and hit the ball extremely well. On the other hand, defensively I’m equally surprised be-cause coming into the season I thought we would play much better defensively.”

As the season winds down Irwin’s thoughts turns to recruiting. “Recruiting has become a 365 day-a-year, non-stop exercise,” he admits. “It’s the lifeblood

of any program.”Irwin explained that he and other

coaches watch as much “high school ball as possible” but travel squads get more attention since they play every weekend of the summer. Warmer states also get more recruiting attention be-cause of year-round play. He also said high school players are being recruited

much younger because of the popularity of the sport.

In the conference Irwin says ETSU has already built rivalries with in-state rival Belmont, as well as Lipscomb, and now that he’s here, especially UTC.

What was the hardest loss to take this year?

“The first-weekend of the tourna-

ment we played Morehead State and had them 5-1. We gave up four runs in the 7th [last inning] which tied the score and they ended up beating us in extra innings. That loss was hard to take.”

Irwin lives in Johnson City with his wife Rachel. They are the parent s of two children, 3 ½ year old Blake and nine month old Tinsley.

Coach Brad Irwin

April 2011

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN — The Board of Trustees of Milligan College, a nationally recog-nized Christian liberal arts college in Tennessee, has appointed Dr. Bill Greer as the 15th president in the college’s 145-year history.

Greer, who currently serves as the college’s vice president for institutional advancement and is a 1985 graduate of the college, was selected from a national field of candidates following a five-month search. He will assume leadership of Milligan Col-lege on July 15, 2011, following the retirement of Donald R. Jeanes.

Greer brings to the presidency an extensive and distinguished professional background. His career represents more than 25 years’ experience as an academic and business leader, fundraiser, com-munity volunteer, and church elder.

“Dr. Greer exhibits a strong understanding of Milligan’s heritage, the current opportunities and challenges facing the college, and a clear vision for Milligan’s future,” said David Hamilton, chair of the Milligan board and vice president of Elkins Construction in Jacksonville, Fla. “The Board is unanimous that he is the right choice for Milli-gan’s next president.”Demonstrated Leadership Experience

Greer provides an extensive academic and pro-fessional background which will offer Milligan a unique perspective to advance the college in the future.

At Milligan, he is the J. Henry Kegley Profes-sor of Economics and Business and served 12 years as a member of the college’s faculty, chairing the business area for several years and serving on nu-merous committees. Greer also led the college’s ef-forts to develop and establish a Master of Business Administration, a program built on the philoso-phy of ethical decision making from a Christian perspective.

As vice president for institutional advance-ment, Greer has successfully achieved Milligan’s annual fundraising goals and led the college in the $25 million “Forward Ever: The Campaign for Milligan College,” which has greatly increased constituency engagement.

“Over the span of his more than two-decade career, Dr. Greer has developed a leadership style marked by strategic thinking, collaborative lead-ership and accountability,” said Hamilton. “In his roles as vice president for institutional advance-ment and professor at Milligan, he has worked as a tireless consensus builder, earning the respect of his colleagues and peers.”

Greer holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Uni-versity of Tennessee-Knoxville and an MBA from East Tennessee State University. He is a published author and continues to lecture on macroeconom-ic theory and the history of economic thought. He

is also a member of the Messiah College (Pa.) In-ternational Business Institute faculty.

Prior to joining the Milligan faculty in 1994, Greer held accounting positions with Pet Dairy and Morrill Motors and was vice president of mar-keting at Silver Creek Technologies.

Greer has a lifelong commitment to the Res-toration Movement and has served as an elder at Grandview Christian Church since 1998. He has presented workshops at the North American Christian Convention and represented Milligan at the National Missionary Convention and other church-related events.

Greer has served on numerous corporate and

community boards, including Interfaith Hospital-ity Network of Greater Johnson City, Washington County United Way Allocations Committee, John-son City National Little League, QUEST Founda-tion of Washington County, and Johnson City Federal Credit Union. He serves as a member of the compliance and audit committee of Mountain States Health Alliance and the board of visitors for the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University. He is a member of the board of directors of Blue Ridge Medical Manage-ment. Greer also is a member of the Johnson City Rotary Club.

A native of Mountain City, Tenn., Greer and

his wife, Edwina, who graduated from Milligan in 1984, currently live in Johnson City, Tenn. They have two sons who are both students at Milligan.

Building on a Foundation“I accept this role with tremendous excitement

and a healthy measure of humility,” said Greer. “I seek to be a president who will lead boldly, cast-ing a vision that preserves the essential core values and heritage that make Milligan College so unique while, at the same time, ensuring that Milligan con-tinues to grow, fulfilling its noble mission.”

Greer will succeed current Milligan President Donald R. Jeanes, who began his 14-year presi-dency in 1997.

“We will continue building on the foundation laid by President Jeanes, protecting and increas-ing Milligan’s mission and academic reputation, strengthening our relationship with the commu-nity and with our churches, continuing to grow and improve the campus, enhancing and add-ing academic programs, improving our athletics program, enriching our students, and serving our alumni,” said Greer before an 11 a.m. gathering of the board and campus community.

Jeanes said he is most pleased that Dr. Greer was the board’s selection.

“I can’t think of anyone who is better suited to be Milligan’s next leader,” said Jeanes. “Bill has shown himself to be a man of faith, integrity and proven professional leadership who cares deeply for this institution. As an alumnus, a pro-fessor and an administrator, he has demonstrated his passion for Milligan College’s mission time and time again. I commend the board for their choice; they looked at many candidates and selected the one who best fulfills the criteria they had established. I am most pleased that Dr. Greer will lead Milligan College.”

About the Selection ProcessAn 11-person Presidential Search Committee

was formed in October 2010 to launch a compre-hensive national search under the leadership of Milligan alumnus and Board of Trustees Chair Da-vid Hamilton (’86). The committee included repre-sentation from Milligan trustees, advisors, faculty, students, staff and alumni. The committee received over a dozen applications and worked to identify the candidate who best met the leadership criteria and qualifications established by the Board of Trustees.

About Milligan College Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college

in Northeast Tennessee that is consistently named one of the best regional colleges and Best Buys in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Milligan also is also named one of the Top 100 baccalaure-ate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly. The college offers undergraduate and graduate programs to over 1,100 students.

Milligan College Names Dr. Bill Greer as its 15th President

Dr. Bill Greer


April 2011

MAY 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 2011

APPALACHIAN FAIRGROUND GRAY TENNESSEE

This is our 4th YEAR THUNDER IN THE MOUNTAINS RALLY and each year IT KEEPS GETTING BIGGER. This year we had to move to the GRAY FAIRGROUNDS TENNESSEE to make room for everyone.

CAMPING — FOOD — AND REFRESHMENTS ON THE GROUND — FREE SUPERVISED KIDS ZONE ALL WEEKEND New Events—Biker Games—Tons of Vendors— Wet Bar—Lots of Music— MAINLINERS GEORGIA SATELLITES

Motorcycle Drag Racing on Thursday night at the world famous Thunder Valley in Bristol TN FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION: www.thunderinthemountainsmotorcyclerally.com

KICK START YOUR SALES POSITION YOURSELF FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

MOUNTAIN CITY— ABINGDON — BRISTOL — KINGSPORT-JOHNSON CITY—JONESBOROUGH — ELIZABETHTON

ERWIN — UNICOI — GREENEVILLE — ASHEVILLE N.C.

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MAY 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 2011

APPALACHIAN FAIRGROUND GRAY TENNESSEE

This is our 4th YEAR THUNDER IN THE MOUNTAINS RALLY and each year IT KEEPS GETTING BIGGER. This year we had to move to the GRAY FAIRGROUNDS TENNESSEE to make room for everyone.

CAMPING — FOOD — AND REFRESHMENTS ON THE GROUND — FREE SUPERVISED KIDS ZONE ALL WEEKEND New Events—Biker Games—Tons of Vendors— Wet Bar—Lots of Music— MAINLINERS GEORGIA SATELLITES

Motorcycle Drag Racing on Thursday night at the world famous Thunder Valley in Bristol TN FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION: www.thunderinthemountainsmotorcyclerally.com

KICK START YOUR SALES POSITION YOURSELF FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

MOUNTAIN CITY— ABINGDON — BRISTOL — KINGSPORT-JOHNSON CITY—JONESBOROUGH — ELIZABETHTON

ERWIN — UNICOI — GREENEVILLE — ASHEVILLE N.C.

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The perfect mixCharlie credits the late bassist George Ham-

monds, who died of a massive heart attack in 2007, with being one of the most important figures in his career.

“George was an excellent musician, perfect for me and my style of music. The fact that I have a re-cording studio in my home, thanks mostly to him, means that I have a marvelous advantage.

“If you are going into a recording studio, you are going to have a pathway. You cannot be aim-lessly wandering with no destination – when you’re paying for a studio, you’re going to go in with a plan and execute it. But when you have your own

space, that changes. “Failure doesn’t even have to be considered. It’s

just a click of on the computer keyboard away from being gone, leaving a fresh slate for you to start again.”

Charlie says his new gospel record, Trust in God, wouldn’t have happened in a professional re-cording studio. “There simply is no way to afford the time. But I could do it just because I was able to do these things in my home. George was the catalyst for all that.”

Hammonds and Charlie only worked together for a spring and summer, getting the studio set up and organized. “It was a very short time, but we ac-complished a lot together. It brought me back to the joy of creating for the sake of creating, and I’ll owe George that on every record I’ll ever make from now on.”

Power in the pen Songwriter Charlie grew up enchanted by the

works of great writers. “As a kid, you wouldn’t neces-sarily consider Jerome Kern, or Rodgers and Hart, or something. For me, it was Lennon and McCartney.” The powerhouse duo of the Fab Four penned one hit after another for the Beatles, and made young Chip take notice.

“I was trying to impress my mother and father, which I continue to do on a daily basis. I went to my room to try and write a song. You know, I can play chords on a guitar and sing all these songs in my bedroom. I’ve conquered that. Now I must climb the songwriting mountain.

“I remember going out and playing it, and get-ting little or no response – a ‘that’s nice,’ or some-thing. I was so hurt by that. I knew the problem

must not be with me, it must be with them. They’re just not hearing what I’m, doing.

“So I went back in and wrote down the lyrics to Paul McCartney’s ‘Yesterday.’ I took it to my mother and father, and they said, ‘that’s really nice,’ and went on with cooking the meal, going through the mail or whatever.

“I just shook my head,” Charlie says, the grow-ing laughter almost drowning out his story. “I mean, if they didn’t ‘get’ Lennon-McCartney...”

Charlie was convinced he was “not fit nor able to write a gospel song. I can’t even consider myself doing that. I would sit and, finally, a couple of little, simple tunes came, but nothing really worthy. Now, you want to get humble really quickly, just look at the great hymns.”

One sad morning, the restless troubadour was up early, awaiting the funeral of his grandfather-in-law.

“I sat down and began to write ‘Harvest Time.’ It came like a poem. It wasn’t even a song. I didn’t even think it could have a melody.

“And then I saw the direction I should take. I didn’t have to change the direction of the music I was doing. Rock ‘n’ roll, blues, soul – all had a common ancestor: gospel music, and the church.

“I’m not talking about taking a secular song and ‘gospelizing’ it. For example, when Ray Charles is singing ‘I Got A Woman,’ he got that from ‘I Got A Savior.’ He changed the subject from spiritual love to romantic love, and soul music was invented.

“I finally had the realization that I could go back to the source. This music I’ve been playing my whole life came from the church.”

Perseverance paid off. Charlie has written “probably 20 or so songs that I’ve recorded. I ended up writing about 16 songs for an upcoming gospel album, tentatively entitled Good News.”

Also, Songbook, the second volume of the family album series that began with Trust in God, is in the works, featuring folk and secular music by Charlie and his family. A third CD is planned, Live in ‘95, a much-requested live performance of Charlie and the Upsetters.

After the initial writing comes what Jim Reeves called “living with a song.” Charlie has lived with his new crop of gospel music, “listening to them again and again. I think they are solid. They’re go-ing to hold up.

“Writing any song is a risk for a performer. If the public becomes attached to it, it can be almost like a cross to bear. So often with great performers, the least of their doings is their legacy.

“We’ve played these songs in churches. Beth and I have listened 0to them over and over. It is typical of any artist to think that their most recent work is

their best – they’re excited about ‘the new baby.’ But I am convinced it is unquestionably the best work I’ve produced as a songwriter.

“I have just been blessed with the floodgates opening. It is just amazing what God will do. Like Moses stammering ‘I c-c-c-can’t go to the P-P-Pharoah, Lord.’ And the Lord replied, ‘Oh, yes, you can.’”

Charlie is confident “fans will like it because it sounds like the blues and the rock ‘n’ roll they know. The believer will say it sounds great because it sounds like the gospel.” He quotes Randy Travis: “I like my feet being on the rock, my name being on the roll.”

A New Leaf “Although I had been a Christian – in the sense

that I believed that God sent His only Son, resur-rected on the third day – at the same time I was living a very worldly life, and lifestyle.

“I wasn’t like a guy who was just a wild heathen and then, one day, on the road to Damascus, was struck blind until I came to my senses. The time came that I made a leap of faith and surrendered my lifestyle and my career to the Lord.

“In 2005, ironically A New Leaf had just been released. I had been playing in the lounge at a large hotel and convention center in Bristol four hours a night, five nights a week, for four years. It paid the bills and allowed me to get back on my feet, and for that I am grateful. But the gig itself had gotten so bad, what I was having to deal with…” his voice trails off.

Out ‘ N About Magazinen CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

Lightnin’ Charlie ~ Charming music lovers, singing his faith songs

April 2011

The Center on Aging and Health (Erwin, TN), in the spirit of “paying it forward”, recently con-tributed dental equipment to the international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse to be used at a missionary hospital in Africa.

The equipment was originally acquired by the facility through a donation by Dr. Frank Anderson. The dental chair, light, and x-ray machine were used by the Center to provide care for residents. Due to technological advances and mobile dentistry, the equipment became obsolete by American stan-dards.

Center on Aging and Health hoped to contribute the tools to a worthy cause, and Samaritan’s Purse, based in Boone, North Carolina, was brought to their attention. Greg Bierals and John Souto vis-ited the facility Monday, January 24, to pick up the donated equipment, and it is currently en route to Kijabe Hospital in Kenya, Africa. Bierals and Souto are biomedical technicians who work with World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse.

Also visiting the Center on Aging and Health was Tejal Mistry, a recent ETSU graduate who had just returned from Tanzania, a country that neighbors Kenya in eastern Africa. Mistry, 22, traveled to Af-rica with International Service Learning to deliver

door-to-door medical care and public health infor-mation. A makeshift clinic was set up in a small church and patients were examined and treated on church pews. Mistry says supplies used in clinics are donated, and equipment Americans consider out-dated is of the highest technology to those in rural African villages. “That chair will make a big difference in the ability of volunteers to provide care.” Mistry, on hand to share her recent mission experience, continued, “It is so meaningful that our community can provide this assistance.”

Samaritan’s Purse, under the leadership of Rev. Franklin Graham bases its ministry on the Bible story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) which gives a clear picture of God’s desire to help those in desperate need wherever they are found. After de-scribing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, “Go and do likewise.”

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational Christian relief and evangelism organization found-ed in 1970 that works in more than 100 countries around the world, providing spiritual and physical aid to the victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine.

Over the past 20 years, Samaritan’s Purse has shipped $70 million worth of medical equipment

and supplies from the World Medical Mission ware-house in Boone to hospitals and clinics in dozens of countries around the world.

The Center on Aging and Health is thankful to be able to contribute to this ministry and support

the work of volunteers like Tejal Mistry.Residents and staff enjoyed hearing about Mis-

try’s experience with helping others in need and are happy that Samaritan’s Purse will deliver the dental chair to continue this important work.

The Center on Aging and Health in the Spirit of “Paying it Forward”

Greg Bierals, Tejal Mistry and John Souto

Page 34 Out ‘ N About Magazine

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Rediscover the Valley Beautiful: Erwin, TennesseeErwin, TN. --- The only problem with “The Next

Best Thing” located on Gay Street in the heart of Er-win across from the courthouse, is once you’re inside this store it’s real difficult to leave.

Mike Martinez and Sean and Linda Curran opened the eclectic mall in October of 2009 during the an-

nual Apple Festival. The massive store is jam-packed with every item imaginable from antiques, vintage clothing, jewelry, music and coins as well as a library full of books and periodicals.

There’s even an outhouse centered near one of the huge store front windows. . .if you’re in the market for one!

The store became an instant hit with locals and tourists alike that within a year an expansion was necessary and took place in March of 2010. “We go out and find things and purchase them inexpensively and turn around and offer them to our customers at an affordable, great price,” Martinez explained. “If you’re looking for a good deal. . .you’ll find it here.”

Martinez, an Ohio native who studied comprehensive interior design at Western Kentucky University and architecture at the Univer-sity of Kentucky, also along with his partners, custom paint furniture at his house on Highway 107 not far from the downtown store.

“Customers can drop

their furniture off and we’ll custom paint it for them. We paint all kinds of furniture from table and dressers to chairs hutches,” he added matter-of-factly.

The Next Best Thing is now headquarters for mosaic painting classes held on Saturdays from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. “We present a relaxed atmosphere for people wanting to learn how to paint mosaic with family and friends. The classes have been well received and we are starting new classes. So, if you’re interested give us a call or come by and signup.”

When you visit “The Next Best Thing” make sure you give yourself plenty of time. You won’t want to leave and browsing is encouraged.

Out ‘ N About Magazine April 2011 Page 17

The Next Best Thing: Time and Money Well Spent in Downtown Erwin

Jan Herndon Bradley

email: [email protected]

P.O. Box 100 (423) 743-4481

Erwin, TN 37650 Cell: (423)330-8822Mackenzie Shelton-Hyder

Formerly of Johnson City Wal-Mart

Now in IGA Shopping CenterFor All Your Hair Car Needs!

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Kathy Byrd

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Regular Grooming of your Pet,Helps Prevent Visits to the Vet!

Open Wed. through Sat.

9:00 A.M. until the last

Pet is done

CHAMBER OF COMMERCEAmanda B. Delp

Executive Director

100 South Main Ave. P.O. Box 713

Erwin, TN 37650www.unicoicounty.org

423-743-3000423-743-0942 • Fax

[email protected]

Indulge your senses. Enrich your spirit. Enlighten your soul

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Rediscover the Valley Beautiful: Erwin, TennesseeErwin, TN. --- The only problem with “The Next

Best Thing” located on Gay Street in the heart of Er-win across from the courthouse, is once you’re inside this store it’s real difficult to leave.

Mike Martinez and Sean and Linda Curran opened the eclectic mall in October of 2009 during the an-

nual Apple Festival. The massive store is jam-packed with every item imaginable from antiques, vintage clothing, jewelry, music and coins as well as a library full of books and periodicals.

There’s even an outhouse centered near one of the huge store front windows. . .if you’re in the market for one!

The store became an instant hit with locals and tourists alike that within a year an expansion was necessary and took place in March of 2010. “We go out and find things and purchase them inexpensively and turn around and offer them to our customers at an affordable, great price,” Martinez explained. “If you’re looking for a good deal. . .you’ll find it here.”

Martinez, an Ohio native who studied comprehensive interior design at Western Kentucky University and architecture at the Univer-sity of Kentucky, also along with his partners, custom paint furniture at his house on Highway 107 not far from the downtown store.

“Customers can drop

their furniture off and we’ll custom paint it for them. We paint all kinds of furniture from table and dressers to chairs hutches,” he added matter-of-factly.

The Next Best Thing is now headquarters for mosaic painting classes held on Saturdays from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. “We present a relaxed atmosphere for people wanting to learn how to paint mosaic with family and friends. The classes have been well received and we are starting new classes. So, if you’re interested give us a call or come by and signup.”

When you visit “The Next Best Thing” make sure you give yourself plenty of time. You won’t want to leave and browsing is encouraged.

Page 16 Out ‘ N About Magazine April 2011

The Next Best Thing: Time and Money Well Spent in Downtown Erwin

Jan Herndon Bradley

email: [email protected]

P.O. Box 100 (423) 743-4481

Erwin, TN 37650 Cell: (423)330-8822Mackenzie Shelton-Hyder

Formerly of Johnson City Wal-Mart

Now in IGA Shopping CenterFor All Your Hair Car Needs!

Cat/Dog Grooming

Kathy Byrd

Full Grooming Services Frontline Plus

Products Available

Owner/Groomer

1113 Jackson Love Hwy.Erwin, TN 37650

(423)735-7387 or (423)735-PETS

Regular Grooming of your Pet,Helps Prevent Visits to the Vet!

Open Wed. through Sat.

9:00 A.M. until the last

Pet is done

CHAMBER OF COMMERCEAmanda B. Delp

Executive Director

100 South Main Ave. P.O. Box 713

Erwin, TN 37650www.unicoicounty.org

423-743-3000423-743-0942 • Fax

[email protected]

Indulge your senses. Enrich your spirit. Enlighten your soul

Find your way to Unicoi County.

BLUE RIDGE POTTERSANTIQUES

COLLECTIBLESGLASSWARE

105 South Main StreetErwin, Tennessee 37650

(423) 743-7910

[email protected]

HANDBAGS WALLETS

FASHIONJEWELRY COSMETICS

C O U P O N

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BUY ONEGET ONE

FREEFASHION

EARRINGS

C O U P O N

1201 N. MAIN AVE.ERWIN, TN

423-735-4165

STORE HOURS:MON. THRU SAT.

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Specializing inBlue Ridge, Cash Family,

Clouse & Other Local Potter

206 S. Main Ave. • Erwin, TN 37650

Maxie English423-747-3560

or 423-753-4755

Buy • Sale • Trade


“Almost A Happenin Thing”

Buc Ball: A Story Telling Success..

By RoBeRt KostRevaspoRts editoR

Johnson City, TN. --- In the begin-ning was the word. Soon enough Adam was formed and took the 1st shot at some-thing. So it was against Iona that Adam [Sallazzo] took the last shot of the ETSU basketball season. Out of the dust (it seems) Buc Ball became an exciting enterprise.

Fighting through injuries and red shirt reality, Coach Murry Bartow found a way to put together a starting unit that could win. And the starters, led by Mike Smith’s consistent scoring, took turns have exceptional games. Isiah at Ken-tucky, Tubbs, Micah, and Mike at Dayton, Tourney Tubbs against Ohio and Sallaz-zo-Williams amidst Iona. The C.I.T. also showcased the return of the Smothers Brothers.

Deshaud (You can call me “D” just don’t call me Johnson) and Mista Bump (J.C. Ward) got playing time and pro-duced. Deshaud effectively role played at point guard and roughed up Ohio’s D. J. Cooper (#3 in the country in assists and the Bobcats leading scorer) allowing just 4 points and 5 assists. Meanwhile, Ward smothered Ohio “Big Guys” Dr. Washing-ton and Ivo Baltic enabling Isiah Brown to be the prophet in the paint. All said and done, Furman was a worthy first round opponent but Ohio was an impressive win.

Impressive also were the “local vo-cals” and Jason Carpenter drum “kickin”

the pep band. Crowd size grew with each game (students, where art thou?) and both victories exemplified ruckus fan sup-port. What was evolving was a happenin [sic], a real deal explosion of ETSU pride. It almost happened.

I watched the New Yorkers (Iona) warm up and witnessed a confident look.

Upon hearing (P.A. announcing) starters from the Bronx, New York City, Queens, and Newark, my “Ut Oh” became real as Iona wheeled and dealed to a 14-0 lead. At-titude was prevailing and the Bucs needed an answer. Together they responded. Adam Sallazzo’s persistent penetrating alongside timely Micah Williams’ treys and the next

thing you know it’s 30-20 ETSU. My half-time thought? This could be a very BIG win.

Well. . .it didn’t happen. Iona never stopped running. Scott Machado (#2 in the country in assists) never stopped dish-ing and silky smooth forward Mike Glover painted in 33 points. Throw in Sean Ar-

mand’s sharpshooting 6 three-pointers and you catch my Big Apple.

The season is fine, av voir Bucca-neers. It took a real “Gael” force of round ballers from Yankee land to stop the journey.

Almost a Happenin’ thing. It was well worth the trip!

March 24, 2011 Elks Lodge 825 in Johnson City installed of-ficers for Elks 2011 year. The Ritual was conducted by Phil Bul-len (PER, PDD, PSVP) from the Greenville Lodge. Left to right is Dot Watts, Amy Stagner, Jeff Lineville, Bobby Hyduk (ER), Stephanie Radford (PER), Francis Chandler, Angel Blackburn, Repeat Wolters, Gina Rutherford, John Stewart, Mary Harvey, Alan Smith and Phil Bullen.

Elk LodgeInstalls Officers

April 2011

Begins April 30th

at Barter Stage IIStarring Nicholas Piper You’ve seen him as Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein, now watch this comical tale of self-discovery - a story about a son exploring his relationship with his father and the world around him. This outlandish, funny and bruising tale looks at how our past shapes us, and how we often inherit more than DNA from our parents. To experience this tale of hope, one that belongs to every family and generation, call Barter Theatre at 276.628.3991 or visit www.BarterTheatre.com.

Circumference of a Squirrel

by John Walch

“This is the very thing that makes theatre exciting...to watch [performers] bravely dare to tell us the truth about ourselves.”Nicholas Piper, Actor & Associate Director of Barter Theatre

Hank Williams Sr. is known the world over as the most influential singer/songwriter ever. Now, acclaimed performer and musician Jason Petty, along with his four piece band, is bringing the authentic and insightful story of Hank to life in “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes” for a special presentation at Barter Theatre April 21 – May 21. “Chock full of Hank’s hits including ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart,’ ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,’ ‘Hey Good Lookin’,’ ‘Lovesick Blues’ and many more, ‘Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes’ will have audiences clapping their hands and stomping their feet,” said Richard Rose, producing artistic director of Barter Theatre. Backed by a four-piece

band, just like the way Williams performed, Jason Petty gives a personal look at Williams growing up, how he became famous, who influenced the legendary singer songwriter and performers today who are influenced by Williams. Go back to the very beginning when Hank was given his very first guitar all the way to how Hank has made a lasting impression on music, almost 50 years after his death. Even now, Williams is recognized as being in the top of the most influential singer songwriters ever. “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes” has played to sold out houses across the country from Broadway to Nashville. Conceived and written by Petty, the idea sparked when Petty was asked to portray Williams at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in the musical biography of Williams’ life titled “Lost Highway.” “I later won the Off-Broadway equivalent of a Tony Award, an Obie Award, for outstanding performance in ‘Lost Highway,’” said Petty.

“It seems his music and influence still touch the same nerve with people as it did some 65 years ago,” said Petty. “Growing up on a farm in middle Tennessee, I love front porch storytelling,” said Petty.“ Petty remembers being at his grandparents’ farm house in Primm Springs, Tn. “Front porch swing, just like in the movies. My Grandfather and Grandmother would weave stories of the old days and I would sit enthralled at the mention of simpler times with no TV, just an old Silvertone radio tuned to the Grand Ol’ Opry.” Not only will the great songs of Hank Williams Sr. be performed, other gems are in the show as well. “I picked the other artists due to the fact that they were huge influences on a young Hank Williams...i.e. Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Roy Acuff and others because they were hugely influenced by Hank - including George Jones and Webb Pierce,” said Petty.Tickets: www.BarterTheatre.com

~a COMICAL TALE OF SELF

DISCOVERY~


Bristol, TN. --- The name of the night club may have changed several times over the years, but Linda Boring has, for 31-years, been the first person that greets you at the front door of the Country Club Bar & Grill.

And, just a few feet away behind the club’s main bar, you’ll find Patty Ar-nold, who has been serving up drinks and waiting on revealers for the past 21 years.

Miss Linda, at the ripe “young” age of 77 says retirement is not something she thinks about. “I love coming to work and look forward to it every day,” she said with her signature smile. “I’d prob-ably be lost if I retired. This place keeps me going so I plan to stay on as long as they’ll have me.”

Linda initially started working the booth at a lo-cal boot store and when she finished she went to her second job at the door of the Hichin’ Post, owned by the late Sam Gibson.

Linda says “back in day” many famous country stars played the Country Club Bar & Grill including Porter Waggoner, “Mr. Grand ‘Ole Opry,’ known for his flashy suits and blond pompadour. “He came in the store wearing a royal blue sequenced blue suit and he had me use the steamer on his cowboy hat. I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said with a laugh. “But he said, ‘Young lady you did a fine job!’”

Linda also said “before he got big” Travis Tritt was one of the house bands for two weeks and stayed with Sam at “The Band House.”

“We’d get a lot of bands who would stop her in Bristol on their way to other engagements in Atlanta and other places,” Patty explained. “Artists like John-ny Paycheck, John Anderson, John Conley, Dave & Sugar, Alabama, Steve Warner, some of the hot acts back in those days and they were all here.”

According to Linda, not only did the top country stars perform at the club it was often that other celeb-rities and politicians would come to see the entertain-ers. “Most of the NASCAR drivers came in here when

they were here for the races at Bristol International Raceway [as it was known back then] Davy Allison, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Elliot Sadler and many oth-ers. “And other sports stars like wrestlers and football players would come in here,” she added pointing out that now she couldn’t remember many of their names.

“But, we always had big crowds 425-450 people. We were always packed on the weekends. We had a re-ally large local base that came in here regularly,” she said. “Back then, the best days were working with my mother Mae and my father Paul, who would open the bar and park cars until the place was full and we’d all go home about 3 a.m. in the morning.”

Today, the Country Club Bar & Grill has emerged as a better entertainment facility than its predecessors

The Hichin Post and The Rockin’ Horse I & II, says Patty Arnold. “It’s new and improved and quite an enjoyable place to come with your friends and hear some great bands and enjoy some good food and cold drinks,” Patty says. “Times have changed and the big stars . . .big names command too much money to play places like the Country Club. So, what Andy [Bland] and Michelle [Gibson] have done is to book the best local talent that is avail-able. They spent a lot of money fixing the place

up. Its first class and we still get the big crowds.”

“And the cover charge in the past [on nights when there was entertainment] was $6 or $7 a head and they lowered it to just $5 and people are happy with that,” Linda interjects. “And we’re not just strictly a coun-try bar; they [Andy & Michelle] book all kinds of bands who play all kinds of music and I think that has attracted new customers while our locals from all over the Tri-Cities and South-west Virginia still support us.”

“We love working here,” the duo said almost in unison. “It’s not a job. Here at the Country Club Bar & Grill. . .we’re all family.”

52 Years Logged Greeting Patrons at the Country Club

Club manager Andy Bland stops for a picture with his dog, Jager, along with Linda Boring and Patty Arnold.

Patty and Linda are lifelong friends; Together, Patty and Linda have logged 52 years at the Country Club Bar & Gril.

April 2011

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ERWIN, TN. --- The first time Robie Sul-lins met Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris he was 18 years-old and sported shoulder length blonde hair. Not the kind of scene you would picture from someone applying for a job at the sheriff’s department.

“The sheriff took a chance on me and I’m still here and have been here for seven years,” Sullins said matter-of-factly during an inter-view in Harris’ office recently. “I know there were a lot of people around here who thought I’d never make it.”

Sullins not only “made it” he was elected last November to the Erwin Board of Mayor and Alderman at the ripe old age of 24. Are you the youngest board member ever? Sullins was asked.

“No, that distinction belongs to the sher-iff (Harris),” Sullins said with a grin. “He was elected as an Erwin alderman at only 18 [years-old] and by age 24 he was vice-mayor. But, I can tell you this. He is my mentor and I’ve always looked up to him and I try to emu-late him in a lot of ways. We’re so much alike business-wise and politically it’s scary.”

When Sullins took out his papers for the alderman seat he went straight to Harris seek-ing advice. “He had served on the board and I knew I could get some good, ‘first-hand’ ad-vice,” Sullins said. “He told me to go straight to the papers [Erwin Valley Beautiful Beacon and the Record] and sit down with the editors and discuss my ideas with them right off the bat. He told me, ‘You need to build a positive relationship with the news media and always be accessible.’ And, I really am. It may be a cliché but I have a desire to help people and that’s why my alderman business card has my personal cell number listed.”

Sullins, who just turned 25, left Erwin for a while as he pursued a degree in Political Sci-ence at the University of Tennessee in Knox-ville. He graduated in 2009 and toyed with the idea of attending law school having successful complete the entrance exam.

While in Knoxville, he interned for U.S. Senator Bob Corker. Two months after grad-uating from Unicoi County High School, Harris put him in the 9-1-1 mapping office. Shortly after that he was promoted to run the 9-1-1mapping system. Three months later his was elevated to the position of Assistant 9-1-1 director. Instead of pursuing a law career, Sul-lins returned to the sheriff’s department where

he serves as administrative assistant to Harris.“Time seems to be passing really fast. If I

had gone to law school I certainly would not be an alderman and that is something I re-ally enjoy,” he added. “I’m still growing up and I know things are wide open. I’ll take it

as it comes but I really enjoy the business of politics.”

During the campaign, Sullins’ goal was to knock on every door in Unicoi County seek-ing support. “I saw this article in USA Today about a young mayoral candidate in Alabama

who had accomplished that; and I thought what a great idea. It was actually a great chal-lenge. I didn’t get to every door but I didn’t miss many. I would sometimes go with a fam-ily member of by myself and knock on doors and shake hands until dark.”

Sullins efforts paid off as he nearly gar-nered 700 votes finishing second in a five man race for three seats. “Everything considered in four years I’d do it again,” he said with his signature smile. Along with the experience of working for Sen. Coker on his resume, Sullins was also co-chairman with Harris on Rep. Phil Roe’s successful congressional bid.

Did he run for an alderman seat because he sought change at City Hall? Sullins was asked bluntly.

“No, I think the city is going in a good di-rection however, I think the process needs to be sped up a bit,” he answered frankly. “We have lost some good businesses recently in Erwin and I feel like we need to be more aggressive in busi-ness and industry development. That’s crucial in any city’s growth. . .big or small.”

Sullins points to Erwin’s downtown revital-ization project as a good start to putting Erwin back on the map.

“We need to focus on bringing more busi-nesses to the downtown district and that’s what the revitalization project is designed to do. Downtown Erwin has a long history of business activity and I want to see it booming again!”

Young Erwin Alderman Brings New Ideas to City Hall

Unicoi County Sheriff Kent Harris with Erwin alderman Robie K. Sullins Jr.

Robie Sullins Jr. Factoid

• Married to the former Hali Sparks.

• Has two nieces; no children.

• Was his high school student body president and class speaker at

graduation as chosen by the student body.

• Needed Tony Baker [ Shoe Repair] to re-sole his shoes after the election.

• Plays guitar and is an avid music lover.


Johnson City, TN. --- Women all over the Tri-Cities region now have a great opportunity to pur-chase a wide variety of clothing that can keep you “styling” on any budget.

Store owner Joan Halcomb recently opened J.P. Halcomb’s Clothier, located on the Old Erwin Highway at the corner of Okolona Road. Local folks will remember the building previously housed Renfro’s Grocery for years and Joan recently completely remod-eled the entire store.

“A lot of people are coming in to say how good it looks,” Joan said matter-of-factly. “It had got-ten a little run down over the years so we spent a lot of time, effort and money fixing it up. It’s now a clothing store showcase for women of all ages.”

Halcomb has a wealth of busi-

ness experience in construction, real estate and the restaurant busi-ness but this is her first clothing store opportunity. “I was semi-retired taking care of my grand-daughter. But, she’s 10 [years old] now and in school so I decided to open the store. It’s been an en-joyable experience thus far and I’m looking forward to helping women all ages. We have a wide assortment of clothing from high end new to medium priced items as well as nice previously owned clothing. There is something for everyone at this store,” Joan said with a smile.

Indeed there is.For example, she carries the

“Miss Me” designer jeans in three different styles for $98 and $108 respectively. She recently bought a line of Lane Bryant items from stores liquidated at the end of last

year. “I have a limited quantity of Lane Bryant clothing that I’ve marked down 50-75% off the original cost. When they are gone there will be no more,” she added. “I carry Jessica Simpson designer gowns and an array of vintage gowns for only $50 each.”

At J.P. Halcomb’s Clothier the selection is really extensive and some bargains can be found. Shirts found in other stores for $59 are only $39.99 here.

You can find Buffalo Youth shirts, specialty tops (featuring fa-mous paintings and The Saturday Evening Post covers), sweaters, tanks, new and used suits, and women’s dresses all in excellent condition.

There are brand-name “gowns galore” stocked in the store for every occasion whether it be the prom, a wedding, special event or party. The brands include: Betsy & Adam, Calvin Cline, Gracia, ABS Allen Schwartz, and Aidan Mat-tox.

Other items stocked through-out the store include: handbags and pocket books, good, clean little girl’s clothes (ages 6-10 years) some never worn, watches, sunglasses and a wide assortment of jewelry.

“When customers come into my store, I want them to enjoy the experience and take their time,” Joan said. “I’m here to assist in any way I can and I know I can save you some money. And, that’s really important in these challeng-ing economic times.”

J.P. Halcomb’s Clothier Now Open

J.P. Halcomb’s Clothier South Roan Street & Okolona Road

Hours of operation: Tuesday 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Closed Sunday & Monday

Major Credit Cards Accepted

423-202-3398Directions: Take I26 toward Erwin and take the Okolona Road Exit. Turn left at the stop sign.

Turn left at next stop sign and the store is located at the very next intersection.

April 2011


from page 10

April 2- Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers, Bluestone, Sweet Potato Pie, Lorrie Carter Bennett with Ronnie Wil-liams & Bill & Maggie Anderson. May 14- Beachley & Scott Band, Hillbilly Gypsies, Stevens Family & the Tone Blaz-ers June 4- Ralph Stanley II, Country Classics, Flowers Family Band, & the South Caro-lina Broadcasters July 16- Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia

Boys, Allen Thompson, Gold Heart, & the Johnny Possum Band (New Zealand)

All concerts are at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia and are taped for broad-cast on Public Television across America. All concerts begin at 7:00 pm and reserved tickets are available at the Lincoln Theatre box office 276-783-6093 or online at www.songofthemountains.org. Song of the Mountains/Lincoln Theatre is a non-profit organization.

Cornhole Toss is a lawn game in which players take turns pitching cornhole bags (duck cloth bags filled with

whole kernel corn) at a raised wooden platform with a hole in the far end. The playing board is 2 feet wide by 4 feet long with a 6 inch hole centered 9 inches down from

the top. The surface sets 12 inches high off the ground in the back and 4 inches high in the front. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform

scores 1 point. Play continues until a team reaches the score of 21. The game uses two boards with 8 bags (4

of one color and 4 of another) and pits teams against each other. It’s fun everyone can enjoy, it doesn’t matter if you’re 8 years old or 80 years old. Just about anyone

can play. it’s easy to learn and can be challenging at any skill level. You and your opponent alternate throwing the 8 bags

which almost always results in some humerous situations and/

or precise throwing strategies at the highest skill levels of play.

will be the city’s first ever large scale game of zombie tag and is so far estimated to attract 100’s of people to

downtown Johnson City, Tennessee. The game will begin at 8pm on FIRST FRIDAY•April 1st with

players departing from the grassy hillside on W. King Street just off S. Roan Street in an attempt to make it to six

checkpoints without being tagged and becoming zombies themselves. We’ll also be making a formal attempt to break the Guinness world record for the largest game of tag ever played.

This event is free for all attendees and all ages are welcome.

“I’ve played biker bars, strip clubs, ‘cut-and-stabs’ all over the country. Sometimes it’s an up-scale place, and you’d think there’s not going to be any crazy stuff going on here. Of course, in a bar, where there is alcohol and alcoholics, and people doing drugs, all of that is amplified to the point of insanity.

“But I was still singing gospel songs and giving testimony of what Jesus Christ had done in my life, onstage, hoping against hope that someone would listen, and hear.

“It got to a point where it was just killing me. I had two babies. My wife was working full-time. I was traveling about 90 miles a day. Looking back, I was beaten down. I had done that full-time for 20 years and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I left out of there on a night in March, never to go back.

“When I got home, I told my wife what I had done. You know, in this business, when you say you’re not going to work the bars anymore, that’s akin to a plumber saying he’s not going to work with water anymore. You’re booked months in advance. So I look down and I’ve got a book that’s blank for the rest of the year. I have nothing. But, as usual, she was completely supportive of me.

“We said, ‘the same God that puts the stars in the skies can find me a gig, if He wills it.’ If not, I’ll just do something else.”

In short order, Charlie played a nursing home in Bristol. Soon “one became two, two became four and, in a matter of months, I was playing 20-30 facilities. I had myself a full-time gig playing good music for good people.

“At the same time, the album was very good to me. It opened up a new echelon, for booking, and for creating. Not cutting corners and compromis-ing. Talk about a turnaround. That was like the Red Sea parting for me.”

Charlie’s new leaf sheltered a blossom that has fully bloomed into an astounding 250 shows ev-

ery year, from festivals to charity work, from con-cert halls to private parties, and from television to churches. “Now I’m getting the opportunity to oc-casionally co-host Daytime Tri-Cities. Just look what God has done for me.”

His favorite venues are senior centers and nurs-ing homes, “musically mentoring to members of the Greatest Generation, and trying to make a real difference in the lives of others.”

He quotes Frederick Buechner: “You know you’re doing God’s will when your greatest joy and the world’s greatest need meet.” I mean, He gave both the need and the joy to, us in the first place, for a reason.

“When I go into these senior facilities, they are getting what they need, which isn’t me, but the min-istry of music. Those shows are a testament to Prov-erbs 17:22 – ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medi-cine.’ I am going to put that verse on the front of the guitar I use in those shows. I see that 4,000-year-old statement ring true daily.”

‘Let go and let God’ The fun-loving, goodtime Charlie has a serious

side. “I don’t take any of this for granted because I

remember what the old days were like.”The night he learned he was going to be a father,

Charlie screwed the cap on his favored Jack Daniel’s bourbon for the last time, never to open it again.

“It can be so very difficult for addicts, and ad-dictive personalities, to escape from the clutches of drugs or alcohol, to put away the cigarettes and the bourbon. I know that, and I have great sympathy with those who struggle.

“It was not that hard for me. I just made my de-cision and that was it. The only thing I had to bring to the table was surrender. Now, where I struggle is in remembering to ‘bless those who curse you.’ The sin of pride or moral superiority is dangerous and difficult.

“Especially when people throw stones constantly, some of them not knowing, but some of them know-ing the truth. I have to deal with that in a way like I think God would want, and that’s very difficult.

“I don’t represent just Charlie anymore. I rep-resent the Lord of all lords. I cannot be a stumbling block, because of something I do, or something stu-pid I say. There is the misconception that Christians set themselves up as superior. Oh, there are those who do but, as a rule, it is not so! Why, they don’t know God if they do.

“Sometimes it is lonely, and hard. We all have our perceptions and burdens.” Charlie said he thinks of the legendary Thomas A. Dorsey, who him-self turned from a worldly life to pen some of the most beloved inspirational music ever written.

“Dorsey, who coined the term ‘gospel music,’ once said, ‘You’d think, with a man trying to do that work, that the church would do something to try and help him. To encourage him, support him.’

“But the church of that time was concerned that some of his music had a beat. And they turned away. How sad that is. But none of that stuff amounts to anything. God is the standard. I always try to re-member to tell my audience, ‘if it blesses you, thank the Lord. If it’s awful, blame me.’”

He likes to say, “Lightnin’ Charlie is what I do but child of God, husband and father is what I am.

“You’ll hear people say, ‘You ought to be in Nashville or New York,’ and they mean that as a compliment. But you have no idea how lucky I feel to be here, doing what I love, and having my family be a part of it.

“I don’t have to travel all the time, day in and day out. I’m able to be home and tuck my children in bed and kiss my wife goodnight.”

To his wife, Charlie dedicated Off The Record – The Trials and T r i b u l a -tions of a Trave l in ’ Troubadour, a 328-page oversized pa-perback filled with rich stories of a musician’s life. He didn’t intend to write a book, rather to keep pace with the times and offer an anecdotal journal, or weblog for fans – his beloved “Lightnin’ Bugs” – on his internet site. Over time, his series of “rants” grew in popularity and the musician realized that, as he wrote in the introduc-tion: “These stories, my story, are part of the body of Christ, and the Greatest Story Ever Told… I felt that it was my duty, to my Lord, to tell of the horrible and hellish situations I’ve been in, that He’s delivered me from, and show others that He’ll deliver them too, no matter what their circumstances, if they’ll let go and let God. Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. And it’s Grace that brought me through.”

His tales run the emotional gamut. Levine wrote that Charlie is “painfully honest and tenderly com-passionate” and that his book is “laugh out loud funny.”

“Through all the adventures, it’s really a testi-mony – my testimony as a born-again Christian,” Charlie says. Off The Record is now in more than 17,000 bookstores worldwide.

There are parts of any career that cause difficulty and even distress. “I saw James Taylor on Charlie Rose’s, PBS program. And JT talked about what an ‘unnatural life’ that show business or celebrity life is. He remarked how unnatural it is to be so self-centered, and that ‘normal people’ didn’t live their lives at all this way.

“He made the point by saying that the conver-

sation they were having – James Taylor talking about himself – was an unnatural and totally self-centered discussion. I have wrestled with that for my whole career.

“For, to be self-promoting, but not boastful is an impossibility. Bob Wills said, ‘I have to be modest – if I told you how good I really am, you’d call me a liar.’ But the rub is if he didn’t tell how great he was, he would be a liar,” Charlie adds the emphasis, “and he would not be true to the ‘product’ that was ‘Bob Wills.’

“You know the Bible says not to boast, but if you must boast, boast on the Lord. Well this is the para-dox of being in my situation – the necessity of self-promotion – and the impossibility of doing it with proper humility.

“There’s no room for humility when selling a product. It’s got to be the best and there’s no place for ‘aw shucks’ in the realm of promotion or sales of a product.

And of course, in this case, the ‘product’ is ‘Lightnin’ Charlie’ and his music. And they are – in the eyes of the public – the same entity. Me and my music are one and the same.”

The humble Florida boy who wanted to become a doctor in order that he might minister to the af-flicted has succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, us-ing music to heal and lift souls that will listen.

The man who has been, for five straight years, voted “Favorite Artist in the Mountain South” in Marquee Magazine, remains rooted like a tree plant-ed by the water. He returns each first Saturday night to the Cranberry Thistle in Jonesborough, where he once filled in for a no show.

“Just listen to that,” says Thistle owner Nancy Colburn, shaking her head in awe. love that? And they do,” she says, gesturing toward the packed house.

“Would I change things?” Charlie asks rhe-torically. “Sure. All of us would. But I don’t regret that which has made me. It’s all for a reason. And it is suffering that tills the soul’s bed for upward growth.”

With that, the troubadour grins broadly, secures his guitar strap and steps onto the stage to the clam-or of adoring applause and whistles.

And Lightnin’ strikes once more, doing what he was born to do.

(Lightnin’ Charlie performs widely, and throughout Northeast Tennessee, including each first Saturday night monthly at the Cranberry Thistle in Jonesborough. For more information about the artist, his recordings and book, or his upcoming concerts, visit his website: www.light-nincharlie.com. Tickets for the “Journey Through 80 Years of American Music” are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students, and can be ob-tained by contacting the Kingsport Cultural Arts Division at 423-392-8414 or online at www.kingsportarts.org)

April 2011

n CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14


April 8 - “Bite the Bisons”Wing eating contest!

April 9 - “Date Day”Two for the price of one!

April 22 - “Blue Day”Children 12 and under receive free admission!

MMay 6 - “Baseball Alumni Weekend”Come out and honor the past and current

Buccaneer players!

May 3 - “JC Tan Day”Chance to win free tan from JC Tan!

2011 ETSU baseballUpcoming events

April 1 - FGCU • 7:05 p.m.



April 6 - Appalachian State • 7:05 p.m.

April 8 - Lipscomb • 7:05 p.m.

April 9 - Lipscomb • 2:05 p.m.

April 10 - Lipscomb • 1:05 April 10 - Lipscomb • 1:05 p.m.

April 19 - Virginia Tech • 7:05 p.m.

April 21 - Kennesaw State • 7:05 p.m.



April 30 - Manhattan • 1:05 p.m.

April 30 - Manhattan • 4:35 p.m.

May 1 - Manhattan • 1:05 p.m.

May 3 - UNC Asheville • 7:05 p.m.

May 13 - Campbell • 7:05 p.m.

May 14 - Campbell • 1:05 p.m.

MMay 14 - Campbell • 4:35 p.m.

upcoming promotions

April 2011

2011 ETSU softballUpcoming events

April 5 - Tennessee Tech • 4 p.m.

April 5 - Tennessee Tech • 6 p.m.

April 19 - Furman • 4 p.m.

April 19 - Furman • 6 p.m.

April 22 - Campbell • 4 p.m.

April 22 - Campbell • 6 p.m.

May 6 - USC Upstate • 4 p.m.

May 6 - USC Upstate • 6 p.m.

May 12 - Atlantic Sun Tournament • TBA(Spartanburg, S.C.)

April 5 - “Fry the Eagles”Chance to win free chicken dinner!

April 19 - “Fudge Furman”Free fudgsicles and free t-shirts for the first 50

fans!

April 22 - “Can Campbell”DonDonate three canned food items and receive

admission for $1!

May 6 - “Youth Softball Day”All children 12 and under receive free admission!

upcoming promotions


Johnson City, TN. --- David Pen-nington is so passionate about de-veloping downtown Johnson City that when he’s not working as Prin-cipal Broker at Urban Redevelop-ment Alliance [URA], he’s serving as executive director for the Friends of Olde Downtown.

Pennington actually stumbled on his current position with URA while searching for a building to fit a Bistro he planned opening in Johnson City. He had been working for 10 years in the Resort Develop-ment Industry traveling back and forth between his home here in the tri-cities, and the Eastern Caribbean and wanted to return for good to the Tri-Cities to open an authentic European wait-staff French-themed eatery.

“I was looking at locations and ran into [URA] looking for a broker here in Johnson City. It seemed like an interesting offer to me to do what I love to do- develop new businesses, so I put the bistro-idea on hold,” Pennington reflected. And, as the old saying goes, the rest is history.

Pennington immersed himself in the redevelopment of Tipton Street and surrounding streets of down-town Johnson City.

“Most downtowns across the na-tion do not realize the importance of branding their downtown as a destination point” he said with a smile. “Branding a downtown has to do with what’s unique about it. But, coming up with a name that encompasses just that, with the his-tory and the story you want to tell is very difficult. Johnson City has such a fabulous history packed with uniqueness and offers so much for us all to be proud of- it’s our down-town, but so much more. A move-ment to brand downtown as the Blue Plum Village is the closest we have come, but it’s not getting the buy in we were hoping for, so we’ve still got some work to do.”

Enters “The Lady of the Foun-tain” project that soon may see the 1890 recently refurbished bronze fountain placed back as the center

piece of downtown. It is part of the branding process and adds compo-nents to the city’s plan to correct the never-ending flooding of the central business district.

At the forefront of redeveloping downtown is what Pennington calls, “a strong vehicle” in a city property tax earmark known as TIFF [Tax Incentive Financing] for developers to create business in the downtown district. A small portion of the city’s property tax is placed into a restrict-ed fund earmarked as an incentive to developers who receive some of their investment back by commit-ting to downtown business develop-ment.

TIFF money was used to entice some of the development of Tipton Street and TIFF money is also part of the development of University Edge Apartments. “Without such an incentive those developments prob-ably wouldn’t have happened, or at least not to the scale they did” Pen-nington believes.

Pennington calls recent loft apartment development downtown, “part gut feeling and part guid-ance.” Revitalized buildings that have been converted into loft apart-ments have quickly filled up and predictably with Northeast State Community College all but set to take over the Downtown Center & Parking Garage, the demand may out-pace supply. A possibility Pen-nington seem to smile a lot about lately.

Concerning a question about Friends of Olde Downtown being a possible conflict with the local Chamber of Commerce, that notion is totally misunderstood he said. “The [Johnson City/Washington County/Jonesborough] Chamber of Commerce is doing a fabulous job and a true pleasure to work with” he stressed. Friends of Olde Downtowne [Friends] was formed 12 years ago by merchants to promote our down-town by hosting events to give people a reason to come back downtown. First Fridays came from [Friends], our most popular being the Blue

Plum Festival, bringing over 80,000 people. I think the chamber lead-ership realizes [Friends] is serious about what we do and coupled with our enthusiasm and community pride they embraced our efforts.”

For example, Pennington added, “the Chamber offered the Christmas Parade over to us to promote because the parade is downtown, our focus is downtown, and we know the logis-tics, and they know we have their back [so-to-speak] making sure this important annual event continues to be first-class.”

Pennington’s wearing of several hats includes promoting and man-aging downtown First Friday events like the annual highly successful Blue Plum Festival in June. “We couldn’t pull the Blue Plum Festival off without strong community spon-sorship and the army of volunteers that it takes to accomplish such an event. Last year over 20,000 volun-teer man hours was logged and not to mention all the over-time hours put-in by the city staff, police, sani-tation emergency and fire person-nel. It’s a complete community ef-fort and I’m proud to be part of it.”

David Pennington: Leading the Charge in Downtown Johnson City’s Continued Development

Pennington is interviewed by Morgan King on Daytime Tri-Cities.

David Pennington stands on Main Street in downtown Johnson City.

April 2011

Conquering BMS: Not For The Faint of HeartBy Lauri Turpin

Bristol, TN. --- It’s hot. It’s loud. It makes your heart race and your blood pump. If like me, you get hopelessly sea-sick, it might make you throw up. But one thing’s for sure; it will be a ride like you’ve never had before.

Now, let me start by saying that I’m not what you might call a NASCAR fan. I mean, I have a car, and I like driving it, and sometimes, when I’m feeling a bit jazzy, I’ll even drive it fast. But all I really knew about NASCAR, or races in general, was what I learned from watching the Disney movie “Cars” 8,000 times with my kids.

So when two of my co-workers popped into my office one day and asked me if I wanted to be “Petty”, I thought they were referring to some delicious new office gos-sip, like who was dating who, or who wore pants three sizes too tight. Instead, they invited me on a ride-a-long at the Bristol Motor Speedway – in the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

You see, we have embarked on a Buck-et List Adventure. Our adventure items include hang-gliding, parasailing, skydiv-ing, hiking up Kilimanjaro, learning jiu jitsu, performing on the flying trapeze, and getting tattoos.

As Janice Greene, Bucket List Adventur-er puts it, “If I wait any longer to push the edge, all I’m going to do is get older and the pushing will just get harder.”

Not that we’re old, mind you. But we are, shall we say, mature. And at some point, after years of grocery shopping, laundry folding and dentist appointments, well, you feel the need to ratchet up the adrenaline now and then.

“I am on a mission to do things this year that are new, exciting and different,” said Rebekah Barrientos, a mother of three and recent alumnus of an indoor skydiv-ing experience.

However, it was Janice who put us girls behind the wheel for a series of left-hand turns.

“I wanted to test the line between speed and chaos by taking a few laps at 120 mph,” she said.

Janice is a scientist, and she talks like that. Rebekah, who is an accountant, had a more black and white description.

“It really puts a whole new spin on working in a fast-paced environment!” she quipped.

As for me, I was mostly just interested

in flirting with the race car drivers and get-ting a cool profile photo for my Facebook page.

The Richard Petty Driving Experi-ence offers fans (and soon-to-be fans) a chance to zoom around the track at the Bristol Motor Speedway at around 120 mind-blurring mph in the passenger seat of a NASCAR race car. And, if you’re of the really adventurous sort, you can also drive a 600 horsepower race car at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.”

Seeing as how the three of us were race novices, and were also interested in actu-ally surviving the experience, we decided it would be best to opt for the passenger seat.

We got to the track at around 7 p.m. on the Friday night when NASCAR was in town for its annual spring race weekend March 19-20. It was warm and still dusk. Legions of race fans were out in full force, grilling on miniature hibachis outside their campers, strolling along the walkway that circled the track, and craning their necks for any sign of Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth and the likes. We followed the curve of the massive building around to the pedestrian walkway, where a group of people clustered around the gate, and fell in line as the group trooped down the con-crete pathway and onto pit road.

The cars roared by us as we suited up and strapped on our helmets. My car was number 34. Of course seasoned NASCAR fans know the cars have no doors or win-dows – which was all a surprise to me. The seats weren’t much to write home about ei-ther, go figure. I clambered over the door, in my best soccer mom attempt at Dukes of Hazzard style, and plopped into the metal cage that would be whipping me around corners banked at up to 36 degrees.

Matt, my driver, shook my hand, and the track worker told me to “scoot all the way back” into the seat so that he could strap me in. I suddenly understood what my four-year-old feels like every time I put him into his car seat.

“Are you ready?” Matt said, and as I was formulating a clever answer, doing my best to appear fetching beneath my giant helmet, he hit the gas and we were off. The sensation of this, I’m guessing, is similar to what a bullet might feel as it is shot out of a gun.

Now, I don’t know all that much about physics or G-forces. What I can tell you is that there is a reason the guy who buck-les you in tells you to “scoot all the way

back” in your seat. If you don’t, your head, encased in its giant black helmet, will bounce back and forth from windshield to metal cage as you hurtle from corner to straightaway to corner again.

Once I finally got my head under con-trol, I realized just how fast we were going – so fast that I could only see the track in quick, muted blurs. A car rocketed past us, flashing past our bumper just inches from the wall, and zoomed off, leaving us in an acrid cloud of hot tires and heavy exhaust.

As we headed into our final lap, I realized that I was simultaneously gig-gling and screaming, was dripping with sweat and out of breath. By the time Matt expertly zipped the car back off the track and into the safety of the pit, I was completely impressed – and totally exhausted.

Janice and Rebekah greeted me with thumbs up and the three of us gathered at the trailer to sign up for pictures and videos of our rides. As they chatted hap-pily about the experience, I sat down in a chair and did my best not to throw up.

“It gave me such an appreciation for the conditioning required of the driv-ers….it’s hot in the car, and it’s hard for me to imagine driving around for as long as they do during an actual race,” Rebekah commented later.

As we exited the track in a haze of bar-becue smoke and moonlight, I too was amazed at the stamina required to con-quer the World’s Fastest Half Mile. Three laps and all I wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed. But I couldn’t deny that it was definitely a thrill – a Bucket List Adventure must.

“This type of excitement is conta-gious for sure,” Rebekah said. “It was definitely a worthwhile experience and one I would recommend to others.

“It’s just exhilarating,” Janice said. “A rush of all those human bio chemicals that keep manhood – and womanhood - thriving through the ages!”

If you think about it, that’s sort of what a Bucket List Adventure is all about. Strapping yourself into a metal bullet and careening around corners as you ex-ist only from moment to heart-pounding moment. Laughing and screaming as fear and adventure pump blood through your veins, reminding you that you’re here, you’re alive, and soccer mom or not, once in awhile you can still be pretty cool.

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Faster and easier to blow-dry Faster and easier to blow-dry Faster and easier to blow-dry Reduces daily styling time Reduces daily styling time Reduces daily styling time Will not cause hair damage Will not cause hair damage Will not cause hair damage

Formaldehyde Free Formaldehyde Free Formaldehyde Free


April 2011

“You can count on me to keep things safe and sound.”

Safety is always the top priority at NFS. Kojac and the other safety

professionals at the facility train hard, work hard and play hard in the

local community. As an East Tennessee native, training specialist and

assistant fire chief, Kojac is just one of hundreds of NFS employees

committed to serving Unicoi County. For Kojac and his fellow

NFS employees, it’s not just about a job — it’s about seriously

protecting and supporting this place they love.

For more information on NFS, visit www.nuclearfuelservices.com

- Kojac

Assistant Chief, Fire Brigade and Training Specialist

Powering the Future

NFS_Kojac_OutNAbout.indd 1 3/23/11 8:49 AM


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out 'n about - april 2011

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