Shopper Blog: If you know any history here, you probably know Ted Baehr

BEARDEN

If you know any history here, you probably know Ted Baehr

John Shearer, Shopper News

In recent years when visitors or patrons have visited the McClung Historical Collection in the East Tennessee History Center on Gay Street, they have often been greeted at the front desk by Ted Baehr Jr.

Known for his suspenders and his initial businesslike manner with visitors (before they realize he has an amicable side and loves good conversation), he is considered a unique human treasure of sorts in this facility already known for its important archival materials.

However, after a record 46 years, the 83-year-old Baehr retired on May 1, not because of any age requirement but simply because it was harder for him to work and commute with the constant use of a walker.

But as he recently reflected on his career from his apartment building in Fort Sanders, he was full of praises for the enjoyment he received from his library work.

“It’s better than being in a factory making widgets,” he said with a laugh. “You see more of the world, and you see interesting things. You see new books ahead of time.”

The son of a German immigrant and a teenage mother, the younger Baehr was born on New Year’s Day in 1940 outside Philadelphia near where his father worked as a machinist for the Budd company, which made locomotive cars and other metal bodies used in transportation.

The family later lived in upstate New York on a farm not far from Schenectady. After high school, Baehr Jr. served in the Air Force for four years beginning in the Seattle area in the Northwest and eventually enrolled at Boise State in Idaho, where he studied history.

“When I went to Boise, I took all the social sciences and I found that history was a little bit of all of them and I liked that,” he said. He later did advance course work at the University of Idaho in Moscow.

Wanting to work on a Ph.D., he ended up at the University of Tennessee after his professor in Idaho had gone to Harvard with UT’s Dr. LeRoy Graf and suggested that school. He was warmly accepted, he said, and did his doctoral work related to President Andrew Jackson's Secretary of War, John Henry Eaton.

Not being as interested in the writing part of college work, he did not complete his dissertation but eventually landed a teaching job with Walters State, where he learned to better understand students and people in general, he said.

In 1977, he got a job as a page at the Knox County Public Library. “They were taking history students as pages, and they were smart and didn’t take the job seriously,” he said. “But I wasn’t like that. The first thing I did was read the shelves to make sure they were in order and no books were missing.”

Despite his seriousness toward the work, he was laid off a few years later in budget cuts but was able to continue after the East Tennessee History Center was visualized and opened in the early 1980s. He enjoyed the work and familiarizing himself with many of the topics of historical interest to East Tennesseans and Americans in general, he said. He even has his own mini-library of countless biographies and other historical books at his apartment.

The lifelong bachelor took an interest in all kinds of people, and not just the famous ones chronicled on the shelves. His interest in people naturally led to his reputation as a connoisseur of downtown restaurants, where he often enjoyed good conversation with colleagues. One of his longtime eating partners was the late maintenance staff member Ed Cooper.

“He and I had the same appetite and began to go to different restaurants,” he said with a smile, adding that he enjoyed such places as Froggie’s on Gay Street as well as more recent ones like the Tomato Head and the Downtown Grille.

But it was his thirst for historical knowledge and trying to impart what he knew to McClung visitors, often at the front desk, that he will most fondly remember of his career, he said.

“I helped people come in with general questions,” he said. “I knew how the system was set up and could tell them where to go.”

WEST KNOXVILLE

The Karns Lions Club Community Pool is opened and fully staffed

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

The Karns Lions Club Community Pool is open, and it looks like smooth sailing this season. Last year was a near disaster due to lack of lifeguards.

This year, the lifeguard stations are nearly fully staffed, while pools across the rest of the country struggle with lifeguard shortages. There are a few spots left to help with after-hours pool parties.

Pool Manager Michelle Ranvek seems to be enjoying her fourth year as pool manager. She held several employment fairs specifically for lifeguards.

Ranvek, a lifelong Karns resident, is a teacher at Karns High School. She said the pool means “community” to her. She’s an algebra and logistics teacher, so the pool gives her the opportunity to use her fun side. (Not that algebra isn’t fun, she said.)

There are a few changes this year – most notably, the call for cash. It was discovered the pool was leaking buckets of money through debit card and credit card fees. Now, pool management said they would much appreciate cash. There is now a 3% convenience fee for credit card purchases, which must be $8 or more. No debit cards are accepted, even when used as a credit card. No prepaid or gift cards. Cash is King.

Ring floats up to 3 feet are welcome, but no raft-style floats. The lifeguards can’t see behind them.

Patrons can bring coolers, chairs and food, but no alcohol and no glass.

Of particular note is the new plaster surrounding the pool. It has a fine grit that will chew delicate little wet toes. Water shoes or socks are encouraged.

The concession stand is fully stocked with food and snacks. Again, cash is king. There are pizza and hotdogs to be had, but the most popular item is the sno cones. At $1.50, they’re a delicious treat that will beat the heat. Second are the nachos with cheese and/or chili.

Opening was a close call around May 18 when the main water pump seized up and had to be rebuilt. Management did not post how much the repair cost but did say it wasn’t going to be cheap. They spent nearly $20,000 on chlorine, the pump, and other miscellaneous items.

The Lions Club had their annual shrimp boil fundraiser June 9 and 10.

Banners lining the fence are still for sale; several spots are available for businesses and individuals who make a $500 donation.

The community rallied around the pool this year, buying needed items from an Amazon wish list. The list included such essentials as rescue tubes and a ring buoy.

The Amazon wish list has both expensive items and inexpensive items to donate. Every little bit helps. Info: https://a.co/gTRWGvs

BEARDEN

Catholic freshman already making marks in track

John Shearer, Shopper News

Catholic ninth grader Chloe Truss said her main hobby away from school is crafting at home with her hands.

She recently produced some metal items to hang around her neck with the help of her feet, too. Despite her young age, she won three individual sprint events – the 100 meters, the 200 and the 400 – at the recent state track meet for a head-turning trifecta/hat trick.

She won the 100 in 12.0 seconds, the 400 in 56.95 and the 200 – her final individual event – in 24.90 on May 24 at the Middle Tennessee State University stadium track.

And on the other end of the running distance spectrum, Irish teammate Keegan Smith – just a sophomore – also left the meet with multiple medals. He won the 1,600 and 3,200 in 4 minutes, 17.18 seconds and 9:12.35, respectively.

Although Truss’ times in the Division II-AA meet were slightly slower than a handful of times in the Division I-AAA meet of top public schools, her coach, Sean O’Neil, thinks she would have risen to the level of competition against those runners as well.

Regardless, he was as impressed as everyone else with her performances and thinks she has even greater potential with more work on her technique. “I think she is just starting to scratch the surface,” he said. “This season it was pretty much her running on natural ability.”

She improved during the year, he said. “She wasn’t the top-ranked runner, especially in the 100. But she is just one of those kids who loves to compete and do whatever it takes to win.”

“I didn’t expect to win as a freshman, but it was pretty rewarding,” she said by phone a few days after the meet while vacationing with her family. Her times in the 100 and 200 were personal records, while she had been a state champion at the middle school level last year.

While the best event is the 400 for this runner − who said she got her athletic ability from her father − she prefers the 100, simply because it is shorter.

Her three races, plus taking part in the 4x400 relay, created a collectively grueling overall journey of sorts on that race day since they were not too far apart. In fact, she told coach O’Neil she felt sick before the 200 because of the exertion over a short amount of time.

She obviously felt a little better after it was over, and the other competitors might have been the ones feeling at least a little heartsick in losing.

Truss said she enjoys track for multiple reasons. “I definitely like the adrenaline, and it’s fun being there with the team,” she said, adding that some of the competitors did not realize she was just a freshman.

Truss, who is a University of Tennessee sports fan and said she would love to be good enough to run there, said she does not expect to feel any added pressure over the rest of her high school career after quite a start as a ninth grader. If so, it would likely just come from herself.  “I got three this year and next year I am hoping for four,” she said with a laugh.

WEST KNOXVILLE

LongHorn Steakhouse line cook wins national Grill Master Series Championship

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

Beating out about 9,000 grill masters from coast to coast was a dream come true for LongHorn’s resident Grill Master Series Champion, Kylie Hall.

Hall works her magic on the grill at LongHorn Steakhouse on 11644 Parkside Drive in Farragut. She’s already got fans who will visit the steakhouse only if Hall is on the grill.

Competition was fierce in Orlando. Hopefuls from coast to coast were pared down to seven best of the best, including Hall. She was challenged with cooking a porterhouse steak to medium perfection.

“I’ve been here seven years, soon to be eight, and I love it. I’ve been all over, front of the house, serving, then finally I got the chance to grill. I love to cook, and I love to see others enjoy my cooking. I still cook at home even though I’m cooking all day. I guess I spend about 80 percent of my time cooking,” she said with a chuckle. “I love it.”

Hall was named LongHorn Steak House’s Steak Master Series Champion in Orlando, Florida on May 26 after months of local, regional, and divisional competition. She is only the second woman to win this title in the six-year history of the competition.

She won a $15,000 (after tax) grand prize to go with her title of Steak Master Series Champion.

“I was so nervous, but porterhouse is my favorite steak to cook. It’s a little tricky … and medium is tricky … but luckily it came out perfect. It has both a strip and a fillet. I was shocked and amazed, but I’ve cooked thousands of porterhouse. I was in my wheelhouse,” said Hall.

She said the money came in handy. She paid off a few bills and put some away for her 2-year-old daughter.

“I’m going to take a little of the money and we’re going to the beach. I’ve already been to Disney World with her about six months ago and I got to go with friends a day after the competition. It was so much fun.”

At 26, Hall doesn’t have a long history of cooking. She said her mother taught her how to cook and she’s always enjoyed it, but it wasn’t until LongHorn Steakhouse that her grilling talents became evident.

“I don’t have a culinary professional background. I’ve been grilling for about seven years now and I learned from the best of the best right here at the grill at LongHorn Steakhouse.

“I really did it all for my daughter, Amara. She makes me want to be a better person. I’ve done this competition every year and I finally made it. I want her to be proud of me and I wanted that cash prize so we can do things together. She’s so little and she loves her mama.”

Hall said her future is bright. She has her eye on management but wants Amara to get a little older before she takes on that challenge.

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HALLS

Fountain City Ramblers to headline Concert in the Park

Ali James, Shopper News

The Fountain City Business and Professional Association has been hard at work planning this year’s Concert in the Park event for June 17. Unfortunately last year’s fall event in Fountain City Park was rained out, so organizers would appreciate it if everyone keeps their fingers crossed that the weather is more cooperative this year.

“It was projected to rain all day long, so we tried to reschedule, but the park’s gazebo and picnic areas are rented out more often than you would think, so we decided to wait until this year and go with an earlier date, hoping to get a good crowd,” said Jennifer Morris, events organizer for the FCBPA. “We want to make this an annual event as long as the feedback is great.”

The Concert in the Park will be 4-7 p.m. and is not just for the Fountain City community. “Other communities are always invited to come and join in the party,” said Morris. “It is just a chance for people to get together in a casual setting.”

This year, the Fountain City Ramblers will be providing the entertainment. “We are a fun-loving acoustic group that covers a wide range of musical genres like rock, Americana, blues, bluegrass and folk,” said member Lauren Wilson. “We perform a mix of original songs, with our own unique take on some popular songs.”

Expect a mix of ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and current tunes with some of Wilson’s originals thrown in.

Morris will be hosting Cooper Mays, offensive lineman for the University of Tennessee football team, at her Keller Williams Realty booth. Mays will be signing autographs 5-7 p.m.

In addition to bounce houses for children, families can choose to bring along bubbles, hula hoops or a ball to toss around. People are also encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs.

“We are going to have two food trucks this year: Smiley Swirl ice cream – the kids will enjoy that,” said Morris. “And BurgerRito, they offer a huge variety of dishes and are priced well. We tried to make things as family-friendly and affordable as we could. That is really important when you are hosting events.”

Smiley Swirl specializes in soft serve ice cream, and BurgerRito’s menu covers everything from burgers and hot dogs, to sandwiches and salads to vegetarian options.

Concert in the Park is also an opportunity to showcase businesses and services either based in Fountain City or operated by local residents. “Everything from local banks to real estate to insurance to entrepreneurs that sell their own wares,” said Morris. Thirteen vendors have already registered with more last-minute additions expected.

“You can find out more about what they do, and several of them are doing giveaways,” said Morris.

The FCBPA is still going strong, according to Morris. They are focusing on growing their membership as new businesses move into the area. “It was a little stagnant in growth, but we have really started to see an increase in businesses that want to be involved in the community in general,” she said. “The more we focus on that, the more people will want to be a part of the association.”

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Historic House Museums welcome guests on Statehood Day

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

Sam Maynard, executive director of James White’s Fort, was all set for the crowd of 200 that he and his staff welcomed to the historic site on a recent Saturday. Visitors learned about the history of the Fort, and enjoyed presentations from Tennesseans for Living History, including a blacksmithing demonstration and a Native American representative discussing the history and culture of his tribe.

What Maynard didn’t expect was a visit from Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. “That was a nice surprise!” he said.

You never know who’s going to pop up on Statehood Day.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., leaders and staff of seven historic Knoxville mansions – collectively known as the Historic House Museums of Knoxville, in partnership with the Museum of East Tennessee History – showed off their workplaces and welcomed history buffs for a celebration of Tennessee’s 227th birthday.

David Hearnes, executive director of Blount Mansion, said, “We had a great turnout – about 100 individuals for tours through the mansion. We always have a wonderful team of docents leading the charge, a number of which are more than willing to endure the June heat in the traditional clothing that would have been popular during William Blount’s time. Nothing like being guided through the history of Tennessee’s early years by a man in a tricorn hat.”

In addition, representatives from Young-Williams Animal Center brought a number of adoptable dogs, delighting all in attendance. “It’s not often that we have a plethora of puppies on site!” Hearnes said.

More than 400 people visited Marble Springs State Historic Site. “Our vendors were very happy to see a crowd,” said executive director Kyle Dickson.

Included in the day were interactive weaving, a dress-up booth, a discussion on the American Revolution and a talk from “John Sevier.”

“I’m very often surprised by how many people are unaware that Knoxville was the state of Tennessee’s first capital,” Dickson said. “I was asked by a number of people about when John Sevier made his way over to Nashville during his time as our first governor, but I’m always happy to explain that Knoxville was the capital at the time and was Sevier’s primary location of operation.”

Patrick Hollis, executive director of Mabry-Hazen House, and his staff had living historians inside the house discussing aspects of life in the Victorian era, dressed in period clothing. “We also had a talk about the life of East Tennesseans in the U.S. Army during the Civil War and performed a rifled musket firing demonstration.”

Also taking part in the daylong celebration were Crescent Bend, Historic Westwood and Ramsey House.

“Statehood Day is one of Historic House Museums of Knoxville’s favorite time of the year,” said Hearnes. “The majority of our houses, in some way or another, have some tie to the history of statehood. Aside from getting to come together with a great team of historians to collaborate on what programs we’ll be presenting, it’s such a great way for us to engage with our community and inform them of this awesome history hiding in plain sight.”

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

Mushrooms for every taste, second annual festival is Saturday

Ali James, Shopper News

The first South Knoxville Mushroom Festival was held last summer and was such a big success that Everything Mushrooms is hosting it again 4-9 p.m. on June 17.

“So last year, being the first year, we didn’t really know what to anticipate as far as turnout and interest,” said Ryan Herrmann, manager of Everything Mushrooms. “I expected 30-40 people and I think about 10 times that showed up. It was a success for sure and we are hoping to build on that and be a little more focused on what we are presenting.”

Admission is free, and it is a great opportunity to learn how to grow your own, discover new recipes and purchase specialty mushrooms and mushroom products.

Cultivators at the 2023 Mushroom Festival will be Extraterrestrial Fungi’s Josiah Patterson, Green Yams Teas’ owner Emmanuel Gyebison and new this year, River’s Ridge Farms. Green Yams Teas will be selling some gourmet mushrooms, mainly oysters, grow kits and serving their cacao-based Mushroom Brew and their 50/50 mix of matcha and Lion’s Mane.

Feeling peckish? Food vendors will include Stella Chocolate, Tarik’s North African and Alt-Route, who create vegan backpacker meals. Extraterrestrial Fungi is working with chef Greg Sutton to provide mushrooms for a French dip sandwich called The Thyme Travelers Bite, as well as collaborating with the Central Creamery to do a mushroom/maple chestnut ice cream.

There will also be live music.

Of course, not all mushrooms are for eating. Shop for mushroom-themed décor, crafts and art. Vendors will include Weaving Rainbow, Meraki Pottery, Sarah Dorr Ceramics, Native Cup, and Ocean Love Jewelry.

In addition to the pop-up market, the Everything Mushrooms store carries their mushroom cultivation products and tools, as well as their own branded and festival T-shirts for purchase. “We will also have mushroom logs for sale and may do a log cultivation demonstration,” added Herrmann.

New this year, University of Tennessee Ph.D. student and lecturer Django Grootmyers will be doing a general mushroom talk – an introduction to Mushrooms 101 essentially, said Herrmann.

“I think it is trending very much in the direction of mushroom supplements, powders, extracts, a coffee replacer and additives for smoothies,” said Herrmann of mushroom consumption. “We will have mushrooms that a James Beard chef might work with.”

At Everything Mushrooms cultivation kits are popular, but Herrmann has noticed that whenever foragers bring in fresh mushrooms, they go out the door immediately and are in high demand with local chefs.

“Culinary-wise it has become a mark of sophistication to work with Lion’s Mane (a large white, shaggy mushroom) which has become very popular,” he said. “Most restaurants that you go to for a nice night out will have a mushroom-featured dish on the menu.”

Herrmann said mushrooms have also become more approachable in home cooking and can be an easy substitution for less healthy ingredients.

“From my own personal use Lion’s Mane does help with sharpness and clarity,” he said. “Cooked with butter and garlic it tastes like lobster and crab, which is delicious. For someone who wants to be health conscious I think it fills that gap.

“Last year we had people that were very pleased to find a variety of fresh mushrooms grown locally and to find cultivation materials for sales. Unlike a typical festival, we are really dialed into mushrooms, and we will have more vendors this year that will each be very focused on that.

“Cultivation has become a lot more approachable; it is not so esoteric,” Herrmann said. “It is more niche than growing tomatoes, but I think the interest is high enough to overcome any kind of green thumb issues.”

Info: @knoxmusrhroomfest

OPINION

A little profile in courage

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

There was something fierce about her even as a toddler, a look in her eyes that said, “If I want it, I’ll take it.” I called her “Mighty Clara” back then and assumed she’d rule the world one day. I prayed she’d be a benevolent dictator.

She showed none of the fear I see in most small children. She didn’t balk at strangers. She didn’t need to keep her parents in her line of sight, and she didn’t defer to her older brother.

One day when she was 2 years old, I took her to the park and let her wander. I stayed behind her, but I didn’t interfere with her chosen path.

I assumed that after a few minutes she’d look for me, but she never did. She just kept walking, stopping occasionally to watch a butterfly or study an acorn she found on the ground. She seemed to know where she was going and was determined to get there on her own.

When I finally called her name and took her hand, she cried. She didn’t want anyone stopping her or telling her what to do.

But somewhere along the way that confident, sassy little girl discovered fear. Fear of being separated from her mother, fear of disapproval, fear of not fitting in. She realized that her hair was curly instead of straight, that it was brown instead of blond. She recognized when her preschool teachers were unhappy with her. She understood when she made mistakes. Cursed with self-awareness and a need to belong, my 5-year-old granddaughter tucked away her boldness.

But last week, I caught a glimpse of Mighty Clara. We were at a water park full of twisting slides, steep drops, and huge splashes. And even though she wanted to join the fun, she was afraid. 

She eyed a winding, purple slide suspiciously, hoping, I think, she would be too small to ride it. But when she stood next to the measuring stick to check her height, she made it by the top of her high ponytail. She could go down the slide if she could just find the courage to do it.

I could see the internal battle play out on her face. She wanted to be big enough and brave enough. She wanted to be like her older brother, Simon. She wanted to join her family in the fun. All she had to do was swallow her fear.

I don’t know what finally compelled her. I don’t know what made her climb those steep steps to the top of the slide and trust that she would be safe. But something in her shifted. She screwed up her courage and let herself go.

We waited for her at the bottom. I’ll never forget the joy on her face or the pride she felt in conquering her fears. She ran into my arms and said, “I did it, Yaya! I was scared, but I was brave. And it was so fun! I want to do it again and again.”

Like the other families at the park, we spent the rest of the afternoon going down water slides together. But somehow, it felt like more than an ordinary day. Clara seemed more self-assured and confident. She was proud of herself. She was happy.

Later that evening, I thought about the power of taking big steps in small moments and the growth that comes from everyday challenges. Because sometimes a waterslide is just a waterslide, and other times, it’s the key to something mighty.

Leslie Snow may be reached at snow column@aol.com.

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