Shopper Blog: Nothing’s too much for a pampered pooch; River Dog Bakery has it all

FARRAGUT

Nothing’s too much for a pampered pooch; River Dog Bakery has it all

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

Looking for a special treat for a pampered pooch? Look no further than River Dog Bakery in Bearden, and now in Farragut at 11422 Kingston Pike.

Chris and Sonja Hawk cut the ribbon on the River Dog franchise last August and have been going like gangbusters ever since.

The shop offers fresh baked treats most for dogs, but there is a cat section where a favorite feline can get a toy and a tuna puff. They can even get a birthday cake made entirely out of tuna puffs and looks like a fish. The cuteness count is off the scales.

All baked goods contain dog-friendly ingredients such as sorghum, honey, carob and yogurt. Most of the baking is done at the Bearden location, while Sonja and her five employees decorate their fare at the Farragut shop. Only the most wholesome fresh ingredients, with no additives, preservatives or artificial colorings or flavors, are used.

“We cater to dogs with allergies, too,” said assistant Samantha Hull. “We’ll sit down with you and go over the list of allergies and compare them to lists of ingredients and make something special for the pooch.”

The Bearden store has 18 years in business and is owned by Brian and Pam Trainor.

Sonja said that before she had kids she and her husband, Chris, would take their beagle, Rudy, to the Bearden location. As time marched along and three kids were born, making time to go to Bearden from Farragut proved a little difficult, so Sonja decided to open up her own River Dog Bakery with the help of the Trainors.

Sonja said the biggest challenge was keeping up with demand during the holidays.

“It was our first Christmas, and we did not know what to expect. Everyone did a great job, though, and we got through it.

“My favorite thing about the store is the dogs. I just love to see all the dogs that come in. We have a lot of regulars. Some are just little puppies we’re watching grow, and some are older dogs. Dogs are welcome to visit the shop while on leash.”

The shop carries a plethora of equipment for dogs including plushies and Tuffy Toys for the heavy chewer. There are even enrichment toys for the smart dog that needs intellectual stimulation.

Nearly everything a pampered pooch needs or wants, from food to beds to treats to toys, is there.

There are even shampoos and conditioners, but no wash station. Sonja said the shop was just too small for that. But she does have growth plans.

Sonja said she’d like to see an online presence with ample ordering from across the country.

The Farragut store on 11422 Kingston Pike is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Info: www.riverdogbakeryfarragut.com

HALLS

Real Deals owner wants shoppers to leave with a smile

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Learning business out of the books is just a broad overview.

Nine months into running Real Deals home decor in Halls, Jill Butler could probably teach her own master class.

For years, Butler was a business teacher − first at Cosby High School, then later at Tennessee College of Applied Technology.

“In 2020, right before the pandemic, I was burned out on teaching and wanted to do something on my own,” said Butler, who has lived in Halls for eight years.

First, it was a booth in Southern Market, where she sold flower arrangements she made along with other home decor “finds” she may have discovered.

The experience was enough to set the dream into motion.

“I always wanted my own shop,” Butler said. “Before I stopped in one day and asked some questions, I never knew Real Deals existed.”

At the time, Kim Severance and her husband owned the franchise. After Butler got the details, she knew the path.

“I went home and told my husband (Ben), ‘We’re buying a franchise,’” Butler said. “First he said, ‘We are?’ After that, he was very supportive.”

Real-life business is tough

The wheels went into motion Feb. 11, 2023. Butler finally opened the franchise store (7415 Maynardville Pike, Suite 103) on May 18.

Since then, it’s been a nonstop learning experience for the former teacher.

“You can teach out of the book all day, but it’s so important to put real life into it,” Butler said. “If I was teaching now, I’d have my students go to work with someone and get the real story from behind the scenes. I thought I knew a lot. There’s a whole lot more to it.”

Butler said walking into a store can be an eye-opening experience that most people take for granted.

“Every single item in the store has to be tagged and inventoried,” she said. “There are so many things that seem insignificant that are important for the owner.”

Personal touch important at Real Deals

That doesn’t mean that Butler gives up the personal touch.

Her daughter Tori, 27, plans to relocate to East Tennessee from Texas, so she can help out in the store. Butler’s mother will occasionally make the hour drive from Newport to put in some time.

“That’s the only time I can ever boss my mom,” she said with a laugh. “Every time I yell at her, she puts on a bracelet. At the end of the day, we count the bracelets.”

Surviving their first Christmas season was essential for the franchise.

“It was absolutely phenomenal,” Butler said. “The customer support we had blew us away.”

Butler likes to have items that fit her taste on sale in her store. She had a one-of-a-kind Santa Claus painting that she considered “absolutely beautiful.”

“Everybody gravitated toward it,” Butler said. “I sold it right away. I could have sold it 20 times. The lady who bought it let me keep it for a couple extra weeks because it was the centerpiece of the display.

“The vendor didn’t have any more and was discontinuing it. I was disappointed.”

Butler said other holidays like Valentine’s Day and Easter will also get special attention.

“I want to be there for the customers,” she said. “This just isn’t a place to shop. I want to build a sense of community. If you’re having a bad day, stop in and say ‘hi.’ We’ll be sure to get you a smile.”

Real Deals is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10-4 Saturday.

BEARDEN

For Bearden High Class of '68, lasting connections started early

John Shearer, Shopper News

Numerous Bearden High classmates from a certain year enjoy texting regularly, posting on social media and even attending musical events together.

We are not talking about the class of 2024, though. These Bulldog buddies graduated back in 1968, and many have managed to stay in close contact across the years, states and even countries.

“I have lost count how many of us stay in touch,” said Susan Huskisson, who in recent years moved back to her former West Hills neighborhood after living in Paris and southern Spain. “When I talk to other classes, they are always surprised we have so many at the reunions. It seems to be not so much with other classes.”

High school reunions can be tricky gatherings, even after decades, because high school was still a time when young people were trying to find their way, and many might not want to revisit even briefly that more vulnerable time in their lives. Others might have comfortably found their place in high school but have mostly moved on with limited contact with classmates.

But for many members of the Class of 1968, they seem to be in regular reunion mode, even though many of them went on to enjoy rich and rewarding lives and have other interests that keep them busy. About 50 gathered last year for a 55-year reunion, and several were even planning to attend a Tina Turner tribute show in Nashville this winter.

As four members of the class living in three cities said during a recent Zoom interview – an additional gathering for them – it takes not only natural friendships and effort to connect, but also certain skills.

Huskisson said fellow interviewees Becky Hobbs Clowers, Karen Dughman Bird and Jean Grant-Dooley have natural gifts to keep the class connected through social media updates, organizing events, and keeping contact information up to date. Another classmate, Choice Chandler Burkhart, has even kept records of classmates who have died.

And it is not just women who stay involved, as the four said several male classmates, including Mike Roberts, have also been active in keeping in touch.

Bird said part of the friendships even precede Bearden High and were formed at such feeder elementary schools as West Hills and Rocky Hill. “We along with many of our friends have known each other since we were 6 years old, and we are now in our 70s,” she said.

And sometimes these friendships developed more deeply after high school. Clowers said she grew up in Rocky Hill, which was more spread out and not as close-knit as West Hills.

So, for her, the closeness developed even more after high school, through being involved in the reunions and realizing the bonds as alumni are stronger than personality or interest differences were as teenagers. She particularly recalled a reunion of recent years where she was sitting next to a classmate and honestly told her she hated her when they were in high school.

“She broke out laughing,” she said, adding that it turned out to be a real catharsis moment for them. “People can be surprised how close they can be with the people they went to high school with and were not close to. I’ve gotten to know them as grownups.”

The adult years for the class have also involved shared difficult experiences of deaths of classmates and other friends, and even divorces.

Besides the closeness, the Class of 1968 at Bearden was also a little unusual simply because of the tumultuous time they graduated. The Vietnam War was raging amid protests, and the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy took place that year.

Integration in the local schools had also begun, and Bearden High – which was then located where the Knoxville Adaptive Education Center is now – had a handful of Black Bearden classmates who, the class says, fit in well.

The graduates interviewed also said numerous classmates went on to enjoy rich and rewarding lives as doctors, lawyers and businessmen. Among the more familiar classmates were basketball star Kent Hollenbeck, who played at Kentucky, and Sandy Beall, who started Ruby Tuesday’s and whose family is involved with the Blackberry Farm Inn. Huskisson, who was Miss Teenage Knoxville, said she remembers hearing Beall bring up the Ruby Tuesday’s idea with her in college.

Many of the women graduates also went on to distinguish themselves at that time when more career opportunities were opening for women, they said. For example, Maria Peroulas Draper became a state representative, Huskisson said.

But for the Bearden Class of 1968, personal relationships have seemingly been as important as personal accomplishments.

“It has to be a relationship starting young,” said Grant-Dooley in trying to explain the class’s outlook. “And you have to have people gifted at organizing. Getting people together is not a skill that everybody has.”

NORTH KNOXVILLE

In Architectural Antics, you never know what you'll find

Jack Coker, Shopper News

“That was Hank Williams’ last sink,” he said, with laughing eyes.

Greg Patterson has seen a fair share of interesting things come and go through his door, including the aforementioned sink from the famous Andrew Johnson Hotel.

Patterson is one of the partners of North Knoxville’s unique salvage joint, Architectural Antics, which resembles a fusion of a museum and a hardware store.

After walking under the large wrought-iron gate at 820 N. Broadway, you enter a crowded courtyard filled with bits and pieces of once great and grand buildings, and even a helicopter.

For many residents of North Knoxville, this is their hardware store, especially for the houses within the historic overlays. While I was at the store, a neighbor had stopped in for advice and parts for his crystal glass doorknob.

The shop functions as a body farm of sorts, where owners of the storied old houses in the neighborhood can go for spare parts taken from more unfortunate homes (à la Frankenstein).

“Back in the mid ’70s, and leading up to the World’s Fair, Fort Sanders [neighborhood] was decaying,” Patterson explained. He and his partners, Dayton Hanford and Abram Hanford, had an eye for that sort of thing, often driving through back alleyways to save an old fireplace mantel or two, or three, or four.

“We like to keep things from the dump,” Patterson said. They didn’t immediately start the shop though, but often worked with other salvage operations, particularly in Chicago, until one day Greg Patterson received a phone call from a colleague.

“I’ll still sell your stuff for you, but I’ve got enough of my own. Start your own shop in Knoxville.” So they did.

In 1999, the first iteration of Architectural Antics opened off Lovell Road in West Knoxville.

While successful, the location felt out of place among the many newly constructed suburbs. Deciding to move, they are now in their 11th year in North Knoxville, in the 4th & Gill neighborhood.

“We are much happier here,” Greg said.

Most of the items are locally sourced, but the partners also travel the Southeast looking for treasures. Stop in Tuesday to Friday from 12 to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.

And don’t worry, Greg promised that he couldn’t “think of anything that’s haunted.”

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

Boys & Girls Club unveils STEM Center in Vestal

Zach Thomas, Shopper News

The Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley’s Vestal Club in South Knoxville celebrated the grand opening of a cutting-edge STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) center, made possible through a $1.1 million partnership between the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.

The ribbon-cutting took place Jan. 26 at the club, 522 Maryville Pike.

The collaboration between TVA and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation aims to enhance STEM education for students by establishing 27 centers across TVA's seven-state region. Each center will now be equipped with essential resources, including Chromebooks, computer storage, a 3-D printer, educational and interactive STEM activities such as snap circuits, bee bots, interactive maps, a customized curriculum aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, a mobile workbench, elemental clover tables, and more.

Jeannette Mills, executive vice president and chief external relations officer at TVA, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Our commitment to STEM has always been at the heart of TVA’s mission, and initiatives like this give us the chance to make an even more tangible impact and investment in the future of our workforce. We hope that this motivates kids to be interested and explore STEM opportunities. Not every kid can grow up to be a YouTube or TikTok star, and we must have a plan for our future infrastructure and hope programs like this may encourage kids to explore STEM career paths.

"STEM can take you places to solve problems. We hope we’re investing in future TVA engineers who will live and work in East Tennessee.”

The center will provide students the opportunity to participate in the annual STEM Challenge, a national competition hosted by the Ripken Foundation. The initiative is expected to build on the success of a summer enrichment program held last year, which the Boys & Girls Clubs said led to a 28% increase in competency in science and a 10% increase in affinity for math among participating students.

Jameisha Robinson, the Vestal Club director, has been a part of the Boys & Girls Club for 18 years and a director for 14 years and said, "This is the first STEM program offered that I’ve been a part of. We were provided full training and materials for full-length programs, and it’s going to open so many more fun learning opportunities for the kids.”

One of the young club members, Gracelyn Costello, shared her enthusiasm, saying, "Art is my favorite subject now, and learned art here. One day they brought out Origami sets for us and taught us how to make things and now I can make things such as animals out of balloons and paper. I love this way more than regular school because I'm learning something new and fun."

The STEM center is set to play a crucial role in inspiring and educating the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers in the Tennessee Valley region. For parents interested in exploring opportunities with the Vestal Boys & Girls Club, visit the Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley website, BGCTNV.org.

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BEARDEN

Food collection added for annual 'Love Your Neighbor' event

John Shearer, Shopper News

Like the Grinch’s heart in the Dr. Seuss book, the Love Your Neighbor Knox event has also grown nearly three sizes since its inception.

And this year, the participating houses of worship hope to get the shelves of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee to expand plenty, too, in a collection drive during what is considered the pantry’s slow season.

Through Feb. 24, participating faith communities representing multiple denominations and religions will unite under a similar theme in the annual Love Your Neighbor Knox observance. According to officials, the houses of worship are encouraged to “display love, preach love, and serve with love.”

Officials say this can be done through yard signs or banners placed on the grounds of the places of worship or in worship messages by church leaders. Those looking for a place to worship or gather are also encouraged to visit one of the participating places this month.

But above all, the observance is designed to show unity and preach the universally accepted theme of love at a time when much of the world is in turmoil with everything from wars to hate crimes.

“Love your neighbor invites us to look past our differences and see that all people are worthy of love,” said the Rev. Caleb Pitkin, pastor of First United Methodist Church, or First Church Knox, on Kingston Pike by Sequoyah Hills. “Each person in Knoxville is our neighbor.

“Our neighbor doesn’t have to worship like us, think like us, vote like us or be like us to be worthy of love. We hope that every one of our Knoxville neighbors will think about how everyone is worthy of love.”

As the organization says similarly at its website in summing up the overall event, “Simply we unite every February to spread love in our community to remind our neighbors that we have more in common than not and that everyone is worthy of being loved.”

Compassion-focused already

The observance had been started by First United Methodist and had five other participating houses of worship in the Sequoyah Hills area the first year. This year, 17 had signed up to participate as of Feb. 1, expanding its footprint – or enlarging its figurative heart.

The Love Your Neighbor Knox website said the purpose of the observance is to empower neighbors of all faith backgrounds to positively impact the community through service and spirit. This year they are partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank with food collection drives by the individual churches and synagogues.

Members of the larger community can also take part in this, Pitkin added. “You can drop off food at participating houses of worship and know that it will go to feed folks right in our community,” he said.

Houses of worship participating this year besides First UMC include Church Street United Methodist Church; Ebenezer United Methodist Church; Episcopal Church of the Ascension; Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd; First Church of Christ, Scientist; Heska Amuna Synagogue; and Knoxville First Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Others include Laurel Church of Christ; Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church; Second Presbyterian Church; Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church; St. George Greek Orthodox Church; St. John’s Episcopal Church; Temple Beth El; Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church; and United Church, Chapel on the Hill in Oak Ridge.

“As we continue to grow, we remain focused on one thing: loving our neighbor,” Pitkin added.

More information can be found at loveyourneighborknox.org.

POWELL

Powell author Audra McElyea has released her second book

Al Lesar, Shopper News

When in doubt, do it yourself.

The world of publishing is constantly changing, and Powell author Audra McElyea made sure she was going to take advantage of it.

In 2022, her first book, “If You See Me,” was a mystery that went the conventional route in terms of having a publisher handle the release and distribution of the book.

In 2023, McElyea went the self-publishing direction with “One Little Word,” which recently found its way into the public domain.

“The industry has changed a lot,” said McElyea.

A huge Taylor Swift fan, McElyea credited the singer with striking a blow for artists by re-recording her music so that she has complete ownership.

“The art industry as a whole, people want to own what they create,” McElyea said. “The publishers are realizing that they need the authors. We’ve evened the playing field.”

McElyea has established herself as a quality author, turning out suspense novels that have a twist to keep people engaged.

“With my second book, I’ve established my own publishing imprint,” McElyea said. “I’m my own advocate. I’ve learned formatting, designing the cover, hiring my own team of editors.

“A success or flop is on me. But it’s nice to earn more for my work.”

Writing while raising kids

One aspect of publishing McElyea did sell the rights for was the audio book, which has becoming more popular in recent years. Four voice actors read the book. Two of those, Bailey Carr and Amanda Stribling, have family in Knoxville.

In reality, McElyea completed writing her first book in 2017 and her second a year later. Her two children were both toddlers at the time. Today, they’re both in school, which makes her most productive writing time − from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. − much more consistent.

McElyea said her third book, which was set in Hollywood and revolves around a couple actresses, is already in her agent’s hands and is being shopped to publishers. If the offers aren’t good enough, she’ll take it on her own.

'My books have complicated villains'

McElyea calls her style of plot “villain era.”

“My books have complicated villains,” she said. “They aren’t so black and white − good guy and bad guy. There’s a little good in the bad guy and a little bad in the good guy.”

However her audience views the characters, there has been a good response. Through the two books, she has built a loyal following.

“I’m still figuring out what the Lord wants me to do on this path,” she said. “I try to be a voice of encouragement and support for others. I’ve allowed myself to help other writers.

“I don’t consider a reader a customer, I consider the reader a potential friend. I like to build a relationship through my writing.”

McElyea has also learned what criticism is like and how to handle it.

“You have to grow a thick skin,” she said. “People have told me to not read the reviews. I don’t listen to them. You have to learn not to take them personally. You won’t grow by shutting them off.

“I look at the three-star (out of five) reviews. They’re the ones who wanted to like it, but had a problem. The one- and two-stars were in the wrong genre. The four- and five-stars loved it.”

To order a book, go to: www.audramcelyea.com.

OPINION

Learning to drive outside my comfort zone

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

I was excited about the trip.

I was excited to see my sister Robin and my two nieces, Jenn and Mel. I was excited to see their new babies, too, a boy for Jenn and a girl for Mel.

I wanted to make sure my mom got to meet her new great-grandchildren. I wanted her to know that she could still travel, even in her 90s.

And I wanted my sister Shelley to come along, too. I thought the three of us could hit the open road, senior citizen style.

But the closer I got to our departure date, the less I wanted to go. I still wanted to see my sister and her nieces. I still wanted my mom to have the opportunity to travel and to see the babies, and I still wanted to spend time with my sisters. All of that was still true. I just didn’t want the stress of traveling.

I didn’t want to drive 10 hours or face impending winter weather. I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic or have to depend on my car’s navigation system to find an alternative route. I didn’t want to be responsible for figuring out where to stop for gas or where to eat, and I didn’t want to drive at night, especially in the rain. But mostly, I didn’t want to leave home.

My house is my safe place. It’s my refuge from life’s turmoil and trouble.

I like the way it’s tucked into the woods on a quiet street. I like all the windows and the natural light. I like to watch the birds at their feeders and the squirrels in their trees.

I like cooking dinner with my husband and cuddling with my Great Dane. I like the familiar routine of my daily life. It’s comfortable. It’s easy. And it never asks more of me than I can give.

But I am a responsible adult. I keep my promises and do what needs to be done, even if it means fighting my reclusive tendencies. So, on the morning we were set to leave, I shoved three suitcases in the car, ignored the calls for torrential rain, and set out for Virginia Beach with my mom and sister in tow.

But a funny thing happened on our way to Virginia.

Almost all the worst-case scenarios that played out in my head really happened. It rained in sheets the whole way. There was an accident that closed all lanes of traffic in both directions. I got rerouted to a road that was closed and couldn’t figure out how to get back to the highway.

A nine-hour drive took me 11 hours to complete. I had to be large and in charge. I had to find a way.

But to my surprise, I was fine. We were all fine. We laughed the whole way and ate too many snacks. And when we finally made it to my sister’s house, in the dark of night, we hugged and talked and shared a delicious meal.

We spent our days snuggling babies and catching up on the small details of our lives. We spent our nights talking and watching movies in our pajamas until we fell asleep.

It was good for us all. It was good to face the hard road and to make it out OK. It was good to connect with people we love but don’t see often enough. And it was good for me to learn how to be comfortable outside the sturdy walls of my comfort zone.

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

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