Shopper Blog: Vols mascots blessed at Episcopal School of Knoxville
Vols mascots blessed at Episcopal School of Knoxville
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
It was organized chaos at Episcopal School of Knoxville Oct. 4 as hundreds of pets, from horses to dogs to cats to snakes – and even one guinea pig – received blessings from priests during the annual Blessing of the Animals.
Vols mascot Smokey X, the Bluetick Coonhound, was on hand to meet and greet while “Rocky Top” played overhead.
Smokey, the rascally Vols mascot who entertains the crowd at games with his antics, was on hand to be blessed. He brought along his own little stuffed “Smokey” to be blessed. It was a crowd-pleasing moment.
The Blessing of the Animals is a long tradition at Episcopal School of Knoxville. This year it was the finale to a weeks-long campaign by the kindergarteners to collect as much cat and dog food as possible. They collected hundreds of pounds of feed.
After all the pet food was loaded and on its way to LAMB Ministries, the kindergarteners headed off to Ijams Nature Center for the afternoon.
Director of Marketing Avery Massey said the Blessing of the Animals is a way to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
“The Blessing of the Animals is a long held tradition in the Episcopal church. It’s a way to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi, who protected all the animals.
“We invite our families to bring their animals to be blessed. All animals are welcome whether it be pig, horse, cat, dog, gerbil, snake. Many people bring stuffed animals or a picture for pets who have passed or don’t do well in crowds. A few kids even had imaginary pets blessed."
There were so many animals it took about five priests an hour to bless them all. There was even a drive-through for those in a hurry or with unruly pets. The drive-through was a holdover from the pandemic when the school still held its tradition of blessing the animals but had to accommodate the CDC guidelines of social distancing.
“I think we’ve held this tradition for over 20 years, because I went to school here and I remember the Blessing of the Animals in 1999,” said Massey.
“Our student population is very diverse; only about 25 percent are Episcopalian, so we look on this event as more of a school event than a religious event. Everyone can get their pets blessed regardless of religion."
Next for the school is a canned food drive beginning in November.
Info: www.esknoxville.org
POWELL
After years of struggle, Ricki Craft follows her own advice and finds her bliss
Al Lesar, Shopper News
During a heart-to-heart talk with her then-14-year-old son, Ricki Craft had the tables turned on her.
“Since I was in my early 20s, I was a divorced single mother trying to get my son raised the right way,” said Craft, who has lived in Powell the last 15 years. “I was a waitress while going through Roane State (Community College), with my son in preschool. I was a phlebotomy assistant, a (Certified Nursing Assistant), I went to cosmetology school. I worked in retail.
“It was hard to leave my unhappiness at the door.”
So when Craft was giving her son Jonah (now 17, a senior at Powell High School) a talk about never letting go of his dreams, he was perceptive enough to deflect the message to his mother.
“I was trying to push him to never let his dream die,” she said. “I told him to stick with his dreams. He said, ‘What about your dreams?’”
The response made her think.
“It hurt a little bit,” she said. “But it was coming from a good place.”
A fun, easy experience
Jonah’s challenge to his mother wasn’t taken lightly. She had her unfulfilled dreams. She wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps as an entrepreneur.
Besides competing in more than 75 pageants by the time she was 16 (she won Tennessee Miss Pre-Teen in 1997, when she was 12), Craft grew up working at her mother’s store in Oneida that featured gently used clothing, tanning beds and video rentals.
“I did a little bit of everything in that store,” she said. “I’d watch how small things could change a person’s day. I learned that you can’t focus on running a business to make money. I want it to be a fun, easy experience.”
Craft took her last paycheck from a job that made her miserable to pay for the licenses she needed and the inventory she would sell and opened the online version of Blu La Rue Boutique in September 2020. The “Blu” in the name is derived from her son’s nickname (Jonah Blu), giving him credit for the launch.
A year later, a friend from Oneida (Laileigh McGhee) offered space in her K&M Sports building for a brick-and-mortar incarnation of the boutique. Craft is actively looking for a place in Powell.
Acts of kindness
A year later, Craft still vividly recalls her first sale – a blue embroidered top, during a Facebook live session.“Deep in my soul, I felt success,” Craft said of the emotion following the first sale. “I didn’t know the person who bought it. I was in awe.”
Since that first sale, Craft has navigated the highs and lows of the business world. She has come to terms with some mental health issues and has turned them into a positive. Customers shopping on her website have the opportunity to make a donation to the Blu Acts of Kindness, which prepares 20 bags (T-shirt and hygiene products) to be given to people in need.
“I’ve learned not to worry about tomorrow,” Craft said. “Focus on getting today’s tasks done. That’s most important.”Craft said a special component of her boutique is that it runs the size gamut for stylish clothes – from small to 4X.For more information or to order, go to: www.blularueboutique.com.
Fair Board surprises Karns Middle School with $750 donation to the foundation
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
The second annual Karns Fall Fest and Chili Cookoff went off without a hitch this year, but did garner a couple of surprises for Karns Middle School Principal Tina Shelton. Shelton won the cookoff, adding another giant first place trophy to her trophy case.
The highlight of the event brought cheers all around as the Fair Board presented Shelton with a check for $750.
“What a surprise,” she said. “We will put this money to good use for sure!”
The event brought another winner when Don Eiler won a Solo Stove Fire Pit raffled off by the Beaver Creek Kayak Club. Eiler, an avid fisherman, will have warm hands on frosty mornings fishing by the lake.
The chili choices were varied, including vegetarian and four-alarm for those who like their chili spicy. There was talk of submitting a venison chili next year.
The Fair Board and Karns Middle School partnered this year, so the students were more involved than last year. The middle school kids helped out to a great degree. The National Junior Honor Society helped unload and set up the more than 40 vendors and 14 chili contestants, all while wearing smiles and never a complaint, according to one vendor.
The NJHS also ran the bake sale, partnering with Project U.
“The National Junior Honor Society is a service organization,” said teacher sponsor Stephanie Morse. “I’m so happy seeing them help out with the festival and learning what 'community' is. Most of all, I’m proud of them for partnering with Project U, which is a kindness project. Project U will do things to raise morale like leave uplifting notes around school or bring teachers a small gift. It’s a lot of fun and the kids love it."
“I’m really proud of the kids’ involvement. I want them to be involved in the community and grow up with a sense of belonging. They’ve worked hard and had a great time doing it,” said Shelton.
Vendors saw a steady stream of customers, and people came and went throughout the day shopping for everything from handmade decorative items to spirit wear to handmade jewelry.
Even Andy the Texas Roadhouse armadillo made an appearance, bringing smiles all around.
Fair Board vice president Bob Fox said he hoped next year would be bigger and better, but the group needs more volunteers.
“It’s really fun and the projects are worthwhile. We’re partnering with the community to bring even more events to Karns to celebrate its unique down-home feel,” said Fox.
Info: www.karnsfair.org
HALLS
Grab a pint and paint a planter for Halloween at Barley’s
Ali James, Shopper News
Megan Jewell’s business, The Plant Trolley, is continuing to grow – from a budding hobby during the pandemic in her Fountain City home to a full schedule of pop-up events all over Knoxville.
“I have done bigger events for sure,” said Jewell, who found her one-of-a-kind trolley on Facebook and invested a lot of time transforming it into a mobile plant shop. “I have hired staff and even thought about opening a second trailer but decided to hold off for now.”
Then Jewell was approached by the people at Barrelhouse Gypsy Circus Cider to see if she was interested in holding a paint party for their customers.
“I had already been thinking about the idea, so I knew right away,” Jewell said. “The first one on Sept. 14 went so well, we had 75 people painting and decorating sugar skull planters. It was crazy full. We expect 100 at our next one.”
Monday nights can be pretty slow at Gypsy Circus, so Jewell said they had the space pretty much to themselves. “Everyone was having so much fun, that they didn’t know that we had to go out and get more supplies during the event,” she laughed. Jewell also noticed that everyone who came to the painting session supported the Gypsy Circus by buying food.
Just in time for the spooky season, the next Skull Paint and Plant Party will be at Barley’s Knoxville from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17. The taproom is at 200 E. Jackson Ave. downtown.
“You’ll get a blank skull, paint and décor, live plant and a beer from 3 Floyds Brewing for $25,” Jewell said. People can buy tickets in advance at Eventbrite under “Skull Paint Plant Party by the Plant Trolley.” Or on the night of the event they can scan the QR code for contactless payment or pay cash to participate.
“You can do whatever you want with the blank skull,” Jewell said. “I provide the decorations, the beads and stuff you can glue on. One person glued skeleton hands on theirs.
“We have the succulents and small 2-inch plants that will fit into the pot-holder, then after Halloween you can put the skull away for next year if you want to.”
The Plant Trolley will be parked outside at Barley’s for additional plant sales. It is hard to believe it was once used to carry people home after a day on the lake and was once an ugly orange color. It took Jewell countless hours to paint and redecorate every square inch.
Plans are in the works for upcoming living Christmas ornament decorating workshops. Follow The Plant Trolley Knoxville on Instagram or Facebook for details.
In the meantime, The Plant Trolley can be found at area markets, in front of local businesses such as Scruffy’s Cat Café, apartment complexes and other seasonal events.
Jewell has a greenhouse license and can do propagations and sell root clippings, too. “People can always reach out and ask for plant advice,” she said.
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Knox Pride weekend draws 66,000 people
Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News
After a COVID-induced hiatus of two years, Knox Pride Fest finally returned to the city, starting the last day of September and running through the first weekend in October.
Presented by the East Tennessee Equality Council and the Knox Pride Resource and Community Center, the event drew 66,000 over the course of the weekend and 8,000 to the Friday night parade, according to council CEO John Camp. Saturday was a day of outdoor socializing and entertainment, featuring 115 vendors, 15 food vendors and 75 entertainment acts — all on the World’s Fair Park grounds and amphitheater stage.
“It’s grown so much that we will only fit in World’s Fair Park,” says Camp, who is also director of the Pride center. Camp and his husband, Dustin, are well-known to Knoxvillians, having been featured in a Jan. 9, 2015, Knoxville News Sentinel article about the pending Supreme Court decision on marriage equality.
“During the pandemic we were trying to find a way to serve the community,” says Camp. They wanted more than “one weekend a year when folks can be around other like-minded people.” So they created the resource center, and a year ago moved into their first brick-and-mortar location. The response was overwhelming.
“It’s grown to where we feed and clothe over 100 people a week. We are the only nonreligious-based organization of this type. We don’t care if you’re gay, straight, trans, whatever — if you’re hungry, you’re hungry; if you need clothes, you need clothes; if you need resources, you need resources.”
The resource and community center is currently an all-volunteer organization, and the Camps take no salary. Fathers of four adopted children, they both left corporate jobs and launched the nonprofit by selling their large home and downsizing, after many family meetings.
“We felt like there was such a need in the community that we felt drawn to do this. And we’ve never been happier. The kids love it. I think the bigger house kind of separated us a bit.” Two of the kids are now in college.
Knox Pride Fest acts as a fundraiser for the resource center.
Matt Rajkowski, a jeweler with Fountain City Jewelers, said, “This year was as exciting as ever! I was fortunate to spend this year’s festivities with someone who had never experienced Pride before, and the evening parade made for the perfect opening. It is amazing to see how far we’ve come. We’ve got a great community here and I love watching us grow.”
Leticia Flores, director of the UT Psychological Clinic and an associate professor in psychology, said, “I saw lots of families and lots of people ‘dressed to impress.’ Many people stopped by our own UT psych table to talk, laugh and make merry. There were six other events happening around downtown/South Knoxville; I think it brought folks to the festival who might not otherwise have made it.”
Brooke Bianchi-Pennington, who was Church of the Savior UCC’s liaison for the event, enjoyed the cooler weather. And “the nighttime parade was beautiful. The crowd had light-up props, which is something that wouldn’t pop in the usual daytime parade. It also put the parade up against a beautiful sunset.”
The festival concluded on Sunday with brunch on the World’s Fair Park lawn and an interfaith service at Metropolitan Community Church.
For more info about the Knox Pride Resource and Community Center, which operates year-round, visit knoxpride.com.
POWELL
If it's a cosmetic touch-up you want, The Refinery is the place to go
Al Lesar, Shopper News
From a significant health situation came a new direction in life for Emily (Stooksbury) Huff.
Huff, a 2001 Powell High School graduate who has been a nurse practitioner for more than a decade, had a situation in which part of her face was temporarily paralyzed. The treatment she had included Botox.The experience and subsequent results got her thinking.
“I remember saying, ‘I could do this,’” she said. “You have to have a medical degree, even to do the wellness part of it.”Huff took her medical degree, added with it special certification, and in March started The Refinery-Knox, operating out of a small room in Le Coop Salon (2508 W. Emory, Powell).
“The biggest mistake is that people assume aesthetics means Kardashian (large) lips,” Huff said. “That’s not what we are. The Refinery is about subtle changes, so that people still recognize you when they see you.”
Detail is important
Botox is what Huff calls “the Coca-Cola of toxins.” There are actually four varieties of toxins and Huff has all of them in her intimate 10 x 11 room in the salon. While all are wrinkle treatments, she said some people respond better to one product over another.
“The biggest scare people have is, ‘What happens if I stop?’” Huff said. “The toxins weaken the muscles under the skin and wrinkles go away.”
A normal procedure (costing between $300 and $500) will last 3-4 months. Some will last as long as six months. Minimal bruising at the injection site is normally the only problem.
“Across the board, everything I do as (a family nurse practitioner), is what I do at The Refinery,” Huff said. “The attention to detail is important in both. You have to be very thorough.
“We develop a plan (at The Refinery). I take a full medical history. I’ll ask, ‘What are your concerns?’ Then I’ll tell you what I see. We’ll come to a conclusion on where we are and what it will take to go forward.”
Men, women benefit
Huff said one of her most gratifying moments was when a woman said she went to the beach without makeup for the first time in a long time since undergoing treatments.
“For that person, the treatment was life-changing,” said Huff. “The healing did so much for her self-confidence and how she felt about herself.”
While 85% of her clients are women, Huff said she has her niche with men. She offers a treatment to regenerate thinning hair. Blood is drawn, it’s spun down to platelet rich plasma, then re-injected into the scalp to stimulate follicles.
“As a nurse, I love helping people,” Huff said. “I was never involved on the business end before. That’s been the hardest part – putting a price on what I do. I want to give my services away for free, but you can’t run a business like that. That has been hard to get used to.”
Without much advertising, social media and word of mouth have kept her appointments regular. She works about 25 hours a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays during the evening and Wednesdays and Fridays during the day. There could also be occasional Saturday openings.
She offers 10% discounts to health care workers, teachers, first responders, active military and veterans as well as their spouses.
NORTH KNOXVILLE
A Little Free Library ‘rolls in’ to Lonsdale
Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News
On Thursday, Sept. 22, members of Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation, The Christman Company and fans of childhood literacy met in Lonsdale for the ribbon cutting for the community’s first Little Free Library (LFL).
Built in the shape of a bright yellow construction truck, it’s one of the more engaging LFLs in town. “I’ve seen a lot of LFLs, and this is the coolest one I’ve seen,” said KCDC CEO Ben Bentley. “I would expect nothing less from a wonderful world-class contractor.”
Founded in 1894, the award-winning Christman Company is one of the country’s leading professional construction services firms. In 2021, the company formalized its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program by forming a dedicated DEI council representing diverse members from across the regions – five states throughout the Southeast U.S., the Midwest, the Southwest U.S. and the Mid-Atlantic – served by Christman.
Tori Knight, a project accountant and DEI council representative for the Knoxville region, said “the DEI Council came up with the idea to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday with these LFLs all across the company’s footprint. Here at Lonsdale, we are supporting and allowing access for over 280 children.”
How did the fanciful design come about, and how did it find completion? Turns out Christman’s employees don’t just facilitate grand construction projects; they’re up for smaller ones as well. Randy Merritt, regional business development manager for Christman in Tennessee, is a woodworking hobbyist, and after the council had the idea to create a construction truck, he got busy in his woodshop. What about the paint job? “We did it,” said Knight, with a big smile. “We’ve been working on this for a couple of months.”
Marty Gibbs, senior vice president and general manager, Knoxville operations, said “we’re blessed to have great talent, great partners within our company – just a wide range of talents. It’s fun to be able to utilize those talents to give back to our community and be a community support agent. It’s exciting for us and we love the opportunity.”
Then, of course, there’s the fact that the “truck” will be stuffed with reading material. Bentley said, “We know that sometimes it’s cost prohibitive to get quality books in the hands of the children in our communities. We want to make sure they’re available – the absence of books cannot be a barrier to learning. This is going to be a wonderful step in making that happen. Half of the people who live here are children. They’re going to be able to walk across the street, grab a book, drop a book, trade it out. So it’s going to be a wonderful amenity.
“When you think about young children having a better foundation of learning, and what we want adults to be when they grow up – lifelong learners – this is a great step for our community.”
OPINION
Son who stopped talking is back 'home'
Leslie Snow, Shopper News
I always knew how Ethan was feeling. When he was little, he would run off the school bus and declare his emotions before he even reached the bus stop where I would be waiting. “Today was terrible!” he might call out, or “Recess was the best!” And when we made it back to the house, he’d head to the kitchen to enjoy a snack and give me the full report of every emotion he felt during the day.
Even when he was a teenager, he still talked to me. He’d sit at the kitchen counter each day to give me a mostly full report on his emotional well-being. We talked about girls he liked or didn’t like. He talked to me about schoolwork, tests, and other academic challenges.
Later in his high school career, we talked about college and playing soccer. I helped carry the weight of his burdens when they got too heavy. I listened to his stories and tried to guide him when he was feeling lost.
That’s why I was so surprised when he pulled away from me when he got to college. I knew he would talk to me less, but I was sure he would still need his mother. I had always been his person and his daily sounding board. It was hard to see him kicking the mom habit, cold turkey, but for the most part, that’s what he did.
He was so difficult to reach back then that I developed a texting strategy to find out about his life. I would ask five “yes” or “no” questions just to make sure he was alive and well. I had to keep the questions light, because if I asked anything too serious, he wouldn’t respond.
Yesterday, I found one of those old texts. I must have saved it to use as ammunition at some later date. It made me laugh when I read it.
Me:
1. Are you happy today?
2. Are you worried about anything?
3. What kind of socks are you wearing?
4. Do people know you’re funny?
5. Do you still eat big blocks of cheese?
Ethan:
Yes. Math. Astronauts. Yes. Yes.
Those five small words had to sustain me through an entire week of worry.
Ethan has been out of college for over three years now, and I’m happy to say he’s moved past that very abbreviated form of communication. I don’t have to speak in “yes” or “no” questions for fear that he’ll disappear if I press him for information. My 26-year-old son is on the road for work most days, and he’s discovered that the road can be a lonely place.
He likes to pick up the phone first thing in the morning to share his daily thoughts. I get to hear stories about the people he meets, the weather conditions in North Carolina, and the quarterly sales goal he’s trying to reach. He asks about my life too, and when I talk, he listens and asks all the right questions.
We’ve fallen into our old pattern. Once again, Ethan has things he wants to tell me. And while he may not be shouting his emotions as he gets off the school bus, he’s talking to me. And in my mind, I’m still there at the bus stop, waiting to soothe his worries and help carry his burden.
More:Will Republican House candidates duck public forum? Find out Oct. 20 | Victor Ashe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper News brings you the latest happenings in your community
