Shopper Blog: Farragut’s Dog Daze a hot ticket

FARRAGUT

Farragut’s Dog Daze a hot ticket

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

The sixth annual Dog Daze at Village Green Shopping Center in Farragut went off without a hitch. There were more vendors and competitors than ever participating in the event Aug. 12-14.

Countless dogs were there to have a barking good time handled by about 150 handlers. Competition space sold out quickly.

Dock Dogs International, based out of Ohio, facilitated the competition while Angie Cody Realty Group sponsored the event along with the City of Farragut and Farragut Business Alliance Inc.

First Utility District was a major sponsor, supplying more than 27,000 gallons of fresh Tennessee River water to fill the pool for the weekend.

Dock Dogs International is the premier facilitator of dock diving competitions across the globe. It started in 2000. Its first event was at the ESPN 2000 Great Outdoor Games Competition.

There are thousands of chapters of Dock Dogs. Kaye Noble, president of local chapter Smoky Mountain Dock Dogs, explains that the event is broken into three competitions: Big Air, which is a long jump into the pool; Extreme Vertical, which is how high the dog jumps; and Speed Retrieve, which is how fast the dog can retrieve a toy from the far end of the pool.

Dock diving is open to any breed, but the water-loving breeds such as Labrador or Chesapeake Bay Retriever tend to be the favorites.

Competition is broken up into classes or size of the dog. A Chihuahua would not compete against a Golden Retriever.

“Dock Diving is just plain old fun for the dog and for the handler," Noble said. "It’s so popular we sold out in about an hour and had to add more time to accommodate just a few more competitors. Folks were at the gate bright and early this morning.

"Dog Daze here in Farragut has become a premier stop for many of the serious Dock Diving Dog Teams on their way to the championships in October. We have teams from as far away as Ohio and Florida to compete throughout the weekend.”

The hot pavement gave concern to Dr. Mitch Rosenzweig of Embassy Veterinary Centers, so he set up a splash pad for hot paws. It proved popular for canine visitors.

Katie Levan, marketing director for Embassy Veterinary Centers, was on hand to treat overheated pups with frozen pumpkin she made herself.

“We are the premier veterinary service for Dog Daze VI,” said Rosenzweig. "We want to keep the dogs safe and prevent heat stroke or any kind of heat injury. We’re providing veterinary care to injuries and will be here through the weekend keeping dogs safe.”

Rosenzweig said he was a big fan of dock diving and loves to facilitate veterinary care at events across the country. Embassy Veterinary Centers is opening a new location in Miami, and plans are to add to the excitement with a dock diving competition with Dock Dogs International.

Info: www.dockdogs.com

BEARDEN

New gym uses science to make athletes better

John Shearer, Shopper News

Adam Scott was simply looking for a place to relocate his Clothing Mentor women’s clothing resale store when he stumbled upon a former gym space in the 8400 block of Kingston Pike that was available.

The discovery got his heart racing, since he is a longtime athlete himself – and has also done some softball coaching and worked at a local sports agency run by former Tennessee and Minnesota Viking standout Tim Irwin.

He wanted to open a gym capitalizing on the growing market for more specialized and intense training for aspiring young athletes and active adults.

The result is the opening of Athletic Republic Knoxville. Part of a national chain, the facility uses science-based protocols and state-of-the-art and specialized equipment that Scott found perfect for the training facility he had in mind.

“As a whole, the training is about taking the athlete and making them a better athlete,” he said, discussing the equipment and methods that have been used successfully on thousands of other athletes.

“There is a lot of science behind the machinery and training. All in all, the training is a proven method. We know the protocols work and that’s what makes us different.”

The owner, who was an active high school athlete while growing up in Chattanooga and now enjoys playing ice hockey, said its flagship offering is the acceleration program for youth.

The facility works with younger athletes trying to succeed on a team or in a competitive individual sport and identifies each athlete’s strengths and weaknesses to pinpoint the emphasis on training. Helping prevent injuries is also a component, he said.

Scott, who is also planning to move his resale clothing business to the center, said Athletic Republic Knoxville opened on June 25 and that its staff is already getting positive feedback, including from those involved in school sports.

“The athletes who have been training here are loving it,” he said. “The parents are coming in excited and saying, ‘I can see the difference.’ ”

He said the program is designed to help the youth or young adult athlete even in the offseason.

While the latest technology and knowledge are used, the facility staff also tries to focus on the old-fashioned and time-tested method of human emotion as well to avoid burnout by a younger athlete, he emphasized.

“We are 100 percent here for the athlete,” Scott said. “We make our decisions not on finances but on how it affects the athletes. I want to have a place where we have fun and support them.

“When you pick us as a training facility, you are giving us ownership of goals and dreams, and we don’t take it lightly. It’s what drives me. It’s what drives us.”

Scott said he found Athletic Republic a perfect fit when he was looking for a chain as a partner.

“Seeing kids smile when they accomplish something they have been working on or get an award is great,” he said. “If I didn’t believe in what we are doing, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

Drinks from a 1967 Land Cruiser give Olmsted Beverage Company mobile bar 'extra flair'

Ali James, Shopper News

After Jennifer and Chas Olmsted’s daughter Coco, who was in fifth grade at the time, spent the summer of 2020 with her grandpa in East Tennessee, she begged to move here.

“My husband is a manager at Trader Joe’s and has worked there for 27 years, so we called and asked for a transfer,” said Jennifer Olmsted. “We had looked at getting out of California but never thought we would go this far east. We just packed up the dogs and whatever we could fit into a 5x7 trailer and arrived on Dec. 22, 2020. It has been such a great breath of fresh air.”

Olmsted, who has a background in hospitality, restaurant and resort management as well as coordinating weddings and other special events at wineries, easily found work bartending in Townsend.

“I had seen this untapped industry,” Olmsted said about her idea to operate a mobile bar. “I thought why don’t I do this for myself.”

The couple sold their house in California to help fund Olmsted Beverage Company, a vintage mobile bar rental company featuring a 1967 Toyota Land Cruiser.

Coincidentally, their friend and fellow Californian Joshua James, who owns Custom Built USA, had recently relocated to Nashville. “He builds tap trucks, so I called him and we joined forces,” said Olmsted. “He sent me several vehicles and this ‘67 Land Cruiser stood out to me as a really neat way to complement the style and feel of East Tennessee.”

The Olmsteds worked with James on the customization of the Land Cruiser, while his wife, Savannah Starr, helped them launch the website, Instagram and branding. “They really did help us from start to finish,” said Olmsted. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Olmsted Beverage Company works with its clients to come up with an alcoholic or nonalcoholic menu, place the order on their behalf and provide any mixers or glassware needed.

“The Land Cruiser has four taps and we generally work out of 1/6 barrel kegs and Cornelius kegs,” said Olmsted. If you want a classic or new craft cocktail or beer, we can refill them with whatever you want. If you can drink it, I can tap it.”

Each barrel or keg serves 55 cocktails or 41 pints, and if the party is larger, Olmsted Beverage Company will have back batches ready to tap.

The drink garnishes are prepared offsite, and the cocktail mixing and glass-filling happen at the event. Olmsted wheels out a mobile bar in front of her Land Cruiser for friendly and efficient service.

“I have done a couple of ribbon cuttings in the past,” said Olmsted. “We have a smaller vintage trailer that only has two taps for our smaller events and parties.”

Right now, Olmsted Beverage Company operates in Knoxville and the greater Knoxville area. “We can go as far as Gatlinburg to Oak Ridge and then some, but we are trying to keep our boundary lines towards Sweetwater, Sevier, Blount, Knox and Loudon counties,” she said.

“We have really found our home in East Tennessee. We are starting out small with private events primarily and smaller festivals.”

The couple feel that the biggest thing is taking time to get to know their client’s vision. “I want to share their vision and execute it, whether it is taco trucks and margaritas or brunch and sangria or a nice white-glove surface,” said Olmsted.

“We realize that impression wise that we are a luxury amenity,” said Olmsted. “We are that extra flair to elevate your event to the next level if you will. With my background in hospitality and Chas’ in customer service, we have joined forces and are a good combination.”

While navigating the business and beverage licensing rules has been challenging, Olmsted said everyone they have dealt with in Blount and Knox Counties has been nice and welcoming.

“I have been working on this for over a year and we just launched it three months ago,” she said. “We are learning what you can and can’t do and we are just excited to get out there. The beverage market is huge, and people underestimate how much it is growing.”

BEARDEN

West Hills principal brings diverse experiences to job

John Shearer, Shopper News

New West Hills Elementary principal Kristen Jackson enjoys diverse extracurricular activities ranging from singing to playing golf when she is away from her job.

While working, she wants her school, known for its diversity, to continue being well-rounded in the opportunities given students, too.

Jackson had been an assistant principal at the school off Vanosdale Road in West Knoxville since 2017 and assumed the new position back in July. Despite her familiarity with West Hills, she realizes being the principal carries an extra weight of responsibility, she admitted in a phone interview during a brief break in a busy first few days of the school year.

“I can’t pass it off anymore,” she said with a laugh, adding that she is having to deal now with such additional issues as the school’s finances and human resources.

But so far, the school year has been "going great,” she said. “We have an amazing staff at West Hills and an amazing community. It was a big honor coming from assistant principal to principal. (Recently retired former principal) Kim Harrison did a really nice job mentoring me and giving me a lot of nice opportunities, so I felt confident coming into the role.”

With her as the new assistant principal is Suzanne Hammonds.

While just beginning executive administration work, Jackson has been planning for an education career virtually her entire life, she said. “One year I asked for an overhead projector and a dry eraser board (for Christmas), and my parents felt pretty certain I was going to be a teacher,” she joked.

Her first real teaching position came when she was a substitute teacher in Knox County Schools beginning in 2008.

However, Jackson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in human services/counseling from Carson-Newman University and advanced education degrees from Lincoln Memorial, also had an atypical early route for an educator. In 2010, she started working at a juvenile detention facility using her background in mental health training.

“It was a great opportunity,” she said. “I enjoyed the mental health aspect. It was a really good opportunity. I learned a lot and it definitely helped my leadership ability in focusing on the whole child.”

In 2012, she began working as a teacher at Christenberry Elementary in North Knoxville, where she stayed for five years before coming to West Hills.

Jackson, who is also working on a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of the Cumberlands, loves how the school is located next to the West Hills Park and that additional space is provided around the school.

“We like having access to the park, and families can walk up,” she said. “It’s a really good community school.”

She also likes the expansive demographics – 21 countries are represented in the student body – and the continuing-to-expand extracurricular activities at the school. It has had a STEM robotics program for after school for about four years and is also just getting started on its Wolf Pack Company that will present two musicals – “Frozen” and “High School Musical.”

“We are known for high academic achievement but also want to be known for a well-rounded program,” she added.

But from the more hands-on and up-close perspective, she also wants to continue the nurturing and positive relationships that she believes already exist within the school community.

“I definitely love the relationships I have built with colleagues and also the families and students,” she said. “I do what I can to help them learn and grow. If I am taking care of my teachers, then they will give their best to the students.”

A saying has long existed that a school principal might leave his or her home at dark in the morning and return home at dark due to the demanding hours, but Jackson also said she wants her staff to maintain a healthy work and home life balance.

She is having to do plenty of that herself, as she recently had a young son, Davis (given her maiden name), just over three months ago. She and her husband, Jonathan, who works with the Ferguson plumbing and HVAC supply company, also have a 3-year-old daughter, Caroline Grace.

The couple enjoys playing golf, and, along with tee shots, she enjoys belting a few notes as a member of the choir at Central Baptist Church of Fountain City. She also attended the Fountain City area schools of Shannondale Elementary, Gresham Middle School and Central High, where she sang and performed in the Bobcat Company.

And now she is singing the praises of West Hills Elementary.

“It is a very diverse school, and with that comes great opportunity,” she said.

POWELL

Career change blossoms into bouquet business

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Coyote urine granules and deer netting have done wonders toward making Laurie Whitefoot’s first year in business a success.

A native of Long Island, N.Y., Whitefoot got her nursing degree in Arkansas and worked in Memphis before moving to East Tennessee with her husband and two young daughters.

The family moved in with her parents, who had uprooted from the East Coast to Heiskell so Laurie’s father could take a job at the Oak Ridge National Laboratories.

“With the housing market crazy, we decided to be patient and wait for something of our own,” Whitefoot said.

The temporary nature of her existence didn’t stop Whitefoot from launching Glory Flower Farm last December, an operation using about 3,000 square feet of her parents’ 10 acres for an area to grow summer annuals for the purpose of being cut and bundled in a bouquet.

“I’m growing as much as I can, with this being a temporary place,” Whitehead said.

“Once we find something permanent, we can put in the perennials.”

Her parents’ layout is bounded on all sides by woods. In those woods are deer. Those deer love flowers.

“One day, I came out and deer had eaten 300 sunflowers,” Whitehead said. “It’s like candy to them. People gave me all sorts of advice.”

She found a solution, but the suggestions just kept on coming.

New life path

After graduating from college, Whitefoot found a nursing job in oncology, focusing on bone marrow transplants.

“It was very, very intense,” she said. “There were a lot of cancer patients; a lot of death. It was very, very hard.”

Add in the pandemic and it got worse.

“Staffing was difficult, on top of everything else,” Whitefoot said. “I would cry before work and cry after work.”

She talked with her husband, Cody, a professor of sports and exercise science at Lincoln Memorial University, about a change in her life. She took an online class on growing flowers as a business and immediately fell in love.

“I always loved gardening,” Whitefoot said. “I wanted to see if it would spark something and it did. I really wanted to try it.”

Locally grown

Given the unstable residency situation, Whitefoot thought this year would be a time to test techniques. However, she handled the Japanese beetles, powdery mildew and the late nights watering when rain was scarce — not to mention the hungry deer.

With at least 30 varieties of summer annuals (since this is temporary), she has yielded enough to be a regular at the Norris Farmers’ Market on Wednesday afternoons and the Union County Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings.

Whitefoot said most arrangements will have a shelf life of 5-7 days. A bouquet in a little jar will go for $10-$12, while a wrapped bouquet is $15-$20.

She said there’s a big difference between her business and the average florist.

“Everything I have is grown from seed right here in East Tennessee with no pesticides or insecticides,” she said. “Unless they have an arrangement with a local person, most florists get their flowers brought in from another country.”

Whitefoot said once her family’s housing situation is resolved, she would like to add a local delivery service through her website.

FARRAGUT

Hardin Valley Elementary welcomes the littlest Hawks

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

About 30 energetic kindergartners gathered for the annual Hardin Valley Elementary School Popsicle Party. The kids beat the heat with popsicles of various flavors and got to know one another while playing ball, Hula Hoop, corn hole, and sidewalk chalk art.

A few kids were shy at first, but that quickly went away when the games started.

School board member Betsy Henderson was on hand to add to the fun.

“We’re just here to welcome families to Hardin Valley. These are our newest little Hawks and we just want to introduce them to each other and get those lifelong friendships started.

“We started the popsicle party about five or six years ago with the PTO and it’s just a way for the little ones to get comfortable with their school, meet new friends and for the parents to meet new friends,” Henderson said.

PTO president Audra Caylor said the event was great for kids and their parents alike.

“We have such a large school here and the kids get overwhelmed in their first days. The Popsicle Party gives them a familiar face to gravitate to.

“As for the parents, I like to see them join the PTO and get involved. They have 12 years of activities, sports, music, etc. and they don’t want to miss a moment of it. Getting involved starts young,” said Caylor.

Not only does the PTO support the child, it raises money for miscellaneous things the school may need.

Caylor said there are so many benefits to joining the PTO. The parent gets to help out in the classroom, help improve the school with projects like improving the playground, replacing the sign, and buying a new cafeteria table.

“There are all kinds of benefits to joining the PTO, but maybe the best one is that the parent gets to come and share ideas. Help with planning, really have a say in the school and help with volunteering. It’s such a special time in their child’s life. It’s important to be a part of it all,” said Caylor

The Hardin Valley Elementary PTO is planning a hoedown and is looking for volunteers. Meet at Maple Street Biscuit Company at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30 for a planning meeting. Lots of volunteers are needed.

Info: Find Hardin Valley Elementary PTO on Facebook.

HALLS

Harbison's Crossroads in Gibbs gets safer with sidewalks, new traffic lights

Ali James, Shopper News

Recently, Knox County connected a few more dots at Tazewell Pike and Emory Road, where two major arterials and two state highways meet.

Although there have been several long-term traffic improvements made in this heavily trafficked area, it just was not very walkable.

“What we’re doing is building pedestrian facilities at all corners to where kids can safely access any corner they want and do so in a lot more efficient manner,” said Jim Snowden, Knox County Engineering and Public Works senior director.

The department recently completed part of the sidewalk project at Harbison’s Crossroads.

“All of this intersection will be connected, whereas before it wasn’t,” Snowden said. “Folks had to filter into parking lots without push buttons.”

Snowden said work began July 28. Approximately 350 feet of new sidewalk was installed, and the concrete work was finished on Aug. 15, 2022.

“We are still waiting on pedestrian signal indicators from the manufacturer; we should have all work completed in the next three to four weeks,” he added.

Once it’s complete, pedestrians will be able to cross safely while stopping road traffic.

“Making it safer for families and folks out here in Gibbs is a top priority,” said Richie Beeler, Knox County Commission chair, in a media release. “It’s a busy intersection, probably the busiest in this part of the county, and so the need was there, and the response was there…

“One of the things we have heard from people is we would love to see more walking connectivity and a small-town feel to the Gibbs area,” Beeler continued. “The mayor’s office has been so supportive in getting those kinds of features in to make that happen.”

Since construction crews and Knoxville Utilities Board installed 12 lights along a half-mile stretch of Tazewell Pike in late 2020, things are now a little brighter (and safer) around Gibbs High, Middle and Elementary schools.

Last year plans for a pedestrian bridge between Gibbs High and Middle Schools were announced, and work was slated to begin in late 2022. “The federal grant is still pending,” Snowden said. “However, we are moving forward with the design of the pedestrian bridge as if we do receive the grant. Anticipated start of construction is summer 2023.”

For years, commuters could enjoy cruising back and forth along Tazewell Pike with just one all-way stop in the middle of the Gibbs community. Improvements to the intersection were considered for several years, and eventually in 2012 traffic signals were installed.

According to records, as far back as 2005, Knox County requested that TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation) commission a study to develop options for improvements to the intersection of State Route 331.

Consequently, State Route 331 and 131 were widened from two lanes to four lanes to help ease the flow of the high traffic volume, especially in the morning and afternoon peak hours. The intersection was also elevated to vertically align the eastbound and westbound approaches to help with sight distance issues.

POWELL

Simply Tennessee Weddings can stage a big day on a small budget

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Eleven years ago, Laura Shadler was what she now calls a “budget bride.”

Now, as a wedding coordinator, the co-owner of Simply Tennessee Weddings (with Tiffany Brown) has a special place in her heart for cost-efficient events.

“The perfect wedding is one where you’re married to your best friend at the end of the day,” said Shadler, who lives in Powell. “The perfect day is the one that comes together to embody who the bride and the groom really are.

“I didn’t have a coordinator at my wedding. We were broke. My family pulled together and made it a perfect day.”

Shadler and Brown opened their business at the start of the year. Since then, they have developed relationships with vendors and have earned the credibility it takes to establish themselves.

“People don’t realize that 99% of my time is spent behind a desk (or sitting in her car, where she won’t be disturbed by her three children) talking to vendors,” Shadler said.

“We’ve had some mental hurdles in the first few months: Are we good enough? Is our price point where it should be? How do we get our name out there?

“There are a lot of great wedding coordinators in Knoxville. Can we be competitive?”

Wedding coordinators are valuable

Shadler came to East Tennessee from northern Virginia. Brown is from Seymour. They met when The Ivey House is Seymour advertised for “day-of” wedding coordinators for its venue. After a while, as they became confident, they decided to go out on their own.

A little boost came when The Ivey House agreed to recommend Simply Tennessee Weddings to all its couples.

“What has surprised me is how many people don’t put the value into having a coordinator at the wedding,” Shadler said. “You wouldn’t believe how many couples reach out to us a month before (the wedding), when they realize: ‘Who’s going to do all the work the day of the wedding when all I want to do is get married?’”

Weddings can be costly. Shadler said the “low end” of a budget would be $10,000-$15,000. When she helps a “budget bride,” she has tips like having a small, formal cake for the couple to cut, while serving a sheet cake to guests; having a reasonably priced restaurant cater; find friends or relatives who are also vendors and might offer a discount.

Some crazy things

Shadler has been in the wedding business six years. She’s seen a lot in that time.

“My favorite is the wedding party that drank all the alcohol for the wedding at the rehearsal dinner,” she said. “The next day at the wedding, the bartender asked where all the alcohol was. They found out the wedding party drank it the night before. I was just surprised when the bride and groom walked down the aisle so well.

“I’ve seen people have a crazy ‘flower guy’ to get the guests laughing before the bride came down the aisle. I’ve seen a ‘beer guy’ walk down the aisle passing out beer. I’ve seen the grandmothers act as flower girls.”

East Tennessee weddings are distinctive. Many couples prefer outdoor venues, which means Shadler’s schedule is wide open in the oppressively hot months of July and August. Weekends September to December are completely booked — sometimes with multiple events.

Shadler and Brown can be hired for anywhere between $600 and $1,500 — depending whether it’s a “day of” need or “start-to-finish” job.

Simply Tennessee Weddings can be contacted at: simplytnweddings.com or on Facebook or Instagram.

More: 10 Tennessee football season openers we didn't see coming | Mike Strange

Tennessee Smart Yards – beneficial for everyone

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

Smart phones. Smart fridges. Smart fish finders, smart humidifiers, smart calorie trackers ... it seems that everything, in this time of ever-expanding technology, is getting smarter.

But smart yards? What’s up with that?

Andrea Ludwig, director of Tennessee Smart Yards for the University of Tennessee Extension, says, “simply put, a Smart Yard is one that is in balance with the local environment for the benefit of both people and our ecosystem.”

The concept of a Smart Yard is so simple, so common sensical, and ultimately so gratifying that it’s a wonder everybody doesn’t have one. Basically, it comes down to assessing what you already have and choosing plants that match the conditions of your property, rather than trying to railroad your yard into a preconceived – and maybe, in these days of weather wackiness, difficult to maintain – standard of beauty.

The Tennessee Smart Yards program is part of a statewide initiative that has its origins in the Morrill Act – a federal land-grant program dating to the late 1800s. Along with its sister institute, Tennessee State University, UT is one of our state’s land grant institutions.

“We have three general ‘mission’ areas – education, research, and outreach/extension education,” says Ludwig. “So not only do we teach university classes, we also do cutting-edge research. Sustainable landscaping and using native plants is trending, but it’s not new. We’re been doing this a long time, and we are charged with taking our knowledge out into the communities.”

Ludwig says she is seeing “an increased awareness of nature and the fact that we have to live in it instead of try to work against it or change it and battle our yards. You’re trying to battle a force that is very unpredictable.”

Instead, homeowners are empowered to create plantings that are ultimately more self-sustaining and nurturing to pollinators – those beneficial creatures who are vital to our food supply – and just generally good for everyone on Earth.

On the Tennessee Smart Yards website, you’ll find resources including a downloadable workbook, short video classes outlining the Nine Foundational Principles of a Tennessee Smart Yard, and a “yardstick.” It’s your log for all the “inches” of actions you accumulate along your way to a Certified Tennessee Smart Yard; 36 inches makes a smart yard, and there are 72 total inches to customize to your needs.

“As you can imagine, everybody’s going to have different goals,” says Ludwig. Participants in the program choose practices from one end of the spectrum to the other – from people who just want to introduce some native plants to folks who are taking out all their lawns.

“The goal of the program is not to belittle existing aesthetics and preferences; we want to meet people where they are and provide them with info – show them opportunities that they didn’t know existed and ways to make good choices.

“Maybe you’re wondering why your knockout roses aren’t working. Maybe you’ve got a part of the yard you don’t use and you can introduce some native plants.” Any of these instances and many more can be an entry point toward eventually creating a Certified Tennessee Smart Yard.

“This can be done anywhere; that’s one of our goals. We’re not just trying to talk to one group of people. Anybody who owns property has agency over choosing practices that are sustainable for them and also our environment.”

The upcoming season, says Ludwig, is the ideal time to begin transitioning to a Tennessee Smart Yard. “Fall is perfect for removing invasives, planting shrubs and trees and even perennials, leaving the leaves for wildlife, and rolling into winter with some ideas to flesh out with planning. And then, bam! Ready for spring.”

Visit tnyards.utk.edu.

SOUTH KNOXVILLE

Girl Scout's project benefits Urban Wilderness trail users

Ali James, Shopper News

It took a year of tenacity and hard work, but on Aug. 15, Kailey Bostick officially unveiled her Girl Scouts Gold Star project at Mead’s Quarry: a community bike repair stand.

The impossible-to-miss bright yellow Dero Fixit repair station includes all the tools needed for on-the-spot basic bike repairs and maintenance. From changing a flat tire, to adjusting brakes and derailleurs, it even has a tool to remove a flat tire and a stand to raise and hold the bike while you work on it.

“This is a sustainable project for recreation,” said Bostick. “I want people to repair and maintain their bikes, to be healthy and active.”

A college freshman, Bostick revealed the new bike repair stand before heading back to the University of Alabama that night. Bostick had the perfect person on hand to help demonstrate how to replace a flat tire: her dad, former Olympian and Pan American Games gold medalist Kent Bostick.

“We have an air pump and other tools available to adjust every part of your bike,” Kailey Bostick said. “My hope is that having this here will be an incentive for people to learn how to repair and maintain their own bike.”

While more often it’s a flat tire or a chain jamming, Kent Bostick said part of the goal is replacing things when they are worn out before they become a safety issue.

“Usually, all you would have is a little bag on the back of your bike with a CO2 cartridge, a tire iron, patch kit and a multi-tool. Without it you would have to walk your bike out,” said Kent Bostick, who is still training at least 15 hours a week for the Masters cycling event in Los Angeles. “I guess it is almost a habit, it’s a lifestyle. I train partly for health reasons and because I have been doing it for so long I enjoy the competition.”

To make sure she finished the project on time, Bostick reached out to Ijams. Since it is on private land it is subject to fewer regulations and less bureaucracy than something installed on public property.

“Ben Nanny (Ijams nature resource manager) helped facilitate it with Matthew Kellogg (Appalachian Mountain Bike Club executive director),” said Bostick. “I had to present the project and concept and they decided where it would be installed.”

There are bike repair stands on the University of Tennessee campus, but Bostick said they are not highly visible or available to the community.

“This was my second and I like to say it is my better idea,” said Bostick, who had her first project idea rejected during COVID. “The project has to be totally self-sufficient and last beyond your years (in Scouting). It is a very formal process; you have to present it to the council, and have it approved.”

While Girl Scout cookie money helps cover some of the costs, Bostick said she is grateful to the support from LeMond Bikes.

“My family attended the opening of LeMond Bikes in Knoxville,” said Bostick. “This goes with their mission statement.” A group of LeMond employees helped celebrate the bike repair stand over coffee and doughnuts.

Now that Kailey Bostick has earned the highest honor for a Girl Scout, the Gold Award, she is going to focus on studying mechanical engineering before she decides on her next step.

“You can choose to be a lifetime Girl Scout and a leader later when you have children,” she said. “I’m not at that point of my life and there are scholarships available, too.

“I have heard that the difference between a Gold Award and an Eagle Scout award is that the Scout builds the park bench and the girls build the park,” she laughed.

OPINION

Walk in the woods brings back memories

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

I see the clouds building in the morning sky, and I ignore them. I ignore the TV anchor telling me to be “weather aware” and my husband’s suggestion that I skip my daily walk. I hear what I want to hear, and I don’t want to hear anyone tell me it’s a bad day for a hike.

I grab my car keys and my Great Dane, Buttercup, and we head out the door together.

The normally busy parking lot at Concord Dog Park is empty when I arrive. The regulars I pass on the trail each morning must have listened to the weather report and stayed home. They must have looked up at the sky and thought “not today.” But I push on.

I push on through the spiders and their freshly spun webs. I push on through the wet trails even when my walking shoes disappear in the mud with a satisfying “squelch.”

I hear the raindrops fall against the leaves before I feel them on my face. But once they come, they keep on coming until Buttercup and I are both soaked through.

I scratch my 2-year-old Dane behind the ears, and she wags her tail. We’re both happy we ignored conventional wisdom and the reports of localized flooding. We’re in our element in the forest.

It isn’t until I get home and look in the mirror that I start thinking about my sister. There’s something about the way my rain-soaked hair clings to my cheeks that reminds me of her.

I lean in closer to examine my face. I study my nose and my mouth trying to find her again. I smile at my reflection hoping to catch a glimpse of her mischievous grin. I’m sure that somewhere, hiding in my face, is the face of my sister, Laurie, who died just over two years ago.

The irony of seeing the resemblance between us on a day when I’m soaked and muddy from the rain isn’t lost on me. Laurie would have hated my morning hike. She would have hated the rain and the mud and especially the spiders. She would have seen the weather report and stayed home to watch true-crime documentaries instead.

“I hate nature,” she used to say just to annoy me, her bold declaration a way of highlighting the divide between us. Because while I was made for rain walks and mud, she was built for shopping and the mall.

Even now, after she’s been gone so many months, I still wonder how we came from the same family and the same parents. I am the outlier I think, standing apart from my fair-skinned, blue-eyed sisters. And with Laurie, the difference in our outward appearance seemed to confirm the deeper gap between us.

That’s why it seems so strange to see her face on a day when I had to scrub the caked dirt off my body and check for spiders in my hair. I think about her love of jewelry and secondhand clothes. I think about the days she spent wandering estate sales hunting for trinkets she didn’t need.

Laurie and I found joy in opposite things. We recharged our batteries in different ways and were attracted to different sorts of people.

Still, there must have been something that connected us, something that bound us together. Because we were sisters. Because I saw her face in my own. And on a day when I was doing everything she would have hated, I thought of her. And I missed her.

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

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