Fall 2011, TN Connections

tnconnections fall 2011

An Official Publication of Your Locally Owned Municipal Electric System

tnconnections.com

The Little Inn That Could

Dickson County opens museum in railroad hotel

Mushroom Mania Tennessee harvests a homegrown miracle

Rolling in Dough Tracy City bakery rises to fame as the oldest in the state

tn almanac

Travel, tips and tidbits at a glance CSI: Knoxville

Welcome, Fall Murfreesboro’s annual Harvest Days and Fiber Festival is a surefire way to put you in the spirit of fall. It offers a foot-stomping good time, with old-time music, hayrides, pottery and blacksmith demonstrations, sheep shearing and spinning demonstrations, and traditional fiber artists.

Held at Cannonsburgh Village, the family-friendly, free festival has been a Rutherford County tradition since 1976.

Cannonsburgh Villiage is open for guided tours from May through November (closed Mondays), and showcases Tennessee life from the 1830s to 1930s.

The 2011 festival takes place Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more, call (615) 890-0355.

20 Years of Great Pumpkins Ever seen a 1,331-pound pumpkin? That was the new state record set at the 2010 Great Pumpkin Festival and Weigh-Off. The first weekend in October, pumpkin, watermelon and squash growers descend on the tiny town of Allardt (population 674) in Fentress County to compete for cash prizes for the biggest homegrown fruits and vegetables.

Other highlights of the two-day event include a parade, an antique tractor show, a children’s costume contest, live music and a fireworks display. Craft and food vendors sell everything from quilts to homemade desserts.

The free festival, which celebrates 20 years in 2011, is slated for Oct. 1. Learn more about the Great Pumpkin Festival at www.allardtpumpkinfestival.com.

Fans of crime lab TV shows such as CSI and Bones might be impressed to know they have foundations in research done at the Body Farm in Knoxville.

The facility’s real name is the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, but locals refer to it simply as the Body Farm. (That’s also the title of Patricia Cornwell’s 1994 novel about the facility.) On the 3-acre tract of land, students and UT anthropologists study the decomposition of human bodies in different environmental conditions.

At any given time on the farm, about 40 donated bodies decompose in various conditions. The center’s research helps police and medical examiners pinpoint time and cause of death.

The Body Farm does not offer tours to the public, but you can read more about it at http://web.utk.edu/~fac.

contents

tnconnections Fall 2011 Edition Managing Editor Jessy Yancey Contributing Writers Dr. Susan Hamilton, Roben Mounger, Jessica Mozo Marketing Creative Director Keith Harris Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Media Technology Director Christina Carden Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier Senior Graphic Designers Janine Maryland, Vikki Williams Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinators Blair Thomas, Jessica Walker Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Sr. V.P./Sales Todd Potter, Carla Thurman Sr. V.P./Operations Casey Hester V.P./External Communications Teree Caruthers V.P./Custom Publishing Kim Holmberg V.P./Visual Content Mark Forester V.P./Content Operations Natasha Lorens Controller Chris Dudley Senior Integrated Media Manager Robin Robertson Distribution Director Gary Smith Office Manager Shelly Miller Receptionist Linda Bishop Tennessee Connections is published quarterly by Journal Communications Inc. for participating members of the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association.

TMEPA represents 61 municipal power distributors in Tennessee, which serve more than 2 million customers.

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067.

Phone: 615-771-0080.E-mail: info@jnlcom.com.

For information about TMEPA, contact: Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association Paddock 1, Suite C-13, 229 Ward Circle Brentwood, TN 37027 Phone 615-373-5738, Fax 615-373-1901 tmepa.org Executive Director Mike Vinson

14 Features 4 The Little Inn That Could

Dickson County opens the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum in historic Hotel Halbrook

9 Mind Over Matter ŠCopyright 2011 Journal Communications Inc. and Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association.

All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

ON THE COVER: Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City Staff Photo

Gardening boosts mental health for children and adults

10 Rolling in Dough

Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City rises to fame as Tennessee’s oldest bakery

12 Mushroom Mania

tnconnections.com tnconnections Digital Magazine fall 2011

An Official Publication of Your Locally Owned Municipal Electric System

tnconnections.com

The Little Inn That Could Dickson County opens museum in railroad hotel

Mushroom Mania Tennessee harvests a homegrown miracle

Rolling in Dough Tracy City bakery rises to fame as the oldest in the state

Fall 2011

Flip through the pages of the magazine without leaving your laptop.

Print and email articles and instantly link to advertisers.

Tennessee harvests a homegrown miracle

Departments 2 Municipal Power Perspective 3 Tennessee in Focus 14 Fall Activities in Tennessee 17 Connect to Tennessee Products

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municipal power perspective

What Is TMEPA? Learn how we help power customers on Tennessee’s Capitol Hill Mike Vinson Executive Director Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association

I realized a few days ago that many of the readers of this magazine don’t know much about TMEPA or what our relationship is to the municipal electric systems of Tennessee. So, for the purpose of clarification, we’ll get that resolved.

TMEPA is the statewide membership association of all 60 municipal electric power providers of Tennessee, serving more than 2.1 million homes and businesses in our state. The municipal electric systems provide power to 70 percent of the electric consumers in the state. Our primary objective is to represent the members in the state legislative arena, although we do participate in national issues in conjunction with APPA (American Public Power Association, our national organization) and TVPPA (Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, our regional association). As a serviceoriented organization, we also provide a number of other services to the members and exist for their benefit.

Membership in TMEPA brings a host of benefits to its members, and the financial savings have certainly exceeded the nominal annual fee each system pays.

Since our primary objective is to represent the municipal electric systems when our general assembly is in session, we spend a lot of time “on the hill” talking to legislators, their staff and the various departments of state government. Yes, that makes us one 2

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of those lobbyists you hear about on occasion. Like any industry, the electric utility industry must abide by state (and federal) legislation. Occasionally, legislation is introduced that would affect our industry in a negative manner.

We consider negative legislation to be any introduced bill that would increase our costs in any area including power supply, administrative, operational issues or even how we function as governmental entities. When that happens, our goal is to protect our member systems, and in doing so, we protect you, the consumer. We have been known to introduce legislation that allows us to operate in a safer manner or provide additional services, all with the goal of improving our industry and how we assist you, the customer.

TMEPA recently added a new employee to help in this arena. On July 7, just before our annual meeting, Katie Hitt became the Director of Government Relations for TMEPA. Katie came to us after serving as the legislative liaison for the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions. Prior to that, she was a legislative liaison for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, where she developed legislative initiatives on behalf of the department. She has also worked as a business analyst doing consulting work on a technology initiative with the department of education, and as an assistant for hospital administrators. She began her career in politics working for a state representative in Florida. Katie is a native of Pensacola, Florida and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

If you have any questions about TMEPA, check out our website at www.tmepa.org, or send us an email via the Contact Us page.

Membership Alcoa Electric Department Athens Utilities Board Benton County Electric System Bolivar Energy Authority Bristol Tennessee Essential Services Brownsville Utility Department Carroll County Electrical Department Electric Power Board of Chattanooga CDE Lightband – Clarksville Cleveland Utilities Clinton Utilities Board Columbia Power & Water System Cookeville Department of Electricity Covington Electric System Dayton Electric Department Dickson Electric System Dyersburg Electric System Elizabethton Electric Department Erwin Utilities Etowah Utilities Department Gallatin Department of Electricity Greeneville Light & Power System Harriman Utility Board Humboldt Utilities Jackson Energy Authority Jellico Electric & Water Systems Johnson City Power Board Knoxville Utilities Board LaFollette Utilities Lawrenceburg Utility Systems Lenoir City Utilities Board Lewisburg Electric System Lexington Electric System Loudon Utilities City of Maryville Electric Department McMinnville Electric System Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division Milan Department of Public Utilities Morristown Utility Systems Mount Pleasant Power System Murfreesboro Electric Department Nashville Electric Service Newbern Electric Department Newport Utilities City of Oak Ridge Electric Department Paris Board of Public Utilities Pulaski Electric System Ripley Power and Light Company Rockwood Electric Utility Sevier County Electric System Shelbyville Power System Smithville Electric System Sparta Electric System Springfield Electric Department Sweetwater Utilities Board Trenton Light & Water Department Tullahoma Utilities Board Union City Electric System Weakley County Municipal Electric System Winchester Utilities

Tennessee Connections

tn in focus

Staff Photo

Discovery Center at Murfree Spring Fall 2011

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feature

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Tennessee Connections

The Little

Inn That Could

Dickson County opens unusual museum in historic railroad hotel

story by Jessica Mozo photography by Antony Boshier

T

he Hotel Halbrook isn’t acting its age. It was built in 1913 and will soon be 100 years old, yet is as vibrant today as it was during its heyday.

In 2009, the long-standing downtown Dickson landmark was transformed into the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum, which now occupies the entire two-story building. The state of Tennessee owns the prominent old brick hotel, while the nonprofit museum serves as its lone tenant.

“When the Hotel Halbrook was first built in 1913, it was considered ahead of its time because it was

Fall 2011

equipped with luxuries such as electric lights, radiator heating and indoor plumbing,” says Cate Hamilton, museum executive director. “As a railroad hotel, it catered to the many railroad workers of the day.

Many of the other customers were traveling salesmen, sometimes called drummers.”

Today, when visitors first enter the building, they immediately walk into a hotel lobby that looks almost exactly as it did in the 1920s and 1930s.

“You walk in the front door and stroll up to the original registration tnconnections.com

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Students take a tour of the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum, which reopened in 2009.

The state-owned museum is located in the former Hotel Halbrook next to Holland Park in downtown Dickson. The railroad museum features a number of history displays, including a recreation of the office of former governor Frank G. Clement, above right.

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desk, which has a registration book from 1921,” Hamilton says.

“During the 1920s, rooms rented for 75 cents a night, plus 25 cents extra if you wanted a hot bath.”

Besides the eye-catching lobby, the museum has several detailed exhibits on the second floor.

Displays feature the settlement of Dickson County, early commerce, the storied railroad history and the impact of the Civil War on the community.

The museum is also kid friendly, with one display showcasing the inside of a locomotive where children can push levers, pull a whistle and pretend they are engineers. There is also an extensive model railroad setup on site that represents Dickson County during the 1920s and 1930s.

“Another exhibit informs the public about Frank G. Clement, who was actually born in the hotel on June 2, 1920,” Hamilton says.

“Clement went on to become a powerful, popular and well respected three-term governor for the state of Tennessee.”

Since opening in June 2009, approximately 8,100 people have visited the museum through tours and special events.

“For a small local and regional history museum, we have been very successful,” says Hamilton.

“And the word keeps getting out about this great attraction, so we all look forward to seeing the attendance numbers in mid-2011 following our second full year.”

One final attraction in the museum is on the first floor – a dining room that is also interpreted from the 1920s. The room can be Tennessee Connections

“

Frank G. Clement, who was actually born in the hotel on June 2, 1920…went on to become governor for the state of Tennessee.”

rented to the public, with a seating capacity of 45 for banquets and 60 for lectures and business events.

“We’ve booked retirement dinners, bridesmaid luncheons, wedding receptions, birthday parties, book review clubs, teas, a Southern ladies’ coffee, chamber events and the Dickson County Fall 2011

Leadership class graduation,” Hamilton says. “As a nonprofit museum, our operational money is raised from the rentals along with memberships, donations and admission charges.”

Those admission charges are $4 for adults, $2 for students and senior citizens, while youth ages

13 and under are admitted free.

Guided tours take 45 to 60 minutes, and the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit www.clementrailroadmuseum.org or call (615) 446-0500. tnconnections.com

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feature

Mind

Over Matter

Gardening boosts mental health for adults and kids story by Dr. Susan Hamilton photography by Todd Bennett

E

ven if you don’t have a green thumb, you can benefit from a bit of garden therapy.

Gardening benefits the body as well as the mind, and has been shown to positively affect everyone, including hospital patients, children and anyone wanting to exercise their mind.

Nature’s Health Plan

Noted author Eva Shaw reports many psychological benefits of gardening in her book Shovel It: Nature’s Health Plan. Her research findings show that gardening can: • Lower blood pressure • Reduce depression • Cut the effects of chronic fatigue • Reduce the need for pain medication What’s more, Shaw found that people who garden generate the same brainwaves as people who meditate, and grief stricken people who worked in a garden recovered faster than those who didn’t.

Environmental psychologist Roger Ulrich reports similar results in his research. His studies show that just viewing a garden or nature has healthy psychological benefits and can help people heal and recover faster. Many hospitals now have gardens as part of their facilities because Ulrich’s

Fall 2011

research has shown that people with wounds or other physical problems heal faster if exposed to gardens or landscapes.

Brain Workout

Gardening gives us a chance to be creative. Think of plants as a box of crayons or paints, and the “canvas” you can create usually provides a great deal of satisfaction along with a sense of accomplishment.

Research by Dr. Virginia Lohr found that when interior plants or flower arrangements are placed in an interior work environment, employee work productivity is increased and absenteeism is decreased.

Curing NatureDeficit Disorder

In his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, journalist Richard Louv says that many children today who spend too much time “indoors” being physically inactive and not engaged in the natural world suffer from naturedeficit disorder. He reports that the symptoms of nature-deficit disorder are ADHD, depression and obesity.

Gardening requires us to live in garden time. We all could use a lesson in slowing down, and the garden therapy you can find in your own backyard might be cheaper than a therapist.

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cover story

Rolling in

Dough Dutch Maid Bakery rises to fame as Tennessee’s oldest bakery

story by Jessica Mozo

I

t’s not easy keeping a centuryold bakery alive, but Cindy Day seems to have mastered the task.

Day is the owner of the Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City, which was founded in 1902 by Swiss immigrants John and Louise Baggenstoss. Housed in an old brick building with charming hardwood floors, the Dutch Maid still beckons passersby with the aroma of fresh-baked bread and friendly small-town service.

“The bakery has survived this long because of its great recipes,” Day says. “We ship fruitcakes all over the U.S., and we have unusual breads. Our salt rise bread takes so long to make that you can’t find it just anywhere.”

The salt rise bread is the Dutch Maid’s best selling item and has a long fermentation process that gives it an “almost cheesy flavor,” Day says. “It’s really dense, like your grandmother probably had. I love it toasted with butter, and it’s great for sandwiches.”

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Tennessee Connections

Staff photos

When Cindy Day reopened the Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City in 2005, she collected all of the original recipes from the Baggenstoss family who started the bakery in 1902. Day has incorporated some of her own recipes into the batch of Baggenstoss favorites.

Saving the Bakery

Though you wouldn’t know it today, the Dutch Maid almost closed for good in 2004.

Fortunately, Day, who was living in Florida at the time, caught wind of the news and stepped in to save it.

“I had lived here before, so I knew about the bakery. It’s a landmark,” she says. “When I heard it was for sale, I told my husband we had to move back here and buy it.”

Day purchased the bakery in 2005, reopening it after a one-year hiatus. She also collected all the original recipes the Baggenstoss family used back in 1902.

“We still use the same old recipes, and every loaf of bread is hand rolled,” she says proudly.

More Than Just Bread

Day has also incorporated a few of her own recipes into the batch of Baggenstoss favorites. She makes a variety of artisan breads such as Black Olive Roasted Red Pepper, Onion Dill, Sundried Tomato and

Fall 2011

Rosemary Olive Oil, as well as wedding and birthday cakes, pastries, sweet breads and cookies.

“Another thing that’s helped us survive is being creative,” Day says.

“We have a café now, and once a month, we do an elegant evening dinner where we serve prime rib, salmon and other dishes.”

In December 2008, Day opened a second Dutch Maid Bakery in Jasper to keep up with demand.

Both locations serve breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, and the Tracy City location offers a Sunday lunch buffet.

The menu typically includes a soup of the day, sandwiches and salads, and a hot- plate lunch, along with fresh-baked desserts.

The bakery also offers catering for large and small events, and classes in cake decorating.

Groups can call ahead to arrange a day trip to the Dutch Maid, with lunch in the café and a demonstration on bread making.

“I love being creative with

breads to see how different flavor combinations turn out,” Day says.

A Slice of History

Though some things have changed since the Dutch Maid’s beginnings in 1902, much has stayed the same.

“The Baggenstosses raised five boys who all worked in the bakery,” Day says. “I have four kids, and they all help out, so we’re taking on the same tradition as the Baggenstoss family.”

A widow of one of the Baggenstoss boys is still living, and she stops in the bakery from time to time.

“She checks to make sure we’re doing everything right,” Day says.

If You Go …

The Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Jasper location is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call (931) 592-3171 or (423) 942-5020 or visit www.thedutchmaid.com. tnconnections.com

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taste of tn

Mushroom Mania Tennessee harvests a homegrown miracle

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Tennessee Connections

story & recipe by Roben Mounger

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t’s all yours,” says a friend with a family penchant for foraging the Tennessee wildwood. Accompanied by a reverent whisper, she presents the harvested creation. “It’s a morel,” she says.

Ever since childhood play, I have fancied mushrooms.

The fairy tale notion that children can survive in the deep woods fascinates me. During outside play, we would prepare pretend meals of foraged grasses and wild mushrooms amid parental warnings not to eat the perilous fungus.

Even so, a family favorite, a weekly dish of pasta covered with mushroom-laden spaghetti sauce wins my devotion to this day. The earthy toothsomeness that accompanies the mushroom’s bizarre incarnation brings satisfaction.

These postulations are noted in the discovery of a 5,000-year-old human specimen found among the glaciers of Europe. He or she had mushrooms in the pouch that they were carrying.

A few years ago, amid cautionary tales, I studied a text called A Field Guide to Southern Mushrooms. Examples from my 1-acre lot did not measure up for culinary purposes. In turn, I scavenged for a mushroom farmer and found him. His name is Jim Day, and several years ago, shiitake mushrooms captured his imagination.

He embodies a different drummer sort of brilliance, and I am grateful for his efforts. He works as an electrician at The Tennessean at night but performs shiitake sitter duties by day on a few acres within a subdivision outside of Nashville known as Timbertop Farms.

Each fall, Day harvests green logs of white oak and maintains them as planting grounds for a process in which he “creates a dialogue” with the young mushroom.

Producing a crop of shiitakes is very physical, and Day uses a high-powered drill, putting his entire frame behind an angled hole in which he deposits mycelium, subsequently sealing with a cheese wax.

Day mothers each log in a way that has allowed his reputation for vendor of specialty vegetables to thrive.

“At the farm, I’ve been busy with new mushroom logs,” he says. “A thousand new logs will be added, and I am looking forward to a fun-filled year at the market.”

Originally from China, the shiitake has only been cultivated in North America since the 1980s. Day first hawked his enriched shiitakes in an old-fashioned back door manner to ingredient-aware chefs of Nashville.

Though trudging through the forest glen on a mushroom hunt has a romantic appeal, a farmers market purchase and chat with Day is invaluable.

He is as guileless as the shiitakes he offers at the West Nashville Farmers Market.

Fall 2011

Asian Stir-Fry 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped 2 ½ cups bok choy, sliced into 1-inch segments ²/³ cup green onions, sliced 1 ¹/³ cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, caps only, washed and sliced 2 tablespoons soy sauce Steamed rice Sliced avocado Heat oil in a skillet, and cook garlic for 1 minute.

Add bok choy, onions, mushrooms and soy sauce. Sauté for 2 minutes until wilted.

Serve with steamed rice, topped with avocado.

Todd Bennett

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Shiitake mushrooms

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events

Fall in Tennessee

the U.S. Colored Troops and Sons of Confederate Veterans. Events are free.

CONTACT: Register online at tncivilwar150.com.

Festivals, celebrations, activities and more

Pickin’ for the Children – Sept. 10, Farragut An all-day bluegrass festival benefiting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Food & beverage and arts & craft vendors on site as well as kids games and inflatables.

CONTACT: 865-966-9040, unioncpchurch.com

Pittman Center Heritage Day – Sept. 17, Sevierville Clogging, bluegrass and gospel music, demonstrations of mountain arts and crafts, vendors with handmade products, a benefit auction, genealogy records, historical re-enactments, and authentic Southern cooking. CONTACT: 865-436-5499, pittmancentertn.com

Jeff Adkins

Townsend Fall Heritage Festival and Old Timers Day – Sept. 23-24, Townsend

The Unicoi County Apple Festival in Erwin boasts food, crafts and a pottery show, Oct. 7-8.

This listing includes a selection of events of statewide interest scheduled in September, October and November as provided by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

Events are subject to date change or cancellation; please call the contact listed before traveling long distances to attend.

Due to space limitations, additional information and events can be found online through the department’s Web site, www.tnvacation.com.

September Memphis Music & Heritage Festival – Sept. 3-4, Memphis

Two days and five stages of the best music, art, crafts, cooks, heritage talkers and storytellers the Memphis/Mid-South region has to offer. CONTACT: 901-543-5310, southernfolklore.com

West Tennessee Soybean Festival – Sept. 3-11, Martin The festival celebrates the historical impact of the soybean crop on the economics of 14

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West Tennessee and specifically the City of Martin. Festival features several locallyoriented events, various concerts and a street fair. CONTACT: 731-587-3126, tnsoybeanfestival.org

Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event: “Civil War in the Borderland” – Sept. 6-7, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville Presenters will discuss the battles, events and stories of the Civil War, as well as offer brief dramas, musical performances, and living history demonstrations by

A celebration of traditional music, crafts, and heritage. Activities include bluegrass music and clogging, storytelling, crafts, food, and demonstrations of a variety of traditional skills including basketry, quilting, weaving, sorghum molasses, apple butter making, apple cider, beekeeping and blacksmithing.

CONTACT: 800-525-6834, smokymountainfestivals.org

ATHS Music City Chapter Antique & Working Truck Show – Sept. 23-24, Cookeville Antique or working trucks from pickups to 18 wheelers, antique tractors and engines.

CONTACT: 931-260-5717, aths.org

Scots-Irish Music Festival – Sept. 24, Dandridge The music festival honors the Town’s earliest settlers dating back to 1783. Families will enjoy this all day Main Street music festival on the shores of Loch (Lake) Douglas in the foothills of the beautiful Smoky Mountains.

CONTACT: 865-397-7420 ext.17, scots-irish.org

Daniel Smith Colonial Days – Sept. 24-25, Hendersonville Hunters, trappers, crafts, demonstrations and entertainment. CONTACT: 615-824-0502, historicrockcastle.com

Fall Folks Arts Festival – Sept. 24-25, Kingsport Handcraft vendors, apple butter demonstrations, music, food, tours and animals. CONTACT: 423-288-6071, exchangeplace.info Tennessee Connections

Heritage Days – Sept. 24-25, Covington

Blue Ridge Pottery show. The festival features 300-plus vendors highlighting arts, crafts and foods. CONTACT: 423-743-3000, unicoicounty.org

Reminisce days gone by with home tours, folk art demonstrations, arts and crafts, refreshments and music.

CONTACT: 901-476-9727, covington-tiptoncochamber.com

Goats, Music & More Festival – Oct. 7-9, Rock Creek Park, Lewisburg

Chester County BBQ Festival – Sept. 29-Oct. 1, Henderson

Features concerts, fainting goat shows, barbecue cook-off, games, food, entertainment and more.

CONTACT: Lisa Jackson, 931-359-1544, goatsmusicandmore.com

Annual BBQ-festival held every fall in downtown Henderson. Three days of BBQ, fried treats, children’s fun, games, vendors and entertainment stages.

CONTACT: 731-989-5222, chestercountychamber.com

Reelfoot Arts & Crafts Festival – Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Tiptonville Features over 300 exhibitors including artists, potters, carvers, jewelry makers, music, delicious barbecue, fried pies, ice cream and more. CONTACT: 731-885-7295, reelfootartsandcrafts.com

Metal smiths from across the country will be here to solder, sharpen, remove dents, re-tin copper cookware and repair garden furniture and statuaries. Master Metal smith exhibition on display.

CONTACT: 901-543-5310, metalmuseum.org

A play on the family’s version of the legendary Bell Witch spirits.

CONTACT: 615-696-1300, bellwitchplay.com

Books, Bubbles and Blues – Oct. 21, Loveless Barn, Nashville

Harvest Moon Festival – Oct. 8, White House

Bluegrass competition, craft and food vendors comprise the event.

CONTACT: 423-586-0260, sumnercvb.com

This fundraiser for Books from Birth of Middle Tennessee will be a casual event featuring great food, live entertainment, a silent auction, and an evening of fun from 7-10 p.m. on property shared with the Loveless Cafe.

CONTACT: (615) 776-4230

White Bluff Main Street Festival – Oct. 8, Bluff City

Magnolia Manor Ghost Tours – Oct. 21-23, Bolivar

Fifty-plus vendors lined up and down the street selling everything from gourds and purses to barbecue. Also games for the kids, live music and entertainment on the streets all day. CONTACT: 615-797-3131, townofwhitebluff.com

Repair Days Weekend and Auction – Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Memphis

“Spirit” – Oct. 20-29 (Thurs., Fri. and Sat. nights), Adams

3rd Annual Clay County Fall Fest – Oct. 15, Celina

Chili cook off, corn hole games and live music. CONTACT: 931-243-2161, dalehollowlake.org

Tour this historical haunted house with paranormal investigators. Take a horse-drawn wagon tour of historic and haunted sites. CONTACT: 731-658-6700, magnoliamanorbolivartn.com

Wears Valley Oktoberfest – Oct. 21-23, Wears Valley Local music, more than 100 craft vendors, Civil War re-enactment, kids activities and more.

CONTACT: 865-253-1504

October

National Banana Pudding Festival – Oct. 1, Centerville Enjoy food, fun and music on two stages, arts, crafts, games, puppet shows, lots of kid’s stuff, and of course loads of really good banana pudding. Compete in the National Banana Pudding Cook-off or enjoy tasting.

CONTACT: 931-994-6273, bananapuddingfest.org

7th Annual Heritage Festival & Antique Tractor Show – Oct. 1, Maynardville Enjoy this event in Wilson Park 10a.m.- 5 p.m.

CONTACT: unioncountyheritagefestival.org

Children’s Miracle Network Craft and Music Festival – Oct. 1, Greeneville

Unicoi County Apple Festival – Oct. 7-8, Erwin The premier two-day event offers handmade crafts, entertainment, children’s area, and Fall 2011

Todd Bennett

Enjoy arts, crafts, food, games, and local talent. 100% of the proceeds go to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

CONTACT: 423-235-3305

Visit the Bell Log Cabin in Adams before a performance of “Spirit,” a play about the Bell Witch. tnconnections.com

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Fiddlers Grove Fall Festival – Oct. 22, Fiddlers Grove This festive event features “Punkin’ Chunkin’”, ghost in the grove and a quilt show featuring Civil War quilts. CONTACT: (615) 443-2626, fiddlersgrove.org

Pumpkinfest – Oct. 30, Franklin Fall festival with arts and crafts, a children’s costume contest and activities, chili cook-off and music. CONTACT: 615-591-8500, historicfranklin.com

November

Candelight Christmas Open House – Nov. 4-6, Paris Holiday shopping and browsing in Victorian Downtown Paris. Holiday scents, sights and tastes highlight downtown Paris. Take a wagon ride through beautifully decorated historic downtown. CONTACT: 731-642-9271, visitdowntownparis.com

Edgar Evins State Park Annual Pontoon Boat Cruise – Nov. 5, Silver Point Annual Pontoon Boat Color Cruise on Center Hill Lake. Reserve your seat on pontoon boats for this 1 ½ to 2 hour ride. Take in autumn colors and see homes of some of the country music stars.

CONTACT: 800-250-8619, foeesp.ne1.net

Tennessee History Festival – Nov. 11-12, Nashville Costumed interpreters from every era in Tennessee’s history will be on hand demonstrating techniques, military tactics, cooking demonstrations and other period trades. CONTACT: 615-741-5280, state.tn.us/environment/parks/Bicentennial

Gatlinburg’s Festival of Trees – Nov. 21-26, Gatlinburg Dozens of ornately decorated Christmas trees await visitors in this winter wonderland.

CONTACT: 800-568-4748, eventsgatlinburg.com

Green Travel Tips

1

Carpool whenever possible to reduce your carbon footprint – and you’ll also spend less money on gas.

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Staying overnight? Unplug major appliances to save energy and lower your electric bill.

3

Support Tennessee’s sustainable tourism. Find green lodging, dining and attractions at tnvacation.com/green.

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Tennessee Connections

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Statewide roundup of favorite finds Heirlooms of Pewter Not many special occasion gifts last long enough to be handed down for generations. Likewise, not many gifts are truly one of a kind. But the Tennessee Pewter Co. is trying to change that.

Founded in 1973, the Somerville company is run by owner and lead designer Kathleen Armour Walker. It is a one-stop-shop for those looking for handmade formal dining and entertaining pieces, including pitchers, platters, bowls and serving items. Brides and grooms can even start their own pewter collection with the company’s gift registry.

An alloy of tin (92 percent), antimony (6 percent) and copper (2 percent), pewter has been in use since the days of the Roman Empire, but it has been enjoying a rebirth in popularity in recent years as people tire of gifts that can only be used for a few years. Pewter is as durable as it is beautiful and can grace a family’s table for many generations.

In addition to tableware, the Tennessee Pewter Co. makes jewelry, belt buckles, ornaments and office accessories. Visit www.tnpewter.com to find out more.

Ham for the Holidays When October rolls around, the phone at Rice’s Country Hams in Mt. Juliet begins to ring with customers ordering old-fashioned hams for their holiday gatherings.

Rice’s Country Hams is only open October through December. The rest of the year, the Rice family is salting and curing hams – a process that takes about a year.

The family business was started by Edward Rice Sr., who began curing hams more than 60 years ago. Today, his son and grandson are carrying on the tradition.

The business gained nationwide fame when it was featured on The Martha Stewart Show, and statewide fame when the hams received the grand champion award at the 2007 and 2008 Tennessee State Fairs.

Rice’s Country Hams are shipped nationwide, and gift boxes are available.

To learn more, visit ricescountryhams.com.

Fall 2011

Memphis-Made Chocolates If you know an Elvis fan with a sweet tooth, you’ll find the perfect gift for them at Dinstuhl’s Fine Candy Co. in Memphis. The family-owned candy company molds rich milk chocolate into Elvis CDs, records and guitars.

The Dinstuhl family has been making candy in Memphis since 1902.

Today, the company operates out of an 11,000-square-foot “candy kitchen,” using many of the same copper kettles, marble slabs and pure ingredients as a century ago. The company also makes a variety of truffles and brittles.

The company has four retail stores in the Memphis area and sells its products online at www.dinstuhls.com. tnconnections.com

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Fall Energy-Saving Tips

Keep Costs Down This Fall With These Tips ■ Insulate:

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Wrap a water-heater blanket around your water heater and insulate water pipes. This keeps your hot water hot, which can add up to big savings as it takes about 14 percent of your overall utility bill to provide hot water.

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Check your attic. Since warm air rises, you want to be sure it is adequately insulated. You’ll know it needs more insulation if you can see your ceiling joists.

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Bundle up! Lower the temperature in your home and put on an extra layer. You save about 2 percent off your heating bill for every degree you lower your thermostat.

■ Minimize heat loss:

• Seal leaks around doors, windows and electrical outlets to ensure that your warm air is staying in and the cool air is keeping out.

• Install foam gaskets behind electrical outlets, light switches and lighting fixtures to reduce heat loss, or install plastic security caps.

• For those with single-pane windows, add storm windows and slice your heat loss by as much as 50 percent.

■ Save in the kitchen:

• Use glass or ceramic pans when cooking in an oven. Your food cooks just as quickly and

you can reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees.

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Make sure your refrigerator door closes tightly.

To check, put a dollar bill in the door as you close it. If it doesn’t hold securely, replace the seal.

• Compost instead of using the garbage disposal and save gallons of water – and money!