McMinn Life Summer 2020

SUMMER OF COVID 2020

Life

TWINS DAYS FESTIVAL The Largest Gathering of Twins In The World!

THE MISSING LINK Foothills Parkway Day Trips Ocoee River & Parksville Lake The Old Copper Road

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Volume 2, 2015

A magazine for the people of Farragut, West Knoxville & surrounding communities.

Seasonal Culinary Inspirations Truffle Ricotta Cheese Recipe With Chef Deron Little

KIPPY BROWN Behind The Scenes With

Seattle Seahawks Coach Kippy Brown And His Amazing Life Story

THE MUSCADINE FESTIVAL &

AIR BALLOONS 20 HOT

Tsali Notch Vineyard The Largest Muscadine Vineyard In The State Is Also The Prettiest!

DR. HAROLD BLACK

One Of The First African-Americans To Attend The University Of Georgia

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T E N N E S S E E

HUNTING & TRAPPING GUIDE

EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2015 - JULY 31, 2016

» New White-Tailed Deer Buck Bag Limit: see page 25 » Hunter/Landowner Permission Card: see page 67 » New Hunter Education Field Day Exemption: see page 12

www.tnwildlife.org Follow us on:

Includes 2016 Spring Turkey Season

MARKETING • MEDIA • WEB DESIGN • TELEVISION

Community Health Services

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YEARS OF BRANDING EXPERIENCE

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YEARS OF IN-HOUSE TELEVISION PRODUCTION

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CUSTOM MAGAZINES A YEAR

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W W W . B I N G H A M G R O U P . C O M • TEL: 865.523.5999 • 11921 KINGSTON PIKE • KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 37934

GAYLE FISHER

Master Gardner DAYLILIES A day of beauty, not at the spa

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Contents

34

Tennessee Wesleyan University’s New Home for the Dental Hygiene Program

features

THE OLD COPPER ROAD

FOOTHILLS PARKWAY

The Missing Link

A Route that Built a Region

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22

38

Proudly Serving Those Who Serve

GRAFFITI ART BY AIR MOE 4

McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2020

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Ocoee River & Parksville Lake

18

departments 6 From The Publisher 7 The City Manager Small Business Focus 32 The Bingham Group Wins Addys 33 Boys & GIrls Club

The Largest Annual Gathering of Twins In The World!

42

36 East Tennessee Foundation 48 We Love It We all need to laugh! Covid humor.

Isaiah117

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The Summer of Covid

Life

GRATITUDE FROM THE PUBLISHER

During the pandemic, we have all had more time at home, time to reflect, time to do the things we never have time to do, lots of time with family. We just celebrated Alyssa becoming a teenager! I now have three teenage girls! They have come to work with me almost everyday of the pandemic, except for the two months we were closed.

I have developed a deeper gratitude for my family, my community, my church, all the school teachers, my small business, my employees and the ability to do what I love. The Bingham Group is especially grateful for all our advertisers and clients during this time.

Small Church in West Knoxville

I hope you enjoy our stories in this issue. We tried to give you some great short day trips. The girls and I traveled to Twinsburg’s Twin Festival last year, the largest gathering of twins in the world. It was so much fun. They had to have a virtual festival this year. I know we will all be very grateful when life is back to normal.

Lisa Atkins-Bingham Publisher Monroe, Farragut and McMinn Life Magazines

PUBLISHER

The Bingham Group President Lisa Atkins Bingham Art Director Brett Hawkins Graphic Designer Brett Hawkins Lisa Atkins Bingham Contributing Writers Adrian Lambert Bethany Wilkes Dana Teasley Gayle Fisher Jennifer Porterfield JJ Hulet Nathan Woods Seth Sumner Contributing Photographers Brett Hawkins Lisa Bingham Robert Burleson Percy Sheely Cover Photo Brett Hawkins Advertising Sales Mignonne Alman Tel: 865.523.5999 mignonne@binghamgroup.com Subscription or Editorial Inquiries

Tel: 865.523.5999 www.mcminnlife.com

This year’s Balloon Festival has been canceled. Look for information on a Virtual Fundraiser this Fall!

The Bingham Group, Inc. 11921 Kingston Pike, Suite 201 Knoxville, Tennessee 37934 www.binghamgroup.com www.mcminnlife.com

A Few Fall Stories To Look Forward To: Biereley-Hale Funeral Home, Cheering at Premier Athletics, The Kefauver House, Charlie Hall’s Store and MasterMelt, just to name a few.

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McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2020

A Letter From City Manager

C. SETH SUMNER The past several months have been an extraordinarily tumultuous time for our community. In March, the global COVID-19 pandemic hit home. Our schools and a few businesses made the bold move to close in order to best protect the health of our community. Afterwards, executive orders from Governor Bill Lee began to guide nearly every facet of our community’s response in an attempt to slow the spread of this novel coronavirus.

Team Athens stayed at work during the pandemic to maintain our prime directives: protecting the health, safety, welfare, and prosperity of our citizens. This was an

extraordinary task from the standpoint that there was no playbook. We also had not adopted state codes that would have allowed the City of Athens to respond in the same manner locally as we saw some of our larger neighbors in East Tennessee, as many citizens were requesting. Instead of focusing on what we could not do, Team Athens hit the ground coordinating information and all other pertinent local agencies and authorities so that we could maintain clear communication within McMinn County on our overall response to the pandemic. We homed in on what we could do to promote the health and safety of our citizens by communicating in daily videos over a span of sixty (60) days straight. We did not respond to the pandemic by ordering a single closure, or adopting any emergency powers, we led by providing calm, clear, and concise information from a trusted source daily; which was vital in a time where the information changed sometimes multiple times per day.

Communication is the key to success.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused people to become physically isolated from friends and family, it closed businesses and entertainment outlets, and the economic damage to families and the community has still not been wholly measured. Our people are hurting. Our people are angry. Our people are anxious. As those things ring true about the coronavirus, they also ring true about the tragic event in Minneapolis.

As if the angst was not already hot enough, we reached a boiling point. The tumult that we have experienced over the past few months wears upon each of us in different ways. We are all affected by it and we are frustrated. This is a time of social unrest.

I tend to look back for lessons on how to respond during times such as these.

There are plenty of examples of what did not work, and occasionally some things that are worth trying again. I believe deeply in good communication, although that is tricky with the multitude of platforms and talking heads. I looked back to the lessons learned from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Senator Howard Baker. Promoting civility especially in times of turmoil; recognizing the value of all people and enjoying a diversity of thought. Use the common ground to start from.

Appreciate the hearts, minds, strengths, and weaknesses of each individual that makes our community the place we choose to live. Let us respect each other enough to show God’s love to our neighbors. Truly, it is the only thing holding our republic together.

The Friendly City is here, listening, and becoming a better partner with our people to create a greater, more beautiful city than was given to us. We look forward to hearing to from you.

SUMMER 2020 McMINN LIFE

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Daylilies A day of beauty, not at the spa

by Gayle Fisher

If you are a beginning gardener and have sun, your first plants need to be daylilies.

Daylilies, Hemerocallis, are showy, long-lived, versatile and easy to grow. They perform beautifully in the toughest of conditions.

They tolerate drought, survive extreme heat and grow in a wide range of soils.

The name Hemerocallis describes the fleeting nature of the blooms: it is from the Greek, hemera meaning “day” and kallos, “beauty.” Although most individual flowers last for only a day, many lilies will produce a wealth of buds over a period of 3 to 4 weeks.

A good size clump can produce over 300 flowers in a single season.

When we moved to the farm, the “Garden Club” came for a visit. I had nothing blooming except for a few tawny daylilies that I had dug from along the roadside to fill in a ditch where erosion was taking place.

These common lilies are a burnt orange color, and I know you’ve seen them thriving along the railroad tracks, vacant lots and old homesteads. I quickly guided the group over to the area where they were blooming (I was so proud)!! As the ladies were leaving, I had the dowager of our group pull me over and whisper, “Gayle, those are not daylilies, they are gully lilies.” I’m sure my face must have shown surprise, but then she reassured me that she would make sure that I received some “real” daylilies.

The next week, I had a phone call from a stranger willing to share her prize lilies with me. I still have them, the orange gully lilies, and the dazzling colors of the beautiful gift hybrids.

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McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2020

Daylilies produce 1-to 2-foot-tall clumps of long, arching, sword-shaped or grassy leaves that are arranged in fans. The flowers are colorful, trumpet-shaped and borne on erect stalks. The flowers of single daylilies have six petals. The plant has thick, fibrous roots with fleshy, white, tuber-like swellings.

To get the best results, plant daylilies in full sun or light shade; a site that receives a half a day of full sun and dappled sun thereafter is fine. I have some that are barely surviving in the shade, getting only 2 hours of sun per day. Surviving is the key word here--they never bloom. Lilies like average to rich soil that is well drained and evenly moist.

You can divide daylilies any time in the summer if the plants become crowded. Dig up the roots and break them apart into two or three sections, each containing leaves and roots. Replant the divisions immediately. If your neighbor is sharing her daylilies with you, appreciate her generosity and accept anything. If you are going to buy them, make sure the plant has at least two fans. (Two sets of leaves with attached roots). Container grown plants and large field divisions can be set in the garden almost anytime of the year that the ground isn’t frozen. Avoid setting them in the heat of summer unless you’re prepared to water for the first three weeks.

We have local growers, so you can actually go now and see the plants in full bloom then pick your color selection.

Pests or diseases seldom trouble daylilies.

Once established, they need no more than one inch of rain a week, and mulch helps to retain soil moisture. Deadheading (cutting off the spent flower) will keep the plant looking neat. Be sure to pick off any seedpods that begin to form. Hybrids do not come from seed, and producing seed saps energy from the plants. Remove the stalks after the last flowers fade.

Daylilies are a versatile perennial in the landscape.

They can be used in borders, as a ground cover or a front along a hedge for summer color. They can cover a bank that is hard to mow and look great in a meadow setting or along a pond or stream.

When I was telling the “Garden Club” story to a group of friends, one said “that is a wonderful story. Not only did they identify your problem of the gully lilies, but they worked to immediately fix a problem that you didn’t even know you had.”

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SUMMER 2020 McMINN LIFE

11

Foothills Parkway The Missing Link

by Bethany Wilkes

Construction of Foothills Parkway was originally authorized by congress in 1944 with the vision of providing the most spectacular views of the Great Smoky Mountains accessible to the public. The parkway extends 72 miles from Cosby to Chilhowee and cost $178 million total. It consists of four sections that comprise what Senator Lamar Alexander calls “the prettiest drive in America�.

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Foothills Parkway West is a 17-mile stretch from Chilhowee Lake to Townsend.

There are two lakes along this section of the parkway. Lake Chilhowee, created by the Chilhowee Dam, holds back the waters of the Little Tennessee River at the Southern end. Lake in the Sky is a smaller lake between Chilhowee Mountain and the Smoky Mountains and has a reputation as a desirable fishing spot in Blount County.

Foothills Parkway East is 5.5 mile section in Cocke County from Cosby to I-40, completed in 1968. This section runs below and parallel to the Great Smoky Mountains and boasts views of Greenbrier Pinnacle, Mount Guyot, Mount Cammerer and English Mountain. Foothills Parkway Spur is the most traveled of the four sections and connects Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in Sevier County.

Central Foothills Parkway extends 16 miles from Wears Valley to Walland and includes the “Missing Link,” which was the last part of the parkway to be completed.

The “Missing Link” is only 1.65 miles long but cuts through treacherous terrain and required the construction of several bridges, making it the key to the completion of the project as a whole.

While Foothills Parkway now serves as a window into the undisturbed Great Smoky Mountains, even the names of focal points

Wears Valley, TN / USA - 11-10-2018: US Senator Lamar Alexander, TN Governor Bill Haslam and Cassius Cash of Great Smoky Mountains National Park gather for a ribbon cutting along the Foothills Parkway.

and landmarks along the roadway serve as reminders of the sacredness and wonder of Tennessee’s wilderness. In 2018, after over 75 years of construction, the final section of Foothills Parkway was opened up to motor traffic. Up until that point, the “Missing Link” proved unconquerable in terms of construction of a safe roadway.

The completion of the “Missing Link” is a coin with two sides - one that is exemplary of the marvel of modern construction, and the other, which is an admonition of the magnificence and vastness of the Creation we call the Smokies. This landscape is something to behold, revere and protect.

If you feel a connection to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and want to contribute to its prosperity, Friends of the Smokies is a non-profit organization

in Sevierville dedicated to the preservation of our mountains and their wildlife. Members of the organization receive newsletters and discounts at many attractions in the area, but more importantly, are part of an effort to keep the Smokies safe and beautiful for generations to come.

Even if you are not interested in becoming a member, there are other ways to help out, and you can find more information on Friends of the Smokies at https:// friendsofthesmokies.org.

SUMMER 2020 McMINN LIFE

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The friendly city invites you to visit Eco Park

www.CityofAthensTN.com

The friendly city invites you to visit Eco Park

Enjoy The Experience of

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Etowah Area Chamber of Commerce 16

McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2020

Play 727 Tennessee Ave. Etowah, TN 37331 (423) 263 - 2228 info@etowahcoc.org

Saturday Clinic is now open 9am -12pm Athens Medical Group Same Day Appointments Available.

We accept most insurance plans including Medicare & Medicare Blue Advantage Dedicated Occupational Health Department

SUMMER 2020 McMINN LIFE

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Mcminn life

Ocoee River

& Parksville Lake Photos by TN Overhill Old Copper Road Preservation Alliance Walter M. Cline collection Percy Sheely

he word “Ocoee” comes from a Cherokee word that means “place of the apricot vine”. That sounds enchanting and mythical and it does not disappoint.

T

The Ocoee is touted as America’s #1 Whitewater River and only Olympic River.

Commercial river outfitters offer expert guides to help you capture the excitement of the Class III and Class IV rapids. Divided into sections, the river offers visitors a variety of experiences.

“Take on challenging Class III and Class IV rapids on the Ocoee River, one of the best white water rafting destinations in Tennessee, and you’ll splash through the heart of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Paddle through roller coaster waves and churning drops, with a long season that stretches all the way from March through October.” -TripAdvisor

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The Upper Ocoee was developed for use as the whitewater venue during the 1996 Olympic Games. This effort required the riverbed to be reshaped to provide the required hydraulic action to ensure world class rapids. This upper section open on a limited schedule due to weather in this higher elevation. Stop in the Ocoee Whitewater Center to watch rafting, play in the water, check the water schedule, or hike the Tanasi Trail system. At the Center right on the right bank are beautiful family-fun picnic tables.

On the days that the Upper and Middle sections are open you may choose a half or full day trip with a riverside lunch. There are over 20 great Outfitters to choose from to make a great day on the water. One of the first Outfitters to begin rafting the Ocoee is the Cherokee Rafting started in 1978 as a family-run operation, and still running strong today. Guest love the rough cut, hand-constructed outpost/store located on Hwy 64 just outside the Cherokee National Forest and Chilhowee Mountain.

(1-800-451-7238)

Site of the 1996 Olympic Canoe and Kayak Slalom Races, the Ocoee River hosts several whitewater events each year.

Commercial river outfitters offer expert guides to help you capture the excitement of the Class III and Class IV rapids.

Whitewater enthusiasts can now take guided trips on the Olympic Race Channel, located at the Ocoee Whitewater Center. Check with the Tennessee Overhill for water schedules, or contact the Ocoee-Hiwassee Ranger Station.

Photo from Walter M. Cline collection

The Middle Ocoee has been used for commercial rafting since 1976. Along with the trill of riding the rapids, you will see the Historic Ocoee Flume Line, a unique structure built in 1910 that snakes along the rock bluff on the south side of the river.

Once the flume line work was completed the sport of whitewater rafting was well on its way. This section is normally open around 110 days a year. Over 250,000 visitors a year get their thrills going down the Ocoee, so plan your adventure today. This is an experience you will never forget!

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Photo from Walter M. Cline collection

Photo from Walter M. Cline collection

The Ocoee powerhouses, dams and flume line are part of an ambitious hydroelectric power project that began in 1910. Constructed by Eastern Tennessee Power Company, this series of historic hydroelectric structures are tucked into the narrow Ocoee River Gorge, all located within a stretch of only 12 miles.

The Ocoee Flume is a unique structure, the only one of its kind in the nation. Constructed of tongue-and-groove California longleaf pine, it resembles a wooden trough snaking along the rock bluffs that line the Ocoee River.

Its purpose is to capture the Ocoee River as it pauses at the Diversion Dam, and then force the waters through the narrow flume to the powerhouse to turn the turbines. In 1939 Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) purchased the powerhouses, dams, and flume line. In 1941 TVA began construction of Powerhouse Number 3 to serve increased power demands during World War II.

Photo by Percy Sheely The Parksville Lake is the oldest man-made lake in the Cherokee National Forest, it was created in 1910-11 with the building of Ocoee Dam Number One (Parksville Dam). Sometimes known as Lake Ocoee, this 1,930-acre is popular for water skiing, pontoon boating, jet skiing, swimming, and picnicking. It has two public boat launches located along Hwy 64. Just below the dam is Sugarloaf Park where visitors can picnic and view a scale model of the Olympic canoe and kayak course.

Photo from Walter M. Cline collection

The Lower Ocoee starts at the base of Parksville Lake Dam, at Sugarloaf Mountain State Park, and lazily winds its way to the Hiwassee River a few miles away. It is great for tubing- and for those without their own tube- fear not, there are outfitters that can help you out.

Between the Middle and Lower Ocoee River sits Parksville Lake, also known as Lake Ocoee.

This 1,900 acre lake is the oldest man-made lake in the Cherokee National Forest. Part of the Ocoee Recreation Area, Parksville Lake is popular for water skiing, pontoon boating, jet skiing, swimming, and picnicking. It has two public boat launches and two public swimming areas.

For more information: call 423-263-7232 or https://tennesseeoverhill.com Written by Adrian Lambert, Executive Director of the Tennessee Overhill

SUMMER 2020 McMINN LIFE

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The Old Copper Road

A Route that Built a Region Written by Dana Teasley Photos by Old Copper Road Preservation Alliance

A beauty like no other, US Highway 64 between Ducktown and Cleveland, Tennessee, delivers some of the most majestic scenery found in southeast Tennessee. This section of highway is also commonly known by other names, such as the River Road and the Ocoee Scenic Byway, but many are unaware of the route’s true origin and the impact it has made on both the Ocoee Region and the Southeast Tennessee Valley.

The story begins in 1843, when a prospector by the name of Lemmons accidentally discovers copper in the Ducktown Basin while searching for gold. Shortly thereafter, the first copper mine, the Hiwassee, opened in 1850. To reach the nearest railroad at the time, copper ore was transported to Ellijay, Georgia, and then placed on mules to be packed over the mountain to Dalton, Georgia. The route was extremely difficult and took several days to accomplish.

During the same year, the first copper mine opened in the Ducktown Basin, the first rail line extending from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Atlanta, Georgia, established a stop in Cleveland, bringing the point of shipment 30 miles closer than Dalton. In 1851, a local prospector and businessman by the name of John Caldwell financed the cost of building the Old Copper Road from Ducktown to Cleveland to reduce the cost of exporting the ore.

Running alongside the Ocoee River was a narrow path that had been used for trading purposes by the native Cherokee. Due to the extremely steep slopes along the Ocoee River gorge, Mr. Caldwell found it difficult 22

McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2020

Old Copper Road trail - a 2.5 mile section of the Old Copper Road is preserved at the Ocoee Whitewater Center for hiking and biking where visitors can experience a sampling of what the Copper Road looked like.

to find white laborers who were willing to work in the rugged terrain. He then turned to a group of Cherokee, who had not only hid out from the federal troops during the removal on the Trail of Tears in 1838, but remained in the nearby mountains in a post-removal village near to present day Turtletown, Tennessee. It took the crew two years to complete the road at a cost of

$22,000. The route was incorporated in the State of Tennessee in 1853 as the Ocoee Turnpike and Plank Road Company and was operated as a toll road with toll gates positioned at each end of the Ocoee River.

Once the route was complete, copper haulers then began driving teams of oxen and mules over the road to transport the ore to the new rail stop in Cleveland.

Supply warehouse in downtown Cleveland owned by Julius Raht. Once the copper haulers unloaded the ore onto the trains, they would fill their wagons with needed supplies to take back to the miners in the Ducktown Basin.

But, in 1853, there was simply no way John Caldwell could foresee everything that would transpire because of his business venture over the next 167 years. The Old Copper Road packs enough history to fill annals, making it impossible to share it all in a brief article. From the days of copper haulers, to the East Tennessee Power Company (later to become the Tennessee Valley Authority), to the explosion of popularity as the Ocoee River becomes the most popular commercially rafted whitewater river in America, the route is truly monumental. The fame earned by the Ocoee River even landed the river as the host of the 1996 Summer Olympic Canoe and Kayak Competitions.

The Old Copper Road continues to impact the economy and quality of life in southeast Tennessee to this very day.

So, let’s take a moment to go back in time and look at what life was like to be a copper hauler along the Old Copper Road. According to business records, there were upwards of 120 copper haulers who

earned a living hauling copper ore from the Ducktown Basin to the railroad in Cleveland, Tennesssee. The trip took two days with a layover point along the route known as the Halfway House. The Halfway House was located near the mouth of Greasy Creek and now believed to be under the waters of Parksville Lake.

In 1854, a German born gentleman by the name of Julius Eckhardt Raht came to the Ducktown Basin seeking to build a career in copper mining and quickly rose in ranks to become captain of all the mining operations in the basin. Captain Raht was quite the industrious type and, within a short time, not only oversaw the management of the copper mines in the basin, he was also responsible for the Ocoee Turnpike and Plank Road Company and the toll gates, the Halfway House, a gristmill in Parksville once owned by the Parks Brothers, a supply warehouse in downtown Cleveland, and a copper rolling mill that was destroyed by Union soldiers during the Civil War.

Once the copper haulers unloaded the copper ore onto the trains in Cleveland, they would then load their wagons with necessary supplies for the miners on the return trip.

It is believed the majority of Raht’s wealth

Captain Julius Raht, mining captain of the Ducktown Basin, was a prominent businessman who made his fortune from the copper mining industry in the Ducktown Basin. He resided in Cleveland, Tennessee, and is buried in Fort Hill Cemetery in Cleveland.

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Left: Copper haulers on the return trip carrying hoist equipment from Cleveland to the copper mines in the Ducktown Basin. Right: An example of the rugged terrain of the Old Copper Road as it made its way through the mountains and alongside the Ocoee River.

came from supplying the basin with essential needs. During his time, Julius Raht was noted as being the richest man in Tennessee and eventually founded the Cleveland National Bank in downtown Cleveland.

When the Union Army invaded Cleveland in 1853, Raht left the area to wait out the remainder of the war in Cincinnati, Ohio. During his travel to Cincinnati, Raht purchased a fiddle, and, upon returning to Tennessee, gave the fiddle to a gentleman by the name of George Barnes. “Uncle George,” as everyone called him, was a copper hauler and is accredited as being the final copper hauler along the Old Copper Road in 1878, when the route ceased to be used for hauling copper. As legend has it, “Uncle George” would pull out his fiddle and play it to his mules when they would become weary and refused to pull the wagon any further. The fiddle that “Uncle George” played is on display at the Ducktown Basin Museum.

To commemorate this history, the Old Copper Road Preservation Alliance hosts an annual event in August at the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Cleveland, “Fiddlin’ @ 5ive Points,” where attendees enjoy an evening of live traditional fiddle and bluegrass music.

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In 1912, when the East Tennessee Power Company built Ocoee Dam #1, a section of the Old Copper Road was flooded

by Parksville Lake. In the 1930s, the US Highway Administration selected the Old Copper Road as a continuation of US Highway 64 from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Murphy, North Carolina, building a new road next to Parksville Lake. On February 8, 1963, the Tennessee General Assembly officially named the route between Ducktown and Cleveland as the Old Copper Road. A 2.5-mile section of the original Old Copper Road is preserved at the Ocoee Whitewater Center as an easy hiking and bicycling trail. The Old Copper Road Preservation is actively searching to locate more sections of the original route between Cleveland and Ducktown.

The Old Copper Road Preservation Alliance was organized in 2017 with a mission to preserve, protect and promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the route; conduct research and educational activities related to the route’s contributions to the region; market the highway for its scenic beauty, unique qualities and monumental historical value; engage in beautification, improved signage and other enhancement activities along the corridor; encourage economic growth and commerce; and to

disseminate the story in a way that enhances both the local residents’ and visitors’ knowledge of the significance of the route.

To learn more about the Old Copper Road Preservation Alliance, the history, current projects and upcoming events and activities, please visit our website at oldcopperoad.org or on Facebook - Old Copper Road Preservation Alliance.

“Uncle George Barnes” was accredited as being the last copper hauler along the Old Copper Road. When his mules would become weary, “Uncle George” would pull out his fiddle and play for them until they were soothed and ready to resume pulling the wagon. Mr. Barnes is standing on his front porch holding the fiddle given to him by Captain Raht.

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Saving Money Has Never Been Easier For Farm Bureau Members!

McMinn County 2020 Board of Directors Seated Left to Right: Walter Barham, Tom Strasser, Freddie Womac, Mike Gentry, Dick Hashe; Standing Left to Right: Wade Shultz, Board President Rush Guthrie, Sandra Guthrie, Nancy Strasser, Alfreda Tilley, Margaret Bohannon, & Jonathan Pierce

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Defending the Cause of the Fatherless

by Jennifer Porterfield

t started as a calling to adopt. It grew to a heart for foster care. And it blossomed into ministry stretching across the State of Tennessee with the noble mission of ensuring every child, even those who are neglected by their own families, feels loved.

In 2015, Ronda and Corey Paulson began Path Training for foster care with the eventual intent to adopt. During that training, Ronda discovered something horrifying – children who had been separated from their families were often brought into cold, windowless rooms and offices to await placement. It tore at her heart that these scared and abandoned children had to await their fates in such a sterile environment. This was the first time she heard God calling her toward some greater mission. According to Ronda, God said, “These are my children, Ronda. What are you going to do?”

A year later, she went to the Carter County DCS office to pick up her foster son; they were asked to go to the back door of the office, and there he was, dirty and wearing clothes that were too small for him. Again, Ronda felt God calling her to create something better – a better situation for these abandoned children. A place where they could go and be loved on, with bedrooms and playrooms and caring people prepared to help ease them into the

transition to foster care. And thus Isaiah 117 House was born.

The flagship location began in Carter County.

For the first time in her life, Ronda started a Facebook page in an attempt to garner interest in funding the house. She started posting and sharing about what God was calling her family to do, and she was shocked when the news seemingly started a social media craze. They decided to sell t-shirts and had 100 orders within 30 minutes! As soon as the community discovered what her mission was and why it was needed, they flocked behind her.

And it wasn’t just Carter County. This idea of the Isaiah 117 House began to spread into other counties. Washington County, TN, opened their doors on September 17, 2019. Greene County celebrated its grand opening on November 25, 2019. Sullivan County broke ground on their location in the summer of 2019. And many other counties – Knox, Blount, Monroe and Rutherford, to name a few – have formed committees and are in the fundraising process to bring homes into their areas.

What started as a dream to help an abandoned child has turned into a mission to help all abandoned children discover that they are loved. These Isaiah 117 Houses are proof of that – proof of God’s love through the devotion and generosity of His people.

The Isaiah 117 House will be a place always ready to take in the children of this region in their time of need and help what is inevitably a traumatic transition.

We are expanding! To see the upcomming locations of Isaiah 117 House, please visit isaiah117house.com.

Support the cause Isaiah 1:17 says: “Defend the cause of the fatherless.” We believe this is God’s call for this ministry. Please support the Isaiah 117 House.

For more information: www.isaiah117house.com Mailing address: PO Box 842 Elizabethton, TN 37644

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Your life is a series of transitions.

Getting through them is easier with a plan.

Rather & Kittrell started when two guys shared a commitment to what seemed to them like some pretty obvious ideas about money - how client relationships, trust and guidance were more important than “selling” for short-term gain. Put simply, “If we take care of people, our business will take care of itself.” It struck a nerve.

Hal - Age 56 TRANSITION STORY: Halhasspenthisentirecareer buildingabusiness.He’slived andbreatheditsincehewas 24.Nowit’spaidoff.Themoney from the sale of his business allows him to retire. So, now what?He’sbeensofocusedon buildingthebusinessthathe’s not sure how to plan for the next phase of his life.

Nearly 20 years later, based on the steadfast belief that people’s stories matter, a two desk business has grown into an awardwinning SEC-registered investment advisory firm serving successful individuals, families and businesses. We lead clients through the transitions that inherently come with money.

Molly - Age 66 TRANSITION STORY: Molly and Carl were the perfect couple. Married 45 years,theyhadtwokidsand four grandkids. When Carl passedawaylastyear,Molly was strong, but she needs helpwiththefinances.Carl handled most of that. Now sheneedsanexpertshetrusts tomakesureeverything’sin placeforherandherfamily.

Call or email us today to write your story.

11905 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37934

865.218.8400

Harold - Age 62 TRANSITION STORY: It’s finally come. After a long career, Harold is retiring and readytospendtimewithhiswife, Rachel,andthegrandkids.They’ve savedasbesttheycouldoverthe years,buttheyaren’tsureifitwill beenoughtoseethemthrough.

www.rkcapital.com

RK is privileged to be recognized by Financial Times as one of the top 300 Investment Advisers in the country 28

McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2020

Reed - Age 34 TRANSITION STORY: Reed and his dad, Frank, were always close.

WhenFrankpassedaway,Reedwasleftquitean inheritance,awonderfulgifthedidn’texpectandone hehadnoideahowtohandle.Heneedshelpmaking sureitgrowsandlastslongenoughtoseehistwo kids through college, per Frank’s wishes.

Photo

Knowing Your Options

by Nathan Woods, CFP®

For decades, the topic of Social Security has been a consideration for most everyone.

Some Americans’ concern was how much they contributed to Social Security with each paycheck, while others’ thoughts centered around how much they would receive from Social Security in retirement, and a large group of retirees already receiving Social Security income hoped that income would keep-up with their growing expenses. All are important considerations, and as with any decision, there are various strategies to keep in mind when planning for, and beginning, Social Security payments.

The rules and design of the Social Security program have adapted over the years, but individuals’ reliance on the payments remains the same. Below are four key recommendations we most often give: 1. Be proactive While many who contribute to the Social Security Administration (SSA) have their own retirement and benefits in mind, spouses and children may also be eligible for benefits in addition to your personal benefits. The rationale behind why others are eligible for benefits varies, but options

such as disability income, income to survivors, and benefits to your spouse are all important considerations to remember.

2. What’s best for others may not be best for you All too often we hear: “my neighbor began receiving Social Security immediately upon retirement so that’s what I’ll do, too.” While mimicking your neighbor’s decision could be best for you, it’s often not. The neighbor may not be married, may be a different age, or may not be as healthy as you – a myriad of factors to name a few. It’s great to know what path others take, but don’t immediately choose that same path.

4. Know your options As referenced in all three of the previous points, knowing your options is likely the most important advice related to Social Security. There are many moving parts and many things an individual must consider – this article only mentions a few key areas. The average individual receiving Social Security income has worked (and paid-into Social Security) 30-to-40 years. Working that hard for so many years is a clear reason to “dot every ‘i’” and “cross every ‘t’” with something so important.

Ultimately, folks have contributed towards Social Security for years…decades. It’s a great benefit to help us all maintain a stream of income throughout multiple lifetimes. No matter where you are in life or how much focus you’ve put towards Social Security, it’s important to have a trusted advisor who can help with the process. If you have questions, Rather & Kittrell would be honored to help.

Please feel free to contact us.

Nathan Woods, CFP® is an advisor with Rather & Kittrell.

Nathan is available at nwoods@rkcapital.com.

3. Seek multiple sources of advice Just as financial advisors may have differing recommendations for a client’s financial planning goals, SSA representatives may also recommend different strategies.

Consult your financial advisor and even a couple SSA offices as you near Social Security eligibility. Yes, it’s more time spent and meetings scheduled, but at the end of the day, isn’t an optimized Social Security income for life worth a few extra hours?

Securities offered through Securities Service Network, LLC. Member FINRA /SIPC . Rather & Kittrell, Inc. is a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC.

SUMMER 2020 McMINN LIFE

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“Graffiti Art by AirMoe”

Etowah Railroad & Depot Museum The Etowah Historical Commission recently announced the opening of “Graffiti Art

by AirMoe.” The exhibit, on display in the upstairs gallery of the Etowah Depot Museum, features paintings by Max Ortiz, also known by his graffiti name as “AirMoe.” Ortiz lives in McMinn County, but he grew up in New York. At around the age of six, he noticed the colorful works that street artists were putting on subway trains that he routinely saw at the 96th Street Station.

By age 11, he was sneaking into rail yards to place his own “tag” on trains. Over time, Ortiz refined his art and began painting characters. At one point, he bought an airbrush and began selling T-shirts, but he gradually moved away from trains and shirts and began working on canvas. Ortiz’s graffiti “tag” is “AirMoe,” the signature found

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on the work that’s on display at the depot.

The exhibit also includes paintings Ortiz made to honor graffiti artists he admires.

Etowah Historical Commission Chair Jim Caldwell pointed out that the Etowah Depot Gallery is an appropriate place to showcase Ortiz’s work. “The Etowah Depot is linked historically and artistically to the train graffiti movement,” he noted. “For years, photographers have come to the depot to photograph graffiti on trains that sit in the Etowah rail yard. It’s like we have a changing art exhibit all the time.” The Etowah Depot Museum is currently open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free, but visitors are required to wear masks and socially distance. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, groups of more than 10 are not allowed in the building until further notice.

For additional information, contact the Etowah Depot Museum at 423-263-7840.

727 Tennessee Ave, Etowah, TN 37331 Etowah Railroad Depot & Museum L&N Railroad

People sometimes wonder why such a large railroad depot is located in such a small town. The reason is that Etowah was created by the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Railroad in 1906 to serve as a planned community for its workers as well as headquarters for the Atlanta Division of the L&N Railroad System. The Depot, a two-story Victorian railroad station, was the first building erected in the town.

Downstairs exhibits tell the story of the

town and its relationship to the railroad.

An upstairs gallery offers changing exhibits.

Visitors can look out the upstairs windows and watch trains switching in a still active rail yard. Home to the “Hiwassee River Rail Adventure,” a train excursion ticket office is also located in the building. The front lawn is home to scores of community festivals including the “Old Fashion Fourth of July Celebration.” Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. -TN Overhill

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THE BINGHAM GROUP TAKES HOME 10 ADDY AWARDS. WE WANT TO THANK OUR CLIENTS FOR LETTING US BE CREATIVE!

GOLD AWARD: Gatlinburg Strong Documentary

BRONZE AWARDS: Brushy Mountain Story

The state first operated the prison on a convict-lease program, renting out convicts to private coal mining operations in Morgan and Anderson counties. That didn’t last long as the citizen coal miners revolted against the program and the state of Tennessee decided to use the inmates to operate mines located on state property surrounding the prison. Each prison cell of two beds and one toilet housed four inmates on a 12 hour rotation, two inmates worked the mines for 12 hours while the other two inmates utilized the cell. Inmates had daily quotas of coal to meet, with failure resulting in harsh punishments. After 70 years of operation and following the 1967 mining deaths of two inmates, the mines were closed.

Farragut Magazine

Brushy Mountain was the only industry in Morgan County for a long, long time. The county relied on the prison for much more than just employment. The prison doctors and nurses were the only medical staff in the area and delivered many babies for local residents. The local residents also received dental care, hair cuts and other services within the prison walls. With most of the local residents working at Brushy Mountain, the Sunday “dinner on the grounds” included the families of prisoners and workers alike. The prison was a town within a town.

Farragut Spring Cover Braden’s Tennessee Christmas Commercial

BRADEN’S

BACK TO BRUSHY MOUNTAIN

by CeCe Owens

The drive up to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary finds you wondering if the anxious feeling in your tummy is equal with how the hardened criminals felt as they arrived to serve time. Originally built of wood in 1896 and arranged in the shape of a cross, the prison was completely rebuilt using sandstone that was mined,

hand chiseled and laid by prisoners in the 1930s. However, what you see is a stone, castle like fortress seemingly carved out of the mountain. While the buildings remained in the shape of the cross, an intentional nod to faith based rehabilitation, Brushy Mountain is an intimidating structure begetting anxious feelings.

Lifestyles at Turkey Creek

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Braden’s Online Book

FARRAGUT LIFE SUMMER 2019

Gorilla Marketing 5am Balloon TV

BRADEN’S

Lifestyles at Turkey Creek COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL • HOSPITALITY INTERIOR DESIGN • FURNITURE • ACCESSORIES

Tennessee Christmas

Vanhooseco Folder & Direct Marketing Vehicle Graphics

5am

FARRAGUT PRIMARY AND NORTHSHORE ELEMENTARY

SPRING 2019

The Lord Is My Shepherd MEMPHIS IN MAY

and Lots of Spring Festivals

UT Heart Hospital Jim Gray

The Artist’s Memories

Jeff VanHoose

PRESIDENT

244 Blair Bend Drive Loudon, Tennessee 37774 Tel: 865.458.3998 Cell: 865.389.3429 jvanhoose@vanhooseco.com www.vanhooseco.com

OUR FOUNDATION IS INNOVATION We inflated a Hot Air Balloon at several local schools during morning drop off. We invited the local television stations to join us. They promoted the event during the morning news and weather on each station with live spots.

10,000 flyers were distributed to all schools in the surrounding counties.

11921 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 37934 • 865.523.5999 • WWW.BINGHAMGROUP.COM 32

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O OC CO O E EE E

R RE EG G II O ON N

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3 3 2 2 0 0 0 0

M ME E M MB BE E R R SS

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1 14 4

SS II TT E E SS

GREAT GREAT FUTURES FUTURES AND AND ANDOR ANDOR

Could Could You You Be Be A A Mentor?

Mentor?

Taylor Taylor C. C. kept kept to to herself herself and and barely barely spoke spoke to anyone when she began attending to anyone when she began attending Boys Boys & & Girls Girls Clubs Clubs of of the the Ocoee Ocoee Region, Region, which serves 3,200 members which serves 3,200 members via via 14 14 club club sites sites in in Bradley, Bradley, Meigs, Meigs, Monroe Monroe and and Polk Polk County, Tennessee.

County, Tennessee.

“I “I made made itit aa mission mission to to get get to to know know Taylor Taylor and see if I could get her to open up.” and see if I could get her to open up.” said said Isabel Isabel Carapia, Carapia, Unit Unit Director Director of of the the Club’s Club’s Madisonville Madisonville Teen Teen Center Center Unit, Unit, who who began began checking in with Taylor regularly checking in with Taylor regularly and and bonded bonded with with the the teen teen over over their their favorite favorite music artists. music artists.

In In early early January, January, the the Club Club partnered partnered with with Ever Ever After After Bridal Bridal & & Formal Formal Wear Wear and and Lee Lee University’s University’s Big Big Pal Pal Little Little Pal Pal mentoring mentoring program program to to produce produce the the Seeing Seeing isis Believing Believing Prom Prom Fashion Fashion Show.

Show. Through Through at at first first reluctant reluctant to to participate, participate, Taylor Taylor warmed warmed to to the idea of modeling when Isabel the idea of modeling when Isabel helped helped her her select select the the perfect perfect bright bright blue blue dress dress to to wear down the runway. wear down the runway.

“When “When she she got got all all dressed dressed up, up, II saw saw this this glow glow on on her her face. face. She She took took the the stage stage and and made made itit her her own, own, “Isabel “Isabel said, said, “I “I talked talked to to her her mother mother during during the the show, show, and and she she thanked thanked me me because because her her daughter daughter had had been been more more active active and and seemed seemed happier. happier. She She saw a change in her child, and she saw a change in her child, and she knew knew itit was was because because of of the the Club.”

Club.”

When When caring caring adult adult mentors mentors take take the the time time to have authentic conversations with to have authentic conversations with youth youth to to understand understand their their passions, passions, interests interests and and ambitions ambitions -- itit can can make make aa critical critical difference. difference.

According According to to MENTOR, MENTOR, young young people people who who meet regularly with a mentor are 55 percent meet regularly with a mentor are 55 percent more more likely likely to to enroll enroll in in college, college, 78 78 percent percent more likely to volunteer regularly. more likely to volunteer regularly.

“Mentors “Mentors are are champions champions for for our our youth,” youth,” said Valerie Killebrew, senior director said Valerie Killebrew, senior director of of youth youth development development programs programs at at Boys Boys & & Girls Girls Clubs Clubs of of America.

America. “The “The guidance, guidance, encouragement, encouragement, and and positive positive experiences experiences they provide inspire confidence in they provide inspire confidence in our our young young people and enable them to build people and enable them to build aa strong strong foundation foundation for for aa healthy, healthy, productive productive life.” life.”

“We “We know know that that aa one-on-one one-on-one relationship relationship with someone that with someone that challenges challenges you you and and asks asks you hard questions, or just acts as a listening you hard questions, or just acts as a listening ear, ear, can can change change the the direction direction of of aa kid’s kid’s life,” life,” said Derrick Kinsey, chief executive said Derrick Kinsey, chief executive officer officer of of Boys Boys & & Girls Girls Clubs Clubs of of the the Ocoee Ocoee Region.

Region.

Mentorship Mentorship relationships relationships aren’t aren’t just just beneficial for young people. beneficial for young people. Mentors Mentors can can expand their personal and professional expand their personal and professional networks networks through through mentoring mentoring and and experience satisfaction experience satisfaction and and joy joy from from helping helping youth thrive. youth thrive.

The The Club’s Club’s mentoring mentoring program, program, called called Great Futures, utilizes Great Futures, utilizes aa tracking tracking system system where Club staff and volunteer mentors where Club staff and volunteer mentors report report weekly weekly on on interactions interactions they’ve they’ve had had with Club members so that any mentor with Club members so that any mentor can can meaningful, meaningful, informed informed conversations conversations with with the the young young people people they they serve. serve.

Be Be aa champion champion for for youth youth and and invest invest in in kids kids by by becoming a mentor.

Mentoring relationships becoming a mentor. Mentoring relationships are are powerful powerful tools tools for for connection connection and and are are critical critical to to our our country’s country’s future. future.

The The Club Club also also runs runs aa mentoring mentoring program program for for boys, called ANDOR. boys, called ANDOR. “Our “Our prisons prisons are are filled filled with with aa lot lot of of men men that that were lacking mentors in their life or a father were lacking mentors in their life or a father figure,” figure,” Derrick Derrick said. said. “ANDOR “ANDOR was was created created to to have men come in and speak into the have men come in and speak into the lives lives of of our our young young men men and and guide guide them them through through specific specific skill skill development.” development.”

OCOEE OCOEE REGION REGION

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Aubrie Terry, Student, Dr. Grant Willhite, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Randa Colbert, Dental Hygiene Program Director, Dr. Harley Knowles, President, Students, Megan Chrisman and Jessica DenHartog.

Tennessee Wesleyan University Dental Hygiene Celebrates Opening of Miller Hall

by JJ Hulet

TWU recently celebrated the Open House for Miller Hall, the new home for the dental hygiene program acquired from Hiwassee College this past summer.

the doors open for the start of classes in January,” said Randa Colbert, head of the TWU dental hygiene program, not long before the spring semester.

The new home for the dental hygiene program, classrooms, clinic, faculty offices, and more is located in the old McSpadden Furniture building on the northwest corner of College St and White St on the TWU campus.

“The facility is not only beautiful, but also highly functional - it houses the dental hygiene clinic and reception area, a classroom, a laboratory and faculty offices.

We are excited our new location is contiguous to campus and look forward to becoming a part of the downtown Athens community.”

Miller Hall is named for Mitch Miller, the owner of the building and the driving force behind the renovations that made the move possible. After the acquisition of the program, the school thought it would take as long as two years to make the move from the Madisonville site.

Randa Colbert called TWU with the SOS the day she found out Hiwassee was going to close. She is pleased TWU was there for the existing students. She worked hard and fast to get the accreditation as soon as possible.

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March 28 marks one year since Hiwassee’s closing, and no one could have imagined the move to be made so quickly or effectively.

The new location opened its doors in January, however, thanks to Miller’s hard work and generosity, combined with the support of the TWU Board of Trustees.

“The newly renovated dental hygiene space will be a welcome sight for TWU dental hygiene faculty, staff and students when

The academic team of Colbert, TWU Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Grant Willhite, President Dr. Harley Knowles, and Vice President for Institutional Research and Effectiveness Dr. Stephanie Smallen, all worked tirelessly to ensure the program acquisition was approved by TWU’s accrediting body, as well as re-accredited by CODA, the dental hygiene accrediting body.

Miller Hall will be the home for dental hygiene students to receive outstanding training for many years to come, to the benefit of TWU as well as Athens and our surrounding communities.

Courtney Chambers is using the trimmer and Ashley Jackson in holding the typodont. The senior class (in gray) are all transfers from Hiwassee. There are 15 seniors and 30 students total.

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Thoughtful Giving For Stronger Communities and Better Lives

by Jennifer Porterfield

S

ome people believe philanthropy is about what they can do for others, but Mike McClamroch, president & CEO of East Tennessee Foundation (ETF), would challenge those people to think differently. Philanthropy, according to Mike, isn’t necessarily about changing others’ lives. While it’s certainly an added bonus, people should think about giving as a chance to change their own lives. The act of giving could actually change you.

Mike should know – as president of ETF, he works with numerous charities every year, managing nearly half a billion dollars for various companies, families and individuals. But his storied career at ETF almost didn’t happen.

Second Chances Mike jokingly refers to himself as a “recovering lawyer.” He practiced law for many years and liked it well enough, but his true joy was working on Habitat houses on the weekends. He longed to find a way to merge his vocation with his joy, but it was not until a particularly stressful time in his life that this became possible. Mike and his wife at the time, Kim, had a son with medical issues who required constant care, and his father had just had quintuple bypass surgery.

In the midst of all this, someone called and offered him a position as president of ETF.

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His dream of merging his lawyerly skills with philanthropy seemed to have become a reality, but Mike’s response? An empathic no. It seemed like the right decision at the time given all that was happening in his life, but when he went home and told Kim, she immediately questioned his rejection of the offer. This was what he’d been thinking about, praying about, for years! Thankfully, he quipped, God is a God of second chances, and when he called them back the next day, he was able to accept the offer.

And the rest is history.

ETF is a hugely successful nonprofit, community foundation that has grown from an asset base of around $625,000 when it started 34 years ago to now managing $500 million in charitable funds. Just during Mike’s tenure, which began in 2001, the fund has grown by over $400 million.

What is ETF? Some might be surprised to discover that the Foundation is not actually a nonprofit that operates programs. They are not like Habitat for Humanity or the Pat Summit Clinic…but they do work with organizations, companies and even individuals to help manage, grow and distribute their money.

ETF has three core functions: Receives contributions from donors.

They have an entire advancement team led by a lawyer who works with regional advisors to assist donors in maximizing their tax benefits through donation while directing their gifts to funds that will help them achieve their philanthropic goals.

Manages and invests assets. ETF has a financial team that manages donor assets.

Because of the large amount of money they are stewarding, they’re able to benefit immensely from economies of scale.

Gives well placed grants and scholarships. The grants team puts a lot of work, due diligence and expertise into

supporting fundholders that want to make grants out of their funds. They also manage competitive grants that target specific areas of interest, like youth and the arts.

What Makes the Foundation Tick?

Any sort of charitable organization is reliant upon multiple factors for success, including a devoted staff, a far-sighted board and committed donors. Mike knows this trifecta is important but puts particular emphasis on the quality of his board and the 100 percent trust between the board and ETF staff. The board itself is comprised of a diverse group of people representing all of the counties ETF supports. All board members are selected with great thought and due diligence, and every board member undergoes board training, complete with quizzes! Because the board members represent many different counties, this can be a huge time commitment for some who have to regularly travel to Knoxville for board meetings. But according to Mike, the board does a superb job and truly trusts the hard-working staff.

Appealing to the Masses According to Mike, if ETF is able to “tell a story of changed lives,” of transformation in people’s lives as a result of the work his organization does, then it will reach a broad audience – from baby boomers to millennials. He does recognize, however, that there is a slightly different approach to engaging millennials in philanthropy. This particular group tends to think with their heads as well as their hearts. It’s important to appeal not only to the desire to give and help others but also to be able to provide data and facts surrounding how the funds are being used and distributed and the results from those funds.

What the Pat Summit Foundation Means to ETF “This one is really personal for me,” says Mike. He still distinctly remembers the day Pat Summit sat in her kitchen and asked him to help her in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

For a woman as legendary as Pat Summit, “legacy” could have meant many things… but what she truly wanted her legacy to be was the Foundation created to beat the disease that inevitably took her life.

Mike is honored to continue this mission.

ETF is essentially the back office for the Pat Summit Foundation, which requires different handling than other funds. This foundation is national in scope and very high profile. As such, they have two people who primarily work to advance the Pat Summit Foundation. Mike states ETF plans to remain true to their commitment to Pat to ensure her Foundation is, in fact, her most lasting legacy.

Legacy Award In 2019, Mike was presented with the Legacy award for outstanding philanthropic leadership by the Great Smoky Mountain chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He is only the third recipient of this prestigious award, which recognizes his dedication and commitment to philanthropy. But Mike would does not even recognize this award as being solely his

own – he says it is a huge honor to the entire organization and a reflection on the whole team’s work.

Mike has surely forged his own legacy through his work with ETF. With such a dedicated leader who clearly values his team, it is certain that East Tennessee Foundation will continue to help advance philanthropy in East Tennessee for many years to come.

Mike McClamroch was recently invited to be a guest on a podcast to talk about year-end giving and the importance of philanthropy at this time, this story is from the podcast. To listen, visit http://bit.ly/ powerofphilanthropy or look for the ‘Ms. InterPReted’ podcast on Apple podcasts / iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

COVID-19 Bulletin As COVID-19 has been declared a national emergency and we have begun to see the impact in our region, East Tennessee Foundation (ETF) has activated our Neighbor to Neighbor Disaster Relief Fund. We will begin accepting donations immediately. Please visit etf.org/N2N. ETF will work closely with community leaders and partnering organizations to identify nonprofit agencies providing disaster response and relief services throughout our 25-county region in East Tennessee.

As COVID-19’s public-health and economic impact has begun to surge – including in the state of Tennessee– the nonprofit world is among the sectors particularly hard-hit, and the impact includes not only the ability of non-profits to provide vital services to people in need but also to maintain their staff employment and their own purchases in communities to help support local economies.

“As a voice for philanthropic advocacy, we urge all community foundations nationwide in the U.S. as well as worldwide to join us

in a #COVIDgiveWhereYouLive message, to encourage, broker and facilitate locally-based, community giving – as well as volunteerism – that directly benefit grassroots cities, towns and rural areas alike,” McClamroch said.

“The coronavirus pandemic knows no geographic boundaries and has a lot of folks feeling fear and powerlessness right now.

There is no better way to reclaim a positive mindset than through the self-empowerment of philanthropic support – whether through a financial donation or simple volunteering, which in many ways can be done from home, in compliance with social distancing – such as we’ve seen with people sewing medical masks and garments for their local hospitals,” McClamroch said.

ETF encourages all citizens, non-profits and corporations to contribute their own philanthropy success stories in social media using the hashtag, #COVIDgiveWhereYouLive, and tag a favorite charity. According to ETF, volunteerism success stories are just as important as monetary success stories.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS EX-OFFICIO MICHAEL MCCLAMROCH EX-OFFICIO CAROLYN SCHWENN SAM ALBRITTON KEN AVENT CATE BIGGS LISA BINGHAM THOMAS BOYD DAVID BRADSHAW CLAUDIA CABALLERO PATSY CARSON AMY E. CATHEY KAY CLAYTON BOBBIE CONGLETON STEVE DARDEN DENISE DEAN RICK FOX KEITH GRAY SHARON HANNUM JIM HARLAN BRUCE HARTMANN NATALIE L. HASLAM MARK HEINZ LOGAN HICKMAN ROCIO HUET ELLEN MARKMAN JOE MARLETTE DAVID MARTIN JAN MCNALLY DROCELLA MUGOREWERA GENE PATTERSON BUTCH PECCOLO JOE PETRE PAIGE PRESTON AVICE REID RICHARD ROBERTS STEPHEN ROSEN CASSANDRA STUART CAROL TRANSOU DAVID V. WHITE PAUL WILLSON STUART WORDEN MARGIT WORSHA KRIS YARLETT

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Proudly Serving Those Who Served Our Country

T

hose who have chosen to serve our country make many sacrifices – months, sometimes years, spent away from family while on deployment, risking their very lives sometimes to protect our country and others. It is only fitting that our veterans who work so hard to take care of us should be taken care of, as well.

This is the goal of the Tennessee State Veterans’ Homes (TSVH), to provide the ultimate care for veterans needing both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care.

The first home opened in Murfreesboro back in June of 1991, a 140-bed, one-story facility offering intermediate and skilled levels of nursing care. Legislation in 1993 provided for construction of a second, similar facility in Humboldt, Tennessee, which opened in 1996. Knoxville followed ten years later, and in 2016, the latest facility in Clarksville opened its doors. Clarksville serves 108 residents but features all private rooms with shared common spaces. A facility similar to Clarksville is currently under construction in Cleveland, Tennessee, and is slated to open in summer of 2021. That will make a total of five homes across the state proudly serving our veterans!

What makes these facilities different is that they are not just nursing homes. They also provide care for those needing help recovering from illness or injury – even occupational therapy. And for veterans who do need long-term care, they can be guaranteed that care will be top-notch. The facilities are pristine and even feature air

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by Jennifer Porterfield

purifying systems throughout. The Veterans’ Homes even have a dedicated activities staff that carefully plans events both on- and off-campus, including trips to the aquarium, boat rides and major sporting events.

According to Melanie Cook, the Marketing & Public Relations Manager for the Executive Office, “It’s the least we can do. We consider it an honor to be able to provide good care for our veterans.” Many of the staff who work at and for the facilities are either veterans or have family members who are veterans.

Melanie’s grandfather was a veteran, and her stepfather actively works at a military base.

She says they love being able to not only provide service to veterans, but also be able to provide a quality working environment for former military members.

The Veterans’ Homes don’t just happen overnight – there is a lengthy process involved in getting approval to build the home, funding the home and then the actual construction process. Once there is enough public interest in having a home in the area, the public must then raise a portion of the funds needed to build the home.

Then the VA will step in and provide for the rest. The TSVH team is very excited about the upcoming home in Cleveland, which has been a whopping 16 years in the making!

Future plans include expanding in Arlington and the Tri-Cities area, but wherever a TSVH home is built, you can rest assured it will be a quality, state-of-the-art facility dedicated to providing our veterans the care and attention they have so rightfully earned.

Amenities

Clarksville (931) 245-4700 250 Arrowood Drive Clarksville, Tennessee 37042

Humboldt (731) 784-8405 2865 E. Main Street Humbolt, TN 38343

Murfreesboro (615) 895-8850 345 Compton Road Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Knoxville (865) 862-8100 1 Veterans Way, Knoxville, Tennessee 37931

Cleveland Location

Coming Soon Go to tsvh.org to learn more

A Unique Mix of Antiques and Collectibles on Historic Main St. in Sweetwater.

OVER 8,000 sq ft Everyday 10am - 5pm

423-351-9480

423-271-6120

309 N Main Street 305 N Main Street Sweetwater, TN 37874 We Buy Antiques and Take Consignments.

Layaway Plans are available.

Check out Sweetwater Antiques online at sweetwaterantiques.com

Find us on

Discover our trendsetting and eclectic women’s fashions, Sorrelli jewelry, accessories, baby shop, home decor, gift items, Christmas ornaments and more.

Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm 423-536-7046 | 107 E. Morris St, Sweetwater facebook.com/DogwoodLaneBoutique

Monday - Saturday: 10am - 6pm Closed Sunday

(423) 836-9004 103 E. Morris Street, Sweetwater, TN 40

McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2020

Facemasks Instock

Lumber Company

L LC

Lumber Company

L LC

Located in one of the most biodiverse area of the United States, Everhart Lumber Company specializes in high quality specialty timber and furniture products. Everhart’s is a wood specialty and furniture store in Tellico Plains, Tennessee that offers Ready-Made and Custom-Made Furniture from unique character woods such as black walnut, figured maple, flaming box elder, eastern red cedar, teak, and other wood types. We offer furniture made from local reclaimed woods such as oak and pine that includes dining, coffee, and sofa tables as well as other types of furniture.

Provided also are extra wide wood slabs for our customers that want to make their own furniture.

For Building Supply Needs We offer mantles, barn-wood style doors, wooden counter tops for kitchen islands and ship-lap paneling as well as paneling made from reclaimed barn-wood and reclaimed wood previously used to harvest mushrooms. The harvest wood is offered in unfinished and finished planks.

HOURS OF OPERATION Sunday & Monday Closed Tuesday – Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

877.857.8062 | 423.253.2323 911 VETERANS MEMORIAL DRIVE TELLICO PLAINS, TN 37385

www.everhart-lumber.com

The Largest Annual Gathering of Twins In The World!

TWINSBURG, OHIO

D

ouble the Fun! It is quite fitting that Twinsburg, Ohio, a suburban city between Akron and Cleveland, is the home of the largest annual gathering of twins and multiples in the world.

the Twins Days Festival. Festivities include contests such as most and least alike twins, a parade, a lantern launch for “twinless” twins, a talent show, a 5K run, a corn hole and volleyball tournament and fireworks.

Every year during the first weekend in August, this bash takes place in the form of

The mission of the Twins Days Festival is to celebrate twins and multiples as well as the heritage of Twinsburg, and the festival is a major source of fundraising for the city.

Twins Days has been taking place since 1976, and since then, the festival has seen almost 80,000 sets of twins, giving it its “largest twins gathering” title in the Guinness Book of World Records. Each year’s festival has a special theme like “Twice Upon a Time” and “Reflections.” Twins Days is unique because it is open to the public – you do not have to be a twin or a parent of twins to attend, although twins are encouraged to register.

This year’s theme – “Home for the Holidays” – encourages twins, triplets, quadruplets and the like to come dressed in honor of their favorite U.S. holiday. Left to Right: Twinning with our Peeps, Most Creative Costume, Kathryn and Kelsey Bingham dressed for the “Most Identical Twin” contest and the “Twins Who Traveled the Farthest,” from Hawaii.

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2019 THEME: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

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TWINS DAYS DOUBLE TAKE PARADE The Annual Twins Days Festival is officially kicked off with its famous Double Take Parade on Saturday. Spectators line the main street of Twinsburg, from the town square to the festival grounds at Glen Chamberlain Park, and enjoy watching the creative costumes, musicians and floats. Parade floats and walking twins begin lining up for the parade at 8:00 am. All registered twins are welcome to participate, and there are several groups of twins that march together. Simply show up at the square, and find a line!

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TWINS DAYS WEDDING

“TWICE UPON A TIME” ‘Double Fairy Tale!’ Identical Twin Sisters Marry Identical Twin Brothers in Joint Ceremony The two identical couples wed in a joint ceremony at the 2018 Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio — where they first met the previous year.

In keeping with the twinning theme, the couples were married by identical twin ministers in the ceremony themed, “Twice Upon a Time.”

“We love being twins,” the two women, 32, say in unison in the clip, before the pair reveal how it had always been their “dream” to find two “identical twin princes” to wed.

Other information about Twins Days, including travel and lodging arrangements, can be found at https://twinsdays.org. Sadly, this year’s festival had to be virtual.

OPEN THRU

OCTOBER 31ST

1776 - 1843

FATHER, SOLDIER, SILVERSMITH,BLACKSMITH, STATESMAN, AND CREATOR OF THE CHEROKEE SYLLABARY. NEW 2.7 MILLION DOLLAR EXHIBIT

Advanced media technologies and electronics enhance visitors’ enjoyment of this all new exhibit.

It portrays the Cherokee life and the legacy of Sequoyah in an all new multi-million dollar museum.

Open Year Round Mon - Sat: 9am - 5pm Sunday: Noon - 5pm 423-884-6246 seqmus@tds.net Highway 360, Vonore, Tennessee Owned and Operated by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians

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WE LOVE IT! We all need to laugh! Covid humor.

TIPS ON HOW TO TURN YOUR BRAS INTO FACE MASKS TO PROTECT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS!

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Everything is looking like food....is it a chicuahua or a blueberry muffin?

FaceTiming my hair dresser to ask how I fix the cut and color I gave myself

News: don’t even tell us the weather no more they be like good morning CORONAVIRUS

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McMINN COUNTY IS AN IDEAL PLACE TO DO BUSINESS McMinn County is located along a major transportation corridor (Interstate 75) in both the Chattanooga and Knoxville regions in Southeast Tennessee. We offer a great location, a workforce eager to tackle the demands of advanced manufacturing, low cost taxes in a debt-free county, abundant industrial properties, a favorable quality of life, and support services that are hard to match. The McMinn County Economic Development Authority works to attract new investment and jobs in McMinn County and provides life-long support to our existing industries. Please browse our business advantages and community assets to see for yourself why so many industries choose to “Make It In McMinn.”

ATHENS | CALHOUN | ENGLEWOOD | ETOWAH | NIOTA 423.745.1506 makeitinmcminn.org 2

McMINN LIFE HOLIDAY/WINTER 2018