Local ◆ A5
Saturday, January 9, 2010 ◆ The Mountain Press
Wilderness Wildlife Week begins Tennessee State PIGEON FORGE — Wilderness Wildlife Week begins today and continues through Jan. 16. The event will feature more than 230 programs, nearly 60 hikes, more than 150 expert presenters and dozens of volunteers. The city-sponsored event, scheduled to last eight days, will be filled with nature talks, demonstrations, presentations and hands-on classes about Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other outdoor topics.
The first day’s schedule of 27 programs includes a four-hour nature photography workshop, a discussion about the history of LeConte Lodge, a session about fishing in the Smokies and a special children’s program comparing human senses and abilities to those of wild animals. In addition, almost 20 programs designed for children are scheduled throughout the week. New to this year’s event is the Listening Post program, a project of the Smoky Mountain Storytellers
Association. Wilderness Wildlife Week guests are invited to share a story with a storyteller and receive a free recording of that tale. The Listening Post will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. daily. All events are free and open to the public. Indoor programs will be held at Music Road Hotel and Convention Center. Transportation to and from all hikes and excursions will also be at the convention center. For details about Wilderness Wildlife Week, visit www.MyPigeonForge. com/wildlife or call 800-251-9100.
Fee/Hedrick sends staff members on ocean cruise Submitted reports
PIGEON FORGE — Like most tourism organizations, The Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group saw less attendance than normal last year, with their customer base not growing as it has done. But instead of cutting back, the company sent its employees on a free ocean cruise as a Christmas bonus. The business operates four theaters with over 400 employees at The Comedy Barn, The Miracle Theater, The Black Bear Jamboree, The Blackwood Breakfast Variety Show, Magic Beyond Belief and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” “We thought a cruise would be a wonderful gift for our employees, especially since we are in the entertainment and vacation businesses,” said David Fee, co-owner of the entertainment company. “When our employees travel and they become tourists themselves they expect an exceptional vacation experience and it helps them relate to all of the tourists who come and vacation in Pigeon Forge. “As a result of aggressive marketing and a wide choice of great live entertainment venues, we have done better than most theaters across the country and for that we are very thankful,” Fee said. Employees taking part in the trip must have worked for the company at least three years. More than 200 of the 450 employees who have worked at the company for at least three years will travel by bus to Port Carnival, Fla., and leave on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas. Sales and marketing associate Chris Rice says she has never been out of the country. “I was so excited when I found out I was going on a cruise and that I could bring my husband,” said Rice. “It is a dream come true. A cruise is something I have always thought I’d like to do, but I have never had the chance to do it.” Sales associate Lisa Fenton-Rinaldo, a 10-year employee, said, “It is a true blessing to be able to go on vacation with my 10-year-old-son and my husband. We can relax and spend time together. I could never do this on my own.” Fee and partner Jim Hedrick opened The Comedy Barn
Theater in 1994. In 2002, they purchased a major dinner theater that seats 750 and renamed it The Black Bear Jamboree Dinner and Show. The theater is also home to the Blackwood morning show. The 1,200-seat Miracle Theater was purchased and opened in 2006. In 2010 the company will present “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at The Miracle Theater. In April 2007, Fee and Hedrick opened Magic Beyond Belief Theater. Fee and Hedrick are both former cruise ship entertainers (Fee a magician and Hedrick a juggler.) They have provided other trips for their employees at various times during the past 15 years.
Bank donates to local charities From Submitted Reports
PIGEON FORGE — Tennessee State Bank donated funds to help Sevier County Food Ministries, Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic and Sevier County Family Resource Teen Christmas charities during this time of need. These donations were made possible by the employees of Tennessee State Bank who donated $1 each Friday for the privilege of wearing jeans. The money was collected throughout the year and in return donated to various charitable causes in the community. To make a donation to any of these charities contact Steve Streibig with the Sevier County Food Ministries at 428-5182, Elaine Miller of Mountain Hope at 774-7684 or Kim Loveday of The Sevier County Family Resource Center at 428-7999.
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Library to waive fines From Submitted Reports The Sevier County Public Library System board invites the community to celebrate the approaching opening of the new King Family Library by offering a special incentive to retrieve overdue materials. From Monday until the end of February, return all overdue materials to any branch of the library and the staff will waive any overdue fees on the materials. Return overdue books, audio CDs, videos and DVDs, books on tape and any other materials belonging to the Sevier County Public Library System to one of the following branch locations: n Main Library, 321 Court Ave. in downtown Sevierville n Seymour Library, 137 W. Macon Lane n Kodak Library, 319 W. Dumplin Valley Road The board anticipates opening the new King Family Library in early spring and hopes this incentive will encourage residents to return overdue materials and use the new library.
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