It has been three years since the Fountain City community has enjoyed a concert in the park.

“It was very disappointing that we were ready to celebrate the first one since COVID, then we had to cancel it due to bad weather last year,” said Suzanne McCarter, general board member and community involvement coordinator for the Fountain City Business and Professional Association.

“The event starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1,” said McCarter. “We will have two bounce houses and food trucks, The Potato Chef and KARM's new food truck called Urban Table. The band, Ducktown Mission, will be on stage from 5-7 p.m.”

Fountain City resident and Central High School alumni Dr. Rob Sterling is the leader of the group Ducktown Mission and was booked last year before the event was rained out, according to McCarter. “They are super excited to put on this show,” she added.

Ducktown Mission is a group of Knoxville-area accomplished singers and multi-instrumentalists who have been performing together for years.

“We do mostly ’70s rock, but there are some other decades mixed in here and there depending on which setlist we use,” said Traci Angelini, one of the singers in the seven-piece band. “We cover a lot of Eagles, Stones, a Beatles song or two, some Crosby, Stills and Nash, Delbert McClinton, Aretha Franklin and the like.”

The Potato Chef touts its food as a meal inside of a spud and will serve up their own spin on Philly steak and cheese, pepperoni and bacon pizza, cheeseburger and veggie baked potatoes as well as some non-spud options.

KARM’s Urban Table food truck was also a great fit for the event.

“It has a dual purpose; it functions as a full food truck for events, and in unscheduled hours, it helps KARM deliver food to those not taking advantage of in-house services and to low-income families,” said McCarter. “Their Abundant Life catering is a job-training program in the culinary arts. For a group that is community-focused, booking them was a no-brainer.”

Several vendors have already signed up to set up tables and tents at the event and help draw in passing traffic.

“State Farm’s Penny Kleinschmidt, AirMedCare network, Modern Woodmen financial advisors, Park Place of Fountain City, the good folks at Colonial Loan; Dano Deck is a representative of Primerica; Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union, Thrive supplements, a Color Street nail art rep and a new to Fountain City chiropractic group.”

Vendor spots are still available, and applications will be accepted through Thursday, Sept. 29, via the FCBPA page.

“It is very informal; the vendors will bring their own set-up and will be highly visible from Broadway,” said McCarter.

“We are the second-oldest BPA in Tennessee,” said McCarter. “The group exists to foster networking opportunities every month for our members. We also like to give back to the community, as well as spread awareness of our group’s benefits for members.”

McCarter said it is her role to help spread the word about the association’s three community events each year. The Easter egg hunt back in March was wildly successful, and right after the Concert in the Park, the association will get to work on the annual Christmas tree lighting and shopping event in December.

“We are tweaking that event and will add something that is kid friendly as we get a little closer,” she said.

FCBPA meets in the morning of the first Wednesday of the month at a local business. The general luncheon is held the second Wednesday of the month at the Fountain City Lions Club, and a networking focus group called Business Forward is held on the third Wednesday of the month at Sam and Andy’s in Fountain City.To sign up as a vendor at Concert in the Park or find out more information, go to https://fountaincitybusiness.com/events/2022-concert-in-the-park/

At a time in his life when most colleagues his age have retired or cut back greatly on professional activities, University of Tennessee journalism professor Dr. Mark Littmann still stays busy teaching, publishing and encouraging students.

“I’m very ancient,” he said with a laugh, “but I cannot wait to get out of the bed in the morning and get to work. When I have to retire, I will miss that a lot. I can still write and teach, but right now I get to do that full time and people pay me to do it.”

UT also recently paid him in the form of a high compliment by naming the West Hills resident as one of four members of the new class of Chancellor’s Professors at UT. In announcing what is considered the highest lifetime achievement award for faculty at the school, Chancellor Donde Plowman said in a statement, “They are at the top of their fields … and represent the depth and breadth of experience we have to offer.”

Littmann – who was recognized along with Joshua Fu, Hanno Weitering and Deb Welsh – said the distinction was humbling after he was nominated by College of Communication and Information administrators and others.

“I was stunned,” he said. “I never expected it. I have been so nicely treated by the university.”

For Littmann, who holds the Julia G. and Alfred G. Hill Chair of Excellence in Science, Technology and Medical Writing and is also a Board of Visitors professor in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media, this is another feather in a cap already well adorned.

Long interested in both the outer reaches of space through astronomy and the inner thoughts of the human soul through literature and writing, he has managed to merge the two seemingly divergent topics for decades in his career.

Raised most of his younger years in St. Louis, he enrolled as an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study chemistry and literature after first becoming interested in science from an astronomy book his younger brother had. He had planned on majoring in aeronautical engineering before realizing the aesthetics were what mostly drew his interest.

He was still able to enjoy the aesthetics of writing and gained recognition through some competitions, so he later went to Hollins College in Virginia for a master’s in creative writing. A visiting professor there was William Golding, author of “Lord of the Flies.”

“He wasn’t afraid of sharing how much he liked certain works of fiction and wasn’t afraid to share his experiences of World War II,” Littmann recalled.

Also during his schooling that eventually led to a Ph.D. in literature at Northwestern University, he heard a lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mark Van Doren, the father of 1950s TV quiz show scandal participant Charles Van Doren.

“He gave a talk on ‘Don Quixote,’ and he cried,” Littmann remembered. “I said that is amazing. I don’t see any chemists cry.”

But he did not drop science completely, as he would write several books and even dramas mainly about astronomy, including the award-winning “Planets Beyond.” He has also spent the past three decades at UT teaching students how to make science-related writing understandable, enjoyable to read, informative and accurate.

His UT job came after some time in Salt Lake City teaching at the University of Utah and Westminster College and heading the former Hansen Planetarium in that city from 1965-83, despite no experiences other than leading some summer programs.

“I always liked planetariums and visited planetariums,” he said. “I went out there (for the job interview) with a plan, but I was not sure I would get the job. But they asked me to be the director and I was there for 18 years.”

He was later the science communicator with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, but did not overly enjoy it, he said. He then did some freelance writing and part-time teaching at Loyola in Maryland before the offer to teach at UT beginning in January 1991 came.

Even after three decades, Littmann still enjoys teaching his students the craft – or even science – of journalism writing as it relates to science-related topics.

“I really enjoy when students get excited about what they are doing, or like something they read, and say, ‘I didn’t realize science could be so interesting and enjoyable.’ ”

Despite all this enjoyment of teaching, he does have one regret at present, he said. “I wish the years didn’t pass like they do,” he said with a smile.

But like with the stars he has focused on, his does not show any sign of having his enthusiasm dim anytime soon.

Spend an evening listening to Mike Thomas make his music and it’ll be a road map through the journey of his life.

The 2000 Powell High School graduate is the front man for The Mike Thomas Band, a collection of six family men on a mission to satisfy their passion for the country genre.

There’s the song that explained the homesickness he felt after moving to Nashville in 2004. He said he bought a hedge trimmer for his wife, Sarah, on one wedding anniversary. He made up for the goof by writing “Die Trying” for her on their 15th.

“Before We Say Goodnight” is about him turning 40 last year. 

“I’ve been writing songs ever since I was in high school,” said Thomas, who has a journalism degree from the University of Tennessee. “A lot of my inspiration is from my own experience. A lot of it comes from the people who touch my life. I write about real-life stuff, what I experience and what others are going through.”

Thomas counted R.B. Morris, Knoxville’s first poet laureate, as his mentor. Morris’ advice was simple: Write, write, write.

Thomas has scribbled down hundreds of songs over the years. More than 20 have been good enough to have already been released.

“I wrote a lot more when I was younger,” Thomas said. “The ones I write now, though, are better.”

Thomas said the process usually begins with lyrics.

“The lyrics is the part I enjoy,” he said. “Then, I figure out what I want to be the hook – the refrain or the opening line. I use my journalism degree to do the editing and make the words count.

“Then, I’ll come up with the chord structure and the melody. I’m ‘journalisming,’ but it happens to rhyme and have meter to it.”

At 23, Thomas was a cocky young buck ready to take the country music world by storm. Once established in Nashville, he got a serious look from the star-makers of the industry.

“They loved my voice, but said my songs were too long,” Thomas said. “At the time, I was stubborn and not willing to do things a different way. I wasn’t particularly a fan of the mainstream music coming out of Nashville. I didn’t want to compromise.

“As a 41-year-old looking at it, I should have played the game. I’m a very private person. I couldn’t imagine writing songs with people I didn’t know. Now that I look at it, it might have been good for me.”

The decision changed the trajectory of Thomas’ music career. It’s now a hobby, while he puts food on the table for his wife and three children (ages 15, 13 and 10) by running a company that employs 70 agents over 12 states, who help people with their insurance needs as they transition from working life to retirement. 

Only megastars and performers who tour regularly can make a comfortable living playing music. The Mike Thomas Band – comprising Powell High grad Weston Woodford (guitar, vocals), Donald Bright (lead guitar), Chris Adair (bass), Mark Huhta (peddle steel guitar), Sten Nisswandt (drums) and Thomas (guitar, vocals, harmonica) – averages just a couple gigs a month in the Nashville/Knoxville area.

“We never practice,” Thomas said of the group that came together in 2017. “We always say we could be good if we tried.”

Thomas said there’s a song of his on Spotify that has gotten over 100,000 plays. “I’ve only made a couple hundred bucks from it,” he said.

And then there’s a big release in the near future.

The band’s album “Three Reasons” will have a deluxe edition that will be on double vinyl and will be released in October, and can be ordered now at: mikethomasmusic.com.

Also, studio work on a second album is about “60%-70% complete,” and a spring 2023 release is set.

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

A beautiful early evening, filled with seemingly made-to-order balmy breezes and gently rustling trees, was the setting for The Glowing Body Yoga & Healing Arts Studio’s 14th birthday celebration at Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum on Sept. 8.

More than 60 students took part in a free outdoor yoga session on the lawn led by Glowing Body co-owner Kim Lomonaco.

Afterward, co-owner Kelly Scott and her staff of trained Thai yoga therapists performed “The Sacred Dance,” based on Thai yoga massage techniques, which use the masseuse’s body to anchor and manipulate that of a participant, resulting in a pleasurable, healing, supportive experience for both.

The Glowing Body is Knoxville’s first Thai Yoga Healing Arts Center.

The event was capped off by a birthday cake from Magpies Bakery and much fun and fellowship.

It was an enjoyable and rewarding experience, not least for the studio’s staff, who during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic had to find ways to reach their students safely.

Like many businesses that depend on live customer interaction, they added a virtual component with the MindBody online platform.

When restrictions eased and in-person participation again became possible, strict CDC guidelines were observed, including online pre-registration and decreased class sizes, masks, social distancing marked for mats on floors, and rigorous cleaning/disinfecting in between classes.

That year of 2020, with their 12th birthday approaching and the pandemic still raging, Lomonaco, Scott, teacher Jen Coffin and staff at the botanical gardens came up with a glorious way of celebrating – an outdoor yoga class offered free to the public in a beautiful setting. And the response was overwhelming.

Why are people so dedicated to the practice of yoga?

Scott says the original intent of the practice is “to ‘yoke’ mind, body and spirit – to bring the whole being back so that the mind is not racing one way and the eye racing another way. And caught in the turmoil, you’re actually more grounded, with yourself whole.”

“For me, yoga as a practice provides a place where I can settle,” says teacher Jill Frere, who is also a busy mom and professional dancer.

“In today’s world, I tend to get wound up and pulled this way and that way and here and there, so when I practice yoga it gives me a place to land. When that sort of settling occurs, not only do I experience peacefulness and spaciousness, but I can hear my inner self more clearly. Even when there's nothing to do or no decision to be made, the yoga helps me be present to my deepest self.”

Jane Johnson, a Glowing Body regular who will celebrate her 80th birthday next May, agrees with everything Frere says, only more succinctly. “I think it’s real good for me.”

In her opening remarks, Lomonaco, a lifelong yogi who recently welcomed her second son, looked back over the studio’s history.

“We’ve watched people come with a need for introspection during times of upheaval. We’ve watched people come to fill a need to induce growth and transformation in their lives. And we’ve watched people come for a steady reminder of their body and their breath, and their capacity for carrying on – no matter their circumstances.”

Hardin Valley Academy has a new athletic director. Mike Mullins comes to HVA from Oak Ridge High School, where he’s been AD for the past 15 years.

He announced his retirement last December, but that didn’t last long.

He said he felt like he was sitting in his recliner getting old. Luckily, several schools asked him to come aboard when they heard he had retired. He said “no,” but when Dr. Rob Speas called, he knew he had to get back in the game at HVA.

“I knew Rob from when he was a science teacher and an assistant football coach at Oak Ridge. I jumped at the chance to work with him again. He stands for excellence. Every day we come in here and we bring it.

“At first I told him ‘no.’ I did a pro/con list and pros won. I finally said ‘yes’ and came aboard because I knew we could do amazing things at HVA and I knew several staff members from Oak Ridge.”

Mullins replaces Bryan Brown, who was named a Knox County Schools athletics specialist by KCS Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk.

“It’s a challenge … for sure,” said Mullins. “It’s not a matter of knowing what to do, it’s how to do it within this framework. There’s a learning curve. My days have been long. I start early and finish late, but I love it.”

Mullins said his major charge is facilities, custodians, buildings and grounds, but he does quite a bit of community outreach. He recently visited Cedar Bluff Middle School, a feeder school for HVA, to introduce himself and talk about HVA athletics.

He visits a number of businesses each week to raise support for HVA athletics.

“HVA is a young school, and we don’t have large businesses like Walmart and Target here. We don’t have the alumni support other schools have, so I rally the community to help out. I’m very grateful for their support. I make sure they know they’re appreciated. It means a lot to me, so I went in personally to businesses to say thank you.”

He said the fun part of his job is the athletics side.

“Hardin Valley is a growing community. I just want to be part of that growth. Athletically, we’ve had success in cross country and track, but I’d like to see sustained success across the board in all sports.”

Mullins started his career 35 years ago coaching football at his alma mater, Powell Valley High School, which closed in 2004. He transferred to Oak Ridge High School in 1989 to coach football and eventually bootstrapped his way to athletic director.

Mullins graduated in 1989 from Lincoln Memorial University with a degree in exercise science. 

He beams when talking about HVA. “The possibilities here at Hardin Valley are endless. We don’t have tradition so we can create our traditions now, and that’s exciting. We’re poised to make a big splash.”

Info: www.knoxschools.org/hardinvalley

You ever wake up, worrying? In a quiet moment – if you can find one – you ever notice your nervous system, jangled? As if, under your skin, you’re vibrating?

I sometimes wonder, if the reason middle-aged people wake in the middle of the night is not so much about the bodily needs people usually think about when waking in the middle of the night – too hot, too cold, drank too much water before bed, etc. – though it may certainly be that as well. But I wonder, if maybe the reason folks wake in the night, is so we can have a moment, when the world is quiet, to hear the unquiet of our hearts – unresolved matters of previous days, the concerns of the coming ones – and to bring it to God in prayer.

There are so many times in scripture, when Jesus or an angel says, “Do not worry” or “Do not be afraid.” A lot of the time, it’s not super clear how the worried or afraid person is supposed to stop being that. Maybe there was something in the speaker’s voice that kind of made it happen for the listener, kind of like holding a baby close and saying, “There there,” or singing “Hush little baby, don’t say a word.”

It’s a little hard to imagine the radiant, glorious Son of Man figure in Revelations 1 saying, “There there, baby, it’s OK,” but maybe in those words, “Do not be afraid,” that’s the way it was. Same for the angel in Matthew telling Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife” (1:20), and the earthly Jesus saying, “So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows” (10:31).

But there is a passage – interestingly enough, just after Jesus teaches his disciples to pray – where he does give instructions. “Look at the birds,” and, “Consider the lilies” (Matthew 6:26, 28).

Usually I’ve heard those sayings preached and taught as object lessons, and Jesus did use them exactly that way, “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” And, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.”

But what if he also meant it as a meditative practice? When you’re worried and ready to stop being worried, look at the birds, consider the lilies. They’re so fragile, yet so beautiful. You’re fragile, but you’re beautiful too.

Or maybe it’s not really about you. Maybe it’s just, look at the birds, consider the lilies.

Notice the beauty. Shift your attention to goodness in God’s creation. The feel of the newspaper in your hands (or the computer or iPhone). The taste and feel of your first sip of coffee. God present here with you, now.

John Tirro is pastor of music at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Info:sjlcknox.org.

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The Legacy Parks Foundation has announced that it has gathered the funds to begin construction of the French Broad Veterans Memorial Park.

At an event held at the future park’s site on Sept. 8, Master Sgt. Leroy Petry, a Medal of Honor recipient, shared just one of his stories on the battlefield. Petry received the highest award for valor in combat for his 2008 service in Afghanistan from President Barack Obama in 2011. He hopes that the park project will bring the community together and provide the chance for other veterans to tell their stories, too.

The Legacy Parks Foundation said it has actually exceeded its goal and raised $1.3 million for the initial construction of the park. Knox County kickstarted the fundraising by donating $250,000 in September 2020, and the State of Tennessee has provided a further half-million dollars in funding.

"The most challenging for us is fundraising,” said Carol Evans, executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation. “Honestly, it didn't turn out to be that difficult a challenge because everyone wants to be able to show their support of our veterans."

Marilyn Childress, president of the Veterans Heritage Site Foundation, was a driving force behind Sharps Ridge Veterans Memorial Park. Before Memorial Day 2021, Childress talked to the Shopper News about the unused seven acres next to the French Broad River that needs to be cleared to make way for the park.

The parcel of land was donated to Legacy Parks by Blue Water Industries. The park, overlooking the French Broad River and the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, will provide a place for reflection, commemoration and celebration for up to 250 of the nearly half-million veterans in Tennessee and their family members.

The Veterans Park will serve as a gathering place to tell the story of the service and sacrifice by the veterans and families of our region.

The project will include a plaza at the park’s main entrance and seven other key features. The central gathering place will be bordered by two accessible parking areas, the Promontory and Court of Flags.

The 40’x80’ custom designed pavilion will be an anchor for the plaza and provide a covered venue for year-round activities, as well as restrooms.

The Overlook is going to offer a panoramic view of the Veterans Cemetery, French Broad River and the Great Smoky Mountains and will include informative plaques, service flags and the Memorial Wall for all donors.

The Memorial Walk and Nature Trail will each be one-eighth mile and feature individual memorials honoring veteran groups and campaigns. This walk will be a fully-accessible graded walk from The Plaza to The Overlook.The Promontory will be an easily accessible overlook for those unable to use the Memorial Walk.

The Reflective Garden, adjacent to the parking area and directly off The Plaza, will provide a more private location for smaller gatherings or a place to rest and reflect.

The Memorial Wall will frame The Overlook, the signature viewing area for the park.

Once the park is completed it will be owned and managed by Knox County as a public park.

Donations can still be made at any time at https://legacyparks.org/veterans/

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

Speaking of River & Rail Theatre Co.’s current offering, “The Little Prince,” director Joshua Peterson said, “at our first rehearsal the cast asked me why we chose to tell this story. I can’t remember a cast asking us this question so directly before.

“I first told them that we at River & Rail have always planned to add a play for younger audiences to our seasonal lineup. And so ‘The Little Prince’ begins what will be an annual play in our season chosen for younger audiences.”

Founded in late 2014 by Peterson and his wife, Amelia, River & Rail is, in Joshua’s words, “a professional theatre company with a community heart.” The company is known for presenting fresh, often socially conscious plays by diverse playwrights, and for its commitment to inclusiveness in all aspects of theatre.

This is their first-ever Theatre for Young Audiences production.

“I confessed to the cast that the last few years have been a struggle for me personally, as they have been for many of us,” Peterson said.

“Much of what I see in the world around me is troubling and mysterious. Life itself, the seemingly endless suffering paired together (with) regular experiences of breathtaking beauty, is such an incredible mystery. And it is all so hard to reconcile at times.

“I’ve often struggled over these last years to embrace, or even accept, many of the realities with which I’ve been faced, but my children seem to accept them more easily than I do, and certainly with more grace.” 

The Petersons are parents of three, raising their family in the Parkridge neighborhood. And Friday nights are always Family Movie Night.

“During these nights I have seen some really good films,” he said, “but I’ve also seen some absolutely terrible ones – I mean just mind-numbingly awful. And so, when I set about choosing a show for young people for this season, I knew it would be a story that adults would also enjoy along with children.

“I found that, and more, in ‘The Little Prince.’ I found an invitation to embrace the mystery and wonder of life. You might also say it’s an invitation to a second childhood.”

River & Rail is encouraging parents and grandparents to enjoy the show with their young ones. With National Grandparents Day having been observed on Sept. 11 this year, they’re offering a special promotional code for $5 off tickets for the show. Use Code GRANDPARENTS22 at checkout to redeem this offer.

In addition, River & Rail is participating in the Arts & Culture Alliance’s Penny4Arts program with this production. Available only on Saturday, Oct. 2, every child ages 5-15 gets in for the price of a penny when accompanied by a paying adult.

River & Rail Theatre Co.’s Theatre for Young Audiences production of “The Little Prince” runs from Sept. 23 through Oct. 9 at the Old City Performing Arts Center, 111 State St. For tickets and info, visit riverandrailtheatre.com. For info about ACA’s Penny4Arts, visit penny4arts.com.­

Elliott bangs on the screen door when he sees me. I wave and his face lights up. “Yaya!” my 1-year-old grandson yells, excitedly. I pick him up and swing him around just to hear him laugh. “Are you ready to go to preschool?” I ask, swinging him again. When I get dizzy, I put him down gently then go to find Clara.

I find my 4-year-old granddaughter on the couch, a tiny bundle of pink eating a bowl of oatmeal. I sit down next to her, and without saying a word, she scoots over so I can wrap my arm around her. “How is the last Princess of Farragut this morning?” I ask, softly.

“Good,” she says, distractedly. Then immediately follows with, “I don’t want to go to school.”

“I know, Sweetie,” I say, getting up from the couch. “But your mom and dad have to work today, and you have to play with your friends. It’s a pretty good deal when you think about it.”

Her face remains flat, and I wonder if she’s going to put up a fight. But then Jordan comes in and saves the day. “Clara,” she says enthusiastically, “Can you show Yaya how fast you can get in your car seat?”

That’s all it takes. Her oatmeal and blanket are tossed aside, and she is running toward the car, a blur of pink ribbons and sparkly necklaces. “I can barely see you, you're going so fast!” I say with a laugh.

As soon as the car door shuts, Clara begins chanting. “Sto-ry! Sto-ry! That’s my cue to tell one of the Princess Clara Tales, stories involving Clara going on adventures, using magical powers, and fighting the big bad wolf. For this story, Clara has a tiny unicorn named Rainbow hiding in her pocket, and when she says the magic words, Rainbow grows to full size and flies her and her preschool friends to Disney World.

Clara claps when I describe Rainbow bending down to let her climb on her back. And when I catch a glimpse of her face in my rearview mirror, I see wonderment and joy. I wrap up the story as I pull into the preschool parking lot, then use Jordan’s trick to see how fast Clara can get to the front door.

The two of us drop off Elliott at his room first, then Clara grabs my hand and repeats the words I say to her every week. “Let’s skip. There’s far too little skipping in the world these days!” I laugh hearing my words coming out of her mouth, then the two of us are holding hands and skipping all the way to her room.

When we get to her cubby, Clara tries to hang up her backpack; it’s awkward and heavy for her tiny body, so I offer to help. This time, when Clara speaks, it’s her mother’s words I hear. “That’s OK Yaya, I can do it myself. I can do hard things when I need to.”

I hug her and tell her I’m proud of all the hard things she does.  

On the drive home, I think of everything I learned from my granddaughter on the way to preschool. For her, the world is new and full of wonder. She reminded me of the joys of storytelling and using your imagination. She reminded me that words have the power to teach important lessons and to ease life’s stressful moments. And she taught me that if you do hard things, it’s better to do them fast.

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

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