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If you have roots in East Tennessee farmland, a country-themed bedroom for your youngster, or grandkids who love animals, you need to check out the artwork at the All Natural Health Food Shop at 219 East Broadway in Maryville. Beginning on the Last Friday Artwalk event downtown on Friday, April 25, All Natural will feature a collection of original, mixed-media and watercolor pictures of young farm animals, perfectly suited for children's rooms. Also featured will be a brightly colored quilt sample to cheer up any room.  The exhibit will remain in place until the last Friday in May.

While you are there, be sure to consider an energizing spring tonic, like your grandparents used to do at the end of a dreary winter. Until the garden greens are ready, try green "superfood" products like Barley Max, wheat grass, or Kyo-Green.  Echinacea is known for it's ability to boost the immune system, and local bee pollen is said to help ward off the effect of local air-borne allergens. (Personally, I plan to try the bee pollen, since 40 years of beautiful Tennessee farmland has gotten the best of me! In fact, if you've tried bee pollen, or have an all-natural remedy for allergies, please email me at heartwork4@gmail.com.)

 

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On the Eve of Earth Day, Maryville College is inviting the public to hear Dr. George Fisher, professor emeritus of geology at Johns Hopkins University, give an ecological reading of Jesus' "Parable of the Sower."

            The free event is scheduled for noon, April 21, in the Proffitt Dining Room of Pearsons Hall. Members of the public may purchase their meals in the Margaret Ware Dining Room ($7.07) and bring their trays into the dining room, or they may bring their lunches.

Fisher taught geology at Johns Hopkins for nearly 40 years. During the past decade, his interests have broadened to include questions of how humans can live fruitfully and responsibly in an increasingly crowded world, and how science and religious thought can shape answers to that question. These questions led Fisher to study theology at St. Mary's Seminary and University, earning a master's degree in 2002.

In retirement, he continues to teach courses on natural science and religious thought in Johns Hopkins' Master of Liberal Arts program and in the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at Saint Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore.

            His April 21 reading will reference a manuscript that he is currently writing on the parable that addresses ecological and first-century Jewish perspectives.

          "Many readers take the parable of the sower to be an account of three failed sowings and only one success, and find the parable deeply discouraging," Fisher said. "Reading the parable in ways that recognize the ecological patterns of rejuvenation seen in land once desecrated by intense cultivation or neglect encourages a more promising interpretation."

            Fisher is in East Tennessee as this year's speaker for the Davidson Lecture at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge.

            For more information on the reading at Maryville College, contact the Rev. Anne D. McKee, campus minister, at 865.981.8299 or anne.mckee@maryvillecollege.edu.

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Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12^th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.

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The last time building materials, construction equipment and scaffolding covered the ground around Anderson Hall, students in its classrooms were likely discussing current events like Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and "Gordo" Cooper's mission into space aboard Faith 7. Undergraduates' essays may have argued the implications of the United States' participation in the nuclear test ban treaty and Fidel Castro's visit to the Soviet Union.

            The construction that students, faculty and staff members witnessed back in 1963 carved out a suite for Maryville College's president, dean and development office on Anderson's first floor.

            Some 45 years later, the campus community will witness another renovation of the now 138-year-old Anderson Hall. The work itself could be considered historic, as the College has never before undertaken a comprehensive project that would improve and preserve both exterior and interior features of the College's oldest and most recognized building.

            "Phase I" of the renovation, which includes all exterior improvements, has commenced, according to Dr. Bill Seymour, vice president for administrative services.

            "Scaffolding went up on Tuesday. Actual work on the brick may start by the end of this week. This involves removing the old mortar and 'tuck-pointing,' which is applying new mortar," Seymour explained, adding that the bell tower atop the building will be restored, and a new slate roof, gutters and downspouts will be installed as Phase I projects. Contractors will also stabilize the foundation and footings originally poured just four years after the Civil War.

            All exterior work is expected to be completed by early fall.

            Grieve Associates Architects (GAA) of Knoxville has been hired to head the renovation. Veterans of historic preservation projects, GAA has been in charge of major restorations and renovations in the region, including the old Miller's Building on Gay Street (now the corporate headquarters for the Knoxville Utilities Board).

            Costs for the renovation of Anderson are expected to total $6 million. Fundraising for the project is a portion of the College's $83-million "Our Window of Opportunity" capital campaign, which will also fund a $47-million Civic Arts Center, add to the College's endowment and support the Maryville Fund for day-to-day operations.

According to Jason McNeal, vice president for advancement and community relations, the College has raised almost $71 million for the campaign to date; nearly $2 million for Phase I of Anderson.

"Since the beginning of our campaign, we knew that Anderson Hall would hold special meaning for Maryville alumni and the community. We also knew that two major capital projects would require a good deal of time and space planning.  As we begin the final phase of CAC fundraising, we are now positioned to invite Maryville alumni and others to help restore our campus icon."

 

Phase II will bring Anderson into the 21^st century

Phase II of the renovation includes all interior improvements and renovations, with work so extensive that the building will close for several months. The vision for "new" Anderson, according to McNeal, is "a learning space for the 21^st century."

Drawing parallels between the reconstruction of Fayerweather Hall following a 1999 fire, the vice president said the renovated Anderson will look like the Anderson Hall of old on the outside, but inside, the space will be configured differently to accommodate 21^st-century teaching and learning spaces for faculty and students.

The building will be wired for state-of-the-art technology and be made completely handicap accessible, which includes, among other measures, installing an elevator. It will boast different kinds of workspaces - classrooms, office spaces, and meeting rooms.      Although no definite timetable has been approved for Phase II, Seymour said he expects construction workers to return to the site following the completion of the Civic Arts Center.

"When the Fine Arts Center and Wilson Chapel were razed to make way for the Civic Arts Center (CAC), the faculty and staff members of the Fine Arts Division were relocated to a renovated space inside Thaw Hall," he said. "They're expected to work and teach there until early 2010, when we expect the CAC to open. Our thought is that we wouldn't displace the Humanities and Education divisions [which presently inhabit Anderson] until we have adequate space for them on campus."

 

Anderson is important to College's history

Anderson Hall was opened in 1870 and named for the Rev. Isaac Anderson, Maryville College's founder. Originally constructed at a cost of $25,000, its design copies "in some measure, the Indiana State University," according to an 1869 article in the Knoxville Weekly Whig.

The article continues:  "Such an edifice will be an ornament to Maryville, and will add much to the interest of the traveler in his trip by railroad from Cincinnati via Knoxville to Charleston."

Funding for the original structure came from Northern philanthropists William Thaw and John Baldwin and the Freedmen's Bureau, which gave $13,000 in support of the College's policy of "excluding none from its benefits by reason of race or color."

In 1892, an addition to the rear of Anderson, paid for by a bequest from the estate of Daniel Fayerweather, doubled its size. The "Fayerweather Annex" gave the building its present "T-wing" floor plan.

In its long history, the building has served the College in a variety of ways, housing classrooms, the library, a chapel, administrative offices (including the president's office until 2001) and an art gallery. It is believed that, given Anderson's multi-functionality and the humanities courses required in the College's core curriculum, all Maryville College graduates - starting in 1870s and continuing through today - have traversed its halls.

Anderson Hall was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Its application describes the building as "extremely important to the city of Maryville" because of its value as an "outstanding architectural landmark" and its role "in the educational realm during the critical period following the Civil War."

McNeal said that the College highlighted Anderson Hall and the plans for its renovation in a 2006 College magazine. Response was overwhelmingly positive, especially from alumni, he said.

"It's the iconic building on campus, and generations of alumni resonate with Anderson Hall more than with any other building on campus," he said. "It's an important part of our heritage, and a building that we want to serve the College well in the next 100-plus years."

Stories, interviews, photos and audiofiles of alumni sharing their memories of Anderson - all created for the magazine - are still available online. Visit maryvillecollege.edu and search on "Focus Summer 2006."

To make a gift for the renovation of Anderson Hall or other initiatives of the "Our Window of Opportunity" capital campaign, contact McNeal at 865.981.8197 or jason.mcneal@maryvillecollege.edu.

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The world is full of injustices. It really is. There doesn't seem to be an end to them.

Children are starving in Africa. Puppies and kittens are being euthanized because they can't find homes. Soldiers are fighting wars in which they're supported, but not their cause.

Then there are the personal injustices. The dog eats your favorite shoes. Your significant other dumps you for the next best thing. That cute outfit at the mall that just happens to be on sale also happens to not fit.

Or if you're Amanda Greever, the cat is eating your flip flops, you're never someone's next best thing and the cute outfit is always too small.

But for me, I discovered an injustice even worse. Bad drivers are a serious threat! Whether it's eating behind the wheel, talking or texting on your stupid cell phone or just not paying attention to the road, dumb drivers are a menace!

A month ago, I was driving along and, as MOST drivers do, I stopped at a red light. The chick behind me decided that wasn't the best idea in the whole wide world. So, she didn't stop until her car connected with mine.

No, it wasn't a good night. No, I wasn't a happy camper. No, I didn't slap her silly when she told me she just wasn't paying attention to her driving and didn't realize the light was red.

I thought about it, though.

I thought long and hard about it when the police officer asked me if my car had a license plate. I told him that it did once, but it also had a bumper once, too. I thought long and hard about it as I made my dumb driver walk with me on Cumberland Avenue looking for my tag.

But I restrained myself. I restrained myself when we saw random pieces of my car along the highway. I restrained myself when we had to actually take a piece off my car to keep it from dragging.

However, this week, I'm not sure I would restrain myself from at least smacking her once. The insurance company totaled my car, and I discovered what it feels like to have someone write you a check and buy you off.

I'm going to drive my car that looks like something salvaged from a junk yard. I'm going to take my buy-off check and put it into savings so that one day I can afford a car with all its parts. And I'm not going to hunt down a driver that didn't pay attention to the road.

Yes, I'm bitter, but there's something wrong with the fact that my car is "totaled" and drivable junk due to no fault of my own. I was stopped at a light and following the laws of this land. My fate was taken out of my hands.

That's a scary and sobering thought. It also makes me very bitter, can you tell? However, it also makes me work harder to take other areas of my life into my hands. That's something, at least.

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"An Evening of Opera Choruses, Arias and Overtures" is the theme for the April 28 concert of the Orchestra at Maryville College. The performance, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Maryville, showcases nearly 60 instrumentalists, 50 vocalists with the Maryville College Community Chorus and special guest soloist, Michael Bundon.

            The lively arias and choruses on the program will be familiar to many - even the listener who is not well-acquainted with the opera. Bundon will sing Di Capua's O sole mio, Schubert's Ave Maria, and "La donna e mobile" from Rossini's Rigoletto.

            On a contemporary note, he and Maryville College soprano April Martin will sing The Prayer by Bayer-Sager/Foster. The Community Chorus win join the Orchestra for the "Anvil Chorus" from Verdi's Il Trovatore, the "Wedding March" from Wagner's Lohengrin, Verdi's "The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" from Nabucco, and "Chorus of the Wedding Guests" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. For the finale, Bundon will sing the aria made famous by the late Italian tenor Pavarotti, the "Nessun Dorma" or "None shall sleep," from Puccini's Turandot.

             Also on the program will be overtures to The Poet and Peasant by von Suppé and Rossini's The Thieving Magpie (La gazza ladra).

            Bundon, minister of music at Knoxville's Beaver Dam Baptist Church since 1982, has performed as soloist at numerous church and civic gatherings, concerts, and symphonic settings and was recorded in performances with "The Centurymen" and the "Tennessee Baptist Convention Men's Chorale." He has also performed several operatic and oratorio solos with area musical groups, winning the Tennessee Concerto Soloist Audition and the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in Tennessee.

            Previous to his work in Knoxville, he was choral director of Jefferson County High School and minister of music at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in Maryville (1970-1975). He holds degrees from Carson-Newman College and the University of Tennessee, where he was named, respectively, Outstanding Graduate in Music and the Viola Bitzas Music Scholar. In 1970, Bundon won the Philip Steele Affiliate Artist Award at Maryville College.

            The Orchestra at Maryville College, conducted by Bill Robinson, is a college and community ensemble that meets Monday evenings at Maryville High School during the academic year and performs 4 concerts per year. April 28 will be the final concert this season.

            Stacey Wilner, coordinator of choral music at the College, directs the Community Chorus, which is an unauditioned ensemble of singers that includes high-school students, Maryville College students and members of the community.

            Tickets are available at the door:  $10 adults; $7.50 for seniors 60 and over. Admission is free to students 18 and under and to all Maryville College staff, faculty and students with ID.

            For more information, contact Genevieve Michael, general manager of the Orchestra, at 865.273.8871.

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Board certified family practice physician C. Larry Rahn, M.D., has been named the medical director of the CareToday Clinic at East Tennessee Medical Group,
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Mrs. Velda J. Shore is about to spoil the fun for everyone simply because a few times a year she is inconvenienced.  If this woman is uncomfortable now, just wait until Mr. Schmidt can no longer afford to keep his farm because of lost revenue from the corn maze, concerts and the Strawberry Jam festival.  If he loses his farm, it will most likely be sold, divided and houses will start popping up all over what used to be sprawling farm land.  What then?  She sure can't control the lives of all her new neighbors because she wants peace and quiet.  Kinda like jumping from the pot into the fire, huh?  Mrs. Shore seems to be forgetting that she isn't the only one whose rights are being violated.  The rest of us still  have the freedom of assembly.  Well...misery loves company.  Mrs. Shore states that the property isn't zoned for any use outside agricultural use.  Who cares how the farm is zoned?  It's not as if these festivals are never ending.  If Mrs. Shore is so bothered by the festivities of Maple Lane Farm, maybe she should plan an outing with her family coinciding with these dates.  Why should everyone be forced to succumb to the wishes of just one person?  Doesn't the majority rule?    It doesn't seem fair to me.  Good luck to Mr. Schmidt and keep right on planning the Strawberry Jam Festival!   
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Tickets are $10 and go towards Autism Service Dogs

The featured foods will be served as Tapas for a few dollars each

 

Wilderwood Service Dogs is an innovative nonprofit located in Maryville, TN.  Our dogs are amazing Voice Activated, Wireless, Assistive Devices for individuals with autism- plus unconditional love and support!

We train our dogs in over 90 service dog commands.  We are involved in cutting edge research with Maryville College concerning the amazing results our dogs are having on children with autism. 

Please join us for a fun filled evening of great homemade food and fun. Wilderwood is extremely grateful to Blount County for their amazing support in our work.  We look forward to thanking you personally at the Festival.

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I returned to my alma mater, East Tennessee State University, a couple of weeks ago to take part in a discussion panel concerning the state Open Records law and open government in general. While there, I also took time to share some thoughts with a couple of classes. I also spent time with a former professor of mine, Dr. Jack Mooney.
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Heralding the arrival of spring, Grace Notes Flute Choir will perform a concert during the month of April, and teens will have the opportunity to explore their inner Goth by creating a "gock" (Goth sock) for Gock Week during National Library Week (April 13-19).
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The Blount County Chapter of United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) named for Capt. W. Y. C. Hannum is being rechartered.  Capt. Hannum was a doctor and served in the Confederate Army.  He was born December 22, 1842 and died August 14, 1915.  Capt. Hannum lived in the "Hannum House" at Cedar Circle in Alcoa, TN,which is now the site of New Midland Shopping Plaza.  Hannum Street in Alcoa is named for Capt. Hannum.

On March 29, officers and members of the newly rechartered chapter that attended the UDC East Tennessee District Meeting were recognized.  The meeting was held at the East Tennessee History Center in Knoxville.

Pictured at the March 29 meeting, left to right, are Teresa Smith, Past Division Registrar; Debra Wilson, Chapter Registrar; Carolyn Templeton, Chapter Recording Secretary; Patty Gibson; Shirley Rouse, Chapter Recorder of Military Awards; Dorothy Sutton; Elaine Russell, Chapter Historian; Jo Hill, President, Tennessee Division UDC; Mary Gregory; Shirley Hall, Chapter President; and Sandra Smith.

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United Way of Blount County's Nonprofit Training and Resource Center will present a training and enrichment seminar June 4 on the campus of Maryville College.
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