Ninety-one-year-old Mary Ellen Allen was only 5-foot-2 but she played basketball in elementary school, high school and two years of college. Wednesday, the Jacksboro woman fulfilled one of her dreams when she got to meet Lady Vols Head Coach Pat Summitt.
Summitt was the keynote speaker at the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” lunch [...]

Filed under: Events, Knoxville, UT sports | 3 Comments »

Confidence, courage and character.
That’s what Lady Vols Head Coach Pat Summitt said she tries to instill in her teams. Summitt spoke Tuesday night to the Girl Scouts‘ “Women of Achievement” dinner at the Knoxville Convention Center. She said the key to success - in athletics and in life - is to have a vision, to [...]

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Blooming dogwoods and azaleas were the perfect backdrop Sunday for a very special gathering in the Sequoyah Hills front yard of Jim and Marty Begalla. The afternoon cocktail party was a celebration of the installation of a sculpture the Begallas commissioned by Knoxville artist Michael J. Criss. Called “Rolling Water,” the bronze piece dominates the [...]

Filed under: Art, Events, Knoxville | 1 Comment »

At the end of Knox Heritage’s Patrons’ Party at Dorothy and Caesar Stair’s stunning Hilltop Farm Thursday night, a beautiful rainbow appeared over the Tennessee River. It was so appropriate.
The party itself was perfection. Food prepared by the non-profit’s board of directors was plentiful and delicious. Among the offerings: mini barbecue sandwiches, miniature artichoke quiches, [...]

Filed under: Events, Historic preservation, Knoxville | No Comments »

The Howard Baker Center is on a campaign to increase civility in government. Howard Baker, former Senate majority leader, White House chief of staff, and ambassador to Japan, is the poster child for that. And a true believer. “Politics is an honorable profession,” he always has said.
Tuesday the Baker Center hosted a luncheon at the [...]

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“Music is played on a canvas of silence. We cannot do this if you chat.”
That quote is printed on a serving platter at the home of Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Maestro Lucas Richman and his wife, Debbie. The Richmans generously opened their home Sunday night as part of the Knoxville Symphony League’s “Elegant Dining” series. The [...]

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“I hope the fire marshal doesn’t find out about this.”
That was the sentiment expressed Saturday night by one of the more than 100 folks who turned out at Vestal’s Candoro Marble Works for “A Blue Shirt in Paris,” a performance to help Knox rocker RB Morris raise funds for an upcoming trip to Paris.
Morris has [...]

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When the folks at Clarence Brown Theatre (CBT) decided to include the rock opera “The Who’s Tommy” in this season’s line-up, CBT Artistic Director Cal MacLean knew exactly which part he wanted to play — the guitar part. MacLean started practicing the music from the show on his acoustic guitar last October. (He doesn’t read [...]

Filed under: Events, Music, Theater | 4 Comments »

As most of my friends can tell you, I have a philosophy about social events. It goes like this: low expectations, great outcome.
I have to go to a lot of events and there are just times when I don’t want to do it. Either I’m too tired or the event doesn’t sound like fun, or [...]

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A friend of mine is planning a party and over the weekend she asked me to look over her guest list. When I did, I immediately spotted a problem. “These are really good people,” I told her. “But there are not enough ’sparklies.’” “What’s a sparklie?” she asked.
A person becomes a sparklie in one of [...]

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