The Blue Streak throws a party to thank its “victims”

OK. Here was the thought. The Blue Streak is only successful because of the great folks who let us take their pictures and attend their events.
We decided to throw a cocktail party to thank them. We invited to the party the people who have been on The Blue Streak the most, according to the little search box [...]

Alan hits his limit, bless his heart!

Poor Alan. Because I learned in journalism school that photos with people in them are generally more interesting than photos of things alone, I always try to put someone in the pictures I take of interesting things I run across.
Of course, who am I most often with when I run across interesting things? My sweet [...]

Washington trip is more than politics. It’s also food, friends, art, history and fun! (Oh, and baseball.)

Wow! I love our nation’s capital!
Alan and I spent last week in Washington, D.C., with our friends Phyllis and Jim Nichols and Peyton Hairston. The purpose of the trip was to attend a National Urban League convention (which I’ll write about in the next blog post), but during the course of a week in such [...]

The Front Page Follies: You can’t make this stuff up!

Even though it’s been occurring for 32 years, The Front Page Follies show doesn’t get old. Why? So much new material every year.
The Follies are a series of good-natured (mostly!) skits performed annually by local journalists and PR folks (along with a few ringers)  poking fun at area newsmakers and news events. Combined with a silent and live [...]

Developer Jeffrey Nash: “I’ve never seen any environment change so drastically in 10 years.”

Downtown developer Jeffrey Nash, who also owns The Crown & Goose gastropub in the Old City, is passionate about two things: World Cup soccer and redevelopment projects.
He discussed both those topics Thursday night when Nucleus Knoxville, a group of young-ish professionals, held its monthly meeting at his establishment. “I am amazed at how much downtown has [...]

Knox eateries make adjustments due to Gulf spill

How is the Gulf oil spill affecting seafood available in our locally-owned restaurants here in Knoxville?
We asked some of our favorite area chefs and restaurant managers and found that their opinions are as varied as the food they serve up. The one thing they seem to agree on, though, is that the long-term effects of the colossal spill will [...]

Are you ever too old for a slumber party? Perhaps.

On Friday, five girlfriends decided to rent a couple of movies, have a couple of drinks and spend the night together. You know, have a slumber party like we did when we were girls.
Dawn Ford volunteered to host. Her husband, Richard, has a fabulous “man cave” with a big screen TV which he (with some [...]

Two Christmas plays, a Shakespeare comedy, a child’s tale, murder and madness: get your tix now!

I guess the theory is that if one Christmas play is successful, maybe we should have two!
In its recently announced upcoming season, the Clarence Brown Theatre at the University of Tennessee will produce both the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play.” The two Christmas season chestnuts will [...]

Partying with the Confederacy: I just can’t do it

I don’t know how I have avoided it, having lived in Knoxville for more than 30 years, but I paid my first visit to the Historic Bleak House (a.k.a. the Confederate Memorial Hall) Friday evening.
The home, located at 3148 Kingston Pike, was built in 1858 as a wedding present for a well-to-do bride and groom [...]

What city could be called “Knoxville South?”

Wanda McMahan. Bobby Denton. Tommy and Susan Overton. Vernon and Jean Young. Sam Browder. Paul and Susie Siler. Brenda and Bryan Testerman. Nancy Butler. J.D. Schwartz. Peachy and Al Staley. Buddy Pack. Dee Payne.
These are all East Tennesseans who have homes — either all or part of the year — in