Larsen Jay’s message resounds with downtown crowd

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Mayoral candidate Larsen Jay with popular Knoxville caterer Holly Hambright at a reception in downtown Knoxville on Tuesday.

Besides being an excellent candidate for Knox County Mayor next year, I appreciate Larsen Jay for another important reason: he’s a great excuse for a really fun party!

Alan and I — with the support of an impressive host committee — held a “Meet & Greet” gathering for him earlier this week at our condo in the J.C. Penney building on Gay Street. We had a fun, mostly downtown-centric crowd and got a chance to hear first-hand why he thinks he is the best candidate for the position.

A member of Knox County Commission for the past seven years, Jay is an accomplished businessman and community supporter. “The Mayor of Knox County is essentially the CEO of the county,” said my husband, Alan Carmichael, in his introduction of the candidate. “And Larsen is an experienced and successful CEO.”

For his part, Jay said he would focus on fiscal responsibility if he is elected next year, as well as infrastructure improvement, public safety, and economic development. A Republican, Jay said his family is one of Tennessee’s “First Families,” having lived in the Volunteer State for seven generations. Continue reading →

Filed under: Knoxville, Politics | 2 Comments

Wine & Shine: great fun for a great cause

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

The cause was serious, but the mood was festive at the Wine & Shine event which raised $60,000 for Volunteer Ministry Center. From left, Megan Venable, Benny Smith, and Gay Lyons yuck it up!

Volunteer Ministry Center had another sold-out Don Sproles Wine & Shine fundraiser to support the ongoing operations of the “housing first” program that combats homelessness in our community. 

Although the event, which features both a wine tasting and a moonshine tasting, is always entertaining, the cause is super serious. Every year more than 9,000 individuals access homeless services in Knoxville. As a downtown dweller, I see the problem every day. But it’s not just an urban problem anymore. You see apparently unhoused people all over town now — from Bearden to deep west Knoxville and the other suburbs.

Volunteer Ministry Center’s philosophy is that people need to be provided with housing before they can address the problems that caused them to be in that situation in the first place, whether it’s mental health or substance misuse.

The Wine & Shine event, in its 13th year, is named in honor of the late restaurateur Don Sproles who, along with his wife, Karen, founded the popular Lunchbox cafes. Don was a longtime board member and supporter of Volunteer Ministry Center. Continue reading →

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Bijou Jubilee: a legend and a big blowout

Posted on July 28, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Rocking out to the tunes of the Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir at the street party prior to the Mavis Staples concert. From left, Bryson Walker, Pamela Moss-Mize, and Becky Fuller.

We knew we would see a good concert when we planned to attend the Bijou Theatre‘s Jubilee fundraiser recently featuring legendary blues and gospel singer Mavis Staples. But I had no idea how moving the experience would be. 

Staples, who was 85 when she performed at the event (she’s since turned 86), had to sit down from time to time in a chair provided on stage, but her voice was still strong and her big personality really captured the evening. 

Staples is the youngest and only surviving member of the famous Staple Singers, a band made up of her father and her siblings, in addition to Mavis. You may recognize some of their best-known tunes which include “Uncloudy Day,”  “I’ll Take You There,”  “Let’s Do It Again,” and “You Are Not Alone,” which she released on her own.

She has won three Grammy Awards, plus the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was named one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” by Rolling Stone in 2008 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame(1999)  and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2018).  Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Music | 4 Comments

Friends honor Earlene Teaster as she leaves historic post

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

U.S. Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger embraced Earlene Teaster at her retirement party last month.

I don’t think anyone knew how much it meant to me to be invited last month to the big blowout at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge for Earlene Teaster‘s retirement from her long tenure as Pigeon Forge city manager.

I first met her in 1979 when I was a wet-behind-the ears cub reporter in Sevier County and she was the city recorder for Pigeon Forge. She was kind to me as I covered Pigeon Forge City Commission meetings for the Gatlinburg Press and Sevier County News-Record, which today are published together as The Mountain Press. I admit I was a little intimidated by her confidence. She was an old hat at it, having first gone to work for Pigeon Forge in 1962, the same year the city was incorporated.

In 1980, I moved on to report for The Knoxville Journal. And Earlene Teaster was named city manager of Pigeon Forge, making her the first female city manager in Tennessee. When she retired on June 30, she also had the distinction of being the longest-serving city manager in Tennessee. Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Politics | 3 Comments

Downtown Home Tour takeaway: more choices than ever

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

The viewing porch at Yardley Flats is one of the new additions to the amenities available with downtown Knoxville living.

Every year when the Blue Streak reports on the Downtown Home Tour — whether when it was sponsored by the City People organization or its current sponsor, East Tennessee Historical Society — the thing that’s been most striking is the diversity of options available in downtown living. 

Well, this year that concept was taken to a whole new level with the addition of the 233 apartments available at Yardley Flats, located in the two high-rise buildings on the east side of Covenant Health Park, the new home of the Knoxville Smokies baseball team and One Knoxville, the soccer club. Continue reading →

Filed under: Downtown, Knoxville | 3 Comments

Fascinating downtown home tour; but a little bad news

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Condo owner Susan Brown, left, and her friend Jacque Hawks welcomed guests to Susan’s stunning condo on the second floor of Regas Square during the VIP reception.

There’s good news and bad news from this year’s Downtown Home Tour, an inside look at some real life condominiums and apartments in several of Knoxville’s most notable buildings sponsored by the East Tennessee Historical Society.

The good news is that the home tour, held last month, was fascinating, featuring a wide range of beautiful residences. It was so good, in fact, that the Blue Streak will have two posts about it — this one featuring the opening party and two condos, and another one tomorrow with the rest of the homes. That post will spotlight perhaps the most interesting stop: the new Yardley Flats apartments at Covenant Health Park.

OK. Here’s the bad news. Unless another non-profit or other organization picks it up, this will be the last year for the tour.  Continue reading →

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Knoxville | 6 Comments

Longest day helps Knoxville garden grow

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Guest Judith Foltz with Sean Claire, a violinist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra who performed throughout the evening.

If you are looking for summer vibes, you aren’t going to beat the annual Summer Solstice Dinner held at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum each year on — you guessed it — the summer solstice! This year, that happened a few weeks ago on June 20.

Folks were encouraged to wear white and adorn with flowers. The white actually was helpful as temperatures soared to the low 90s with a “feels like” approaching 100. I do believe some of us (OK, one was me!) ambled into the Dogwood Center a little before the end of the outdoor cocktail time in order to cool off. 

But the relaxed atmosphere and mellow pace of the evening just evoked the calm of a Southern summer night. And that alone was worth the $200 ticket price, all of which went to benefit the Knoxville Botanical Gardens. Continue reading →

Filed under: Events | 7 Comments

Great vittles in a perfect setting at Tremont event

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Chelly Clayton sits down to dinner at the sneak peek of Tremont’s second campus near Townsend.

About 30 nature lovers — and one confirmed city girl — recently were wowed by the possibilities presented at an al fresco dinner on the site of the future second campus of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. 

The non-profit in 2019 acquired the land — 194 acres near Townsend abutting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plans call for it to be used to provide extended education and experiential programs for youth and adults alike.  

“We have been connecting people and nature for over 50 years,” said Catey McClary, the organization’s president and CEO. The new campus will allow Tremont to expand its programs and reach new audiences, she said. The News-Sentinel wrote this comprehensive story about Tremont’s plans in 2023. It tells you everything you need to know about Tremont and the new campus.

But here’s something you need to know about this wonderful dinner: it was prepared by Chef Tyler Brown, the senior vice president of agriculture and hospitality at Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin, TN. He is the former long-time executive chef at Nashville’s famous now closed Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel. It was fantastic.

Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Food | 6 Comments

Historic “Coffee Club” celebrates 95 years

Posted on June 23, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

George Wilson, left, the treasurer of the Coffee Club, accepts the best attendance award from David Martin, the club’s president who tied with him for the honor.

A group of Knoxville business and retired business people has been meeting for lunch for 95 years now. OK, it’s not the same individuals that first met in 1930 when the group was founded! But it is a continuation of the same group. And the current members are just as dedicated to keeping the organization going.

It’s the venerable Coffee Club, a some 20-member group that meets for lunch every Friday to discuss politics and other issues of the day. The club recently had its annual dinner meeting at Cherokee Country Club. The dinner meeting has one order of business: to give an award to the member with the best attendance.

This year, it was a tie for that honor between the club president, David Martin, and club treasurer, George Wilson, whose father was a long-time member of the Coffee Club. Martin said he flipped a coin to determine the winner and he awarded the trophy to Wilson.

Retired First Horizon market President Pam Fansler had won the attendance award so regularly in the past that Martin almost automatically had her name inscribed on the plaque. But Fansler has been traveling often this year and missed coming in for a three-person tie by one meeting! (She took the news well.) Continue reading →

Filed under: Business, Events | 2 Comments

Lakeshore Picnic: Loved the “Cosmopolitan” ending!

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

From left, Jacque Hawks, Janet Testerman, and Dino Cartwright set up the picnic table. That’s Joey Creswell crouching down in the rear taking more goodies out of the cooler.

Due to the crazy weather — and constantly changing forecasts — the annual fundraiser that is the Lakeshore Park Picnic drew a smaller than usual crowd this year. But it still exceeded its $70,000 fundraising goal and the park’s executive director, Julieanne Foy, said it was a success.

And, guess what. It didn’t rain at all! “The weather couldn’t have been better!” Foy said.

Plans were in flux until last Saturday, the day of the event, with the Lakeshore Conservancy sending out notices that said it might be canceled. Picnickers were given the opportunity to pick up and take home the boxed dinners they had ordered from a variety of local eateries. 

But, in the end, the live music was moved under cover — into Marble Hall from its usually beautiful outdoor spot at the HGTV Overlook — and attendees crowded around the venue instead of spreading out onto the larger lawn. Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Knoxville | 5 Comments