Here's the perfect gift for the Appalachian Trekker in your life! Each month features one of our region's most beautiful landscapes or waterfalls. Quantities are limited, so if you're interested please email your orders today to markwpeacock@yahoo.com. Price: $16 each -- or two for $30! Shipping and handling $6 (within the US). (Preferred payment method is via PayPal).Today I will fight with myself and myself only. I am truly my worst enemy; been up since 5 a.m. and still can’t convince myself to paint. All I want to do is listen to music, watch tv and take a nap. I had breakfast at 5 and am hungry again aat 9, must be lunch time already, I’m listening to black oak arkansas gravel roads this coould be a turning point. I think i will eat and take it from there.
My Dad and I had the pleasure of being on a podcast that covers our local music scene here in the greater Tri-cities area. It's called Buzzcutz and is part of The Buzz on the GoTricities Network. We got get on and talk about our band, Alter'd State and what's going on with us.
I've listened to this podcast since it began a few weeks ago and it is top notch. You need to check us out talkin' it up with Tom Bettini, David Cate, and Jared Bentley, all local musicians and hosts of this show. A big thanks to them for having us.
It goes for about an hour, and covers lots of ground. Be warned, there are, as Spock once said, "color metaphors" on this podcast. For you non-Star Trek fans, that means some language that may offend.
If you have Itunes, you can click this link to subscribe to the weekly podcast.
I suggest that you subscribe and keep up with it. I know I will be.
Funny stuff...
Our little town is going through quite the retail outlet and restaurant boom. We have large shopping complexes going up right and left. They are full of chain stores like Target, Old Navy, Lifeway, and Books-a-Million. There are chain restaurants either already in or on the way. We are even getting our very first Starbucks. Evette is very excited about that. She loves kool-aid coffee in cups who's sizes have cool nonstandard names.
But I am a little worried by all of this. What will all of this do to a town that has always had thriving Mom and Pops and quaint little coffee shops and restaurants?Wal Mart has already done a number here. Most folks are excited we are growing. They are glad that we'll have all these new places to go and spend our money. And I will admit, I will enjoy having more choices.
But I think a very practical, missional thing we can all do is to continue our support of local business. We do more shopping at Wal Mart than I would like, but we do try to frequent a local grocery chain all we can. Likewise, we've not had a Starbucks before and do not need one now. So I won't be feeding their corporate machine and hope to talk Evette out of it. She has a favorite coffee shop in town and I don't think she'll forsake it for the siren's call. Oh, and we'll still buy books at our local store and stay away from Lifeway. Lifeway creeps me out anyway with their books about people going to heaven and hell and coming back.
So, I propose that if you want to do something very simple for your community in your everyday life, go out to the old local shops as much as you can. Support them, get to know them. Tell them how much you appreciate what they add to your community. Encourage others to meet in these places.You can go to those other places, I know I will go to many of them myself, but don't be to wowed by their cool logos and all the hype to the point you forget the little guy. The folks who put those businesses there did it for money. Most if not all of your local businesses do it for more than that.
Technorati: Local Business Target Starbucks Lifeway
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Kingsport Pavilion
2626 East Stone Drive
Kohl's opens Oct 3 |
Target opens Oct 14 |
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If you would like to receive "good news" about Kingsport, please write to jeff_fleming@earthlink.net |
Kingsport blows out new construction totals for fiscal year 2007
KINGSPORT, TN -- New investment set a sizzling pace for fiscal year 2007 in Kingsport, with $123.35 million in new construction from July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007.
Clearly, Kingsport’s economic engine was hitting on all cylinders as fiscal 2007 eclipsed the previous high mark of $101.3 million set in FY 2001-2002, with an increase of 57 building permits and $44 million over the previous fiscal year.
Single family housing posted an increase for the fifth straight year, with 132 new homes constructed at a total value of $20.9 million.
The average cost of a newly constructed home was $157,774. At least 32 new homes were constructed at a value of $200,000 to $499,000.
Seventy-nine new condominiums and patio homes valued at $64 million were also constructed at Pinebrook Place, Skyland Falls, Timers Edge Trace and Cooks Pointe.
In addition to new residential construction, another $22.14 million in building permits were issued for commercial and residential alterations.
On the new commercial construction side of the ledger, 56 new permits were issued for $66.15 million, an increase of $35.85 million over the previous year. Commercial permits cover retail and office construction.
Also, the leading edge of the $1.3 billion Project Reinvest at Eastman Chemical began late in the fiscal year, with two permits issued for $4.59 million for construction of a new laboratory and other items.
“Discounting the beginning of Project Reinvest, Kingsport clearly eclipsed the previous record for new investment in the community,” City Manager John Campbell said. “When you look across-the-board, every sector is growing, and this proves a strong foundation as the Eastman investments begin to show up.”
Campbell also noted that the results for 2007 do not entirely capture the results of ongoing work at the new Kingsport Pavilion, new Lowe’s, and other commercial development on North Eastman Road, nor do they realize expected growth that will be fostered by strategic city investments, such as the new Higher Education Center and Allied Health building.
Kingsport's unemployment rate also posted a new low in the last quarter, at 3.8 percent, according to the latest survey.
| COMMUNITY & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS BMA to receive Kingsport Landing Master Plan at Monday Work Session KINGSPORT -- Consultants from Kennedy, Coulter, Rushing and Watson will provide the Board of Mayor and Aldermen with their first look at the full master plan developed for the riverfront at its Monday work session. KCRW, instrumental in designing river front districts in Chattanooga and elsewhere, has created a master plan defining design, potential land uses, implementation, anticipated economic impacts and funding strategies. "Kingsport Landing will be uniquely attractive, vibrant, and varied place where history meets the present and makes the future happen," said Tom Parham, who chairs the project’s community advisory board. "The consulting firm has done an excellent job incorporating the community’s vision into an achievable and affordable plan." Highlights of the 15-year master plan include more than 100 acres of new and refurbished river front parks, with a one mile walking loop traversing three pedestrian bridges over the Holston River. Anticipated to cost $26 million over 15 years, funding for the project will be sought from federal, state and local sources, as well as the private sector. "It’s important to remember that we don’t expect this all to happen overnight," Development Services Manager Chris McCartt said. "This is really just the road map to move us forward. We do anticipate that much of the cost will be paid by private sector developers." The walking route would complete the Greenbelt from Cloud Park all the way to the confluence of the North and South forks of the Holston River. The plan also envisions 340,000 square feet of mixed use private development, including restaurants, shops, offices, retail, condominiums and town homes. And, wharves, playgrounds, interactive water features, performance venues, fishing sports, gardens, historic interpretation and public art all combine to help complete the master plan. More than 350 interested members of the public participated in three visioning sessions, with all of that information taken into account as the master plan was developed. |
| Meeting date: Monday, Aug 20, 4:30 pm |
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| Contact: Chris McCartt 423.224.2704 mccartt@ci.kingsport.tn.us If you would like to receive "good news" emails about Kingsport, please write to jeff_fleming@earthlink.net |
