Cumberland News: April Edition
Cumberland News
April, 2010 Edition
The purpose of Cumberland News is to keep you up to date with our activities and also to help you do the same for your members. We include articles submitted by our members or others from Cumberland Plateau communities in the "Around the Region" section. Not all of the views expressed are those of the Alliance for the Cumberlands or its member organizations. You may feel free to use any part of Cumberland News in your own newsletters. Cumberland News will be e-mailed to you at the first of every month. If you have news that you would like to share with others, please feel free to e-mail news@allianceforthecumberlands.org and it will be included in the next issue.
What we’re up to….
Nature Trail Project
The brochure for Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau Nature Trail is almost complete and will be sent to the printer this month. Copies of the brochures will be distributed to welcome centers, rest areas, chambers, and to the sites on the trail. We extend a special thanks to the Tucker and the Lyndhurst Foundations for their recent financial support in continuing this initiative.
Alliance Members
The new Alliance website is up and running. Alliance members are invited to sign up on the site and take advantage of the ability to share your events, post and respond to topics of discussion, and connect with others in the network. This is your website. If you have questions about the site or suggestions for how we can make this site more useful for you or your organization then please chime in at the following forum: http://new.allianceforthecumberlands.org/this-website
The Alliance at “Cumberland Wild”
April 17th and 18th is Trails and Trilliums. The Keynote event is Cumberland Wild: “Plateau 2020: Envisioning the Future” a panel discussion on the Alliance for the Cumberlands’ initiative for sustainable growth on the plateau, organized by The Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area. For more information or to register for the event, visit: trails.sasweb.org.
Around the Region ...
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association reprints popular Civil War driving trail guide
Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association (SETTA) continues to position itself for the 150th commemoration of the Civil War, beginning in 2011, with the reprinting of Civil War Trails, Fighting for the Rails brochure, which gained national attention in 2008.
Produced in conjunction with Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the brochure provides a designated path for southeast Tennessee travelers to follow as they explore sites associated with the American Civil War in Tennessee. The brochure lists 47 sites, covers 10 counties, and now includes 16 Civil War Trail markers that dot the landscape, providing visitors with an even greater experience.
Visitors can drive and learn about this state’s history throughout Chattanooga and the Great Valley region of Bradley, Rhea and Meigs, through the Overhill region of McMinn and Polk, and up to the Cumberland Plateau region of Sequatchie, Marion, Bledsoe and Grundy. All sites date between 1861 and 1865.
The SETTA guides are currently being distributed across the State of Tennessee at Welcome Centers and locally at area hotels, retail shops and other tourism outlets. SETTA will also use this guide to promote a larger regional 3-state Civil War Heritage promotion for the 150th year commemorative events. For more information go to www.civilwar150th.org.
For more information on Tennessee’s Civil War trail program, go to www.tnvacation.com/civil-war/trails/.
For more information on the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, go to www.tncivilwar.org.
New Conservation Fisheries Website
Conservation Fisheries has spent the past couple of weeks working on getting their new web site up and running. Many of the species accounts needed to be re-written, photos updated etc..... They are still in the process of moving it from one provider to another. If you enter their URL, www.conservationfisheries.org you may still be redirected. Not to worry! You will be directed to their temporary home. Sometime this week, the transfer should be complete. So, just bookmark their site (if you haven't already done so), using the www.conservationfisheries.org address.
The format is completely different, it’s easier to navigate, and it's easy to sign up for the Newsletter. It's also easy to donate to their cause! There are lots of new photos. And, as mentioned in the newsletter, CFI's work is featured in the April issue of National Geographic! There's a link.
$50,000 Grant Awarded
$50,000 Grant Awarded Sgt. York Patriotic Foundation for “Tennessee Trailblazers Tour” featuring Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park and Alvin C. York State Historic Park.
The York and Hull parks are two small Tennessee State parks in counties targeted by the Gems of Appalachia: Enhancing Appalachia’s Gateways to the Big South Fork grant program. To strengthen the application for funding, the SYPF partnered with Friends of Cordell Hull Birthplace. Both groups are non-profits with goals of preserving the history and legacy of these outstanding Americans and promoting these destinations to the general public and targeted audiences for recreational, educational and tourism purposes.
Interpretational and educational audio and visual aides for each site will be created, conceptually linking the physical locations using Web site video modules for promotion. Mapping, signage and an audio tour will enable the visitor to experience the region’s history, music and natural beauty while learning about each site during the 25-minute trip between the parks.
Make the Cumberlands your destination for fun!
Are you looking to plan your vacation, weekend getaway, or an afternoon out within our great region? The Cumberland Plateau is a culturally rich, naturally diverse, and charming part of the world, as most of you well know. We encourage you to get out and experience the best it has to offer. To help you make the most of your time, Dale Hollow Marketing Group, LLC has been publishing destination visitors’ guides since 2001 with accompanying websites to reach a greater audience.
They recently released the 2010 editions of the Fall Creek Falls Visitors’ Guide (www.Go2FCF.com) and Dale Hollow Lake Visitors’ Guide (www.Go2DHL.com). A brand new guide to Center Hill Lake will be available this April (www.Go2CHL.com) and the new edition of the Big South Fork Visitors’ Guide (www.Go2BSF.com) will be available in May with the current edition in distribution and available for download until that time. All of the guides are completely downloadable through their websites for quick, easy, and green access, or you may pick up a copy at many locations around the Upper Cumberland. Visit the websites for a list of key locations where the guides may be picked up.
Upcoming Events of Interest ...
Old Stone Fort Archaeological Society Meeting: April 8th
The Old Stone Fort Archaeological Society will meet Thursday, April 8th at 6:00 PM at the Old Stone Fort Museum in Manchester, Tennessee. The purpose of this Society is to learn more about prehistoric Native American cultures and the early historic period of Tennessee. The meetings are free and open to the public. The program this month will be a presentation on the replication of Native American pottery by Mr. Rick Taylor.
Tennessee Preservation Trust Conference and Preservation Celebration: April 15th – 16th
April 15-16: Tennessee Preservation Trust 2010 Conference, Main Street Summit and CAMP
The General Morgan Inn, Greeneville
Tours, exhibits, educational preservation programming, CAMP (Commission Assisted Mentoring Program), and leadership luncheon
615.963.1255 or www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org
April 16: Tennessee Preservation Trust “Preservation Celebration” and Auction
The General Morgan Inn, Greeneville
Dinner, live music and auction of architectural salvage, antiques, history items, adventures, and B&B packages
615.963.1255 or www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org
To reserve your room, call the General Morgan Inn @ 423.787.1000, or reserve on-line @
www.generalmorganinn.com. Mention your conference attendance and receive a discounted room rate.
Trails and Trilliums: April 17th & 18th
The seventh perennial Trails & Trilliums will be held on the St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School campus on Saturday, April 17, and Sunday, April 18, with events for wildflower enthusiasts, gardeners, hikers, and families. The two-day event will feature a native plant sale, workshops and speakers, a garden tour, guided walks, hikes in Shakerag Hollow and other area trails, and fun activities for young naturalists.
A highlight of Trails & Trilliums will be Cumberland Wild, a panel discussion on conservation issues on the plateau, sponsored by the Friends of South Cumberland State Recreation Area (SCSRA). This year¹s topic, “Plateau 2020: Envisioning the Future,” will explore issues surrounding growth on the plateau: sustainability, resource management, and preservation of the natural landscape. Zebulon Turrentine, director of the Alliance for the Cumberlands will be a panelist, along with representatives of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, Sewanee: the University of the South, the State of Tennessee¹s Department of Economic and Community Development, and the Friends of SCSRA.
At the Wine and Wildflowers reception Saturday night, Mary Priestley will be honored with the Harry Yeatman Environmental Educator Award, and the South Cumberland State Recreation Area will receive Trails and Trilliums Service Award. Entertainment will be provided by Bazzania, the official all-girls’ band of the Friends of SCSRA. For more information or to register, visit trails.sasweb.org.
Mayor’s Second Annual Sustainability Fair - April 29th
In a follow-up to last year's ultra-successful event, the City of Crossville will host its second annual Sustainability Fair for Cumberland County students on Thursday, April 29.The event, aimed at educating 5th-graders on the development of sustainable, "green" energy sources, will be held at the Cumberland County Community Complex from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. for students, and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. the Fair is open to the public and admission is free. The fair is just part of the City of Crossville's overall initiative to develop green energy sources and become one of the most energy-efficient cities in the state.
The fair features exhibits and demonstrations on the latest "green" technologies, designed to make households and businesses more energy efficient, produce a smaller carbon footprint and save money.
Vendors at the fair, along with the city, will help professionals and homeowners learn about the cost-effectiveness of green technology and how it can help the environment. Some of the vendors for the Sustainability Fair include: Volunteer Energy Cooperative, Middle Tenn. Natural Gas, Home Builder Association, Lightwave Solar Electric, Roane State Community College, Biodiesel Logic, Inc., Master Gardeners, Farmers Market, UT Extension, TWRA, Tennessee Forestry Division, Crossville Tree Board, UT Experiment Station, and Veolia Wastewater Services. A complete list of distributors is available at www.crossvilletn.gov.
For more information, contact the City of Crossville at 931-787-1956.
Event part of City of Crossville's energy-efficiency initiative
Wildflower Greenway Garlic Mustard Pull and Wildflower Walk - Saturday, April 10
The Greenway behind Oak Ridge's Rolling Hills Apartments (formerly called the Garden Apartments) is one of the best wildflower trails in Anderson County, but it is threatened by garlic mustard, a very invasive exotic that crowds out native plants. TCWP and Greenways Oak Ridge have been having some success in recent years in ridding the trail of this harmful plant. Volunteers can help with this effort on April 10 and also enjoy a wildflower walk with TCWP board member and plant ecologist Larry Pounds.
We will meet at 10 a.m. at the rear parking lot (near the woods) behind 101-135 West Vanderbilt Drive. Wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothes, and bring water, food/snacks, and a digging spike or similar tool if you own one. For additional information, contact TCWP Executive Director Sandra Goss at Sandra@sandrakgoss.com or at 865-522-3809.
Tennessee Wild Presentation - Tuesday, April 13
TCWP and the Harvey Broome Chapter of the Sierra Club will co-sponsor a presentation on Tennessee Wild at 7 p.m. at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike. Tennessee Wild is a collaborative endeavor by a group of organizations (including TCWP) working together to protect wilderness in the Cherokee National Forest. It is currently seeking wilderness designation by the U.S. Forest Service that would protect the Upper Bald River Wilderness Area and expand the Bald River Gorge, Big Frog, Little Frog, Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock, Big Laurel Branch and Sampson Mountain Wilderness Areas. For additional information, contact TCWP Executive Director Sandra Goss at Sandra@sandrakgoss.com or at 865-522-3809.
Discovery Fest 2010 in Wartburg - Saturday, April 17
TCWP is a co-sponsor of Discovery Fest 2010, which the Emory River Watershed Association will host on Saturday, April 17, on the Courthouse Square in Wartburg from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be music, food, games, kayaking, wildflower hikes, and much, much more. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at the Wartburg Civic Center on Highway 62.
Discovery Fest - Wartburg
April 17, 2010 - Discovery Fest - 9:00 - 4:00; Courthouse Square in Wartburg. Climbing wall, food, vendors, on-site and off-site activities. Vendor space still available.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce, 423-346-5740, for additional information.
Sounds Like Home - A Night of Music From the Cumberlands - Friday JUNE 11
On Friday night June 11th, at Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, TN, the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail partners with the Campbell Cultural Coalition to proudly celebrate a rich legacy of music making with a special concert showcase. Against the backdrop of the Cumberland Mountains, along the Cumberland Trail Corridor, we present for the first time the legendary Pinnacle Mountain Boys and Grasstowne, two bluegrass super-groups connected by a tight family bond.
In addition, Campbell County once again this year welcomes home two of its most beloved musicians. 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the well-remembered “Larry McNeely Day” held in downtown LaFollette. Along with Larry, Grand Ole Opry legend Charlie Collins will return to his hometown of Caryville on this special occasion.
Seating is limited. Tickets $10 and must be purchased in advance. Tickets are available by contacting CCCHighlanders@aol.com. Limited seating. Latecomers are advised to bring their own chairs. Free parking. Bring your family, friends and an appetite; select food vendors will be serving. Gate opens at 5 pm; performances runs from 6 - 9 pm.
Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival 2010: SATURDAY, JUNE 12
The Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 12 at Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, TN with three performances stages featuring top string band performers, locally, regionally, and nationally. Confirmed headliners so far include:
Howard Armstrong Legacy with Ralphe Armstrong, Ray Kamalay, and Rich Del Grosso (When Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong lived in Detroit, these were the musicians with whom he played.) Ralphe Armstrong, renowned bassist, is a son of Howard Armstrong; Ray Kamalay is a jazz guitarist and lecturer; and Rich DelGrosso is a blues mandolinist, writer, and illustrator.
Elijah Wald and Robbie Phillips - Wald is a folk-blues guitarist and music historian; Phillips is one of the greatest washtub bassists on record, for decades has been performing on instruments of his own manufacture, such as the one-string wombat bass and is likely to bring homemade and garishly painted instruments to any performance.
John Myers Band - Soul, gospel, back by popular demand
Five Stars Gospel Singers, Harriman, TN - outstanding gospel choir
Sparky & Rhonda Rucker - a Louie Bluie Festival favorite!
The Tennessee Sheiks, starring Knoxville’s own Nancy Brennan Strange
Firecracker Jazz Band.. They earn the name "firecracker". First time to perform at Louie Bluie.
Plus storytellers, Old Time Fiddlers Tribute, Tennessee Jamboree Radio Show Reunion, arts and crafts village, children’s activities, plus art and quilt judging and exhibition. Free parking. Free admission. 10 am to 8 pm
Pictures in the Park Contest 2010
The Friends of the South Cumberland Recreation Area is hosting the second annual Pictures in the Park Contest. The contest, which runs through May 31, 2010, is open to all ages. Suggested topics are: people enjoying the park, landscapes, wildlife, and plants. Photos may be realistic or creative/abstract. Those that show recognizable park features are encouraged. Read the contest rules and how to enter your photographs online here. You can also view last year's entries and winning photographs.
Spring Heritage Day at the Museum of Appalachia
The Museum of Appalachia will hold its first Spring Heritage Day on Friday, April 16, giving schoolchildren a first-hand experience of typical springtime activities on a pioneer farm.
Each spring, the winter’s growth of heavy wool is trimmed from the Museum’s flock of sheep. Children and adults alike customarily gather to watch the annual ritual. Demonstrations will show the entire process of gathering and using wool.
Spring Heritage Day will also include gardening, plowing, soap-making, leather-working, playing the spoons, clogging, and churning ice cream. President and Mrs. Lincoln look-alikes will come for the day. An old-fashioned “school marm” will lead spelling bees, and the Hominy Mamas will give interactive musical programs.
The demonstrations are part of the Museum’s mission to preserve and pass along the Appalachian culture to future generations. Public, private, and home-schooled student groups are encouraged to attend; individual parents and children are also welcome to take part in this special program.
The Museum, a 501(c)(3) organization, is located 16 miles north of Knoxville, one mile east of I?75, exit 122. For more information, or to register students for Spring Heritage Day, call 865?494?7680, or visit the website at www.museumofappalachia.org.
Members of the Alliance for the Cumberlands.....
Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation
Alabama A&M University--Center for Forestry and Ecology
ARCADIS
The Borderlands Foundation
Byrdstown-Pickett County Chamber of Commerce
Campbell Cultural Coalition
Conservation Fisheries, Inc.
Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park
Cozy Cabins and Cottages Corporation
Cumberland Business Journal
Cumberland Caverns
Cumberland County
Cumberland County Playhouse
Cumberland Homesteads Tower Association
Cumberland Trails Conference
Dale Hollow Marketing Group
Downtown Crossville, Inc.
Emory River Watershed Association
Fentress County Chamber of Commerce
Franklin County
Friends of Big South Fork NRRA, Inc
Friends of Cordell Hul State Park
Friends of Edgar Evins State Park
Friends of South Cumberland
Friends of the Cumberland Trail, Inc.
Friends of Fall Creek Falls State Park
Grandview Heritage Foundation
Grundy County Historical Society
Grundy County Rotary Club
Historic Rugby
Homestead Timber Frames
Kentucky Natural Lands Trust
Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission
Land Trust for Tennessee
Meadow Creek Conservation Coalition
Mountain Outfitters
Monteagle Chamber of Commerce
Monteagle Inn
Morgan County Chamber of Commerce
Museum of Appalachia
National Parks Conservation Association
New Heritage Research
North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy
Obed Watershed Community Association
Pickett State Park
Putnam County Chamber of Commerce
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Ron Castle Webs
Round to it Recordings
Save Our Cumberland Mountains
Sgt. Alvin C. York State Park
Sgt.York Patriotic Foundation
Southern Environmental Law Center
Sewanee Environmental Institute
Sparta White County Chamber of Commerce
Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club
Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning
Tennessee Division of Forestry
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
Tennessee Forestry Association
Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light
Tennessee Ornithological Society
Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation
Tennessee Preservation Trust
Tennessee Tech University
Tennessee Trails Association
Tennessee Wildlife Federation
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
The Nature Conservancy--KY Chapter
The Nature Conservancy--TN Chapter
Upper Cumberland Tourism Association
USDA Forest Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, TN Field Office
University of Tennessee Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries
Upper Cumberland Arts Alliance
Upper Cumberland Development District
Van Buren Chamber of Commerce
If you wish to be added to the list of Alliance members, please fill out a membership form at www.allianceforthecumberlands.org and return it to:
Alliance for the Cumberlands
Zebulon Turrentine
Executive Director
Alliance for the Cumberlands
C/O Extended Services, TTU
P.O. Box 5073
Cookeville, TN 38505
931.372.6125
If you do not wish to receive Cumberland News or other Alliance for the Cumberlands e-mails or you know of someone who would like to be added to the list, please contact Zebulon Turrentine at admin@allianceforcumberlands.org.
- Login or register to post comments
- Send to friend
