Carson-Newman LIVE on ESPN Saturday at 3:30 in NCAA D2 Final Four

ESPN 3:30 12/5/09 Carson-Newman vs Grand Valley in the National Semifinals (Final Four). Winner advances to the national championship game next week! Tune in.

This Saturday (Dec 5), Carson-Newman (enrollment 2,320) will play at Grand Valley State (enrollment 23,295) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, while California, PA (enrollment 8,206) will play at NW Missouri (enrollment 8,206) in Maryville, MO. The winners will play for the NCAA D2 National Championship on Dec 12 in Florence, Alabama.

Carson-Newman and Tusculum are the only NCAA D2 programs in the region. Emory & Henry is D3 and UVA-Wise is NAIA.

http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/2009/ncaa_bracket_DII_football.html

Carson-Newman roster of NETN/SWVA regional team members:

Matthew Arnold (Abingdon, VA/Abingdon)
Miles Hite (Bristol, Tenn./Tennessee High)

Cody Calloway (Bristol, Va./John S. Battle)

Joe Cadle (Bristol, Va./John S. Battle)

Thomas Turnbull (Bristol. Tenn./Tennessee High)

Chris Robinson (Clintwood, VA/Clintwood)

Russell Hull (Clintwood, VA/Clintwood)

Corey Headley (Erwin, Tenn./Unicoi County)

Drew Rice (Erwin, Tenn./Unicoi County)

Adam Venters (Fall Branch, Tenn. / Daniel Boone)

Tyler Stewart (Greeneville, Tenn./Greeneville)

Christian McFall (Jefferson City, Tenn./Jefferson County H.S.)

Issac Kinley (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill)

Larry Smith (Johnson City, Tenn./Science Hill)

Zack Fleming (Kingsport, Tenn./Dobyns-Bennett)

Jaycob Coleman (Norton, Va./John I. Burton)

YMCA FREE Military Memberships

Jeff, I wanted to pass along to you that the YMCA has partnered with the Department of Defense to offer FREE military memberships to eligible military families. Especially in light of the recent news of Army National Guard and Reservists being deployed from our area, I think this is a great opportunity for folks of our region.The following are eligible for totally free memberships: 1. Immediate family of deployed Army National Guard and Reservists of all military branches. 2. Active Duty Independent Duty personnel and their families as approved by their Military Service POC. 3. Relocated spouses of deployed Active Duty personnel.We are happy to answer questions for interested families and to give them more information on the details of this great opportunity. Any help spreading the word about this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Abigail Simmons
Membership/Marketing Director
Greater Kingsport Family YMCA Wellmont Center
asimmons@ymcakpt.org
(423) 578-2193
1100 Franklin Square
Kingsport, TN 37664

Dec 5-6 Christmas at Allandale Mansion

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Dec 5 - Christmas at Exchange Place

Exchange Place "Christmas in the Country""Christmas In the Country " at Exchange Place Living History Farm, 4812 Orebank Road in Kingsport will be held Saturday, December 5, from 10 am - 4:00 p.m. The celebration features the sales of fresh greenery and trees, hand crafted wreaths and roping, traditional foods and folk arts. From 12 to 4 p.m. visitors can step back in time and see costumed interpreters demonstrating December activities on the mid 19th century farm. The traditional Yule Log Ceremony with carol singing around the bonfire begins at 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. For more information or to preregister for corn shuck angel workshops, please call 423-288-6071.

Dec 11 - Rep. Shipley to host toy drive for needy at concert

Country Christmas Concert & Toy Drive

Friday, December 11, 2009
Time:7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:Renaissance Center, 1200 E Center ST, Kingsport

REP. SHIPLEY TO HOST TOY DRIVE FOR NEEDY AT CONCERT
The Sullivan County Sheriff’s office is once again collecting toys for needy children in Sullivan County through the “Toys from Cops” program. Toys are being collected by the Sheriff’s office again this year and will be distributed on December 19th & 20th. Rep. Tony Shipley is hosting a toy drive at the Renaissance Center Theatre, during a special holiday concert. Concert-goers are asked to bring a new toy to the event.

The concert features Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver, singer/songwriter/legislator from Lancaster. Terri Lynn is a remarkable gospel singer, and she will be singing many of her own hits, as well as some special holiday tunes. Prior to entering her political career, Terri Lynn produced nine CD’s of numerous number one songs, like “Old Gideon Bible,” “Mama Prays”, “He’s the One on the White Horse”, among others. Weaver will be in Kingsport to support the re-election of Rep. Shipley, and the concert admission is a campaign fund-raising event for him.

Also participating in the concert will be local artist, McKenna Andrews. McKenna (also known as “Rock Angel”) is a talented 13-year old singer, song-writer and guitarist, as well as an author. Her book, “Riding the Storm Out”, is an amazing tale inspired by the true story of captive dolphins swept from their Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi, and out to sea by Hurricane Katrina. McKenna and her family experienced Katrina first-hand prior to re-locating to Tennessee. She received a 2006 Mom’s Choice Award for this publication. She will be autographing her books following the concert.

Sheriff Wayne Anderson (or a Deputy) will be on hand to assist Rep. Shipley in gathering the toys for needy Sullivan County children. He requested that the toys not be wrapped so they can be distributed appropriate to age.

The concert will be on December 11th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Center Theatre, located at 1200 E. Center Street, in Kingsport. A reception will be held following the concert, at which attendees can meet the performers and purchase their music. Admission to the concert is $20 for adults, $5 for students, and children under 5 are free. Active duty military personnel immediate families will be admitted for free (green ID required). Tickets can be purchased at the door the night of the concert. For questions regarding this event, call or text: 423/817-1047.

Dec 4-5 and 11-12 Historic Rocky Mount Christmas

Historic Rocky Mount begins candlelight Christmas tours In today's world of a highly commercialized Christmas, a visit to Rocky Mount Living History Museum can readily provide a glimpse back to an earlier time... a time when Christmas was recognized simply as the birth of Christ, rather than for the shopping frenzy it is today. Enjoy an evening of spectacular candle-lit tours as you visit the historic buildings at Rocky Mount! Tours begin at 4:30 each evening on Dec. 4- 5 and Dec. 11-12, and will leave the Visitor Center every fifteen minutes. The program, which lasts approximately an hour and a half, costs $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children aged three and over. Reservations are strongly encouraged, although walk-in visitors are also welcomed. Group rates are available for groups of twelve or more people by reservation only. For further information, call (423) 538-7396 or (888) 538-1791.

Rocky Mount Museum is a "living history" museum, which uses first-person interpretation to portray people living in 1791. The museum is open for tours Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. Living History tours and the facility are available by reservation at any time, including Sundays and Mondays for school and other groups, with advance reservations.

Dec 7 - Another section of Greenbelt opens!

Dec 7 1:00 PM ceremony location map (at Reedy Creek bridge near Center St/Lynn Garden Dr) Take a virtual tour of the Greenbelt at www.kingsportgreenbelt.com

Dec 10 - A Very Deery Christmas in Historic Blountville!

7th Annual Christmas Celebration set for Historic Blountville!

Ring in the Holiday Season with a special evening as Blountville begins its Christmas celebrations at 6:30 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 10, 2009. Festivities will begin in front of the old Sullivan County Courthouse with the annual Christmas tree lighting by Hon. Mayor Steve Godsey, followed by Christmas carols and candlelight tours of the Old Deery Inn provided by the Sullivan County Historic Preservation Association. Christmas celebrations will continue on Saturday with the Blountville Christmas Parade starting at 2 p.m. at the former Food Country building on Hwy. 126. Watch out for Santa as the parade continues through downtown Blountville! Saturday events will include additional candlelight tours of the Old Deery Inn from 2 p.m. thru 5 p.m. Deery Inn tours are $3 per person. All other events are free and open to the general public. Come join us as we celebrate... Have a very "Deery" Christmas! Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism

The Santa Train Tradition

Would you consider posting something on your blog again about The Santa Train Tradition? If every Kingsport fan near a Food City purchased a book again this year, we would add a substantial amount to the Santa Train Scholarship. You might even issue a challenge and encourage them to purchase a copy and also get one to give as a gift. Surprisingly, even our Santa Train essay winner’s family did not know about the book until the day of the chamber breakfast. I bet there are also many others who do not even know about the book and its benefit to the train. For those not living near a Food City, you can also give the website – www.thesantatraintradition.com Thanks for your help, Brad Hoover

Dec 5 - Downtown Christmas Spectacular

Go to www.downtownkingsport.org for all the details.

December the 5th 2009 will see the Downtown alive with activity as we Open the Doors of Merchants and Restaurants to welcome the Public into Downtown. Festivities start with the Movie at 3:00 pm in the Historic Strand Theatre at Restoration Church followed at 4:00pm with the Merchants Open House, Ginger Bread Exhibit at Regions Bank, Pictures with Santa, and the Tree Lighting Ceremony at Church Circle at 6:30pm. The finally will be the Christmas Spectacular Variety Show at the Historic Strand Theatre at Restoration Church

Sincerely,
Downtown Kingsport Association.

Dec 9 - Harvard Award Celebration - Please Come!

Click to enlarge. I'm planning to be there. Please come!

Dec 10-20 - "A Christmas Story" by Kingsport Theatre Guild

Kingsport Theatre Guild Presents A Christmas Story December 10 - December 20, 2009

Jean Shepherd's A Christmas Story. Based upon the motion picture A Christmas Story. A joint production between imagination!theatre and MainStage theatre. "You'll shoot your eye out kid!"
A Sneak Preview will be held at the Downtown Christmas Spectacular shows on December the 5th, 10th and 17th

Humorist Jean Shepherd's memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself, at Goldblatt's Department Store. The consistent response: "You'll shoot your eye out." All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family's temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys' experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie's father winning a lamp shaped like a woman's leg in a net stocking; Ralphie's fantasy scenarios and more.

Comedy. By Philip Grecian. Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story, © 1983 Turner Entertainment Co., distributed by Warner Bros., written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark; and on the book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd.

Produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinios"

Show Dates:
Dec 10 @ 10 AM
Dec 12 @ 7 PM
Dec 13 @ 3 PM
Dec 18 @ 7 PM
Dec 19 & 20 @ 3 PM

For Times and locations go to www.kingsporttheatre.org

A 16-year old's perspective on living in Kingsport.

Click to enlarge. A 16-year old's perspective on living in Kingsport.

Dec 4 - ETSU Bluegrass and Wreath Festival at Netherland Inn

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Matthew West coming to Higher Ground in Kingsport

In response to Operation Christmas Child, Christian recording artist, Matthew West, will be live in concert at Higher Ground Baptist Church in Kingsport, TN on Friday, December 17. Tickets are $10. Call HGBC at 423.245.3141

Playlist of top songs:

The Motions

Next Thing You Know

More

You are Everything

When I Say I Do

Only Grace

Something to Say

Safe and Sound

Stop the World

Top Programs win Innovations in American Government Awards

Top Programs Win Innovations in American Government Awards Nation's Cities Weekly Kingsport's Higher Education Initiative revitalized a region with an over-reliance on heavy manufacturing, an aging population and a shrinking work force ...

City goes green with construction of higher education center

City goes green with construction of Kingsport Center for Higher ... Kingsport Times News By Matthew Lane KINGSPORT — City officials say the Kingsport Center for Higher Education is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the region, ...

Spurrier's rivals - Kingsport, FSU, Clemson

Spurrier battles with SCarolina-Clemson intensity The Associated Press In the early '60s at Scientific Hill High in the mountains of Tennessee, he said there's nothing he wanted to do more than knock off crosstown Kingsport ...

Kingsport-Bristol ranks #11 in the nation in house price appreciation (3Q09)

For detailed report, click here. Kingsport-Bristol ranks #11 of 297 metro areas in house price appreciation in the U.S. for the 3rd Quarter and #42 for 1-year. Kingsport-Bristol is one of only 31 metros to post any increase at all -- and the only one in Tennessee.

Florida is particularly hard hit with 7 of the bottom 20 MSA's. Chattanooga (#55) and Charlottesville (#53) are the next highest ranking metros in Tennessee and Virginia, respectively.

Other nearby metros were: Asheville, NC (#47), Hickory, NC (#122), Greenville, SC (#129), Knoxville, TN (#137), Roanoke, VA (#151), Spartanburg, SC (#190).

House prices in Kingsport-Bristol increased 25.43% in 5 years. The worst depreciation is Las Vegas, NV at -34.29% (5-years) and -8.46% (3Q09).