MLK Day Activities Postponed in Kingsport

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The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. activities, including the annual parade in downtown Kingsport, the MLK Luncheon in Riverview and the MLK Candlelight Vigil HAVE ALL BEEN POSTPONED from January 20, 2025.

Weather forecasts indicate temperatures in the single digits to temperatures in the teens on January 20th, therefore the decision to postpone events.

The Annual Candlelight Vigil will now be held on Friday, April 4th at 6 PM.

The Annual MLK Day Parade downtown will be held on Saturday morning, April 5th at 10 AM.  The MLK Day Luncheon will now be held also on Saturday morning, April 5th at 11 AM.

The dates coincide with the commemoration of Dr. King's assassination 57 years ago on April 4, 1968.

Patrice Janee Lytle remembrance

 

Patrice Janeé Lytle, affectionately known as "Pat-Rice!" and "P-Lytle!," departed this life Saturday, January 11, 2025, at Holston Valley Medical Center. Patrice was born on October 23, 1982, in Milton, Florida, to Kevin Lytle and Sherry Watterson. 

Patrice was known for her energetic and fun-loving personality. She enjoyed coloring and riding around in her car with her children, where they would play and sing along to music. She also delighted in catching a movie with her children, siblings, and mother. Patrice was a member of St. Marks United Methodist Church. 

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Edward and Virginia P. Lytle, and maternal grandparents, Betty Lou Hale and Freddy Watterson. 

To cherish her memory, Patrice leaves behind her children, Macarius Javan Miller and Sa'Daya Janise Rose; father, Kevin (Clara) Lytle; mother, Sherry Watterson; step-father, Jessie Williams; brothers, Adam Lytle and David Lytle; sister, Jessaka (Jacob Christian, fiancé) Williams; grandmother, Cheryl (Rommie) Argo; special cousin, Bron Cox; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

The visitation will be on Friday, January 17, 2025 from 1 PM to 2 PM, at the St. Mark United Methodist Church, 929 Maple Street, Kingsport, TN 37660.  

The Memorial Service will immediately follow from 2 PM to 3 PM at the church.  

Care of the Patrice Janee Lytle family has been entrusted to Clark Funeral Chapel and Cremation Service, 802-806 East Sevier Avenue, Kingsport, TN 37660.

Snow at Home in the View

From the top of Bays Mountain (on the upper left), to Louis Street in Riverview, snow invaded our homes yesterday and last night.

The snow is slowly changing over to rain and temperatures are only slightly warmer than yesterday.  Cold temperatures tonight will probably freeze any moisture on the streets.  

As you can see below from WCYB's webcam at J. Fred Johnson Stadium, people are enjoying sledding down the hill inside the stadium, with Fort Henry Drive in the background.

Douglass Alumni Board meeting rescheduled

 

Because of snowy weather, the regularly monthly meeting of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association Board scheduled for Saturday, January 11, 2025 has been postponed.  The meeting will be re-scheduled for a later date.

Please check back here for that new meeting date.

Send your Condolences to the Carter Family in Memory of the late former President Jimmy Carter

 

Click here to visit the official Jimmy Carter memorial and to leave condolences for the family.

Kwanzaa: Giving Thanks for the Harvest of the Good in Life

 

 

Merry Christmas, but what ever happened to........

Here's hoping that all the alumni of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, the descendants, the friends, neighbors and all those who love and was raised in and around the Douglass High School, have a wonderful 2024 holiday season.  

But just taking a nostalgic walk through the Riverview neighborhood and along Dale and Maple Streets 'cross town on Christmas Eve night can be very emotional.  I remembered back in the day how the Riverview community hummed on a single night as special as the one on Christmas Eve.

Let your minds travel back a few years.  Your imagination is knocking at the back  door.  What ever happened to...

...holiday lights on little hedges outside front doors... every house had inside lights on.... front windows would be adorned with the Christmas tree... some front windows would have green trees with lights of every color showcased.... 

Whatever happened to front windows with silver trees with single color lights, either red, blue, green, and at least one, all gold lights.  Some of them would even be flashing!  

Whatever happened to the Christmas music playing from a couple of houses that you could hear from the street?

Whatever happened to the smell of gingerbread, cakes and pies what some of our mothers of Riverview would be making for dinner tomorrow, or the church's Christmas get-together tomorrow afternoon?  You could smell the gingerbread and the apple spice cakes from the sidewalk outside.

Whatever happened to all of the cars parked at some houses, indicating that somebody has come home to visit for Christmas?  The cars with the Georgia, Ohio, New York, Illinois license plates?  The cars with the Knox, Davidson and Shelby County, Tennessee license plates?  "So glad so-and-so made it home safely for Christmas."

The Oakwood Market (especially the one on Eastman Road), the Little Store, the Giant Food store... they'd all sell out of hams and turkeys because our folks would make sure they had plenty of food, not just for their own families, but for friends in the neighborhood.

And what of Christmas day?  Whatever happened to the youngsters riding their brand new tricycles and bicycles up and down the streets, always between 8 AM and 11 AM Christmas morning?  If you were driving over to see your sister or your aunt and uncle 'cross town to open presents, be careful... kids were darting those new bikes all around the parked cars.

Whatever happened to the phone calls from folks who couldn't make it home to experience a Christmas celebration at home in Riverview?

A stroll through Riverview at Christmas time these days, could be like a stroll through any neighborhood in Kingsport.  Mostly, everything is quiet and serene, except for the low hum of Eastman.  Brings tears to the eyes as we remember the family atmosphere we all shared.  Our hearts go out to the ones amongst us who are celebrating the birth of Jesus with the Man himself.  Our neighborhood Christmases were special.  It always took a neighborhood to celebrate our Christmases.  Has it really been that long ago?  

What ever happened to...

The Second Book in Mama Jill Ellis' Series about Growing Up at Rotherwood is now out!

We are happy to pass along this announcement from the Ellis family... Craig says, the second book in the series "Denny at Rotherwood" is now available, this one "Christmas at Rotherwood."

Click here and go to the bottom of the page to order the book!  

We miss 'Mama' Jill.  She lives in our hearts.

Local restaurant owned by Riverview native closes its doors

 

BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Eatz Uptown, formerly recognized as Eatz on Moore Street, in Bristol, Tennessee announced its permanent closure this week.

A social media post by business owner Mark Canty said that after 23 years in operation, he has decided to close the State Street restaurant due to health and economic reasons.

The establishment thanked its patrons over the years.

"Eatz Uptown restaurant is saddened to announce its closure after 23 years of being an integral part of the Bristol community. Due to health and economic reasons, owner Mark Canty has made the difficult decision to close the doors at his new location. The restaurant would like to express its deepest gratitude to friends and neighbors for their loyal support throughout the years. Eatz Uptown will continue to operate after Thanksgiving through Sunday and wishes everyone a happy and relaxing holiday season."

Eatz Uptown

 

Sons and Daughters of Douglass Regular Board Meeting

 

The Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Board will hold its regularly-scheduled meeting on Saturday, November 9, 2024.

The meeting will be held at 11:00 AM, in the Eastman Conference Room of the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Tower, 301 Louis Street, Kingsport.

James Artis Henderson, Jr. remembrance

 

James Ardis Henderson, Jr., known affectionally as "Jr," passed away on October 10, 2024 at home.   He was 63 years old. 

He is preceded in death by his parents, James A. Henderson, Sr.and Cecilia Mae (Tucker) Henderson, and by a nephew, Justin Machen. 

Survivors include sister Audrey Faye Henderson, sister Milicent (Eric) Mack, of Georgia, his fraternal twin Willie Thomas Henderson, of California and sister Karen (Jerry) Machen of Gray, Tennessee as well as nephews, one niece, uncles, cousins and other relatives and friends. 

Arrangements are being handled by Clark Funeral Chapel & Cremation Service, Inc. in Kingsport.  A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov 2 @ 11 am at Clark's Funeral Chapel, located at 802 E Sevier St in Kingsport.

His remains will be interred at the VA in Mountain Home, Tennessee (Johnson City). 

Riverview Fall Clean-up Breaks Record: The LOWEST Trash-Litter Amount Collected in 30+ Years

 

One community says 'no more litter' and apparently the message is getting across.  The annual Fall trash and litter neighborhood collection in Riverview collected the lowest amount of litter gathered in more than 30 years of the bi-annual event.  

"It is absolutely a testament to the community that puts forth a positive effort into making its streets and public areas free of trash," says Sharon Hayes, director of the Keep Kingsport Beautiful campaign.  "Based on past community collection drives, I expected to see a lot more trash and litter today, discarded paper, liquor bottles, even syringes.  We didn't see any of that today.  Mainly for me, it's been just cigarette butts."

New Kingsport Mayor Paul Montgomery noticed that, too, as he picked up litter with former Mayor Pat Shull and current alderman and vice mayor Darrell Duncan.  "I picked up more cigarette butts than anything else and one empty pop bottle," he said.  "But I'm not surprised at the success of keeping the neighborhood free of trash and litter.  You can see the pride that people have in the neighborhood with the well-kept lawns."

Normally, the twice-a-year pickup campaigns will collect at least two tons of trash and litter for Kingsport Public Works crews, but this year, the amount was less than a ton.  

36 volunteers fanned out on the streets of Riverview and also the Dale-East Sevier-Maple and Oak Street areas.  The entire collection process took about an hour.

"We were glad to have the people that gave of their time on a beautiful Saturday morning," said South Central Kingsport Community Development director Johnnie Mae Swagerty.  "There was wonderful fellowship and we had a great lunch afterwards.  Our next litter collection activity will be in April and we're hoping that the weekend's event will start a trend of getting others involved in keeping their own neighborhoods free from unsightly litter, too."

"I think the trend is there," Mayor Montgomery said.  "I don't think it would be difficult to keep it going and growing, since South Central Kingsport does such a good job of promoting and emphasizing its program to local residents."

"We do hope the no-littering trend spreads to other neighborhoods in Kingsport through cleanups," says Hayes.  "We'd love for other neighborhoods to "pick up" on it (pardon the pun).  If we can share the good news of how beautiful the neighborhoods of Kingsport look free of litter, let it be contagious."

 

To get information on how to organize litter cleanups in your Kingsport neighborhood, email Hayes at   shayes@kingsportchamber.org or call (423) 392-8814.

Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Board Meeting

 

The Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association Board will meet in regular session on Saturday, October 12, 2024.

The meeting will be held in the Eastman Board room of the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex, 301 Louis Street, Kingsport, TN at 11 AM.

It's an open agenda with just a few things to discuss.

Please plan to be there and help our Board with important decisions that affect the organization and its involvement in the community.

Brenda Clark remembrance

 

Ms. Brenda M. Clark, a daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend passed away peacefully on September 26, 2024. Brenda was preceded in death by her father, Mr. William R. Clark; grandparents; Mr. & Mrs. James H. Clark, Sr., Mr. Wilmer L. Brown, Sr., and Ms. Caroline Hall. 

Brenda was born in Kingsport, Tennessee to William and Constance Clark and graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School. She worked as a bank teller for several years as well as a secretary for many years before being put on disability.

Brenda was a sassy ball of fire from a very young age. She was a very giving, independent, vivacious woman with a heart of gold. There was NOTHING in this world that she would not have done for Kayla who was her partner in crime or for William who was her entire world. 

Brenda will be deeply missed by her beloved daughter, Kayla L. Clark (Corey T. Harless), Church Hill, TN; her beloved grandson, William R.C. Harless, Church Hill, TN; her mother, Constance G. Clark, Kingsport, TN; her brother, Carl G. (Janie) Cornett; Kingsport, TN; her sisters, Sonya L. Clark; Church Hill, TN, and Carmen R. Clark; Gray, TN; her niece, Paris R. Cornett, Atlanta, GA; two aunts Frances L. Graves, Kingsport, TN and Ethel Wilson, Philadelphia, PA; three uncles, Thomas A. (Teresa) Brown, Bristol, TN, Charles T. Smith, Charlotte, NC; and George Hall, Philadelphia, PA as well as her Godmother, Jessie M. Dennis, Kingsport, TN. 
Brenda also leaves behind a host of cousins (most who were like siblings) and friends.

The visitation will be held at the Central Baptist Church, 301 Carver Street, Kingsport on Saturday, October 5, 2024 from 12 Noon to 1 PM.  The Celebration of Life will be held right after from 1 PM to 2 PM at the church.

“Missing you isn’t the problem…It’s knowing that you’re never coming back that causes so much pain.”

Professional care of the Clark family provided by Clark Funeral Chapel and Cremation Service, 802-806 East Sevier Avenue, Kingsport, TN 37660.

'Healing of Rotherwood' brings descendants of slaves, slave owners together

 

This story courtesy the Kingsport Times-News, text by Anna Adams.  Pictures by Anna Adams and Calvin Sneed.

KINGSPORT — Forgiveness, healing, history -these were just a few words attendees used todescribe the “Healing of Rotherwood” reunion of descendants of former slaves and slave owners who lived at the mansion and former plantation.

The reunion on Saturday was at the Rotherwood Mansion. It was not open to the public, and 125 people were on the list to attend. On the warm, sunny afternoon, people mingled, listened to music, dined together and learned about their shared history.

Dr. Lenita Thibault, owner of Rotherwood Mansion, said it was an honor to host the reunion.

“In my opinion, knowing and acknowledging our history and all its messiness and its contradictions, it’s good and it’s bad, is vital to achieving any type of reconciliation and healing,” she said.

On the behalf of the city, Mayor Paul Montgomery proclaimed Sept. 21, 2024, as “Reunion Day for Descendants of Slaves and Slave Owners.”

“It’s important that we all look at unity all the time and see how we can do this together, because we find sometimes that we’re more alike than we’re different,” Montgomery said while addressing the attendees.

Before food was served, many people spoke of the importance of the day and the impact it had.

“Healing of Rotherwood is a part of God’s plan for healing of Kingsport and healing of Tri-Cities, healing of this region and beyond,” the Rev. Doug Tweed said.

Gospel group 4Him performed two songs for the attendees as they watched and clapped to the music.

“Today, we are healed,” singer Ron Carson said.

Extensive History

Calvin Sneed, a direct descendant of slaves who took the name Stafford before the Civil War, detailed the history of the land and mansion.

He said those listening should take everything with a grain of salt. He was told most of the information, or read about it in articles, as the history was not written down.

“There are lessons to be learned from history,” Sneed said, “no matter how you learn it.”

From the Archives of Kingsport

In 1817, Frederick Ross inherited the land in Kingsport next to the Holston River. This was most likely when slaves were brought to it, and they did the farm work and worked in the iron mill, Sneed said.

From the Archives of Kingsport

Ross built Rotherwood Mansion, naming it after a mansion in “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott, Sneed said, and the slaves lived in what was called Rotherwood Heights, across the road.

“He [Ross] was kind to his slaves, and he freed many of them before the Civil War,” Sneed said.

Things changed around 1850, when Ross lost money and sold the property to his bookkeeper, Joshua Phipps. Sneed said through his research, Phipps is remembered as a cruel slave owner who beat the slaves and offered reward money to those who captured runaway slaves.

Slaves were beaten so badly they could not work the next day, Sneed said he read, and a room in the house had stocks to put slaves in.

The history of the slaves and slave owners is evident in the area. Sneed’s ancestors, the Staffords, divided the plantation land into lots.

“You’ll find at least three streets named after families who lived there: Watterson Street, Gray Avenue, Stafford Street,” Sneed said.

Many descendants stayed in East Tennessee.

“One part of the former slave family that took the name Ross settled down here in Rogersville,” Sneed said. “And yes, indeed, the story is true, they are the ancestors of Diana Ross, the singer, actress and lead singer of The Supremes.”

Although the history is hard to hear, Sneed said it is important to recognize events from the past.

“No matter what, we have to reconcile and acknowledge simply because it makes us better people,” Sneed said. “I don’t have any animosity about what I found out and what I told you today. God has put the knowledge in my heart, and God has put forgiveness in my heart. Something bad happened here, but something good happened here today.”

Impact

People who attended the reunion were impacted in their own ways.

Jane Marie Robinson, mistress of ceremony and descendant of Victoria Phipps, a slave under Joshua Phipps, said when she was younger, the only history she learned was what her parents told her. It sparked her curiosity.

“As far as I am concerned it [the reunion] is a closure of curiosity,” she said of the event.

Reunion organizer Tacia Green is also a descendant of Victoria Phipps. Before the reunion, she said she hoped it would bring “peace, love and history.” During the event, she confirmed it was a success.

“I am very well pleased,” Green said, “and I am thankful to the Lord that it is going as well as it is.”

Green was brought up knowing parts of her history. She said she never had any bitterness, but she did have curiosity and hurt.

“I had questions as to why,” she said.

Although the reunion could not answer those questions, she said it brought her hope for healing and love.

“[People] should view this as a hopeful event,” Green said. “Hopeful that one day we will all be one race, and one group of people, no division.”

Mark Fleenor, direct descendant of slave owner Joshua Phipps attended the reunion and brought portraits of Joshua’s daughter, husband and child. Joshua Phipps was Fleenor’s great-great-great-grandfather.

Fleenor said he was taught some of the history, but never expected he would meet with descendants of slaves on the same property.

“I feel wonderful; it’s opening my eyes to wider history and connections of families in East Tennessee that we’ve not talked about enough and need to,” Fleenor said.

At the reunion, Fleenor ran into Jill Rich. They looked surprised and then exchanged a hug. Rich said their kids grew up together, and she had not seen Fleenor in about 10 years.

Rich is a descendant of Ann Bachman, Joshua Phipp’s second wife, Fleenor said. Before the reunion, they did not know they were related.

“I’m thrilled,” Rich said. She said it made the event worth coming to.

What’s next

Researching and learning his past helped Sneed understand who he is as a person.

“I love these people, because they are my new family,” Sneed said. “They are the family I never knew I had.”

Sneed said he hopes the reunion can be done again, and open it up to the public next time.

“I feel like I’m family with these guys here; I feel like we’re all a part of a family in Kingsport that most people never even knew about, and finding out about that family is a good thing,” Sneed said. “I’m gung-ho; I want to do it again.”

Stand by for more pictures of the "Healing of Rotherwood" on this page

"Rotherwood - The Healing" Event Itinerary

 

                  "Rotherwood - The Healing"

                                   Itinerary

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Friday, September 20, 2024

2 PM to 3:30 PM - Participants with invitations can pick-up their tee-shirt at the Riverview Community Center, Wheatley Street by the Pickleball Courts, Kingsport, TN 37660.  Please wear the shirts at the event on Saturday the next day, so that you can be recognized as a Rotherwood descendant. 

Saturday, September 21, 2024 

1:30 PM - Shuttle will begin to take participants to the event at the Rotherwood Mansion.   The shuttle will take you to the event and back to your car. The two shuttle pickup locations where you can park will be:

1. The Latter Day Saints Church, 100 Canongate Road, Kingsport.  (going out Netherland Inn Road from downtown, cross the Holston River, go past Rotherwood Drive on the left, and take the next left on Canongate Road--the church parking lot is on the right).

2. Crossroads Methodist Church, 200 Bays Cove Trail, Kingsport , Additional Parking (also going out Netherland Inn Road from downtown, cross the Holston River, go past the Latter Day Saints Church on Netherland Inn Road on the left, go past the May Cove apartments, and take the next left onto Bays Cove Trail--the church parking lot is on your right).

3.  If you're coming from Mt. Carmel-Church Hill-Rogersville, from West Stone Drive going towards Kingsport, take Netherland Inn Road, then take the second driveway to the right  and come around the Crossroads Methodist Church to the parking lot.  To get to the Latter Day Saints Church, go past the Crossroads Methodist Church on the right, and come down to the red-bridge Latter Day church also on the right.

Please be patient in waiting for the shuttles to return from dropping people off.

4. If you have a handicap decal/license plate, handicapped parking will be provided at the Rotherwood Mansion grounds.

The event begins at 2 PM

   Please follow the program as printed on your invitation

*A NOTE FROM OUR ROTHERWOOD HOST, DR. LENITA THIBAULT:

*"Be very careful on the property, as the lawn and gravel drive are uneven.  Steps to the gazebo are a bit steep and there are no hand rails.  Additionally, there may be some loose bricks along sidewalks and steps."

*"The front and side porches of the house also do not have hand rails, so there is a potential fall hazard there - please be careful!"

*"ONLY the first floor of the mansion will be open for viewing.  Please also watch your step inside as the floors are not always level, going from one room into another."  

*"Entrance into the house will be the door in the middle (facing the circular driveway).  The front door facing the river where the columns are and the three French doors on the south side will not be open.  Please follow the directions.  The side door that faces the small guest house is for CATERERS only."

*"Two bathrooms will be available on the first floor."

*"I hope to have a few pictures and information about the rooms, giving some history as well as an idea of what the house looked like 33+ years ago when I moved here, and before or during the renovation process.  There will not be any scheduled or guided tours, so feel free to take time to look around."

*"Three people who will be wearing blue t-shirts with a picture of the house and the word "staff" written on them.  Please feel free to ask them for help if needed (for example, directions to the bathrooms, etc).  They can help you or can get in touch with me as needed.  And of course feel free to ask me any questions (although I can't absolutely guarantee I will have answers, but will try my best!"). 

*"The small guest house outside will NOT be open."

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Forgiveness is something Christ requires of you, no matter what the other person does. Forgiveness means that you sincerely, from the heart, cancel the other person’s debt against you personally. It involves repenting of any sinful anger and refusing to harbor bitterness against the person who has sinned against you. Forgiving means you promise to let go of the personal aspect of the offense and refuse to obsess over it.

                                   ---Pastor Tom Hicks, Sr. Pastor, First Baptist                                                Church, Clinton, Louisiana, MDv and PhD,                                                Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

          

          Rotherwood - The Healing