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Friday, December 27, 2013

DB Band Trip to the 2014 Rose Bowl Parade: A Trip Delight Fantastic for One Band Member




The third time is the charm for the Dobyns-Bennett Band of Kingsport.

Twice before, in 2002 and in 2007, the D-B band has been invited to the annual Rose Bowl parade in Pasedena, California.

This year's trip will include 33 African-American band members, many of them descendants of Douglass High School alumni.

 
"As long as you're good at what you do," says 16-year old Stefan Beco, "you're in the band and you're part of the band family. It's good name recognition all over the world for Kingsport, and for us, it helps put Riverview on the map. I love my community and this is the way of keeping the right word for the African-American community in Kingsport. That's important, too."

Beco, the son of Melinda and Jonathan Clayton of Kingsport, goes to the Mt. Zion Holiness Church on Dunbar Street in Kingsport. He has played both clarinet and bass clarinet since 6th grade.

"The best thing I like about playing in the D-B Band," he says, "are the trips we get to take, and getting to socialize with friends. The band is one big family, it's like my second home. It's the play I'm at, a lot of the day."

And while Stefan is socializing with friends... he's also trying to remember the notes.

"When I play, I'm always thinking of keeping the rhythm right," he says. "Sometimes it can be hard.. some songs we've heard before and we know what the rhythm is right, what the tempo is and how the song is supposed to feel. It helps a little bit whenever you're sight-reading a new song. It can be hard sometimes."

It's no secret that D-B band director Lafe Cook is one of the best high school band leaders around. Does he ever lose his temper?

"Yeah, sometimes," says Stefan, "but it's usually when he needs to. He hears something that doesn't sound right, and if you don't get it right after a while, he gets on you about it, especially at band practice. But it just makes us sound better. Band practices are long, hot, sweaty and hard."

"Practice, practice, practice. Practice is important."


Money is important, too. It takes money to get the entire Dobyns-Bennett Band to Pasedena, California and keep them there up until the parade. It costs $1,700 dollars for each D-B band member to make the chartered round trip from Tri-Cities Regional Airport to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), and back. The cost includes meals and hotel accomodations.

The band has had several fund-raising campaigns to raise money for the trip. Most of that has been raised, including a $500 dollar donation from the Sons and Daughters of Douglass, and contributions from the New Vision Youth and other groups, businesses, churches and private donations from in and around Kingsport.

Stefan himself is the proud recipient of $300 dollars from fund-raising efforts by the New Vision Youth, of which he is a member. "I'm appreciative of my friends raising money for me," he says.

Stefan says, going to the Rose Bowl helps Kingsport get known around the country, and it also puts D-B in the spotlight. The band is one of 12 participating bands. 100 schools applied for 35 spots, and the 12 bands were chosen from that.

Once they arrive in Pasedena, all the bands will take part in a band fest, and a post-parade showcase of all the floats.

"We going to have fun," Stefan says. "I can't wait."


From David Golden at the parade
The DB Band marching in the Rose Bowl Parade, January 1. 2014



UPDATE, SATURDAY DECEMBER 28, 2013
This story courtesy the Kingsport Times-News

Westward ho!
Dobyns-Bennett band heading to Pasadena for Rose Bowl Parade

By RICK WAGNER
rwagner@timesnews.net

BLOUNTVILLE — Look out, Golden State! Kingsport’s Dobyns-Bennett High School Marching Band is headed your way.
The Northeast Tennessee band is to perform in the 125th Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, Calif., New Year’s morning, making it what Tournament of Roses 2013-14 Chairman Scott Jenkins has said is the only high school band in history to have some of the same classes of students perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York — in 2011; a presidential inauguration parade in Washington, D.C., — 2013; and the planned Rose Parade appearance to kick off 2014.

D-B is among 12 high school bands scheduled to be in this edition of the parade and also marched in 2002 and 2007. High school bands are limited to performing no more than once every four years.


Seniors’ last march before 350 million viewers

Lindsey Engle, a 17-year-old senior and drum major for the band, said the band members have worked hard practicing for the parade.

Behind the scenes, fundraising events made the trip possible. A gala event in the fall raised more than $80,000 for the trip to help students who otherwise couldn’t afford to go. The annual fruit and cheese sale generated more than $100,000 for the trip. The trip costs about $1,700 per student for transportation, rooms and most meals.

Engle said some families with more than one child in the band may have had trouble getting the money together.

Director Lafe Cook said about 330 band members would march.

“I have never been to California before. I’m excited about it,” said Rebecca Brewer, 17 and a senior piccolo player.

Mark Marcus, a senior band parent in charge of publicity for the band, said an 11th-hour addition to the marching is a 52-second opportunity to bring a little part of the band’s 2013 halftime show to California.

“We practiced some of that and we got to practice some of our general parade route along the route,” Lindsey said of a Dec. 10 practice session along a section of Center Street near D-B. The street was temporarily closed to traffic while school was still in session.

“I’m really excited to be able to put that uniform on one more time and play great music,” said 17-year-old senior Kevin Marcus, son of Mark Marcus. He is the trumpet section leader.

“We just worked our butts off this year,” Kevin said. “I’m really looking forward to get out to California to represent Kingsport.”

The band will play an abbreviated version of the Blues Brothers Soul Man from the half-time show and do a marching routine Band Director Lafe Cook designed especially for the parade.

That performance will take place during a halt in the marching near the intersection of Colorado Street and Orange Avenue.

Television coverage in the United States is to include ABC, NBC, HGTV, RFDTV, the Hallmark Channel, Los Angeles station KTLA, Univision and FamilyNet.

Jenkins said parade viewership is estimated at 800,000 along the parade route and almost 57 million U.S. TV viewers, with an estimated worldwide audience of about 350 million viewers.


Parade to include Adam Lively float memorial

Also included in the parade, near the 29th slot D-B’s band will hold, will be a floral memorial for late D-B graduate Adam Fletcher Lively. The memorial will be part of the 2014 Donate Life America Float at the Rose Parade.

Kingsport native and 1994 D-B graduate Lively was part of the choral department’s show choir and went on to study philosophy at East Tennessee State University.

However, on a rainy evening of Jan. 16, 1998, Lively and his friends were returning to ETSU when the driver swerved to avoid hitting an animal and lost control of the car. The vehicle rolled, causing Adam to sustain a severe head injury.

He died four days later, but six weeks before the accident had told his mother, Barbara, he wanted to be an organ donor. “The Adam we knew was gone,” said his father, Dave. His mother, Barbara, said: “It was a decision that we have never regretted.”

His gift saved the lives of five people and improved the quality of life for more than 50 more, according to a news release from Tennessee Donor Services. Every year, the Donate Life America Rose Parade Committee selects honorees for its parade float.

The theme for this year’s float is Light Up The World. Tennessee Donor Services is an official sponsor of the float and is sending Lively’s parents to Pasadena to be a part of the festivities and celebrate his life and gift.


‘Departing at Gate 3 ...’

The Tribe band is to leave Saturday morning from Tri-Cities Regional Airport in two chartered jets and return there Friday morning, Jan. 3.

Marcus said the main part of the entourage will leave at 9 a.m. from the general aviation hangar in a 747 carrying 452 students, chaperones and staff.

Marcus said the plane had to fly out of general aviation because of its size and that the only other time a plane that large has flown in and out of Tri-Cities was for a presidential visit of Air Fore One.

A 737 carrying 143 “band fans,” which Marcus said were mostly parents and some chaperones, will leave at 8 a.m. that day through the main airport.

That makes for 595 people, but eight more are arriving by alternative travel for a total of 603.

On Jan. 3, the 737 is to return at 6:55 a.m, followed by the 747 set to touch down at 7 a.m.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Kingsport Chamber of Commerce Dinner Reservations

FROM ALUMNI PRESIDENT DOUG RELEFORD

If you are still making plans to attend the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce Dinner and Dance, please get your money to Vicki Smith by January 3, 2014.

We will need a head count of the number of people that are going.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Pancake Breakfast to Feature Former DB Athletes

The New Vision Youth is having a pancake breakfast on Saturday, December 28, 2013 at the Appleby's on Stone Drive, from 8 AM to 10 AM.

All proceeds will go to the Kitchen of Hope in Kingsport.

Current UT football players Devaun Swafford and Malik Foremen, Track star and Para-Olympian sensation Blake Leeper, former UT and NFL player Teddy Gaines and current UT-Chattanooga player Brenton Leeper will all be there to help dish out pancakes. Thanks to these star athletes who are coming home to give back to the community.

The first 10 people for breakfast, will receive a signed UT Vols piggy bank, signed by all the athletes.

Tickets are $5.00.

For more information, call Johnnie Mae Swagerty (423) 429-7553 or Jacquetta Hale (423) 570-4651.

Please come out and support the New Vision Youth and current/past UT athletes as they lend a hand to Kingsport's "Kitchen of Hope" ministry.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

"Oh What A Tangled Web" -- of Snow!

Areas of snow keep popping up in Riverview as the season moves on.

During one this past Wednesday, December 11th, the snow and a little ice coated a spider web on a fence in Willie Hodges' backyard.

He was able to grab a picture before it melted.

He also noted that, in a rare occurance, it snowed enough to cover the ground in one part of Riverview, but not in the other part. That's never happened before. It's always been, either all of the neighborhood, or none of it.




This is probably a sign of things to come this winter.

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening."

"A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight."

"Walking in a winter wonderland."

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Healthy Appetites: 2013 Riverview Seniors Christmas Dinner


A cold, cloudy, slightly rainy day in Riverview did not dampen the Christmas enthusium at the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex in Kingsport this past Saturday night, December 7, 2013.

About 87 friends, neighbors, relatives and well-wishers attended the annual Christmas dinner for seniors held in the Douglass Community Room.

Seniors were treated to baked chicken, green beans, new potatoes, apple cobbler and punch. Visitors didn't have to lift a finger except to eat.. the New Vision Youth served as waiters and waitresses, delivering plates to each senior seated at the tables.

Afterward, the New Vision Youth performed for the group, and at various times, prizes were given away from names drawn.

The Riverview Seniors Christmas Dinner was sponsored by South Central Kingsport Community Development, Van Dobbins, Jr., New Vision Youth, and the Kingsport Parks and Recreation department.

Please enjoy pictures from the Christmas Dinner taken by your website editor.



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

R.I.P President Nelson Mandela



Upon the passing of South African President Nelson Mandela:

President Obama Delivers a Statement on the Passing of Nelson Mandela. Please click here.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Attention Clay Hill Children: Your input is needed

TO EVERYBODY WHO USED TO PLAY UP ON CLAY HILL: I need your input for a story that I am doing on Clay Hill, once "Riverview's First Unofficial Playground."

I'm doing a story on the future of the area.

If you have any remembrances at all of going up on Clay Hill to play, please send them to me.

What did you and your neighborhood friends do while up there?

What activities do you remember doing? Did you have any pets that you kept up there?

How much trouble did you get into, for going up on Clay Hill?

Please send your responses to: douglassriverview@gmail.com as soon as possible.

And please elaborate... no one or two sentence answers. The fun that many of us had on Clay Hill back in the day, was much longer than just two sentences. Go into detail. Tell me things about your friends when you all played up there.

Once you've sent me your responses, I'll tell you why I need them.

Thanks in advance!


Calvin, Your Website Editor

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Kingsport chooses site for ballfields: Riverview to be directly impacted

The exact site of the new ballfields will be adjacent to Dunbar Street in Riverview

THIS STORY COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS

By MATTHEW LANE
mlane@timesnews.net  

KINGSPORT — Kingsport has selected the General Shale property as the site for its new softball/baseball complex, while the next step will be to firm up a better cost estimate for the project.

The current Eastman ballfields across from the Eastman Headquarters on Wilcox Drive

When Eastman Chemical Co. announced its $1.6 billion “Project Inspire” reinvestment plan earlier this year, the plan included a new corporate office building on the site of its existing ballfields on Wilcox Drive.

Eastman asked Kingsport to build a replacement complex and incorporate the company’s softball league into the city’s parks and recreation department. In a recent bond issuance, Kingsport earmarked $2.9 million for the project.

Kingsport formed a committee of city staff, Eastman employees and Kingsport Convention and Visitors Bureau officials to develop a plan for how existing city fields would accommodate the old Eastman league and recommend a design and site for the new ballfield complex.

Chris McCartt, assistant to the city manager, gave an update on the project to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Monday, saying the committee’s recommendation is to go with the General Shale property off Industry Drive.

The committee kept a number of things in mind when looking at the 17 possible sites, from being able to accommodate a four-field, wagon-wheel design, to proximity to people, retail, restaurants and major employers to its ability to expand with a fifth field at some point in the future.

“We want to replace what we’ve lost, but we don’t want to put ourselves in a position where we could not expand down the road,” McCartt said.

Other considerations included the development costs for the site, the fields having a minimum depth of 325 feet and the complex being able to accommodate tournaments as well, McCartt said.

From the 17 sites, the committee narrowed the list down to seven possibilities — the General Shale property, behind Hunter Wright Stadium, off Rock Springs Drive, the Christ Fellowship location, behind Kmart and near both Walmart locations. The seven sites were then run through a matrix that ranked each one based on the preferred criteria.

“Behind Kmart, no question the location is fantastic. However, there is tremendous difficulty squeezing in 300-foot fences and there’s very little room for expansion and parking,” McCartt said. “Christ Fellowship property ... while having the whole site set up for park space is really nice, when you look at grading and road construction, there would need to be a tremendous amount of money before we get out of the ground.”

With the General Shale property, McCartt said the city had a willing seller and the potential to spur additional activity to downtown due to its proximity to people and Kingsport’s major employers. A fifth field could easily be added to the complex as well.

Under the proposal, Kingsport intends to build four fields on the site — three at 325 feet and one at 350 feet with terrace seating to accommodate baseball if necessary.

Up next would be for the Kingsport Economic Development Board to purchase the property and proceed with the design development phase, which would give the city a better cost estimate for the project.

McCartt said the tentative timeline would be to go out to bid on the project in February, start construction by mid-April and begin play in April 2015. The site would be prepped for a fifth field and related parking.

The selection of the General Shale property does not come as a big surprise.

In September, the BMA approved an option agreement on 98 acres of the General Shale property at a purchase price of $2.77 million. City leaders envision using 30 to 40 acres of the property for the ballfield complex with most of the remaining land being eyed as a potential site for an industrial park, thus the KEDB’s involvement in the deal.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

2013 Kingsport Christmas Parade


'Tis the season.. for the annual Kingsport Christmas Parade.

The community of Riverview was well represented in the annual event, with a float from the Mt. Zion Holiness Church.

"This is our first year," says church member Lavonda Harris. "It was our Pastor's idea. Dr. Lester L. Turner, and it really turned out nice. It gives great joy to do this."


As church members got their first-ever float ready for the parade, the message from the church to the parade watchers is clear.. to let everyone know that Jesus is the Savior of the world!



Meanwhile, down at the parade site downtown, members of the New Vision Youth were getting ready to stuff Christmas bags with toys and goodies to hand out to children who came to see Santa Claus. The New Vision Youth have done that for several years.

The Kingsport Christmas Parade is the culmination of a day-long event -- the annual Santa Claus Train. From Elkhorn City to Kingsport, Santa and his "helpers" ride the rails of the route of the old Clinchfield Railroad (now CSX), passing out toys, school supplies and other Christmas gifts to the children of Appalachia.


 This year, Santa's guest celebrity was singer Kree Harrison of "American Idol" fame. The runner up from Idol Season 12 was recently seen on the annual Country Music Awards, making her debut on the Grand Ole Opry a few months ago.


The Santa Train is sponsored by CSX Transportation, the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, Food City, and Dignity U Wear, and began 71 years ago as a way for Kingsport’s merchants to say thanks to all the folks along the train’s route for shopping in the Model City during the year.

The city of Kingsport has two major parades a year.. the 4th of July parade, and the Christmas parade. Thousands of people line up along the route from the Clinchfield train station as it winds through downtown to Center Street, then south to Cumberland Street. In addition to the bags packed by the New Vision Youth, candy and other goodies were handed out along the way.

Everybody loves a parade, so let the festivities begin and a Merry Christmas to all!

Welcome to the pictures taken by your Douglass reporter/photographer of the 2013 Kingsport Christmas Parade


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.