Friendly Fire

PICTURES COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS



At right... Ayana Benton, age 3, aims with the zebra water sprayer at the Riverview Splash Pad earlier this week.

Children playing to beat the heat at the Splash Pad, which is an automated, jungle-themed water playground, located at 1101 Martin Luther King Blvd. in Kingsport.

Long-time residents will recognize the Splash Pad as the site of the old Riverview Swimming Pool.
















There is no admission charge to the Splash Pad, which is open through the summer.

Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Board Meeting

The Sons and Daughters of Douglass will be meeting this Saturday, May 30, 2015, at 1:00 p.m., in the Eastman board room in the V. O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex.
We'll discuss the upcoming Reunion plans.  Please put on your calendars and all with business before the Board, come and be heard.

Douglas S. Releford
Alumni Board President

Pancake Breakfast This Coming Saturday

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Banking Questions? Get Them Answered Here!

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Passing of Dr. Dana Swick

FOR THOSE DOUGLASS ALUMNI WHO REMEMBER DR. DANA SWICK, FORMER SUPERINTENDENT OF THE KINGSPORT CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM... HE PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK IN MURFREESBORO:

Dr. Dana F. Swick, passed away Thursday, May 7, 2015. He was the son of the late Thomas F. and Audrey F. Swick. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sisters, Lucille Warner and Grace Wiley; son, The Reverend Dana Craig Swick; brother, Lewis. 

Surviving are his loving wife, Donna; sons, Brent (Carol), Kirk (Mary Dee); daughter, Janeen; 4 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; 3 nieces and 4 nephews.

Born in Berne, Ohio he worked for forty years in education. He earned his Ph.D. at Northwestern and was later invited to do post doctoral work at Columbia and Harvard. He taught in the Ohio Public Schools and in the Mathematics Department at Ohio University. Dr. Swick was a Superintendent and Director of Instruction in Kingsport, Tennessee, Director of Instruction for the Metro-Nashville public schools, Superintendent of Worthington Public Schools, Superintendent in Murfreesboro City Schools and a superintendent of schools for 23 years and head of the Division of Education at George Peabody College in Nashville. 

Dr. Swick was a Danforth Fellow, served as chairman of Florida committee to study public education in the state, worked for the U.S. Office of Education and did consulting work for various South Eastern U.S. School systems. 

Awards and honors also included President of the Tennessee Education Association, Chairman of the Tennessee Superintendents Study Council, Treasurer of the American Association of School Administrators, a member of the first Board of Directors of the A.A.S.A. National Academy for School Executives and invitation to the first three I.D.E.A. Conferences held for superintendents whose school systems were on the leading edge of promising innovative educational programs. 

He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps for three and half years during World War II. Dana served his church as an Usher, Treasurer, and member of the stewardship and finance committees and was co-chairman of the administrative board. 

Dr. Swick will be buried in his home town cemetery at Berne Carlisle, Ohio.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude's Hospital, Memphis, TN, St. Josephs Indian School, Chamberlain, SD 57326 or to the Building Fund of the First United Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, TN.

Private arrangements were entrusted to Reeb Funeral Home, Sylvania, OH, where online condolences may be offered to the family at reebfuneralhome.com.
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dnj/obituary.aspx?n=dana-f-swick&pid=174836748&fhid=6347#sthash.Jqy8LAcD.dpuf

Douglass Alumni Fish Fry This Weekend & Big Reunion Meeting

Douglass Alumni and Riverview Residents... Please don't forget the fish fry this Saturday, May 16, 2015 at the shelter in the V.O. Dobbins field. We hope to get started about 11:00 a.m.

Also, the Sons and Daughters of Douglass will be the host for the 4th organizational meeting of former black schools for the Golden Gathering Reunion 2015.  We  will meet at the V. O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex in the Douglass Community Room, also at 11:00 a.m.

If you'd like to attend, please feel free to come and lend your voices to help organize what will be the largest Reunion of former black schools in upper East Tennessee and SW Virginia.  The meeting is open to every one.

Douglas S. Releford

Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, Inc.

Blake Leeper delivers surprise for Mother’s Day

Kingsport Native, Mom Appear in Commercial

THIS STORY COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS

By Marci Gore
mgore@timesnews.net

KINGSPORT - Mother's day came a little early for Edith Leeper this year.

Edith, a nurse at Holston Medical Group, is Blake Leeper's mom.  Blake was born without legs from the knees down and has worn prosthetics since he was 16 months old.

Blake has always credited his parents with instilling in him the strong mind-set he possesses today.

In fact, the 2007 Dobyns-Bennett graduate started intensively running in 2008 after the Challenged Athlete Foundation presented him with a grant with state-of-the-art blade prosthetics.  He won a silver medal in the 2012 Paralympic games and the gold medal in the 400-meter relay at the IPC Worlds in Lyon, France.

Blake is currently training for the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he would become the first double amputee American to compete in the Olympic games.

"The day I was born, my parents had a choice.  They could let this break us or make us.  My disability would have broken most individuals and parents.  But they made me into the person that I am," he said.

Because Blake now lives fulltime in Chula Vista, California while he is training, he doesn't get to see his parents very often.

But a few weeks ago, he was given an opportunity to get to come home and surprise his mom,

Blake's agent ran Blake's name through a Mother's Day competition with Teleflora, a worldwide floral wire delivery service.

"My agent submitted my name and they went through a whole list of people, looking at their background stories, what they've been through, how far they've come.  And then they contacted me and said is this something that you'd be interested in and I said yes, of course!"

So, over the course of the next few days, a short video of Blake telling his mom what she means to him and how she has helped him be the man he is today.  Blake had to get his dad, Billy in on the surprise.

"I had my dad scrambling around, looking for photos of my mom and me together.  They asked me 'Does your dad have a big mouth?  I said, well......" Blake said with a laugh.

But Blake said, in the end, his dad was good with the surprise.  "We had to make sure she was home and at the right time.  My dad did a wonderful job of not telling anybody," he said.

And surprise Edith they did.

"Blake called me a couple of days before and said "Mom, there's a couple of people coming by the house that are going to talk to you about me growing up and those sorts of things," Edit said.  "He said just a couple of people.  But two vans full of people and three or four cars pulled up and I said I thought he said just a couple of people!"

What Edith didn't know what that Blake was also in one of the vans.

In the Teleflora commercial, which can be found on YouTube, a Teleflora delivery person gives Edith a tablet so she can watch Blake's video message to her.  When the message ends, Blake appears from behind the van with a bouquet of flowers for his mother.  When she sees her son, Edith's cries are probably heard all over the Leeper's Church Hill neighborhood.

"When I saw Blake, I just lost it," Edith said.  "We don't get to see him very often.  I try to commit him to at least one of the holidays at the end of the year and we try to go out to California maybe a couple of times a year.  And that's about it, unless we get to go to one of his events.  This was wonderful"

Blake says he knows he doesn't thank his mom enough for what she has done for him and that making the Teleflora commercial was a great opportunity for him to do something special for her.

"It started from the day I was born, those decisions she and my dad made that, regardless of my situation, I was going to be somebody special and not be defined by my disability," he said.  "Every day I wake up, I put one leg on at a time, I thank the Lord for me being here and I go get it.  And you know what?  I'll always be my Mom's baby boy."

Blake and Edith's video is one of several Mother's Day videos that were released by Teleflora last Friday.  The videos show unexpected reunions between moms and their children.

You can view Blake's Mother's Day tribute to his mom by clicking here on "Blake's Unforgettable Mother's Day Delivery to Mom."

Big Reunion & Homecoming: "Golden Gathering 2015"

Plans are underway for all alumni of the former African-American schools in upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, to have one huge Reunion, called "The Golden Gathering 2015."  

The reunion commemorates the 50th golden anniversary of the closing of our black schools in 1965. We hope to honor the traditions we practiced, the educations we shared, the athletic/academic competitions we loved, and the social lives that bonded us together over the years.

The date of the Golden Gathering 2015 event is Saturday, August 29, 2015, place and the program to be announced. All programs on that day will revolve around a huge banquet on the night of August 29th.

Alumni and descendants of the following schools are invited:

Bland High School, Big Stone Gap, VA
Douglass High School, Bristol, VA
Slater High School, Bristol, Virginia
Langston High School, Johnson City, TN
Douglas High School, Elizabethton, TN
Booker T. Washington Elementary School, Jonesborough, TN
Douglass High School, Kingsport, TN
George Clem High School, Greeneville, TN
Swift High School, Rogersville, TN
Tanner High School, Newport, TN
Morristown West High School, Morristown, TN
Nelson-Merry High School, Jefferson City, TN
Austin High School, Knoxville, TN All elementary schools who sent children to the above schools

The organizational committee for the Golden Gathering 2015 has been meeting since March, to plan the individual programs for the event. Below are minutes from the meeting of April 11, 2015:

Big Reunion Progress Meeting:

Carver Recreation Center, Johnson City, TN

April 11, 2015

Persons Present: Calvin Sneed; Carolyn Trammell-Cox; Georgia Gillespie; Sandra (Dawson) Nuttall; Nancy Rhea Robinson; William (Bill) Coleman, Jr.; Barbara Love Watterson; Henry Wisdom; Carla Forney; Michael L. Young; Brenda A. Charles; Nancy G. Howard; Norman Howard; Roland Dykes, III; Elva L. Morrison; Sue Gilispie;  Renea G. Hall; Lawrence R. Bell, Jr.; Shirley Gammon Bell.

Meeting opened at 11:15 AM, April 11, 2015, with prayer by Carolyn Cox.

Calvin Sneed advised that last meeting (March 7, 2015) notes have been posted on the Website.  He has called J.C. Press to speak with Johnny Malloy about tracking progress/history of schools and upcoming 2015 combined reunion.

Robert Dykes III (Tanner High) spoke of efforts to reclaim/restore Tanner HS, which was damaged during a past tornado.

Calvin related that Langston, Clem, & Tanner are all attempting to reclaim their buildings. City leaders are not concerned, so we must keep these visions in the forefront.  He gave info as to how Kingsport was able to get Douglass Community Center.  Douglass was a Rosenwald school, as was Tanner and the Langston Gymnasium.  These buildings represent histories of the Black community.  This Big Reunion is about rekindling our histories, preserving them, and passing them on to our descendents.

Discussion pursued regarding the mission for Committees:

Members should take information from meeting(s) and disseminate amongst our Alumni Associations.

Event:  Saturday, August 29, 2015 = Banquet.. What would be a good venue?  What should we set as the Cost ($)?.

We need to form a Site Committee...

Nancy Howard suggested that each School Reunion Group provide a list or numbers of attendees at their last Reunion... some sort of poll for each of our groups to determine about how many persons "might" attend.  Norman Howard stated that we need to work through our standing community structures, i.e.; the Black Churches.

Calvin urged that we need to set up Committees today: Marketing/Public Affairs; Location/Site, Finance; Entertainment; etc...

Volunteers (?) were appointed for the Location/Site Committee: Doug Releford (Kgpt), Henry Wisdom (Bristol/Slater), and Mary Alexander (Langston).  Site recommendations are needed within the next two weeks (by May 2nd.).

Norman Howard related that we need to think about this being a Family event - to plan for bringing kids, and entire families.

Nancy Howard noted that we need to focus on celebrating those who attended one of the Black institutions, Maybe other activities could be incorporated to others from the larger community.

Henry Wisdom stated he had already called Mary Alexander... they will meet within this week to work on the location/site... He also agreed that we need to use the Black churches to help promote the event.

Carla Forney suggested that perhaps we can work through the Ministers Alliance.

Nancy Howard added that we do need to focus on Our stories as a region, but perhaps we could plan a series of events for each city to bring the individual impact on those specific cities.

Calvin stated we had originally thought about one day, but it seems like we need to think about two days (Sat/Sun)... maybe a picnic and a Banquet on Saturday, then a large Church event (?) on Sunday...?

Nancy responded that she agrees with a Saturday gathering to celebrate the 50th year, but each city/school should focus on their own activities in their individual cities and communities.

Calvin related that the original idea was to celebrate what we all had experienced together from the entire region.

Barbara Watterson thinks we would have better success in bringing all the schools together.

Calvin asked; let's get our Entertainment Committee together:  He appointed Carla Forney, Barbara Watterson, Brenda Charles, Vivian Releford, and Stella Gudger as members of this committee.

Norman Howard stated that our history has been an oral history.  Perhaps we could get media to document historical storytelling, interviews, etc...

Calvin related that we could go to the JC Press and WJHL to see if they will support the effort.  We could also consider asking this business to sponsor a part of the Reunion.

Calvin stated that he would work with Norman Howard on the Marketing Committee.

Nancy Howard thought that we should develop a script or memo to ensure that we are all speaking from the same sheet.  Calvin agreed, We need to have a script in place by the end of April, to send out to Churches...

Carolyn T. Cox stated that each Reunion Group needs to (soon) get a head count of potential attendees to forward to the Location/Site Committee.  Calvin replied that we intend to ask Churches, Alumni Groups, etc., to develop potential attendees.  We will need to have a firm number by the 1st of July.

Carla Forney asked if there are officers for this group (Big Reunion)?.

Calvin Sneed was nominated as Chair.

Secretary:

Finance/Treasury Committee: B. Watterson, N. Robinson, Carolyn Cox

Sue Greenlee asked how are we going to get the word out and will it be via a letter, flyers, etc.?

Mike Young suggested that perhaps we can send out an Introductory Letter to announce the event... advise the planned event., then follow up with a Detailed Letter.  Calvin agreed - he will do that - he'll send out the Intro Letter to the Ministerial Alliance, etc...

Next Meeting date: Saturday May 2, 2015, at 11:00.  All Committee Reports are due on this date.

Closing prayer was offered by Henry Wisdom.

Adjourned.