The Class of '68 Reunion: These Guys Really Know How to Throw A Party

MORE PICTURES IN THE PHOTO GALLERY

The Douglass Reunions are two years apart, but at least one of the classes doesn't need a good reason to come together to fellowship.

The Class of 1968 actually graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School in 1968, two years after Douglass High School closed. The graduates would have been the Douglass Class of 1968, and as alumnus Don Hickman once said, "we may have graduated from D-B, but we were all educated at Douglass," and for that reason, everyone who attended D-B from Douglass, considers their time of graduation as being from Douglass.

It's a wonderful way to remember your heritage and legacy.

In accordance with that, the distinguished "Douglass Class of 68" held a reunion of its classmates on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at the Golden Corral in Kingsport, and there's one thing about the Class of '68.. they throw down a good party.



It was, in a word.. FANTASTIC!

"We wondered what to call this class reunion," Bert Webb told the group. "I thought, well what's the one thing we all have in common besides Riverview, Douglass and our continued friendships?"

"The fact that we are all still standing."

One special time during the banquet was everybody recounting many of the things about Douglass and Riverview, that make their memories so special.

Those memories came fast, furious, and with plenty of laughter sprinkled in. For example:


"We were walking on top of Clay Hill, and I happened to be behind Jo-Jo Gilmore. And one thing that sticks out in my memory every time I think about Douglass, when I think about field trips, and here I am, going up Clay Hill, behind Jo-Jo Gilmore in the 6th Grade, and he had tried to put a process in his hair. It dripped all behind him and kept hitting me in the face!"

"I don't ever remember that," Joe said.

Here's another memory: "I remember a field trip, I don't remember with who, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Owens, or somebody.. and the car broke down in the Smoky Mountains.. We went into this truck stop, about 20-25 of us.. On the counter was like, a full rack of sunglasses. When we walked out.. the sunglasses rack was empty.. but nobody's wearing sunglasses."

And another: "When the chorus went to Lynch, Kentucky, we went into this restaurant and they didn't want to serve us. We were looking good in our pale green.. We all bought hamburgers, and threw 'em right back at 'em!"


And still another: "Bert went to Allen School (the Allen High School for Girls in Asheville), and we all got brave.. and we get this idea that we are going to sneak out of the dorm with our boyfriends and go into the city. She didn't even have a boyfriend, but she was going right along with us. We got stopped by the police. I ain't never been so scared in all my life. When we got back up on the hill (where Allen was), we just knew it was all over with, and we were trying to climb back up in these popular trees back up to our windows. Bert hadn't done a thing, except follow us. We got back up on top of that mountain, got IN the room, open the bathroom door, just start vomiting. I was glad we made it back in, before that happened out in front of the police."

Here'a one: "Y'all remember Mr. Steele? We had them choir robes, and had some good singing, with them reversible collars."

An afternoon of good times, grew somber as the group remembered friends and loved ones now gone. "We tried to think of a lot of things to memorialize the Class of 68," said class member Frank Horton. "We decided on the lighting of a single candle."

After a Moment of Silence.. everybody in the group recited the name of a lost loved one. It was a brother here, a sister there, a friend here, a neighbor there.. a classmate here, a 'cut-buddy' there. All around the room.. everybody remembered a name, among them.. Clarence McKnight.. Billy Bond.. Mary Carpenter.. George Foster.. Ronnie Releford.. Cookie Releford.. Marshall Davis.. Henry Stokely.. Yolanda Webb.. just so many names of folks who have touched the lives of the neighborhood, and how thankful we were to have them in ours.

"All of those people's names we called," Bert Webb told the group, "would have been right here in the midst of all of us having fun, celebrating and remembering the heritage of Douglass, and we know that they are all here right now, celebrating with us, and Pete, get off my back!" That brought a rousing laugh and applause from the group, and reminded everybody of just how much fun the ones now gone, were.



"We don't know what's going to happen to us when we leave here, not even the next five minutes," Bert said, "but right now, everybody stand up."

The group rose to its feet.

"Here's to the Class of 68.. we are still standing!"

With that toast, the applause flowed, the hugs continued, and the good time continued. Friendships were caught up on, family updates were plentiful, and the good food at the Golden Corral was excellent.


In the middle of the revilry and remembrances, from Brenda Huff Bond, one of the surprises of the banquet. "I just got a phone call from Atlanta from daughter Denese Bond, that 'everybody in this room needs to be on their best behavior, because they are watching us on the Douglass Website right now."

That brought down the house.

"Hello out there in cyberspace.. you ain't seen nothing yet." Bert mentioned others who said they'd be watching, and greetings and a bunch of "wish-you-were-here's" rallied around the room (EDITOR'S NOTE: please let us know if you watched the special live streaming. If for some reason, you signed in and wasn't able to view it, please let us know at: douglassriverview@gmail.com. This helps us improve the process).

The banquet wasn't the only event that brought the alumni together. The group danced the night away at the Elks Club later that evening. Admission was $5.00, and after the D-J got paid, the rest of the money was dedicated to the Douglass Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

Frank Horton encouraged everybody to help support the Scholarship Fund, one of the Association's biggest projects.

A wonderful and joyous banquet at the Golden Corral that help cement friendships forever, culminated with the singing of the Douglass School Song.


"We are the Sons and Daughters of Douglass,

Most loyal and true.

We love our school colors,

the Gold and the Blue.

We love the task that stood before us,

We always try to win..

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y...

Is the motto of Douglass High!"

It was indeed, a special reunion for the Class of '68.



SPECIAL NOTE: Thanks to the Class of 68 for the gift you all gave me. You are very special people, and I love you all. You all, are the very meaning of the word "family." The gift was very nice, and I will use it to continue providing alumni, our friends and neighbors with news and photos of our community and our Alumni Association!

Calvin

Old Douglass School Books On Sale

• KINGSPORT — The second Douglass School Book Fair will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the old Douglass School Auditorium in the the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Community Center, 301 Louis St.


Old Douglass school books and Douglass Library books without student names in them will be available for sale. Those with names in them are in alphabetical order for pickup by former students or their families. All books are $1 each. For more information e-mail Calvin Sneed at douglassriverview@gmail.com

The list of former students' names in books, is posted in a story further down.. if you don't see it, go to the bottom of this page and click "older posts" and you'll find it. Please help support your Douglass Alumni Association.

Don't forget the Douglass Class of '68 Reunion at the Golden Corral, 1910 N. Eastman Road, Kingsport.

SPECIAL NOTE: These events will be streamed live on the website main page, beginning at 1 PM and 5 PM on Saturday. At that time on that day, just go to the TV screen on the left-hand side, and click on the "play" button. We are still testing the live streaming capabilities, so if you cannot connect, please email me at douglassriverview@gmail.com and let me know.

Happy Birthday Bert Webb!

Wishing you a Happy Birthday and many more to come.
We hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true.


Not just a year older, but a year better.
Here's to another year of experience.
A simple celebration, a gathering of friends; here is wishing you great happiness, a joy that never ends.


A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip!

Now You Can See Select Events, Live As They Happen, On Your Douglass Website!

Welcome to Live TV, Douglass-Riverview style!

Visitors to the Douglass Website, now have the ability to see selected live events, streamed on the website.


On the website's main page, on the left side, just above all the links for "CLICK HERE FOR OUR NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS", "CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR PHOTO GALLERY", etc, is a box that looks like a TV screen, under the heading "Click on Video Screen to See Live Events." If the event is being broadcast live, all you have to do, is click on the "play" button in the middle of the screen, and whatever is going on, can be seen live on the TV screen, and heard through your PC speakers. It's a live window to the world of Riverview and South Central Kingsport, with a two-fold purpose.. to bring live events to people who may not be able to attend them, and to broadcast those live events to our folks who are out-of-town who want to "see what they're doing over in Riverview" (remember when our church elders used to say that about other churches?)



The live streaming feature was tested during this past Saturday's meeting of the Douglass Alumni Association Board of Directors meeting in Kingsport. The entire meeting was streamed live with sound and video, and the announcement that one of our meetings was being streamed live for the first time, brought smiles (for the most part) from the board members. I had spotters viewing it in Nashville and Oceanside, California, and they report good picture quality and sound.



The software we are using to stream live is the Adobe Encoder 2.5, a companion to the Adobe Flash Player that we use for videos in the PHOTO GALLERY, and was selected over many other services available in the marketplace. The encoder provides an input signal from the webcam, which filters through the software to eek out bugs and glitches, then the output is fed to a separate IP address, which is embedded right now on the Douglass Website's main page.

The server we are using is Onyxservers, which came highly recommended by several national online flash streaming applications. It allows for instant access through the Adobe Encoder, and also provides a backup file to help maintain service. I know none of this may make much sense, but believe me.. we've got a good system and setup here.

We are working on a link to a bigger screen, but for now, the little screen is picture-compatable with our webpage. The sound is digital quality.







Whenever we are streaming something live, I will attempt to let you know prior to the broadcast by emailing everyone on the Douglass Website mailing list.. if I do not have your email address, please send it to me at: douglassriverview@gmail.com so we can sign you up. I will also attempt to notify everyone by posting a note in the NEWS AND CURRENT EVENTS section, but the email will come first.

If, for whatever reason, we are streaming a live event and you are unable to see anything when you click on the "play" button, please drop me an email at: douglassriverview@gmail.com, and let me know. Chances are, I will know what the problem is, and can correct it.


Now, we can bring events to you live, like programs, shows, meetings, outdoor and church concerts, church services, children's events and special projects, just in case you cannot attend any of them. TV stations do this all the time on their websites, and so do many schools, unlike ours, that are still open. It is our pleasure to offer this dimension of service on our website to Douglass Alumni, friends and neighbors in the Riverview-South Central community, the city of Kingsport, and all alumni and friends out of town.

You Have A Stake in Naming the New Homes in Riverview

The Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority is giving the people of Riverview the opportunity of naming the new HOPE VI homes development that will be built where the Historic Rivervew Apartments once stood.


The name "Riverview Apartments" has stood for many years, and many people have made it known that they believe the word "Riverview" needs to be part of the new name. At several meetings in the past, they have cited the history and heritage of that name, that stretches from the time Ms. Bessie Hipps first suggested it back in the late 1930's, through good times and bad, to now, because it is a name that held the community together for many years.

Several weeks ago, I sent out a request for names from people in the neighborhood, people who formerly lived in the Apartments, and people who are moving back when the new homes are built. Below are the names we received, along with the votes that the particular name got.

This is not a final list, and the KHRA is still open to suggestion. If you'd like to vote for one of the names below, I have taken away the votes so far, so as not to influence the selection process. If you have a name you'd like to suggest, please send it to: douglassriverview@gmail.com



Riverview Place

Riverview Estates

The Gates at Riverview (with the spirit of a new gateway of change)

Riverview Crossing (with the spirit of crossing over to a new era)

Riverview Legacy Homes

Douglass Village (Using Douglass retains heritage but also gives fresh spirit to the community)

Riverview-Douglass Legacy Homes

The Riverview Douglass Homes (since we lost the name Douglass to V.O. Dobbins)

The Legacy Homes @ Riverview

Riverview - "A Good Place To Come Home"

Memory View Estates





THE EMPTY LOT THAT FORMERLY HELD THE HISTORIC RIVERVIEW APARTMENTS--PICTURE FROM ATOP THE V.O. DOBBINS COMMUNITY CENTER

Please be a part of the heritage and legacy of our community.
Vote for one of the above, or send me a name that we can circulate.
NOTE: WE WILL KEEP THE SUGGESTIONS OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2008.

EVERYBODY CAN THEN VOTE THE ENTIRE MONTH OF DECEMBER, FOR THEIR FAVORITES OF
OF THE SUGGESTIONS WE HAVE, AFTER NOVEMBER 30TH.

ON JANUARY 1, 2009, APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE START OF THE
RIVERVIEW CONSTRUCTION, WE WILL GIVE THE HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
THE NAME CHOICE EVERYBODY VOTED FOR.

PLEASE VOTE NOW! The email again is: douglassriverview@gmail.com

Kingsport BMA to Discuss Bond Issuance for V.O. Dobbins, Other Projects

Issuance includes funding for projects such as V.O. Dobbins Renovations, a downtown parking garage and various road projects


SPECIAL NOTE: THIS BMA MEETING NEXT WEEK MAY BE ONE THAT RESIDENTS OF RIVERVIEW AND SOUTH CENTRAL KINGSPORT NEED TO ATTEND. WE NEED A SHOW OF SUPPORT FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THE CITY KEEPS ITS PROMISE TO US, OF RENOVATING THE V.O. DOBBINS SR. COMMUNITY CENTER (OUR OLD DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING). WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED OF THE EXACT DATE AND TIME.


THIS STORY COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS

By MATTHEW LANE
mlane@timesnews.net

KINGSPORT — The Board of Mayor and Aldermen plan to discuss next week an upcoming bond issuance — up to $22 million — which will include funding for a variety of capital projects, such as a downtown parking garage and renovations to the V.O. Dobbins Community Center.
Every year the BMA approves a five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) that contains a number of projects. Some of the projects are fully funded within one of those five years, while others are funded over a number of years.


Thirteen projects are proposed for funding in the 2009 fiscal year, including:

• $7 million for the renovation and expansion of V.O. Dobbins.

• $5 million for five local road projects, such as intersection improvements at Clinchfield and Center Street, a roundabout at Industry Drive and Netherland Inn Road.
• $4 million for a downtown parking garage, likely at the Shelby Street parking lot.

• $1.1 million for the Kingsport City School System for expanding the Sevier band room, purchasing property around the schools and security modifications for school entrances.
Other capital projects include improvements to Eastman and Domtar parks, to several city fire stations, money for the Kingsport Riverwalk project and an expansion at the Justice Center.
The BMA is planning to hold a special called work session next week to discuss the projects and finalize a list of which ones to fund in the bond issuance. City Manager John Campbell said he hopes to bring the bond issuance resolution before the BMA on Oct. 21.
Last week, Campbell gave three options for the projects — everything for $22 million; a $21 million bond issuance if you exclude property purchases for economic development reasons or a $17 million bond issuance if you also take out the parking garage.
Campbell said some of the items on the CIP (capital improvement plan) do not have to occur immediately, but that some are timely.
The debt service on a $22 million bond issuance would be $1.76 million; on a $17 million bond issuance the debt service would be $1.36 million. Kingsport expects to see $3.6 million in debt service roll off beginning in fiscal year 2009, which would be enough to fund either option.
Kingsport’s general fund debt is $80.7 million; if no bond issuance is done, at the end of the 2009 fiscal year the debt level is estimated to be $72.9 million. The city’s total debt stands at $156 million — a 20 percent increase from the $129.6 million debt level in fiscal year 2007.
Rick Delaney, Kingsport’s financial advisor, recommended the BMA move forward with the procedural steps toward doing a bond issuance (the two resolutions and preparing various documents) and then wait until the most appropriate time to offer the bond to the investment community.
Mayor Dennis Phillips said some of the projects (such as V.O. Dobbins and the road projects) are higher priority than others, while some need further discussion, such as the downtown parking garage.
“I think any project on there is certainly worthy of discussion. Whether we can do all of these, remains to be seen. We can’t be completely ignorant to the world situation right now, but we can’t just stop all progress and say the end of the world is coming and not do anything,” Phillips said. “We need to analyze very closely any spending we’re going to be doing and be assured not jeopardizing the future of the city.
“It’s an opportune time to act in a prudent manner and keep our momentum going, yet not overspend.”
Alderman Larry Munsey said the BMA needs to have additional conversations about the library project, justice center expansion and the parking garage.
“My thinking is, that when economic times get difficult, that if you have the wherewithal, that is the best time to expand and build,” Munsey said. “It’s probably going to be cheaper during that period of time as contractors are going to be looking for work and you have increased capacity so that you’re able to take advantage when times become better.
The same principles hold true for the public sector, Munsey adds.
“If we can borrow money at a reasonable rate and not have an impact on our credit rating, my opinion is we need to continue down the path we are headed in regard to the CIP projects,” Munsey said.
Alderman Pat Shull said the upcoming meeting on the proposed CIP would help him shape his final decision on whether to support the bond issuance. Shull added that Kingsport has run up a lot of debt recently and that it really concerns him.
“When I looked at the list, what I liked about it was these are the things we should be doing, basic city services — fire, police, schools and infrastructure maintenance. That’s what I like about it,” Shull said. “It would have been handy to have this list by us while we were talking about the executive conference center. We hit these issues one at a time and they involve spending large sums of taxpayers dollars.”

Economy Catches Up with Reunion Plans; Registration Boost Approved

The rough economy is taking its toll on Main Street in many ways.

It has now trickled down to the 2009 Douglass High School Reunion.


Alumni dues for membership in the Douglass Alumni Association will increase from $5.00 to $25.00, making pre-registration fees increase from 100 dollars to 125 dollars, for the three-day event next summer. The decision was reached after heart-felt discussion at the Douglass Alumni Board meeting this past Saturday, October 11th, at a special meeting held at the Dobyns-Bennett Alumni Hall on the D-B campus.

After looking at reserving required things for the Reunion that have gone up from two years ago, the board seemed resigned to discuss the alternatives. "This is not a decision we make lightly," said Alumni President Doug Releford. "If we want to maintain just the same level of services that we had two years ago, we have to do something about the fees."

At the last board meeting, several of the board members familiar with pricing events were called upon to check into estimated prices for next year.

BOARD MEMBERS OZINE BLY, LEFT, AND VIRGINIA HANKINS

"Just judging from the prices that Sandra (Wilmer, board treasurer) and Andra (Watterson, board vice president) have given us, show that we will need every penny that we can get, to maintain the same services we had two years ago," pointed out board member Virginia Hankins. "After every reunion, we usually try to have about $2,500 dollars on hand to get the next reunion started, and breaking up the prices and letting people pay for separate events, will not let us pay for the essential things we will need. If we break up the prices, we will not have enough to cover the things we need. Right now, we are no where near the $2,500 dollars to get started."

Late registrations two years ago, forced several board members to dig into their own pockets in an attempt to cover expenses two years ago, and this time, the board is trying to prevent that. Eventually, that private money was paid back to those board members, but only after late registration fees came in.

Although the reunion efforts are starting out this time with less than the $2,500 the board would like to have to jump-start next year's reunion plans, Jenny said little fund-raisers won't do the trick. The board is planning several fund-raising items to help, among them School Book Fairs, rummage sales, dinners, etc, but
"unless you have one big gigantic fundraiser, we'll have to rely on raising the registration fee, and encouraging folks to pay in installments, starting as soon as possible," Jenny said.


Last year, over 400 letters went out to every former student who attended Douglass Elementary and High School. Of that, 125 alumni paid their dues to attend the paid events, but many more came to Field Day, which is a free event. The list is updated to account for those alumni who have passed away.

The board also encourages everybody planning to attend the Reunion next year, to not put off paying the registration fee and the Alumni membership dues, again, $125 dollars this time. If the full amount is not affordable right now, please make installment payments, and that will be noted for every Alumni member.

The board also tabled for now, a motion to discuss the Reunion Golf Tournament, the registration fees of which directly fund the Douglass Alumni Scholarship Fund. Greens fees, as always, are separate and go directly to Meadowview. Board members felt that they needed to wait until alumni board member George Smith, one of the Golf Tournament organizers could attend a board meeting to provide an update on the event.



Also discussed was a plan for the Douglass Alumni Association Float in Kingsport's 4th of July Parade next year. Since the 4th is on a Saturday, which is also the day for the Douglass Parade, Field Day and the Alumni Banquet, it was decided that a Douglass Parade would be unnecessary, since Kingsport's parade would be going on about the same time, and most people would be attending that one. In place of the Douglass Parade, an entry would be made in Kingsport's Fourth of July Parade, after which our float would be on display at Field Day that Saturday afternoon.

Alumni President Doug Releford also provided an update on the Association's application for non-profit status, saying it is progressing. "Right now, we are seeking incorporation through the Tennessee Secretary of State's Office in Nashville, which is a tedious process," he said. "We are working through that, trying to provide all the information they are requesting, and then we will get that information to Jeff Faulkerson, who's helping us with the I.R.S application, and then we'll send that the Internal Revenue Service for consideration."


In other business, the Board discussed several upcoming events, and there is a change in the location for the next School Book Fair. The new location will be in the old Douglass School Auditorium on Louis Street, at the other end of the V.O. Dobbins Center in Kingsport. Calvin updated everyone on the cataloging of the school books for our School Book Fair in the old Douglass Auditorium next Saturday October 18, 2008 during the Class of 68 Reunion, and the next Fair planned for the Douglass Alumni Rummage Sale the following Saturday, October 25th. The books are cataloged alphabetically, and reservations are coming in for folks who want to purchase certain books. Those have now been isolated from the rest of the books for sale. All books are $1.00 and proceeds go into the Alumni Association General Fund.

The Douglass Alumni Rummage Sale and Bake Sale will be the following Saturday, October 25, 2008, and there will also be a School Book Fair that Saturday as well. The time is from 7 AM until 4 PM. The location will be at the Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church on Mapleoak Lane in Kingsport. Douglass Alumni are are encouraged to bring any gently-used clothing to donate to the Rummage Sale, and also any baked items for sale. Please bring those. Proceeds will go to the Alumni Associatin General Fund.

Jenny Hankins reminded everybody about the Class of 68 Reunion next Saturday, October 18, 2008, with the banquet being at the Golden Corral in Kingsport at 1910 North Eastman Road.

D-B ALUMNUS BILL LEE, RIGHT, WITH DOUGLASS ALUMNUS ETHEL RUTH RUSSELL

The Douglass Alumni Board also acknowledged the fact that the meeting was being held in the D-B Alumni Hall, at the south end of the J. Fred Johnson Stadium, Indian Circle Drive. D-B alumnus Bill Lee was there for a few minutes to welcome the Douglass alumni early arrivals to the hall. Afterwards, all Douglass Alumni were given two T-shirts that commemorate the D-B Great Reunion 2 years ago. The Hall is a wonderful place for all alumni of Dobyns-Bennett to gather for meetings, especially during football season. Thanks to the D-B Alumni Association for extending the invitation to hold our meeting today, in the Hall.

NEXT DOUGLASS ALUMNI BOARD MEETING: Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 1 PM at the St. Mark's Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, Maple Street, Kingsport. Please mark your calendar for this, as well as all the other events of our Douglass Alumni Association.

"Mama Jill" Ellis Moves to North Carolina

A new chapter has begun in the long and distinguished life of Jill Ellis.

One of Douglass High School's last remaining teachers has now moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to be near most of her family that has lived there for years.

Son Michael Ellis also made the moved this past Saturday, and Dawnella, her oldest daughter and member of the Douglass Alumni Board of Directors, says she will soon join the rest of the family in Charlotte.

"It's bittersweet for me," Mrs. Ellis, often referred to as "Mama Jill" by Douglass faithful and the Riverview Neighborhood. "Sweet, in that I will be with my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, bitter in that you hate to leave where you have lived for most of your life.. the familiar surroundings and things you watch and nurtured growing up. Those are now fast-changing, and I hope that some of my nurturing helped them grow. That's one of the legacies of watching things you've nurtured.. watching them grow, then setting them free and hoping that your nurturing has helped them grow into something productive. I did that with my children, as well as my extended family in Kingsport, and trying to help others with the projects that affect our Riverview Neighborhood."



As she got ready to leave on her last full day as a Kingsport resident, "Mama Jill" reflected on her life in Kingsport. "If you consider a generation as 20 years, I have lived through 4 of them," she said. "It leaves you with a sense of 'I remember back when..."

"I had a lady call me to say goodbye the other day, and she said 'well if you're leaving, leave me your hats.' She's just a dear lady, about a generation behind me."
"Leave me your hats," she laughed. "If that's a legacy, if that's it.. I love hats, but I never though of them as being a legacy," she smiled.



"Mama Jill" started out as a secretary to Professor V.O. Dobbins at the old Douglass High School on East Walnut (now East Sevier) Avenue in Kingsport, at the corner with East Center Street, the old Bristol-Johnson City Highway, U-S 23 and 11W. "I was hired about the same time as Joe Baylor," she remembers. "It wasn't long until we moved into the new Douglass School in Riverview. John Cox, who was teaching at Artie Lee, the black school in Dante, Virginia, begged me to come work there, because he needed a science and music teacher up there. I told him, I don't even have my teaching certificate yet (she was working on it at ETSU, and the law then let potential teachers teach for on-site experience if they'd applied for a certificate). He said, "I don't care, I need you.' I rode with him every day from Kingsport to Dante for two years on those old narrow two-lane country roads, some of them dirt roads, dodging coal trucks."

She continued, "Dr. (Former Kingsport school superintedent Dr. Dana) Swick heard about that, and told me "that's prepostrous.. you don't have to do that. Remembering me as a secretary at Douglass, he said we have so many students at Douglass now.. I need a 6th grade teacher there, because we've had to split the 6th into two grades, and I need you to teach the other 6th grade. I told him I'm still working on my teacher certification at ETSU.. he said 'I don't care, I've got to have a 6th grade teacher. So I came back, Faye Long taught one 6th grade, and I taught the other."



But in the early 1960's, integration was in the air, and at least one Douglass teacher had been very nervous about the future. Turns out, a decision that teacher would make, charted Mrs. Ellis' teaching direction for the rest of her career.

"Mr. (Oscar) Gill was quite concerned, saying 'they'll will never take us in the white schools.' He had been a science teacher and guidance counselor at Douglass, and Mr. Dobbins said, 'if Gill leaves, I've got to hire you as a guidance counselor. I said 'I can't be a guidance counselor, I've got my certification in high school and elementary school. He said, 'I'll make it parttime, you can counsel in the morning, and teach science in the afternoon. Mr. Gill did leave, and I moved into his two jobs until Douglass closed in 1966."

"Tennessee had been slow about desegrating its schools," Mrs. Ellis remembers, "and after Douglass closed, the Kingsport School System sent me around to all these places to help phase in the integration, whites and blacks. Well, the blacks didn't need to face integration, they already knew what was expected of them, and they didn't have any problems. The trouble was, the city did not prepare the white students and teachers about the blacks that were coming in to their schools. The black kids knew how to deal with the white kids, but the white kids did not know how to deal with the black kids, especially after they'd grown up with all the things on television about blacks wanting equality and the Civil Rights Movement."

"Everybody was scared," she said. "To this day, Kingsport still bears the scars of that time."

"The School System felt that, during the transition period, my skills would be best served as a guidance counselor at Dobyns-Bennett, so I moved into that position there," she said.

It was a position she would hold for the next 30+ years.


"I have no regrets," she says. "I loved teaching.. it took me that long to find out what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed teaching science because that was my major in college at Swift, Rogersville.. it was right down my alley. I also enjoyed the spring art festivals at Artie Lee in Dante--our teams in drama and speech always won awards. I also liked the plays and recitals that Mr. Dobbins had us do at Douglass. There was so much talent in our classrooms, that it was a treat to see it displayed every year."

Mrs. Ellis retired in 1992 under the care of daughter Dawnella and son Michael, and has spent the past 18 years, in long distance commutes with the rest of the family in Charlotte. "I'm anxious to rejoin the children, although I will miss Kingsport. Because it's difficult for me to take long trips and my health isn't that good, the move to Charlotte will be permanent."

She's also hoping that people here at home will keep pushing for change.


"Do not let up on the planned renovations for the new housing development in Riverview and the Douglass renovations," she says. "I'm really worried about the financial situation right now with money drying up, that Riverview will be left out, or moved to the bottom of the list on changes. I just have a bad feeling that the money to do the things that were promised to us, will dry up unless we keep pushing and reminding the city that it had been appropriated."

"It would be so disappointing, and that's not even the best word for it," Mrs. Ellis says. "Nobody can anticipate what's going to happen next, but 'KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE.' Don't lose hope.. keep on the city to fulfill its promises to us."

MAMA JILL, ON THE OCASSION OF "JILL ELLIS DAY IN KINGSPORT"

"I want people to remember their history in Riverview," she says. "As long as we have people that can still remember, each generation will have at least 50 years of history to look back on. Even though most of us will pass on, there will always be someone who remembers a story, an event, a person that they can carry on about Riverview."

"Always remember your history, and pass it on."

As she prepared to leave Kingsport and her home for probably the last time, "Mama Jill" was reminded of a motto she adopted for herself that dates back to her college days at Swift.

"MAMA JILL" WITH DONNA STEELE

"Nobody's born a winner," she remembers, "and nobody is born a loser. But we are all born CHOOSERS. One of my teachers at Swift always told all of us black students, 'if you think you are a leader and you're out in front, and you look over your shoulder and there's nobody behind you, you're not leading.. you're just out for a walk. You must be leaders by example, and folks need to be behind you following in your footsteps. If nobody's behind you, you're not really leading anybody, you're just out taking a stroll."

"Nobody's born a winner, or a loser. We are all born choosers."

Happy Birthday, Sherry Russell!

Sherry Russell's Birthday Celebration at the Good Times Grill in Kingsport

First, the Grandkids......




Then, Family Members.......



I promised not to reveal Sherry's age.. but.. I had to drive the SPEED LIMIT.... to get to the celebration LOL!

Please Take This Survey About KATS-the Kingsport Area Transit System

Tony Boyge and his son Jet Akima-Li Boyge, 4, of Kingsport wait for the bus at Sevier Avenue as they share an umbrella together under the rain that fell steadily for most of the day on Wednesday.





Got this from Jeff Fleming.. this survey will help KATS better serve the neighborhoods in Kingsport, including Riverview and South Central Kingsport.
Go to the left at the top of this page, and click on the link marked "KATS Survey" then "done" when you're finished.

2nd Douglass School Book Fair Scheduled: Another Look Down Douglass School's Memory Lane

It came as a total shock to Douglass Alumni and folks in Riverview and South Central Kingsport back in the spring. Our beloved school books had accidently been discovered by UETHRA employees Gail Evans and Charlene Hodge, inside the lockers on the second floor of the school building, placed there 42 years ago by Kingsport City School workers. Back then, they were told to completely clean out the newly closed Douglass High School, and when they came across books, they just could not bring themselves to throw away SCHOOL books. There was a uniquely genuine respect for books of knowledge back then.


42 years later, the find was not as well respected. Before Gail and Charlene found them, our beloved books were destined for the dumpster out back of the building, in anticipation of the V.O. Dobbins Center renovations. Gail and Charlene intervened just in time, and the Douglass Alumni Association was able to rescue the books for their historic value. The find was even a surprise to the city and former teachers in Kingsport's white schools.. for years, their schools had passed down their old books to Douglass.

We have now completed the entire list of names of former Douglass School students, whose historic schoolbooks the Alumni Association has for sale. It took several weeks to complete, but we now know ALL the students who had put their names in their school books. In the event more than one student owned a single book, the book is listed under the other person's name as well. Please forgive any spelling errors to your name or a loved one; I spelled them exactly as I found them in the books.






One problem has now been taken care of, that of putting all the books in alphabetical order for the next sale. As you can see in the pictures, books that have names in them are in alphabetical order (in the case of multiple users), the book is in the box with the most prominent name visible). A carefully organized list shows all the multiple owners, and under which letter a specific book is located. As a book is purchased, the name of the former owner is marked off.







We also have historic Douglass School library books, which are at the bottom with the names of students who checked them out of the school library. The library book is named, then the names of students who checked it out, and in some cases, the fine is listed for an overdue book, LOL. Many of those books come from the Douglass School Library itself; others came from the nearby Carver Library, which was torn down in the Historic Riverview Apartments demolition.

Books that our teachers taught from, are also listed. Those are special books indeed, especially one from Mrs. Cora Cox, that demonstrated her great love for children. Just perusing that particular book, one can just hear Mrs. Cox's gentle voice with words of encouragement that helped you learn the subject material. She proved herself time and time again to be Tennessee's Teacher of the Year, and from this book and others, she demonstrated that. That historic book will not be for sale; it is destined for the Douglass Alumni Display Case in Cora Cox's memory, for generations to view and pay respects to.





As a service to buyers, other books without names in them to be sold to everybody, have also been cataloged as to the type of school book it is. Catagories are Math, English, Social Studies, Health-Science, Vocational how-to books and books classified as Miscellaneous.

The Douglass Alumni Association, whose charge it was, to clean up the books as best as possible (remember.. we're talking at least 42 years of dust after Douglass closed, plus the age of the books to start with), catalog all of them, inventory them all, and set a price. That price was set at the low, low price of $1.00 per book. Because our people don't get too many bargains these days, the low price was agreed on, because the transaction also helps to cement relationships in the community.




The first Historic School Book Fair in August was a huge success. Buyers were waiting outside the V.O. Dobbins Community Center for an hour before the doors opened. In the crowd were former Douglass students, book lovers, folks needing specific learning books, and even teachers who remembered books handed down by their school many years ago. The fair was only open three hours, and everybody left, wondering out loud when the next fair would be.


Every purchase is on a first come, first serve basis, and as a result ONLY THOSE BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN RESERVED PRIOR TO A BOOK SALE will be set aside, and multiple purchasers will be notified. Please check the list for your name, and if you cannot pick up the book or have someone pick it up for you, email your reservation to: douglassriverview@gmail.com. Also, please make arrangements to have the book or books picked up, as we cannot store them for long.



"Way back here, where nobody will look.. I'll sign my name, to close this book."
---John Delaney

THE NEXT HISTORIC DOUGLASS SCHOOL BOOK FAIR WILL BE ON OCTOBER 18, 2008, FROM 1 PM TO 4 PM IN THE V.O. DOBBINS COMMUNITY CENTER ON LOUIS STREET, just prior to the Class of '68 Reunion in Kingsport. Other book fairs are planned. The price is still $1.00 per book, and if a former student or family member wants to donate the book to the Alumni Association, we will display as many of them as we can, in the new Alumni Community Room glass-enclosed case in the renovated V.O. Dobbins Community Center when it is finished.

The final updated list of school books and library books with former Douglass students' names in them are listed in the article below.

Getting Your Finances in Order During Tough Times

FROM THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS

Erica Yoon —eyoon@timesnews.net
Earnestine White of Kingsport participates in a discussion recently during a Financial Self-Sufficiency Seminar at the Fresh Start Foundation at 1140 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Classes on sound financial practices are being sponsored by the South Central Kingsport Weed and Seed program. Those interested can call 392-2578for more information.

Meeting Place Change for Next Saturday's Douglass Alumni Board Meeting

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENT:


The next meeting of the Douglass Alumni Association will be next Saturday, October
11, 2008, and PLEASE NOTE: The location has changed.


We have been invited by the D-B Alumni Association to have our next meeting in the Dobyns-Bennett Field House, beside the J. Fred Johnson football stadium, on Memorial Boulevard. The time will be 1 PM, and one or two D-B Alumni will be there to greet us, and observe our alumni meeting. We need everybody who can attend, to please meet at the D-B Alumni Field House next Saturday at 1 PM for our regularly scheduled meeting.

Items to be discussed are updates on the 2009 Douglass Alumni Reunion, our non-profit tax filing, the upcoming school book fair, and other alumni and community events coming up.

Riverview Clean-Up: The "Treasure in Someone's Trash" Strengthens the Community

Litter-bugs beware..

The community is not only watching you.. it's doing something you should be doing for yourself.

It's picking up after you.

MORE PHOTOS IN THE PHOTO GALLERY

The fall clean-up campaign in Riverview and South Central Kingsport netting several tons of trash, old bottles and debris scattered through the historic neighborhoods.

"This is always a good community project," says Reverend Kenneth Calvert of the South Central Community Development Corporation. The clean-up is done through the Weed and Seed program, which the SCCDC is in charge of. "It is a prevention-intervention and treatment phase of Weed and Seed, where we try to put something back into the community. The city already has a clean-up program and we just partner with them. One of the things we have learned through Weed and Seed is to development partnerships with various agencies. We can't do this type of project by ourselves, but with the help of our partners, our accomplishments are the result."



The clean-up effort began near the Krispy-Kreme on Center Street at 9 A-M. It focused on Dunbar, Carver, Louis, Douglass, Wheatley Streets and MLK Drive, then went across town to Dale, Maple, East Sevier, Cherry and Oak Streets and the alleys in between, all concentrated between East Center Street and Wilcox Drive.

As a result of the clean-up partnerships, participants in the clean-up represented a wide variety of diverse groups. The Kingsport Police Department had several officers at the beginning of the clean-up, city refuse workers were on hand the local parole board sent 10 to 15 of its participants to help pick up trash, and even children from the New Vision Youth also took part in picking up other people's trash. They learned how to be stewards of the community this way.



"I was particularly pleased to see the New Vision Kids," Reverend Calvert said. "Those kids worked as hard as the adults. At the end of the clean-up, we held a little festival and major cookout, with hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, drinks, the whole nine yards. The young folks who came out and helped, were able to eat until they were more than full."







At one point during the afternoon, it was a throw-back to the past, when Riverview's neighborhood children all played together. The kids were exercising and playing on the jungle gym equipment, and Johnnie Mae hollered out to them "y'all ready to go?"
A slow, but resounding "no" came from the group. The party continued.











"The picnic afterwards was sort of a thank-you for the kids, who were able to use their skills to become community-active," Reverend Calvert said. "They had a good time interacting with each other developing and maintaining friendships, but also during the clean-up, they were able to interact with the police. They saw that 'yes, there could be a friendship there.' With the adults, too, all of those factors help strengthen the community process."

"This year, Brother Jack Pierce was the chairman of the clean-up campaign," says Reverend Calvert. "He and local resident Linda Kincaid and a few others helped direct it, and they really pulled together a good work force. By the time everybody had gathered, we had about 70 people walking the streets and alleys off and on, picking up and raking trash."



"The first year we did this, we collected about 28 tons of trash. This year, we fell well short of that because the area is almost policing itself. We still do the clean-up just to make sure we are not taking the process for granted, and it allows us to come together and work together as citizens. Brother Pierce did a wonderful job of helping get this organized, just a wonderful committee, and I am very thankful for his work."



"We have a wonderful community with several projects all going on at the same time that will enhance the lives of our people," says Reverend Calvert. "Of course there are the biggies, the planned renovation of V.O. Dobbins that will start soon, and we're looking forward to the HOPE VI homes coming in, which has actually begun at Sherwood-Hiwassee. I have seen those homes and they are wonderful.. about 2,500 square feet of space with a wonderful floor plan, all modern structures. I believe that once they're built and our citizens move in, not only will South Central Kingsport benefit, but the whole city will be surprised at just how beautiful they are. Those homes will rival any other homes in Kingsport."



"Once you have walked the streets and picked up the trash and debris," Reverend Calvert says, "it lets citizens fell that 'yes, this is my community,' and they can take pride in the the fact that it looks good when you drive through."

"Martin Luther King Drive is now probably one of the safest streets in Kingsport, and today, it was one of the cleanest."

Bishop Matthew Barber Appreciation

PLEASE CLICK BELOW FOR A LARGER VIEW