First resident moves into HOPE VI house on Hiwassee

Work on the 38 homes in the Riverview community is expected to begin in June.

THIS STORY COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS

By MATTHEW LANE
mlane@timesnews.net

KINGSPORT — When Helen Bunting moved out of Riverview Apartments more than a year ago, she did not think she would be moving into one of the new HOPE VI houses in the Sherwood/Hiwassee area of town.
Luckily for Bunting, she was wrong.
The Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning to commemorate Bunting being the first person to move into one of the new HOPE VI houses on Hiwassee.

David Grace —dgrace@timesnews.net
HELEN BUNTING HOLDS UP THE KEYS TO HER NEW HOME. BUNTING IS THE FIRST RESIDENT TO MOVE IN ONE OF THE HOPE VI HOMES ON HIWASSEE.

“I feel great, really good ... excited and nervous. I’ve been crying. I really didn’t think it would happen,” Bunting said, standing inside her new 1,600-square-foot house. “When the apartments came down, I didn’t think I would ever get one of the new houses. It’s been a long process, and everyone has been great. I worked on it, and they worked with me.”
Bunting grew up in the Riverview community and lived in the apartments for 10 years. Now, she lives in a new three-bedroom, two-bath house — the first she’s ever owned. Bunting is encouraging other former Riverview Apartments residents to seek one of the HOPE VI houses.


David Grace —dgrace@timesnews.net
THIS HOUSE ON HIWASSEE STREET IS THE FIRST ONE IN THE HOPE VI PROGRAM READY TO SHELTER ITS NEW OWNER - HELEN BUNTING.
“Because you might think they’re not affordable, but they are affordable,” Bunting said. “The price of the homes, you think you can’t afford that. I can barely afford rent where I am, but they are affordable, and I wish more people from Riverview had applied.”
The HOPE VI project is a $30 million redevelopment project taking place in two Kingsport neighborhoods — Riverview and the Sherwood/Hiwassee area of town. The plan calls for replacing old, run-down structures with new, affordable houses.
The project began more than two years ago when the city received $11.9 million in HOPE VI revitalization funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.




At that point, the KHRA purchased and demolished 29 houses along Sherwood and Hiwassee with plans to replace them with 24 new, affordable houses.
HOPE VI Director Doris Ladd said the KHRA has contracts with 15 families for the houses along Sherwood and Hiwassee, and the remaining nine need owners. Two owners are expected to close on houses in February, with two or three others in March.
Construction on all of the houses should be completed by the end of March.
“The houses may sit a little while because some are taking advantage of a savings opportunity where what they save, the fund would match two-to-one toward the down payment, and all require six months of participation,” Ladd said. “Some may not close until June or July.”


When the KHRA began the HOPE VI project and demolished Riverview Apartments, the agency laid out guidelines on who would be offered a chance at purchasing the new homes. The KHRA first offered the new homes to displaced Riverview residents, then to residents living in other housing developments or Section 8 housing, then city and county employees, and finally the general public.
Ladd said Bunting is the only former Riverview Apartments resident in the pipeline to get one of the houses. Five are from Section 8 or public housing, one is a city employee, while the rest are from the general public. Before being demolished, Riverview Apartments had nearly 90 families as residents.


Ladd said she had hoped more former residents had contacted the KHRA about purchasing the houses.
“I would encourage any of them to come and talk to us,” Ladd said. “We sent letters and had meetings. They need to take the initiative and talk to us, any time. We are there.”
As for the Riverview phase of the project, the old Riverview Apartments were demolished in February 2008, and Ladd said work on the 38 homes in the Riverview community is expected to begin in June.
“The market for our credits has been difficult, with the economic environment. We do have a commitment for those credits, and we’re looking to see if we can do a little bit better on the rate,” Ladd said. “We’re still in the market to maybe find other investors, and the plan is to make that determination by the end of the month and move forward.”


Ladd said the credit process has been delayed by the state by four or five months, which delayed the start of house construction in the Riverview community.
There are two main requirements for getting on the list for the new houses — no one in the household could have a house in their name within the past three years, and certain income levels had to be met — a single person could not make more than $26,050; a couple $29,750; and a family of four $37,200.

Groups hosting lunch after MLK parade

• KINGSPORT — Brothers of Clinch Mountain Lodge No. 561 and Daughters of Dunbar Temple No. 344, 1018 Martin Luther King Jr. St., invite the community to a free lunch at the lodge Monday after the Martin Luther King Jr. noontime parade. Homemade chili beans and potato soup, cornbread, crackers and beverages will be served. There will be hot dogs for children.

Kingsport BMA OKs first phase of work at V.O. Dobbins

Demolition work is expected to begin in February and take approximately 60 days to complete.

THIS ARTICLE COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS

By MATTHEW LANE
mlane@timesnews.net


KINGSPORT — Only days after "The Last Great Program at Douglass" brought the Riverview Community together to say a final goodbye to the Historic Douglass School Auditorium and building, the Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen took action to beging the first phase of the V.O. Dobbins Community Center renovations.







Kingsport plans to expand and renovate V.O. Dobbins, adding approximately 50,000 square feet of space — nearly 28,000 of which will be a new nonprofit wing. The first phase of the project is the demolition of the auditorium — the site of the new nonprofit wing.
The BMA voted 4-1 to appropriate $365,770 for work at V.O. Dobbins, including the demolition of the auditorium and James Street, the construction of a new mechanical room, and temporary HVAC units for the Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency’s office.





Alderman Ken Marsh voted against the appropriation, again saying the scope of the project had grown beyond its original intent.
“I’m appalled at how this project has gotten beyond the good intentions and reasonable scope, and I’m dismayed we’re spending $8 million on a project that started at $5 million to compete with the free market system, in moving nonprofits who are renting space in the private sector to the public sector,” Marsh said. “I’m opposed to the situation of project creep that has brought this situation up to the tune of $2 million.”
Alderman Pat Shull voted for the appropriation.
“I’ve voted with Alderman Marsh at least twice that the project was not the original scope. Why I voted ‘aye’ this time was because it was a decided matter,” Shull said. “For me, I voted to give the OK for staff on how they identified the scope of the demolition, but I support Marsh in the original objection.”


In October, Marsh and Shull voted against a $480,000 contract with architects for the project, and in November Shull voted against a $7.15 million bond issuance for the V.O. Dobbins project.
The demolition work is expected to begin in February and take about 60 days to complete. The renovation and expansion phase of the project is scheduled to begin in March or April.

MLK candlelight vigil set for Monday

• KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department and New Vision Youth will hold its fourth annual candlelight vigil Monday on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. The event, which will begin at 6 p.m. and last for about 45 minutes, will be held at the Riverview Splash Park Shelter on Martin Luther King Jr. Street. This year’s theme is “2009: A Year of Unity, Love and Support.” The public is invited to attend and to bring a candle. In the event of inclement weather, the vigil will be held in the V.O. Dobbins gym. For more information, call Johnnie Mae Swagerty at 246-6623.

FOR EVENTS IN JOHNSON CITY AND HAWKINS COUNTY, PLEASE GO TO THE "NEWS OF OUR DOUGLASS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS" SECTION ON THE WEBSITE MAIN PAGE

Moving Forward by Remembering the Past: "The Last Great Program at Douglass"

Rain threatened to keep the enthusiam down, but it was, without a doubt, one of the largest programs held in the Douglass Auditorium since the largest African-American school in the area closed over 40 years ago.

MORE PICTURES AND VIDEOS IN THE PHOTO GALLERY - CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO MAKE THEM BIGGER

"The Last Great Program at Douglass" combined memorable speeches, wonderful gospel music, video interviews with former teachers, and a few surprise guests, to hold more than 150 people, a capacity Auditorium audience spellbound, for about 2 hours.

The theme of the event was "It's Going Down, But We Are Upward Bound" (coined by Johnnie Mae Swagerty), a reminder that Kingsport plans to tear the Auditorium down to make way for a three-story office tower to house the city's non-profit agencies.

"We have come a long way in this building," noted Mrs. Eula Cartwright, who raised many children who attended and graduated from Douglass, "but if it's good for the neighborhood, you have to move forward."

From the opening welcome from Douglass Alumni President Doug Releford, prayer by Shiloh Baptist Pastor Kenneth Calvert, the audience got into the "spirit" of things with Scriptures from the Word from Kingsport Alderman and Reverend Larry Munsey reading from the Holy Bible.


Kingsport Mayor Dennis Phillips told the group of his hopes of being the first city or town in Tennessee to have all of its non-profit agencies under one roof. "Too often," he said, "people have to travel from one non-profit to another as they get referred from one to the other, and the one-stop non-profit center in one location will no doubt improve services to everybody."







Music was in abundance at the event, much like it was during the days of the Douglass Choruses. As the Central Baptist Choir brought the audience to its feet with a soulful Gospel song, everyone was reminded of how acoustically perfect the Douglass Auditorium is. Although asbestos is a life-threatening danger to anyone who inhales its dust over a long period of time, it is no secret that asbestos is one of the best soundproofing materials ever placed inside walls. As a result, neither songs nor the spoken voice echoed between the walls of the Auditorium during the program.. every word was heard, and even most low voices were picked up midway and to the back of the room.



The Shiloh Baptist Choir held the audience spellbound, with a wonderful song from the Gospel. Its faithful members were a good reminder that every really good singer that has ever made it big out of Douglass, reached their vocal range capabilities in the Riverview Neighborhood church choirs over the years. They all started their singing careers there.






Assistant City Manager Chris McCartt spoke to the audience about the future of the building renovations, and the wonderful offices that are to be built. He also reminded the crowd that the Douglass Alumni Association will have its offices and computers in the neighborhood "Community Room," an open-air space that will serve as a gathering place for community meetings and programs. Architectual photos were also exhibited for folks to see what the newly renovated building will look like.






A special surprise brought the audience to its feet for a standing ovation, when two of our community seniors made appearances. Seated quietly in the audience, special guest Mrs. Beulah Banner spoke to the crowd about how much she will miss hearing music in the Auditorium and the plays she often saw there. In a special ceremony and assisted by Doug Releford, "Miss Beulah" lit two candles, one symbolizing the storied past of Douglass High School, and the ambitious future of the former school building after it's renovated.




Mrs. Nora Mae Taylor, another of the neighborhood's most wonderful seniors, also made a special appearance, promising to tell on Calvin for "getting me out in all this rain." Although in a wheelchair, "Miss Nora Mae" proved she still has a good sense of humor, telling members of the audience how good it was to see them, and how she was glad to be part of the event. Afterwards, she and "Miss Beulah" stayed on, to enjoy the wonderful festivities as they continued to unfold.






The Full Gospel Mission Choir kept the enthusiam of the audience up tempo with one of the crowd's favorite songs. Each voice stood out in song, as even folks in the back of the Auditorium were swaying and tapping their feet. One would have thought they were at revival, but then the Douglass Auditorium has heard many a good Gospel song in its day, and from this choir, there were no exceptions.. just good music.







Kingsport Board of Education Member Wally Boyd Jr. spoke to the crowd about the faith of believing in a goal of good education. He said the Douglass School building had never given up its mission of educating students, noting that Kingsport's Headstart Pre-School classes moved into the building shortly after it closed as a public school in 1966, and that mission will continue well into the future. Wally himself has a link to Douglass.. as a Board of Education member, he worked with the Douglass Alumni Association to locate all of the lost Douglass athletic trophies, and rescue most of them from a dusty backroom behind the Dobyns-Bennett gym. It was also he who authorized the repair of any damaged ones, during more than 40 years of dusty storage. Those trophies are destined for a new, lighted, temperature-controlled display case in the Douglass Alumni community room.



From the Bethel A.M.E. Zion Choir, a rousing number straight from the hymnals we all learned from. Just hearing the voices of inspiration, left audience members in a good mood. When the Lord gives you voice, these choir members put it to good use, and their spirit left everybody thinking "we done had church in here today!"






COTY AND COACH BOB DEERING

It was "A Blast from the Past," a special video presentation with interviews from several former Douglass teachers. Featured were Jill Ellis, Thelma Webb, Jessie Charles, Joyce Long, Peggy Welker Baylor, and Bob and Coty Deering. Their remembrances left the audience both in stitches at times, and almost tearful at others, as they remembered along with their former students events large and small, that shaped the school experience into a family one. A DVD of the program interview segment will be for sale soon, along with a longer version to be made for Black History Month, and even more teachers will be added as we discover their whereabouts. Please watch the website for an update on these wildly popular teacher interview segments.






Former Douglass Football Tiger teammates Jack Pierce and Bobby Joe Johnson told the crowd of several of the football player exploits during a heyday of Tiger football and basketball highlights. Some of the special plays and experiences they related, were good examples of how taking part in Douglass sports, built character and stability in the student mind.






The New Vision Youth Kids had a special presentation, gleaned straight from the school books of former Douglass students. Just as the names of former students were discovered in the books discovered in closed lockers for more than 40 years, NOTES from those books were also found, some of them detailing football and basketball schedules, crip notes (Johnnie Mae called them 'cheat sheets'), and even excuses from parents to teachers, for why a particular student was absent from school.
The New Vision Youth Kids had these historic pieces of paper laminated, and were presented to the Douglass Alumni Association for inclusion in the upcoming Community Room display case.

After the singing of the Douglass School Song led by Mrs. Louetta Hall, an update on the HOPE VI Revitilation Project from Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Terry Cunningham, and the Benediction by Full Gospel Mission Pastor Geraldine Swagerty, the audience was free to tour the building one final time and enjoy refreshments provided by the South Central Kingsport Weed and Seed Office.

It was special to note that many former Douglass students lingered long after the program was over, to socialize and take in the building as they remember it, knowing that in two months, the face of a Riverview cornerstone will change dramatically. It was almost as if they didn't want to leave.

And then, the historic auditorium fell silent, its voice stilled, its history frozen forever... the storied walls awaiting the distant hum of a demolition crew's upcoming handiwork.


"The Last Great Program at Douglass" was indeed that.. a final, last tribute to the students who attended, the teachers who taught, the parents who volunteered, and a community who held the largest Black school in the area, close to their hearts, and forever in their memories.

We are, and will always be, with our children and descendants "The Sons and Daughters of Douglass!"

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Johnnie Mae Swagerty, New Vision Youth: Jeannie Hodges, South Central Kingsport Weed and Seed; Moose Henry and Jason Wilburn, Kingsport Parks and Rec; Terry Cunningham, KHRA; Larry and Jeff, V.O. Dobbins Center Custodians; Vince Staten and Stephanie McClellan, Kingsport Times-News; Kingsport TV; WCYB-TV, Channel 5, Bristol; WJHL-TV, Channel 11, Johnson City; WJCW-AM910, Johnson City; WKPT-AM1400, Kingsport; the program participants, and the wonderful people of Riverview, South Central, and the City of Kingsport.

The Final Curtain at the Historic Douglass Auditorium

PHOTOS COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS, JANUARY 10, 2009 AND PHOTOGRAPHER NED JILTON II - CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE














Clockwise from top right: Shiloh Baptist Choir takes the stage in the V.O. Dobbins Community Center on Saturday for ‘The Last Great Program in the Douglass Auditorium’; a surprise visitor from the old neighborhood, Nora Mae Taylor, formerly co-owner of the Dairy Mart, waves to the crowd; members of the Central Baptist Choir sing in the auditorium, which is to be torn down for renovations.

THE FINAL PROGRAM - SOUVENIR PROGRAM COURTESY OF THE KINGSPORT HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY - CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Final curtain: Community invited to share in memories of Douglass before renovations begin

‘I think there will be a sense of sorrow that the building is losing its identity, but we’re going to be there to maintain the integrity.’
— Calvin Sneed


THOR STORY COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS, JANUARY 9, 2009
By MATTHEW LANE
mlane@timesnews.net

KINGSPORT — In the coming weeks, the renovation and expansion of the V.O. Dobbins Community Center will begin. To commemorate the start of the longawaited project, the South Central Community will hold “The Last Great Program at Douglass High School” in the center’s auditorium Saturday afternoon.


Photo by Erica Yoon —eyoon@timesnews.net
LARRY HUNLEY, CUSTODIAN AT THE V.O. DOBBINS COMMUNITY CENTER, SWEEPS THE FLOOR OF THE AUDITORIUM AT THE CENTER ON THURSDAY. THE AUDITORIUM WILL HOST "THE LAST GREAT PROGRAM AT DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL ON SATURDAY






The program begins at noon in the auditorium and will include music from several community churches, speeches from Mayor Dennis Phillips and Jack Pierce (a member of the 1947-48 state championship football team), an update on the project from the city, video interviews of former Douglass teachers, and a walk-through of the entire facility.








Photo by Erica Yoon —eyoon@timesnews.net BOXES OF BOOKS ARE SET FOR SATURDAY'S DOUGLASS SCHOOL BOOK FAIR


A book fair will also be held at the center from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
The V.O. Dobbins Center is a city-owned community center located between Louis and Wheatley streets in Riverview. The building served as Kingsport’s “blacks only” school from 1951 to 1966 and was named Douglass High School.
Kingsport plans to expand and renovate the center, demolishing 13,600 square feet of the existing building, renovating the remaining 46,000 square feet, and adding approximately 50,000 square feet of space — 27,910 of which will be a new nonprofit center.
The first phase of the project is the demolition of the auditorium — the site of the new nonprofit wing. Demolition is expected to begin in early February and will include some asbestos removal. The city will be going out to bid on the renovation and expansion phase of the project in March or April.
Calvin Sneed, with the Douglass Alumni Association, said many people do not realize the only part of the building that is going to be completely torn down during the project is the auditorium.



THIRD GRADE DOUGLASS SCHOOL STUDENTS JOHN CAMPBELL, NATALIE SMITH, CALVIN SNEED AND VICKIE WOOD REHEARSE FOR 'LE MI-CARAMEME.' SNEED, NOW WITH THE DOUGLASS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, SAID SUCH PLAYS WERE A FIXURE AT THE SCHOOL - WITH EACH TEACHER REQUIRED TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE PLAY OR PROGRAM PER YEAR


“In that auditorium there were over the years so many good programs. Mr Dobbins, when he was the principal, required every teacher to have at least one play or program per year that was not a singing contest. This was a performing contest. All of the kids from class on stage doing things,” Sneed said. “”It was the first big gathering place in the neighborhood, always open for plays, concerts, recitals, in addition to school programs. If you needed the auditorium, all you needed to do was talk to Mr. Dobbins, and he would make sure it was open for everybody.”
Sneed, along with Johnnie Mae Swagerty, worked to organize and coordinate Saturday’s event.
One of the highlights will be video interviews with former teachers of Douglass High School including Jill Ellis, Joyce Long, Jessie Charles, Thelma Webb, Bob Deering, Coty Deering and Peggy Welker Baylor.
Sneed said there has been a tremendous response to the program, noting how the two were surprised by the response for the event marking the demolition of the Riverview Apartments.
“We said we needed to do this same thing when they start Douglass. It’s going to look totally different and not look like the school we had for years and years,” Sneed said. “We take it for granted that the building is always going to be there. It’s been a pillar and a rock in the community. People pass by it every day, and they forget the things that happened there, the good things that happened there.
“With it being renovated, instead of it being our building, it’s going to become Kingsport’s building. It’s all of Kingsport’s history and not just for South Central and Riverview.”




Photo by Erica Yoo n -eyoon@timesnews.net LARRY HUNLEY LOOKS OVER A CRUMBLING WALL IN A STAIRCASE LEADING TO THE AUDITORIUM BALCONY AT THE V.O. DOBBINS COMMUNITY CENTER. HE SAID THE WALL HAS CONTINUED TO CRUMBLE FOR YEARS, DESPITE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO FIX IT

Due to asbestos remediation and high costs, the auditorium was deemed for demolition early on in the concept phase of the project. When the project is complete, the building will look completely different than it is now — a new three-story nonprofit wing and second gymnasium added to the site.
“I think it will be (bittersweet). I think there will be a sense of sorrow that the building is losing its identity, but we’re going to be there to maintain the integrity. We stand to gain so much by maintaining that building and remembering the legacy of the students,” Sneed said. “(Changing the building) bothers me in a way. Change is inevitable. If it’s for the betterment of the community, then let’s just get it over with. After awhile the realization was this needs to be done to save the building.”

‘The Last Great Program at Douglass’ to be held Saturday

Contact Vince Staten at vincestaten@timesnews.net or via mail in care of this newspaper. Voicemail may be left at 723-1483. His blog can be found at vincestaten@timesnews.net

THIS STORY FROM VINCE STATEN COURTESY THE KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS JANUARY 9, 2009


Professor A.H. Howell began the tradition. Dr. Howell, who along with his wife, Ellen, had come to Kingsport in 1924 from Tennessee A&I in Nashville to run our city’s “Colored School,” liked for his students to participate in programs.
Every Monday was chapel, which might include a lesson from a local minister, followed by a classroom presentation on Lincoln. He liked for his singers to perform, both at school and for local civic groups. His drama club students performed plays for the school and the community. His monthly column in the Kingsport Times-News was always filled with news of his students’ programs.
Howell carried the tradition on when the school — now called Douglass, after the orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass — moved in 1929 from its cramped building in the Y where East Market meets East Sullivan to a long promised new building on the corner of Walnut (now East Sevier) and Bristol Boulevard (now East Center where Rhoten Insurance is today). At last Howell had an auditorium for his “programs.” In March 1935 the school’s quartet —made up of Hubert Armstrong, Simpson Brown, Caldwell Hemphill and Walter McGhee — performed a program for fellow students, singing a medley of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “My Wild Irish Rose,” “Shine On Harvest Moon,” “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and “Coming ’Round the Mountain,” before heading to Nashville to compete in the State Symposium at Tennessee A&I.
The group didn’t win in Nashville, but one member, McGhee, would go on to become a world-famous bluesman when he adopted his middle name and teamed up with a North Carolinian to form the influential blues duo, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.
And there’s a good chance McGhee wasn’t even the best singer on the Douglass stage in 1935. That honor would have fallen to Alma Gerdner, who won the solo competition at the State Symposium singing “Beautiful Lady in Blue.”
Oftentimes Professor Howell would join in the program. In 1935 the newspaper reported this humorous exchange between the principal and Hubert Armstrong:
Prof. Howell: “What’s was the difference between Noah’s Ark and Joan of Arc?”
Hubert: “Noah’s Ark was made of wood and Joan of Arc was maid of Orleans!”
When the school moved to a new building on Louis Street in Riverview on Jan. 2, 1950, Principal V.O. Dobbins continued the tradition of programs in the school’s spacious new auditorium, which seated 600, according to a Times-News story at the time of the school’s opening.
Integration arrived in Kingsport, a grade a year, starting in 1960 with full integration in the fall of 1965. Douglass closed for good on June 8, 1966, becoming the V.O. Dobbins Community Center.
But the students who attended and performed in those Douglass programs over the years haven’t forgotten them. And Saturday at noon, they will gather in the old auditorium for “The Last Great Program at Douglass.” Kingsport is reno- vating the old school building to transform it into Kingsport’s nonprofit center. Those renovations include the demolition of the historic auditorium.
Calvin Sneed says, “Our plans will be speeches from the stage, music from church choirs in the city, and plays and skits, just like we used to have in the auditorium in days gone by.”
There will also be a video of interviews with former Douglass teachers, including longtime football coach Bob Deering. Deering, who is now in his late 80s and lives near Queens, N.Y., also taught history, biology, science and phys. ed. In the video he recalls football practices during his tenure, 1956-1965. “Sometimes we’d start practice around 3 o’clock, and we’d stay for an hour or two, but sometimes we’d be out on that ball field until 8 or 9 o’clock, until I was convinced the players knew what I wanted them to do. We’d do whatever it took to win.”
Douglass’ football teams won many games over the years, including state championships in 1929, 1930, 1946 and 1947.
The public is invited to attend “The Last Great Program at Douglass.” It starts at noon Saturday in the auditorium at 301 Louis St.
Calvin says, “The auditorium holds a special meaning for many of us who attended Douglass. It was where we celebrated our academic accomplishments, from graduations to plays to concerts and recitals to community events. Former Principal Dobbins insisted that all of his teachers organize and come up with a play every year in the auditorium, and just to walk down the aisles now, you can almost hear the lines from a third-grade French play or a concert from the Douglass Chorus.”
I’ve posted a few old newspaper clippings about the origins of Douglass on my blog, vincestaten.blogspot.com.

"The Last Great Program at Douglass"

The countdown has begun, and rain or shine, we'll be there.

Kingsport is coming together this coming Saturday to help Riverview and South Central celebrate the grand history of the oldest African-American school in the area. As you know, the Douglass School will be renovated into Kingsport's new Non-Profit Center, which will keep the name "The V.O. Dobbins Community Center." Construction work begins in just a few short weeks.

THE DOUGLASS AUDITORIUM

"The Last Great Program at Douglass" will be held inside the HEATED Douglass Auditorium this coming Saturday, January 10th at 12 Noon. The Douglass Auditorium is the only part of the building, scheduled to be torn down, as the rest of the building will either be renovated, or added on to. There will also be another installment of the Douglass Book Fair, from 9 AM to 12 Noon, just before the program, with each book still costing one dollar. If you have not picked up your Douglass School book, please do so, then stick around for the noon program, or be sure and come back for it.


FROM LEFT, JOHNNIE MAE SWAGERTY DISCUSSES PROGRAM PLANS WITH JEANNIE HODGES, WHILE JASON WILBURN OF PARKS AND RECREATION ADJUSTS THE BIG MOVIE SCREEN

There'll be short speeches from Kingsport Mayor Dennis Phillips, Assistant to the City Manager Chris McCartt, Former Douglass Football Captain Bobby Joe Johnson, Kingsport Board of Education member Wally Boyd, and good, ole-fashioned gospel music from the churches in the Riverview-South Central community. We also have a couple of surprises, that will warm your heart and just may bring you to your feet! Johnnie Mae Swagerty and I are still working on one really BIG surprise, and we hope you like it!



BOB AND COTY DEERING

We will also have a wonderful 20-minute video presentation with interviews from former Douglass teachers, who share heart-warming stories about the students they taught, funny things that happened in school and in class, and memories of students whom the Lord called home before they could graduate. Only a few teachers are still with us. This video will make you laugh, and it will also make you cry, as you relive the Douglass years through the eyes of some of the teachers who gave us life lessons, as well as school lessons. Our teachers at Douglass were our mentors, our "guidance counselors of life." not just someone standing up at the front of the class, doling out assignments. OUR teachers shaped our lives, keeping us focused and concentrated, even staying with us after school sometimes, to help us understand our lessons. Truly, wonderful people.....



After the program, a brief self tour and walk-through will be conducted through the building, where you can see the classrooms where you were taught. This will indeed be a memorable moment, the "Final Walk-Through." The building will look very different, the next time we are all gathered inside it. After that, light refreshments will be served back in the Auditorium Lobby, and you'll be able to eat inside the Auditorium, something Festa' Dobbins would have NEVER let us do back in the day!

For those way out of town who cannot make it, the entire event will be streamed live on your Douglass website, www.sonsanddaughtersofdouglass.org, accessible by clicking the "play" button on the TV screen on the left side of the title page. While you can view it there, you're encouraged to be there in the Auditorium in person. Nothing beats a live event like the one we're having, in person.

DAVE & CARL, THE MORNING CREW AT WJCW-AM910, JOHNSON CITY

On Thursday morning, please tune your radios to WJCW-AM 910 Talk Radio from Johnson City, as the morning crew will interview Calvin about the event on Saturday. The interview will begin somewhere around 7:45 AM, and will highlight not only the Saturday program, but also the history of Douglass School and its relationship to Kingsport, the Riverview-South Central Community, the Tri-Cities, and Upper East Tennessee.

Local media outlets have also pledged their support to Saturday's Noon program. The Kingsport Times-News will have both a reporter and a photographer there.. WCYB-TV, Channel 5 and WJHL-TV, Channel 11 have the event on their schedules to cover as well, for the Saturday evening news at 6 PM, 10 PM (Fox) and 11 PM. This is yet one more opportunity to show people the love we have for one of our community cornerstones, and to demonstrate how proud we are to say: "I'm from Riverview in Kingsport!"


Please come out and join in one of the most memorable celebrations in the history of Kingsport and our neighborhood. "The Last Great Program at Douglass" promises to be one of the most memorable events of our time, a fitting tribute to a strong link in our community and our lives. Don't let this opportunity pass by, to say goodbye to a cornerstone of the neighborhood, and a welcome to the new-age renovations to come!

See you Saturday!

Douglass School Book Sale is Saturday

KINGSPORT — The Douglass School Book Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the historic Douglass School Auditorium, 301 Louis St. School books and textbooks that were discovered last year in the lockers of the old Douglass School (now the V.O. Dobbins Community Center) will be sold for $1.


Books include math, English, science, biology, French, chemistry, social studies, health and general study. Following the book fair, “The Last Great Program at Douglass,” a celebration of the beginning of renovations at the V.O. Dobbins Community Center, will begin. Proceeds from the book fair will benefit the community programs of the Douglass Alumni Association. Douglass alumni are encouraged to pick up their reserved school books on Saturday.

UPDATED Douglass School Book List, January 10, 2009

After THREE book sales, and the removal of names and books already sold, this is the updated list of the Douglass school books that are left, as of Saturday, January 10, 2009. The following student names and their books are logged in alphabetical order:



A
Adams Jr., George (20th Century Bookkeeping & Accounting)
Adams, Ruben (Making Mathematics Work)
Adams, Ruben (Story of Our America)
Adams, William (English Grade 7)
Anderson, Iris Lee (Using Words)(same book as Pat Anderson, Mildred Gillenwater,
Pauline Horton, Luther Graves Jr.)
Anderson, Joe--GATE CITY, VA (Our Environment)
Anderson, Pat (Using Words)(same book as Mildred Gillenwater, Pauline Horton, Luther
Graves Jr., Iris Lee Anderson



B
Bachman, Shirley (Consumer Economic Problems )(same book as Priscilla Etter)
Banner, Annie Lois (On the Long Road-reading book)(same book as Gwedolyn Burnette)
Banner, Bennie (Prose & Poetry)(same book as Jerry Horton, Eugenia Mason)
Ballenger, James (My Spelling 6th Grade)
Bly, Kay (New Discovering Numbers)
Bly, Linda Christine (To School & Home Again-reading book)
Blye, Linda C (Prose & Poetry)
Blye, Nathan (English in Action)
Bogus, Mary Ann (Adverntures in Reading)(same book as James Simonton Jr.)
Bogus, Mary Ann (Word Mastery Speller)
Bond, Anthony (Living Together in the Americas)
Bond, Cornell (New Learning with Numbers)(same book as Lestine Dover)
Bond, Darwin (Arithmetic We Need)
Bond, Ellen (Arithmetic We Need)
Bond, Pvt. John (20th Century Typewriting)(same book as Lorraine Maxwell, Dorothy
Sensabaugh)
Bond, Marvin (Living Together in the Old World)
Bond, Marvin (Arithmetic We Need)
Bond, Regina (Living Together in the Americas)
Bond, Regina (Language for Everyday Use-5th Grade)
Bond, Shirley (Plane Geometry)
Bowditch, Janice (You & Science)
Bowditch, Larry (More Friends & Neighbors)
Bowditch, Shelton (How and Why Explorations)
Bradford, Carl (Spelling to Write)(same book as Elizabeth Rutledge, Roy Eugene
Bradford)
Bradford, Glenna (English in Action)
Bradford, Roy Eugene (Spelling to Write)(same book as Carl Bradford, Elizabeth
Rutledge)
Bradley, Audrey (New Spelling Goals)
Bradley, Audrey (Experimenting in Science)
Bradley, Audrey (Living Together in the Old World)
Briscoe, Alma (Man's Story)(same book as George Turner)
Bristol, Fredia (The United States in the Western World)(same book as Sarah Ann
Childs)
Bristol, Patricia (Science)(same book as Alice Arthurine Doneghy)
Bristol, Patricia (How & Why Club)(same book as Deborah Delaney)
Burnette, Gwendolyn (On the Long Road-reading book)(same book as Annie Lois Banner)
Burnette, Jackie (Exploring Biology)(same book as Florence Ray)
Burnette, Jackie Sue (Science)
Burnette, Major (New Applied Mathematics)(same book as Loftus Smith)



C
Calloway, George (Making Mathematics Work)
Calloway, George (My Spelling Grade 4)(same book as Vera Stokley, Mary Ellen Cox)
Campbell, Barbara Lynn (New Standard Arithmetic)
Campbell, Denese (You and Others)(same book as B.B. Long)
Campbell, Georgian (On the Long Road)
Campbell, John (Living Together in the Americas)
Cash, David (English Grade 8)
Cash, Donald (Distant Doorways)(same book as Lanetta Lee)
Cash, Nathan (How & Why Conclusions)
Carnes, Billy (The United States in the Western World)
Carnes Jr., Billy Gene (Consumer Economics Problems)
Carnes, Leon (Active Citizenship)
Carpenter, Jimmy (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Regina Carpenter, Robert Hardy,
Carmetia Hardy)
Carpenter, Regina (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Jimmy Carpenter, Robert Hardy,
Carmetia Hardy)
Cash, David (On the Long Road)
Cash, David (The Way of Democracy)
Childs, Ann (Living Together in the Americas)
Childs, Sarah Ann (The United States in the Western World)(same book as Fredia
Bristol)
Clark, Martha (Literature & Life in England)(same book at Irene Maxwell)
Coclough, Daimon (Lanuage for Everyday Use)
Coclough, Daimon (Living Together in the Western World)
Coclough, Daimon (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Louis Jackson, Prince Miller,
Johnny Lee)
Coclough, Linda (Adventures of the American People)
Coclough, Linda (For Heathy Living, The Road to Health)
Cole, Ann (New Spelling Goals)
Cole, Douglas (Adventures in Reading-9th Grade)
Cole, Joe (Living Together in the Old World-6th Grade)
Comage, Doreatha (One the Long Road)
Cox, Linda Urtis (Plane Geometry)
Cox, Mary Ellen (The United States in the Western World)(same book as Melvyn Douglas
Kinchloe)
Cox, Mary Ellen (My Spelling Grade 4)(same book as Vera Stokley, George Calloway)
Cox, Mary Ellen (Prose and Poetry)
Cunningham, Janice (English Grade 4)



D
Davis, Curtis (New Applied Mathemetics)
Davis, Curtis (A Sound Body)(same book as Linda Etter, John Lewis)
Davis, Gloria (Health & Happy Days)
Davis, Hilda (New Spelling Goals)
Davis, Hope (New Spelling Goals)
Davis, Hope (New Friendly Village)(same book as Sherry Russell)
Davis, Marshall Lee (Living Together in the Old World)
Davis, Marshall Lee (Our United States)(same book as Rowena Foster)
Davis, Melody (Language for Everyday Use)
Deadrick, Glenda (Experimenting in Science)
Deadrick, Glenda (Thinking with Numbers Grade 7)
Deadrick, Glenda (New Thinking with Numbers 7)
Deal, Charlyne (Making Mathematics Work (same book as Tommy Ford)
Deal, Maria Charlyne (Our Changing Social Order)
Deal, James (Plane Geometry)(same book as Edith Taylor)
Deal, Yvonne (Chemistry and You)
Deal, Yvonne (Plane Geometry)(same book as Maxie Dobbins)
Delaney, Deborah (How & Why Club)(same book as Patricia Bristol)
Delaney, Deborah (Adventures in Reading 9-A)
Delaney, Deborah (Your Health & Safety)
Delaney, Deborah (Building Better English)
Delaney, Deborah (Growth in Arithmetic)(same book as Almita Jackson)
Delaney, Frederick (Spelling Goals)
Delaney Jr., James (Our Changing Social Order-12th Grade)
Delaney Jr., James (New Applied Mathematics)(same book as Dora Sara Good-Robinson
Student)
Delaney, Jr., James (New Applied Mathematics)
Delaney, John (The Health Parade)
Delaney, John (Our Environment)
Delaney, Taina (People & Progress)
Delaney, Taina (Second Year Algebra)(same book as Phylis Horton)
Dobbins, Maxie (Plane Geometry)(same book as Yvonne Deal)
Dobbins, Maxie (Everyday Foods)
Dobbins, Maxie (New Applied Mathematics)
Dobbins, Melrose (Everyday Foods)
Dobbins, Van (Consumer Economic Problems)
Dokes, Adell (Sunshine Book Prose & Poetry)(same book as James Dulaney)
Doneghy, Alice (United States in the Western World)(same book as Marie Simpson)
Doneghy, Alice Arthurine (Your Health & Safety)
Doneghy, Alice Arthurine (Science)(same book as Patricia Bristol)
Dover, Andrew (New Understanding Numbers 6)
Dover, Lestine (New Learning with Numbers)(same book as Cornell Bond)
Drumgoole, Melvin (Sunshine Book)
Dulaney, Carolyn (TN Civics-Fundementals of Citizenship)


E, F
Edward, Clay (?) (Safety Every Day-1949)
Ellis, Dawnella (Health in Work & Play)
Ellis, Mack (Prose & Poetry)
Ellis, Robert (For Healthful Living)(same book as Martha Lee)
Etter, Linda (A Sound Body)(same book as Curtis Davis, John Lewis)
Etter, Linda Marie (French for the Modern World)(Mrs. Dorton-teacher)
Etter, Priscilla (Consumer Economic Problems)(same book as Shirley Bachman)
Evans, ? (Safety Every Day-Health)(same book as Clara Mae Lewis)
Evans, William Earl (Thinking with Numbers)
Finch, Timothy (Living Together in the Old World)
Flack, Anthony (Sunsine Book Prose & Poetry)
Flack, Arthur (Knowing About Numbers Grade 8)(same book as Vera Stokely)
Ford, Dobie (Growth in Arithmetic 5)
Ford, Margaret (Science)
Ford, Margaret (Prose and Poetry)
Ford, Tommy (The United States in the Western World)
Ford, Tommy (Making Mathematics Work)(same book as Charlyne Deal)
Foster, Barbara (My Spelling)
Foster, Marion (A History of our Country)(same book as George Turner, Jr)
Fugate, William Charles (Our Changing Social Order)



G
Garrett, Pierce (The New Friendly Village)(same book as Jerry Green)
Gibson, Lois (New Applied Mathemetics)
Gillenwater, Mildred (Using Words)(same book as Pat Anderson, Pauline Horton, Luther
Graves Jr., Iris Lee Anderson)
Gilmore, Edward Allen (Visits in Other Lands)
Gilmore, Gregory (The New People and Progress)
Gilmore, James (Bookkeeping & Accounting)
Gilmore, James--The Round One (20th Century Bookkeeping and Accounting)
Gilmore, Joe (Your Health & Safety)
Gilmore, Joe (Adventures in Reading)
Gilmore, Joe (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Ronald Ruffin)
Gilmore, Joseph (You and Others)
Goodwin, Kathryn (Our English Language)
Gaines, James (Winter Comes and Goes)
Graves, David Leon (Plane Geometry)
Graves, Leon (Chemistry & You)
Gray, Norma Lee (Plane Geometry)(same book as Dorothea Valjean Smith)
Gray, Rosemary (The Story of Tennessee)(same book as Eugene Kincaid)
Gray, Miss Rosemary (Exploring Biology)
Green, Bertie (Prose and Poetry)(same book as Alvin Kane, James Perry)
Green, Bertie (Our English Language)
Green, Jerry (The New Friendly Village)(same book as Pierce Garrett)
Greene, Charles (More Days & Deeds)
Griffin, Stewart (The New Friendly Village)(same book as Nelson Smith, James Treece,
Michael Lee)
Grino, Velma (Safety Every Day)
Grissom, Velma (Sunshine Book Prose & Poetry)(same book as Nelson Smith)
Grisson, Velma (TN Civics-Fundamentals of Citizenship)(same book as Donald Lynch,
Carolyn Smith)


H
Hale, Eddie (The Firelight Book-Reading Book)
Hale, Freddie Lee Moore)(French in the Modern World)
Hale, Freddie Lee Moore)(Our Changing Social Order)
Hankins, Joy (The Sunshine Book)(same book as Betty Ann Turner, John Lewis)
Hankins, Norman (Traveling New Trails)
Hankins, Norman (Life and Health)
Hardy, Carmetia (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Jimmy Carpenter, Regina Carpenter,
Robert Hardy)
Hardy, Claudia (Science)(same book as Cletta Rutledge, Thelma Rutledge)
Hardy, Robert (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Jimmy Carpenter, Regina Carpenter,
Carmetia Hardy)
Hardy, Thelma (Making Mathematics Work)(same book as George Calloway)
Harrill, James (The New Friends and Neighbors)
Hemphill, Pricilla (Changing Civilizations in Modern World)(same book as
Wilbur Hendricks Sr., Lloyd Hankins, Virgilia Looney, Linda Lee Hendricks)
Hendricks, Janice (Living Together in the Old World)
Hendricks, Linda Lee (Changing Civilizations in Modern World)(same book as
Pricilla Hemphill, Wilbur Hendricks Sr., Lloyd Hankins, Virgilia Looney)
Hendricks Sr., Wilbur (Changing Civilizations in Modern World-1930 (same book as
Pricilla Hemphill, Lloyd Hankins, Virgilia Looney, Linda Lee Hendricks)
Hendricks Jr., Wilbur (New Friendly Village)(same book as William Hickman, Patricia
Lollar)
Henry or Henery, Donald (Distant Doorways-reading book)
Henry, T-Bug (Builders for Good Health, same book as Herbert Patterson)
Hickman, William (Knowing About Numbers)
Hickman, William (New Friendly Village)(same book as Patricia Lollar, Wilbur
Hendricks)
Hickman, (?) (New Streets and Roads)
Hoard, Thelma J. (Exploring Biology)
Horton, Calvin (Arithmetic We Need)(same book as Yvonne Reese)
Horton, Elnora (20th Century Bookkeeping & Accounting)
Horton, Helen Pauline (Growth in Arithmetic 7th grade)
Horton, Jerry (Prose & Poetry)(same book as Bennie Banner, Eugenia Mason)
Horton, Lillian (Sunshine Book)(same book as Fay Mason)
Horton, Phylis (Second Year Algegra)(same book as Taina Delaney)
Horton, Phylis (Winter Comes and Goes)(same book as Florence Ray)
Horton, Ray (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Carlos Morrison)
Horton, Sinora (Industry in America LIB)(same library book as Josephine Bowers)
Howard, Joni (Spelling Goals)
Huff, Katherine (Discovering With Science)
Huff, Zoffree (English Grade 8)(same book as Shirley Ann Lollar)
Hutcherson, Ora Lee (Social Studies-Man's Story)



I, K, J
Jackson, Almita (Growth in Arithmetic)(same book as Deborah Delaney)
Jackson, Eddie (Story of Tennessee)
Jackson, Eddie (A Sound Body)
Jackson, Eddie (Prose & Poetry)
Jackson, Eddie (How & Why Conclusions)
Jackson, Louise (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Daimon Coclough, Prince Miller,
Johnny Lee)
Jeffers, Annie Bell (Let's Travel On-1940)
Jenkins, Kernes (Our Changing Social Order)
Jenkins, Kernes (New Applied Mathemathics)
Jones, Clara (Social Studies)(same book as Connie Ruffin, Helen Watterson)
Jones, Clara (Health and Happy Days)(same book as Ronald Lynch)
Jones, Eddie (Your Health & Safety)
Jones, Eddie Lee (Your Health & Safety)
Jones, Jerry)(Living Together in the Americas)
Jones, Lawrence (Social Living)
Kane, Alvin (Prose and Poetry)(same book as James Perry, Bertie Green)
Kincaid, Eugene (The Story of Tennessee)(same book as Rosemary Gray)
Kincaid, Eugene (Adventures in Reading)(same book as Marva Welchel, Leola Gray)
Kincaid, Don (Health & Happier Days)(same book as Michael Williams)

Kinchloe, Donald (Growth in Arithmetic)
Kinchloe, Melvyn (The United States in the Western World)
Kinchloe, Melvyn Douglass (The United States in the Western World )(same book as
Mary Ellen Cox)
Kirkpatrick Jr., Carl (Using Words)



L
Lane, Jeane Bachman (How & Why Explorations)
Lee, Johnny (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Louise Jackson, Daimon Coclough,
Prince Miller)
Lee, Lanetta (Distant Doorways)(same book as Donald Cash)
Lee, Martha (For Healthful Living)(same book as Robert Ellis)
Lee, Michael (The New Friendly Village)(same book as Nelson Smith, James Treece,
Stewart Griffin)
Lee, Spencer (Plane Geometry)
Lee, Talmon (Experimenting in Science)(same book as Jerry Lewis, Arthur Morrison)
Leeper, Frances (French for the Modern World)
Leeper, Laura (Our Changing Social Order)
Lewis, Clara Mae (Safety Every Day-Health)(same book as ? Evans)
Lewis, Clifford (Prose & Poetry)(same book as Frank Horton)
Lewis, Jerry (Experimenting in Science)(same book as Arthur Morrison, Talmon Lee)
Lewis, John (The Sunshine Book)(same book as Joy Hankins, Betty Ann Turner)
Lewis, John (TN Civics-Fundamentals of Citizenship)
Lewis, John (A Sound Body)(same book as Curtis Davis, Linda Etter)
Lewis, Will (Your Health & Safety)
Lewis, Will (Growth in Arithmetic)
Lilley, Mildred (Wheeler's Literary Readers)
Lindsay, Ronald (On the Long Road-reading)
Lindsey, Sharon (Making Mathematics Work)
Lollar, Elizabeth (My Spelling Goals)
Lollar, Helen (English Grade 6)
Lollar, Huphelia (Man's Story)(same book as Shirley Lynch)
Lollar, Patricia (New Friendly Village)(same book as William Hickman, Wilbur
Hendricks Jr.)
Lollar, Shirley (United States in the Western World)(same book as Wanda Watterson)
Lollar, Shirley (My Spelling Grade 6)
Lollar, Shirley (Geography Around the World)
Lollar, Shirley (Wings for Reading)
Lollar, Shirley Ann (English Grade 8)(same book as Zoffree Huff)
Long, B.B. (You and Others)(same book as Denese Campbell)
Long, Eddie "Good Looks" (Plane Geometry)
Long, Edward (A Sound Body-Health)
Looney, Virgilia (changing Civilizations in Modern World(same book as Linda Lee
Hendricks, Pricilla Hemphill, Wilbur Hendricks, Lloyd Hankins)
Lynch, Donald (Active Citizenship)
Lynch, Donald Edward (TN Civics-Fundamentals of Citizenship)(same book as Velma
Grissom, Carolyn Smith)
Lynch Jr., Frank (English in Action)(same book as Bravell McClintock)
Lynch, Jonathan (New Learning Numbers 4th Grade)(same book as Carolyn Simpson)
Lynch, Ronald (Health and Happy Days)(same book as Clara Jones)
Lynch, Shirley (English Grade 8)
Lynch, Shirley Ann (My Spelling Grade 6)
Lynch, Shirley Ann (Man's Story)(same book as Huphelia Lollar)



M
Manning, (Mademoiselle) Janis (Economics in Everyday Life)
Marble, Darlene (Fundamentals of Citizenship-TN Civics)
Marble, Leroy (Health in Work and Play)
Marble, Leroy (Finding New Neighbors)
Marble, Leroy (New Spelling Goals)
Marble, Leroy (Prose and Poetry)
Mason, Eugenia (Prose & Poetry)(same book as Jerry Horton, Bennie Banner)
Mason, Fay (Sunshine Book)(same book as Lillian Horton)
Mason, Frances (Living Together in the Old World)
Maxwell, Elizabeth (How and Why Conclusions)
Maxwell, Elizabeth (Nations Overseas)
Maxwell, Irene (Literature & Life in England)(same book as Martha Clark)
Maxwell, Joe Louis (Jr. English in Action)(same book as Priscilla Smith)
Maxwell, Lorraine (20th Century Typewriting)(same book as Pvt. John Bond, Dorothy
Sensabaugh)
Mays Jr., Wilton (Health in Work & Play)
Mays, Wilton Edward (Our United States)
McClintock, Bravell (English in Action)(same book as Frank Lynch, Jr.)
McLemore, Jackie (English in Action)
McLemore, Jackie (Chemistry and You)
McMiller, Edward (The Story of Our America)(same book as Douglass Releford)
McMiller, James (New Applied Mathematics)(same book as Betty Turner)
McMiller, Joe Allen (The United States in the Western World)
McMiller, Skeet (United States in the Western World)(same book as Ronald Leroy
Taylor)
McMiller, William (English Grade 8)
McMiller, William (Prose and Poetry-Blue Skybook)
McKnight, Clarence (Thinking with Numbers)
McKnight, Clarence (Health in Work & Play)
Miller, Bobby (Sunshine Book)
Miller, Cora (Our English Language)
Miller, Edward Lee (New Applied Mathmetics)(same book as Joan Shannon)
Miller, Glenda (Experimenting in Science)
Miller, Glenda Sue (Using Words)
Miller Jr., James (Our Environment)
Miller Jr., Jemes (Our United States)
Miller, Linda (Fundamentals of Citizensship-TN)
Miller, Prince (Language for Daily Use)
Miller, Prince (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Louise Jackson, Daimon Coclough,
Johnny Lee)
Miller, Teresa (Language for Daily Use 6)
Miller Jr., Walter (A Sound Body)
Mitchell, Alan (Singing Every Day)
Moore, Harold (The Health Parade)
Moore, William (Practical Chemistry-1926)
Morrison, Carlos (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Ray Horton)
Morrison, Freeman (Our United States)
Morrison, Talmon (Experimenting in Science)(same book as Jerry Lewis, Talmon Lee)



N
Nash, James (Prose & Poetry)(same book as Carolyn Reece)
Norwood, Donna (Health & Happy Days)
Norwood, Kathy (You and Others)
Norwood Jr., Thomas (French for the Modern World)



O, P
Parker, Pinkie Lee (Lynch, KY)(Intro to American Civilization)
Patterson, Hank (Language for Daily Use)
Patterson, Herbert (Builders for Good Health)(same book as T-Bug Henry)
Perry, James (Making Mathematics Work)
Perry, James (Prose & Poetry)(same book as Alvin Kane, Bertie Green)
Perry, James (Science)(same book as Leona Whittington)
Pierce, Veronia (French for the Modern World)
Price, Linda Lee (How & Why Conclusions)



Q, R
Rasbury, Ann (Plane Geometry)
Ray, Florence (Winter Comes and Goes)(same book as Phylis Horton)
Ray, Florence (Exploring Biology)(same book as Jackie Burnette)
Reece, Jean (Geography & World Affairs)
Reece, Carolyn (How & Why Conclusions)
Reece, Carolyn (Prose & Poetry)(same book as James Nash)
Releford, David (Singing Every Day)
Releford, Harry (Growth in Arithmetic)
Releford, Raymond (How & Why Explorations)
Releford, Raymond (Nations Overseas)
Rhea, Florence (Story of Our America)
Richard, Juanita Louise (Let's Travel On)
Rogers, Carmen (Prose & Poetry-5th Grade)
Rogers, Doris (For Healthful Living)
Ruffin, Connie (Social Studies)(same book as Clara Jones, Helen Watterson)
Ruffin, Ronald (New Spelling Goals)(same book as Joe Gilmore)
Rutledge, Cletta (Science)(same book as Thelma Rutledge, Claudia Hardy)
Rutledge, Elizabeth (Spelling to Write)(same book as Carol Bradford, Roy Eugene
Bradford)
Rutledge, James (Consumer Economic Problems)
Rutledge, James (Prose & Poetry)(same book as Rowena Foster)
Rutledge, Thelma (Science)(same book as Cletta Rutledge, Claudia Hardy)



S
Sanders, Blanche Deloris (A Sound Body-Health)
Sanders, James Alfred (English Grade 5)
Sanford, Bobby (Living Together in the Old World)
Scoggins, Dianne (The Health Parade)
Scroggins, John (Nations Overses)
Sensabaugh, Dorothy (20th Century Typewriting)(same book as Pvt. John Bond, Lorraine
Maxwell)
Shannon, Joan (New Applied Mathmetics)(same book as Edward Lee Miller)
Simonton Jr, James (Adventure in Reading)(same book as Mary Ann Bogus)
Simpson, Carolyn (New Learning about Numbers)(same book as Jonathan Lynch)
Simpson, Dianne (TN Civics-Fundamentals of Citizenship)
Simpson, Joe Louis (Active Citizenship)
Simpson, Marie (United States in the Western World)(same book as Alice Doneghy)
Skaggs, Frederick (Experimenting with Science)(same book as Thelma Skaggs)
Skaggs, Thelma (Jr. English in Action)
Skaggs, Thelma (Our United States)
Skaggs, Thelma (Experimenting with Science)(same book as Frederick Skaggs)
Smith, Betty Jo (Literature & Life in England)
Smith, Carolyn (TN Civics-Fundamentals of Citizenship)(same book as Donald Lynch,
Velma Grissom)
Smith, Dorothea (French for the Modern World)
Smith, Dorothea Valjean (Plane Geometry)(same book as Norma Lee Gray)
Smith, George (Arithmetic We Need)
Smith, George (You and Others)
Smith, Howard (Growth in Arithmetic)
Smith, James (The Earth We Live On)
Smith, Loftus (Now and Why Conclusions)
Smith, Loftus (How & Why Conclusions)
Smith, Loftus (New Applied Mathematics)(same book as Major Burnette)
Smith, Nelson (Sunshine Book Prose & Poetry)(same book as Velma Grissom)
Smith, Nelson (The New Friendly Village)(same book as James Treece, Michael Lee,
Stewart Griffin)
Smith, Nelson (Knowing About Numbers)
Smith, Olivia (Active Citizenship)
Smith, Patricia (Plane Geometry)
Smith, Paula Dean (2nd Year Algebra-10th Grade)
Smith, Phyllis Ann (Everyday Problems in Science)(same book as Betty Lucille Turner)
Smith, Priscilla (Jr. English in Action)(same book as Joe Louis Maxwell)
Spears, David "The Jailbird" (20th Century Bookkeeping & Accounting)
Steele, Mary (The Health Parade)
Stewart, Louetta (People and Progress)
Stevens, Stanley Eudora (English in Action)(same book as Stephanie Stevens)
Stevens, Stephanie (How & Why Experiments)
Stevens, (Miss) Stephanie (English in Action)(same book as Stanley Eudora Stevens)
Stokley, Samuel Grinnell (New Thinking with Numbers)
Stokley, Vera (French for the Modern World)
Stokley, Vera (On the Long Road-Reading Book)
Stokley, Vera (Knowing About Numbers Grade 8)(same book as Arthur Flack)
Stokley, Vera (United States in the Western World)
Stokley, Vera (My Spelling Grade 4)(same book as Mary Ellen Cox, George Calloway)
Stokley, Willie Kate (Active Citizenship)
Summers, Betsy Ann (Social Living)(same book as Valencia Summers)
Summers, Valencia (Social Living)(same book as Betsy Ann Summers)



T
Taylor, Edith (Plane Geometry)(same book as James Deal)
Taylor, Ronald Leroy (United States in the Western World)(same book as Skeet
McMiller)
Thomas, Horace (Prose and Poetry)
Thompson, Joseph (Experimenting in Science)
Thompson, Joseph (Adventures in Appreciation)
Treece, Carolyn (The United States in the Western World)
Treece, Carolyn Mae (Growth in Arithmetic 7)
Treece, Michael (The New Friendly Village)(same book as Nelson Smith, Michael Lee,
Stewart Griffin)
Truelove, Harry (Story of Nations)
Turner, Betty (New Applied Mathematics )(same book as James McMiller)
Turner, Betty Ann (The Sunshine Book)(same book as Joy Hankins, John Lewis)
Turner, Betty Lucille (Everyday Problems in Science)(same book as Phyllis Ann Smith)
Turner, George (Man's Story)(same book as Alma Briscoe)
Turner Jr., George Robert (A History of Our Country)(same book as Marion Foster)



U, V
Vinson, Naomi (Our United States)
Vinson, Naomi (Thinking with Numbers 7)
Vinson, Ruth (New Thinking with Numbers)



W
Walker, John (The Enchanted Past-Reading book)
Walls Jr., Arthur (Health & Happy Days)
Washington, Gary (Find Out Book-1938)
Watterson, Andra (Prose and Poetry)
Watterson, Claudine (On the Long Road-reading book)
Watterson, Freddie (Word Master Speller)
Watterson, Helen (Social Studies)(same book as Clara Jones, Connie Ruffin)
Watterson, Wanda (United States in the Western World)(same book as Shirley Lollar)
Whelchel, Marva (Doing Your Best of Health)
Whelchel, Marva (Adventures in Reading)(same book as Eugene Kincaid, Leola Gray)
Whittington, Cora (The Story of Our America)
Whittington, Leona (Science)(same book as James Perry)
Williams, Loretta (New Spelling Goals)
Williams, Michael (Health & Happier Days)(same book as Don Kincaid)
Williamson, Jessie Mae (Lefty)(Active Citizenship)
Worley, David (Experimenting in Science)



X, Y, Z
Young, Billy (How & Why Experiments)
Young, Charlotte (Our Environment)
Young, Korey (?)(New Spelling Goals)
Young, Jimmy (How & Why Explorations-Science)
Young, Phyllis Annette (Prose and Poetry)



************************************
DOUGLASS LIBRARY BOOKS:


"Aunt Joe's Scrap Bag"
Bradford, Glenna
Foster, Rowena
Giles, J
Green, Bertie
Pierce, Veronica
Skaggs, Barbara
Webb, Roberta
Worley, Lorraine

"Wild Animals I Have Known"
Armstrong, Joe (2-22-40)
Leeper, Clay (Room 5-1939)


"Beggars of Dreams"
Bell, Loretta
Henson, Elizabeth
McMiller, D.
Rogers, Lynetta


"Colorado"
Perry, James (checked out 3 times, fined $0.02)

Cox, Linda Lee
Dulaney, Thelma
Foster, Joane
Goodson, Joyce
Gray, Linda
Hairston, Shirley
Hamilton, Paula
Henderson, Elizabeth
Hicks, Brenda
Lollar, Betty Donald
Mason, Ellen
Smith, Carolyn
Taylor, Edith
Turner, Freda

"Everyday Foods"
Watterson, A.

"Far East in the Modern World"
Hendricks Jr., Wilbur
Truelove, Harry

"Family Troupe"
Bond, Shirley
Taylor, Ronald

"First Book of Dolls"
Coclough, Terry Ann
Delisa (?)
Diana (?)
Foster, Valerie
Harris, Carlitta
Hoard, Pat
Jones, Eula (overdue May 17, 1965)
Leeper, Patricia
Margaret (?)
Mary Helen (?)
Sabrina (?)
Simpson, Dianne

"Five Little Peppers and How They Grew"
Anderson, (?)
Hayes, Billy
Jackson, Majorie
Pyles, Shirley
vinson, Naomi


"White Gull Flying"
Gray, Judy

"The Green Man"
Frances Mason
Arthur Morrison
Jennifer Delaney

"Ready Made Family"
James Delaney,
Irene Simpson
Evelyn Lollar
Lestine Dover

"Pamela & the Blue Mare"
Leola Gray
Larry Greene
Joy Hankins
Joane Foster
Virginia Hankins
Ruth Vinson

"Chalice, A Novel"
Mrs. Weaver

"Dusty Star"
Augusta
Don (62)
Goodwin, Mose (53)
Hankins, Norman (57)
Lollar, Helen (62)
McMiller, Dwike (65)
Miller, Prince (63)
Saunders, R. (65)
Sensabaugh, Hoover (47)
Smith, Lula (43)
"America Rides the Liners"
Freeman Morrison
Evelyn Lollar

"Lost Island"
James Sanders
Harold Shoemaker


"Source Book in European Government"
Gill, Mr. (Oscar)


"Improvement of Basic Reading Abilities"
Cox, Cora
Hickman, Helen


"Peggy Covers The News"
Bradford, Glenna
Burnette, Major
Flack, Carolyn
Green, Carrie
Lollar, Frieda
Young, Charlotte
Mason, Frances
Shirley, Hairston

"Marian-Martha"
Burnette, Jackie
Clark, Frances
Comage, Dorothea
Hendricks, Janice
Hicks, Brenda
Maxwell, Joe Ann
Underwood, Sandra
Vinson, Naomi

"Modern Medical Discoveries"
Campbell, Linda
Cox, Linda
Hankins, Norman
Pierce, Anna
Smith, Estella
Smith, Olivia
Simonton Jr., James
Stafford, Cheyenne
Stafford, Janice
Turner, George
Turner, Lee
Turney, Leroy
Woods, Eugene
Young, Charlotte

"Mystery of Seven Gables"
Bristol, Patricia
Carnes, Mary Jane
Carver, Mary
Hairston, Shirley
Hood, James
Watterson, Jean

"Neighbors in Latin America"
Bowers, Mrs.
Cash, Nathaniel
Hampton, Deborah
Henry, Margaret
Lytle, Rodney Lee
Smith, Nelson

"Problems in American Democracy"
Bristol, Edith
Burnette, Jackie
Calloway, George
Deadrick, Glenda (fined $0.72)
Deal, James
Dobbins, Van
Etter, Linda
Hairston, Shirley
Mason, Eugenia
Mason, Frances
Perry, Floyd
Sensabaugh, Harold
Scoggins, John
Stokley, William
Taylor, Brenda
Wood, James


"Troupers of the Gold Coast"
Lollar, Helen

"How to Conduct a Citizens School"
Gill, O.R.

"Popular Commencement Book"
Hankins, Joy
Henry, Mary
Long, Mrs.



"Barletts of Box B Ranch"
Brown, Brenda
Hankins, Norman


"A Dog's Head"
Bond, Shirley
Calloway, Charles
Calloway, George
Cole, Douglas
Goodwin, Mose
Jones, Rolax
Lynch, Kenneth
Maxwell, Elizabeth
Releford, Pearl
Swafford, James

"Le Miserables"
Delaney, Carolyn
Edwards, John
Reece, Carolyn

"Madmen's Memory"
Hairston, Shirley
Lollar, Evelyn
Rogers, Lynetta


"Apples by Ocean"
Horton, Freddie
Jenkins, Kernes
Johnson, Capurs
Lee, Talmon
Long, Benjamin (fine $0.72)


"Early Journeys in Science"


"Industry in America"
Bowers, Mrs. (Josephine)
Horton, Sinora


"Productive Vegetable Growing"
Armstrong, Joe
Bristol, Robert
Cox, Cora
Dobbins, V.O. (checked out, 1944)
Gilmore, Edward
Thompson, Marie


"The Hour Glass"
Anderson, Jack
Hayes, Billie
Horton, Edward
Lyle, Shirley
Stewart, Johnny


"Artificial Sunlight"
Deal, James
Rutledge, Eugenia


"Early Cave Men"
Coclough, Daimon
Kincaid, Marilyn


"Discovery"
Bradley, Miss
Cox, Mr.
McMiller, James
Weed, Miss


"Drinking in College"
Horton, Jerry
Simonton Jr., James

"The World, Its Lands and Peoples"
Nathaniel Cash
Phylis Horton

*******************************************

TEACHER BOOKS:
"All Children Want to Learn" - Mrs. Cora Cox
"Industry in America) - Josephine Bowers, Sinora Horton
"Active Citizenship" - Jessie Charles
"Dailyaide 1952" - John Cox, Jr.
"Daily Aid" - John Cox, Jr.
"The New Streets & Roads" - Thelma Webb
"Health in Work & Play" - Josephine Solomon
"Health in Work & Play" - Josephie Solomon, Leroy Marble
"Modern Health" - Mrs. S.N. Shannon

Jessye Lee Welsh Passing

KINGSPORT — Jessye Lee Welsh, 93, of Kingsport, went to be with the Lord on Monday (Jan. 5, 2009) at her home.
She was a loving mother and grandmother. She was a member of the Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church. She loved volunteering her time helping others.



She was preceded in death by her parents, Wiley and Maggie Campbell Watterson; her husband, Elroy Welsh in 1995.
She is survived by her son, Walter Wagstaff of Kingsport; her granddaughter, Jacqueline M. Copridge of Wichita , Kansas.; great-grandson, Ashton Copridge of Wichita, Kansas.; brother, Richard Watterson and wife, Barbara of Johnson City; a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visitation will be held on Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church in Kingsport. Funeral services will follow with Elder Charles Hawkins officiating.
Entombment services will be held following the funeral service at Oak Hill Memorial Park.
The staff of Oak Hill is honored to serve the family of Jessye Lee Welsh.
An online guest registry may be signed at http://oakhillmemorialpark.com.
Oak Hill Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Historic Pictures from Helen Bunting

These Historic Riverview Pictures are from Helen Bunting.. she has more posted in the PHOTO GALLERY.. Click on the pictures to make them larger.

LITTLE GIANTS BASEBALL TEAM

First Row: L-R Billy McMiller, Jimmy Deal, Tilmon Watterson, John Sensabaugh, Donnie Sensabaugh, Raymond Releford.

Second Row: L-R Jackie McLemore, Eddie Long, Henry Tarter (coach) Billy Horton, James "Babe" Sensabaugh, John Bradford.








CARVER STREET KIDS (probably someone's birthday)
First Row: Buddy Kincaid, Doris Kincaid, Helen Long, Norman Adams,"Cookie" Releford, Douglas Releford, Andrea Watterson, Brenda Spears.

Second Row: Phyllis Smith, Linda U. Cox, George Adams, Jimmy Deal, Wanda Smith, Yvonne Deal, "Skipper" Adams, Eddie Long, Dottie Smith, Booker T. Washington.

Third Row: Cecil Long, Peggy Harris, Nathan Harris, ?Washington (Booker T's Sister).

Riverview's James and Cecelia Henderson Celebrate their Golden Anniversary

They made a home, raised five children, worked long years on the job and served their community. Wait, make that last phrase present tense. They are STILL serving their community, even though they are both enjoying a well-earned retirement from work and child-rearing.


James and Cecelia Henderson are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, with the congratulations of their family and friends. And while they are not punching a clock anymore, they are still actively involved with the church, the Weed and Seed program and other good works to improve Kingsport and especially the neighborhood formerly known as Riverview, now included in the larger area called South Central Kingsport.






Back in the day, the Hendersons made their home in the old Riverview apartments, maintaining spotless interiors and immaculate postage stamp sized yards. The children were brought up to say "Yes ma'am" and "No, sir" and never to try to buy anything from Mr. Paul's store that wasn't on the list. Every Easter the girls would get brand new pastel colored matching duster sets with shiny patent leather shoes, and the boys would be fitted with creased slacks and crisply ironed shirts. They would attend church services as a family, with dyed Easter eggs and a special ham dinner waiting when they returned.

When they moved up the street to the home in which the retired couple still resides, they transformed a formerly empty shell into a showpiece. The lawn and cars were James Henderson's domain, while Cecelia Henderson focused her attention to filling the rooms with furniture, keepsakes and pride.


As the children grew up and made their way through the school system, they were taught to behave, do their lessons and treat others with respect. The teachers also learned quickly that while fair discipline was perfectly acceptable, nobody would mistreat any of the Henderson children without hearing about it. Just as the children were expected to respect their teachers, the teachers were expected to respect the children as well. It was a two-way street.

As the saying goes, time flies, and it's true. In the past fifty years, the world has moved from sock hops, 78 RPM vinyl records and segregation to hip hop, mp3 players and the first African American president, who will be sworn in a few short weeks after the anniversary celebration. James and Cecelia Henderson have witnessed it all.



Back in the day, the Hendersons shared a party line with their neighbors. Today they have a private line, a cell phone and TWO high-powered computers with high-speed Internet connection, thank you very much. They have moved forward with progress. At the same time, they have remained deeply rooted in the community and their family. The children are all grown, and the Hendersons are now proud grandparents who get to spoil their grandchildren. They have earned it, and they have earned this landmark celebration.

Happy 50th anniversary – may you have many more happy years together.


FROM DAUGHTER AUDREY "FAYE"

Sonya Senior Delaney Passing

JOHNSON CITY — It is with great sadness that we announce the homegoing of our precious Sonya Yvette Senior Delaney after a brief illness Tuesday morning from Johnson City Memorial Hospital.
Sonya graduated from Dobyns Bennett High School in 1989 and attended North East State, employed at AT&T and Ekoquest.


She leaves behind her husband Arron; son, Jairus; daughter, Arianna; and a host of friends, relatives and loved ones who will greatly miss her. Sonya was an angel who touched number of lives.
Charles and Nancy, 153 Bluebell Drive, would like to thank everyone for the great outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time, also we would like to thank her best friend Shelly for being there for her.
Viewing will began at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday at New Zion Faith Center, 127 Garden Drive, Johnson City.
Funeral service will follow immediately conducted by her beloved pastor, Ernest E. Widby Sr.
Burchette Funeral Services in Johnson City is in charge of arrangements.