Retiring Knoxville Urban League CEO reflects on tenure: ‘I was privileged to sit in the chair’

 

Phyllis Nichols is the former Phyllis Young of Kingsport.  This article upon her retirement is courtesy the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

Phyllis Nichols doesn’t like to think about legacy. But after nearly 30 years with the Knoxville Area Urban League ‒ 22 of them as its CEO ‒ she is stepping away.

“The Urban League is a historic institution. I was privileged to sit in the chair for a brief time,” she told Knox News. “My hope is that I made it one that the community will continue to embrace and support.”

Nichols has been committed to Knoxville Area Urban League's mission of promoting diversity, economic and social equity in Knoxville since she joined the 54-year-old institution in 1994. She will remain as its leader until a new CEO is named, which Nichols expects will be in mid-October.

Before she retires, Knox News spoke with Nichols about her Urban League tenure, the agency's future and how everyone can better support Knoxville’s underserved communities and students.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

You previously said serving as an Urban League CEO was a calling you were blessed to answer. What compelled you to answer the calling?

It is not a job that I thought about. It was an opportunity that came to me to engage with the Urban League on a contract basis in 1994. I learned very quickly that I love the organization itself, and the culture of the organization. But more so, I saw how it uniquely helped people, especially people of color and I had not, in my professional life, seen that or been a part of that in the way that the services were delivered.

The other part is I quickly learned about being part of a national organization in a national movement, which was very inspiring. And so, from helping individuals to being something bigger than what I saw in Knoxville, propelled me, inspired me, and motivated me.

It satisfied my inner calling for service for doing for others and I thought that I could bring the perspective to the work that I had not seen. On days when it was really, really tough, and times when we were struggling financially or (funding for some of) our programs dried up, a calling is what keeps you going.

What initiatives, accomplishments or partnerships are you most proud of during your time with the Urban League?

It's hard to name just one thing. I have to put it in the context of the Urban League itself. The Urban League (is) part of the national organization that's over 112 years old, and we are entering our 55th year here in Knoxville. We have four pillars of things that we’re doing: workforce development training, working in the housing space, the small business space and education. The initiatives and partnerships that I'm most proud of are within each of those areas. We were able to partner with organizations and entities that helped us to enhance our work, to grow our work, to deepen our impact.

When people ask me about one thing, I think they expect that I'm going to respond about an event, and yes, we are very proud of events. But we're most proud of every day when somebody walks into the Urban League, we can help them find a job or get additional training. We can have a first-time home buyer buy a house. We're helping entrepreneurs everyday position themselves so that their small business is not only successful, its sustainable.

What the Urban League stands on and what we're most proud of are the individuals and families that we help every single day.

You’ve been dedicated to equity in schools. Knox County Schools has made some progress, but what can school board members do to fix the academic achievement gap?

I am an education equity advocate. I would say that there has been some progress made, but I feel like we've gone one step forward and two steps back. As co-chair of a disparity and education outcomes task force in 2016, we were determined that it was not going to be shelved. We worked over 18 months to make recommendations. Some of them were adopted and some of them were, I feel, accepted or tolerated, and we don't want anything tolerated ‒ we want things to be institutionalized. But there has to be ongoing change and Knox County struggles with accepting that there is not equity among our students.

We have to look at reasons or causes, or maybe we have to look at some root causes as to why we keep struggling with our historically underserved or why we’re not able to move the needle in some of our schools. I think that Knox County has to recognize why we're the third-largest public school district in the state of Tennessee, and we struggle with accepting that we need to have an equity policy. Knoxville has (the Department of School Culture) and I know the people who are working within that and the director are doing a great job, but when the school board does not approve a policy that they can implement, we're stifling what we need to do for our students in Knox County.

(And teacher retention and recruitment is a challenge across the country), and if you are struggling with recruiting teachers of color, and they see that the school board doesn't have an equity policy or that there is not open and honest discussion about it, and you look at how students of color are progressing or regressing, and then you look at policies, if you were one of the few – and there are fewer – teachers of color who are being trained and recruited by everybody, if you are recruited by a district that has an office of equity, they have streams of support, where would you choose to go?

We have a plan here in Knox County about what we want to do, we're going to grow our own. I don't know how you're gonna retain our own unless we have policy that support what we need to do right for our students of color.

What can community members advocate for in their daily lives to make our schools more equitable?

Over the last year or two, the most zealous community education advocates were members of the community who didn’t have kids in Knox County Schools. (They) live here and value what education does for the quality of life for our community. These people were advocating because they understand that a vibrant school district with excellence will help to create a better quality of life in an economic space for the community. You can't stop advocating for a public education once your kids graduate. So, I would say the average citizen needs to remain engaged in public education.

The other thing is citizens need to be informed. It's very easy to watch the school board meeting. They’re online, even better to attend. But you have to make sure that you understand the agenda. What's going on? What's the discussion? What's on task for the school board? What we've seen is that people attend when there's something controversial or there's a budget crisis. We should be there all the time, working in concert with our school board members and the district administration to support what is best for the students. The alliance should be throughout the school year, not just when it's budget time. I encourage our citizens to understand how important their participation is.

Along similar lines, Knoxville has a higher poverty rate among the Black community. When it’s such a complex issue like this, where do you start?

I've lived in Knoxville since 1978. So, I feel like I can speak about Knoxville. Knoxville has been the type of community where if an issue does not affect me and mine, meaning that if it does not affect my family, my neighborhood, my business, my church or religious affiliation, then I tend not to pay attention and then when it is brought to our attention, we tend to avert our eyes. For Knoxville to (have 40% of the Black people) who live in Knoxville in poverty, that should be alarming. But instead, what I heard is: "No, it’s not 40%, it’s 34%." That's called diversion. If it's 20%, that's too much. Ask the families who are living in poverty. If it’s 10%, it’s too much.

We tend to divert it by putting the blame or (saying) that's not my problem. If we want to make sure that Knoxville is the place where we want to live, and work, and raise our family, then it is our collective responsibility to make sure that our community is not divided up between people who are living in poverty and folks who are able to migrate through this community and be untouched by it. We all are affected in some way.

(Poverty is often) multigenerational. We have to look at it and approach it with multigenerational solutions. Education is certainly one, but we'll lose generations of people to poverty If we don't look at how our seniors who are living in poverty right now. What are we doing for our seniors who have food scarcity, and lack of health care, and lack of transportation, and living in subpar housing situation?

There are organizations and individuals that are concerned about the plight of our seniors that are in poor situations, (but there’s not enough). There’s not enough if we are sending kids home hungry and if there are seniors who are food insecure. Do we have enough affordable housing? Of course, we don't. Knoxville has to come together and not just assign (these issues) to a few small entities to solve the problem. We have to understand that it's complex and we need more than a few people addressing the issue every day.

How do you recommend others carry the torch in making progress on this issue?

Everyone can do something. It is not up to me to tell you what you can do best. I think most contributing, thoughtful and intentional adults know how they can contribute. They will remove the excuses of “I'm busy," "I don't have time.” Everybody's busy. Nobody has time. But busy people get things done. I know that because I try to work with busy people. But just being willing to step out and say I can do something.

What can other groups learn from the Urban League's legacy and current model of operating and uplifting the community.

You have to make sure that, as a nonprofit, that you are strong internally and that you have a great board that will help you to have the governance and the oversight that is needed. The Urban League has benefited from a great board. Our mission speaks for what we do, and I lead with mission. Make sure that you explain (and) people understand what your mission is and how you go about implementing your mission and people will support. They will support the mission and the people who implement the mission.

And follow through. Deliver on what you say that you're going to do. See, the promise is not just to donors, the promise is to the people that you serve. So, you want to make sure that there's integrity.

Closing on a personal note, what do you want your legacy to be?

I don't think about legacy. What I hope that I have accomplished during my tenure is that I have positioned the Urban League to go to the next level, to enhance our impact and our service to the community. I left it better than I found it; I made it stronger. (I hope) the next visionary leader can keep moving higher with the Urban League and make additional partnerships when needed and that people will continue to invest in the work of their Urban League because they can see the impact of what we do.

In Kingsport, TN, Jerry Machen Sr. Passes Down The Art Of Carpet Design And Repair

  West Virginia Public Broadcasting |

I Fell In Love With Carpet

In their two-room workshop in downtown Kingsport, Jerry Machen Sr. and his wife and business partner, Linda Machen, are picking out colors for a custom butterfly rug.

Jerry designed the rug and created a template out of butcher paper. The future rug will be one big butterfly in a mix of pastel colors, with hints of mustard yellow and deep brown. As they work, Jerry tapes small pieces of yarn to the template to see how all the colors work together.

“Beautiful!” Jerry said. “God might hire us to make new butterflies.”

The Machens have owned their business for over 50 years. They named it Agape Carpet and Rug Specialists of America.

“Agape is a Greek word. It means God's unconditional love,” he said. “I guess the reason why I can create and do the things that we do is His love for us, and me loving exactly what I do.”

Jerry’s love for carpet started in the mid-sixties. He was in his twenties and was working at a furniture store creating custom draperies.

“That was my first love,” he said. “And then they needed help in carpet installation. So I fell in love with carpet.”

Watch this special Inside Appalachia Folkways story here.

Jerry learned the ins and outs of installing carpet while at the furniture store, but eventually he struck out on his own. With every installation job he did, Jerry always saved pieces of scrap carpet in case his customers needed repair work done. After a while, he had so much scrap carpet, that he rented out an entire house to store it all in. Linda was not very happy about this.

“See I didn’t know about the house for a little while,” Linda said. “That was interesting. He caused a little stir.”

“My wife came in one day and said, ‘Get rid of it all. You’ve gotta get this place cleaned out,’” Jerry said.

But Jerry didn’t want to just throw all the scraps away. He thought he could make use of them. One day, he saw a painting of a mountain scene and he got an idea. He decided to recreate the painting with scraps.

“I said, ‘I can do that in carpet.’ I’d never built one before in my life,” he said. “But in my mind I thought of it over and over again that I could build that.”

Linda came home to find Jerry working in a frenzy on the kitchen floor.

“I walk in from work and my whole kitchen floor is covered with pieces,” Linda said. “And he’s gonna put a picture together. And I’m like, ‘Is it gonna be done before I have to start supper?’”

At this point it was the 1970s, so Jerry was working with pieces of shag carpet in vibrant hues of blues, oranges, reds, and soft pinks. He hand-sewed all the pieces together from the back. And he was surprised by the outcome.

“When I turned it over, I was amazed at how it looked,” Jerry said. “It was actually beautiful.”

After creating that mountain scene, Jerry began sewing one-of-a-kind rugs and wall hangings for customers. He has created hundreds of designs, including horoscope signs, landscapes, animals, and logos. For Jerry, it’s a thrill to bring an idea to life.

“I love working with my hands,” he said. “If you can build it in your mind, you can put your hands to it and you can put it together.”

It’s More Artwork Than It is Work

Over the years, the business has turned into a family affair. Along with Linda, Jerry works alongside his grandson and his oldest son, Jerry Machen Jr.

In the back room of the workshop, the buzz of the clippers rings out as Jerry watches Jerry Jr. shave down the edge of a piece of carpet.

Once the edge is straight and neat, Jerry Jr. uses an air compressor to blow the tiny scraps out of his way. Finally, he sews on a strip of fringe to finish the edge.

Jerry Jr. explains that along with installing carpet and creating custom designs, they also do a lot of restoration work.

“The restoration is a big part of the business,” Jerry Jr. said. “A lot of people have rugs that’ve been handed down from generation to generation. And bringing those back to life is pretty amazing.”

But the Machens don’t just clean and repair rugs that customers bring in. Sometimes, Jerry will find rugs that people have thrown away. He’ll bring them into the shop to give them the new life he feels they deserve.

“I can tell a real good rug, so when I find a good one, of course I’ll stop and pick it up,” Jerry said. “I like to solve it. I like to go and make it whole again. Instead of trashing it and throwing it away, I like to repair it or build it back.”

Much like the custom design work, the restoration work is an opportunity for Jerry to put his creativity and problem-solving skills into motion.

“Everyone of them tells a story,” Jerry said. “There’s not one rug — especially hand-knotted or tufted — that is the same. Everyone is different. So you have to find the method that they used, the knot that they used to even repair it. If not, it’s gonna show up. So it’s a learning process everyday.”

Jerry’s not the only one at the shop who finds creative fulfillment in the installation and restoration. Jerry Jr. does, too.

“It’s more artwork than it is work,” Jerry Jr. said. “It’s more creative. You have a chance to expand your imagination on doing different things. And actually it’s a lot of fun.”

Linda feels similarly.

“I didn’t even know I had any creative abilities,” Linda said. “But I was good with colors and I was good with shapes.”

If You Have A Gift Then The Gift Should Keep On Giving

Jerry continues to teach others about the art of carpet design and repair. In 2021, he was awarded a  Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant  from the Tennessee Folklife Program. Through the grant, he is mentoring Stacy Kimbler on how to create pictorial wall hangings, using a tufting gun.

Today at the shop, Stacy is working on a honeybee design. He stands at a 7 foot tall, wooden frame that has a piece of white cloth stretched over it. He holds the tufting gun up to the cloth, and as he pulls the trigger, yarn shoots into the cloth at high speeds, creating the tufted design. Jerry stands nearby and gives advice on how close together the tufted rows should be.

“Yeah, you can go over top of it, it won’t hurt it,” Jerry said. “Just go and fill it in in the middle. The tighter the better.”

While Jerry values passing down his knowledge of carpet art to others, he acknowledges that there’s always more he can learn, too.

“If you have a gift then the gift should keep on giving,” Jerry said. “I think it’s very important to just keep what we have and learn from it. I don’t know everything and I’ll never know everything. But I’m willing to learn each and every day.”

And after all these years in the business, the possibility of discovering something new is what keeps Jerry going.

——

This story originally aired in the Aug. 26, 2022 episode of Inside Appalachia.

This story is part of the Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporting Project, a partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inside Appalachia and the Folklife Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.

The Folkways Reporting Project is made possible in part with support from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting Foundation. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories of Appalachian folklife, arts, and culture.

Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Board Meeting Announcement

The Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association Board will be having our regular meeting this Saturday, September 10, 2022. We will be meeting at the V. O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex at 1:00 pm. Please help spread the word.

I hope that everyone is doing well and that you have enjoyed your summer. I do want to say that we have also lost some members this summer and to the families I want to say, that I to know how it is to lose a love one.

Douglas S. Releford  

President, Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, Inc.

Linda "Peaches" Bly remembrance

 

Linda "Peaches" Bly departed this life on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at Ballad Holston Valley Hospital and Medical Center.

She was born on September 7, 1949.

Linda attended the Douglass Elementary-High School and was a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport.  She was a member of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association.

Linda moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she worked at Pitney-Bowes.  She was a member of the Central Baptist Church in Kingsport, and served in the choir and on the building and engineering committees.

To cherish her memory, she leaves behind her two sons Sean White and Stacy White, her mother Dallas Watterson, her sister Joann Fugate, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, three aunts, one nephew, three great-nephews, and a host of other nephews, cousins, and friends.

Celebration of Life services for Ms. Linda "Peaches" Bly will be conducted Friday, September 2, 2022 at 2 PM from the Central Baptist Church, 301 Carver Street, Kingsport, TN. 

The family will receive friends from 1 PM until the hour of service.

Burial will follow at the Holston View Cemetery in Weber City, VA.

Mr. James Henderson remembrance

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, and 14. (1-4) “To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven;   A time to be born, and a time to die;   A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;   A time to kill, and a time to heal;   A time to break down, and a time to build up;   A time to weep, and a time to laugh;   A time to mourn, and a time to dance; (14) I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever.   Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it.   God does it, that men should fear for Him.”

James Henderson, Sr., of Kingsport, TN passed away on August 25, 2022.   He was born December 10, 1938 in Batesville, MS to the late Alma Henderson-Frost, and step-father the late Johnnie Frost. 

He was preceded in death by Cecilia Henderson, his wife of 54 years, Grandson Justin Machen, sisters Joyce DeJesus, Mattie Cheek and brothers Thomas Frost and John Frost. 

He leaves to mourn his passing, children:   Audrey Henderson of Chicago, IL,   James Henderson, Jr., of Kingsport, TN,   Willie Henderson of Oakland, CA,   Karen (Jerry) Machen of Gray, TN,   Milicent (Eric) Mack of Carrollton, GA,   grandchildren: Jasen Machen of Nashville, TN,   Dustin Machen of Kingsport, TN, Malcolm Dennis and Bria Mack of Carrollton, GA,   great-grandchildren: Jayden Dennis, Deserai and Jasmine Machen,   brothers and sisters:   Pearl Tolbert of Roanoke, TX,   Major (Sharon) Frost of Carson, CA,   Willie Frost of Los Angeles, CA,   Diane Abrams of Sardis, MS,   niece: Thelma (Rodney) Bradley of Kingsport, TN, and a host of other nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

James was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church for 43 years. He was active with the brotherhood, the Usher Ministry, the Sunday School Dept., and the Van Ministry.  After uniting with Central Baptist Church, he also joined their Usher Ministry.

Mr. Henderson enjoying his 80th surprise birthday party

One of his most inspiring and humbling activities was the monthly visits to the area nursing homes, along with his Monday Bible Study Class to sing, and minister to the residents.

He was employed 7 years with the Kingsport Public Library, and 34 years with Holston Defense Corporation, as Senior Operator in printing and duplicating services.   He retired in 1999 at the conclusion of Eastman’s Contract with the U.S. Army.

The Henderson family will gather to greet friends and share memories on Thursday, September 1, from 3 - 4 pm at Central Baptist Church (301 Carver St., Kingsport, TN).   A Funeral Service will follow with Pastor Perry Stuckey officiating.   A Graveside Service will be held Friday, September 2, at 10:30 am in East Lawn Memorial Park.   Masks are required for all attendees.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Central Baptist Church Building Fund, at 301 Carver Street, Kingsport, TN 37660.

Note to Website Email Subscribers: Your Correct Email Address Is Needed

Good day, Douglass alumni and Riverview neighbors!

Recently I had to purge dozens of email addresses from the alumni website's email subscriber list.  Whenever I would send out notices, each one of them kicked back as either "nondeliverable" or "closed email address."  Some folks have passed away, but others are just closed accounts.

If you change your email address, any new email address you change to, does not automatically transfer over to the Douglass website email mailing list.  You have to re-subscribe if you want to stay current.

If you want to be notified of events, passings and news of interest to our alumni community, please re-register your new address by going to the Douglass alumni webpage (www.sonsanddaughtersofdouglass.org), scroll down to the white box on the left that says "join mailing list" (pictured above) and follow the instructions to register your new email list.  Remember to do that any time you change to a new email address, but only if you want to.

Note:  I do not send you spam, advertising or useless information.. any email spam you get does not come from the Douglass website mailing list.   I also do not share your email address, not even with other alumni.  If you want to contact fellow alumni or neighbors, you can get their email addresses yourself.. you don't need to get them from me.   Years ago, I allowed people to interact with each other directly via the website, but spammers and hackers got in by imitating legitimate emails and I shut that feature down immediately.  Now, you have to contact each other on your own... that's a much better system.  I protect you from hackers by strictly monitoring who subscribes, first by running email address through my spam blockers which automatically block anybody I don't recognize.

Joining the email list with a legitimate email address, allows me to send you notifications that there is a posting on the website's News and Current Events page that may be of interest to you.  Should you chose not to get notifications, you can still check this News and Current Events page on your own.

Thank you for your attention.

-----Calvin

Sheridan Elizabeth Ann Robinette remembrance

 

CHAPEL HILL, NC - Sheridan Elizabeth Ann Robinette was born to the late Cadle Robinette and Maggie Dell Wood on February 15, 1946, in Fairview, VA and spent her childhood in Gate City, VA. 

She went to be with the lord on Monday August 8, 2022, at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Medical Center. Sheridan attended the historic Prospect School (a one room schoolhouse) and graduated from Douglas High School in Kingsport, TN.

She was the first person in her large family to graduate from college by attending Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN and later receiving two master’s Degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Education (Counseling) from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. 

She later went on to work at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati OH for many years as Scientist and she was proud of the fact that she helped to develop Pringles Potato Chips. 

She eventually retired from East Tennessee State Univ. as a Counselor assisting Veterans to enroll in college.

Sheridan was a lifelong learner, an avid reader, and proudly the "family historian". She loved flowers and tending to her vegetable garden, horseback riding, taking photos of her family, and watching sports. 

She was a longtime member and at one time served as Secretary of her local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Although she battled MS for many years, she always had a smile on her face and a positive outlook. 

Sheridan was passionate about her faith and her church as a lifelong and dedicated member of Manville Rd. Church  of Christ in Gate City, VA. Though she may most fondly be remembered as "Mama" to her two daughters (Dionne & Lisa) and "Grannymom" to her grandchildren.

She is survived by her two daughters Alisa R. Lancaster (Robert Lancaster) and Dionne L. Mitchell (Gregorio Lopez); Grandchildren, Jaden Del Rosario, Cameron Lancaster, and Ashlyn Lancaster. Bonus grandson's Cristofher Lopez and Bryan Lopez. Special Niece Katherine Roberts of Dallas, TX.

She is also survived by brothers Offyette Robinette and Norbert Robinette; her sisters Patricia "Pinky" Anderson, Blenda Brown, and Lizzie Mae Mitchell.

She was predeceased by her father Cadle Robinette and mother Maggie Dell Wood, sisters Almedia Robinette, Frida Thomas, Wanda Estell, Kathleen Hensley, and brother Theophilus (Theo) Robinette.

She also has many nieces and nephews, cousins, extended family that she loved dearly along with special friends including Michael Hale and Pete Shoemaker.

The family will receive friends from 6-7p.m., Thursday, August 11, 2022, at the Gate City Funeral Home. Services will be held in the Gene Falin Memorial Chapel of the funeral home at 7:00p.m.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00a.m., Friday, August 12, 2022, at Holston View Cemetery in Weber City, VA. Family and friends are asked to meet at the funeral home at 10:15a.m., to go in procession.

An online guest register is available for the Robinette family at www.gatecityfunerlas.com

Gate City Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family of Sheridan Elizabeth Ann Robinette.

Induction of Cora Cox into the Kingsport City Schools Teachers' Hall of Fame

Cora Cox was inducted into the Kingsport City Schools Teachers' Hall of Fame on Monday.  Her nephew, one of two surviving close relatives, sent a taped message from his home in Rapid City, South Dakota.  Representing Mrs. Cox's family and the Douglass Alumni at the ceremony were Don Hickman, Johnnie Mae Swagerty, Doug Releford and Calvin Sneed (not pictured below is Doug, who was on the second level of the DB Gym).

Calvin read a prepared statement of acceptance for Mrs. Cox's induction, written by Doug Releford.  The text of that statement is below.

"With me on the phone Face-timing this right now from Rapid City, South Dakota, is the man you just heard from, Francis Rogers, Jr.. one of two surviving nephews of Cora Cox..

This message is from Douglass Releford, president of the Douglass High School alumni, who is with us, but unable to make it up here on stage, so I'm reading the words he's written for you....

On behalf of the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, I would like to say thank you for nominating Mrs. Cora Rogers Cox, to the Kingsport City Schools, Teachers' Hall of Fame.

   

Mrs. Cox was not just a teacher but a friend to all that knew her.  She was a unique person. She was a developer of social ethics, in stressing the primary and worth of the person, and the need for all ethical principles to be conditioned by the highest conceivable estimate of the value of persons as such.

  

Mrs. Cora Cox, was a great community leader, who fought against the de-humanization and, de-personalization of all people. She believed in her beloved community of Kingsport, and was always willing to fight against any person or system, which de-personalizes or de-humanizes the human individual, and robs them of their dignity and their self-worth.  This was proven in her taking on the often-difficult task of teaching gifted children.  Cora Cox had a gentle way of breaking down the barriers, stepping into that child's world, becoming one with them, becoming part of them... then stepping out and saying.. "I know, exactly... what... that... child needs."  How in the world she could instinctively know that... nobody knows.

Cora Cox wasn't just a teacher for autistic children... she was a teacher for teachers, too.  We just don't know how lucky we were, to have a Cora Cox in our lives here in Kingsport.  She set, the gold standard.

It's wonderful that everybody knows this about about Cora Cox.   At Douglass elementary-high school... we've known it for years.  And just like everybody and her family, we are proud to see her inducted into the Kingsport City Schools, Teachers, Hall of Fame, thank you.. 

Douglass Releford, president... the Sons and Daughters of Douglass Alumni Association, Kingsport, Tennessee." 

Other inductees besides Mrs. Cox were bus driver Donald Christian, and teachers Douglas Dade, Randy Quillin and Leroy Sprankle.

After the ceremony, a beautiful luncheon was provided at the Food City North Eastman Road location.

The free luncheon for everyone included braized chicken strips, marinated beef tips, green beans, mashed potatoes, carrots and delicious apple and cherry pies and cakes.  There was plenty of extra food, that ended up going home with a lot of folks!

Stories about the inductees were told by the folks who remember them the best, while lunch was enjoyed.

Eastman releases methyl iodide, iodine into air, oil into Holston River

KINGSPORT – Eastman released methyl iodide and iodine into the air and oil into the river on Friday, the chemical company announced in an update.

According to Eastman, the Kingsport plant has been safely shut down after a power outage on Friday morning. Following the shutdown, oil was released into the river. The company also said methyl iodide and iodine, which appeared from the plant as a “purple plume,” was released into the air.

“During this release, our safety systems minimized the impact of the emissions from this event as confirmed by air dispersion modeling,” Eastman’s latest press release update stated. “Air dispersion modeling indicated this event did not pose any risk to human health or the environment outside the plant. All releases were reported to the regulatory agencies as required.”

All releases were reported to its regulatory agencies as required, the company said. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation told the Times News the release into the air is still under investigation.

“TDEC staff have been in communication with Eastman personnel and we are investigating the air release,” said Kim Schofinski, Deputy Communications Director at Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, in an email.

 “TDEC staff reported to the area today to investigate any potential impacts to the South Fork Holston River from a reported release of an unknown oil substance by the facility. Our staff did not observe any impacts to fish or aquatic life. We will continue to communicate with Eastman personnel about this ongoing situation.”

According to Eastman, there is “no risk to the community as a result of this outage” and no one was injured.

“The most important responsibility we have is the safety of our employees and our community,” said Mark Bogle, Eastman vice president and Tennessee manufacturing site leader, in the release. “There were no injuries as a result of this event and Eastman did not issue any evacuation notices. In an excess of caution, employees located in the south area of the plant were asked to remain indoors and were released after a short time. As soon as we were aware of this incident, we established communication with city officials, and I would like to thank them for their partnership during this incident. I understand that events like today’s power loss can cause concern in our community. We are working to determine the cause and restart the site in the coming days.”

Kingsport Central Dispatch received a call from Eastman at 10:17 a.m. on Friday requesting one Kingsport Fire Department engine respond to the Eastman Fire Department to stand-by in reference to a power outage, the Kingsport Police Department said in a press release.

Officials said at 11:02 a.m., City Manager Chris McCartt activated the Emergency Operations Center at Kingsport Central Dispatch. At 3:31 p.m. the Kingsport Fire Department cleared the scene and at 3:33, the Emergency Operations Center at Kingsport Central Dispatch was deactivated.

“In situations such as this, city officials rely heavily upon subject matter experts at Eastman to provide them with accurate and timely information that can in turn be shared with the public,” the release from the KPD said. “Based upon information city officials have received, Eastman has given no indication of any injuries, a threat onsite or outside of the plant, or a risk to the community as a result of this incident. Moving forward, city officials will maintain active communications with Eastman regarding this event.”

Update as of 12:50 p.m.
Kingsport 911/Sullivan County 911 issued a notification to subscribers Friday around 12:50 p.m. The alert said the city is working with Eastman following the morning's events at the plant. The message reads:

 
"The City of Kingsport is in communication with Eastman Chemical Company regarding an event earlier today. City officials are currently monitoring the situation in an attempt to gather further information. Eastman officials have advised that they do not have reason to believe that there is a threat onsite or outside of the plant. At this time, until more facts are obtained, citizens are strongly urged to avoid the area ..."

Invitation to The Induction Ceremony for beloved Douglass Teacher Cora Cox

All Douglass Elementary-High School alumni, their descendants, and Riverview friends and neighbors are invited to the induction ceremony for our beloved teacher, mentor and neighbor Cora Cox, into the Kingsport City Schools Teachers' Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Cox taught second grades at Douglass and a couple of third grade classes.  She was the first Douglass High School girls' basketball coach, and later taught the special education classes at Douglass.

When Douglass closed, she moved to other schools in Kingsport, notedly Robinson Jr. High and Johnson Elementary.  It was at Johnson where her talents were recognized as Kingsport's first teacher of autistic children.  That work propelled her into the state and ultimately the national spotlight because just like at Douglass, she had a special gift of reaching out to children and stepping into their world.

Cora Cox was twice named Kingsport Teacher of the Year, and was also selected Tennessee Teacher of the Year in 1976.  In 1977, she was one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year.

To this day, the Cora Cox Academy is the only school in Kingsport named after a teacher, and not a president, school administrator or mayor.

It is difficult to find anybody among the Douglass alumni, the residents of Riverview, the Kingsport city school system  and the entire city as a whole, that has not been influenced and touched by the work and teachings of Cora Cox.

It's very important that everybody in our community come to the the induction ceremony.

Cora Rogers Cox Induction Ceremony, Kingsport City Schools Teachers' Hall of Fame

Buck Van Huss Dome, Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsport, TN

Monday, July 25, 2022

11 AM

Please come and show honor and support for one of our own.

It all started at Douglass.

"Rhythm" Returns to Riverview 2022

 

KINGSPORT — The Rhythm returns to Riverview on Monday, July 18th, as part of Fun Fest 2022.

The event is the largest concert gathering at the beginning of Fun Fest, with the key word at any Fun Fest event being “fun.”

“Fun Fest was created 42 years ago for the purpose of community unity,” said 2022 Chairperson Jeff Fleming. “When you think about the difference between a community and a city, it’s the same difference between a house and a home, and for this event, Kingsport is the house and Riverview is the home.”

Prior to the music on the V.O. Dobbins ballfield, Kids Central will be back with activities for children of all ages and their families. The event will feature a variety of vendor tables. Kids Central will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Monday and Tuesday. Sponsors are Ballad Health, Niswonger Children’s Hospital, Indian Path Community Hospital and the city of Kingsport.

Rhythm In Riverview begins at 5 p.m.

“Happenings, happenings, happenings,” said event organizer Johnnie Mae Swagerty. Overlap- ping from 5 to 7 p.m. will be the annual Gospel Fest, featuring Christian singer Tobias, she said.

Other events will include balloon artwork by the New Vision Youth, demonstrations for seniors including how to safeguard prescriptions, book giveaways to students by Appalachian Initiative, book bag giveaways by the South Central Kingsport Community Development Corporation, dance demonstrations by the Holloway Dance Studio, and presentations of Miss Kingsport, Miss Sullivan County and others.

Eastman Connects will also honor its members for this year.

One event will also highlight the accomplishments of the local Pi Omega Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

“We are celebrating 35 years of the local chapter,” said Vice President Karen Ellison. “Since 1987, we’ve been active in the community with voter registrations, helping deliver manna meals to seniors, scholarships to senior high school and first-year college students, and participating in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.”

The chapter will also recognize two members. Because of their work in the community, Mary Jordan is being honored for having ETSU’s Multicultural Center building named after her, and Dr. Linda Calvert is being honored for having a similar building named after her at Northeast State.

Then, there’s the food at Rhythm in Riverview.

“Everything from funnel cakes, fried green tomatoes, chicken wings and fish to snow cones, ice cream and cheese egg rolls,” Swagerty said.

At 7 p.m., headlining this year as they did last year are the Extraordinaires from Hickory, North Carolina, a band that founder Rusty Burton said cannot wait to come back to Kingsport.

“We had a great time there last year, and we’re looking forward to getting the people involved with our music and the way we present it. They see and hear the excitement, and they will feel it. They recognize the songs, they can sing along with them and it gets them up off their seats.”

Burton said the secret to the Extraordinaires’ success is engaging the audience.

“It’s no sit-down concert with us. We play nonstop, no talking in between songs. Nobody can dance to that. We are there for a party.”

Rhythm In Riverview is free and will be held at the V.O. Dobbins ballfield, Louis Street at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Monday, July 18th. The event is sponsored by Eastman, the South Central Kingsport Community Development Corporation, Kingsport Parks and Recreation, the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Eastman Concert.