Shopper Blog: Muse Pop weekly summer programs blend science, play
NORTH KNOXVILLE
Muse Pop weekly summer programs blend science, play
Jack Coker, Shopper News
Muse Knoxville, the innovative nonprofit children’s science museum at Chilhowee Park, has started their exciting summer programming, dubbed “Muse Pop.”
This season, they are hosting a museum experience that features weekly rotating themes – from “Backyard Exploration” to “Dig It! Dino Week” and more. Included with the general admission ticket, Muse Pop celebrates science and play in a STEAM experience from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Monday and Friday all of June and July.
Muse Knoxville was founded with the mission to inspire and empower all children through transformative learning experiences. They bring hands-on, inquiry-based programming to children ages 6 months to 12 years.
Kicking off the programming last week with “Backyard Exploration,” children were shown all of the amazing creatures that can be found around them, from studying small worms, to learning about how leafs are structured.The rest of the season’s programming is as follows:
June 10-14 Transportation Station
June 17-21 Sky's the Limit
June 24-28 Storytime Summer
July 1-5 Totally Tech
July 8-12 Dig It! Dino Week
The kids will have the opportunity to build their own cars, create their own flying machine, code various robots, and dig their own fossils, all in one summer.
Anyone in the museum can join in. The programing is on Mondays and Fridays 2:30-3 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 to 2, visitors can take advantage of the local food trucks as well.
Muse Knoxville is also hosting summer camps that run in tandem with Muse Pop. Details and registration can be found at https://themuseknoxville.org/camp-muse/.
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POWELL
Rent your own hibachi chef? Asia Cafe's Jack Merta is making it possible
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Whether it’s the show or the food, there’s something special about a meal with a hibachi chef.
It’s a concept that Jack Merta is hoping to parlay into a business.
Merta, a native of Indonesia, has been a hibachi chef at Asia Cafe since 2019. It was there where he met his wife, Heidi (Lim), a 2012 Powell High School graduate whose father, Phillip Lim, is the owner.
“When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time with my mom,” said Jack. “She taught me a lot about cooking. I went to culinary school, got some training.”
Jack used that training to work for three years aboard a cruise ship.
“The cruise ship is tough work,” Jack said. “There are no days off. You get a four-hour break and you’re back at it again.”
Jack came to the U.S. and had stops in Georgia and St. Louis before settling in at the Asia Cafe’s Powell location.
“I liked the snow in St. Louis for a day,” Jack said. “After that, I hated it. I wanted to find somewhere (where the weather was similar to) Indonesia. That’s why I came to Knoxville.”
Hibachi personal catering
Jack had the cooking part down, but has developed the entertainment skills over the years. He even has a fire show to cap off the experience.
“I like to talk with the people at my table,” Jack said. “I play around with them. That’s why they remember me.”
Jack and Heidi are hoping those memorable experiences pay off as they embark on their own business, Jacky Hibachi Private Catering.
The concept of the business is an all-inclusive meal prepared and consumed at your own home.
Heidi said they start set-up of tables and chairs an hour before the performance/meal. Jack brings his own grill, a gas-powered Blackstone grill, compared to the larger stainless steel electric grill at Asia Cafe.
“The smaller Blackstone grill takes time to get used to,” Jack said. “I’ve practiced with it a lot. I’ve found the rice has better flavor on it. Doing tricks on a smaller grill is different.”
No strangers to intrude
Menus include chicken, steak, shrimp or salmon. Upgrades would be filet, lobster or scallops. Appetizer, soup, salad, noodles and rice are included in the offerings. Jack also brings his own personal sauces with him.
Cost is $50 per adult and $25 for each child. Also, a 25% charge to the final bill is made if all the tables, chairs, glasses and silverware are provided. That charge goes down to 15% if the customer supplies everything.
“This is a chance for people to have a great personal experience,” Heidi said. “There won’t be any strangers around to intrude. This is a personal dining experience.”
Instead of a crowded restaurant, the setting is intimate.
“We’re local,” Heidi said. “We take cooking away from the host. This is a great way to create great memories. We want to be affordable and we want you to have a good time.”
For more information, go to Jacky Hibachi Private Catering Facebook page or [email protected].
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BEARDEN
Demolition kicks off next phase of new housing in Western Heights
John Shearer, Shopper News
When Knoxville residents checked out their Sunday News Sentinel on Jan. 15, 1939, they learned details of a big plan to eliminate inadequate housing for many residents. That included a new public development in the Western Heights area near West Oldham Avenue.
While the city was moving well into the modern industrial age, remnants of the antiquated past remained, and living problems for some had been compounded by the Great Depression years. For example, the newspaper article pointed out a run-down, three-story wood home on East Vine Avenue where 73 people reportedly lived. And like many places, it had inadequate water, plumbing and bathroom facilities.
But help was on the way. As reporter Bob Cunningham stated in the article, “In about a year, some of the families in these places are going to move into new quarters and probably for the first time in their lives they are going to have decent places to live.”
With the help of federal government funds, two local public housing facilities were being built. Some 244 family housing units were to be built for white families in the Western Heights area in those days of segregation, while 320 units were being constructed for Black families in the College Homes project next to Knoxville College in Mechanicsville. Austin Homes just east of downtown was also planned about the same time.
And Western Heights – which was designed in a combined effort by Barber and McMurry, R.F. Graf and Sons, Claude C. Brackney, and Francis F. Painter under supervisors Baumann and Baumann – was to have 20 acres for recreation and tree-covered greenspace. The first residents moved into it in 1940.
Some additional public units were also built at Western Heights in the 1950s in an area generally east of the original homes and below where Rule High School once sat until its razing by Knox County in recent months.
But housing needs and structures have continued to change, and now change is coming again. On June 5, demolition began on 12 of the 1950s-era buildings comprising 64 units as part of the Transforming Western initiative by Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation.
In its place, 196 units of affordable housing will be rebuilt. Additional structures will be added as part of a four-phase project scheduled to be competed in 2028, with construction already underway in another area. At the current demolition site, one schematic drawing provided by KCDC shows new housing, an overlook plaza, a hillside park, an entrepreneurship center, a community-focused restaurant, and an artist’s studio space.
Officials say the project is designed to enhance access to safe housing, education, economic opportunity, transportation, healthcare, the internet, and other amenities.
Ben Bentley, the executive director and CEO of KCDC, said the project, which is being funded in part with a $40 million HUD Choice Neighborhood grant and $26.5 million from the city of Knoxville over several budget years, has involved much work.
“It was an 18-month planning process,” he said. “The residents told us what they wanted. It’s a neighborhood that has not been meaningfully invested in for a long time.”
He added that a decision to tear down the newer buildings rather than the older ones came in part because a third-party engineer said the older ones – which still have a classic and sturdy brick look – seemed to have been better built and possess better floor plans.
The area where the 1950s buildings have been should also create a great central location to herald a new Western Heights as the new developments are completed, officials added.
“I think it is going to transform Western Heights and the greater Beaumont area with an infusion of new life and new investment,” said Bentley.
SEYMOUR
Seymour's LIVE-IT Ministries keeps growing to meet needs
Eric Woods, Shopper News
After serving as a senior pastor, Paul Danis identified a vast need in the elderly population at his church. He thought if there were so many needs around his church, then there must be an even greater need in his community as a whole.
Danis felt called to meet these needs, and he stepped away from his role at the church to start LIVE-IT Ministries with his wife, Terry.
The organization seeks to reestablish the importance of community service, sharing faith by meeting physical needs. LIVE-IT has since launched five programs, including the recent acquisition of Seymour Park.
“I would get out and visit widows in their homes and just see the way they were living, and these were widows that came to church every Sunday,” Danis said. “They were very involved, but they never said anything about the fact that their electricity wasn't working well or they needed a ramp to get into their house to the floor or their roof was leaking.”
LIVE-IT and its board of directors began to meet at Kmart in 2010, gathering volunteers and connecting with churches in the process. Danis called LIVE-IT’s initial program Army of One, which connects them to government organizations and churches to serve people in need.
Army of One was LIVE-IT’s main outlet of community outreach until a string of tornadoes hit the Southeast. Danis got a call from a church in Alabama that wanted to provide relief for a widow’s home that had been reduced to rubble.
She was uninsured and had no practical means to rebuild her home. Danis and LIVE-IT gathered 23 churches and rebuilt the home in seven days.
“The blessing is in using our gifts and talents to help somebody,” Danis said. “A lot of times when we think of giving, we think of writing a check and giving it to an organization. That's good, but the reality is when we give of ourselves of our talent to somebody who really needs that, it's a blessing.”
The pastor who reached out to Danis and his team for the project happened to be on the board of directors for the largest thrift store in Alabama. He asked how Danis funded his projects. Danis said “poorly.” The pastor recommended that LIVE-IT open its own thrift store, and they later opened one in Sevierville.
LIVE-IT later upgraded to a warehouse on Chapman Highway in Seymour, which now functions as its base of operations as well as its thrift store.
After years of serving the elderly, Danis observed a 2018 study from Cigna about loneliness and isolation. Expecting to see that seniors were the most lonely, he found that the loneliest population was actually 18- to 25-year-olds.
Danis began to brainstorm ways to connect his new target demographic with the elderly population he had been serving. He came up with The Bridge Coffee & Community.
“We're made for community,” Danis said. “You put somebody alone and where they don't have any community – they don't have any connection – they wither.”
“We thought if the youngest population is lonely and the oldest population is lonely, is there a common denominator? We came up with coffee.”
After steady growth in each of its programs, LIVE-IT recently acquired Seymour Park and has since begun to seek improvements to be enjoyed by the community. Though the park had been a part of Seymour for 40 years, it was widely unknown, and Danis hopes to change that.
The main challenge with the renovations to the park comes from the fact that Seymour is unincorporated, meaning that the funding will come solely from donations and LIVE-IT’s other ventures. This also means renovations would have to be done by volunteers.
LIVE-IT hosted more than 100 youth from different groups the week of June 3 to help enact the vision for the park. Initial renderings of the park include pickleball courts, a new playground and a meeting house.
Though plans will likely change as LIVE-IT dives deeper into renovations to the park, it will simply be another means by which Danis can further his calling to create community.
HALLS
Central High School will have its first song and dance camp this summer
Al Lesar, Shopper News
Bethany Lay has known her way around a stage for quite a while.
Central High School’s choir director since 2021 has been cultivating the musical theater presence at the school since she arrived.
This summer she hopes to take it a step further.
The 2008 Karns High School graduate, who earned degrees at Maryville College and Tusculum University, will be adding a song and dance camp for rising sixth through ninth graders at Central High School this summer. The camp, which will cost $150, will run July 8-12 from 9 a.m. to noon.
“With this being our first camp, our main focus will be to craft out and schedule the structure of the day,” Lay said. “We’ll go into choreography and music rehearsal.”
Audition skills overlooked
One overlooked, but essential, aspect of the world of performance will be covered in depth: the audition.
“Not enough time is spent on getting people ready for auditions,” Lay said. “We’ll go over some of the audition skills. We’ll cover 'how to select a monologue and a song,’ and 'how to best represent them.’ We’ll go into how to present yourself in auditions.”
Lay will be helped at the camp by Dr. Doug James, former theater teacher at Austin-East High School. Lay and James are members of the Tennessee Valley Players, who are presenting “9 To 5” June 7-9 and 14-16 at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Clarence Brown Theater.
James will have his own specialty to teach.
“Doug’s really, really good with stage combat,” Lay said. “He has a style for fighting with swords that is good staging. The kids will love that.”
Several members of the Bobcat Company, the group responsible for stage productions at the school, will be on hand at the camp to assist and mentor the participants.
Lay initially grew up in central Florida. She came to East Tennessee with her family when she was in middle school.
“I loved nature as a kid, but when it was so hot in the summer, I’d rather go to some of the (dance and singing) studios for their camps,” Lay said. “I really enjoyed them.”
Finding a dynamic level
Lay didn’t let life get in the way of her dream while growing up. She had a daughter when she was 18, but didn’t let that change her direction.
“I had some great support from my family, but my daughter would go with me a lot of the time,” Lay said. “From being a toddler until she was 5 or 6, my daughter would go to rehearsals with me, or sit quietly in recitals.”
While her daughter, now a student at Alcoa High School, is in choir, the performance bug has never bitten. Lay has enough passion for the two of them.
“(Musical theater is) the ability to tell stories on a dynamic level,” Lay said of the satisfaction she gets from performance. “You’re allowed to be creative and interpret the characters as you see fit, make them your own.”
Deadline for camp registration has been set for July 1. For more information, contact Lay at [email protected].
NORTH KNOXVILLE
‘Ole Hudsons’ bringing new vibe to North Central
Jack Coker, Shopper News
Attentive North Knoxville residents may have noticed a lot of activity at 1501 N. Central Street over the past month.
My curiosity was certainly piqued. Looking in the window, I found my first clue; a sign that read “Ladies of Charity.” Fans of the beloved thrift store are in for a treat. The Ladies of Charity are opening a new store on Central.
The Ladies of Charity USA are part of the International Association of Charities with the Catholic Church. Started in 1617 by St. Vincent de Paul at Chatillon-les-Dombes, in eastern France, the organization has spread across the globe, involving nearly 6,000 women in 57 associations across 20 of the United States and the District of Columbia. Knoxville’s chapter began in 1942 and works to address the immediate and emergency needs of the underserved, unemployed and underemployed people in the Knoxville area, regardless of race, creed, color, or country of origin.
“We helped 2,000 people last month at our location on Central and Baxter,” said Cheryl Beeler, volunteer and community engagement coordinator. “We have had a presence in Knoxville for 82 years, and have grown tremendously by the blessings from the community. Without that we couldn’t do what we do.”
With only 11 paid employees, the Ladies of Charity rely heavily on volunteers to meet the needs of the community, such as providing food, clothing, newborn layettes, new housing/apartment startup kits, personal care and hygiene items, and financial assistance for medication, utilities, and rent.
The Ladies of Charity hope that this new store will help them improve and expand their operations to help the underserved.
“This is a different vibe than our thrift store at Ladies of Charity," Beeler explained. "You walk into Ladies of Charity and you can see everything in action. We do what we say we do. We help our community.
"Hopefully this new store will help us maintain and expand our services, because the community’s needs are increasing.”
The new location is also hoping to take advantage of the growth that Central has experienced recently. “With this store we are trying to capture the vibe of the community. The way that Happy Holler is going with all of these cool shops, restaurants and beautiful homes, we want to catch that wave,” Beeler said.
After final permitting from the city is complete, the store will open to the public with a new name. This store will be called “Ole Hudsons,” to differentiate it from their other store. The Ladies have worked hard to curate their donations at this location to highlight some of their more unusual and high-end items, including beautiful furniture, china, vintage clothing, and rare art. The grand opening will be announced on their Facebook page soon.
BEARDEN
Catholic girls tennis wins state, but 4th title took a master stroke
John Shearer, Shopper News
For the Catholic girls’ tennis team, winning the state team title in Division II-AA for a fourth consecutive year was not as easy as in past years.
But what the Lady Irish lacked in depth this year, they made up for in a dramatic finish that was certainly trophy worthy in terms of sheer entertainment, to put it in movie or TV terms. And it came about due to a comeback performance from an unlikely star who had gotten the clinching team point – No. 5 singles player Lauren Murphy.
Not only did Murphy come back at the state tournament, but she also had to come back throughout the year physically, coach Rusty Morris said as he recently recounted the season over the phone.
“It was so big for her because she had not really won any big matches this year and she had been hurt the year before,” he said.
The stage for the dramatic and almost unexpected finish at the state tournament had been set up by a regular season that had some rare disappointment for Catholic. The team had earlier lost to its top rival in the East Region, Baylor School of Chattanooga, at Baylor by a score of 5-2.
As a result, a four-peat seemed unlikely as Catholic had to travel to Nashville to play Ensworth – the top team in Middle Tennessee – to even reach the Spring Fling. They were able to survive that match by a 4-3 score – a repeat of their regular season match – and then met Hutchison of Memphis in the first round of the state.
Having also seen Hutchison in the Rotary tournament in Chattanooga during the regular season, the Lady Irish were able to win, 4-2, on May 21 at the Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro. That led to the match to remember the next day.
In recent years, Catholic had usually been able to count on winning the doubles point and the singles matches of the top three players to clinch and not worry about their lower-seeded players. But having graduated two of their top six players – including No. 1 star Maeve Thornton – the outcomes were not so simple this year.
However, Catholic was able to get the doubles point against Baylor in the finals to get off to the right start and make up for losing it in the regular season match. No. 1 player Lillie Murphy – the sister of Lauren – and No. 2 player Eleni Liakonis were able to get wins in singles to give Catholic a total of three team points.
But a deciding fourth point was not a certainty as Payton Carroll, Karenna Thurman, Lauren Murphy and Mary Caroline Ellis battled away at Nos. 3-6, respectively, against an also-talented contingent of Baylor players. And a win certainly did not seem as if it would happen at No. 5, as Lauren lost the first set in the best-of-three match to Molly Donovan.
However, she battled back to take the second set, 6-4, after leading 5-1. “Now everyone is watching Lauren. By this time the (overall team) match has been going on for four hours,” said Morris.
Hope turned to despair once again, though, as she went down 4-5 in the third set. Somehow, however, she rallied back to lead, 6-5, and then won the set and match by a 7-5 score on an overhead smash following a Baylor lob. The Catholic supporters reacted just as swiftly as her ball moved to celebrate this most special of state championships, and one done by an unlikely star.
“To come through with both teams cheering and all the pressure with it, it was so big for the team,” Morris said. “The team was so excited for her. She was happy and relieved all at the same time. She had done it for the team.”
Two days later, her sister, Lillie, who has committed to Furman, added to the family accomplishments with the state singles title.
The team, which also had Marianna Hurley playing doubles, will lose to graduation Samford signee Liakonis, Carroll, and Hurley. So, next year might also require some work – and maybe some more nervous moments – to repeat again as state champions.
But they do have the Murphys – both of them – coming back, so don’t count Catholic out yet!
FARRAGUT
Make-A-Wish grants whirlwind trip to 8-year-old with CF
Nancy Anderson, Shopper News
From mini meteorologist to competitive cheerleader to a weeklong Orlando extravaganza, nothing stops 8-year-old cystic fibrosis warrior Sicilee Thomason.
Since her diagnosis at just 2 days old, Sicilee’s mom, Jessica Thomason, said their biggest challenge is not necessarily her busy schedule, but making sure she stays healthy. The Thomasons have Sicilee’s daily care routine down pat. She uses a physiotherapy therapy vest several times a day to shake loose mucus from her lungs and takes enzymes to help her digest food.
Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disorder causing thick mucus to collect in the lungs and intestines. It also affects the pancreas, liver and kidneys. There is no cure, but medical advancements help keep kids healthy longer.
“Sicilee does everything she wants and she understands about her therapies. She has cystic fibrosis, but cystic fibrosis doesn’t have her,” Jessica said.
Sicilee says her favorite subject in school is music; off campus, it’s competitive cheerleading for the Diamonds All-Star Cheerleading.
Last month, Sicilee had a whirlwind weeklong extravaganza in Orlando thanks to Make-A-Wish East Tennessee. Their website sums up their mission succinctly: “Together we make life changing wishes for children with critical illness.” They are able to grant these wishes through donations.
Jessica said her daughter had the time of her life. They were very busy but were able to build in rest and relaxation into the trip.
Sicilee started her trip by visiting the cockpit of the airplane to meet the pilot, who talked to Sicilee about girl power and being a female pilot.
Sicilee’s wish was to swim with dolphins. Her wish came true on day two. Not only did she get to swim with dolphins, but she conquered her fear to feed a sea lion.
Day three brought a spa morning, with the rest of the day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, where Sicilee fell in love with Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. She rode it no fewer than four times.
At Universal and the Magic Kingdom, Sicilee met characters from Alice in Wonderland, whom she had in stitches with laughter. She met Spongebob, Puss & Boots and Beetlejuice, among countless other characters who gave her a hug and brought a smile to her face.
Home and back to her regular routine, Sicilee has resumed her cheerleading and summer fun.
“This was a trip I hope Sicilee will remember for a lifetime,” said Jessica.
Info: Find Sicilee’s CF Journey on Facebook.
OPINION
Once you're on the treadmill, it's hard to jump off
Leslie Snow, Shopper News
It’s Monday morning and I’m heading to Hall Bend to hike with Buttercup. She rests her head on my shoulder while I drive the familiar roads, and I pet her head absently, wondering if it’s a good time to call Ethan.
I push the magic button on my steering wheel that connects my phone, and just like that, Ethan is on the line.
“Good morning!” I say, cheerfully. “I saw four box turtles on my walk yesterday and you’re one of the only people I know who would want to hear about it. And,” I add for emphasis, “one of them was a baby. You would have loved it.”
He laughs, robotically, and I can tell he’s tense before he’s said a word.
“Normally, I would be thrilled to hear a story about four box turtles,” he says, sounding distracted, “but I’m driving to Atlanta for a meeting today and I’m stressed.”
I ask my youngest son all the right questions. “What’s wrong? Why are you tense? How can you make things better?”
But when I listen to his responses, I’m confused. “It sounds like the quarter is going really well. Aren’t you close to making quota?”
“I’ve already made quota this quarter,” he says tersely, “but that’s just doing my job. I’m supposed to make quota. But I need to do more than what’s expected of me, especially if Amanda and I want to buy a house this year and have a family one day.”
It’s clear he needs to talk, so I listen while he tells me about his goals for the future, his worries about work, and the pressure he feels to be the best. He’s ranting about the housing market and trying to save for a downpayment when a call comes in. “This is a work call, Ma. I’ll call you back later.”
He hangs up before I can say goodbye.
As I pull into the parking lot, I think about the Ethan I used to know. The one who used to hide in the pantry so he wouldn’t have to help with the dishes. The one who used to tie a rubber band around the kitchen faucet so it would spray me in the face when I turned on the water. The one who used to sign himself out of school early so he could go to the driving range instead of his AP English class.
That boy is long gone. Or maybe he’s just hiding behind his crisp khaki pants and his button-down shirts. I’m proud of this new grown-up Ethan, but I’m sad for him, too. His life isn’t as carefree as it once was.
He’s running on an endless treadmill now, and he’ll probably be running for the rest of his life. He’ll have to worry about his savings account and rising interest rates. He’ll stress about saving money for his kids’ college education and replacing his roof. He’ll lie awake at night wondering if he has enough money for retirement, but he’ll never be sure what “enough” looks like. He’ll never be free like he used to be when his biggest worry was beating Bearden in soccer.
I think about all of that while I watch Buttercup run through the tall, wet grass at Hall Bend. And I hope that, later in the day, when Ethan realizes he never called me back, he’ll put his stress aside and pick up the phone, happy to hear the story about the three mature box turtles I saw on the trail. And the one baby.
Leslie Snow may be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper News brings you the latest happenings in your community
