Knoxville Tennessee Blog

For those of you not familiar with the Bijou Theatre here is a little history from the Bijou Theatre website. The Bijou Theatre opened March 8, 1909, as part of an already existing hotel known as the Lamar House. Built in 1817 as a hotel and tavern, the Lamar House is the fourth oldest building in Knoxville. It now houses The Bistro restaurant and the theater’s offices.

The first performance held at the Bijou was Little Johnny Jones starring George M. Cohan on the theater’s opening night. In the next several years, performers including the Marx Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie and many others graced the stage, presenting vaudeville, opera, comedy and more. Special guests watched from the elegant boxes on either side of the stage, while Knoxville’s black theatergoers were relegated to the uppermost balcony during the days of segregation.

Here are a couple of upcoming performances at the Bijou Theatre.

Stellar mandolin player Chris Thile at Bijou Theatre

Who: Chris Thile and the How to Grow a Band featuring Bryan Sutton
When: Wednesday, May 23, 8 p.m.
Where: Bijou Theatre
How much: $19, plus applicable service fees, available starting Friday, March 23, 10 a.m. at the Tennessee Theatre box office, all Tickets Unlimited outlets, by phone at 656-4444 or online at KnoxBijou.com.

At 25, Chris Thile has accomplished more than most: 2 million albums sold with Grammy-winning Nickel Creek, six solo albums (his first at age 12), a side career as an in-demand studio musician, and collaborations with Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck and Jon Brion. But, ultimately, moving to New York was the catalyst that reminded Thile why he started playing the mandolin in the first place. And it’s where he brought together a new-generation bluegrass band to record 2006’s How To Grow A Woman From The Ground.

Amos Lee at the Bijou Theatre

Who: Amos Lee
When: Wednesday, April 25, 8 p.m.
Where: Bijou Theatre
How much: $19.75, plus applicable service fees, available now at the Tennessee Theatre box office, all Tickets Unlimited outlets, by phone at 656-4444 or online at KnoxBijou.com.

Supply and Demand, the second studio album from Philadelphia native Amos Lee, illuminates his growth from emerging singer-songwriter to established recording artist. From the sparse, powerful, family elegy “Long Line of Pain,” to the country ‘n’ R&B-flavored title track, “Supply and Demand,” this album is rich with big league songwriting, compelling musicianship and captivating vocals.

If you plan on attending one of these events you’ll need to know where to park downtown Knoxville. Several parking lots and on-street metered spaces are located near the Bijou Theatre. The closest parking is a pay lot across Cumberland. The State Street, Market Square and Locust Street garages are free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Some on-street parking is available on surrounding streets. This link has a map of downtown parking locations.

In the latest news that appeared yesterday from the Knoxville News Sentinel, seven Tennessee residents have been named in the most recent lawsuits from the RIAA against music pirates. The Tennessee lawsuits include a Sevierville woman, two filed in the U.S. District Court in Nashville, two in Memphis, one in Knoxville.

This is a new lawsuit separate from the suit that offers a settlement to UT students who must agree to the settlement by Monday or face a lawsuit. If I were accused of illegal downloading I would not settle with those bottom feeders known as the RIAA because of the numerous technological and practical ways to proof innocence in court. I would take them to court, win the case and counter sue them for millions of dollars. Consider the following quote from the News Sentinel article:

At UT, the university’s network administrators compare the IP address and time stamp with their own records to determine the offending user. But the system is far from foolproof.

Maybe we can get one of our crazy politicians to write some ridiculous piece of legislation that can keep Tennesseans from getting sued by the RIAA.

The Knox News Sentinel has featured articles about Baptist Hospital for the past 2 days and we can only hope that this means Baptist is ready to throw up the white flag and make peace with its enemies.

Baptist Hospital has an ongoing feud with Covenant and other local health care providers that has hindered the growth of the hospital and hurt Baptist financially. I have been following the news coverage closely because it would be a huge loss for the Knoxville community if Baptist Hospital files for Bankruptcy.

Baptist Hospital has wonderful facilities and a lot of wonderful ammenities to offer the Knoxville community but has struggled to attract potential customers/patients because the hospital is an out-of-network location for most of the local insurance plans, like Covenant’s Cariten. The patients that visit Baptist Hospital typically fall in love with the staff and facilities, but most Knoxville residents won’t even consider visiting the hospital due to the lack of insurance coverage as noted in the following excerpt from yesterday’s News Sentinel article.

Baptist is not the worst situation James has seen. She said Baptist continues to have a great reputation and great programs as well as a lot of support and a tremendous amount of loyalty. In coming days, James said she plans to make courtesy calls to senior health-care leaders in town as part of a longer-term solution. “It’s fair to say that in my very short tenure here that the organization has the need to both cultivate some allies as well as mend some fences in the community overall,” James said.

The article that appeared in today’s paper highlighted on the financial difficulties that Baptist has faced and the appointment of two replacement administrators for the hospitals operating staff. Hopefully these new officials will be able to lead Baptist to a long and prosperous future, something that has been a difficult challenge for the previous leadership.

For those interested, the following is a short list of Knoxville area Hospitals:

Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee
137 Blount Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37920
865-632-5011
www.baptistoneword.org

Baptist Hospital West
10820 Parkside Drive
Knoxville, TN 37922
865-218-7011
www.baptistoneword.org

East TN Children’s Hospital
2018 W. Clinch Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37916
865-541-8000
www.etch.com

Fort Sanders Park West Medical Center
9352 Parkwest Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37923
865-693-5151
www.yesparkwest.com

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center
1901 Clinch Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37916
865-541-1111
www.fsregional.com

St. Mary’s Medical Center
900 E Oak Hill Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37917
865-545-8000
www.mercy.com

University of Tennessee Medical Center
1924 Alcoa Hwy.
Knoxville, TN 37929
865-544-9000
www.utmedicalcenter.org

This past weekend I had the privilege of camping at Frozen Head State Park. Frozen Head is a beautiful park with plenty of wildlife, convenient camping sites and great hiking trails. Those of you familiar with the park will agree that the only negative about the park is driving past the state prison on your way in. That’s right, no need to worry about snake bites when you can worry about a prisoner escaping from the state pen, but I’m sure they have sirens to warn campers. But, I would drive by that prison any day of the week to visit the park.

Frozen head is a must visit park for the outdoor men and women of Knoxville. Visiting this park reminded me of another reason why I love living in Knoxville Tennessee. You can live in the heart of Knoxville, drive less than an hour from your home, and find yourself in the middle of a 13,000+ acre state park.

Frozen Head State Park FAQ

What activities are available at Frozen Head State Park?
Amphitheatre, Biking, Fishing, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Picnic Pavilions and Playgrounds, Planned Programs, Playgrounds/Sports Fields, Swimming

Where can I find the Frozen Head State Park Website?
http://tennessee.gov/environment/parks/FrozenHead/

What is the address and phone number of Frozen Head State Park?
964 Flat Fork Road | Wartburg , TN 37887
Office: 423-346-3318 | Fax: 423-346-6629

Do you have a direct link to a Google Map of Frozen Head State Park?
Yes, click here for the Google Map

Where can I see more pictures of Frozen Head State Park?
The picture gallery is located on their official website.

Where do I find other places to go camping in Knoxville Tennessee?
There is a great list of parks here.

Here are this weeks collection of the best of Knoxville Tennessee links. If you didn’t have time to keep up with all of the fun stuff going on in Knoxville this week these should catch you up. The list this week is long so please add a comment or use the contact form (more anonyomous) if I missed a big story.

From KnoxNews.com : Yeldell: No more lighting up at Regas
Regas - one of Knoxville’s oldest and most well-known restaurants - is going smoke-free. Owners decided this week to make the downtown restaurant smoke-free beginning March 19.

From KnoxNews.com: Hughs: Arguing over science, religion is unproductive
Let’s all say a prayer for Lana Seivers, Tennessee Department of Education commissioner. She has until Jan. 15, 2008, to decide whether the universe was created by a supreme being.

From Michael Silence: The highest gas prices in TN
That award currently goes to Chattanooga, $2.393.

From UTK.edu: UT Launches New ‘UTTV’ Station with Comcast Cable
Through a partnership with Comcast Cable, the University of Tennessee has launched its own television station that is now available to all digital subscribers in the greater Knoxville area.

From KnoxNews.com: Mullins named interim schools chief
Knox County school board members this evening selected Roy Mullins as interim superintendent for the school system.

From CNN.com: Lofton is AP’s SEC player of year
To Chris Lofton, the season feels like a roller coaster. It’s certainly looking up heading into the Southeastern Conference tournament. The Tennessee guard was named player of the year on The Associated Press All-SEC team released Tuesday, edging Derrick Byars of Vanderbilt.

From KnoxNews.com: Haslam making another run
Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam received the applause of supporters from both sides of the 2003 campaign aisle Tuesday as he formally announced his bid for a second term.

From KnoxNews.com: Schumpert declines committee post
Former Knox County Executive Tommy Schumpert has declined to serve on the county’s newly formed Ethics Committee, saying he was never asked to take part.

From ComedyCentral: Colbert on Al Gore (Video after ad)
Stephen investigates Al Gore’s wasteful behavior by searching through his garbage.

From KnoxNews.com: Hall back as assistant for former employee
Newly appointed Register of Deeds Sherry Witt has hired her former boss, Steve Hall, as an administrative assistant at an annual salary of $69,000.

From KnoxViews.com: Don Williams fans can find his two most recent articles from The Last Word here and here.

From FrankMurphy.com: Ham Radio (More Knoxville obsession with Abby Ham)
Instead of writing a long blog entry on a night when I’m more tired than usual, I realized that I could just post a new photo of Abby Ham and get a significant increase in page hits.

From Brian Hornback: County Commissioner Mark Harmon is a Disrespectful Guy
Today was the customary Honorary Resolutions for those that have left County Government. Sheriff Tim Hutchison, Trustee Mike Lowe, Register of Deeds Steve Hall and others. When the Sheriff was presented with his Resolution. He received a standing ovation except for Commissioner Mark Harmon.

Did I miss a link? Add your favorite stories for the week in the comments to this post.

The University Of Tennessee Knoxville in cooperation with Comcast Corporation launched UTTV on March 1st. UTTV is available on Comcast digital channel 194 and on the UT campus, channel 65 and the new channel will reach nine Knoxville counties, more here. I have been wanting to write about this for several days now but haven’t had a chance to sit down and watch any of the shows. Tonight I was able to spend a little time to do just that.

In the short amount of time I spent this evening watching the shows I was very impressed with the quality of the productions. They are professional with quality content and programming that even a college student might find entertaining. I do hope, in the future, to see live/post coverage by students of some of the less televised UT sports, I think that would be fun. And guys, please look professional and comb your hair before you go on the show. If you are looking for UTTV on the web you can find it at http://uttv.utk.edu/

Of course the channel isn’t all University of Tennessee content as the following excerpt from the press release highlights:

The Video and Photography Department also is working with other departments and community groups to add original programming and entertainment. Viewers also will benefit from free-to-air satellite networks that provide rich programming from the Research Channel; Classic Arts Showcase; Open Student Television Network, which features student programming from across the nation; and Mosaic, which broadcasts world news from around the globe.

If you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to be a subscriber of Comcast, check out channel 194 the next time you are surfing the tube. If you are ambitious enough to get involved with TVC like having your apartment featured on UT Cribs (one of the shows like MTV cribs) for example, email tvc@utk.edu. For more information about UTTV, email uttv@utk.edu.

Next Topic: This morning on the Hallerin Hilton Hill (Triple H) show, Mr. Wetzel was one of the talking points. “David Wetzel is a 79 year old Decatur, IL resident who decided he was tired of the high cost of fuel. So what did he do? He did what our government has refused to do. He developed a way to run his car on vegetable oil. The car works great, but the Illinois Department of Revenue didn`t like.”

If you listened to the show you might remember HHH asking how he made the car run on alternative fuel. In case you missed it or forgot, Mr. Wetzel, a no nonsense guy answered, “I read the book From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank“. For more commentary on this story check here and here.

Two months ago the city of Knoxville gave a press release that announced the Dream Team. The Dream Team has signed on Bruce Pearl and Pat Summit, as well as Mayor Bill Haslam and County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, and they are looking for an additional 3,500 volunteers to help with the 2007 AAU Junior Olympic Games, Knoxville Tennessee.

Knoxville has been the host of the AAU Junior Olympic Games in 1968, 1970, 1993 and 2002 making this the fifth time Knoxville will host the games. The expected economic impact is around 30.7 million as estimated by Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation (KTSC).

There will be approximately 17,000 participants, 20,000 coaches, family members and spectators involved in the Knoxville area for the Junior Olympic Games which is scheduled for July 25 - August 4, 2007. Young folks will compete in a variety of sports such as Baseball, Baton Twirling, Beach Volleyball, Boys’ Basketball, Girls’ Basketball, Cheerleading, Dance, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Jump Rope, Karate, Multi-EventsRacewalk, Powerlifting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Track & Field, Trampoline & Tumbling, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

The official AAU Junior Olympic Games Website is http://www.aaujrogames.org/. Knoxville residents can find more information from the City’s Website. I am going to update this post with more information as the dates get closer and I will note some “must see” locations. Feel free to make any suggestions on must visit locations for our out of state friends in the comments to this post.

Mayor Haslam announced his plans to run for a second term as Mayor today. I think Mayor Haslam has done an excellent job, especially when you compare him with likes of Scott Moore and some of the other elected officials in Knoxville. In general, City Council operates much more effectively then Knox County thanks to the leadership of Mayor Haslam.

He (Haslam) also emphasized the cooperative spirit he advocates in government. The Republican incumbent made the announcement at the Knoxville Museum of Art before hundreds of supporters.

Mayor Bill Haslam’s website can be found here along with the Host Committee list.

What does Nashville have that Knoxville doesn’t? There are certainly a number of ways to answer this question, but since I filed this post in the Technology category I am going to answer with Google Traffic Maps.

Nashville is lucky enough to be one of the 30 cities that Google has selected to create a traffic layer mashup. The traffic layer, which is denoted by the querystring variable layer and a value of t (&layer=t) is how you can request the presence of this added layer. Unfortunately for Knoxville, Google has no traffic data, but I am going to figure out what needs to be done to request being added to the list.

To view an example of what the traffic layer looks like live, here is Nashville’s traffic overlay. Notice the extra button at the top right which allows you to toggle the traffic layer on or off. Now that is neat stuff, and while this is a week or so old, I haven’t heard much chatter about this neat new feature. Hopefully Knoxville TN will make Google’s list soon. And my next Google Maps prediction is that we will soon see a weather mashup. Imagine Knoxville TN weather on a Google Map, now that would be cool.

I have noticed that quite a few people are looking for Bruce Pearl images or pictures. I am going to keep a collection of links going and you can feel free to add images you find that are not on this list in the comments area.

Bruce Pearl Photo

Bruce Pearl Picture (Profile)

Bruce Pearl Image Tennessee vs. Memphis

Bruce Pearl Picture Taking Notes

Bruce Pearl Image Speaking 11-2-06

Bruce Pearl Picture Speaking 11-2-06

Bruce Pearl Image Charter Plumber

Bruce Pearl Picture and Twins

Bruce Pearl Image and Magnum

All of the above links are from this flickr account.

Bruce Pearl Picture Gets Awards

Bruce Pearl Image Orange Jacket

Bruce Pearl Images from CoachPerl.com (Speaking)

Bruce Pearl Images from CoachPearl.com (Autograph 1)

Bruce Pearl Images from CoachPearl.com (Autograph 2)

Coach Pearl Picture kisses his wife

Coach Pearl Picture Laughing on Golf Course

Coach Pearl Image with an Officer