Cloudy skies and cold weather didn't stop anyone from coming out to the Maryville Christmas Parade in downtown Maryville today. According to the paper there were over 160 entries in the parade, and folks from all over lined the parade route. Here are some snapshots... 

(Click here for larger view)

The Last Friday Art Walk is a recurring event to celebrate the arts on the last Friday of every month in Downtown Maryville.

Maryville Arts Coalition is proud to present the second annual Last Friday Art Walk Tribute to Music event! August 28, 2009. 5-9pm. Artists and Musicians will be lining the streets of Downtown Maryville. The theme? Paint the Music!

Note from the Little River Watershed Association:

Keep Blount Beautiful needs your help to prevent Cigarette Litter in Downtown Maryville... the Friday Night Art Walk and KBB is looking for 24 volunteers to help hand out free pocket ashtrays at the event for one hour... Please contact Jillian Atchley at 681-4809, email intern@keepblountbeautiful.org to volunteer, please specify a time you are interested in.

The Blount County Commission holds regular monthly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:00pm in the County Commission room of the Blount County Courthouse.

Next meeting: Thursday, August 20, 2009
359 Court Street
Maryville, TN 37804-5906

All meetings of the City of Alcoa Board of Commissioners are open to the public. Commissioners meet in regular session on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of the Municipal Building.

Next meeting Tuesday, August 11, 2009
223 Associates Blvd
Alcoa, TN 37701-1948

Wonderful news!

The Maryville Farmers' Market is now open Wednesdays in Alcoa.

Check it out!

Location: Anderson Lumber Company, Alcoa
Hours: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

From June 17 to September 16

Thanks!

Fine Arts Blount is hosting their first Kite Festival at Pearson Springs Park in Maryville, TN.

Bring your own kite or simple kites will be available on-site. There will be kite building, demonstrations, kite flying, and prizes.

What better way to celebrate spring than by coloring the skies with festive kites powered by the wind?

Celebrate the lighting of the City of Alcoa Christmas Tree in the Upper Fields area of Springbrook Park where the trails will be lit with luminaria. Following the ceremony, there will be special music, refreshments, visits with Santa Claus, and train rides for the children.

Event is free.

Date: December 1
Rain Date: Dec. 2
Time: 6:15 PM

According to Parks & Rec, it's on. No rain/snow delay.

At the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, Townsend, Tennessee

Livestock Show
Vegetables and Produce
Baked Goods
Canning
Honey Show
Metal and Woodworking Projects

Admission $3.00 per person
Free to Heritage Center members and children under 6

...no, really. They really ARE coming. This time to the Republic of Georgia:

Link...

Georgia's president said Friday that his country is under attack by Russian tanks and warplanes, and he accused Russia of targeting civilians as tensions over the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia appeared to boil over into full-blown conflict.

Link...

Georgia, which borders the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia, was ruled by Moscow for most of the two centuries preceding the breakup of the Soviet Union. The country has angered Russia by seeking NATO membership — a bid Moscow regards as part of a Western effort to weaken its influence in the region.

Not to detract from the gravity/depravity of yesterday's election, but what a nightmare for these people.

The Committee to Elect Judge Mike Meares is having a free BBQ Bash this Saturday, July 19, from noon until 2 p.m. at the Greenbelt Pavilion in Maryville.

There will be live music from Mountain Gap and free BBQ, face painting, cotton candy and door prizes for those who most creatively show their support for Blount County Circuit Court Judge Mike Meares. Come on out and enjoy great food, great music and lots of fun with your neighbors at the Meares Campaign BBQ Bash.

For more information, contact the Committee to Elect Judge Meares at (865) 681-0553.

They are trying to come up with a replacement for Willie Nelson.

Please vote for the Allman Bros. here.

I've seen them 3 or 4 times and it was a great show every time. Good ole band from the South.

Remote Area Medical is holding a free clinic expedition at Heritage Middle High School on July 12th and 13th. Free medical, dental, and vision services will be provided. Turnout is heavy for these events, which start around 6AM. Some people arrive the night before and camp out.

For more information about Remote Area Medical, visit their website.

See also: KnoxViews discussion re. RAM, a 60 Minutes feature about a January RAM expedition in Knoxville, and the "Third World emergency." This is a national disgrace, but Remote Area Medical is doing what they can.

It may not be too late!

AnimalWorks will be holding its 4th Annual Golf Tournament at Royal Oaks Country Club on Saturday, June 14, 2008.

AnimalWorks is a Low Cost Spay and Neuter Organization, and the only NO KILL Animal Shelter in Blount County.

This tournament flyer will provide contact details and other specifics.

The Raven Society Lily Benefit Event

For the donation of your choice (minimum $1.50 per lily suggested) you can choose from thousands of hardy, gorgeous lilies that last for decades with little or no care! Your donations will support The Raven Society which works to preserve and promote the rural, natural and historic beauty of Blount County through education and political action.

When: June 14 and 21, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm

Where: 1530 McIlvaine Drive, Maryville, TN (only 3 minutes from Blount Hospital)

Go west past Blount Memorial Hospital on 321. Turn right on Tuckaleechee at Smith's Mortuary. Drive up the hill then turn right on Locha Poka Drive .3 mile straight up into the driveway at the top of the hill. The lilies are in the back field.

The Second Annual Big BBQ Bash at the Alcoa Springbrook Center was bigger and even better than last year. Lots of folks came out to enjoy barbecue, music, and fun in the sun. Attendance looked to be much higher than last year, and there were new competitors from all over. One welcome change was the addition of a dining tent which provided a shady spot sit and enjoy your barbecue.

The Big BBQ Bash is a charity event put on by local businesses and community organizations who donate their time, effort, and barbecuing skills to support local charities. This year's charity was the Blount County Community Campus, a joint effort between local government, private not for profit organizations, and local philanthropic companies to develop "a central location for essential social services for Blount County residents."

The BBQ competition ("not sanctioned by any barbecue organization or any one else") features these divisions:

1) Pork Shoulder or Butt - pulled, chopped or sliced
2) Brisket - sliced, 5 lbs. minimum, pre-cooked weight
3) Pork Ribs Whole
4) One Half Chicken - chopped, sliced or pulled.
5) Anything But (trophy only, "must be edible and you may have to prove it!"

Entries are judged on "Aroma, Color, Texture, Taste, Overall." First prize in each division is an impressive $3000, $1500 to the team and $1500 to their designated charity. We didn't stick around for the awards, so you'll have to check their website tomorrow for the list of official winners.

Congratulations to the City of Alcoa and everyone else involved for putting on a great event. It's shaping up to be a major new regional festival and we're looking forward to next year.

Some photos after the jump...