You could tell by the almost full parking lot and overflow lot that Union County’s Farmer Market at Heritage Park was a big draw on May 16. The volunteers for the Walk for Water fundraiser walked 1.3 miles, representing the miles Ugandan children symbolically trek to get unclean, unsafe water. There was live toe-tapping Bluegrass music with excellent harmonies by TN90, Face painting, Balloon twists, the UCHS NJROTC presenting colors & leading the Pledge of Allegiance, performances by the Union County Line Dancers, and the E Kapuna Wahine E Kamealoha Polynesian Dancers.

A major new study has investigated the relationship between walking and the risk of developing chronic lower back problems. The findings could save the healthcare system significant amounts of money while also alleviating many people’s back pain — if we just follow the simple advice provided.

Have you ever complained about something and then caught yourself doing the same? I did when my daughter Sara was little.
Sara’s tastes are somewhat different from mine. Cheese is a good example of this. For years, I wouldn’t touch any kind of it, but she absolutely loved it. In fact, I often tell people that we didn’t have any cheese in the house until she came along. Now, my dad and Tim’s mother both loved it, so that cheese loving gene skipped us and landed on Sara. That being said, there were more differences than I realized.

Stigma remains one of the greatest obstacles to mental health and substance use support. Fear of judgment, misinformation, and societal labels often prevent individuals from seeking care.

This upcoming forum will focus on identifying stigma, understanding its impact, and discussing practical ways communities can reduce barriers and improve access to services and support.

Bruce Mink, a new vendor from Rutledge, was at the May 9th Union County Farmers Market with his Herb Wagon. All his plants are grown organically and are watered with rain, not city water. In addition to vegetable plants like tomatoes, he offers a wide selection of herbs, including dill, oregano, basil, mullein, and Amaranthus. While Amaranthus is often used in traditional medicine, the National Institutes of Health states that it is also a good source of both nutrients and antioxidants.

Almost every seat was taken on May 9 at the American Legion Post 212 monthly free breakfast for Veterans. Breakfast was again delicious and prepared for the Veterans by Maynardville Food City.

There are teachers held in esteem even by students who were never in their classes. Such for me is the case with one teacher who was on staff when I was a student at Horace Maynard High School.
I’m sure throughout the years of her service she oversaw many study halls, and I’m pretty sure she taught some computer classes which could have enrolled both boys and girls. Throughout her career, she possibly taught classes of which I am unaware. The main class I knew her to teach is one I know many males would have liked to have had on their schedules, but that was not allowable.

Hickory trees are so common in our area that most of our woodlands are classified as the "Oak-Hickory" forest type. They provide humans and wildlife with important food and fiber.

There are several hickory species growing in our area, the three most common ones being Shagbark, Mockernut, and Pignut. All have compound leaves that have 5 to 9 “leaflets”. The leaves and nut husks have a strong spicy odor. The bark can be identified by its diamond shape pattern and hardness. The easiest hickory to identify in the woods is Shagbark, which has bark that hangs down in long shaggy plates that bend away from the trunk. In earlier times the non-shaggy species were called “tight bark” hickories. They will grow almost anywhere but are more often found on dry slopes and ridges.

The Union County FCE (Home Demonstration) Club traveled to Gatlinburg for a two day Spring Fling. Members took an assortment of classes and celebrated our 250th.

The Eastern Region of Family Communication Clubs came together to have an adult like 4-H event. This replaced the Spring Camp that always took place in Greenville at the Clyde Austin Camp. There was entertainment, games, good food (Ramsay’s) , fellowship and more.

Do you have a pet peeve? Is there something that bothers you probably more than it should? For me, it’s being misunderstood. A good example of this is my dislike of camping.

Before we go any further, I’m going to discuss the two types of camping I’m familiar with. The first one involves a camper, which is like a small mobile home on wheels. My in-laws used to have one many years ago that they would tow it to various campgrouns. It had a small bathroom and kitchen, heat and air, and furniture that would transform into beds. If you like to do a lot of traveling, I think this would be an awesome way to do it. But this isn’t the type that I dislike.