As kid, I realized playing softball had many benefits. Needless to say, these were not the same kinds that an adult would recognize. To me, the benefits were things that I could do without getting into trouble: slide and roll in dirt, swing a bat, get sweaty, and stomp in the mud. Let’s face it, if my knees weren’t in such bad shape, I would be doing that stuff now.

At the beginning of June, 1987, I was a soon-to-be twenty-two-year-old. I still had challenges with acne and weighed 120 pounds “soaking wet”. I was degreed, certified, and looking for a job.
Actually, I started that process during Christmas break of 1986. I called David F. Coppock, then Superintendent of the Union County Public School System. Mr. Coppock listened to me “pitch” myself for a job, then responded, “I guess you want to come in and fill out an application.” I replied that I wasn’t yet graduated, and he said that was fine, just to put my anticipated date of graduation and certifications.

The Olive Garden in Knoxville is Anne and my favorite restaurant. The portions are large and the waitpersons friendly and helpful. It is a welcome upgrade from Mickey D’s or Subway, however, slightly out of our price range. We only go there on special occasions. A few years ago such an occasion occurred. We were celebrating my eighty-ninth and a half birthday in July. When you are approaching the milestone of ninety years on this planet, it is reason to celebrate. We announced when we approached the hostess at the door that we were celebrating. “What are you celebrating,” she asked.

If you have milk, eggs and bread, you have the fixings for this delicious breakfast or luncheon dish. It's meatless, so you can fix it for supper the night before payday when your pantry is almost empty.

Before World War 2 there was a lot more cleared farmland than there is now. Before chemical fertilizer and lime was readily available, per acre yields for farm crops were much lower and so more land was needed to farm. This was not a problem, as most farms had large families with a built-in labor force. But over the years the land eroded, kids left the farm, and the farmer got older. So gradually the steeper, rougher fields or field edges were let go, and the forest reclaimed them. There are indicators you can look for to tell if a forest was once a field.

Luttrell Elementary School would like to congratulate the following students on their outstanding achievements:

Many expected to say goodbye to the only tanning salon in Union County, Bronzed Brilliance Tanning of Maynardville, last year when the owner passed away. What many do not know is that a patron of Bronze Brilliance Tanning decided to purchase the salon and keep the doors open. Andrea Posani, a frequent customer of the establishment, was heart-struck to find the owner and operator of her beloved tanning salon had passed. When she discovered that the previous owner had no one to take over the salon and that it was up for sale, she decided to take a chance on it.

The Knoxville Entrepreneur Center with the Center for Profitable Agriculture, AgLaunch Engine, and others is hosting a virtual training for farmers in the East Tennessee Development District who want to increase farm income through expanding into or improving their current value-added enterprise. The East Tennessee Development District includes Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier and Union counties.

UT Extension Union County will host Knox County Master Gardener, Marsha Lehman Marsha Lehman spoke at the University of Tennessee’s 2022 Organic Field Day. She has many years of speaking experience for vegetable gardening and has been educating for the past seven years as the Chair of the Knox County Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau. The class will cover types, materials needed, planning, and plants for raised bed gardening. Now is the time to get started for a 2023 garden!

A nerve becomes “pinched” when the nerve itself has been compressed by surrounding tissues. In some situations, cartilage, bone, or swollen soft tissue can impact the nerve itself. Some of the most common reasons why people develop pinched nerves include:

• Issues related to weight and obesity
• The development of rheumatoid arthritis
• Suffering a traumatic injury playing sports or in a motor vehicle accident
• Stress from poor work ergonomics
• Certain hobbies, particularly athletics, that can lead to a pinched nerve through an overuse injury