Congratulations and a job well done to our own Union County 4-H Outdoor Meat Cookery Team. There were 140 youth participants (16 teams) across the state that came together to show off their food and fire safety and grilling techniques at the Appalachian Fair in Gray, Tennessee, on Saturday August 27. Seven of our 4-H members participated in this event. These young men and women made Union County proud. Our Senior High Team placed fourth overall in this contest.

Union County Heritage Festival is coming up on October 1!
Help us kick off the festival with our 2022 Heritage Festival Pie Baking Contest.
Open to all ages, this is a great way to showcase your baking skills and win cash prize money. Not to mention bragging rights and recognition during the festival.
Pies can be submitted in three categories: Fruit, Nut, and Other. On Friday, September 30, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., pies will be accepted at the Union County Farmers Market Pavilion located at 115 Durham Drive in Maynardville.

Fall is a beautiful time to visit the Farmers Market as the winter squashes begin to arrive. While big, orange pumpkins attract a lot of attention as the unofficial sign of cooler weather, there are dozens of winter squash varieties in the Curcubitaceae (gourd) family. Each of the winter squashes are uniquely beautiful with a vibrant range of colors, a variety of shapes, and textures that range from smooth, to ribbed, to bumpy.

The Luttrell Music Festival (in Luttrell) will both be held on Saturday, September 24.
Luttrell Music Festival promises to be the best yet with a lineup of some of East Tennessee’s favorite bands and musicians including singer/songwriter Robinella, David West and the Ciderville Gang, The Beasons, Jason Coleman, Meagan Taylor (who is Chet Atkins’ niece and the old-time flavored Knox County Jug Stompers.
The Grainger County Ridgerunners will hold a cruise-in on the grounds.
The music kicks off at 3 p.m., and there will be plenty of fun for kids and adults.

The Union County Heritage Festival Art Show will take place during the October 1 event at the Myers Building (formerly Byrd Funeral Home) at 502 Monroe Street in Maynardville. Parking will be available at the lot across from the art show or at the courthouse. On festival day, parking is also available at Wilson Park where visitors can ride the big yellow bus free shuttle sponsored by State Farm Insurance and Plainview City to the art show.

The use of smartphones, tablets and laptops has become commonplace throughout the world and has been especially prevalent among college students. recent studies have found that college students accumulate higher levels of screen time, and they utilize multiple devices at higher rates compared to previous generations.

Do you have “best days” anymore? These are the days that you look forward to so much that is seems that time has stopped, and the day will never arrive.
When I was a kid, those days were always: church homecoming, Easter egg hunt, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my birthday. While I am very thankful to still have birthdays, I have decided not to count them anymore.

Life in Union County has dramatically changed for most families in the last 100 years.
In my last article I explained how the Tennessee Valley Authority started to provide electricity to the people in the area. At the time a lot of this electricity would be generated from the power of the Clinch River.

I have received emails for some time generated by several writers stating they were members of the greatest generation and were, therefore, “HIP!”
What, in the writer’s opinion, did this mean?

This makes a tasty dish for lunch or meatless supper. To make this quiche extra special, cook and crumble 4 slices bacon, adding it to the egg mixture with the cheese and onions.