I have a friend who has recently received the shock of his life. It’s a personal matter, so I won’t use his real name to relay the story. I’ll call him Mortimer.

Sonja DuBois is a hidden child surviving the Holocaust. She was twenty-two months old when her parents were deported to Auschwitz and never heard from again.

She has written the book, Finding Schifrah after her Hebrew name, about her quest for her identity. The author is available to give presentations about the Holocaust and WWII.

DuBois will present Preserving the Legacy at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S Gay St, Knoxville on Tuesday, October 22 at noon. A book signing of her memoir Finding Schifrah will follow.

Author Randall Carpenter will be one of the talented exhibitors at the Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair to be held Wednesday, October 16 through Monday, October 21.

Carpenter will have five of his books on hand for sale and signing, and several framed and unframed writings. The fair will be held at the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Admission is $7 for adults for an all-day pass. The Convention Center is located at the corner of Traffic Light 8 in Gatlinburg.   

The 15th Annual Union County Heritage Festival offers a multitude of ways to just do more fiddlin' around on Saturday, October 5. With three venues and three music stages, there will be sights, sounds, and activities for all ages.

Orderly progress appeared to be the theme of the Union County Commission Meeting on September 23. Chairman Jason Bailey and Vice Chairman Gary England were re-elected to their leadership positions by acclimation. Commission approved the minutes and notaries as usual. Grants, building improvements, and finance highlighted the Mayor's Report.

At the September meeting, Union County School Board voted to extend Dr. Jimmy Carter's contract for four more years. School board attorney Mary Ann Stackhouse explained that his current contract would not have expired until 2020 since the same contract had been extended in 2013 to 2017, in 2017 to 2020, and with no changes, the current contract would be extended four more years to 2024. Brad Griffey from the Second District authored the motion. Casey Moore could not attend due to work responsibilities.

Here are some tips to help prevent the needless pain that backpack misuse could cause the students in your household.
Make sure your child’s backpack weighs no more than five to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than on the shoulders, by the straps.
The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.

Tobacco once was a way of life and a tradition. It is where people came from and how they grew up. A lot of hard work and pride went into the crop, but over the years it has become a dying tradition for many reasons, with little remaining in East Tennessee.

There are deep roots for mountain music, or bluegrass, in Appalachia, East Tennessee and Union County. Many local folks have a passion for the music and the customs it entails. It is a tradition that passes down through generations to our youths.
Tumblin’ Run is a local band that is carrying on the mountain tradition. Members Zeke Flatford (age 20), Lyndon Kitts (20), Tucker Jones (16), and Trey Farley (18) all have a keenness for keeping the tradition alive and bringing the old-time melodies to their audiences.

The Tennessee Council for Career and Technical Education (TCCTE) is a legislated council formed to ensure that high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs best serve Tennesseans and prepare students for successful ventures in postsecondary education, careers, and life in general.