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Home Sweet Home (To Me)
There’s a saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Lately, I’ve been thinking about how this applies to communities. I always enjoy traveling, but I always look forward to coming home. I enjoy a good trip to the beach, or visiting a large urban center, or attending a stadium event. Those are things I can’t get at home,…
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Postcards – A Window to the Soul
A longtime childhood friend was going through a box of her late grandfather’s things and found several linen postcards of scenes from Kingsport in the early 1940s. She generously sent them to me. Long before text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, Zoom, or FaceTime, postcards were the shortest, simplest way to check-in, say hello, and express feelings…
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The First Volunteers Saved Nashville
Lately, I’ve been reading the book, “Franklin: America’s “Lost State” (Gerson, 1968). It’s a deep dive into the period of history of Americans residing west of the Appalachian Mountains from the end of the American Revolution in 1783 until 1791 when additional states beyond the original 13 were admitted to the union. Virginia had long…
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Of Vols & Gators
The University of Tennessee Volunteers & University of Florida Gators are bitter enemies in the Southeastern Conference. Many know that legendary Gator coach Steve Spurrier hails from Johnson City, Tennessee, but did you know that Gainesville, Florida–home of the Gators–is named after General Edmund Pendleton Gaines of Kingsport, Tennessee? The name “Volunteers” stems from the…
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Find new life in a small city.
Embracing Experiences, Balance, and Relationships When it comes to choosing where to live, people’s priorities have evolved over time. Gone are the days when material possessions and financial success were the sole determinants of happiness. According to a recent survey by Charles Schwab, a significant majority of respondents favored intangible qualities and experiences over material…
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Time.
Our days, hours, and minutes are numbered from our very first childhood memory until our last moment of consciousness. Time is a finite, exceptionally precious commodity. Like electricity, time is one of the most awesome natural forces in the universe. It is mysterious, powerful, and transformative. It can be harnessed for good, but it can…
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All things in moderation.
My grandmother used to say, “All things in moderation.” (For the record, she wasn’t talking about alcohol, as she abhorred the stuff.) How much growth is good? When does it slip into the category of undesirable? What if we shrank? How would businesses survive? How would families get by? A growth of 5%-10% per decade…
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Kingsport is a great place to live AND work
Many still think of Kingsport and Oak Ridge as cities of commerce and industry–places to commute into work, but at the end of the day they return home elsewhere. Cities like Maryville, on the other hand, are viewed as “bedroom communities”–cities where a significant percentage of residents work elsewhere. The Census Bureau now has an…
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Tri-Cities: Not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
Sustainable growth is the goal, but what does that mean? A growth rate that is not too hot and not too cold, but just right. A population growth of 5%-10% per decade is required for a healthy, sustainable economy without growth-related issues like traffic, crime, and erosion of quality of life. The Census Bureau just…
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A Favored Land.
In my marketing bullet points for attracting newcomers to our region, I always talk about the natural assets that are God-given. Our region enjoys: I thought my process of factual deduction was quite unique until I found a 1903 book called, “The History of Southwest Virginia (1746-1786)” by Lewis Preston Summers. Remember, Tennessee did not…
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Kingsport Spirit 