Tag: writing
-
Everyday Heroes
by Deborah Daugherty, Past President, Rotary Club of Kingsport A little background: the first conversations had about this art sculpture and who it would honor started almost five years ago, as four of us began making a strategic plan for how Rotary Club of Kingsport should celebrate their centennial year with the 100th celebration planned…
-
Cousins
Rarely do you get this opportunity—a reunion of two cousins, now men, born three years apart, of sisters who were born three years apart. We hadn’t seen each other in nearly 50 years. My grandfather and uncle worked for Mead Paper in Kingsport. In 1946, Mead teamed up with Inland Container Corporation to form the…
-
The First Steamboat at Kingsport
Transcribed by AI from the 1847 Knoxville Register (14 years prior to the Civil War) “To the CASSANDRA, owned by the Messrs. Deerys & Churchwell, and commanded by Capt. Chapman, belongs the honor of having first succeeded in reaching Kingsport, the highest point on the Holston by many miles to which a steamboat has ever…
-
Kingsport’s Potential Noted…in 1876
Today we think of Kingsport as the Model City incorporated in 1917. But there was a previous town incorporated in 1822 that we often overlook in history. It’s interesting to see newspaper articles published two generations before Northern industrialists arrived on the scene to build the city we know today. The time period was 1876–slightly…
-
From Magic to Momentum: Playing the Long Game in Kingsport
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the natural life cycle of a city—of any built environment really. When you are a city manager, the challenges you face are based on when you arrive on the scene during that life cycle. If it’s a brand-new city, you have a clean slate. But there’s no infrastructure. So you…
-
Loose Ends
Last week, I had the opportunity to hear Ben Harris’ presentation to the Kingsport Historical Society entitled “Loose Ends”-and it really cleared up some loose ends for me. 2025 is the 250th anniversary of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail, which came right through Kingsport. Ben did a great job peeling back the layers and explaining…
-
A Letter to Dad, 11 Years Later
Dear Dad, It’s April 15. Hard to believe it’s been 11 years since I got the call that stopped me in my tracks. They held off on announcing my appointment as city manager that day, but you already knew it was coming. The mayor had tipped you off ahead of time—maybe that was your sign…
-
Retirement? More Like Refirement: Making A Difference in Life 2.0
It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since I retired! But to me, retirement isn’t about slowing down—it’s about “refiring.” It’s not about sitting on the couch but finding fulfillment in meaningful work. After all, you gain so much knowledge and experience over a career—it would be a shame to let it go to…
-
The True Cost of a Job Move: How Kingsport Stacks Up Against Nashville and Savannah
Recently, we were asked to evaluate a job move for a Kingsport employee considering opportunities in Savannah and Nashville. The key question: How much salary would it take to match a $50,000 income in Kingsport? We analyzed the core cities as well as surrounding suburbs that offer the best combination of affordability and top-rated public…
-
From France with Love, Germaine Bus
One of the last articles I wrote must have sounded too much like a eulogy, because I got phone calls asking what happened. I said, “Oh, I’m sorry. Nothing happened. It was a milestone birthday and I’ve learned to tell people how you feel before you can’t.” When we moved to our home in 2002,…
Kingsport Spirit 