Shopper News brings you the latest happenings in your community

HALLS

Ali James, Shopper News

Alyssa Stewart grew up in Fountain City and knew the area needed a local bookshop. So, when Stewart was furloughed from her corporate job she decided to follow her dream and open Fable Hollow Coffee and Bookshoppe.

Stewart had met Casey Jessen through the Stonesmith Writing group that she runs with her husband. “It was right before the pandemic hit,” she said. “Casey and I became fast friends and a year after we met, she was a bridesmaid in my wedding.” Jessen had coffee shop experience too, so the pair decided to team up to open the book and coffee shop.

Finding the right location for the bookshop was tricky on a tight budget. “We had a great realtor who steered us towards an office building with just under 3,000 square feet,” said Stewart.

“We wanted it to have equal amounts of space for a book and a coffee shop,” added Jessen. “Existing bookstores don’t have a lot of integrated seating to sit among the books. At Fable Hollow there are lots of nooks and cozy corners.”

Fable Hollow has generated a lot of buzz on social media and due to the window signage at 2910 Tazewell Pike, across from the Party City shopping center just south of Hardee's and Pilot. The brick and mortar’s opening has been pushed back to the beginning of 2023 thanks to a series of setbacks, including the fit-out of the coffee shop.

The co-owners have spent time crafting a whimsical interior and building out the checkout/coffee shop counter. The shop may not be open just yet, but online sales are up and running at https://fablehollow.com, and last-minute gift suggestions are available for curbside pickup.

There are book and character themed holiday ornaments, gift cards, as well as other fun merchandise including jewelry, scarves, and journals.

“We started with a Germanic fairytale theme,” said Jessen, of the decor. “That morphed into our brand, but with a little more of a light romantic, whimsical look without making it feel like a children’s bookstore…

“We wanted to add something fantastical, so we had the idea of trees inside,” she continued. “They got more and more detailed, and we love the idea of sitting under the willow as a backdrop for book signings.”

Stewart said they kept the original offices and converted them into study rooms. “We set up our main area with double-sided bookshelves that can be pushed aside to have more seating for people,” added Jessen.

“We are going to have a lot of face outs instead of spine out on the bookshelves,” said Stewart. “You can see the cover and there will be ‘shelf talkers,’ a little piece of paper at the bottom of the book with helpful comments written by the staff or customers.”

Fable Hollow will be a general bookstore, but their specialty will be fantasy and sci-fi. “The fantasy section will be our largest,” said Jessen, “highlighting a variety of indie authors that the big box stores aren’t selling.”

There is a dedicated room for children’s books, and a section in the main room is dedicated to middle grade books. The YA (Young Adult) is an emerging category that Jessen and Stewart have separated for younger teens and those over 18.

Once the doors are open, Jessen said, they will focus on scheduling events and author signings. “Midnight release parties have disappeared,” said Jessen. “We love dressing up and going to Ren (Renaissance) Fairs, so we want people to dress up as their favorite characters to geek out together.”

Book and other community groups have already reached out to Fable Hollow to use the space. Stewart and Jessen said they don't plan to rent out spaces but will put up reserve signs. “We will have story time for kids and maybe adults too,” said Jessen. “We will have first chapter readings for a book.”

Fable Hollow will serve Knoxville Coffee Co. and a range of teas from Tonya Rea’s Teas, including a signature chai.

“We are getting our baked goods from local bakeries,” said Jessen. “We will be rotating them to support more than just one baker.”

Initially Fable and Hollow will be open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily to accommodate the morning coffee rush and afternoon study crowds. Follow @fablehollowbookshoppe for sneak peeks and updates on the official opening date.

BEARDEN

John Shearer, Shopper News

For the girls’ soccer team at Bearden High School, success is starting to be measured over years instead of stretches of games or individual seasons.

However, the Lady Bulldogs under coach Ryan Radcliffe had quite a single season to remember recently in repeating as state Class AAA champions.

Not only did they beat Houston of the Memphis area, 3-1, in the finals on Oct. 29 in Chattanooga to cap a 24-0 year, but they were also listed as No. 1 in the nation. In late November, the United Soccer Coaches poll put them at the top position in the final fall rankings, as the News Sentinel has reported.

Radcliffe, who last year led the team to a 23-0-1 record and second-place national ranking, is still trying to absorb all this good news but believes this is probably the best team in the history of the school.

“I guess you kind of have to say that,” he said of the 2022 squad. “You also attribute a lot of that to the team that won it all last year. And it’s a tribute to the last two to three years. But that’s crazy to think that the 2022 records set and the rankings have it go down as the best girls’ team to come out of Bearden.”

Of course, he is quick to credit the players he has had, saying Bearden has been blessed with a wealth of talent recently.

“They always say players make the best coaches,” he said. “The girls in this group are some of the best I’ve seen. This group bought into what we do.”

He said he has also been blessed with quantity as well as quality. He had 13 seniors this year and last year had almost that many. The school had been periodically successful on a statewide basis but had won no title since 2007 before last year.

“A lot of girls have come in and made it their mission to change the program,” he said. “They made it their mission to set a new beginning and standard.”

Leading the way on this year’s team, he said, was Tennessee player of the year and South Carolina commitment Brinley Murphy. She scored 41 goals and had another fantastic year, he said, on the way to more than 100 career goals.

Other key seniors included Western Kentucky commitment Becca Roth and goalie Peyton Huber, who overcame a non-soccer injury that caused her to miss her freshman year.

And Radcliffe said he has several key players coming back next year as well, including Tennessee commitment Nyla Blue, likely future SEC player Alivia Stott, Bre Mendoza and defender Rylie Lucas.

So, opponents should not expect Bearden to be in any kind of rebuilding year. “We definitely lose a senior group that has made a big impact. They are going to be hard to replace, but they bring back a lot of talent.”

Radcliffe said his squad has team tryouts every year in July, and about 50-60 come out for a bigger-than-typical roster of about 42.

The coach added that it is not just Bearden that is getting more soccer players. The sport seems to be growing in the entire Knoxville area and the South since he was a player before graduating from Bearden in 2007, he added.

“It’s so much more development than when I was growing up and playing,” he said. “The amount of people playing soccer is huge. Local clubs are now playing in the top leagues and girls across the state are committing to Division 1 programs.”

POWELL

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Hardened by a long and emotional process already, Danielle Shank won’t allow herself to dream about “the phone call.”

All she wants to do is be a mom.

Six months ago, Caleb and Danielle Shank moved to the Powell area from California. Married for two years and together for four, Caleb works for a private security firm after having been in the military for several years. Danielle is a stylist at Salon at Josie’s.

Medical issues kept the couple from conceiving a child naturally. They’ve spent $40,000 on two in-vitro fertilization rounds with no success.

“We’d get so excited, and then be so down after it didn’t work,” Danielle said. “That’s why we finally went to the adoption route. Still, it’s something we can’t get too excited about.”

Caleb and Danielle registered with Lifelong Adoptions, a service that connects birth moms with adoptive parents.

“I want to make sure people understand the genuine desire we have in a loving home,” Danielle said. “I want to be a mom at the end of the day.”

The emotion in Danielle’s voice tells the story of the mission she and Caleb have been on for some time now.Almost two months ago, they gave up on the IVF attempts and went in this direction. In fact, Caleb liked the idea of adoption long before he was ever interested in being a parent.

“When I was in grade school, I tried to get my parents to adopt,” said Caleb, who already had a natural brother. “We grew up in the church and it seemed to be the right thing to do.”

Caleb couldn’t sway his parents, but he’s all on board now.

Danielle said the application process has been taxing. There have been background checks everywhere both have lived for the past five years. Social workers have visited their home to make sure it would be suitable for a child.

Just recently, Danielle got word that the bulk of their paperwork had cleared and they were eligible to be considered for an adoption. She and Caleb were hoping for a newborn or infant.

Adoptive parents would be responsible for any prenatal fees, which could run anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000, plus legal fees. Danielle said if the birth mother were to change her mind at any time, the money would be lost.She said the waiting period could be anywhere from six to 24 months.

“I won’t let myself get too excited,” Danielle said. “The waiting is nerve-wracking. You just don’t know when or if anything is going to happen.

“My husband says I have no patience at all. I’m just trusting in God’s plan for us. (Caleb) is the one who can talk me off the ledge.”

Danielle said that, while Lifelong Adoptions is an international service, a high percentage of adoptions happen by word of mouth. That’s why Danielle has been active about their mission on social media.

"Maybe someone at church will say they know someone who wanted to give up their baby,” Danielle said. “The conversation gets started and the connection gets made. We’re just hoping something can happen.”

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

The whole thing started just a few months ago. Hardin Valley friends and neighbors Cheyenne Ramsey and Cynthia Weaver wanted to do something special for Ramsey’s daughter Nora’s first birthday celebration.

They began to scour the internet and YouTube until they came across balloon garlands. They knew they were onto something and Rocky Pop Balloon Co. was born.

They both say they still scour the internet for fresh ideas and “How To” videos. “We’re always learning more and more about the creative process and the business process as well,” Ramsey said.

The duo quickly became popular and were chosen to decorate the Vols tent at UT for the Alabama game. They’ve done Farragut Fall Festival and countless parties and showers.

“We literally learned how to do it on YouTube, but Cheyenne is the creative one,” Weaver said. “We really came into our own when we added glitter and lights; they just took the whole sculpture up a notch and made it that much more special. People immediately went nuts for it.”

“The special balloons come in all colors and sizes,” Ramsey said. “They’re much cheaper than florals and there’s so much you can do with them. Literally, the sky is the limit. The balloons will not take helium, though; it causes them to disintegrate. They are thicker and more stretchy than normal balloons and they last a long time when indoors. I did one in October for my church and it is still standing.”

There’s a lot of balloon decorators out there, but what sets the duo apart is their “can do” attitude. They have a love for their new business/creative adventure.

“It’s all about the customer. Whatever they want, we get it for them. For the Halloween party they wanted ghosts and goblins and monsters. We found that for them and it was such a thrill when we found just the right balloons. It’s fun for us too,” said Ramsey.

The duo said their most exciting and biggest project so far was the Vol tent on campus during the Alabama game.

Rocky Pop Balloons is quickly becoming the premier balloon sculpture company.

The pair pride themselves in making the customer happy and they have no problem asking for the job.

One of their most outstanding pieces was made for the Town of Farragut for the Fall Festival.

“Well, we won’t compare, but both the town of Farragut and the Vol tent were huge undertakings that we just loved and we asked them for the job. I was so thrilled when they said 'do it,'” said Ramsey.

“I felt like we had finally arrived,” added Weaver.

Info: Find Rocky Pop Balloons @ rockypopballoonco on Instagram and Facebook.

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POWELL

Al Lesar, Shopper News

“No loose clothing while working on the vehicles” is one of the primary commandments Michael Overstreet has for his homeschool auto mechanics class.

“One day, a kid had a drill bounce off the hood and start wrapping his T-shirt,” Overstreet said. “I grabbed the drill right away and the student on the other side of him pulled the extension cord to cut the power.

“The student was OK, but the others made fun of him for a while.”

An engineer by trade, Overstreet described himself as a “shade tree mechanic.” He’s using that expertise to give interested students in the Powell homeschool co-op an exposure to what it’s like under the hood.

Michael’s wife, Mary Ruth, is in charge of the co-op comprising about 80 students. It was about two years ago when they came to a harsh realization.

“I asked my wife, ‘What’s being done for vocational classes in the co-op?’” Michael said. “She said there wasn’t anything, that all the students go to college.”

That may be the expectation, but the reality of the situation may be different.

Normally, if anyone wants training in construction, auto mechanics or heating/cooling, it would be necessary to enroll at a public school.

Overstreet saw the need was legitimate when a dozen students signed up for the first semester last year. He teaches the class in the driveway and garage at his home.

“We were going to church and went by Powell Motors,” he said. “I saw the headlights and grille of what looked like a 1970 Chevy truck. I asked how much it would cost. The guy said, ‘Do you want me to dig it out or are you going to do it?’ I said I’d do it. ‘In that case, $700.’”

That truck still sits on Overstreet’s property and is a tear-down, rebuild class project. Also, brave people will drop by for minor work to be done on their car. “All I ask for are parts and a donation.”

“We had a grandmother of one of the students come by for an oil change,” Overstreet said. “She brought the oil and filter, $50 and pizza for all the students.

“Grandmas are great.”

Mostly middle school students, and some high school, are tutored by Overstreet. This semester, he has five who come on a regular basis. Classes meet every Thursday for two hours and two Saturdays a month for four hours each.

“Sometimes it’s like herding cats,” Overstreet said of the challenge of keeping the entire group focused and engaged. He’s also had a couple dads volunteer to stick around and get their hands dirty.

“One dad saw the work we were doing with the back of the pickup,” Overstreet said. “He said, ‘Did you just remove the leaf springs for that truck? I don’t know how to do that.’ I said, ‘Yeah, now your son does.’”

Overstreet said the course is very basic. When it comes to a major project, he encourages his students to go to a professional training facility.

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Carol Z. Shane, Shopper News

On Saturday, Dec. 10, the Annual Tour de Lights lit up the night with thousands of cyclists dressed and rigged up in seasonal splendor.

Now in its 16th year, the Tour started as a cool Scruffy City idea put forth by Kelley Segars, late of Knoxville-Knox County Planning, who worked with the now-defunct Bicycle Advisory Committee to get the event off − actually, on − the ground. It’s now one of Knoxville’s biggest December events: an ultra-festive mobile holiday party, enjoyed by bicyclists of all ages.

“It was amazing,” said Lindsey Kimble, executive director of Bike Walk Knoxville, which presented the event. “There were tons of people. They just kept coming and coming and coming. It was really cool.”

Though there was no official count, Kimble and her colleagues estimated the total number of participants at 2,000. Among them were plenty of standouts.

“There was a really cool Burleigh that had a huge menorah on it. That was fun! There was a huge inflatable Christmas ornament and just a lot of cute outfits. Santas and elves, lights, dogs, kids.”

Tour de Lights regular Kent Turnbull, who spends his spare time restoring unused and junked bikes for donation to local nonprofits, was there with Rudolph, his handmade cycling partner, on “their” 1969 Schwinn Twinn Deluxe tandem bike.

Some bicyclists had music playing, and performers from Make Music Knoxville added to the party atmosphere by leading carols in Market Square at the parade’s end.

The Tour de Lights has traditionally gone through North Knoxville neighborhoods, but “we had to move because of the stadium construction,” said Kimble, referring to the city- and Knox County-owned multiuse stadium, to be built on property just east of the Old City. “The route was flatter. It was easier for kids to participate.”

Included was a “lollipop” shape in the Island Home neighborhood, which made it possible for outgoing pedalers to greet incoming ones, adding to the communal, neighborly nature of the event. And “going across the Gay Street bridge, closed to traffic, is really a big deal.” Gay Street itself was lined with revelers cheering the cyclists on.

At the route’s end, “we had Mast General − for years they’ve been providing hot chocolate − and Three Rivers Market does cookies. We definitely appreciate them for doing that.” Kimble is also very grateful to sponsors Visit Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Alliance and WIVK 107.7, which provided its mobile van with sound equipment for the event’s kickoff at Suttree Landing.

Other sponsors included Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Kickstand Community Bike Shop, the Epilepsy Foundation, South Landing Fitness and Tennessee Valley Bicycles.

All involved − from cyclists, sponsors, spectators, singers, food purveyors and the volunteer yellow-vested ride marshals who kept an eye out for safety − had a wonderful time.

“Tour de Lights is unique to Knoxville,” said Kimble. “There are not that many cities that do anything like that on bikes. We as a city should be proud.”

OPINION

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

The story made me laugh, but I don’t think that’s why it stayed with me. I thought about it when I was driving to the dog park with Buttercup and again when I was ordering Chanukah presents for the kids.

The story stuck with me, I think, because it reveals something unique about Simon, my 7-year-old grandson.

Simon had woken up in the middle of the night with a terrible stomachache. Jordan, a nurse practitioner by day, tried to assess his pain and rule out something more serious, like appendicitis.

“Where does it hurt?” she asked, with concern.

“Well,” he said through his tears, “if my stomach were a map of the United States, it would hurt the most near Tampa Bay.”

Using his finger to trace a map of the Sunshine State on his abdomen, he said through his sobs, “Here is Jacksonville and here is Miami, but Tampa is where it really hurts.” He jabbed at his bellybutton to mark his imaginary map.

Jordan stifled a laugh and said with relief, “If Tampa Bay is the problem. I think you’re going to be OK.”

I love that Simon loves geography and that he likes to draw maps of the continents in his free time. But I think what the Florida pain map reveals is how comfortable Simon is being himself. Even when he’s a little quirky.

Simon is free of cynicism and guile. When his first-grade teacher tells him to find a partner and hold hands, he holds hands comfortably with his classmate for the rest of day. He isn’t afraid to wear his silliest pajamas to school on pajama day or wear a homemade turkey hat on the bus to celebrate Thanksgiving. He isn’t embarrassed to shout “I love you” to his dad or run into his mother’s arms after ninja warrior class.

Sometimes Simon complains that someone made “pink” a girl color, but he chooses to wear it anyway. “It’s just a color,” he tells me seriously as he slides his feet into his pink rubber shoes. “It doesn’t mean you’re a girl.” He’s right, of course, but that doesn’t change the gender rules associated with the color. But Simon doesn’t need to follow those rules.

I wasn’t as brave as Simon when I was little. As a child, I was painfully aware of all the ways I didn’t fit in. Even in kindergarten, I longed to look and act like everyone else. Maybe it was because I had older sisters to measure myself against, but I knew at a young age that it was better to have straight hair than curly hair, that wearing my sister’s hand-me-downs wasn’t cool, and that finding the right people to eat lunch with was important.

I wouldn’t have been comfortable playing by myself at recess the way Simon does when his friends are playing a game he doesn’t like. I wouldn’t have worn a silly hat to school unless everyone else was doing it, too. And I wouldn’t have spent my time drawing maps unless the teacher assigned it. Because the cool kids I knew weren’t sharpening their cartography skills when they were done with their homework.

But Simon has a strong sense of identity and an inner coolness that comes from being comfortable in his own skin. He doesn’t mind being different. He doesn’t mind being the only one. I admire him for it, and I know it will serve him well. Even on those nights when a pain in his Tampa Bay area keeps him awake.

Leslie Snow may be reached at snow [email protected].

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