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Schools reopen August 8 & Kingsport Police Department plans extra safety patrols

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Kingsport City Schools will begin classes on August 08, 2011, and due to the extra amount of traffic in and around the Kingsport City Schools, the Kingsport Police Department will be assigning extra traffic patrols in and around each school zones.

For the past several years, the Police Department has assigned officers and used high visibility patrols in the school zones to reduce crashes, assist traffic movements and keep parents and students safe. This year, a grant through the Governors Highway Safety Office will allow the Police Department to assign extra officers to patrol surrounding streets beyond specific school zones.

Officers will be doing the extra patrols during the morning and afternoon hours before classes start and ending after classes are completed for the day. The Kingsport Police Department wants to remind motorists to use full caution in the school zones, be vigilant for children and parents walking to school, watch for school buses loading and unloading students, plan ahead, and prepare to be patient due to the extra traffic and sometimes changing traffic patterns.

Traffic Supervisor Sergeant Joe Earles also stated the Kingsport Police Department is dedicated to making the roadways safe for the citizens of Kingsport.

KingsportARTS holding Cocktails in Paradise fundraiser to support KingsportARTS and its Youth Art Education Programs

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KINGSPORT — KingsportArts will be holding a very special Cocktails in Paradise fundraising effort to support the program and it’s youth art education components.

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. As part of the benefit event, a silent auction will be held to bid on items including a Hilton Head Island condo package, a Gatlinburg condo package, one rental of the Allandale Picnic Pavilion, a Pat Summitt autographed basketball in display case, Bristol race tickets, David Clapp photography lessons and many other items.

Entertainment will be provided by The Diamonds, an East Tennessee based jazz group that will be playing swing, groove-funk and Latin jazz.

For tickets or more information, please phone 423-392-8420 or visit www.KingsportARTS.org on the web.

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Greater Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce to host After Hours event on August 4

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After Hours – Madagascar
Thursday, August 4,2011
5:30 pm
Location Madagascar Coffee Company
Join us for an After Hours at Madagascar on Thursday, August 4, at 5:30 p.m.
Contact Information Kim Jones kjones@kingsportchamber.org
For More Information http://www.kingsportchamber

Ten Years Ago, Consultants Called Kingsport A Rust Belt; Nobody Says That Today

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Kingsport, TN (PRWEB) June 16, 2011

Located in Northeast Tennessees Tri-Cities region, Kingsport, an award-winning community of 50,000, is the home of Eastman Chemical Company and a number of other advanced manufacturing industries. It is also the home of the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing (RCAM), a new addition to downtown Kingsports Academic Village, which was recently recognized by Harvards Kennedy School of Business, and the National League of Cities. Kingsports Mayor Dennis Phillips is especially proud of his citys commitment to education and training.

Weve invested more than $20 million dollars of taxpayers money into the Academic Village, the mayor said. That initiative has brought national attention to Kingsport and really spurred economic growth.

Jeff Fleming, assistant city manager for development, has the figures to prove that Kingsports educational investment has paid off. When you compare 1990 to 2010 in Kingsport, the citys population has increased by 30 percent, and the median family income went up by $20,000 a year, Fleming said. The poverty rate went down, while the number of Bachelors Degrees and Associates Degrees went up. Collectively as a community, we all are doing the things that we need to do to be sustainable for the long term.

Its possible to get a four-year degree as well as dozens of degrees and certificates in everything from nursing to welding at Kingsports Academic Village. The RCAM facility works closely with industry to provide training for high tech manufacturing jobs. In fact, RCAM was conceived by the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, a joint venture comprised of Eastman Chemical Company, Domtar Paper, local and state governments, and Northeast State Community College.

RCAM is a 26,000 sq. ft. facility designed specifically for advanced manufacturing training. The combination of knowledgeable instructors and state of the art training simulation equipment, like its virtual welder, provides graduates with the skills they need to hit the ground running in nearly a dozen apprenticeship programs lasting two to four years.

Domtar provided the land for RCAM and it has already benefited from the apprenticeship program. We just graduated our first class of five apprentices from the Domtar Paper Mill, Charles Floyd, Domtars mill manager and vice president said. As journeymen they now earn 60 percent more in terms of their take home pay, and they have the skills and the knowledge that we need to efficiently maintain and operate the complex, precision equipment in the mill.

Industries throughout the region and beyond are looking to RCAM to help them replace some of the more than 76 million Baby Boomers retiring during the next 10 to 20 years. Their exodus will create a skills crisis as they take their lifetime knowledge with them leaving job vacancies that demand advanced training. Miles Burdine, Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerces CEO, believes facilities like RCAM can fill the gap.

RCAM serves as a link between workers needing new skills and manufacturers needing qualified workers, Burdine said. People call me all the time asking for jobs and I tell them that regional employers have jobs, but they need skilled workers to fill them.

Eastman Chemical Companys Brian Miller, division superintendent of maintenance and services, agrees with Burdine that RCAM is a working solution to the skills crisis facing the nation. In the next three to fours years, we anticipate losing another 300 to 400 employees due to retirement, Miller said. Weve got to have a good solid pipeline of new employees coming in to fill that need.

RCAM is already fast becoming a national model of industry funded and supported facilities for both traditional and non-traditional students seeking advanced manufacturing technology training in key areas such as general technology, chemical process operations, electromechanical technology, electrical technology, and welding/metal fabrication.

Jeff Frazier, RCAMs director of training and development, is confident that the RCAM concept will spread. As we incubate the idea of technology training, we can provide students with the right tools to succeed, Frazier said. If we can show them that manufacturing careers are not only exciting, but rewarding, then weve added an intrinsic value to their lives that might not otherwise be there.

For more information about Kingsport Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing, visit manufacturingfuture.net, or call 423.354.5149

http://www.ManufacturingFuture.net

Intersection of Industry, Netherland Inn & Center to be closed nights through Saturday

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KINGSPORT – Water line work associated with the Netherland Inn Roundabout project will require the closure of the intersection of Industry Drive, Netherland Inn Road and Center Street each night beginning at 9 p.m. and running through 6 a.m. The closures will begin Tuesday, July 26, 2001 and run through Saturday morning. For travelers on Netherland Inn Road, Riverport Road will be the designated detour route. All motorists are asked to plan ahead if they regularly use this route at night time, and please use the utmost caution in work zones.

Sewer inspections to impact Industry Drive traffic next week

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KINGSPORT – The City of Kingsports Wastewater Department will be conducting sewer inspections on the system along Industry Drive beginning on Monday July 25th and continuing through Wednesday July 27th.‚  The work zone will be at different locations during the course of these three days, and will definitely impact traffic between Wheatley Street and the railroad underpass at Airgas.‚  Motorists need to be aware that flagmen will be present and the motoring public is asked to please use the utmost care and caution in the work zones

Kingsport Fire Department Welcomes Six New Firefighters

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KINGSPORT – In April the Kingsport Fire Department received a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant of $488,886 from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. Kingsport Fire Department applied for this grant in 2010 to help keep our fire protection and life safety at a higher level. Chief Craig Dye said, These new firefighters are greatly needed. These firefighters and the opening of Station 8 later this year will help us maintain the superior fire protection and medical response that our citizens expect.  Our request for this grant was accepted thanks to help from Congressman Phil Roe.

Federal Emergency Management Agency grants are awarded to fire departments to enhance their ability to protect the public and fire service personnel from fire and related hazards. Three types of grants are available: Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER), and Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S).

Tully named Kingsport’s director of planning & community development

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KINGSPORT – The City of Kingsport is pleased to announce that Lynn Tully has accepted the position of Planning & Community Development Director filling the position left vacant when Alan Webb retired earlier this year after 27 years of service.  She assumes the position on August 1.

 With nearly 16 years experience – 11 in Atlantas rapidly growing North Metro – Tully brings a diverse background that will help shape Kingsports future growth. 

Lynn brings a track record of success in managing planning programs in a variety of growth scenarios, said City Manager John Campbell. She has experience in every demographic situation from developing rural communities to booming suburbs. And critically, Lynn recognizes that the citizens of Kingsport expect future development to be managed by balanced, but not overly cumbersome, regulation.

Tully will be responsible for directing Kingsports strategies regarding planning, zoning, annexation, as well as community development and redevelopment.

Kingsport is well known for its legacy in planning and its relationship to renowned planner John Nolen. Students across the country study this city, said Tully. Its a tremendous professional opportunity.

Tully is very familiar with the City of Kingsport, working her way through the planning ranks from planner to senior planner to principal planner at the city while her husband was pursuing his graduate degree at Emmanuel School of Religion.

I loved my time in Kingsport. It is rewarding to come back and see the amazing transformation that has occurred in the last ten years, Tully said. And I very much look forward to helping continue that success.

Its readily apparent that Kingsport is an engaged community and ultimately its up to the community – represented by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Planning Commission – to decide what our direction should be. I stand ready to listen to that direction, and in conjunction with Kingsports excellent planning staff, craft the policies critical to Kingsports continued success.

Tully is a certified professional planner, recognized by the American Institute of Certified Planners, with additional education emphasis on leadership and economic development.  She currently serves as director for District 2 of the Georgia Chapter of the American Planning Association. Tully holds a bachelors degree in architecture and a masters in city planning from Georgia Tech.  Lynn is married, and she and her husband have 3 school age children.

Tully was selected from a pool of 17 candidates hailing from 12 states.

Shes a great fit for our organization, said Jeff Fleming, Assistant City Manager for Development. She understands Kingsport, has all of the professional credentials, and brings invaluable outside experience  She believes in the concept of pragmatic idealism – recognizing the ideal, but determining whats practical for the local community.  Kingsport is a very special place.  It is large enough to have amenities normally reserved for larger communities, but small enough not to have negative issues like high crime and traffic. We have an awesome responsibility to continue to shape this community for future generations and Lynn and our current staff are poised to do just that.

Bays Mountain Park Visitation Tops 200,000

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KINGSPORT – For the first time in its just over forty year history Bays Mountain Park has exceeded 200,000 visitors as attendance soared to record levels during the Fiscal Year 2010-11.‚  Attendance in 2010-11 totaled 201,129 visitors eclipsing the previous best attendance mark of 192,529 set in 2008-09, when the park unveiled the planetariums $1.3 million state-of-the-art renovation.

We are both very pleased and very humbled to have achieved such an accomplishment, said Park Manager Ken Childress.‚  We strive, as we have through the years, to serve the region in a variety of ways including educational, leisure and recreational needs.‚  But to be supported the way we are by visitors is something very special to our staff and will only drive us to continue to do our part to meet and hopefully exceed visitors expectations.

Childress noted that recent park improvements such as the planetarium renovation, the addition of an outdoor adventure area including a ropes course and 300-bart zip line, and other offerings have combined to enhance visitors interest in patronizing the park.

There is no doubt the addition of items such as the ropes course have helped drive attendance figures in a positive direction, said Childress.‚  But we are also conducting more programs at schools and other functions during winter months when visitation normally slows.‚  Additionally, the popularity of our planetarium remains high, plus we are introducing new nature programs on a quarterly basis, and recreational opportunities such as mountain biking and hiking are expanding as our trail inventory has increased.‚ 

Widely recognized for meeting the educational needs of schools throughout the Tri-Cities region and beyond, Bays Mountain Park provided programs to more than 40,000 students during the past year.‚  While the majority of school visits were from Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, schools from North Carolina and Kentucky also made the journey to Bays Mountain for support of their classroom studies.

Offered to schools and the public beginning this past April, the ropes course has been a welcomed addition to the parks educational programming efforts as the new facilities allow park staff to explore fresh, new ways to teach others about the Great Outdoors.‚  Team building and problem solving are other primary goals achieved by ropes course participants.

Diversifying park offerings with facilities such as the ropes course have helped park officials serve a broader range of area visitors by offering similar team building programs to local businesses, civic and church groups, as well as the opportunity to serve other regional programs who, for example, aim to restore confidence to groups such as abused women, children, cancer survivors and others who are overcoming challenges.

Reaching beyond our borders, adding such elements also helps local tourism officials in the recruitment of visitors.‚  Businesses and organizations considering Kingsport for their meetings, conventions and conferences now have an added attraction that can be offered to their attendees for team building or simply just for fun.

Thanks to a recently completed strategic planning effort, look for Bays Mountain Park to continue to explore new ways to attract and serve visitors far and wide.‚  While we are extremely pleased with the success of the past year, we remain mindful of staying on track and exploring potential responsible opportunities that will further enhance the attractiveness and functionality of Bays Mountain Park, said Chris McCartt, City of Kingsports assistant to the city manager.

Prior to this past year, Bays Mountain Park averaged more than 150,000 visitors per year making it one of the State of Tennessees Top 50 Most Visited Attractions, according to the State of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.
One of the nations largest city-owned parks with 3,550 acres, Bays Mountain Park features 38 miles of hiking trails, a state-of-the-art planetarium, wildlife habitats, fun exhibits, a 44-acre lake, trails for mountain biking and much, much more.

Citing continuing community concern, Mayor Phillips to ask BMA for ban on use of fireworks

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Please find below a statement from Mayor Phillips regarding his decision to ask the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to consider enacting a complete city-wide ban on the use of fireworks.

“While it was my intent to appoint an impartial committee to study the fireworks issue inside the City of Kingsport, it has become very apparent to me that the revenue derived from the sales does not come close to offsetting the inconvenience of our citizens.‚  This inconvenience is caused by a small percentage of the population that cannot or will not respect their neighbors thus continuing to set off fireworks at all hours of the day and night. This situation is compounded by the close proximity of housing within the city limits. While fireworks are enjoyed by thousands, we in Kingsport do not appear to be willing to exercise reasonable control over what would be reasonable hours to enjoy fireworks within the City.

For this reason, I am asking City Attorney Mike Billingsley to prepare an ordinance to be considered by the BMA on Tuesday, July 19 that would ban the sale and use of fireworks within the city limits of Kingsport. This item will also be discussed at the BMA work session at 4:30pm Monday, July 18 in the Council Room of City Hall. I will be present at 3:30pm in the council room for those citizens wishing to voice their concern. We have heard from those in support of the ban to the point we are proposing the ordinance to ban. Please be advised only those against the ordinance to ban fireworks should use this time to address the Board

As Mayor, it would have been impossible to return every phone call received in opposition to fireworks within the City, however I want to let everyone know that their message was heard loud and clear. I appreciate your patience while we address this situation and realize this is a situation in which everyone will not be in agreement.

Dennis R. Phillips

Mayor

City of Kingsport

Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee