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Bays Mountain Park is pleased to announce the first of a two-part program is now showing in the planetarium throughout the summer. Each program will feature short stories representing the perspective of different cultures or indigenous societies from around the globe.
“One Sky: To Seek Far” is the first part now showing through August 30 and includes two stories highlighting the theme of developing tools – “Thunderbird” and “Jai Singh’s Dream.” Each story features exceptional, unique art in the telling of the story.
About “Thunderbird” – The sky is a powerful tool for measuring time, and for the Diné, or Navajo people, the Thunderbird transcends space and time, revealing the passage of seasons and connecting earth and sky.
About “Jai Singh’s Dream” – Amid the political chaos of 18th-century India, a great ruler brought the order of the skies down to earth. His giant instruments allowed for precise measurements of stars, planets and the passage of time—and his observatories still stand today.
“True to Bays Mountain fashion, we’ll expand upon these two short stories using our theater’s unique projectors,” said Planetarium Director Adam Thanz. “We’ll connect the feather of the Thunderbird story to how we see the night sky and explore other ancient observatories around the world.”
“One Sky: To Seek Far” is now showing as the main planetarium program through August 30. The show will take place Tuesday through Friday at 4 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
The 35-minute show is followed by a live tour of the night sky using the planetarium’s optical star projector. The second part of the program – “One Sky: Finding Patterns” – has not been scheduled yet but will be shown at a future date.
The alternate planetarium feature showing Saturdays and Sunday at 2 p.m. through August 30 will be “Appalachian Skies.”
“Appalachian Skies” takes visitors on a majestic tour of the current evening sky using the Zeiss optical star projector instrument. This live presentation is enhanced with additional content from our VELVET LED projectors for a wonderful, immersive experience.
Due to the live nature of the program, and the natural progression of the changing night sky throughout the seasons, each presentation will be unique. Learn what fascinating mythological constellations, from Ancient Greece and other cultures, will be easily visible. Find out what planets are easily seen as well. Visitors will take this knowledge home and be able to locate these celestial sights for themselves.
For more information about Bays Mountain Park and its programs, events and activities, visit www.baysmountain.com.
The City of Kingsport will begin water system improvements in the vicinity of the Main Street/Clay Street intersection on Tuesday, April 23. There are currently no water outages expected with this work.
Thomas Construction and Summers Taylor will be the contractors performing this work for the city. This water line work is part of the utility improvement phase for the Main Street Rebuild Project. The contractor plans to be working on the water system within the Clay Street and Shelby Street block for the next couple of months.
The construction zones and detours (when and where applicable) will be marked by signs and flaggers will be directing traffic when necessary. Drivers are asked to use caution in the area during this time.
If you have any questions, please contact Hank Clabaugh with the City of Kingsport Engineering Division at 423-229-9324. Thanks for your cooperation during this improvement project.
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The Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department will soon accept registrations for its 2024 Outdoor Volleyball League. Registration runs from April 29 through May 17.
Leagues offered include:
- 12U Youth Triples
- 13U/14U Youth Triples
- Women’s Triples
- Men’s Doubles
- Co-ed Doubles
- Co-ed Quads
- Senior Co-ed Quads (50+)
Registration cost is $30 for doubles, $45 for triples and $60 for quads. There is a $2 non-resident fee for anyone who lives outside the city limits. The youth age determination date is July 1, 2023.
The 2024 season begins the week of May 28. All games will be played at Legion Field (next to the Civic Auditorium) on Fort Henry Drive.
To register, visit https://bit.ly/3JgUZ21. You can also register by clicking on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or by going to www.kingsporttn.gov and clicking on the “CivicRec” link, then searching for “volleyball” in the search bar.
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The Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its first-ever Pedal and Plant event, where participants will have an opportunity to get some exercise while sprucing up the look of the Kingsport Greenbelt.
This free event will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 22 at the Kingsport Greenbelt’s Industry Drive Trailhead (855 Industry Drive). Participants must bring their own helmet and bike.
It’s the perfect opportunity for families to get outside, plant some flowers for Earth Day and enjoy a causal bike ride along the greenbelt.
Though the event is free, Kingsport Parks and Recreation officials are asking folks to register to know approximately how many people will be showing up.
To register, please visit https://bit.ly/3TYeK3A. You can also register by clicking on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on “CivicRec,” then search for “pedal & plant” in the search bar.
For information about other programs, activities and classes offered by the Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department, please visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org
Need to pay your water bill, landfill fee or school tuition and not feel like getting out of your vehicle? Maybe the weather is bad or you’re in a hurry to run errands? Then worry not because the City of Kingsport has a convenient option to help you make a payment, so you can be quickly on your way.
The JACK (Justified Automated Collections Kiosk) is located in Lane 1 of the drive-thru at City Hall (415 Broad Street). The kiosk accepts payments in cash, check, or credit/debit card with no additional fees.
Simply locate your account by typing in your street address and follow the instructions on the screen.
This bilingual, self-service kiosk is available 24/7 and is an easy way for residents to avoid penalties or service interruptions by offering them the flexibility to pay on their own schedule. The JACK allows residents to look up their account and payment information, offers secure, encrypted transactions and provides residents with email, text or printed receipts.
“If residents are having a hard time getting downtown to pay their water bill during the week, the JACK is an easy way to help make this happen on the weekend,” said Scott LaNasa, accounting supervisor with the City of Kingsport.
The City of Kingsport accepts VISA, MasterCard, and Discover credit and debit cards at the Customer Service Center, online and at the JACK.
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Facility recently underwent a major renovation project
The Kingsport Farmers Market will open for the 2024 season later this month – April 27 – and will debut as a freshly renovated space for both vendors and visitors to enjoy.
For the past three months, Cosma Construction has been working to make improvements and renovations to the Kingsport Farmers Market facility. The $313,000 project included scraping and painting the interior of the building, repairing and refinishing the floor, fixing the cracks and leaks in the ceiling and installing three new industrial sized fans for better cooling and air flow.
“The contractor has been working hard since January to make these much-needed improvements to the Kingsport Farmers Market,” said Special Events Coordinator Kristie Leonard. “We’re thrilled with the results, and we believe everyone who comes on opening day and throughout the season will be too.”
The Kingsport Farmers Market will be open on Saturdays through the end of November and on Wednesdays beginning May 1 through the end of September. The hours are from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until produce and products are sold out.
Each week, expect to find fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, local meats, artisan crafts, fresh flowers and more at the Kingsport Farmers Market.
Opening day events and activities include:
- Free carousel rides from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Free reusable, canvas tote bags for kids to decorate.
- The Dobyns-Bennett agriculture class with be transplanting tomato seedlings with kids while supplies last.
- Live “old time” music starting at 8:30 a.m. by the Corklickers of Banner Elk, N.C.
Programs returning to the Kingsport Farmers Market this year include Market Jams (live music monthly), Saturday’s with the Chef, National Farmers Market Week/Tomato Fest, our Fall Festival and a Seed Library (in conjunction with the Kingsport Public Library).
Thanks to a grant from the Appalachian Resource, Conservation and Development Council, the Kingsport Farmers market will continue its Farmacy Fit program with Healthy Kingsport and Double UP SNAP dollars for eligible participants.
To learn more about the Kingsport Farmers Market, please visit kingsportfarmersmarket.org.