It’s a doggy takeover at the Kingsport Aquatic Center! Registration for the KAC’s 6th Annual Drool Pawty is now open.

The Outdoor Water Park closes for people at the end of September, but the KAC is welcoming dogs for one last swim. On Saturday, October 5 from 1 to 4 p.m., bring your best pals to the pools for some aquatic fun before the outdoor pools officially close. Dogs get to swim, play and make new puppy friends in the toddler play area for a real dog day afternoon.

Admission is $5 per dog and free to owners. Limit two dogs per person, and dogs’ handler must be over 18 and bring leashes with them. Your dogs must be up-to-date on all vaccines, and vaccination records are required to register.

To learn how to register your pups, visit swimkingsport.com and find the “Special Events” page. Call 423-343-9758 if you have any questions.

Kingsport Public Library has been selected as one of 35 libraries nationwide to take part in the Great Stories Club, a reading and discussion program for underserved teens. This competitive grant is offered by the American Library Association (ALA) with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

As part of the Great Stories Club series on Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation, staff from Kingsport Public Library will work with teens at Girls Inc. of Kingsport to read and discuss stories that explore questions of race, equity, identity, history, institutional change and social justice.

“We are excited to have this opportunity to partner with Girls Inc. and support the community in a new way,” said Chris Markley, library manager.

The books, curated for the theme “Growing Up Brave on the Margins: Courage and Coming of Age,” will include “Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal” by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona; “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas;  “Shadowshaper” by Daniel José Older; and “The Sun is Also a Star” by Nicola Yoon.

The titles were selected to inspire young people — especially those facing difficult circumstances or challenges — to consider “big questions” about the world around them and their place in it.

Kingsport Public Library will receive a programming grant and 11 copies of each of the selected books, which will be gifted to the book club participants at the end of the program. Kingsport Public Library will also receive resources and training, including travel and accommodations for an orientation workshop in Chicago in October 2019. The workshop will include dialogue facilitation training led by consultants to Everyday Democracy and program modeling led by national project scholar Susana M. Morris (Georgia Institute of Technology).

Since 2006, ALA’s Great Stories Club has helped libraries engage young adults with accessible, thought-provoking literature. The current series is part of the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation efforts, a comprehensive, national and community-based process to plan for and bring about transformational and sustainable change, and to address the historic and contemporary effects of racism.

Come join us for an evening event where art meets science at the Silent Skies mural in downtown Kingsport. World-renowned ornithologist Dr. Fred Alsop will join one of the mural’s artists, Suzanne Justis, to explain the significance of the mural, the birds from our region that are a part of it, and the productive collaboration of species conservation and visual art.

The interactive talk will take place during the next Sip & Stroll on September 5 at 6:00 p.m. Attendees can gather at the Silent Skies mural, which is on the side of the State Theater located at the intersection of Market and Broad Street.

Be sure to see this beautiful testament to our vanishing bird species one last time before the mural takes flight!

About the Event Speakers

World-class Ornithologist Fred J. Alsop III, Ph.D.

A professor in the ETSU Department of Biological Sciences, Alsop likes to tell students who take one of his classes on birds, “this class will change your life,” and it does. “From then on,” he points out, “those students won’t notice just ‘birds,’ but individual species. They will hear birdsong and know who is singing. The students may go on to careers that have nothing to do with my class, but they will have knowledge and a possible hobby to carry with them throughout their lives.”

Alsop has been a faculty member at ETSU for 46 years where he has served as the Chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences, a Professor and member of the Graduate Faculty, and President of the Faculty Senate.  He as the first elected faculty member of ETSU’s governing Board of Trustees. He is the Director of ETSU’s George L. Carter Railroad Museum.  An ornithologist who has authored 18 books on birds including eight published by The Smithsonian Institution, he has conducted bird identification workshops in eight states for industrial, state and federal agencies. An avid birder, he has lead international birding trips and has recorded more than 4,700 species on his “life list.”  He has been recognized in Tennessee with several conservation and environmental awards. He holds a B.S. degree from Austin Peay State University in fine arts and biology, and the M.S. and Ph.D. in zoology from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is married to Dr. Catherine Cummins.

Artist Suzanne Barrett Justis

Upon viewing her work, you will quickly be able to see the enthusiasm she feels for the subjects she paints. Suzanne’s inspiration for her paintings and sculptures come from nature and her surroundings.

When Suzanne is not out in the field or at a zoo taking photo references for her next piece, she can be found in her downtown Kingsport art gallery and studio where she paints and works with her many aspiring art students.

“Breathing life into an idea or image and seeing it develop on canvas brings me so much joy. It is this joy that motivates me and spurs me on to create and learn more. Learning, growing and evolving are all words that best describe me as an artist and as a person. Being an artist is who I am, not just what I do. The sheer joy and abundance the natural world holds has ensured me many more subjects to create with my art and therefore, more joy for me to capture and share.”

About the Silent Skies mural

https://www.kingsporttn.gov/downtown-kingsport-welcomes-new-mural-silent-skies/

The winning storm drain art entries have been chosen! After receiving over a dozen entries, the Stormwater Department has selected five winners.

Meet your winners!

• Jessica Fry
• Joel Hammitt
• Juanita Mitchell
• Lauren Whipple
• Lydia Pruett

“I would like to thank everyone who entered the contest,” said Amanda McMullen, stormwater quality control technician for Kingsport Public Works. “What I like most about this project is the use of art to educate the public about environmental concerns.”

Each of the winners will receive $100 and paint to bring their art to life. The artists will begin painting the first week of September and finishing as weather and time allow. To follow along with the progress of the storm drain art and to meet the artists, check out and like the Kingsport Public Works Facebook page. The public is encouraged to check out the drains, both in progress and when complete, and snap their own photos of their favorite drain.

Sponsors for this contest are all local businesses and include Bank of Tennessee, Kingsport Imaging, Inc., Now or Never Tattoo Gallery, Bishop & Company and VIPSeen Magazine.

A special thanks to Engage Kingsport for partnering with the city on this contest.

What is Stormwater?

As Kingsport grew, the ground became covered with asphalt, concrete and buildings. Without realizing it, an important part of the water cycle was disturbed. Instead of rain naturally filtering into the ground, it flows over roofs, driveways and streets as stormwa­ter. Stormwater can pick up pollutants and transport them into local waterways via the storm drain system. Pollutants include every­day items like pesticides or fertilizers in our yards, oil in our cars, and even soap. When introduced into the waterway, pollutants have a harmful effect on aquatic life and the health of our rivers.

For more information on storm water in Kingsport, please visit www.kingsporttn.gov.