Grainger Today is available for sale at locations in Grainger, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson and Knox Counties.

Thursday, August 14

Rutledge Elementary will hold its PALS program at 6 p.m. August 14.

Joppa School PALS will be August 14 at 6 p.m. for grades K – 6.

Bean Station School will have its PALS program August 14 at 6 p.m.

The Grainger County Ambulance Authority will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the chancery courtroom at the Grainger County Justice Center. The meeting is open to the public.

Friday, August 15

The Bean Station Senior Center will have a fried chicken country dinner from 5:30 until 7 p.m. The dinner will be $7 per person. Take-outs are available. The center is located off Main Street in Bean Station at 181 Dogwood Lane.

Saturday, August 16

The Third District Community Association will have its country breakfast from 7:30 until 10 a.m. Cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children 12 years old and younger. Everyone is welcome.

Grainger County Humane Society will hold an adoption day to honor National Homeless Pet Day. The adopt-a-thon will be held at Grainger County Park on Lakeshore Drive in Rutledge from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., weather permitting. The public is invited to take foster dogs for a test walk around the trails, take a swim at the lake with one of the homeless pups or sit under a shade tree with a homeless kitten. Call (865) 567-0050 for more details.

The 2009 Knoxville Stars eight-year-old baseball team will be holding tryouts August 16. For more information call Steve Dearstone at (423) 639-2608. Players cannot turn nine years old before May 1, 2009.

The American Red Cross is starting a new volunteer membership drive for its First Aid Station Team (FAST) and is having two kickoff meetings in order to update and share information with new and returning volunteers. The first meeting is August 16 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Neyland Stadium and the second is August 21 from 6 until 8:30 p.m. at the American Red Cross Chapter House, 6921 Middlebrook Pike in Knoxville.

The Grainger County 4-H Chick Chain Show and Sale will be at 8:30 a.m. in front of Grainger County Coop. Also the Grainger County 4-H Sheep Show will be August 16. Registration begins at 11 a.m., and the show will start at noon at the new Grainger County 4-H and FFA Livestock Pavilion behind the new Rutledge Elementary School. For more information call UT Extension at (865) 828-3411.

Old Fashioned Church on Mill Street in Rutledge will have its monthly singing at 7 p.m. featuring Jack Thomas, New Prospect and others. Pastor Lowell Taylor welcomes everyone.

Sunday, August 17

There will be a celebration for David Crockett’s 222nd birthday from 2 until 4 p.m. at Crocket Tavern Museum, 2002 Morningside Drive in Morristown. Knoxville’s Marshal Andy will perform, and there will be children’s activities, refreshments and tours of the museum. Visit www.discoveret.org/crockett or call (423) 587-9900.

Bridgeport Baptist Church will have its homecoming August 17. Pastor Samuel Coffey invites everyone.

The Wright-Rhinehart annual reunion will be held at New Market Firehall. All relatives are invited to bring a covered dish and attend. Lunch will be served around 1:30 p.m. For more information call Pauline Byrd at (865) 828-3291.

Victory Baptist Church in Mooresburg will have its homecoming and celebrate its eighth anniversary August 17. Everyone is invited to join.

Elm Springs Baptist Church will have its homecoming services beginning at 10:45 a.m. Rev. Hal Crocket will be bringing the message. Lunch will follow with singing in the afternoon. Pastor Eddie Nicley welcomes everyone to attend.

Monday, August 18

There will be a Bean Station Harvest Pride Days meeting August 18 at 7:30 p.m. after the BMA workshop at City Hall. Anyone interested should attend.

There will be a book signing at Bean Station Public Library August 18 from 2 until 5 p.m. with Tennessee’s own Faye Chapman, photographer of “Faces of the shows, Life on the street.”

Lakeway Children’s Choir will hold auditions August 18 at 5:30 p.m. and August 19 at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian church.

Tuesday, August 19

Clinch-Powell RC and D will celebrate the last month of summer with a luncheon at the Bryan House August 19 at 11:30 a.m. The menu will include a fresh garden vegetable soup followed by grilled children salad with Grainger County tomatoes, toasted garlic cheese bread and warm apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. Iced tea and coffee will be served. Reservations must be made by August 15 due to limited seating. A suggested donation of $15 per person contributes to the preservation of the historic Bryan House.

Grainger County Humane Society will hold a spay/neuter clinic for pre-registered pets only at the Methodist Church next door to Holts Grocery in Bean Station August 19 and 20. GCHS will also hold a rummage sale at this clinic. To pre-register call (865) 497-3066 or (865) 567-0050. If you have a combined household income of less than $19,000 you could be eligible for special low-income spay/neuter grant. For more information call (865) 567-0832 or (865) 567-0050.

The Grainger County E911 Board will meet August 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Grainger County Justice Center’s chancery courtroom for a budget hearing. The regularly schedule board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public.

Thursday, August 21

The Grainger High School Athletic Boosters will meet at the school August 21 at 6 p.m. Anyone interested in helping by being a team parent or a 2008 Booster Officer should attend. The athletes need the help of the parents to get Grainger Grizzly sports off to a great year. For more information contact Lisa Cabbage at (865) 548-2384.

The qualifying deadline for the city elections being held along with the November General Election is August 21 at noon.

The Grainger County Republican Women’s club will meet at 6 p.m. in the meeting room at Hardee’s in Rutledge. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information call Elizabeth Fiorucci at (865) 933-6628.

The Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority will be providing assistance in Grainger County in filing 2007 Federal Tax Returns August 21. Anyone interested should call (866) 631-4120 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Eligible individuals must file their 2007 Federal Tax Return by October 15 in order to receive the stimulus payment. Individuals are eligible if they earned at least $3,000 in wages and/or benefits from Social Security, VA disability or a Retired Worker’s pension in 2007.

Saturday, August 23

Blount Mansion will host the Smokey Mountain Quilters Guild from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information visit www.blountmansion.org or call (865) 525-2375.

Monday, August 25

The Rutledge Family and Community Club will have a covered dish luncheon at Grainger County Park where Janet Fowler will present a continuing Indian program about Will Thomas, the man who purchased the land for the Cherokee Reservation. Everyone is invited to attend and come as they are or dress in Indian costume or jewelry.

Tuesday, August 26

The Knox County 4-H Horse Club will have a warm-up clinic at Badgett Field to get ready for the Fair Horse Show. For more information call Melanie at 660-2223 or Mary at 207-2247.

Thursday, August 28

Free breastfeeding classes for expectant parents will be held August 28 and 30 at St. Mary’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital. Call (865) 471-2599 to register.

Saturday, August 30

The Rose Center will continue its concert series “Music at the Rose” with Michael Reno Harrell performing August 30 and Stacy Mitchhart, along with opening band B-Team Blues Band, performing September 5. For more information and tickets call the center at (423) 581-4330.

There will be a hand gun carry permit class at the Dandridge Police Department beginning at 8:30 a.m. Anyone interested must pre-register by calling (865) 397-8862 ext. 26 or (865) 356-7423.

Sunday, August 31

The annual Harrell Family Reunion will be at the Gibbs Ruritan Park, 7827 Tazewell Pike in Corryton. Doors will open at noon with lunch at 1 p.m. Everyone should bring a baby picture of anyone attending with them and favorite recipes. For more information call (865) 687-9507.

The family of Jerome and Julie (Hopson) Jordan will have their family reunion at the Hopson Cemetery in Dutch Valley in Washburn. Anyone attending should bring a covered dish and a lawn chair. Lunch will be served around noon. All family and friends are welcome to come. For more information call (865) 497-2282 or (865) 497-2398.

The annual Seal Chapel School reunion (also known as “Rip Shin”) in the Howards Quarter Community of Claiborne County will be held August 31 at 2 p.m. at the Seal Chapel Church House. All former students, teachers and their families are invited to attend and bring pictures or other memorabilia to share with others. Also, they should bring lawn chairs and snacks/drinks if they wish. For more information call Margaret Seals Bull at (423) 626-3075.

Saturday, September 6

The Exotic Bird Club of Northeast Tennessee will have its annual bird fair September 6 and 7 at VFW post 2108 at 2905 Buffalo Road in Johnson City. For more information contact Anita at (423) 470-0666 or Linda at (423) 426-2550.

Saturday, September 13

The Bean Station Senior Citizens will hold their annual golf tournament September 13 at Clinchview Golf Club. Anyone interested in playing, sponsoring a team or hole or making a contribution should come by the Senor Citizens Center Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The Crockett Fall Fest will be 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. There will be colonial period re-enactors, period music, food, dance, old time crafts and contemporary vendors. Vendor applications are online at discoveret.org/crockett or call (423) 587-9900.

Saturday, September 27

New Market United Methodist Church will have a County Fair September 27. All crafters are welcome. For applications call 475-3775 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Saturday, October 11

The Rutledge High School Class of 1988 is making plans for its 20th year class reunion. The date has been changed to October 11 due to the UT football schedule changes. The reunion will be held at the Tennessee Riverboat in Knoxville. Information packets will be mailed soon. RHS Class of 1988 members are asked to contact one of the following to update your information: Gina (Coffey) Hipsher at (865) 828-4165, (865) 567-2120 or GHipsherJES@yahoo.com; Terry Winstead at (423) 580-8007 or Winstead99@bellsouth.net; or Darlene (McCann) Coffey at (865) 712-5542 or coffey21@charter.net.

Community Happenings

Beginning and intermediate line dancing lessons are being given at the Bean Station Senior Citizens Center every Tuesday from 7 until 9 p.m. The cost is $5 per person. All ages are welcome.