By Steve Roark
Volunteer, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
It’s nice to think that plants produce fruit for our pleasure and that of other creatures. They do want us to eat them, but they have an ulterior motive of coaxing us into dispersing their seeds to other places.
July is here and that means it is Tennessee Beef Month and National Grilling Month – a match made in heaven and it sounds like it’s time for a celebration at the Union County Farmers Market! Please take a moment this month to appreciate the hard work of our beef farmers and savor the flavors they bring to our tables.
During your first visit to a doctor of chiropractic you will likely discuss your present condition and health history, and then undergo a physical examination. Your chiropractor might order imaging or lab tests to determine what may be causing your issue(s). They may refer you to a different medical professional if necessary for your condition.
Your chiropractor will then explain your condition, develop a treatment plan, and review the risks and benefits of the treatment.
One of the best things about turning sixteen is getting your driver’s license. It’s a huge step toward adulthood. After I got my license, I wanted to drive everywhere my family went. After a few weeks, the newness wore off and I didn’t want to drive unless I just had to. I am still like that. If Tim and I travel anywhere, he usually drives unless something is wrong. Unfortunately for Tim, that recently happened.
My paternal grandmother was by all accounts a saintly woman. During her life she raised or partially raised twenty children—six from her husband’s previous marriage, six from her own marriage, and eight from my father’s first marriage. I was told that she was at one time staying with a family member in Knoxville who lived in a shotgun house. For the less enlightened, a shotgun house was narrow and had a door in front and a door in back, arranged so that a bullet fired from a shotgun could go in the front door and out the back without hitting anything.
Small potatoes are the first ones from the garden in the summertime. You can also find them at the Farmer's Market if you don't have a garden.
Back in my mom’s day folks only had access to a few flavored drinks, like milk, coffee, and water. To make things more interesting, they would seek and use native plants that provided a nice change of taste. The more common ones used were sassafras tea, teaberry, spicebush, and my topic today, Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.). It’s easy to find along roadsides and woodland edges and makes a pretty tasty mint tea that also has medicinal value.
In the June 26th meeting the Union County County Commission funded all budgets and set the tax rate at 1.8999. The EMS increases, the solid waste contract, the general fund, and the building of a new middle school were all in the tax levy for FY 24. The compromise took at least 8 votes. Votes were taken on proposals that spanned from 1.8990 to 1,9310. The vote was never tied so Mayor Bailey was not able to vote.
July is here and that means it is Tennessee Beef Month and National Grilling Month – a match made in heaven and it sounds like it’s time for a celebration at the Union County Farmers Market! Please take a moment this month to appreciate the hard work of our beef farmers and savor the flavors they bring to our tables.
I had an older cousin while growing up who did some of the coolest things. For instance, every summer he would catch June Bugs. He would tie a string around them and hold on to the other end. When he opened his hand, the June Bugs would take off and fly around him in a circle. I remember them making a loud buzzing noise. Then my cousin would untie the bugs and let them go. The bugs were never injured. Maybe a little inconvenienced if you can do that to a bug.