Union County Heritage Park has been honored with the prestigious Annette Anderson's Director's Award for the East Tennessee Community Center. This recognition highlights the park's outstanding contribution to the community, celebrating its commitment to preserving heritage and fostering engagement.

The Annette Anderson Directors' Award is granted annually to clients of the East Tennessee Community Design Center who have demonstrated a commitment to making East Tennessee a better place.

What a festive and fun way to wrap up 2024 with our FCE family. A huge thank you to Carol Pratt for graciously hosting our December meeting. Your warmth and hospitality made the gathering extra special.

We’d also like to give a big shoutout to everyone who brought delicious finger foods to share — from savory bites to sweet treats, everything was absolutely delightful!

Maynardville Elementary School has done it once again! For the second year in a row, MES has been the first school to fill a recycled water container with pop top tabs – in fact, they had one and a half full at their November 4H meeting! 4H’ers in each elementary school are collecting pop top tabs as a community service project. All tabs will be donated to our local Ronald McDonald House for recycling.

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:
and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
--1 John 5:4 (KJV)

Being drafted during World War II was a public affair. There would be a notice in the local newspaper listing the names of those called up during the previous week. I didn't know my husband before the war, so I don't have that notice from the newspaper. But I do have my cousin Grove's notice. Answering our country's call was locally a public affair. I remember when Grove's turn came. In our small cross-roads town (four corners and one side street); it was a celebrated event.

This hearty salad has Greek yogurt to accompany the mayonnaise. Sparks the flavor. Try it, In mixing bowl, combine cooked macaroni, onion, celery, green pepper and diced cheese. In small bowl combine Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. Toss to coat macaroni. Salt to taste. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

A new study finds that female veterans—one of the fastest growing populations receiving treatment through the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system—experience improvement in low back pain with a course of chiropractic care.

Swoosh. Swoosh. Molly twists around which causes her wings to flap. It’s the Wednesday before the church’s Christmas play on Sunday. She had insisted on wearing her angel wings and halo for rehearsal.
She can’t help but smile as they lay her baby brother into the empty manger. “Mav’rick is so much better than an old doll.” For years they had used one for baby Jesus. Since Mav’rick is three months old, he’s just the right size.
“You’re so right Molly,” the choir director Mr. Holbert agrees. “Our Christmas program this year will be unlike all the others.”

By Steve Roark
Volunteer Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

The Christmas traditions we are all familiar with: Holly, mistletoe, Christmas trees, all were imported to the US from Europe, the United Kingdom in particular. There are other traditions still celebrated in the United Kingdom that never caught on here, some of which go beyond Christmas Day.

In 1980 the Union County Homemakers Club voted through their County Council to purchase State required Children’s Car seats for the needy. (In 1977 the State of Tennessee was the first state to require child car seats.)