America’s First Bullet Train Cures Cades Cove Car Conundrum

The Cades Cove bullet train is ready to roll!America’s First Bullet Train Cures Cades Cove Car Conundrum. Traffic jams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park have reached epic proportions as annual visitation exceeds twelve million people annually. Cades Cove is often the epi-center of the traffic frustration.

The scenic eleven mile drive on the Western edge of the national park is literally being loved to death. Frequent “bear jams” can turn a leisurely two hour drive into a bumper to bumper free for all lasting upwards of ten hours. But all of that is about to change with the new Cades Cove bullet or “Maglev” train.

Maglev technology is nothing new to Asian countries with trains exceeding over 200 miles per hour. A traditional diesel train engine is not required. The Cades Cove train will be electromagnetically suspended above the track and literally propelled by magnetic force. The magnetic tech requires thousands of mega-watts of electricity which will be provided by the new Cable Mill solar array.

“The new Cades Cove bullet train will be a revolution to each park visitors experience,” said National Park spokesperson J. K. Reelly. “Once all the passengers are aboard we will safely transport visitors around the cove.  We will be able to reach famous land marks such as the historic Cable Mill in less than thirty seconds from our terminal at the cove entrance. Train passengers will enjoy full service while aboard the train including a complimentary set of steak knives from the good people at Ginsu.“

The projects contract was awarded to the Ginsu Corporation after an intense bidding war in late 2017. The contract includes provisions to protect the natural beauty of the cove and it’s historical treasures.

“Everyone at Ginsu was thrilled to be a part of this project and to work with the national park service,” said Ginsu media representative We’ar Sharpe. “We found that our amazing saws and knives are extremely adapt at clearing the appalachian forests for the new track and could therefore be more competitive with our bid.“

 

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Needs Oconaluftee Volunteers

Smoky Mountains Oconaluftee volunteers needed.Great Smoky Mountains National Park Needs Oconaluftee Volunteers. National Park officials are recruiting volunteers to assist park visitors by exploring the Oconaluftee River Trail, Mountain Farm Museum, and fields along Newfound Gap Road near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Volunteers are needed from April through November and usually work one, four-hour shift per week.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is a must stop for any visit to the Great Smoky Mountains! Entrance to the Center is free and it is open to the public every day except Christmas day. The Visitor Center has plenty of parking for cars, RVs and motor coaches. Public restrooms and vending machines are available to the left of the Center’s main entrance. You will find everything you need to experience the Park at your own pace.

The Visitor Center offers a unique view into the area’s past at the Mountain Farm Museum – a collection of historic log buildings from the late 19th century that were relocated here from all over North Carolina in the 1950’s. 

Volunteers will share information to visitors about park regulations that best protect wildlife which includes proper waste disposal and safe wildlife viewing distances. When elk are present in the fields, volunteers assist Park Rangers with traffic management to assure visitor and wildlife safety. In addition, volunteers provide information about cultural resources found at the Mountain Farm Museum and natural resources along the Oconaluftee River Trail.

Everyone interested in volunteering are required to attend a training session on Tuesday, April 3 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Oconaluftee multi-purpose-room near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Volunteers should bring a bag lunch to the training.

To register for training or for more information, contact Kathleen Stuart at 828-497-1914 or kathleen_stuart@nps.gov. For more information on elk, please visit the park’s website at NPS.gov.

13th Annual Master Gardener Flower Show

13th Annual Master Gardener Flower Show and Sale slated for Saturday, April 21 at Sevier County Fairgrounds.

Annual Master Gardener Show is fun for the whole family!

Mark your calendar for the Master Gardener Flower and Garden Show! Photo credit: southern_girl_dreaming.

Mark your calendar for the 13th Annual Master Gardener Flower Show and Sale scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 21 at the Sevier County Fairgrounds near downtown Sevierville.

Find out all the “dirt” on gardening at the Sevier County Area Master Gardeners Association and the University of Tennessee Extension Service’s day-long show that is guaranteed to provide bucket-loads of inspiration for this spring’s planting season.

The event’s onsite vendors will showcase and sell the latest in lawn and garden equipment, garden supplies, ornamental plants and herbs, as well as veggie and fruit starter plants.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for families in our community to discover the joy of gardening,” said Master Gardener Brad Knight. “Who wouldn’t want to learn how to beautify their home and grow fresh, healthy vegetables?“

Master Gardeners butterfly gardening for kids!

Your kids will love the wonder and beauty of a butterfly garden! Photo credit: southern_girl_dreaming.

Want to attract butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects to your garden? If so, don’t miss the many educational sessions, presented by local Master Gardeners, who will also impart recycling tips, and educate you in the benefits of using local food sources to create nutritious and tasty menus.

The younger set will enjoy a Kid’s Area that provides snacks and entertaining garden-related crafts. Don’t miss this opportunity to introduce your children (and yourself, if you are a horticulture novice) to the fun and advantages of growing your own plants and veggies.

Admission to the Master Gardener Flower & Garden Show and sale is $2 for adults who bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Sevier County Food Ministry. Adult Admission without donation is $3. Kids 12 and under are admitted free! Proceeds from the Flower & Garden Show help support the SCAMGA’s community service programs including 4-H Club scholarships.

For more information, visit the Sevier County Master Gardeners Association or call the Sevier County Extension Office at 865-453-3695.

Great Smoky Mountain Mingus Mill Volunteer Opportunity

Great Smoky Mountain Mingus Mill Volunteer Opportunity

Come on down to Mingus Mill and lend a hand!

Great Smoky Mountain Mingus Mill Volunteer Opportunity. National Park officials are asking for volunteers to provide informational tours of the historic Mingus Mill.

The mill is located one half mile north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, North Carolina. Participants will assist in educating national park visitors about the general role of milling in the Smoky Mountains. The unique turbine wheel at Mingus Mill is a special feature of interest. Instead of turning a wheel like the Cable Mill in popular Cades Cove. The mingus mill funnels water into a race which rises nearly forty feet in the air. From there it plunges down a box shaft and turns the turbine, which “in turn” powers the mill.

Mingus Mill, built in 1886, offers visitors a rare look into the inner workings of a mill that custom ground everything from corn to wheat or rye. This turbine-driven mill would custom grind cornmeal or flour in a fraction of the time needed by other types of mills. The efficiency and central location of the mill made it into a popular meeting place for local communities like Bradley town.

Volunteers will work closely with Great Smoky Mountains Association employees. Each volunteer is asked to work at least one, four-hour shift per week from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the peak visitation season from April through November. Interested persons will be provided orientation and training before beginning at the mill.

New volunteers are required to attend training on Friday, March 23, 2018 from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. The training will be held at the Oconaluftee Administration Building near Cherokee, NC. A lunch break will be in the schedule. Please plan to bring a bag lunch.

If interested in this exciting volunteer opportunity please call to reserve a space for training. For questions or to receive more information, please contact Park Resource Education Ranger Florie Takaki by phone at 828-497-1906 or by email at florie_takaki@nps.gov.

Dolly Parton Donates 100 Million Childrens Books

Dolly Parton Donates 100 Million Childrens Books! Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library’s 100-millionth book placed in Library of Congress.

Dolly Parton shares the gift of literacy

Dolly shares the joy of reading with young people. Photo credit: DollyParton.com.

Not even Dolly Parton herself could have imagined in 1995 that her idea of giving free books to children around the world would one day surpass the 100-milionth mark and make its way into the halls of the Library of Congress. Parton was on hand on March 8th to enshrine the milestone book, her own “Coat of Many Colors”, adapted from her song of the same name, into the nation’s archive.
Indeed it seems as if Parton’s coat of many colors transformed into a magic flying carpet that, through the pages of books sponsored by her imagination library, transports children into a magical world of literature. Sevier County’s, and indeed Tennessee’s, favorite daughter’s example of overcoming a humble childhood and her amazing rise to an incredible career encourages children to look beyond superficial appearances and into the heart and character of others.
Parton is an accomplished songwriter and it could be that her love of stories and books paved the way to her stellar career.

“I always like to say that 100 million books have led to 100 million stories,” Parton said, adding that she was honored that “our little program has grown to such a point that we can partner with the Library of Congress to bring even more stories to children across the country.”

And partner she has. A special Story Time is scheduled at 10:30a.m. on the last Friday of each month from March to August in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Children up to the age of 5 can enjoy a book reading, music and special guests. Live streaming will make the event accessible to children and parents around the globe.
The Imagination Library distributes 1 million books free of charge each month to children from birth to age five in participating communities in the United States, Belize, United Kingdom Canada and Australia. Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden offered praise for Parton and deemed the program “awe-inspiring, and an extraordinary gift to humankind”, adding, “there is no way to truly quantify the impact this program has had on developing young readers across America and in other parts of the world.”
Hayden said reading is a passion that the Library of Congress in pleased to share with Parton and expressed her excitement about the cooperative programs that will provide and an opportunity “for children anywhere to connect with a fun, engaging reading experience.”

 

 

Dolly Parton donates 100th million book to children

Dolly donates 100 million books and earns a place in the Library of Congress. Photo credit: DollyParton.com

Story times take place at 10:30 a.m. on the last Friday of each month, March through August in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. The events are free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

For more information on Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, exclusively published by Penguin Random House, visit dollywoodfoundation2018.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States as well as extensive material from around the word. It is accessible both on site and online and is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and home to the U.S. Copyright Office. For more info visit loc.gov or access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov.