Some kindnesses on East Oklahoma to be thankful for

	Old North residents help clean up the park site in this photo from 2005. ONK has  recently received some grant money to move ahead with the park, but volunteers are still needed. Click here for details.

Thank you to the East Tennessee Foundation  for grant money that helps Old North Knoxville move ahead on the planning and creation of a small urban park on E. Oklahoma. Though the original deadline had passed, the Foundation allowed Old North to submit the necessary information to get the grant money released.

Thank you to City of Knoxville for acquiring both lots in the 400 block on E. Oklahoma and for signing an agreement with Old North so that development of this park by ONK could move forward. Specifically, thank you to Sharon Boyce and Angela Bolton of the City of Knoxville law department and to Lee Miracle for their work on this matter. 

Thank you to Councilman Rob Frost for contributing some of his 202 funds toward the development of the park. It has been over three years and through two mayoral administrations to get the park to this stage, so thank you, too, to former mayor Victor Ashe and present mayor Bill Haslam for their support and City Council's support of this project. 

Thank you to David Watson and the East Tennessee Community Design Center for finding a landscape architect who will be working with ONK to develop plans for the park. It's good to have people with know how helping you out.

nd it's also good to have people who know how to operate equipment to help you out. Specifically, thank you to Old North resident Dan Schuh for volunteering the time and equipment to remove a big piece of metal, probably an old furnace, that was partially buried, partially exposed on the park site. The lots that will become the small park once had houses on them, and part of what remained of one house was still evident in the lot. 

Thank you to the City of Knoxville for the new sidewalks and sections of sidewalks on streets such as Oklahoma and Armstrong. Those installing the sidewalks even took the time to score them into the more traditional smaller square shapes. New sidewalks sure are fun to walk on.

And thank you to the person who in December raked the leaves in front of Marv and Dodi Payne's house on E. Oklahoma. Due to an illness, Marv was unable to do it and an anonymous neighbor stepped in to help, and Dodi says it was a big help.

Return to newsletter table of contents