Happenings in and around Old North Knoxville

		Photo from the recent demolition of the Sprankle in downtown Knoxville. Note the person in the foreground bent over picking up a piece of the building.

Have Stuff, Will Sell ... June 11th

On Saturday, June 11th, starting at 8 a.m. and going until you have no more hidden treasures to sell or your stamina runs out, Old North Knoxville (ONK) will be holding its Spring Neighborhood-wide Yard Sale.

All you have to do is have your stuff priced, out, and ready for sale by 8 a.m. Saturday morning and take home all the money you make from all the sales you'll make. There had been some question in the past if the neighborhood received a percentage of what you made. The answer to that question is no. 

Certainly, if you wanted to make a check or cash donation to the ONK neighborhood association, we would accept and be grateful for your generosity. But that is only if you want to.

To help put up the signs advertising the yard sale, contact Tomica Miller at 521-7884. Certainly, tell all your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even family members about the neighborhood-wide yard sale, even if you don't have anything you want to sell.

Neighborhood's June 30th Potluck to Feature Your BBQ

In February it was a chili potluck; in June it will be barbecue. On June 30th, starting at 6:15 p.m., Old North Knoxville will host its second neighborhood potluck for 2005. As with the previous potluck, bring your favorite concoction, this time barbecue. It could be slow cooked pulled pork, basted and grilled chicken, or some other barbecue delight that you want to share with your friends and neighbors. And if you don't have a favorite barbecue recipe to share, bring and appropriate side dish such as coleslaw, baked beans, homemade rolls, or whatever other culinary wonder you believe goes with barbecue. It could also be a dessert item.

The potluck will be at the Broadway Baptist Church, 815 N. Broadway, corner of Broadway and Gill. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. Eating will begin at 6:30 p.m. The monthly meeting will start at 7 p.m. So bring some food, bring your appetite, and be ready to meet Knoxville's new police chief, Sterling Owen, IV. (See article here about Chief Owen.)

Come meet your neighbors; come make some new friends; come share some food.

The Passing of History

We often don't say much in Old North News about news that takes place outside the neighborhood, but we would like to take a moment to note the demolition on December 10, 2004, of the J. Allen Smith House, and on March 25, 2005, of the Sprankle Building, two historic structures now lost links to Knoxville's past. The Smith house will be replaced by a parking lot, a putting green, and a prefab building. The Sprankle will supposedly be replaced by another building, but construction is not set to begin for at least another year. The loss to the community will never be replaced.

Renovation Fever Spreads to Apartments in ONK 

Renovation fever in Old North Knoxville is spreading beyond the houses. If you get the chance, look at the apartments on the corner of Luttrell and Overton. Formerly known as the Rose View Apartments, this 1960s construction is undergoing a renovation process that includes new windows and a new appearance for the exterior, hardwood floors, new cabinets, and central heat and air for the inside. These 1-bedroom apartments will rent for between $525 and $550 a month. So, if you're not quite ready for a house, maybe one of these apartments will do. If interested, contact Lou Tosti at 389-5828. 

John Craig, the person responsible for this apartment renovation, has also purchased an apartment house on Grainger, near the 1st Creek Greenway. He plans on redoing the exterior of that house, including the guttering and taking off the faux asphalt exterior. The house will remain apartments.

ONK Helps ETP Raise $8,000

On March 12th, eleven members of ONK helped raise almost $8,000 for public television in East Tennessee. Answering the phones from 6 - 10 p.m. during ETP's spring fund-raising telethon were Tomica Miller, Jane Parker, Donna Brechko, Sonja Anderson, Chester Kilgore, Pete Creel, Rachel Cass, Stephen Henderson, Chris Spoon, Andy Anderson, and Cathy Shuck. They continued a tradition that stretches back almost 25 years when Old North Knoxville first volunteered to help the local public television station with its fund raising. Thank you to those who volunteered. ONK plans to continue the tradition as long as ETP will have us, so if you couldn't do it this year, maybe you can next March.


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