Anderson Street Bridge Has Open
May 12, 2008

The opening of the new Anderson Street Memorial Bridge located at the intersection of Anderson Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard took place on Saturday, May, 10, 2008 at 10:00 with an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

Construction began on the bridge in 2006. The Tennessee Department of Transportation funded the majority of the cost of $8,280,000.

The bridge is 1,100 feet in length and has a maximum grade of 9%.  Clearance under the bridge along the Norfolk Southern railway bed is approximately 24 feet to accommodate twenty-two (22)  trains that run through Bristol each day.

The project was initiated to improve traffic flow on U.S 421 through the city.  The new route will also allow quicker response time for emergency vehicles that previously had to be redirected when there was train traffic preventing the free flow of traffic on State Street.

Figure 1 Mayor David Shumaker Congratulates David Metzger,  Transportation Engineer on a Job Well-Done.

Regular traffic flow began at the end of the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

City's Fleet Maintenance Shop Awarded Seal of Excellence
May 9, 2008

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has awarded the City's Fleet Maintenance Shop the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence Award.  This recognition program was established within the institute to recognize shops that have made a commitment to excellence.

To qualify, a shop must meet the certain criteria. The criteria includes such factors as 75% of all technicians are ASE certified and at least one technician must be ASE certified in each area of service offered.  The city's Fleet Maintenance Shop exceeded these and other goals and was awarded the seal this spring.

Only nineteen (19) shops in the state of Tennessee have received this prestigious award and of those only three (3) governmental agencies. In the Tri-Cities only four (4) shops have been recognized as a Blue Seal winner, those are City of Johnson City, Ponder's Auto Repair, Toyota of Kingsport and the City of Bristol Tennessee.  In Bristol, the city's Fleet Maintenance shop is the only one to hold this award, no other dealership or repair/maintenance shop has this distinction.

Steele Creek a Site for the First Tee of Tri-Cities
May 1, 2008

The Tennessee Golf Foundation announced recently the formation of The First Tee of the Tri-Cities.  This Saturday, May 3^rd the registration process will begin for this youth initiative. The initiative is aimed at promoting character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.  Children ages 10-17 can register for The First Tee of the Tri-Cities program at each four sites.  The registration schedule is: Steele Creek Golf Course in Bristol Tennessee from 1pm to 4pm; Clear Creek Golf Course in Bristol, Virginia from 9am to 12 noon.  Other registration sites include Cattails Golf Course in Kingsport and the Pine Oaks Golf Course in Johnson City, Tennessee.

One may register on-site at any of the facilities during their registration hours or stop by any of  the courses May 3-11 to sign up.  The registration form may also be downloaded from the website at http://www.TheFirstTeeTriCities.org .  The deadline to register is May 11^th.  The cost is $45 for a 9-week program, scholarships are available.  No child will be turned away due to financial hardship. 

The First Tee of Tri-Cities expects to reach over 100 participants in 2008.

Mayors' Award of Distinction Honorees Recognized
April 29, 2008

The 2008 Mayors' Award of Distinction honorees were recognized on Sunday, April 27 at the Paramount Arts Theatre.  The ceremony was the inaugural event for the cities joint recognition program.  Lord Mayor Royston Griffey of Bristol, England was the keynote speaker.

The honorees were:  Mr. Edward S. Booher, Mrs. Mary Ann Davenport, Bristol Faith In Action,  Mr. Jeff Byrd,  Bud Phillips, Mr. Ed Talley,  Mrs. Ruth King and  posthumously Mr. Bill King,  Crossroads Medical  Group founders Dr. Tim Schwob and Dr. Paul Derden.

Each honoree was presented by Bristol Tennessee's Mayor David Shumaker and Bristol Virginia's Mayor James Rector,  a pewter struck medallion that had a rendering of program's insignia and the Bristol sign's image on the reverse side.

This is an annual program that will be presented each spring in an effort to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to the Bristol community.

State Street Farmers' Market Set to Open
April 29, 2008

Everything is green, the grass, the trees, and even our way of thinking.  Everyone is talking about GREEN.  The State Street Farmer's Market was ahead of the curve, just look at our green roof!  That roof is indicative of what you will find at the farmer's market every Saturday morning from May 3 through the October 25 you can find green at every vendor stall.  From young green bedding plants in May to the green Cucumbers, onions and  peppers throughout the rest of the year, one can find that favorite home-grown color. 

With prices are going up everywhere we are all thinking about green, the green in our wallets.  An even better reason to buy local, the food one purchases at the local farmers' market has not been hauled across country so the fuel prices are not added to your cost and you actually meet the person who is growing what you are putting on your dinner table.  You can save some green by buying local.

The local Bristol market is known for its new ideas and this year is no different.

The market is kicking off its season with an art contest.  Everyone, children, schools' art classes, professional artists, graphic artists, anyone with some artistic talent can participate.  Each year the market has a new poster that is offered to anyone attending the market.  The rules are simple; the main theme of the art has to do with farming, the local farmer's market, gardening, etc.  Artists are welcome to come to the market any given Saturday paint, draw, or just reflect on suitable ideas.  There will be a $500 prize going to the winning artist.  The winner will be chosen by the public and unveiled to the community in July.  Deadline for entry is June 6^th.  For more information contact the State Street Farmer's market 423-764-1879.

Look for lots of new and fun activities at this year's farmers' market.

The State Street Farmers' Market is located at 810 State Street in historic downtown Bristol.

First Phase of City Gateway Beautification Project Completed
April 29, 2008

The city has just completed the first phase of a multi-phase beautification project.  The project targets the heaviest traveled thoroughfares and gateways to the city.

The 2008 budget had $15,000 in funding appropriated for the project launch.

Several species of trees and shrubs have been planted along the Volunteer Parkway from Anderson Street to Godsey Road.  During the first phase of the project over 200 plants of eight different species were planted along the 2 ½ mile stretch of roadway.

All the trees and shrubs except for one are indigenous to the area and included Crepe Myrtle, Spirea (Bridal Wreath), Serviceberry, Sergeant  Crab Apple,  Dwarf Burning Bush, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Trident Maple and Easter Yellowwood.

Taken into consideration during the planning of the beautification project were the growth patterns of each of the trees and shrubs and their possible impact on traffic site lines.  Each specimen was chosen to suit the location where they were planted in conjunction with a particular area's traffic flow.  Also considered was the spacing between each plant.  The goal was to keep the area between the trees or shrubs wide enough to allow for mowers to move around them with little difficulty, requiring no additional labor costs for complex trimming.

A second phase of the project is planned for 2009.  The city has applied for a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation that would assist in the beautification of the area around the 11-E and 394 Beltway exchange with similar plantings.