Shopper Blog: NikNak's ice cream is an instant hit in Powell

POWELL

NikNak's ice cream is an instant hit in Powell

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Trying to re-create her childhood is the challenge Nichole Curott had in opening her ice cream shop in Powell last month.

“I want people to know we’re here to bring fun and excitement,” Curott said. “I want my shop to have a sense of family. I want to bring the joy back.”

NikNak’s Ice Cream, located at Powell Place at 3537 W. Emory Road − between Coffee & Chocolate and Anytime Fitness − will be a combination of Curott’s personality and the influence of her older sister Jenna.

“My sister has had an ice cream shop for five years (in their hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia),” Curott said. “I went and worked for her for a week around Christmas. What I’ve learned from her has been invaluable.

“The biggest thing she told me was to let things roll off. There’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like what you’re doing. If I brought half as much joy to the community as she has, I’d be thrilled.”

Bring special occasions here

When Curott signed the lease for her building she got a 2,400-square-foot blank canvas.

“There were four walls and two bathrooms,” she said. “That’s all.”

From those humble beginnings, Curott divided the area in half. The front portion houses the ice cream shop with three main scooping freezers and other storage freezers. The back portion, which can be closed off, can be rented for parties or special occasions. It has a prep closet with a refrigerator and counter space. It also has its own private bathroom.

NikNak’s will feature Hershey’s ice cream, which is common in Virginia but relatively rare in East Tennessee. She will normally be stocked with 36 flavors.

“It’s delicious ice cream,” she said. “There is nothing like this around.”

Two of the three scooping freezers will be allergy-free. The third freezer will contain all the dairy-free ice cream as well as all the ice cream with nuts.

Cones, cups, sundaes, milk shakes and ice cream nachos will be available. Also, ice cream floats and slushes, as well as sodas and water can be purchased.

“This is not a diner,” she said. “It’s a sweets shop. We aren’t going to go into the food of a diner.”

Something for herself

The daughter of a retired Navy SEAL, Curott worked at several different jobs. Family brought her from Virginia to East Tennessee.

“I was driven to be independent,” Curott said. “I wanted something for myself.”

She thought about a live music venue or a gym, but she didn’t like the atmosphere of the former and thought there were already several of the latter.

So she went to work scouring the area for just the right location for just the right sort of business.

“My sister was able to develop an amazing following of families who adored her shop,” Curott said. “It’s a place that gives a community sense. It’s the kind of place that makes a great first job for the high school students of the community.”

Curott already has several teens on staff.

Until the summer, NikNak’s will be open 4-9 p.m. during the week, noon-10 p.m. Saturdays and 1-9 Sundays. During the summer, the shop will open at noon.

HALLS

Once involved in 'a drug lifestyle,' Chris Bolton finds new path as a barber

Al Lesar, Shopper News

No way to sugarcoat the way Chris Bolton spent his formative years.

“I feel a lot of shame about my teenage years,” Bolton said. “I was involved in a drug lifestyle. I constantly skipped school and was kicked out (of the Halls High School class of 2010).”

After earning his GED in 2011, Bolton’s life was a series of ups and downs until 2018 when he was arrested for felony possession of heroin with intent to distribute. It carried an eight-year prison term with it.

“My lawyer argued that I was a drug addict, not a criminal,” Bolton said.

Bolton spent eight months and one day completing an in-jail rehab program. He had 14 months in a Drug Court program, then six years of probation.

Those diversions satisfied Bolton’s legal obligations, but they didn’t answer the questions he had of his future.

“During my first year sober, I lost my dad,” Bolton said. “He had been a hair stylist. That was a service industry, and my dad loved being of service. I had family members suggest that could be a direction for me.”

An obligation to give back

Bolton, who now owns a home in Powell, said he spent a lot of time praying about his future.

“I’d see sign after sign, pointing me toward being a barber,” he said. “I’d be praying, then randomly open literature and it’d be to a page that said, 'Try new things; go to school.'”

He did. And, he did. And, he graduated.

Bolton went through training and has been a licensed barber for almost four years. He is now employed at Nirvana Barber Studio in South Knoxville as well as being the founder of Selfless Scissors, a nonprofit that cuts hair in halfway houses or other locations that deal with recovering drug addicts.

“I had a mentor (Tyler Trotter) during my recovery,” Bolton said. “He was there to lift me up when I needed it. I want to be that person to someone else.

“He convinced me I could do amazing things. I had the ability to break the stigma of being an addict.”

Wanting to plant seeds

Besides his work as a barber and evangelist in the drug rehab community, Bolton is finding a niche for himself as a public speaker. He’s not shy about telling his story to large groups, like he did earlier in March when he spoke at the Metro Drug Coalition − The Gateway.

“For them to be in that room, we have the same qualifications,” Bolton said. “They are my people. We can bond over the worst part of our lives.

“People planted the seed in me. I want to do that for someone else.”

Now in the final and unsupervised year of his probation, Bolton would like to find as many ways to touch the lives of those who need it.

He said he would love to go back to Halls or any other area high school to try to reach teens before they sink as low as he did.

“I’ve got lots of tattoos and can still relate with young people,” the 31-year-old said. “I would love to go back and make amends. When I was in high school, I thought I was so cool. If I had had someone get me on the right path back then, I can’t imagine how much further ahead I’d be.”

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FARRAGUT

Palace Players sprinkle faith into Knoxville theater scene

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

The Palace Players may be only about two years old, but they are adding a whole new aspect to Knoxville’s theater scene.

The troupe is run by brother-sister team Xandria Cross and Remington Stavros.

Cross explains The Palace Players as a nonprofit theater group that performs shows, workshops, classes, and full-length theater productions.

Cross said they’re getting so busy doing full-length theater productions the workshops are harder to come by. She said she might offer workshops around the productions they’re doing at the time.

She works closely with Stavros, who is a playwright and directs many of the productions.

The Palace Players just finished their production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” to a sold-out crowd.

“We have an incredible cast who brought this production to life. It’s a musical with lots of little Charlie Brown vignettes,” said Cross.

The production was directed by Stavros, who also played Snoopy.

Some of their productions are dazzling with life-size puppets to thrill the crowd. Last spring the group performed “The Chronicles of Narnia: the Magician’s Nephew” with Aslan, a life-size lion puppet.

“We’re a faith-based group and we came up with the name ‘Palace Players’ by thinking of the kingdom of heaven … to bring that to the people of Knoxville,” Cross said. “We just want to empower people and love on them. We want to give them a place to belong and can learn and grow together.

“It brings me so much pleasure to bring these skills to kids and adults alike and watch them bloom their talent. I get a lot of requests from kids who have never tried theater who want to dip their toe in to see what it’s about.”

The theater group is partnered with Farragut Church of Christ, where they perform frequently, but many productions are held at venues around town and even outdoors in the fall.

“Farragut Church of Christ has really helped us out and given us a home, so I’m very thankful for them,” she said.

Cross explained that as a small child she was interested in singing, dancing and theater. When she graduated high school, she started doing workshops around town and partnered with The Word Players to learn more about her craft.

Next up on the playlist is “The Little Mermaid,” scheduled for the last weekend in July at Catholic High School’s St. Gregory the Great Auditorium. It will be a full-length musical, but auditions have not yet started.

Info: visit www.thepalaceplayers.com or find Palace Players on Facebook.

HALLS

Halls resident carving a niche in children's music

Al Lesar, Shopper News

From Taiwan to New York to California to East Tennessee, Shine Hwang can’t remember a time when music wasn’t an integral part of her life.

“Music is something emotionally that makes us human,” said Hwang, who has lived in Halls for the past year. “When I sit down at the piano, it brings me back to my mom (who has passed away), who sat me down to practice.”

Hwang lived with her family in Taiwan until she was 16 years old. She came to New York to stay with an aunt, but never let go of her dream.

“I loved the piano teachers I had growing up,” she said. “Since I was in the sixth grade, I knew I wanted to teach piano.”

She graduated from Queens College in 2011 with a degree in music education, then went to Cal State Long Beach for a master’s in psychology and early childhood education, with a lean toward music.

While teaching in California, she met her husband, Michael Rhea. The East Tennessee native was stationed there with the Marines. When his military career ended, they relocated to Halls.

How young is too young?

Fast-forward a year, Hwang’s love affair with music is still going strong. She started Sunshine Music, a business that provides many services that revolve around music for both children and adults.

“The most important years for a child to learn are ages 5 and younger,” Hwang said. “There is so much growth going on.”

The challenge, though, is to walk the fine line between exposing the young mind to everything music has to offer, while at the same time dealing with the limited attention span of someone that young.

She tries to bridge that gap with Parent & Me classes. They work with the parent playing the music while the toddler is involved with some sort of hand drums.

The next stage would be the youngster graduating to the xylophone or metallophone, both of which are easily handled by someone 3 or 4 years old.

Plenty of possibilities

When Hwang approaches older students, she asks them what songs they would like to learn to play on the piano. Hwang was classically trained, but she knows that a student who loves Taylor Swift would be more engaged learning one of her songs rather than something from Bach or Mozart.

“I love teaching,” Hwang said. “I love seeing a student’s face when they’re finally able to play the song they love. I love seeing that smile on their face when they run to their parents and say, ‘Hey, guess what I did.’

“I give 100% because that’s my passion. Music allows us to connect with each other.”

Besides normal lessons for youngsters or adults, Hwang is still learning the possibilities for Sunshine Music.

She can provide music for kids’ birthday parties. She’s doing in-home piano lessons and group early childhood music classes. She plans on offering group piano lessons and music classes at her location in Halls later.

She does music at the Kid Zone indoor playground in Powell.

For more information, contact Hwang at: 646-389-7157, info@sunshinemusicca.com , www.sunshinemusicca.com , or on social media sites Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Dogs and humans hit the streets for trainers' Pack Walk

Jack Coker, Shopper News

On Monday, March 25, you may have noticed a posse of perfectly poised pups, parading prominently around Knoxville.

This was no unorganized group, however, but an organized “Pack Walk” hosted by local dog training business North Star K9 Training (NSK9).

“We wanted to create the company we felt Knoxville really needed in the dog training world,” said Chloe Brock, one of the trainers and founders of NSK9. Brock explained that they “use a variation of tools depending what the dog may need and what the client is comfortable using. It allows us to tailor the training to clients' needs.

“A lot of companies are assembly line, where all the dogs go through the same program. This isn't realistic because no two dogs learn the same. Being able to find what works best for the dogs and the client is key, because they are a training team.”

While starting only a year and a half ago, NSK9 has made quite an impact. They were voted Knoxville's Best Dog Trainer in 2023 in Cityview Magazine.

Their hard work paid off on with the downtown pack walk. Around 20 dogs were in attendance with their owners, who walked a loop starting at World’s Fair Park and going through downtown Knoxville.

The pack walk, Brock said, “builds up the clients' confidence. Many people are unsure of where they can take their dogs, and may not be confident enough to take their dog out in public if they have had aggression in the past. The pack walk builds up the clients' confidence, and helps continue to make Knoxville more dog friendly.”

NSK9 also works with local shelters like Young-Williams, trying “to give back as much as possible,” Brock said. “We help foster support of bettering Knoxville’s education of dog ownership.”

Info: http://www.northstark9training.com.

OPINION

Sad stories teach uncomfortable truths

Leslie Snow, Shopper News

I see Clara at the school pickup line and smile at the sight of her wild hair and paint-stained dress. Being in kindergarten is messy business. When my granddaughter sees me, she waves and runs into my arms.

“I’m always so glad to see you!” I say twirling her around. She laughs and says, “Did you bring me a good snack?”

Then I laugh too. “Always,” I tell her.

I wait for her to ask for a story, something involving a clever princess who meets a friendly unicorn that helps her defeat the Big Bad Wolf. But this time Clara says, “Let’s take turns telling sad true stories.”

I’m surprised by her request, but I play along. Clara goes first, telling a nonsensical tale about a boat killing a dog. I don’t understand the details, but Clara swears it happened to her “very best friend.”

Then it’s my turn. I try to think of a sad story that is appropriate for a 5-year-old. I turn to my memories to find it.

“When I was your age, I went to visit the house my parents were building. It was still under construction and there were building supplies everywhere. I was standing at the top of the staircase when I lost my balance. I fell down the stairs and hit my head on a sharp piece of wood.”

A million questions follow. “Did you bleed? Was your mom sad? Did you go to the hospital?”

I answer all her questions, then she falls silent. A minute later she asks, “Do you still miss Great Papa?”

I know then, that was the sad story Clara had wanted to hear. The one where I describe losing my father.

I do my best to answer the questions that follow. “Why did Great Papa die? How did he die? Are you still sad?”

I explain his passing as honestly as I can. Then Clara asks, “But he was old, right?”

“Very old,” I tell her. “He was 94 when he died.”

That seems to satisfy her, and the conversation shifts to happier things like mermaid princesses and magical talking kittens.

But later in the week, when I pick up Clara from school again, she introduces me to one of her teachers.

“This is my Yaya. She’s a very young grandmother, not an old grandmother. See how young she looks?”

At first, I’m embarrassed. It’s an awkward conversation and I deflect. “Well,” I say with an uncomfortable laugh, “I’m a young 60 at least.”

As we’re driving away, Clara makes an announcement. “You’re a young Yaya. Sometimes you even act like a teenager. I can tell you’re not old.”

That’s when I begin to understand why she introduced me as a young grandmother. She was remembering our last conversation, the one where I explained that when people get very old, they die.

Clara wants me to be young because young people are healthy and energetic. She’s afraid I’ll grow old and die, too. Just like her Great Papa.

When we pull into her driveway a few minutes later, Clara jumps out of the car, and I wrap her in my arms.

“I’m alive and well,” I promise. “And I’m going to be around for a long time.”

She rests her chin on my shoulder as I carry her into the house. I hate that she’s already worried about death and loss, even if it’s normal to wonder. Then Clara slips from my arms to find her mother. Her life is back to butterflies and rainbows. Just as it should be.

Leslie Snow may be reached at snow column@aol.com

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper Blog: NikNak's ice cream is an instant hit in Powell