Shopper Blog: Mom's vision becomes business: safe entertainment for the littles

POWELL

Mom's vision becomes business: safe entertainment for the littles

Al Lesar, Shopper News

It was a stressful time with a toddler that sent Savanna Armstrong on her journey as an entrepreneur.

She recognized a need, and she hopes she has filled it.

Armstrong, who was pregnant at the time, was at a friend’s wedding about a year ago and was trying to think of activities to entertain her toddler.

“We were in a field for the wedding, and there was nothing for my toddler to do,” Armstrong said. “I tried to think of everything to keep him busy. There were multiple kids out there who had nothing to do.”

Armstrong and her husband, Brent, who have been living in Powell for about three years, came up with the idea of having high-end bounce houses to occupy the youngsters.

That’s when Knox Bounce was born.

Not an overwhelming presence

The Armstrongs made sure they kept their bounce items reasonably priced and not overwhelming, when it comes to size.

Rather than those 26-foot-high inflatable monsters with a slide and a bounce area, Knox Bounce offers an 8 x 10 mini-bounce house that will keep youngsters under 7 engaged.

Also, there is a clear 10 x 16 bubble house that will give adults and children a special time at an event.

Knox Bounce has balloon art available, which is balloons of different sizes strung together.

“These are perfect for weddings and birthdays,” Savanna said. “They aren’t too big. They can add a lot to an event without being too much.

“Everyone wants their event to be Pinterest- or Instagram-worthy. These answer a need and are still understated.”

'Soft play' items on tap

A stay-at-home mom with now two children (ages 2 years and newborn), Savanna never saw herself as a business owner at this stage in her life. With the idea came the courage to go ahead to make it a reality.

“I’ve always had an artistic vision when it comes to hosting events,” she said. “I always dreamed of having my own business, but I didn’t think it would be now. I had a vision and I decided to do what I enjoy doing. I want things to be beautiful and aesthetic.”

The dream doesn’t end with balloons and bounce houses. Savanna said the plan is to add “soft play” items. Those are portable indoor playgrounds that use soft materials that are safe for very young children to use.

“Safety is the most important thing we focus on,” Savanna said. “We make sure all the safety measures are in place before we open up to children.”

The rental cost of the bounce house is $200 for all day, or $175 for six hours. The bubble is $450 for hour hours. It comes with an attendant. Savanna said they handle all setup and takedown, which only takes a matter of minutes.

For more information or to reserve the equipment, call (865) 661-8658 or email knoxBOUNCE@gmail.com .

BEARDEN

Bearden Class of '74 reunion affirms long-lasting friendships

John Shearer, Shopper News

Members of the Bearden High School class of 1974 considered themselves close while students, and that apparently carried over 50 years later to the enjoyable golden anniversary reunion they had over the weekend of Aug. 17.

“It was magical,” said Karen Dean Smith, a former cheerleader in summing up the weekend. “It was a lot more joyful than I thought it would be seeing people’s faces and seeing who they were.”

Added longtime best friend and fellow cheerleader Ann Rountree Wallace − who helped plan the reunion with Smith and Ed Geiger from Dayton, Tennessee, and others − “We hadn’t seen most of our classmates. It was really special to see them reconnect. We had a very cohesive class.”

They said they were able to track down about two-thirds of the 330 original class members, and nearly half came with spouses or friends. They have lost about 44 classmates since they graduated, and a special large memorial board with names and faces of deceased classmates was professionally printed and displayed.

Sarah Verzyden, the daughter of a class member, also helped them capture the weekend with pictures and videos, they said.

The gathering included a Friday trip aboard the Volunteer Princess cruising boat in an activity coordinated by classmate John Murphy, and a gathering at the Cherokee Country Club that Saturday. They also had a chance to tour their old school, which was only a few years old when they attended, but, like them, has seen the passage of a few years. They also went to the “pit” area inside the school that has been a popular gathering place for generations of students.

Besides closeness, the class has in the years since also been known for its accomplishments. For starters, Ashley Cleveland (Greenberg), who sang and played at the reunion, has won three Grammy Awards. Bassist Dave Nutzell is another accomplished musician. And such judges as Bo Reed, Tom Varland, and Bruce Guyton were also in the class along with fellow attorneys Frank Harris of Atlanta and David Wright of Richmond, as well as several doctors, dentists, and engineers.

Fashion journalist and aficionado Amy Fine Collins and former Esquire magazine editor David Granger also were in the class. Others were Ice Chalet proprietor Larry LaBorde, who had been voted Friendliest; Steve Mears, son of former Tennessee basketball coach Ray Mears; and Price Beall, younger brother of Ruby Tuesday founder Sandy Beall.

Beall, who was supposed to emcee the festivities, ended up getting COVID, and Smith had to take his place, admittedly getting a little cotton mouth due to some nervousness. But the former pediatric nurse practitioner and Wallace were definitely relaxed and at ease when they happily looked back on the reunion and their years in school a few days later at the Gourmet’s Market.

“We came from a homogeneous background, and everyone blended in and made new friends,” recalled Wallace, who worked in education as a counselor. “We met and expanded our friendships. That combination of similar backgrounds, it carried through to high school.”

They said West Hills Elementary students at that time had started going to Bearden Junior High in seventh grade − in what's now the Knox Adaptive Education Center facility − and joined those who already came from Bearden Elementary. So, some strong friendships were being made when they enrolled at Bearden High, they said.

The Class of 1974 also had about 10 Black students, they said, and everyone seemed to get along well.

Among their teachers they remember well was Maj. Claude D. Houbler, the father-in-law of University of Tennessee System President and high-profile local businessman Randy Boyd. Others include a Mr. Knisley who taught English, principal William “Rat” Turner; a Ms. Counts; cheerleader sponsor Susan Kirksey; and track coach Bob LeSueur, who would lead the Bulldogs to a state championship in 1975. U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett’s mother, Joyce, was also a teacher there.

The football team admittedly struggled a little their senior year after successful coach Jim Smelcher had left the previous year, they said.

Several baseball players attended the reunion and enjoyed catching up, the two said. That included Toddy’s owner John Cook and Chuck Whitehead, who has worked in the beer distributorship realm.

Some of the conversations among classmates even centered on small farmland and bushhogs after several realized they shared the commonality of being bucolic landowners, Smith said.

But it was the old school land at 8352 Kingston Pike and the good and trying times as the world was changing in the early 1970s that caused most of their focus. And it proved to be a great gathering, they added.

“It was a beautiful weekend,” said Smith, adding that it included seeing a rainbow following a storm that Saturday and seeing each other. “I did not hear of anyone who went to the reunion who did not have a good time.”

FARRAGUT

Farragut Chamber's Blaylock believes in collaborative culture

Nancy Anderson, Shopper News

Julie Ann Blaylock has found her niche in her professional life. As president/CEO of the Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce (FWKCC), she gets to help business grow and thrive. One of her core values is to help people, she has certainly found her vehicle to help many businesses.

A 2024 graduate of Leadership Knoxville, she was asked, “What can you do to strengthen Knoxville?” Her answer was not surprising for those who know Blaylock.

“Increase the communication and subsequent alignment between the key area players between Knoxville City, Knox County, and Farragut.

“We at the Chamber (FWKCC) are all about building relationships, but we’re also about building bridges – especially where none exist – and invest in bridges that may exist.

“We’re all trying to do the best job for our community that we can. Leadership, including myself, can get bogged down very easily in our own scope of work and the things we are trying to accomplish. I don’t think we always take the time we should every time we should to reach a hand out and work together.

“Relationships are growing and getting better, but we shouldn’t rest on our laurels. It is a constant effort because leadership changes and relationships can get dropped. We see a great deal of benefit in collaboration rather than competition. No one has to own the credit. We all get the credit because we worked together. I would like to see more and more of that.”

Originally from Rockville Centre, New York, Blaylock visited Knoxville several times then transferred to the University of Tennessee, where she earned first a bachelor’s then her master’s in English.

“I just fell in love with the mountains and culture. Everyone was so friendly, I just never left. I made Knoxville my home.

“I had originally thought about getting my doctorate to go into education. I just wanted to help people, somehow make their lives better.”

Life took a couple of turns for Blaylock. Her mother became ill back in New York, so Blaylock moved her to Knoxville to care for her personally.

She landed a job as office administrator for a local architecture firm, where she made a name for herself as a “can do” team player. When the housing market plummeted, she was invited to find a job before she got laid off. Through networking in 2011, she found an administrative job with the FWKCC, where she worked her way up to president/CEO in 2016.

“We are best known for our relationship-building opportunities. We do more than 100 programs a year, including networking every single week, ribbon cutting, grand openings, Lunch and Learn events, and speaker events.”

Blaylock is a member of the board of directors for Tennova Healthcare, and she graduated from Leadership Knoxville in May.

“I applied for the 2023 class but didn’t get in. I tried again this year even though there was a lot going on in my personal life. I didn’t think I would get in, but I did, so I decided to put my best foot forward and go all in … give it my very best effort.

“I’m glad I did. Leadership Knoxville really filled my cup back up and restored a portion of myself I didn’t know had gone missing,” she said.

Asked about her plans, Julie said, “I plan to wake up every day on this side of the dirt and give the day my all.”

POWELL

Family-run ice cream truck brings joy to neighborhoods

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Listening to the same mix of about 10 children’s songs over and over − and over − is one of the hazards of owning and operating an ice cream truck.

“I won’t say that you just tune it out, because (the music) is so loud,” said Nathan Miles. “It’s just something you get used to. Some people (in the neighborhood) say it’s too loud. Some say it’s not loud enough, they didn’t know we were around.

“We’re trying to get some attention without bothering anybody.”

This is the second summer that Powell resident Miles and his family − wife Lesley and kids Fiona, 7, and Griffin, 4 − have operated Penny’s Cool Treats ice cream truck in the Powell, Karns and Halls area.

“Basically, we’re working off of Emory Road,” Miles said. “If we don’t have a special event, we’re going through the neighborhoods.”

'Sad' to see ice cream go away

After graduating in legal studies from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2010, the Chattanooga native got a job in the insurance business. When his daughter was born (2017), they moved to Powell.

One of the staples of that Powell neighborhood was an ice cream truck that was a regular visitor. In 2021, they found out the woman running the truck was getting out of the business.

That got Nathan and Lesley thinking.

“We knew the kind of joy an ice cream truck could bring to the kids of a neighborhood,” Miles said. “We were sad the only one we knew was going away. We were always looking for other ventures to get involved in. We thought this could be something for us.”

Nathan and Lesley weren’t going into the journey blindly. Lesley’s grandfather and father operated ice cream trucks in the 1970s and ‘80s.

“Back then it was a cash business,” Miles said. “We wanted to make it easy for customers. Rather than having to deal with making change because of taxes, we factored them into the cost of the product.”

Miles said that besides cash, credit cards and cash apps are accepted.

Something for everyone

When searching for a name of the business, Miles said it was simple − they picked the family favorite: Penny, their goldendoodle.

The family located a minibus that was able to be repurposed into an ice cream truck with a service window and freezers. Extra seating was installed so the entire family could visit various neighborhoods and events together.

It was given a turquoise and pink paint job for it to be easily identified − along with the music.

Penny’s Cool Treats has Blue Bunny as its primary ice cream supplier. In addition to a wide variety of special prepackaged ice cream products, there is a snow cone option, Italian ice, fruit bars and pup cups, in honor of Penny.

“We want to be able to have something for everyone,” Miles said. “We don’t want any allergies to get in the way of someone enjoying a cool treat.”

Costs of items range from $3 to $5.

“Our goal is to bring joy to kids,” Miles said. “We want them to experience hearing an ice cream truck coming down their block and running out to meet us.”

Miles said they try to update their Facebook page regularly to let people know where they will be.

HALLS

Collective35 event space aims to 'answer a lot of needs in this area'

Al Lesar, Shopper News

As if getting settled with a new baby, owning a food truck and running a travel agency wasn’t enough, Tylee Newman has embarked on a new adventure.

Ever the entrepreneur, the Halls resident said she has been looking for an event space for a while. Austin Angel, a photographer and social media specialist in the Halls area, has also recognized the need for a space photographers can rent for special projects.

The collaboration happened in February 2024, when Newman found the perfect building to satisfy both needs (6935 Maynardville Pike, near the UPS store in Halls) and the partnership officially formed.

“Austin is a hard worker, just like me,” Newman said. “We work well together. He knows what photographers need and I’ve got an idea of what has to be there for events.”

That’s when Collective35 was born. The facility is 3,000 square feet divided into several rooms. It can handle 70 guests for an event. There’s an area for table and chair storage. A bathroom and half-kitchen and photo studio.

“There are places like this in West Knoxville, but nothing around here,” said Newman, a 2017 Halls High School graduate. “We think this will answer a lot of needs in this area.”

Unlimited parking

The primary selling point for both sections of the facility is that they are blank spaces that can be molded into whatever the customer wants.

“Each one is a big open canvas,” Newman said.

Unlimited parking adjacent to the facility is another big selling point.

“Events have changed so much in recent years,” Newman said. “Now, everyone wants a big balloon arch as you walk into the venue. We’ve got the space to handle that. We’ve got the parking. We’ve got the tables and chairs. We’ve got the cleanup crew.

“Just book it and show up.”

Booking is a relatively simple process. The event space goes for $100 an hour, while the photo studio can be rented for $85.

The use of outside vendors for events is OK. To rent either portion of the venue, go to: www.thecollective35.com , or check on any Collective35 social media sites.

Semester at Sea beneficial

Having a baby around Memorial Day hasn’t lightened Newman’s workload. She still makes sure the Drink Smooth food truck that she has owned for four years is up and running. The past year she has operated her own travel agency.

Newman’s love for travel came from the four-month Semester at Sea she spent on a cruise ship while getting her degree in marketing and international business from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

The program started in San Diego and traveled to destinations like Japan, China, India, Vietnam and South Africa.

“We would do our studying on the cruise ship,” Newman said. “We’d learn about the country we were getting to. We would get to spend five days learning about each country, then go off to the next one.

“That was an amazing experience. You learn how many different cultures function. Then, you move on to the next.”

NORTH KNOXVILLE

Historic Buffat home and land eyed for development, seller says house will be preserved

Jack Coker, Shopper News

While exploring Spring Park at Love’s Creek for the first time with my wife, Reese, I came across a brand new historical marker detailing the Buffat Mill, which once stood close by. The mill was built by Alfred Buffat, who emigrated to Knoxville with his family when he was 9 years old in April of 1849.

His memoirs were published in the News Sentinel on May 10, 1931, and detail his journey to Knoxville from Switzerland.

His parents fled Switzerland in part because of intense religious persecution at the time. In 1824, a law was passed making all religious gatherings, except state controlled ones, illegal. In response, his family hosted church gatherings in their home in secret.

He tells of a tense scene where “the meeting was at a private house. The Chief of Police came in, opened the door of the room where the meeting was being held. He stood a moment in the doorway, then in a loud commanding voice he said: ‘In the name of the law I command you to disperse.’ After a short silence my father replied, ‘In the name of what law? If it is in the name of the law of God, we will obey; but if it is in the name of the law of men, we will obey God rather than men.’ The police officer stood abashed for a moment, then left the house without further disturbance.”

They fled Switzerland by train and boat, landing in Charleston, South Carolina. They then took a train to Dalton, Georgia, and a stagecoach to Chattanooga. Finally, they boarded a steamboat to Knoxville, which he described as having a good engine, “but the body was not worth anything. We could see the fire in the engines through the planks under our feet. The heat was such that it was unbelievable.”

When his family arrived in Knoxville, it was a town of about 2,500 citizens. Upon seeing Gay Street for the first time, he wrote that it was “ a deep bed of stiff red mud much of the time; however there were sidewalks along the principal streets.”

Shortly after arriving, the family began to farm in the area around Spring Park, and by 1851 his father had built a mill. Alfred Buffat took over the mill in 1859, and expanded it significantly on Love’s Creek. According to his memoirs, the mill was under both Union and Confederate occupation during the Civil War, and was “the largest gristmill south of the Ohio River.”

During this period, the Buffat Mill became the center of community life. Alfred and his father, Pierre, taught in the one-room schoolhouse on the site, and their mill supplied much of the area with cut timber. A road was built to Knoxville, still called Buffat Mill, for the express purpose of transporting the goods manufactured by the Buffats to Knoxville.

The house that still adorns the homestead today, called “The Maples” by Alfred Buffat, was originally built as a simple one-story, four-room-and-hall structure in 1867 for his bride, Elisa Bolli, the daughter of a Swiss consul. The extra story was added three years later. The cottage next to the house was built for the miller and his family and was constructed about the same time as the house. Lumber for the houses was cut from the Buffat farm, sawed into timbers and boardsat the Buffat mill, and the structures assembled by neighbors and friends.

The house is now in a sorry state, with the elements and vandals taking their toll. The land and the house is currently for sale with commercial real estate agency SVN, and is being marketed as a potential town home development.

I spoke with Randy Guignard, the owner and potential developer of the site, who assured me that the house will be protected in any development that takes place, and will be incorporated into the project.

One piece of information that Guignard shared that I did not expect, was the site's connection with our very own 1982 World’s Fair. Way back in the woods is the Green Entry Gate from the fair. Nobody that I spoke to knows how it got there.

HALLS

One-woman business serves older folks who need a hand

Al Lesar, Shopper News

Filling in the gaps in an elderly person’s life may not seem significant, but to that person it’s crucial.

That has become Arica Faber’s mission recently.

Faber, a native of Wisconsin, comes from a family of entrepreneurs. Her father started an electrical business in Wisconsin and sold it to Arica’s brother. She and her husband had rental properties in Pigeon Forge. After selling them, she had an Etsy shop making T-shirts in her home.

She and her husband opened a brewery in Hardin Valley. When the couple split, he kept the brewery and she built a house in Halls two years ago.

While on her own, Faber, who has an interior design degree from a school in Wisconsin, recognized a void that she’s now trying to fill.

“There is a need, especially for the elderly, to have someone they can count on to deliver their groceries or their medicine, or to take them to appointments,” Faber said. “A while ago, I visited a lady and she called me ‘A breath of fresh air.’ That got me to thinking about a name for my business.”

From that interaction came the name of the business: Little Ray of Sunshine.

Relationships have surprised

One by-product of the 40-year-old Faber’s regular interaction with older clients has been the relationships she has formed.

“I never dreamed that I would enjoy dealing with my older clients as much as I do,” she said. “I’m not just going to put their groceries down and take off. I’ll sit and talk with them for a while. Sometimes, I’m the only person they’ll see in a week.”

Faber has been flexible in getting her business off the ground. What she does goes way beyond dropping something off or taking clients somewhere.

If her clients want groceries, she will do the shopping and even put them away if she’s asked.

“I’ll make sure their fresh fruit is good and they get everything they want,” Faber said. “The scope of what I do is broad, but whatever I do I’ll bring positivity.”

Adding some light chores

When Faber was picking up a client, the client’s daughter asked if she did any household cleaning. Faber hadn’t really thought about it, but she said she would gladly do light chores like vacuuming or cleaning out a shower.

She has added such things as walking a dog or light yard work. Don’t ask her to mow, though. That’s not going to happen.

“I’ve never mowed the grass,” she said.

She may have hit upon a business that might be considered recession-proof.

“The need that people have is never going to go away,” Faber said. “Once I get a relationship started with a client, they’re going to want me to come back. They like to see a familiar face who knows how they do things.”

Faber said she charges between $18 and $25 an hour, depending on the task.

For more information or to request Faber’s services, call 865-306-3671 or email aricanicole@icloud.com .

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Shopper Blog: Mom's vision becomes business: safe entertainment for the littles