Ellington

It’s that time again, the season when football begins to trump almost everything else! In Chattanooga, all eyes are on UTC’s much-anticipated conference opener against defending champion Appalachian State, as well as the weekly frays leading up to the team’s homecoming tussle with Georgia Southern on October 16. Besides some culinary tips for your next tailgating extravaganza, you’ll find in this issue interviews with UTC Chancellor Roger Brown and Athletic Director Rick Hart, who are among the architects most frequently lauded for UTC’s remarkable recent success. Our spread highlights ten of the stunning achievements that make the school one of the best in the Southeast.

Also inside, you’ll find a preview of Chattanooga’s first-ever RiverRocks—a 10-day event we think is destined to become one of the nation’s biggest, best and cleanest outdoor celebrations. The family-friendly festival often referred to by the founders as “play with a purpose” will begin on October 1, when 20 colorful hot air balloons anchored in Coolidge Park will beckon to fun-loving guests and passersby. Live music, river cruises and more than 100 individual activities ranging from paddling and pedaling to hiking and hang gliding are planned by proponents who want everyone to get out, get fit, and have fun while celebrating the Tennessee Valley’s incomparable natural resources!

Fortuitously coinciding with RiverRocks, the venerable 3 Sisters festival typically draws nationally famous groups performing bluegrass and folk music to Chattanooga. The two-day concert has been called “a gift to the city from Fletcher Bright,” who is profiled inside. For this issue, we also chatted with good neighbors Frank Burke and Lynda Hood. Frank, the owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts, is chairman of the Gourmet Gala fundraiser this November that supports the March of Dimes. Lynda, who kicked up her heels recently in the local version of “Dancing with the Stars” to help raise funds for The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, sits with other community leaders on the Chancellor’s Roundtable at UTC.

Thank you for your wonderful comments about our August issue. The feature highlighting local merchants was so complimented that we are already planning a sequel! And your reaction to our zoo section was also especially gratifying. Thank you for spending time with Chatter, and we hope you will enjoy this issue, too!