Bill Landry is most known for his southeastern Tennessee drawl as host, narrator and co-producer of “The Heartland Series,” a television production that begun and ran on WBIR for 25 years.
The series brought Landry two Emmy Awards for directing the series and honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree from Lincoln Memorial University. The show also earned the prestigious Iris Award. He also wrote and performs a one-man play “Einstein the Man.”
Landry now has a new title, that of author. In the book, “Appalachian Tales & Heartland Adventures,” Landry recalls stories, tales, and adventures he collected over the years.
He dedicates the book to his wife Becky, who passed away recently.
Landry appeared at the Sunsphere, May 16, to share some of his experiences with a crowd of about 200. The event was organized by retired teachers, Phyllis Garrison and Martha Woodward.
STEM Academy Singers entertained with The National Anthem, America The Beautiful, and other patriotic standards.
Afterwards, Landry and Publisher Jim Johnston held a meet-and-greet where many of the attendees purchased the “Appalachian Tales & Heartland Adventures,” book which Landry and Johnston autographed.
“What is humor?” Landry asked, followed by a number of examples that only he can deliver so well.
He told the story of Delmar Cagle of Townsend. “I was in little Becky’s awhile back and saw Delmar. He’s 72 and still works everyday. Delmar told me, ‘I am going to be a new father. I will be the father of a baby boy. If everything goes well it will be nine months from last Saturday night.’”
The book, Landry says, is something he has been thinking about for 25 years. “It has a hundred stories,” then Landry goes back into storytelling mode, almost as if -well, it IS his nature.
“I want to tell you how I broke my finger. I was doing a story about Buford Strunk. Buford had a dog, a blue-tick hound, that ran through a fence and I ran through it chasing him.”
Landry said he had a hard time explaining when he filed an insurance claim when he dislocated another finger on the job. “I was chasing goats.”
Out comes another story, “A woman called me in a panic. It was cold and all her animals swam to an island in the Clinch River, and she wanted me to get them off because the dogs were attacking her goats. ‘We can’t do much with a camera crew, I told her. ‘But if you can get some people to help we’ll come and film it.’
“She called me back. ‘We got 35 people to help,’ she said. We had 35 people stretched out trying to catch the goats. “We didn’t catch any animals, but Igot a dislocated finger.”
Landry said he learned during “The Heartland Series,” “I found out what it’s like to stick your hand in hole where a catfish lived.”
Landry continues on the circuit peddling stories, but now in written form, in the book, “Appalachian Tales & Heartland Adventures.”
The Sunsphere was the theme structure for the 1982 World’s Fair.
Work began on it in January 1981 and was completed April 1982.
The tower is 192 ft. while the ball is 74 ft.; making a total of 266 ft.
Community Tectonics was the architectural firm that designed it. Rentenbach was the General Contractors.
It cost $6.6 million to construct and install all equipment and furniture.
The tower is 192 ft. while the ball is 74 ft.; making a total of 266 ft. It has never revolved.
The Sunsphere is owned by the city of Knoxville.
It was purchased in 1986 from private investors for $750,000.
The Sunsphere is managed by the Public Building Authority,
and is a part of World’s Fair Park. There are 3 elevators in the Sunsphere; two for passengers, one
known as the service elevator. The round trip takes 3 minutes.
The original elevators had clear doors allowing for viewing of the fair site;
those doors wore out.
The windows have 14 carat gold flecks molded inside the glass panes.
The tower was originally painted a dark blue.
The steel frame is encased in 30,000 tons of concrete.
It is built with the same kind of engineering as a floor lamp; it sways in the wind. There are 8 levels. Levels one, two, and three are “ground levels”.
Levels 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are in the golden ball. Level 4 is known as the Observation Deck. It has a capacity of 68. Level 5 contains kitchen equipment left by Hardee’s. It was previously home to
the Blue Room, and contained blue velvet on the mirrored framed walls until 2009. Level 6 is said to truly give the best view, since the windows are flat. It was used
for the Sunsphere Restaurant and held approximately 130 people. Level 7 was used as office space, and dining. Level 8 was previously home to more Observation. There are 2 restrooms on each floor in the golden ball, and two on level 3.
The Sunsphere is currently being leased from the city by Kinsey-Probasco-Hayes
of Chattanooga.
Sara Spangler is the exclusive booking agent for the 6th floor which is used
for events.
Level 4 is open daily for observation; admission is free.
James Johnston, local writer and owner of Celtic Cat Publishing, was the guest speaker for the Northside Kiwanis Club’s noon meeting at the Foundry on May 9. Johnston told the club members about his book, The Price of Peace, a novel about the effects of the 1998 Peace Agreement signed in Northern Ireland.
James B. Johnston was born a Protestant in East Belfast, Northern Ireland and educated at Grosvenor High, Belfast, and Trinity College, Dublin. In 1972, he married a Catholic from North Belfast and immigrated to Canada in 1974. He eventually moved his family to the United States in 1984 where he was employed by Kimberly Clark. He currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife, Ann.
Johnston said both he and his wife saw the harsh realities of the on-going battle between the Protestants and the Catholics. He said that the 1998 Peace Agreement was a major step forward in returning life in Northern Ireland to a semblance of normality.
With these thoughts in mind, Johnston began to write the book that begins as the Irish, who are weary of death and destruction, are seeking a future full of hope. Although the 1998 Peace Agreement signals the end to thirty violent years of conflict over 3,500 people have died and 40,000 have been injured due to the bitter fighting. “But,” Johnston said, “ as I read the terms of the Agreement, my heart ached for the victims of the conflict. In July 2000, all of the prisoners sentenced for terrorist crimes were released. For some of the victims, this had to be the hardest day of the peace process.”
The main character in the book, Gráinne O’Connor, a widow in her forties, believes the price she has to pay is too high when she sees those who killed her family members set free. In her search for justice, she forms an unlikely alliance that ultimately leads to her arrest. Her subsequent trial sets the stage for the novel’s riveting examination of justice and the role justice plays in the pursuit of peace.
Twelve jurors decide Gráinne’s fate, but by the end of chapter 15 you, the reader, have all the evidence required to make your own judgment. You are encouraged to communicate your verdict by completing the brief survey on a web site. You may then continue reading the novel to find out the jury’s decision.
For more information go to :www.celticcatpublishing.com/
You never know who will show up to Walt Wojnar’s Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club that meets at the Hampton Inn on Pratt Road. Wojnar accomplished something grand last week. He was able to bring Mayor Tim Burchett and the man he ran against in the last election, former sheriff Tim Hutchinson into one room. It was the first time the two had seen each other since they battled it out for the office of mayor. The two gents were cordial and polite and both appeared to have enjoyed the meeting.
Mayor Tim Burchett is holding firm on his belief that we should not raise taxes on citizens who are barely holding on during harsh economic times. It remains to be seen if the Knox County Commission will agree with the mayor or bow down to the requests from the sheriff and school superintendent. Who will win, the government or the people? Do you believe you pay enough taxes? Do you believe the school system is doing such a great job that they all need a huge pay raise? Do you think the money they are asking for will get spent on the children or on administrators?
Congratulations to Sara Spangler, the booking agent at the 6th floor of the Sunsphere for bringing in business to the iconic building. Sara has done a fabulous job working with customers who enjoy using the unique building for weddings, anniversaries, and parties of all sorts. Way to go, Sara. If you want to book the Sunsphere for an event, call 865 363 9538.
Reporter Wes Hall has written a detailed article about the Luncheon for Laughers held at the Sunsphere on Wednesday, May 16 featuring Bill Landry as the guest speaker so I won’t write much about it. Bill did a great job and everyone loved hearing his tales and jokes. Bill is a masterful story teller and a really nice guy. I have been honored to get to know him these past few weeks. Even though he has suffered the great loss of his beloved wife, he kept his promise to perform and he did a wonderful job. For his efforts, he got a parking ticket, but that’s life. Organizers for the event paid the $16.00 ticket, but just goes to show you, there is a huge problem with parking at the Sunsphere; more about that in a later column.
The idea of building a passive solar house made of natural and recycled materials has been around over 60 years, maybe longer. Most recently, this process has been dubbed as “the Earthship.” These structures are designed to exist in harmony with the environment and to be freed from the constraints of modern shelters which rely on centralized utilities.
It is important that the Earthship is “off the grid” meaning that it creates its own utilities as well as uses readily available and sustainable materials. In order to be entirely self-sufficient the Earthships need to be able to handle three systems — water, electricity, and climate while minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels. These homes are primarily constructed to stand alone and are generally made of earth-filled tires with both inside and outside walls made of glass bottles and aluminum cans filled with sand. This method uses thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature.
One company that designs and markets these structures is Earthship Biotecture of Taos, New Mexico. The homes are built to the specifications of the owners and can be placed in any country in the world. Many homes are built by digging into the earth making at least one wall underground.
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The roof of an Earthship is heavily insulated – often with two layers of four inch poly-iso insulation – for energy efficiency. Some of the structures also have grass on the roofs. Soil and grass are insulators and there will never been a need to replace expensive roofing materials. No nails or shingles needed and the roof can be mowed for maintenance.
According to Wikipedia, When Mike Reynolds, founder of Earthship Biotecture, designed the first Earthships, he had 3 goals in mind. First, the homes would be built of sustainable architecture, using material indigenous to the entire planet as well as recycled materials wherever possible. Second, the homes would rely on natural energy sources and be independent from the “grid”, therefore being less susceptible to natural disasters and free from the electrical and water lines that Reynolds considered unsightly and wasteful. Finally, it would be economically feasible for the average person with no specialized construction skills to be able to create.
Although other materials can be used to build the Earthships, the rammed-earth tire is part of the definition of an Earthship. Unlike other materials, rammed-earth tires are more accessible to the average person. Scrap tires are ubiquitous around the world and easy to come by; there are an estimated 2 billion tires throughout the United States. As of 1996, as many as 253 million scrap tires were being generated each year in the United States, with 70% being reclaimed by the scrap tire market leaving perhaps 75 million scrap tires available for use. “Rammed-earth tires” are tires that have been filled with sand that was pounded tightly into them with hammers.
Currently, Earthships are in use in almost every state in the United States, as well as many countries in Europe. Their popularity and use of inexpensive materials has inspired many to build their own homes as well. With soaring costs from TVA, more and more citizens are searching for a way to get off the grid. Will Earthships be the answer?
For many years, leaders in Knoxville have struggled with the issue of chronic homelessness. Millions of dollars have been spent on the problem. The 10 Year Plan was hailed as the final answer, but it fizzled out after about four years. Thousands of people in this area work on helping the homeless year round, but, so far, we have only removed a few hundred from streets and from the rolls of the chronic homeless.
No one wants anyone to be homeless, yet we are quick to judge those who are homeless. Many think that the homeless people need to just get a job, or just clean up, or just try harder. But who wants to give the homeless jobs or provide them a place where they can clean up or help teach them how to make better decisions?
We are left with people like Martha Queen, 36, a graduate of Karns High School. With a name like Queen, you would think her life has been more regal, but daily life for this woman has been anything but royal.
Let’s look at Martha Queen’s life and I ask this community, Are we going to allow her to slip into homelessness?
Martha Queen will be the first to admit that she has not always made the best choices. She fell in with the wrong crowd and spent several years of her life strung out on drugs. It took going to jail for 6 months to make her decide that she had to make some big changes or she would be spending her life behind bars. She kicked her drug habit, but lost most of her teeth because of using crystal meth. She swears she has been clean and sober for 8 years. She has worked a variety of jobs, mostly at fast food restaurants, but she has also cleaned motel rooms and done prep work. She has also cleaned houses “on the side.”
Most recently she had a full time job at a fast food restaurant that was located on her bus line. She was able to save up and pay the first and last month’s rent on a one bedroom apartment. Someone gave her some new clothes. Someone else gave her a blender and a mixer and she even had a radio. She loved nothing more than to come home from work and take a bath in her own tub. She wants to be independent.
According to her, a few weeks after living in her new place, she met a young man on the bus. She said that he began talking to her and telling her that she is cute. He was soon visiting her and telling her he loved her. Before she knew it, he had moved in with her. She worked while he hung out at her place on her couch playing video games and watching TV. He kept promising her he would get a job, but he didn’t. She paid the bills and he hung out . She knew it was not a good deal for her, but she didn’t want to be alone.
One day when she came home from work she learned that her boyfriend had stolen a $3 beer from the store that is about 100 feet from her front door. He was caught and the police were called. He was arrested and transported to jail, but was soon released. Three days later, she got the news that her apartment was on fire. Once again, the police were called and the boyfriend was arrested. Even though he had no apparent reason to set her apartment on fire, he was placed in jail where he remains to this date.
After the fire, the Red Cross provided her with a motel room for 3 nights; she has received no further assistance. She does not drive and depends on the bus for her main mode of transportation.
A few days after the fire, she lost her job. Apparently, Queen had been overly emotional at work and was not concentrating on her job. Queen thinks this is very unfair as she had been a good employee for over a year.
Queen’s case is typical. Just as she got herself up on her feet, a poor decision pulled her back into a deep, deep hole.
Currently she is living with the boyfriend’s mother who is charging her $50 a week for the use of the boyfriend’s old room. Queen knows she will have to return to the Mission, a place she has stayed before, since she can not afford to keep going in debt for the rent.
Martha Queen needs teeth—something that will cost approximately $950. She needs a full-time, long-term job in the North Knoxville area of town and she needs affordable housing.
What will you do to keep this woman from falling into homelessness?
Please contact me at
Sunspherebook@aol.comor call me at 865 951 0319 and let’s give this woman a start in a new life (without the boyfriend).
(I am not asking anything of you that I did not ask of myself. I have known Martha Queen for over a year and have often hired her to clean my house and do other “odd“ jobs such as mowing grass and clipping weeds. Since her recent problem, I have hired her more frequently. I’ve given her clothes and food and contacted others who have hired her to do jobs for them. Martha Queen does not want handouts. She prefers to work and has a lot of energy and good skills. She is an excellent house cleaner and make extra efforts to make things look great. She will show up on time and stay late. She deserves a hand up. Who will help?)
Budgets, budgets, budgets—-that is all I am hearing this week. Those in charge of our government are burning the midnight oil seeking ways to spend the hard earned money we taxpayers have to give them. Let’s hope they hold the line on raising taxes and find some ways to cut spending. Many thanks to Mayor Rogero who didn’t raising taxes.
Where were you in 1982? As we begin the month of May we think back to 1982 when “the world came to Knoxville.” I have been attending celebrations and receptions around town this week and think there will be more of those this year. Where did 30 years go?
Open House at the Sunsphere on Tuesday with Sara Spangler and her team, George and Chad. Sara is the exclusive booking agent for the Sunsphere. She is doing a great job. If anyone wants to host a party, a reception or have a delightful event on the 6th floor of the Sunsphere, call 865 363 9538 and Sara can make it happen.
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veryone is invited to the: Sunsphere’s 30thBirthday Party. Bill Landry will be the featured speaker for the fun event. Join Bill for a delicious picnic lunch with lots of cold iced tea. Listen as he entertains you with ONLY humorous stories he has heard along the way during his last 30 years in journalism.
11:00 a.m. until 1 p.m., Wednesday May 16, 2012
You will have plenty of time to talk to Bill.
Sunsphere’s 6th floor $16 per ticket Or table of 8 for $120
Buy your ticket on line by e mailing Sunsphere book@aol.com or over the phone by calling 865 951 0319. Make check payable to Sunsphere Account and mail to 939 Chickamauga Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
I interviewed Bill Landry this week and he told me a funny story—-a short one. A man came to an event where Bill was the speaker and at some point, when he met Bill, Landry asked, “How are you?”
The man answered, “Bill, I am doing great. As a matter of fact, I am 70 years old and just found out that I am going to be a father.”
“Wow!” replied Bill. “That is amazing. So you just found out you are going to be a dad?”
“Yes, said the man. “If all goes well, the baby will be born 9 months from this next Saturday night.”
har·bin·ger Spelled[hahr-bin-jer] noun Anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign: Frost is a harbinger of winter.
Johnathan Cahn, the author of the new book Harbinger, is known for teaching about the prophetic, deep mysteries of God’s word. He is the leader of Hope of the World ministries, an outreach group dedicating the spreading God’s word throughout the world. He also leads one of the largest congregations in the nation, the Jerusalem Center / Beth Israel in Wayne, New Jersey, a worship center made of Jew and Gentile and people of all backgrounds.
According to his web site, it was during the devastation of the 9-ll attacks that Rabbi Cahn was given an understanding of what harbingers meant to America through Isaiah 9:10, and the uncanny parallel this attack has to events in 8th century Israel.
Cahn says before God judges a nation, He sends warnings. Just as he sent nine omens to ancient Israel, the attacks of 9/11 were a warning, and like ancient Israel, if the nation ignores God’s warning there will be dire consequences. Cahn says. Harbinger means “warning.”
In his book Rabbi Cahn tells of the supernatural connection between ancient Israel and America. There are nine harbingers of what happens after the first attack if the nation refuses to return to God. The judgments are progressive, with periods of normalcy in-between, but continue if there is no national repentance. The First Harbinger: The Breach. On 9-11, America’s hedge of protection was removed – the breach of America’s security, and was a sign that God has lifted His protective hand. The Second Harbinger: The Terrorist. The attack on America was carried out by terrorists, people of the Middle East. The Third Harbinger: The Fallen Bricks. The most visible signs of the attack on ancient Israel were that of the fallen buildings and the ruin heaps of fallen bricks; same for 9-11. The Fourth Harbinger: The Tower. The towers are what fell on 9-11. The Fifth Harbinger: The Gazit Stone. The Israelites carve out quarried stone from mountain rock and brought it back to the ground of destruction where clay bricks once stood. Three years after 9/11, a stone was quarried out of the mountain rock of New York. This massive stone was brought back to Ground Zero. The Sixth Harbinger: The Sycamore. The attack on ancient Israel resulted in the striking down of the sycamore tree, a biblical sign of national judgment, of uprooting, a warning and, in ignoring the warning, it becomes a prophecy of judgment. On 9/11, as the North Tower fell it sent debris and wreckage which struck and uprooted an object – a sycamore tree growing at Ground Zero. The tree was made into a symbol and named The Sycamore of Ground Zero. The Seventh Harbinger: The Erez Tree. In their defiance of God, the Israelites replace the fallen sycamore with a Cedar tree. The cedar, being stronger than the sycamore becomes a symbol of the nation’s hope. In November of 2003, a cedar tree was lowered at the corner of Ground Zero into the soil where the fallen sycamore once stood. The Eight Harbinger: The Utterance. The utterance of the prophecy had to take place publicly, which happened on Sept 11, 2004 when VP candidate John Edwards, giving a speech in the capital city, quoted this exact scripture word for word in Wash., DC. Without realizing it, he was joining the two nations together and pronouncing judgment on America and binding the ancient and the modern worlds together. The Ninth Harbinger: The Prophecy. The Ninth Harbinger is the proclaiming of the ancient vow as prophecy, as a matter of public record, and spoken before the words come true. On Sept 12, 2001, the day after 9/11, America issued its official response to the attack. The one in charge of issuing the response was Tom Daschle, Senate Majority Leader. As he closes his speech he made a declaration and proclaimed the ancient vow of defiance, word for word, to the world. By doing so he prophesies the nation’s future course, all of which may to pass.
The Harbinger is currently 57 out of the 100 best selling books in America. Readers are comparing it to the Da Vinci Code and The Shack.
It has been 30 years since the 1982 World’s Fair took place in Knoxville. Many look back on it as a magical time “when the world came to Knoxville.” All in all, it was a good thing for the city and most people have fond memories of Expo ‘82. Celebrations of the event are planned for the upcoming months.
Bill Landry visited the Sunsphere and World’s Fair Park on May 1st in preparation for an upcoming event to be held on Wednesday, May 16 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in which he is the featured speaker. Tickets are on sale for $16 each or $120 for a table of 8.
Landry was on hand to be interviewed for an upcoming special to be aired on Community Televisiion of Knoxville. Channel 12 Comcast and Charter and Channel 6 for Knology.
Landry said that he worked at the fair as an actor. “I was a fake captain on a riverboat,” he said. He worked on one of the barges that took guests on a ride up the river to points of interest. Landry said that he gave a lecture 4 to 6 times a day about the history along the river to a group of approximately 75 that was seated inside the barge in a theatre.
He said that he remembered working long hours and that it was hot, very hot. “There was no air-conditioning on the barge and that summer was one of the hottest on record,” he said. Landry said that he did visit the fairgrounds and view the exhibits, the pavilions, and watch the parade, but, he was so tired every day from the work and the heat that all he wanted to do when his shift ended was to go home and rest.
Landry was employed by TVA and spent two years after the fair closed traveling the river visiting ports of call all along the way. He said that it was during those years that he met many of the people who would later become topics for shows on the Heartland Series.
Landry said that he always knew he would write a book because his life had been full of stories. As a writer, actor, speaker and entertainer in general, Landry said that he was always looking for the story. Working on the Heartland Series provided him with the opportunity to hear thousands of stories—mysteries, comedies, ghost, historic and the ones“told to him as the truth.” Landry’s book, Appalachian Tales & Heartland Adventures includes:
100 of Bill’s favorite stories, people and adventures
175 pictures
200 pages
Available in hard ($49) or soft copy ($27)
10 X 9 inches
Landry said that he has been pleased with the success of his book and plans to write a second book.
Tickets for the event on May 16 can be purchased by calling 865 951 0319. Make checks payable to Sunsphere Account and mail to Landry Luncheon, 939 Chickamauga Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
Budgets, budgets, budgets—-that is all I am hearing this week. Those in charge of our government are burning the midnight oil seeking ways to spend the hard earned money we taxpayers have to give them. Let’s hope they hold the line on raising taxes and find some ways to cut spending. Many thanks to Mayor Rogero who didn’t raising taxes.
Where were you in 1982? As we begin the month of May we think back to 1982 when “the world came to Knoxville.” I have been attending celebrations and receptions around town this week and think there will be more of those this year. Where did 30 years go?
Open House at the Sunsphere on Tuesday with Sara Spangler and her team, George Parks and Chad Brooks. Sara is the exclusive booking agent for the Sunsphere. She is doing a great job. If anyone wants to host a party, a reception or have a delightful event on the 6th floor of the Sunsphere, call 865 363 9538 and Sara can make it happen.
Everyone is invited to the: Sunsphere’s 30thBirthday Party. Bill Landry will be the featured speaker for the fun event. Join Bill for a delicious picnic lunch with lots of cold iced tea. Listen as he entertains you with ONLY humorous stories he has heard along the way during his last 30 years in journalism.
11:00 a.m. until 1 p.m., Wednesday May 16, 2012
You will have plenty of time to talk to Bill.
Sunsphere’s 6th floor $16 per ticket Or table of 8 for $120
Buy your ticket on line by e mailing Sunsphere book@aol.com or over the phone by calling 865 951 0319. Make check payable to Sunsphere Account and mail to 939 Chickamauga Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917
I interviewed Bill Landry this week and he told me a funny story—-a short one. A man came to an event where Bill was the speaker and at some point, when he met Bill, Landry asked, “How are you?”
The man answered, “Bill, I am doing great. As a matter of fact, I am 70 years old and just found out that I am going to be a father.”
“Wow!” replied Bill. “That is amazing. So you just found out you are going to be a dad?”
“Yes, said the man. “If all goes well, the baby will be born 9 months from this next Saturday night.”
