By Ann Henley Perry

A fresh arrangement of flowers is a delight to the senses. It beckons a smile from its admirers and is sure to brighten even the dreariest of days. Lookout Mountain resident Jessi Cook is an accomplished floral artist and, as such, has brightened many days. Her talents grace tables and parties throughout Chattanooga, as well as the arms of little girls attending daddy/ daughter dances.

Jessi hails from Huntington, W.Va. In the late 1990s, she attended Covenant College, where she met her wonderful husband, Andrew Cook. They have been married for 18 years and have spent the majority of their married life on Lookout Mountain. Jessi and Andrew have three precious children. Bennett, 12, is a sixth grader at Chattanooga Christian School. His younger siblings, Hudson, 10, and Finley, 5, attend Lookout Mountain School where they are in fourth grade and kindergarten, respectively.

When asked how her love for arranging flowers began, Jessi elaborated, “I have always loved flowers but began to develop a greater interest in actually working with them and learning the art of arranging soon after I was married. In 2003, I had the opportunity to begin working with a local florist on weddings. I began as her assistant, and, several years later, I became her business partner. Eventually, she decided to phase out of the business, so I continued on my own until my husband’s job took us away from Chattanooga in 2008. Thankfully, we had the opportunity to move back to Lookout in 2012, with two young children and another on the way! During the early years of having young children at home, I put the business aside and merely worked on flowers for enjoyment and fun. Nonetheless, as my youngest approached kindergarten last year, I decided it was time to start experimenting with stepping back into the business again, and I am so glad that I have!”

Boxwood Designs is in full swing now, and is quite popular. While Jessi enjoys creating arrangements for weddings, she most loves creating designs for parties, birthdays, anniversaries and special events. For several years, Jessi has created special wrist corsages for young ladies attending the Oneida Club’s Father- Daughter Dance. “I also love being able to work with a client on an individual basis in order to create something that reflects their personal style and taste,” Jessi said.
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With such tremendous talent literally at her fingertips, Jessi is available for events of all sizes, big or small. Her pricing is specific to the event and the particular flowers that are used. Jessi enjoys putting forth her best work while working within the guidelines of her client’s individual budget.
Contact Jessi at (423) 503-8103 or email her at jessicook1208@gmail.com
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By MaryHadley Ozburn

Friday night football game: bright lights glaring, pep band playing that familiar school song, fans with painted faces sporting team colors, and lots of excitement in the air. No matter the sport, the weather, or the spread, there’s one thing you can be sure to count on every single game: the cheerleaders. They are present, always smiling, always spreading cheer. And, along with those cheerleaders, you’re guaranteed to find a slew of little fans, their faces pressed to the fence, watching the cheerleaders’ every move. Is it the iridescent pom-poms pumping in the air, or the comforting repetition of that familiar cheer, or maybe the infectious radiance of positivity that blankets the crowd? No matter what you think it is, there’s just something about those cheerleaders!

The Lookout Mountain Recreation Department provides plenty of opportunities for kids’ sports, but Lauren Caldwell, mom to three at Lookout Mountain School and former high school cheerleading coach, noticed something missing. Consequently, in the fall of 2017 she approached LMS Principal Ruth White about starting a cheerleading program at the elementary school. Mrs. White enthusiastically agreed and said, “[The cheerleaders] have become an asset to LMS, providing spirit to encourage us all; the youngsters look up to them as role models. I love having them!”

Inviting third, fourth, and fifth graders from LMS, Lauren received an overwhelming response that first year, with 20 girls signing up. “The first year was kind of a trial year for cheerleading. I knew there was interest from parents and students, but I didn’t know how eager so many participants would be.”

The program started as a kind of club, with the squad cheering at school spirit days and kicking off PTA General Membership meetings; however, the more the group preformed, the more requests there were for participation in other events. Lauren realized there was a lot more potential in what the girls could do. In preparation for the 2018 recreation league sports season, the squad learned several sideline chants, new cheers, and even a half time stunt routine. The girls debuted their fresh act at the Falcons vs. Giants regular season flag football game, and the crowd was abuzz with accolades.

Hannah Montgomery, fifth grade student at LMS, played in that game for the Giants and was one of six girls who participated in the co-ed league. At half time, Hannah left the huddle to join her crew as they performed the cheer and stunt they’d been practicing. Hannah’s mom cheered on the sidelines as her daughter fought to grab flags, then rushed to provide background support as the girls executed the stunt. “I love that children her age get to experience several different sports to decide what they really enjoy,” said Hannah’s mother, Caralisa.

The debut sparked even more interest from spectators and youngsters alike. Kristy Presley, a Lookout Mountain, Ga., resident, said that there are several families on the mountain who travel elsewhere for rec league cheerleading. Presley said, “it would be great to have that opportunity close to home,” and it would provide a chance for everyone to participate through the mountain rec league. While providing cheerleading as a rec league sport on the mountain is still in the works, Nelson Williams, rec board president, said that he sees great potential for this to become a popular addition to the program.

Lauren says that the time she volunteers to work with these girls is rewarded when the parents report how much fun their daughters are having. She sees marked improvement in the second-year girls and “enjoys seeing them develop into natural leaders.” While she intended the program to serve as “a fun introduction to cheerleading as a sport,” she is thrilled with the team building lessons the girls have learned and is happy to have brought light to a sport that hasn’t been recognized on the mountain in the past.
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Though the lure may be the thrill of fancy new uniforms and sparkly pom-poms or the fun of being with friends and getting to tumble and yell, the more important lesson lies in learning to encourage others when it’s hard to remember the motions or your team is struggling. The sport is more than shining on the sidelines; these girls are learning the importance of spreading positivity in the classroom, in our homes, and on into the community.

By Haven Glascock and Kim Glascock

If you are looking for a mountain getaway, consider spending the day exploring the quaint town of Blue Ridge, Ga. Only two hours away, this town has a wonderful apple orchard, unique shops, good restaurants, and the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

Located on Blue Ridge Drive, Mercier Orchards has been in business since 1943. The family-owned business not only sells apples but also offers free samples, so you can choose the perfect variety for your taste buds. Fresh, homemade fried pies, apple cider donuts, and breads are baked daily. You’ll find a variety of ciders, as well as other local produce. You can also find many gift items at this spot. We made a few purchases and nothing disappointed.

The town of Blue Ridge is delightful. The main street offers over 30 shops and 10 restaurants. One of the more unique shops (and there are many!) includes Canoe. All of its goods are made in Georgia by local artisans. You’ll find original designer jewelry and leather goods, among other things.

Heading down the street, we stopped at a family-owned shop called Qinti. The owner is from Peru and offers all things Peruvian, ranging from Alpaca sweaters to woven scarves, ponchos, and purses. Kim bought a unique sweater at an affordable price. This shop also carries a special line of sterling jewelry that is 950 grade, the highest available in sterling.

A special shop for all ages is Huck’s General Store. Barrels are filled with old time favorites such as Cow Tales, Double Bubble, and Peanut Butter Bars, those little striped bars we remember from our childhoods. The cooler is stocked with Nesbit, Orange Crush, and just about any soft drink produced in the 50’s and 60’s. Huck’s offers a large selection of jigsaw puzzles, as well as gift items and toys. The owner told us that each year, Blue Ridge becomes more and more popular. In fact, a Hampton Inn will be opening there in the near future.

After all of our shopping, lunch was in order. We headed to Harvest on Main, which is known for using local farmers and suppliers whenever possible. Danny Mellman, one of the founders, spent 25 years at the Greenhouse Grill on Captiva Island, Fla., before becoming a “halfback” and settling in North Georgia with his partner, Michele Moran. The menu features soups, salads, sandwiches and plates. We tried the three-onion and apple soup with croutons and smoked Gouda, a French onion soup with a twist. The apples gave it a lighter taste. We will likely order it again!

Blue Ridge also is the home of the Scenic Railway, which follows the Toccoa River. The relaxing ride winds along the beautiful river for an hour, with a two-hour layover in the quaint sister towns of McCaysville, Ga., and Copperhill, Tenn. Folks on the train have a chance to stretch their legs, have a wonderful lunch, peruse antiques or walk across the old bridge in town to view the river. Check out the website for schedule and details at www.brscenic.com, or call (877) 413-8724.

You will find plenty of outdoor activities, as well. The Toccoa River is considered by many to be the best trout fishing spot in all of Georgia. You can hire a guide for a float trip or wade trip. There is also a canoe trail.
Check out Blue Ridge on one of your day trips. If you like it, consider renting a cabin and staying for a night or two. It is a great mountain town!

By Rusty Crump ​​
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The sixth annual Lookout Wild Film Festival will be presented from January 24 -27 at the Tivoli Theatre. This event focuses on nature films and documentaries, showing the beauty of nature all over the world, as well as in our own backyard. It actually was conceived in our own back yard, in the middle of the night.

“My son was born in 2012, and I remember he didn’t sleep much that first year, and so I was up with him most of the night. When you’re holding a little infant, you don’t really want to watch anything too violent. So I was checking around on Netflix and Vimeo, and I was seeing a lot of the nature films and outdoor adventure conservation documentaries. Some friends and I then began kicking around the idea of doing some events for Chattanooga that would be centered on the outdoors and decided to give this festival a try,” Festival Director Andy Johns said.

The goal of the festival is basically to make this a good weekend for folks in Chattanooga. The festival’s creators love Chattanooga and were searching for a way to give back. The Lookout Wild Film Festival began as a small event with only a few hundred participants. Over a few years, it has evolved into a vibrant showcase of what are arguably the best nature films in existence.

“Our first year was Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and we had about 300 people in those three days, and this past year we had almost 4,000 people attend. Turns out there’s a whole lot of outdoorsy people in Chattanooga, and we’d like to see them come out in January to swap stories and watch films,” Mr. Johns said.
There are submissions from 38 countries for the 2019 event, including Slovenia, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Costa Rica, Peru, and South Africa, among others. And quite a few from the U.S.

“So, this year we have 8,209 minutes of film, 136 hours of films, that have come in, and I think we’re going to pick about 16 hours-worth of films, give or take. We only choose the best of the best, and there are a lot of films that won’t make it, just because we can’t take 80 to 85 percent of the films,” Mr. Johns said.

All of the films in the competition are memorable, but some stand out more than others. “There are about three or four that stand out to me. One was about kayakers going down the Congo River. It was the first time some of those rapids had ever been run. Another one was called the “Dodo’s Delight,” and it was about these rock climbers that sail up to one of the islands up in far northern Canada. They go climbing on the rocks, but it was about their sailing adventure, in addition to the climbing itself,” Mr. Johns said.

This event seems to change how some people view nature films and nature in general. “Every year, there will be at least a couple of people who come up and say, ‘I’m not outdoorsy, my boyfriend or girlfriend dragged me here, and I didn’t know what it was all about, but we’re staying the rest of the weekend because we really enjoyed it. I had no idea that was what it.’” Mr. Johns said.

So, even if you’re dragging your feet, come check out a little bit of the Lookout Wild Film Festival, but be forewarned: you’ll probably stay for all of it.

Ticket information and more can be found at lookoutfilmfestival.org.

By Tish Gailmard

Do you know a woman who needs an outdoor adventure? Here’s an opportunity to nominate her for an exciting trip. Danielle Wolter Nolan and Kate Nolan of DNK Presents host an unprecedented event each year, the Live Adventurously, Women’s Adventure Giveaway. This event is a chance for people to nominate a woman in their lives who may win a customized extended backcountry adventure weekend guided by outdoor pros Danielle and Kate.

This trip takes four women off the grid for four days, which means cell phones are taken away! Danielle and Kate will select the adventure activities that may include backpacking, mountain biking, rappelling, bouldering, zip lining, paddling or another thrilling experience.

“Growing our company since 2014, we’ve focused on women’s empowerment and getting more women and girls into the outdoors. On our women’s only adventures, we noticed that many women were having breakthrough moments and surprising themselves, saying things such as, ‘I never thought I could carry everything I needed for the weekend on my back, make fire, filter my own water and have a blast doing it!’ We saw women go on to summit mountains, ask for raises at work and do other amazing things. We noticed these outdoor experiences weren’t just fun and educational, but empowering, showing women they could do much more than they thought they could, and they got to meet other amazing women who enjoyed the outdoors, as well,” Kate said.

“We decided it would be cool to give back in some way for women in our community, since their stories and experiences had greatly inspired so many. We knew many women ourselves who we wanted to share an adventure with, and every time we spoke about our adventures, women would mention, ‘So-and-so needs to do this but she can’t because of X’ (insert some excuse here). This is what brought the idea of a nomination based giveaway - we found everyone knows someone who could use an adventure in her life,” Danielle added.

The duo also produced an award-winning documentary film, “Live Adventurously” that follows the four women who won the inaugural Women’s Adventure Giveaway. You can see the trailer and learn more about the event on the website www.liveadventurouslyfilm.com.

Reflection Riding recently hosted an outdoor viewing of this film that left the women who were featured feeling more empowered, excited and more knowledgeable of the outdoors and of themselves. It’s good to step outside your comfort zone and push yourself a little, and these women definitely did that!

For 2019, DNK Presents opened the giveaway to women in and outside the Chattanooga area. Anyone in Tennessee, areas of North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama are welcome to nominate a woman they know who could use an adventure in her life. The winners of the giveaway will need to provide transportation to and from Chattanooga for the weekend of the trip May 16-19, 2019, as well as on one or two dates prior to the weekend trip.

Have someone in mind? From January 1 through February 28, 2019, you can nominate a deserving woman. The Nolans recommend nominating a woman who is overworked, a selfless individual, a busy parent, has overcome an obstacle in her life, or has always wanted to try something new in the outdoors, for example. This adventure will provide women with self-discovery, empowerment and confidence so they can see how truly amazing they are!

Nominees must be able to: carry at least 35 pounds on their backs; ride a bicycle (basic); give up their phone/technology for four days; live in the woods for four days with little to no modern amenities; try new things. Go to www.dnkpresents.com to share your nominee’s story for a chance to win a life changing, wild, adventurous weekend!