Don your Halloween duds and get ready for some high-flying family fun on October 26 (rain date October 27) from noon to 6 p.m., when the skies at the 33-acre Sculpture Fields will be filled with colossal and colorful kites, stunt kites and Rokkaku battle kites at the Spooktacular Sculptures in the Sky event. Sculpture Fields is partnering with River City Kites for this free event, which takes place at the park, 1800 Polk St., which turns off of Main Street on the Southside.

In addition to kites, visitors will enjoy music, activities, a costume parade, local food trucks and a beer tent. Public figures will be battling it out from above with Rokkaku fighting kites.
 Some kites will be massive, spanning 20 feet and so large they must be anchored to the ground. Kids will be able to race parachute-like kites (bols) in what fliers call Running with the Bols. Visitors also will be able to make or purchase their own kites. 

For further information, please contact at anne@sculpturefields.org or (423)266-7288 or go to sculpturefields.org.

Sculpture Fields is helping transform Chattanooga’s Southside and is making a noticeable difference in the entire community. The international sculpture park includes nearly 50 monumental-scale sculptures, almost two nmiles of walking paths and 100 trees in its Commemorative Forest. The park also hosts school tours and weekend events such as artist demonstrations, yoga, kite flying demonstrations, music and dance performances.   

By Taylor Hixson

On your bark, get set, GO! The Humane Educational Society is hosting the 17th annual Paws in the Park on Saturday, October 19, at Ross’s Landing. The annual fundraiser is Chattanooga’s largest community dog walk and dog/human costume contest. Proceeds from the Halloween themed festival provide education and outreach to the community, medical services for needy and neglected animals, humane investigations, shelter for homeless animals, and strong adoption programs, ensuring all animals adopted will have safe and loving forever homes.

Hundreds of animal lovers will gather at Ross’s Landing to make a difference for the animals at HES. Paws in the Park attendees can choose to support HES by walking solo or with their own canine companion. For animal lovers without a dog of their own, HES offers shelter dogs to rent for the day. Paws in the Park “Rent-A-Dogs” have a blast getting a break from the shelter and participating in the day’s activities. Many will find their forever home by the end of the day.

Participants are encouraged to preregister for “Chattanooga’s most Spooktacular Dog Walk” to be guaranteed an event T-shirt for themselves and an event bandana for their pet. Walk-up registration begins at 10 a.m. Before and after the walk, guests can enjoy vendors, food trucks, adoptable dogs and more. At 11 a.m., participants will gather at the balloon arch for a ribbon cutting to signify the start of the walk. The scenic walk route takes two- and four-legged participants down portions of the Riverwalk, under the Walnut Street Bridge and through the art district. The walk route leads supporters back to Ross’s Landing for an afternoon full of fun festivities.

After the dog walk, one of the most anticipated events of the day takes place: the dog/human costume contest, which is free to enter. Dozens of pet owners come out to participate in the competition. Past event costumes range from well-known characters to one-of-a-kind costumes that are both frightening and funny. Prizes will be awarded for best dog/kid costume, best dog costume, and best adult/dog costume. If your dog does not have a costume, don’t fret. You can still participate in the competition as a spectator and cheer on your favorite outfits of the day.

The Paws in the Park Halloween festivities will wrap up with the “Tennis Ball Toss,” and attendees can purchase tennis balls for $1 each. Participants write their names on each of their tennis balls and line up to throw them. Maggie, a HES alumni and local therapy dog, will choose the winners by retrieving the balls. If Maggie selects a ball with your name on it, you win a prize. “We are so honored to have adopted Maggie from HES. Being the awesome fetch dog that she is, Maggie gets to fetch the balls and help decide the winners. She can’t wait!” says Kathy Mindel, Maggie’s owner. A wide variety of prizes will be given out during the event, from tickets to the Tennessee Aquarium to pet accessories and more.
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Paws in the Park is a fun way for the whole family to celebrate the fall season and Halloween with their four-legged friends while making a difference for shelter pets. Whether you participate in the dog walk or dress up for the costume competition, you do not want to miss this day of fun. Either way, do not miss the PAW-TY! Registration is open now at heschatt.org.

Support Chattanooga Crime Stoppers at the Jail and Bail Fundraiser on Friday, October 18, at Waterhouse Pavilion. Sixteen elected officials will be “arrested” and remain behind bars until they post bail. Each “inmate’s” bond is set at $2,500. 

Who will make it out first? 

It is up to you to decide! Show your support for our law enforcement by bailing an “inmate” out of “jail!”
Chattanooga Crime Stoppers encourages members of the community to assist the Chattanooga Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.

Crime Stoppers provides a telephone number and tips to encourage community members to volunteer vital information helpful to law enforcement agencies to fight crime. Tipsters can remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 if the information given leads to an arrest. For more information, go to chattanooga.gov/police-department/crime-stoppers.

Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers by calling (423) 698-3333.

By Gwin Tugman

“The Queen Who Banished Bugs,” a children’s’ book written by Ferris Robinson and illustrated by her mother, Mary Ferris Kelly, is a keeper. It entertains from beginning to end! Mean and selfish Queen Libertine rules the kingdom of Dunce (as well as King Claude) with a ruthless iron hand. (Ferris denies her family’s claim that the book is autobiographical.) When she is surveying her perfect fields, a hapless sweat bee has the unfortunate luck of landing on the queen’s heel. Properly irritated, Queen Libertine demands that the whole insect kingdom is exterminated. With no pollinators to fertilize the blossoms, there is no more coffee, tea, peaches, strawberries, watermelon, almonds or any of the queen’s other favorite foods. Imagine this dame without coffee.

Can timid King Claude figure out how to save the day?

This timeless story of the importance of pollinators is told in charming rhyming text, and the illustrations are incredible. Whimsical, they also have lots of edgy subtleties. If you notice very carefully, you’ll see the queen’s dress has unhappy smiley faces on it, but by the end of the book, the sad frowns have turned upside down!

It is easy to see why Mary came out of “semi-retirement” to paint these incredible illustrations; the story line just screamed for her unique and wonderful talent. As you look at each drawing, you’ll notice even more details than you did the time before.

Once I started reading the book, I couldn’t put it down. It is just so clever in the way it teaches a wonderful lesson: Insects are important.
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When my granddaughter, Charlotte, and I read the story to her brother, Jack, he “ooohed and aaahed” over the pretty pictures. Charlotte said, “Is it true, Gigi, that bees are good?” Her question, of course, opened up a whole lot of discussion. There is a wonderful tutorial at the end of the book about how pollinators help us survive, reinforcing the book’s invaluable lesson. If you’d like to download a free pollinator poster about how to attract these important pollinators to your corner of the world, go to ferrisrobinson.com.

By Sonia Young

When I received “An Empire Divided” by Billy Parker, I immediately noticed what a beautiful book it is. Billy and I have been friends since we attended Normal Park Elementary School, so I was prepared to like this new book about the Atlanta and Chattanooga family dynasties from the early days of Coca Cola. I was not, however, prepared to be so impressed by this book, nor to find it so very interesting, engaging, and entertaining. It is all of this and more.

Much of the history of these families, the intricate relationships and interrelationships, was new to me, even though I have lived in Chattanooga for 85 years, growing up with many Coca Cola stories, both fact and legend. Besides the interesting content, there are wonderful photographs and reproductions of Billy’s beautiful paintings related to the subject matter. His research on the dynasties in this 185-page book is very impressive; he spent 20 years researching and writing this book. He includes his sources in the bibliography, as well as a chronological account from 1886 until 1994, making it easier to put things into perspective.

Billy and I were writers for the Chattanooga Times years ago, so I was not surprised by the professional writing, but his storytelling style makes the book very difficult to put down.

The book begins with the Atlanta families, in particular with Asa Candler and the originator of the Coca Cola syrup, John Pemberton. Originally sold as a fountain drink, the syrup was mixed with carbonated water for a refreshing drink. In 1887, Candler bought the syrup rights from Pemberton for $2,000. Candler incorporated Coca Cola in 1892, issuing 500 shares valued at $200 each.

In 1898-99, Chattanooga families became involved when Ben Thomas and Joseph Whitehead were granted the rights to bottle the soda, incorporating the Coca Cola Bottling Company. The first official plant opened in Chattanooga in 1899. On July 21, 1899, Asa Candler agreed to a contract upon which the worldwide Coca Cola Bottling Company would rest.

The book expands to the other families involved through franchises, as well as to other support businesses. Some of these families involved included that of John T. Lupton, Jack Lupton, George Hunter, L.E. Montague, J. F. Johnston, and Frank Spurlock. By 1902, there were 123 authorized bottlers. In Atlanta, Robert Woodruff became involved, and that family’s story is included, as well.

The story becomes longer and more complicated as the company flourished worldwide, and “Empire Divided” includes several landmark lawsuits and interesting family machinations. I do not want to spoil it by revealing too much, only to say there are many intriguing stories.

The families expanded and include names that I grew up hearing because of their importance to the community and their many philanthropies. The Luptons, Whitakers, Davenports, Probascos, Pattens, Jones, Lasleys, Montagues, Harrisons and de Sales are a few of the family names that were familiar during my childhood. I found these families’ involvements with The Baylor School, the Mountain City Club, Chattanooga Golf & Country Club, the Chattanooga Symphony, the Little Theatre (now Chattanooga Theatre Centre) and the Hunter Museum of American Art especially interesting.

This is not just a coffee table book; it is a fascinating account of the Coca Cola families and dynasties, all embellished with whimsical, absorbing and beautiful illustrations. Written by a master storyteller and thorough researcher, “Empire Divided” is available locally and at book signings. It is well worth your time to read this interesting, enlightening and entertaining book about the product and families that changed our city and the world. Author and artist Billy Parker completely captures the complicated relationship of the Chattanooga and Atlanta Coca Cola families with great style and integrity. Books are available at the Fairyland Pharmacy, Hunter Museum, Shadowbox, Starline Books, as well as the Mountain Mirror office at 112 Watauga on Lookout. Call (423) 822-6397 or email magpieparker@aol.com.