Scenic Roots

Joel Houser (TEDxChattanooga) (Aired Tues 1/07/25) Last year, TEDxChattanooga expanded its calendar of “ideas worth spreading.” In September, the nonprofit presented its first “Stewards of Nature” - an evening of talks from local voices on the outdoors, conservation and the environment - in partnership with Southeast Conservation Corps at The Historic on Rossville Avenue. On this episode of “Sceni...

(Arts Build) (Aired Thu 1/02/25) Arts Build is starting the new year with an active calendar to support the arts here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County. Jules Jackson and Brianna Jones are with Arts Build.

Outside the Tomorrow Building at Somer Station. (The Tomorrow Building at Somer Station) (Aired Thu 1/02/25) In Northshore Chattanooga, an art exhibit came to Society of Work at Somer Station for the final months of 2024. While the exhibit ended a few weeks ago, the plan for 2025 is to bring more art in the new year to the coworking space for entrepreneurs, tech startups and small businesses. Befo...

“Remembering Gene Wilder” opens the Chattanooga Jewish Documentary Film Series for 2025. (Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga) (Aired Thu 1/02/25) This weekend, the Chattanooga Jewish Documentary Film Series returns. It begins this Sunday with an in-person screening at the Jewish Cultural Center at 5461 North Terrace Road. Four award-winning documentaries on Jewish themes - produced in this c...

At the City of Chattanooga’s New Year’s celebration. (City of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors) (Aired Thu 1/02/25) For Chattanooga, a few memories of what happened here in 2024 will endure for years to come. What does the new year of 2025 hold for this city? Before the holidays, I spoke with Haley Bartlett and Kristen Templeton of NOOGAtoday.

Scott Martin (City of Chattanooga) (Aired Thu 1/02/25) As we begin this new year of 2025, we take one last look back at 2024. Scott Martin served for three years as administrator of the City of Chattanooga’s Parks & Outdoors. He recently stepped down from that position to become the CEO of the Fort Monroe Authority in Virginia. Before the holiday break, he stopped by our studio.

Scott Martin reflects on Chattanooga’s Parks and Outdoors. NOOGAtoday: Looking back on 2024 - and ahead to 2025 This year’s Chattanooga Jewish Documentary Film Series. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(Creative Commons) (Aired Thu 12/12/24) Much of the State of Tennessee’s current constitution was written in the year 1870, more than a century-and-a-half ago. But one sentence is even older than that. It quietly survived two full constitutional rewrites before drawing renewed scrutiny in this century. William Newlin with Chattamatters has more on what that law is - and its impact on local governm...

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp - at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting in September. (Hamilton County Mayor's Office) On Tuesday afternoon, live here on WUTC, Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp stopped by our studio for a conversation. Among the topics: County Attorney transition; modernizing school facilities; Plan Hamilton and responsible growth; Hamilton Counted and the...

(Nessa Parrish / WUTC) On this special edition of "Scenic Roots," listen to the student storytellers of Rising Rock from the Fall 2024 semester here on our campus, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

(Quiet City) Two pop-up experiences are teaming up this Friday at the St. Elmo Fire Hall in Chattanooga. That’s where Quiet City will bring its latest “listening room” concert - joined this time by The Reading Room, a bar and a seller of used books. Cocktails begin at 7 PM at the Fire Hall - and the music with Dalton Mills and The New Quintet begins at 8 PM. Alex Volz and Cody Ray are the musician...

Zach Hurst (The Trust Company of Tennessee) As we near the end of 2024 - and we look ahead to 2025 - financial planners are keeping their eyes on the big picture for their clients. A case in point is The Trust Company of Tennessee. Zach Hurst is a vice president and managing director for the Trust’s office here in Chattanooga.

( PawPaw’s Homeless Ministry) This weekend, PawPaw’s Homeless Ministry here will present “Miracle on 11th Street” in downtown Chattanooga. The outreach event - in collaboration with nonprofits, churches and other community partners - aims to offer essential services, holiday cheer and hope to the homeless population in this city. It happens this Sunday, from 2 PM to 4 PM, on the 700 block of 11th...

Alfredo Ramirez (Alfredo Ramirez) What if you have a business - and you have an idea that could meet the need for a government contract? How do you craft your proposal? How are you inclusive and transparent by design? How do you scale with intent? Prosal - based here in Chattanooga - offers a toolkit of services to guide businesses through those questions. Alfredo Ramirez - one of Prosal’s co-foun...

Making the pitch to build an idea: Prosal’s Alfredo Ramirez. “Miracle on 11th Street” from PawPaw’s Homeless Ministry. Quiet City meets The Reading Room at the St. Elmo Fire Hall. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

A scene from 2023’s Red Bank Christmas Festival and Parade. (Brooke Bragger Photography (via City of Red Bank)) (Aired Thu 12/05/24) Next weekend, Red Bank hosts its annual Christmas Parade and Festival. It takes place on Saturday, December 14th from 3 PM to 8 PM - with the parade starting at 8 PM. Jeffrey Grabe is Red Bank’s Parks and Trails Manager, who oversees the event. Sarah Farnsley is a me...

(Partnership for Families, Children and Adults) (Aired Thu 12/05/24) Here in the Chattanooga area, the only domestic violence shelter in Hamilton County is one of the services provided by the nonprofit Partnership for Families, Children and Adults. This fall, I spoke with Carmen Hudson, the Partnership’s director of victim support services. _____ Also at the Partnership for Families, Children and...

(Make Music Chattanooga) (Aired Thu 12/05/24) ‘Tis the season for Make Music Winter here in Chattanooga. The twenty-one days of events that highlight this city’s music scene began on December 1st - a winter addition for Make Music Chattanooga and an extension of Make Music Day, which celebrates worldwide on June 21st and December 21st. The place to get started is the CHA Music Passport. Janelle Dr...

SoLit (Aired Thu 12/05/24) An author from Alabama is this weekend’s guest at SoLit, the literary arts hub here in Chattanooga. Bradley Sides - whose short story collections include “Crocodile Tears Didn’t Cause the Flood” and “Those Fantastic Lives” - will appear on Saturday at ArtsBuild, starting at 4 PM. He will be in conversation with Chelsea Risley, SoLit’s executive director.

A scene from “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” at CTC. (Chattanooga Theatre Centre) (Aired Thu 12/05/24) Get your Golden Ticket for “Roald Dahl’s WIlly Wonka” at Chattanooga Theatre Centre. The musical about the enigmatic candymaker and the children who tour his factory premieres on Friday in CTC’s Mainstage Theatre - and runs through Sunday, January 5th. Rodney Van Valkenburg is CTC’s executive director...

At Fiesta Latina Chatt & Poder Mexicano Chatt in East Ridge, TN. (Fiesta Latina Chatt) (Aired Tues 12/03/24) Fiesta Latina Chatt and Poder Mexicano Chatt are two digital radio stations, recently launched side-by-side, that now serve the Spanish-speaking community in the Chattanooga area. Nolberto Ayala is one of the creators - and one of the hosts. I spoke with him and another host, Meliss...

(Rising Rock) (Aired Tues 12/03/24) Rising Rock is a multimedia storytelling class here on our campus, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. On Thursday, December 12th, we’ll share the latest showcase of stories by Rising Rock students from this past semester. Billy Weeks teaches the class in UTC’s Communication Department. I spoke with him - and four Rising Rock students, all of them senior...

(Urban League of Greater Chattanooga) (Aired Tues 12/03/24) Two years ago, the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga released its first-ever “State of Black Chattanooga” report. It detailed the conditions for African-Americans in this city and Hamilton County - to provide, quote, “a holistic picture” on disparities in economics, health, education and civic involvement. Earlier this year came the sec...

(AIA Chattanooga) (Aired Mon 12/02/24) This fall, AIA Chattanooga - this area’s chapter of the American Institute for Architects - hosted a discussion titled “Creating Connections: Celebrating 50 Years Of Chattanooga’s Built Environment And The Architects Who Shaped It.” Among those architects: Vance Travis, Ann Aiken and Bill Wilkerson. Vance is now a principal and architect at MBI Companies here...

Miller Park in downtown Chattanooga. (River City Company) This year, River City Company launched a new effort to create diverse and unique events for the community. Its Emerging Producers Program provides resources for artists and organizations with less than two years of event management experience to develop and produce their own events. The first cohort of Emerging Producers recently celebrated...