Scenic Roots

A community partnership here in Chattanooga is renovating homes as a way to revitalize the Orchard Knob neighborhood.   It is called The Orchard Knob Collaborative - and the partners include Habitat for Humanity, Parkridge Health System, the Orchard Knob Neighborhood Watch Association and the United Way. Parkridge and its parent company donated 40,000 dollars to start the project - focusing on fiv...

The Orchard Knob Collaborative on renovating homes in Chattanooga. Logan Taylor & Dontay Hampton, the creators of "Y.B. Normal?" James Ogden & Terry Sanford on "Assassins" at Ensemble Theatre. These voices - and more - on this edition of "Scenic Roots." Ray Bassett is the host of "Scenic Roots" - produced by Haley Solomon, Karley Dodson and Will Davis.

As the arts scene expands here in Chattanooga, so do the places that cover it. “Scenic Trend” is an online news site - launched last month - dedicated to sharing the stories of artists in this city.    Dillan Whisenant and Nathan Tucker are the site’s co-founders…

Valentine’s Day is Friday - and that’s when a singer-songwriter here in Chattanooga begins a five-state concert tour of cat cafes to raise money for animal rescue. Our own Richard Winham sat down with her...

Moody Molavi is a comic, originally from Chattanooga - and every day, he and his wife live with the seriousness, and humor, of hearing loss. Tomorrow night, couples are invited to laugh together with Moody - and learn how to handle the hearing loss and miscommunication in their relationships - at the Jewish Cultural Center, from 6 PM to 8 PM. The Valentine’s Day event is presented by The Speech &a...

What can Chattanooga do about the lack of affordable housing, especially in the downtown? A nonprofit here recently received city funds to study one possible solution:  a community land trust that would preserve affordable housing for people with low-to-moderate incomes. The nonprofit is CALEB - or Chattanooga in Action for Love, Equality and Benevolence - which includes faith, community and labor...

CALEB's Austin Sauerbrei & Lyneshia Lake on community land trusts. Comic Moody Molavi with Erica Newman of Chattanooga's Speech & Hearing Center. Rachel McIntyre Smith talks to Richard Winham about her cat cafe tour.  These voices - and more - on this edition of "Scenic Roots." Ray Bassett is the host of "Scenic Roots" - produced by Haley Solomon, Karley Dodson and Will Davis.

Stringer’s Ridge performs tonight at this month’s River City Sessions, here on this campus - the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - starting at 7:30 PM in Cadek Hall, right above our studios here at WUTC. Mike Gray is the founder of the monthly concert series - and Bob Boyer is director of UTC Performances…

Robert Winslow makes documentaries that ask the big questions about Chattanooga’s future to spark civic engagement in tackling the answers. Last month, his series “Dialogues Chattanooga 2020” premiered at The Palace Theater - and recently, he stopped by “Scenic Roots”...

Filmmaker Robert Winslow on his "Dialogues 2020" series in Chatttanooga. Mike Gray & Bob Boyer on River City Sessions, featuring Stringer's Ridge. These voices - and more - on this edition of "Scenic Roots." Ray Bassett is the host of "Scenic Roots" - produced by Haley Solomon, Karley Dodson and Will Davis.    

Christian J. Collier created “The Plug Poetry Project” to honor and grow the poetry community here in Chattanooga. On Saturday, February 22nd, the Project returns to the fifth floor of The Edney Innovation Center, starting at Noon - featuring Jose Olivarez, an award-winning poet and the son of Mexican immigrants. Christian dropped by “Scenic Roots” to give us a preview...

Last month, Sarah Arnold won the first-ever gold for Team USA in the 2020 Women’s World Gliding Championship in Australia. Sarah lives in Polk County, Tennessee - where she owns and operates the Chilhowee Gliderport near Benton - and she stopped by “Scenic Roots”...

A week from tomorrow night, Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga opens its 2020 season - with the Stephen Sondheim musical “Assassins.” Garry Lee Posey founded ETC - and Christy Gallo is one of its producing partners...     

Garry Lee Posey & Christy Gallo on Ensemble Theatre's 2020 season. Anna Baker-VanCura & Melissa Meade on Ballet Tennessee's Legacy Gala. Christian J. Collier on Jose Olivarez coming to The Plug Poetry Project. These voices - and more - on this edition of "Scenic Roots." Ray Bassett is the host of "Scenic Roots" - produced by Haley Solomon, Karley Dodson and Will Davis.      

(UTC) Here on the UTC campus, Dr. Hill Craddock will tell you plenty about the American chestnut.   His research is focused on restoring the tree to the Southern Appalachian hardwood forest.  A while back, he stopped by “Scenic Roots”...  

Ten years ago, the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center opened in Alabama. The museum remembers the nine black teenagers wrongfully convicted of raping two white women while traveling through Jackson County, Alabama by train in 1931. Last weekend, the museum marked its tenth anniversary - and is looking ahead. Sheila Washington founded the museum...  

“The Six-Triple-Eight” is an award-winning documentary that tells the story of the only all-black female unit to serve overseas during World War II. The women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion trained at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia before shipping out in February 1945 to serve in Birmingham, England - and Paris. Next Thursday, the documentary will be screened on this campus - the Unive...

Chris McKeever on the documentary "The Six-Triple-Eight." Sheila Washington on The Scottsboro Boys Museum. UTC Professor Hill Craddock on saving the American chestnut. These voices - and more - on this edition of "Scenic Roots." Ray Bassett is the host of "Scenic Roots" - produced by Haley Solomon, Karley Dodson and Will Davis.

The Sankofa Fund's Lakweshia Ewing and Chantelle Respert. TrailDrops' Meg Brasel and Marco Perez on building a business.  UTC Professor Hill Craddock on saving the American chestnut. These voices - and more - on this encore edition of "Scenic Roots." Ray Bassett is the host of "Scenic Roots" - produced by Haley Solomon, Karley Dodson and Will Davis.   

(Ballet Tennessee) On Saturday, Ballet Tennessee holds its Annual Legacy Gala here in Chattanooga. Anna Baker-VanCura is executive artistic director of Ballet Tennessee - and Melissa Meade is president of its board of directors...   

(Ballet Tennessee) This weekend, Ballet Tennessee here in Chattanooga presents its Holiday Special - just one performance on Saturday, starting at 2 PM, at the Center for Creative Arts.    Anna Baker-VanCura is co-founder of Ballet Tennessee, and Jenison Owens is one of the soloists in the special...

Photographer Joel Satore speaking at The Tennessee Aquarium. The Sankofa Fund's Lakweshia Ewing and Chantelle Respert. TrailDrops' Meg Brasel and Marco Perez - and, ACES Casino Night. These voices - and more - on this edition of "Scenic Roots." Ray Bassett is the host of "Scenic Roots" - produced by Haley Solomon, Karley Dodson and Will Davis.

(Children's Advocacy Center) Here in Chattanooga, The Children’s Advocacy Center:  The Emmy Haney House provides a path to healing for children who have experienced child sexual abuse or severe physical abuse. On Friday, the Center holds its ACES Casino Night fundraiser at  Chattanooga Whiskey, starting at 7 PM. Kristen Pavlik McCallie is the center’s executive director...

(TrailDrops) Meg Brasel is a hiker who grew up here in East Tennessee.   A few years ago, she had an idea for a trail food business - creating recipes that would be easy for campers to prepare in the woods and tastier than typical meals-ready-to-eat where you just add water. That business - TrailDrops - raised $20,000 through Kickstarter last year. Meg and TrailDrops partner Marco Perez stopped by...

(Sankofa Fund) The Sankofa Fund for Civic Engagement funds and supports organizations, projects and efforts that improve the lives of Chattanooga’s communities of color. Members donate an annual gift to the Fund - which they decide collectively how to spend.   The Fund’s Lakweshia Ewing and Chantelle Respert stopped by “Scenic Roots”...