Are county parks going to the dogs?

Mike DonilaOur Town Outdoors

I know I’ve said this before, but we have another big announcement for next week, this one connected to dog parks.

The last big announcement we teased turned out to be pretty cool, right? A 44-mile water trail – the first of its kind in Knox County!

So, next week we will have something more. But here’s a hint: The Boyd Family Foundation plans to give the city and county each $250,000 to build five new $50,000 dog parks. We’ll probably need to chip in some of our own money, but still, a big shout out to Randy and Jenny Boyd for their continued support.

City and county residents participated in a contest to pick the neighborhoods for the new dog parks. For the county’s part, the Parks and Recreation Department will focus on: Corryton/Gibbs, New Harvest, Karns, Powell and Halls.

The city’s department will focus on: Fountain City, Fourth and Gill, Holston Hills, Oakwood/Lincoln Park and South Knoxville.

Next week, we plan to announce which of the county parks will get a new dog park.

The proposal – dubbed the Knox Neighborhood Dog Parks Plan – was designed to make Knox County No. 1 in dog parks per capita in the nation. The county is ranked No. 29 currently.

Also, the 2020 Second Saturday Concert Series concludes next weekend (Sept. 12) at the Cove at Concord Park and near the pavilion at Clayton Park.

The free concerts are held 6-8 p.m. July through September on the second Saturday of each month. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets, lawn chairs and food. However, no alcohol is allowed.

  • Kudzu – which touts itself as grabbing pieces of all the best music and stitching them together to make something new but familiar – will play the Cove.
  • Jay Dee – an indie/folk singer and songwriter from Richmond Hill – will feature her songs at Clayton Park.

In addition, we had crews build a gravel road from the Beverly Golf Course driving range to the irrigation pond that helps keep the green looking great! This will provide more efficient and easier access to the pond and the walking trail near the pond.

Unfortunately, the wooden swing at Clayton Park was damaged during a recent storm but our carpenters are putting together and staining a new one today, so we hope to have it back up and running soon. The swing was a gift from the Halls Crossroads Women’s League in memory of League member Virginia Sharp.

In other news, the Engineering and Public Works Department:

  • Replaced a damaged guardrail at Ball Camp Pike at Middlebrook Ridge Lane
  • Tore down an abandoned home on Old Quinn Road
  • Replaced a cross drain on Kodak Road
  • Replaced a cross drain on Keller Bend Road

Mike Donila is communications director for Knox County government.

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