Finally, the new Veterans Memorial Park is open; it was worth the wait

Legacy Parks Foundation officially opened the French Broad Veterans Memorial Park on May 16, 2025, surrounded by veterans, supporters, partners and donors who helped make this special place a reality. It’s located at 2302 E Governor John Sevier Hwy, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Food City kicked in $100,000 to put fundraising over the goal, with Steven C. Smith, Food City’s president and CEO, visiting the park with several corporate executives to solemnize the donation.

Overlooking the French Broad River and the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in east Knox County, the park was designed to be solemn, serene and meaningful. A space to honor and reflect, the park also welcomes gatherings that celebrate and support our veterans, according to a press statement.

Legacy Parks, with help from Knox County, built the park on 8.5 acres donated to Legacy Parks by Blue Water Industries in 2018. The new park will be owned and operated by Knox County Parks & Recreation.

Carol Evans, executive director of Legacy Parks, said, “We are grateful for the support of Knox County government, state of Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Veterans Services, Food City and the hundreds of veterans organizations that contributed to the park.

The new Veterans Memorial Park has a pavilion for gatherings and great landscaping.

FLC saves 200,000 acres

Good friends Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and Bill Clabough, executive director of FLC.  (Photos courtesy of Doug Mills)

Foothills Land Conservancy (FLC) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Since its founding in 1985, FLC has protected over 200,000 acres from commercial development, completed 500 conservation projects and impacted 52 Tennessee counties and six other states. The group gathered May 15, 2025, at the Riverview Family Farm to celebrate.

“Reaching this milestone is not just a celebration of our past; it’s a call to action for the future,” said Bill Clabough, FLC executive director. “With the support of our community, we can protect even more land for wildlife, recreation and future generations.”

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, presented (and surprised) Clabough with two Tennessee General Assembly Joint Resolutions signed by Gov. Bill Lee, and prepared by McNally, along with Sens. Tom Hatcher, Richard Briggs and Becky Massey and Reps. Jerome Moon, Jay Reedy and Celebration attendee Rep. Tom Stinnett. Clabough is a former member of the state Senate. The resolutions were:

  • #225 – A resolution to recognize and honor William ‘Bill’ Clabough Sr. for his contributions to the Foothills Land Conservancy.
  • #226 – A resolution to honor and commend Foothills Land Conservancy on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary.

Foothills plans a yearlong celebration with “40 stories for 40 years” interviews with landowners who have placed conservation easements on their property. Knox TN Today supports the work of FLC and will help promote these stories during this celebration. Info here.

 

Float the Beaver

The 8th annual Beaver Creek Flotilla is set for Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. Last year more than 400 watercrafts (mostly kayaks) joined the fun. The launch is on Brickyard Road behind Powell High School with suggested parking at the high school.
Gates open at 7 a.m. Get all the details at floatthebeaver.com/.

‘Wildlife in Managed Forests’

Join UT Extension Union County to learn how wildlife like turkey and deer respond to active forest management strategies. It’s at Chuck Swan State Forest Work Center, 3500 Sharps Chapel Road, on Saturday, June 21, 2025, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Learn forestry management practices and wildlife response from the pros. Experts include Dr. Stephen Peairs and Chris Graves. RSVP required by June 2 to: Ethan Worthington, 865-722-2088 or ethan.worthington@tn.gov/. Hosted by UT Extension, TN Dept. of Agriculture, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee Forestry Association.

Splash Pad at New Harvest Park opened for kids May 22 – fully repaired and safer, says Knox County Parks & Rec.

City’s pools open Saturday

City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation will open its two outdoor public pools for the season this Memorial Day weekend. Both the Ed Cothren Pool, 1737 Reynolds St., and Inskip Pool, 4204 Bruhin Road, will welcome visitors starting 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

What you need to know:

  • Unless otherwise announced, pool hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1-6 p.m. Sunday, weather permitting.
  • Admission is $5 per person per visit at both pools. Splash Passes offering discounted rates are available for frequent visitors.
  • Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to call ahead or fill out the form on the website. Discounts are available for large groups.
  • Residents interested in being a lifeguard and/or water safety Instructor should contact Knoxville Aquatics staff at aquatics@knoxvilletn.gov to learn more.

Ed Cothren Pool is a 275,000-gallon pool with one diving board, an accessible ramp, a baby pool, a concession stand and covered areas with tables. The surrounding Malcolm-Martin Park area features a baseball field, a basketball court, a playground, a shelter and the 0.3-mile Malcolm-Martin Greenway loop. The pool is named after Ed Cothren, a Knoxville College graduate and 1st Lieutenant who was the first African-American soldier from Knoxville to die fighting in World War II.

Inskip Pool is a 285,000-gallon pool with two low dives, a high dive, a wading pool, three covered pavilions, a sand volleyball court and a concession stand. Inskip Park also features a playground, three tennis courts with pickleball lines, a 0.3-mile walking loop and a nine-hole youth disc golf course.

For more information on the city’s outdoor pools and programming, visit here. Or call Inskip Pool at 865-687-9919 and Ed Cothren Pool at 865-544-7840. (These numbers may also be called for pool closings related to weather.)

News from the Smokies

Cades Cove will go motorless on Wednesdays starting June 18, a delay from recent years because of staff cuts and uncertainty in all national parks. Vehicle-free days will continue each Wednesday until September 24. Learn the rules before you go. Here.

Outdoor Knoxville

Legacy Parks and Elle Colquitt’s Outdoor Knoxville events calendar – has hikes, races and more for this week and next. Check it out here.