The New South: Face of Change

With gas prices nearing $4.00 per gallon, maybe it’s time to move closer to your workplace.

An average vehicle gets 19 miles per gallon (blended highway and city miles)

My commute across town (Kingsport, Tennessee) is 4.61 miles one way.

Therefore, my annual cost at $4.00 per gallon is about $485 per year (or lets say $2,426 over 5 years if gas prices remained the same).

If I lived in Church Hill, TN, and commuted to Kingsport, TN, my fuel bill would be $1,064 per year (or $5,321 over 5 years).

If I lived in Gate City, VA, and commuted to Kingsport, TN, my fuel bill would be $900 per year (or $4,500 over 5 years - plus VA income tax and personal property tax on my vehicles)

If I lived in Bristol, TN-VA, and commuted to Kingsport, TN, my fuel bill would be $2,476 per year (or $12,384 over 5 years)

If I lived in Johnson City, TN, and commuted to Kingsport, TN, my fuel bill would be $2,700 per year (or $13,500 over 5 years)

Of course, all of this assumes just one car. If your spouse is doing the same, then multiply everything by 2.

Just by moving closer to your workplace, you could give yourself an annual pay raise of $900 to $2,700, which equates to $4,500 to $13,500 over 5 years!!!

http://www.movetokingsport.com/

Read more about it at http://www.cp-dr.com/node/2050

If you would like to receive “good news” about Kingsport, please write to jeff_fleming@earthlink.net

MSN recently named Tennessee one of the new retirement hot spots.  Click below to see why:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/StockInvestingTrading/TheNewHotRetirementSpots.aspx

2008 Best Green Cities
in the Southeast

by Kitty Taylor

What does sustainability really mean and what does it look like?  This was the question that led BCLC and Siemens to come together to establish the Sustainable Community Awards.  And now, we have three excellent examples for companies and communities to study.

Last night, U.S. Chamber President & CEO Thomas J. Donohue and Siemens Foundation President James Whaley honored three communities: Albuquerque, NM; Chapel Hill-Carrboro, NC; and Kingsport, TN; as the winners of the inaugural Siemens Sustainable Community Awards.

The Awards recognize outstanding local public-private efforts to build and grow sustainably. The winning communities were announced during a reception at BCLC’s National Conference on Corporate Community Investment in Anaheim, CA. 

The City of Albuquerque won in the Large Community category for AlbuquerqueGreen, a comprehensive sustainability plan backed by Mayor Martin J. Chávez that provides the vision and tools for energy conservation, clean energy production and use, and conservation technologies.

In the Mid-Size Community category, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber accepted the award for creating the Foundation for a Sustainable Community, which invests in business and community resources to promote and advance environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic prosperity.

As the Small Community category winner, the City of Kingsport won for its efforts in the last decade to revitalize the manufacturing town through a combination of training/workforce development, entrepreneurism, and diversification of the economic base.

Anaheim, CA, USA - April 28, 2008: The Business Civic Leadership Center presents the 2008 Siemens Sustainable Community Award, Small company award to Jeff FLeming (C), Assistant City Managery for Development, City of Kingsport, TN, with U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue (L) and Siemens Foundation President Jim Whaley (R). Photo by Ian Wagreich / © U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Fact of the Day

July 1, 2007 Population Estimates for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas
The 50 fastest-growing metro areas were concentrated in two regions - 27 in the South and 20 in the West. New York was the most populous metro area on July 1, 2007, with 18.8 million people, followed by Los Angeles (12.9 million) and Chicago (9.5 million). Nine metro areas had 2007 populations of 5 million or more. For more of these facts, see the July 1, 2007 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area population estimates (scroll to “Metropolitan, micropolitan, and combined statistical area datasets”).

Forbes lists Kingsport in Best Places for Businesses & Careers

March 19, 2008

Only 18 require a degree:
9 require bachelor’s degree
5 require master’s degree
4 require associate’s degee

Source: Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ooh.t01.htm

Table 1. The 30 fastest growing occupations covered in the 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook

Occupation 2006-16
Percent Employment Change
Most significant source of postsecondary education

1. Network systems and data communications (53.4%) Bachelor’s degree

2. Personal and home care aides (50.6%) Short-term on-the-job training

3. Home health aides (48.7%) Short-term on-the-job training

4. Computer software engineers, applications (44.6%) Bachelor’s degree

5. Veterinary technologists and technicians (41.0%) Associate degree

6. Personal financial advisors (41.0%) Bachelor’s degree

7. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance (39.8%) Postsecondary vocational award

8. Medical assistants (35.4%) Moderate-term on-the-job training

9. Veterinarians (35.0%) First professional degree

10. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors (34.3%) Bachelor’s degree

11. Skin care specialists (34.3%) Postsecondary vocational award

12. Financial analysts (33.8%) Bachelor’s degree

13. Social and human service assistants (33.6%) Moderate-term on-the-job training

14. Gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators (33.6%) Moderate-term on-the-job-training

15. Physical therapist assistants (32.4%) Associate degree

16. Pharmacy technicians (32.0%) Moderate-term on-the-job training

17. Forensic science technicians (30.7%) Bachelor’s degree

18. Dental hygienists (30.1%) Associate degree

19. Mental health counselors (30.0%) Master’s degree

20. Mental health and substance abuse social workers (29.9%) Master’s degree

21. Marriage and family therapists (29.8%) Master’s degree

22. Dental assistants (29.2%) Moderate-term on-the-job training

23. Computer systems analysts (29.0%) Bachelor’s degree

24. Database administrators (28.6%) Bachelor’s degree

25. Computer software engineers, systems software (28.2%) Bachelor’s degree

26. Gaming and sports book writers and runners (28.0%) Short-term on-the-job training

27. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health (28.0%) Associate degree

28. Manicurists and pedicurists (27.6%) Postsecondary vocational award

29. Physical therapists (27.1%) Master’s degree

30. Physician assistants (27.0%) Master’s degree

Last Modified Date: December 18, 2007

Recently I was asked, “Why does Tennessee have an offset in the state line?”

TIP#55 - THE FAMOUS WALKER LINE
http://www.rootsquest.com/~jmurphy/lessons/tip_55.htm  SURVEYORS ERROR IN DRAWING ‘WALKER LINE’ KEPT TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY AT ODDS FOR MANY YEARS
http://www.tngenweb.org/campbell/hist-bogan/surveyor.htmlShelby’s Fort and SQUABBLE STATE
http://www.tngenweb.org/tnland/squabble/I wonder how life might have been different if Kingsport were in Virginia?

Contact:            Lucy Fleming, Director, 423.392.8809 lfleming@kingsportchamber.org

FUN FEST SELECTED

AS A ‘TOP 20 EVENT IN THE SOUTHEAST’ FOR JULY

Travel industry organization has saluted region’s best events since 1985

ATLANTA, Ga. — Southeast Tourism Society has named Fun Fest one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast for July.

”We are thrilled to win the July designation for a third consecutive year,” said Olan O. Jones, Jr., 2008 Fun Fest chairman.  “To be one of the top 20 festivals in 12 states during July is a significant indicator of what a major festival we have in our community.”

This year’s Fun Fest will take place July 11-19.  A program of the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, the annual community festival includes free entertainment, children’s events, Miss Kingsport pageant, and other activities.  “We have several exciting new events and concert entertainers to announce within the next few weeks,” Jones added.  “The STS Top 20 Events list is a excellent guide for travelers in the Southeast.  Events chosen represent the best activities the region offers.  Being chosen is a great accolade that can draw extra attention to a festival or special event,” said Neville Bhada, director of communications and public relations for the Southeast Tourism Society. STS started its Top 20 Events program in 1985.  Travel industry experts select 20 events per month, and STS publicizes the list throughout the region and beyond. The complete list is published monthly on two Web sites: southeasttourism.org and escapetothesoutheast.com.  To be nominated for Top 20 Event consideration, an event must be in at least its third year and must have attendance of at least 1,000.  Nomination forms and deadlines are available at www.SoutheastTourism.org or by calling 404-364-9847.     STS, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Atlanta, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tourism in 12 southeastern states—Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. For more information about Fun Fest and its 28-year history, visit www.funfest.net.