Category: community

art, Chattanooga, community, Daily Life, Entertainment, Family, History, outdoors

What Goes Around: The Coolidge Park Carousel

Written by Caroline Colvin

The Coolidge Park Carousel makes rounds with its 52 hand-carved animals daily. Monday, April 17, 2023. (Photo by Caroline Colvin)

Settled in the heart of Chattanooga’s Northshore neighborhood is Coolidge Park’s antique carousel. For $1, those of all ages can ride the carousel, taking in its unique design. 

The carousel’s journey to Coolidge park began in Pennsylvania where it was constructed in 1894. Shortly after, it was transported to New York state. Many years later, following an unclear path of transportation, the carousel pieces were brought to Chattanooga by Bud Ellis to be restored. 

The Coolidge carousel is a Dentzel model, thus it follows much of the vintage designs of the famous German carousel builder, Gustav Dentzel. 

Bud Ellis was the owner of Chattanooga’s Horsin’ Around woodcarving school, which is now owned and operated by Larry Ridge. Ridge carves many animals himself, and also has a team and students that he teaches at the school. 

Continue reading “What Goes Around: The Coolidge Park Carousel” →
Chattanooga, community, Daily Life, Diversity, Family, Food, History, Immigration

Hecho con amor (Made With Love)

Written by Cassandra Castillo

Valdemar Ibarra and Carmen Torres prepare the grill and prep area for a customers order. The couple has cooked to order upon request since their restaurant’s inception in 2012. Wednesday April 19, 2023. (Photo by Cassandra Castillo)

Natives of Michoacan, Mexico, Carmen Torres and Valdemar Ibarra have been living their American Dream cooped up inside their small orange-painted restaurant nestled within the busy Amnicola Highway.

“All the people from Chattanooga, from Hixson, Redbank, Dunlap, Dayton who are all customers, many of them friends because we were eager to have family, eager to have friends, so we have many friendships now,” Ibarra said. 

He was a businessman from his days in Mexico, but left that behind when he arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant in 1992. Ibarra began working in California but found no steady income, so he moved to the Chattanooga area, where his cousin resided, not long after. 

Continue reading “Hecho con amor (Made With Love)” →
art, Chattanooga, community, Entertainment, Hugs, LGBTQ+, Love

Drag Diaries

By Maddie Van Horn

Filmed and edited by Maddie Van Horn.

Editor’s Note: The entertainers featured in this story are referenced by their Drag names instead of their real names for privacy reasons. 

Social media manager by day, Chattanooga’s favorite cocktail by night – Gin Von Tonic expresses her creativity through the art of drag and has gained a new community along the way.

“Performing is my favorite thing. I really love just being on stage. I love being the center of attention on my own terms,” Gin said. 

With 15 years of dance experience, Gin has always appreciated performance art, but it wasn’t until she started going to shows at the Palace Theater five years ago that she discovered her passion for drag.

Continue reading “Drag Diaries” →
Chattanooga, community, Fashion, Sustainability

Stepping Into Streetwear

By Noah Keur

Levi Powell (right) converses with a customer during a potential trade-in. Owner, Remi Whittenburg (middle), stood amongst them, providing his thoughts. Thursday, April 13, 2023. (Photo by Noah Keur).

Between their diverse shoe shelves, decade-old minifigures and colorful clothing racks, QuickStrike serves as both a blast from the past, as well as a present-day hotspot for all things modern apparel. While most enter with the intent to either buy, sell or trade, Remi Whittenburg walks in ready to get to work.

Founded in 2018 by Whittenburg and his two associates—Tanner Appling and Tanner DeHart, QuickStrikeTN is a clothing store located in East Brainerd that specializes in sneakers, streetwear and vintage clothing. From high-end Jordan 1’s to 40-year-old shirts, this store offers every category of up-to-date fashion within its walls.

Continue reading “Stepping Into Streetwear” →
Chattanooga, community, Family, Healing, Hugs, Philanthropy, Sports

Addie’s Angels

By Kylee Boone

Chris Ray pushes his daughter Addie during a training session for Addie Ray Racing while volunteers follow. Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (Photo by Kylee Boone).

From the sweat dripping down a runner’s back to the endorphins rushing through their veins, racing is an activity many would describe as euphoric, including married couple Chris and Michelle Ray. Knowing how empowering a runner’s high feels, the Ray’s made it their mission to share the unique experience of racing with the disabled community by founding a nonprofit organization, Addie Ray Racing.

The inspiration behind this was Chris and Michelle’s 16-year-old daughter Addie who was born with Angelman Syndrome. After taking her along for her very first race and seeing the joy that it brought her, they knew this was something that needed to be shared with the people of Chattanooga.

Continue reading “Addie’s Angels” →
Chattanooga, community, Entertainment, Halloween, History, UTC

Ghost Tracks

Written by Sarah Chesek

Filmed by Allie English and Taylor Carmody. Edited by Allie English and Taylor Carmody. Narration by Noah Fernandez.

On an unsettling pursuit for the supernatural, guests of Chattanooga’s Ghost Tours are provided all the necessary ghost hunting equipment for a chilling haunt. Parapsychological Field investigator Alice Stephens educates their visitors on Chattanooga’s rich and eerie history while providing an interactive spiritual experience. 

“I’m kind of a skeptical believer. So I believe in it, obviously [otherwise], I wouldn’t be doing it, but, I’m always like, was that a ghost? Did I actually see that, so I questioned myself too,” stated Stephens.

Continue reading “Ghost Tracks” →
Chattanooga, community, Entertainment, Family, Sports

Beyond the Ring

Written by Caroline Colvin

Filmed by Cassandra Castillo, Madison Van Horn, and Cassandra Castillo. Edited by Cassandra Castillo.

When Jaden Newman was seven years old, he discovered a DVD at a flea market that would eventually ignite his passion for professional wrestling. The 1997 match between Rey Misterio and Eddie Guerrero revealed to Newman that his love for wrestling was more than a fandom; it was something he wanted to do forever. 

His grandfather, who was with him when he discovered the flea market DVD, was determined that Newman would follow his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. “I wasn’t into sports, but I loved pro wrestling,” Newman said.

Continue reading “Beyond the Ring” →
Chattanooga, community, Daily Life, Entertainment, History

Tiny Trains

Written By Mason Edwards

Video By Jules Jackson and Seth Carpenter.

For kids, adults and seniors alike, there’s no substitute for the wonder and delight of winding through a model railroad’s path of track and town. The Tennessee Valley Model Railroaders, inc, hand-painted eight real settlements along their custom-made track, which runs passengers and cargo from the rolling hills of eastern Kentucky to its riverside stop near Lookout Mountain. 

The group’s president, Nick Giordano, personally connected miles of wires and assembled dozens of houses. 

“Well, like most kids, as a little boy I was into model trains,” Giordano joked. “And then you get a little older, and you discover girls and cars and model trains go away.”

Continue reading “Tiny Trains” →
art, Chattanooga, Chattanooga outreach, community, donate, Hugs, outdoors, Sustainability

Radical Public Service: The Chattanooga Urbanist Society

Editor’s Note: This article uses the pseudonym ‘Bill Johnson’ in place of the CUS founder’s actual name in order to maintain anonymity.

Written By Sarah Chesek

Bill Johnson of the Chattanooga Urbanist Society drops off a new bench at a bus stop on Main Street in Chattanooga, TN. Monday, February 20, 2023. (Photo By Seth Carpenter)

Anonymous. Urgent. Civic Action. Under no authority but their own citizenship, the Chattanooga Urbanist Society dropped off “illegal” benches and repaired bridge guardrails. Tired of watching the city’s infrastructure go unaddressed, the founder of CUS realized the cost of inaction—someone possibly falling–—was far worse than possibly being caught. 

“Chattanooga Urbanist Society is a group that exists to take direct action to protect and uphold the rights of pedestrians, cyclists, and make the public realm a better place to experience in Chattanooga,” stated Bill Johnson, founder of Chattanooga Urbanist Society.

Continue reading “Radical Public Service: The Chattanooga Urbanist Society” →
community, Health, LGBTQ+, Love, women

Activating Your Activism

By Maddie Charnes

Darin Wright amongst other women of the New Suffragettes creating new posters for an upcoming march. Tuesday, February 14, 2023. (Photo by William Chen.)

A mere 50 years ago, women celebrated the ruling of Roe V. Wade, but many, like Darin Wright, 58, have lived long enough to witness its overturning. The fight for not only women’s rights, but human rights and equality is a never-ending battle, and Wright is proving that it is never too late to take action.

“We called ourselves the New Suffragettes to honor the women that fought for our rights,” Wright said. “They were our inspiration.”

Continue reading “Activating Your Activism” →