Powell Tennessee

Knox County broke ground yesterday (Sept. 21) on the new Powell Station Park. The 2.5 acre park will be located next to Powell High School. It will include a playground, a spray feature and a gazebo designed to hold community events.

"We’ve needed a center for Powell for a long time," said park committee chair and Powell resident Margaret Massey-Cox. "This will be an opportunity for the entire community to come together in a place where they can enjoy the beauty of this area."

The park will also feature a walking trail that will extend back to Beaver Creek and will eventually link to the greenway trail and the new Powell Branch Library, which is being built further east on Emory Road.

"We’re going to make this park an integral park of the community," said Knox County mayor Mike Ragsdale. Ragsdale said the spray feature will be similar to the one at Concord Park.

"It is one of our most used park features," he said.

Massey-Cox said the idea is to create a recognizable image for the community.

"We’ve looked at a semi-village concept," Massey-Cox said. "If you look at the architecture for the library, that’s the tone we want to set. We want to duplicate that so that when you come through Powell, you see the theme."

Massey-Cox said the tile on the gazebo will match the library’s tile and that a stone facade will eventually front the park.

County commissioner Larry Stephens said the site carries historical significance for the Powell community.

"The public waterworks started right here," Stephens said. "Then it moved to Spring Street and is now Hallsdale Powell Utility District as we know it today."

Stephens said the park will be used extensively by members of the community.

"Our community is growing," he said. "And it’s growing at a very rapid pace."

The project has been awarded to Rich Construction. Construction is slated to begin in the coming weeks and the park should be open next spring.

Family means different things to different people. To New Orleans resident Beth Duhé, family means safety.

When Hurricane Katrina caused mandatory evacuations in her hometown, Beth and husband, Randy, began packing necessities for themselves and their four children.

"Our choices were to drive to Florida or Tennessee to get away from the storms," said Beth. "The roads to Florida were beginning to back up so we decided to pack up our trucks and travel to East Tennessee."

Beth’s sister, Danielle Ceeling, lives in Powell. She welcomed her sister and family into her home to find safety and shelter.

"My husband and I grabbed precious photographs, important papers and five days’ worth of clothing for each person," Beth said.

As they prepared to depart their home, the Duhés brought their outdoor items into the house to keep them from scattering across the neighborhood. They also put everything from the floor on top of beds and other furniture. "The only other thing I brought were my children’s X-Boxes." These electronic games would later provide some entertainment for Randy Jr., Brooke, José and Roberto.

"I knew that if anyone broke into the house, they would take my television and other items. I can always get more. I have my children and my husband with me and that is the most important," she said.

The family traveled long hours to East Tennessee in two pickup trucks. As they made their way to Tennessee, they passed many vehicles on the sides of the roadways. "It wasn’t that they were broken down. People had run out of gas as they were trying to evacuate."

Hotels along the route were packed, so the Duhé family slept in their trucks. They were some of the fortunate Louisiana residents. "Some people could not evacuate due to limited finances," said Duhé. "It cost $200 in gasoline to make the trip.

"My mother and stepfather are still in Louisiana. So are my two brothers. They couldn’t evacuate. We haven’t heard from them since Sunday evening before the storm hit."

Duhé and Ceeling believe that their father and stepmother were traveling to safety in Florida, but as of Wednesday, they had not been able to make contact with them.

Ceeling not only provided a safe resting place for her sister’s family, she also has introduced them to her circle of friends from Powell. "After we drop our children off at school, a group of neighbors stop in at Grounds and Sounds for coffee and conversation," said Ceeling.

On this particular day, Ceeling, Duhé and friends sat quietly as they watched the news in horror at the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. "In the beginning, we were told that we couldn’t get back to our homes for about four weeks," said Duhé. "Now they are saying eight to 10 weeks."

The sisters hope to hear from her other family members soon. It is unnerving not knowing their location, and they hope and pray that their family is safe.