Johnson City Press from Johnson City, Tennessee • 4

LocalUpstate Page 4A Johnson City Press Sunday July 30 2006 Youth athletes set for action in area proving boon for local economy Large softball tourney cheerleading camp will mean millions in economic impact By Christan Thomas Press Business Writer cthomasjohnsoncitypresscom and Lions Park Tickets will be available throughout the event at Winged Deer Park Tburnament passes are $35 for adults 18 and over and $20 for seniors and youth ages 6 to 17 Day passes are $10 for adults 18 and over and $5 for youth ages 6 to 17 Children under age 6 will be admitted free Beginning TUesday an expected 750 youth cheerleaders will descend on campus for the Up All-Star Performance held by Knoxville-based Premier Athletics The campers will stay in dorms eat sleep and cheer at ETSU through Friday The camp is designed to prepare cheerleading all-stars for their upcoming season the camp Web site said overrun with two separate groups of youth athletes softball players for the Amateur Softball Association 14 and Under Class A National Championship and cheerleaders for the One-Up All Star Performance Camp at East Tennessee State University The ASA tournament which runs from today through Saturday will bring in 112 teams from 25 different states to Johnson City and surrounding areas That means more than 5000 visitors and full hotel rooms across the region as well as $4 million in direct economic impact and $8 million indirectly according to Chamber of Commerce estimates said Karen Hubbs sports development manager for the Johnson City Convention and Visitors Bureau tournament we just had was the biggest tournament ever hosted Now this is the biggest tournament 112 teams from all Teams started arriving Friday with registration being held Saturday Today officially marks the opening ceremonies at 3 pm in Freedom Hall Civic Center Locals should take extra precaution and be aware of the higher traffic volume during the tournament especially during the opening ceremonies The ASA main site will again be at Winged Deer Park Games will also be played at Bristol Sports Complex Jiknn rill lnmm the summer of youth tournaments and sports camps in Johnson City or judging by the last few weeks at least it seems to be Fresh off the success of the largest youth national tournament ever hosted in Johnson City this week the city will be Dragon Boats to race in fundraiser for hospital Event set for Sept 30 on Boone Lake at Winged Deer Park Members of area Coalition for Kids spend day at lake courtesy of ministerial program By Rex Barber Press Staff Writer rbarberjohnsoncitypresscom By Sue Guinn Lego Press Staff Writer sleggjohnsoncitypresscom From left Jamichael Glass 8 Lillie Running 7 and Madison Marchant 8 enjoy a ride on the Molecule Competition is heating up for the Sept 30 Dragon Boat races at Winged Deer Park A first of its kind fundraiser for the Tri-Cities region the event will pit up to 42 community teams in a giant canoe race bn Boone Lake to help raise money for the new Hospital at Johnson City Medical Center A daylong festival of activities events and food complementing the ancient Chinese sport of Dragon Boat racing will run in conjunction with the races along the lakefront Race organizer Dynamic Events Management of Knoxville has registered 21 local church corporate and family teams for the competition and has firm commitments from nine others for a total of 30 boats in the running as of Friday With a fundraising potential of more than $85000 for the hospital team registration will remain open through mid-September Teams on the race roster so far include a number of area churches small businesses and large corporations from as far away as Lebanon Va and one Johnson City family of Asian heritage excited about the cultural exposure the event offers for their children Embarq Yellow Pages has signed on as presenting sponsor for the festival and Mountain States Health Wellness Center will serve as fitness sponsor with health and nutrition tips for the racers Mountain Empire Kempo Karate School of Bristol will take part in the opening ceremonies and also will present martial arts demonstrations between the race heats DEM is working to bring a traditional Dance group to the festival Inflatable slides games balloon artists face painters and temporary dragon tattoos will be set up for children and other fun seekers And to keep the crowd fed a mix of Oriental and traditional food vendors will be dishing up their specialties Penny Behling said the search is also on for Chinese calligraphers and other Asian artisans who wish to display their works at the festival and invited anyone interested in setting up an exhibit to give the company a call fell In the water I was hanging off the side I fell In I did It on purpose fun I tell you! Jamichael Glass who had just gotten off the Molecule a large inflatable raft pulled by a motorboat back and forth across the lake was so awesome man! It was like yelled 8-y ear-old Madison Marchant to the other kids gathered on the dock at Beach on Boone Lake on Saturday Marchant and several other children who participate in Coalition for Kids a local Christian program for children met at the home of local surgeon Mark Lockett for a day of fun on the water in the annual In His Wakes Ministries water sports picnic In His Wakes is a Florida-based nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the message of Jesus Christ to the unsaved through watersports fell the said Jamichael Glass who had just gotten off the Molecule a large inflatable raft pulled by a motorboat back and forth across the lake was hanging off the he said with a grin fell in I did it on purpose fun I tell you! he yelled to others just heading out on the Moleculd Lockett a surgeon who works in conjunction with East Tennessee State James Quillen College of Medicine and Johnson City Medical Center said this is the third In His Wakes event the coalition has sponsored in this area think the first year we did this we were one of three or four Lockett said probably got about 50 of them around the Lockett said he feels blessed by the Lord and wanted to give back what he could to the local youth Of the 24 children in attendance Saturday Lockett said most of them have never even been dn a boat before At first the kids were apprehensive about going out on the lake far I had any Lockett said A daylong festival of activities events and food complimenting the ancient Chinese sport of Dragon Boat racing will run In conjunction with the races along the lakefront To help protnote the event Outfitters has donated a Wilderness kayak to be given away by drawing on the festival day To register for the drawing watch for the kayak on display at The Mall at Johnson City Aug 11-13 Prizes also will go to the first teams to put their canoe across the finish line in each of three racing brackets to the team that shows the most spirit and to the team and the individual who raise the most money for the hospital For a sneak preview of the event annual Dragon Boat Races on the Tennessee River will be staged from Volunteer Landing across the street from Neyland Stadium on Aug 19 Now in its fourth season in Knoxville last race drew 30 teams and raised $55000 for the Knox Area Rescue Ministry For more information about the Tri-Cities festival vendor slots team registration sponsorship opportunities and more go to wwwracedragonboatscom call DEM at (865) 207-0391 or send an e-mail to Behling at pennydynamiceventsllccom Volunteers also are needed to assist with the festival and may sign on by caUing Patty Bolton at 952-3114 about two minutes giving you the thumbs up to go faster and throw them off the The event lasted from 10 am until 1 pm At the end a barbecue was held and the kids got a gift bag with a medallion proclaiming their participation an In His Wakes T-shirt and a copy of the New Testament Lockett said he sees a lot of children in his work who do not get to enjoy days on the lake He considers the annual picnic and working with the coalition as an opportunity to minister to aren youths and show them a good time while doing it he said been really blessed to be able to do Kaden Austin takes a dive off a pool diving board during the event 1-26 exit signs not ready to be renumbered yet By Matthew Lane NET News Service KINGSPORT All of the mile markers along Interstate 26 have been renumbered in compliance with federal highway standards However going to be a little while longer before exit signs and shield signs are changed from to Last year the Federal Highway Administration redesignated Interstate 181 from the bridge over Stone Drive to the North Carolina line to 1-26 Due to this change mile markers had to be renumbered to meet FHA interstate mileage designation requirements Mileage on interstates is counted from west to now going west to east It used to be mile marker one was at the North Carolina line Now in TDOT officials have renum-bered aU of the mile markers along 1-26 in addition to re-measuring the route Brickey said However since the route has been re-measured and aU of the mile markers have been changed Brickey said this means aU of the exit signs wiU have to be changed to reflect the new mile markers can actually drive down 1-26 and be at mile marker 17 at Exit 42 the Gray exit You actuaUy see a little mile marker on the side of the road that says mile marker 17 and right above it says Exit 42 which is kind of Brickey said Shield signs bearing wiU have to be replaced with those bearing Exit signs along the interstate wiU have two changes the exit number to reflect the new mile marker and replacing with Tb date none of those changes has taken place Brickey said in the process That is an enormous project All of the signs all the exit approaches all of the 181 signs to 26 plus all of the secondary Brickey said adding that TDOT is working on getting the signs changed happens is we tell the contractor to do it and happened Then he determines how many signs and then orders them going to be submitting a large order from the manufacturer so going to take awhile for that to Brickey said TDOT has to make sure it has every sign needed from North Carolina to Kingsport before work begins on replacing the signs There is no time frajne on when the signs will be ready or when work will begin to replace them Once the changes eventually take place Brickey said TDOT will erect supplemental signs over the new signs stating the old numbers going to be a new exit number and a supplemental sign that will stay up for a year or so with the old exit number At the Gray exit it will say Exit 17 and old Exit Brickey said east on even-numbered roads and from south to north on odd-numbered roads Exit numbers reflect the nearest mile marker In other words TVavis Brickey spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Transportation said mile marker one will now be in Sullivan County rather than at the North Carolina line Old Interstate 181 signs continue to mark the intersection of Interstate 26 and Wilcox Drive basically flip-flopping the interstate" Brickey said of going east to west David GraceNET News Service Kingsport plans to enforce a 55 mile per hour speed limit for trucks on Interstate 26 and Interstate 81 in the city limits.