Tree-planting, play part of continuing 75th birthday celebration

‘Norris, Where I Belong’ to be held April 12-14

April 10, 2024 by G. Chambers Williams III

About 50 people gathered in the Norris Commons on Sunday to celebrate the official 75th birthday of the city of Norris with a tree-planting ceremony, led by Spencer Boardman.

This was the first major event of several scheduled for this year’s months-long Norris birthday celebration, and it was the only one of the events to be held on what most Norris officials consider to be the actual date of incorporation of the city.

The tree-planting event was held “to commemorate the hundreds of citizen volunteers over these past 75 years that have dedicated time and energy to maintain the historical roots and culture that makes Norris a unique community we call home,” according to an announcement.

“This also recognizes the importance of trees and landscaping in Norris, which began when TVA laid out the town in preparation for construction of Norris Dam,” said city Councilman Chuck Nicholson, who also serves as chairman of the Norris Tree Commission.

“TVA planted a lot of trees, which led to Norris becoming the first ‘Tree City USA’ in the state,” Nicholson said. “We’ve continued to maintain that designation over the years, and we felt that planting trees for the birthday celebration would be a fitting way to recognize the importance of trees to the city.”

Mayor Chris Mitchell read a proclamation for the occasion.

The event was hosted by the Norris Tree Commission and the Norris 75th Anniversary Celebration Committee.

Next up on the list of events is this weekend’s Norris Little Theater production of the historical play “Norris, Where I Belong.”

To be held Friday through Sunday (April 12-14), the play will be performed at the Museum of Appalachia, and will help chronicle the early history of the town.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

The play is described as “A heartwarming comedy set in a Depression-era general store during the construction of [TVA’s Norris Dam] and what will become the city of Norris, Tennessee.”

“A young woman’s unexpected inheritance means she must choose between what she thought her life should be, and what her life could be,” according to the description. “It all depends on where you call home.”

Also now available at the Norris post office is a special “pictorial cancellation” that will be applied to all letters mailed at the post office through May 9. To receive this special cancellation on a postcard (or envelope) to save, the post office says to “enclose your stamped, addressed cards in a larger envelope and mail to: Celebrating 75 Years, Postmaster, 11 W. Norris Road, Norris, TN 37828-9998.”

Highlighting the events will be the Norris Birthday Celebration to be held May 18 in the Town Center Commons area.

This all-inclusive celebration will include a program, live music, birthday cake, antique cars from the 1930s and ’40s, a posterboard historical display of 20 events that led to the creation of Norris, and a Norris citizens group photo.

A Norris 75th birthday commemorative book will also be available for sale during the celebration.

It will include many photos and short, focused commentaries, said former Councilman Larry Beeman, who is leading the birthday committee. It will highlight “the 75th birthday theme of recognizing the vital importance [of] citizen volunteers in preserving the living history of Norris.”

There will be a bus tour on June 15 to visit historical sites in and surrounding Norris. Seating will be limited, and reservations will be required. Registration information will be announced later.

In conjunction with the May 18 birthday celebration, the Betty Ann Jolly Norris Public Library will host a “Chalk Walk.”

People of all ages and varying artistic abilities will be encouraged to create chalk drawings/artwork on the sidewalks around the library and Norris Middle School on the morning of May 18.

Attendees of the celebration will vote on the best chalk art in a variety of categories, and the winners will be recognized. ‘Library staff will be in charge of registration, and will supply all the materials at no cost to the participants. Registration information will be announced in April.

According to Beeman, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill giving Norris a city charter on April 5, 1949, which some people have considered to be the official establishment of the city.

But Beeman said the governor most likely signed the legislation on April 7, 1949, which would have made the legislature’s bill final, which would make that date the city’s official birthday.