News

From Northshore to Cooperstown — & back

Hall of Famer Helton honored with FB naming, recalls Farragut youth ball days

CONCORD — Todd Helton’s dominance as a youth on the Northshore Fields of Farragut Baseball, Inc. in the 1980s was remembered, by the Cooperstown Hall of Famer himself, with family yawns and a bodily function emergency.

“When we moved back here 11 years ago, we lived right down there in Choto. Every time we passed these fields, I would say to my daughters, ‘guess who went deep on that field right there?’ It became a running joke,” Helton said during his brief address to a gathering of FB, Inc. and Knox County Parks & Recreation officials, family and many fans clad in either a replica of Helton’s Colorado Rockies No. 17 jersey or UT Vols orange while alongside those very fields Friday afternoon, Oct. 25.

Those fields are now named in his honor.

The occasion was unveiling the sign declaring the fields as Todd Helton Baseball Complex in honor of the Rockies’ all-leader in several career offensive marks while considered by most that organization’s greatest player of all time.

As for bodily functions, Helton explained that after the ceremony, speaking to media between autograph sessions and chats with old friends.

Pointing to Field 1 (the sign is located between Fields 1 and 2), he said, “I was playing on that field and I had to pee real bad. The first pitch I saw, I hit it out, rounded the bases and then ran right up in the woods.” Helton said. “There were no bathroom facilities down here at the time. The park had just opened.”

As for helping him develop into a Major League Baseball star and immortalization in Cooperstown, “a lot of memories were made here,” the Hall of Famer said. “It’s where I learned how to play the game of baseball.

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It’s all in the details: MBLP pickleball plans have options touted

Design plans for the Town’s pickleball court complex at Mayor Bob Leonard Park is heading back to the drawing board after Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen, in a workshop before its regular meeting Thursday, Oct. 24, voiced their “frustration” at the costs of the options presented.

“I suggest this goes back to the Parks and Rec (Council),” Mayor Ron Williams said.

“We’re not there yet,” he added. “We need to go back and sharpen our pencils.”

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Scott Meyer recommended using the option 2 with eight courts, a 25-space parking lot and be under budget by $100,000.

“It’s the same capacity we have currently,” he added.

Alderman David White recalled the Board sought to get “as many pickleball courts as we could afford, but somehow we got lost.

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‘New route’ told for Town Xmas Parade Dec. 8

In its third year, Farragut residents once again will be treated to Santa’s Village and Farragut Christmas Parade, this time with a new route.

This year’s route will start at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8, at Farragut Community Center, 239 Jamestowne Blvd., traveling down Jamestowne Blvd., then turning left into Village Green shopping center and ending at Regions Bank, 11513 Kingston Pike.

“Every year, we want to get bigger and better and more accessible,” said Stephanie Thompson, parade co-chair with Julie Goodrich. “Every year, we have more parade participants, more vendors and more spectators.”

Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a road closure to Jamestown Boulevard for the event during its Thursday, Oct. 24, meeting.

“I’ve had the privilege to work with this group for the last few years,” Alderman Drew Burnette said. “They are absolutely amazing. They only have one big problem, which is they can’t stop growing.”

“It’s a good problem,” Goodrich replied.

“It’s really an amazing event to have, and to grow so rapidly,” Burnette said. “And to you moms who get paid nothing out of spending all this time … we just want to say thank you …”

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KCSO reports

• At 1 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, a Knox County Sheriff’s Office unit was dispatched to 11220 Outlet Drive in relation to an alleged assault. Alleged victim said he was at Cotton Eyed Joe’s when he was being kicked out for allegedly making inappropriate contact with an unknown female.

Alleged victim said he demanded his money be returned to him, saying “the money fell out of his hand and he attempted to kick the bill. When doing so, suspect/bouncer tackled him and pressed his legs into (alleged victim’s) neck,” the report stated.

Suspect/bouncer said that when “(alleged) victim was handed his money, he aggressively charged at the owner,” the report also stated, before being tackled. Alleged victim was trespassed from the property.

At 3:44 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 22, a victim called Knox County Sheriff’s Office East Precinct to report an identity theft, which occurred at a Longstreet Place address.

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