As a child, Connie Deegan was always outside.
âMost kids can think of one or two things that they were totally into,â Deegan said. âOf the four kids in my family, I was just the outside kid.â
She was constantly observing her natural surroundings, and for her, it was always about finding connections: What animal eats this bug, and what does this bug eat? What animal digs this hole, and how do they do it?
âI wanted to know all that stuff,â she said.
Deegan, who now works in the Johnson City Parks and Recreation Department as the nature program coordinator, has turned that incandescent curiosity into a successful career as an educator.
School is almost out for the summer and a group of Liberty Bell and Science Hill teens are planning a safe celebration for their community. The group is part of
During its first week back open, the Memorial Park Community Center saw an average of 160 people come through its doors per day.
âWhile that numberâs not gigantic, itâs still pretty large considering that a lot of the programming still has not been implemented,â said Johnson City Parks and Recreation Director James Ellis.
The Memorial Park Community Center, the Langston Centre and the Carver Recreation Center reopened on April 12 with a series of precautions in place against COVID-19.
The facilities are operating on reduced hours, and city staff are enforcing social distancing and mask wearing.
Ellis said the city is hopeful that it can move to a phase two of its reopening plan, but staff are staying mindful of some of the recent spikes in COVID-19 cases across the region.
Earnest Tyrone âErnieâ Stout, 81, passed away January 13, 2021 at Brookdale Senior Living in Colonial Heights following complications due to Alzheimerâs disease. He was a remarkable man and lived a full life. If Ernie ever touched your life, you know how wonderfully kind and generous he was.
He was the son of David and Hazel Miller Stout of Johnson City and the grandson of Dewey Stout of Johnson City, who was instrumental in starting Johnson City Parks and Recreation and was elected to Johnson City Park and Recreation Hall of Fame.
Ernie grew up in Johnson City, where through his grandfather Deweyâs influence, he learned to love sports. Even though he was stricken with polio as a young boy, Ernie went on to become one of Science Hill High Schoolâs outstanding athletes in both football and track. He received the Good Sportsmanship award in track in 1957-58. He played football in Bristol in the Shrine Bowl in 1958. Later in life, Ernie was one of the original
Johnson City announced Thursday it would temporarily close most of its facilities with the exception of the tax and utility payment lobby and Municipal Court at City Hall and Johnson City Juvenile Court.
The city said in a press release that the closures will go into effect Friday, Dec. 18 until further notice. The city said all departments will remain fully operational and continue to provide services to city residents and businesses through online transactions, email and telephone.
Screening measures, including temperature checks, will remain in place at City Hall and Johnson City Juvenile Court. Visitors to these areas are required to wear masks and follow posted signage, which may include directions on how to access the building, where to wait and directional signage.