Category Archives: First Friday Luncheon

Special June 2024 First Friday Gathering

Posted on
by Jane Harris

Summer is always a time when our attendance varies as folks are out of town traveling. Zollie Harrison Miles came from Columbia SC to enjoy First Friday with the regular Kingsport crew. We enjoyed catching up with Zollie and appreciated her efforts to visit.

I have had a few complaints that folks could not see faces with the group photos – so I walked around the table today and got small groups so hopefully you can put faces with names.  [Click on the images below to see a larger version.  - Bill]  Sorry I forgot at the end to include myself, but I was there!

If you are planning a visit to Kingsport or the area – come on a First Friday for lunch at 11:45 at Riverfront Seafood with your classmates.  We will meet next month on July 5th. If you don’t care for seafood there are other good choices – Ben Hunter had the hamburger today and said it was great.

 

Zollie Miles, Jim Gee

Phyllis Fugate, Margaret Ketron

Margret Ketron, Sondra Bridwell, Bill McConnell

Linda and Ray Robinson

Freda and Mert Dibble

Ben Hunter, Barbara Coughenour, Ben Harris

First Friday November 3, 2023

Posted on

Here is a photo from the November 3rd First Friday Event at Chop House in Kingsport.  Great looking group!!  Thanks to Jane Harris for keeping those of us who could not join the gathering up to date!!

Starting on front left and going around and ending at front right we are: Phyllis Fugate, Sondra Dotson Bridwell, Jane Beck Harris, Ben Harris, Linda Lambert Robinson, Rhea Robinson, Diana Woodard Agett, Art Williams, Margaret Ketron Colley, Martha Ward Duane, Kathy Morse Parham, Carolyn Devault Tichnor, Vivian Eversole Brown.

Next month we go to Cheddars - we have enjoyed each restaurant we have tried out for a new First Friday "home".  We may just keep visiting around town!  If you want to come visit with us and do not get the emails with details give Jane a call at 423-239-9477.

First Friday September 1st, 2023

Posted on

Here is photo from First Friday on September 1st.   We missed some of our regulars today probably due to the holiday weekend.  The missing included Kathy Morse Parham who has almost recovered from Covid.

We have made changes in our luncheons due to O’Charleys' closing.  The luncheons will be held at different locations each month for the next few months.  Out-of-towners, check with Jane (423-239-9477) about our location for the month you plan to visit.

Left side table: Art Williams (class of '61), Margaret Ketron Colley, Vivian Eversole Brown, Sondra Dotson Bridwell, Bill Mc Connell, Barbara Williams Coughenour
Right side table: Ben Harris, Ben Hunter, Jane Beck Harris, Diana Woodard Agett, Phyllis Fugate, Rita Bookhardt Deason, Micky Deason.

Potential Class 80th Birthday Party & Reunion!!

Posted on

At our First Friday gathering this month the group voted to have an 80th Birthday reunion this fall. We are proposing a dinner one evening and a bus tour of downtown Kingsport with our immediate past city manager, Jeff Fleming, to hear about recent changes in the downtown area as well as history of the area. He wants to solicit our memories to add to his knowledge of Kingsport’s history. I bet each of you have a couple of memories of something fun about downtown back in the day!

We found one location we liked – Fusion - a very good restaurant that has moved into the Ridgefields Country Club building. We thought it might be good memory wise as well as food wise but - it has limited space so may not work – depending on interest in attending.

We need your input to help us with our planning. We are thinking late September or October would be a good time to gather. We are considering a Thursday evening with the downtown tour either Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.

Please send an email to Jane Harris at jharris@chartertn.net if you think you would be interested in attending. We realize this will only be tentative interest in attending since no date has been selected. However, your interest will help us select a location. A response needed by July 28th. If there are dates that will NOT work for you, include this information as well. We will move forward with plans and let you know a date and accept actual reservations by late August. We will try our best to accommodate everyone but know that may be impossible.

[Editor's note: Responses about holding a reunion for our 80th are running 4:1 in favor of having one.  Please respond to Jane if you have an opinion.]

Margaret Ketron Colley and Diana Aggett Woodard will be contacting the classmates who do not have an email address – believe it or not there are 12 of us with no email.

Our committee so far - let one of us know if you want to join us in planning the party!

Jane Beck Harris Phyllis Fugate
Sondra Dotson Bridwell Jim Gee
Vivian Eversole Brown Carolyn Rice Cameron
Margaret Ketron Colley Diana Aggett Woodard

May & June, 2022 First Friday Report

Posted on

Thanks to Bill McConnell for the photos and to Jane Beck Harris for identifying attendees and getting the info to us so we can stay up-to-date on who is participating in First Fridays!!

June First Friday Gathering

Attendees at First Friday June starting at left – Jim Gee, Ben Harris, Jane Beck Harris, Phyllis Fugate, Vivian Eversole Brown, Margaret Ketron Colley, Sondra Dotson Bridwell, Bill McConnell, Linda Lambert Robinson, and Ray Robinson.

This is the smallest group we have had in a while but we still had a great time. The Class of 60 Beach Babes are on their annual outing so that may have cut our numbers a bit. We always wish them lots of fun and sun.

May First Friday Gathering

Attendees at First Friday May starting at left – Mickey Deason, Rita Bookhardt Deason, Phyllis Fugate, Jay Dorton, Jim Gee, Ben Harris, Jane Beck Harris, Bill McConnell, Margaret Ketron Colley, Patty Bray Farris, Barbara Williams Coughenour, Vivian Eversole Brown, Kathy Morse Parham, and Carolyn Rice Cameron.

This was our largest group since we resumed meeting post-Covid.

The second photo of the May gathering (below) was taken from the opposite end of the table.  Names are the same with addition of Sondra Dotson Bridwell at the far end of the table.

First Friday May 2022 - Photo 2

Monthly “First Friday” Luncheon

Posted on

All you “out of towners” remember we meet the First Friday of each month at 12:15 at various locations in Kingsport. If you are making the drive and want to check out details call Jane Harris at 423-239-9477, Ben Harris at 423-239-0526 or Sondra Dotson Bridwell at 423-914-1005.  All classmates are most welcome.

April First Friday Report from Jane

Posted on

From many of the Kingsport First Friday Group – we have missed seeing everyone who is not in these photos!  We were so happy to have several of our group who have been in recovery mode over the past months back with us….present today were Jimmy Gee, Jerry Beck, Jane Beck Harris, Ben Harris, Rita Bookhardt Deason, Mickey Deason, Diana Woodard Aggett, Bill McConnell, Kathy Morse Parham, Sondra Dotson Bridwell, Margaret Ketron Colley, Vivian Eversole Brown, Barbara Williams Coughenour, Phyllis Fugate, Linda Lamberth Robinson, and Ray Robinson.

A special treat for classmate Linda Leeper Brittelli was initiated by Barbara who remembered it was Linda’s birthday – we called her and sang for her!

It was great catching up and we hope to see even more in town classmates next month for First Friday – May 6th – at O’Charley’s.  If you live out of town and want to drive to Kingsport for a nice spring trip – we welcome any classmates in town for the day.  We gather between 12 and 12:15 the First Friday of each month in the back room at O’Charley’s.

Jane Harris
jharris@chartertn.net
423-239-9477