Chattanooga Town Talk

EAR TO THE GROUND

The River City Rush, a race through historic Chattanooga, will take place Saturday, according to a news release. The first-time event is sponsored by the Chattanooga History Center and the Trust for Public Land.

Four-member teams can register for either a 5-mile run or a 3.5-mile walk, both of which have stops along the way. At each stop, teams will be given tasks that must be completed to earn a clue about the location of the next stop.

"The Rush will challenge runners, walkers and history buffs alike," said event co-chair and Trust for Public Land board member Cindy Whitaker. "The tasks will challenge both brain and brawn."

"Our city has its share of hills, so teams can expect a good workout," said Brad Pope, Whitaker's co-chair and counterpart on the Chattanooga History Center board.

Registration is $120 per team. Registration forms and race rules and regulations are available on the River City Rush Facebook page or the Chattanooga History Center website: www.chattanoogahistory.org.

The race begins at 9 a.m. at the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza, near the future home of the Chattanooga History Center. Participants will receive game-day T-shirts and gift bags. Teams also will be eligible for prizes at various stops along the route. Prizes will be awarded to the fastest teams at the end-of-race celebration.

For more information, contact Whitaker at 706-820-2577 or Pope at 495-7761.

HEARD ON THE TOWN

YOU NEVER KNOW what catches the eye as people drive through our city. For country-music star Brad Paisley, it was the empty U.S. Pipe Foundry location beside I-24.

"Mr. McGraw had seen the site from I-24 while driving by and specifically requested access for the purpose of filming his music video," said local attorney Mike Mallen. "My partners and I own it. We were on site during filming."

Paisley filmed his music video "Truck Yeah," Mallen said, noting he doesn't know the video's scheduled release date.

"The filming lasted two days and included producers, directors and crews from across the country," he said. "During a break from filming, he was very gracious and spoke with a few people that were on the set and was kind enough to take a few pictures as well.

"The filming was very interesting and unique and a first for Chattanooga to host a production of this caliber."

FUNDRAISER

THE 25TH ANNUAL Anniversary Native Plant Sale benefiting the Chattanooga Arboretum & Nature Center will be Sept. 21-23.

The event will feature durable and hardy native plants, all propagated from seed, that thrive in this area's long summers and warmer winters. Cooler temperatures and increased precipitation reduce transplant shock, so plants get a better start and less competition from weeds, according to a news release.

Along with the Plant Sale, there will be a number of guided hikes, bike rides, canoe tours, talks and live music. Guests can explore Reflection Riding, an arboretum and botanical garden with more than 12 miles of trails and more than 1,000 different species of flora. Visitors also can visit the George S. Bryan Discovery Forest Treehouse and Paddler's Perch, located on the banks of Lookout Creek, and Wildlife Wanderland, with its many species of captive native animals including highly endangered red wolves.

In addition to native plants, items for sale will include books, hummingbird feeders and note cards. Door prizes will be awarded hourly.

Reflection Riding Arboretum and Botanical Garden became a non-profit organization in 1956. The Chattanooga Nature Center was created in 1979. In 2011 the two organizations were re-chartered with the State of Tennessee as Reflection Riding Land Conservation Trust and the Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center.

Its mission is to promote environmental stewardship through conservation, education and research and by connecting people with land, plants and wildlife. For more information, visit chattanoogaanc.org.

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