Dirty cars and trucks sought refuge at the many car washes on Friday, one of the few sunny and warm days in our hometown beset with snow and cold despite the Del Rio groundhog's prediction of an early spring.

My planned visit with Hugh L. Gregg at Eastport has been put on hold because of his poor health last week. I did find some more photos and details of the neighborhood and old Newport to share soon, thanks to Paul Gregg.

Right under my nose was a new business that Pam Hill mentioned at last week's Kiwanis Club meeting. It was an interesting one featuring Mark White, youth pastor of Lincoln Avenue Baptist about the Upward basketball program. Pam said that her husband, Dr. Kenneth Hill, opened New Day Clinic at the center between a car wash off Knoxville Hwy. and laundry. The message here is to get clean. New Deal offers treatment and counseling to those who are addicted to or abuse opiates such as morphine, Oxycontin, and the many others that melt your brain and cause your life to disintegrate. You will be hearing more about New Day Clinic.

Last Thursday proved to be a warming day, about 40 degrees at lunchtime, and provided a pleasant stop at Strings 'n' Things in the Bryant town center where I got to know more about the new owners of a music store that has been around for a few years.

The reason for my visit was twofold: first we have been talking about new music stores in Newport where there are at least three now, new and older. Then, our Internet business sales and coordinator Mark Taylor told me how well Strings 'n' Things liked our Cockecountymarketplace.com directory. When I walked into the store next to Cash Advance, the first person who caught my eye was an old friend, Tyrone Cooper. He does decorative woodwork and is also a skilled sign painter. Today, he was seated by the front window playing his banjo. "What brand is that?" The banjo was handmade mostly by a respected musical instrument builder, John Arnold, of Newport. Tyrone did the finishing in Sept. 2009 and said, "It is the best of three I've built." He was waiting on his student, Claire. Both Tyrone and his friend, Jimmy Gilliam, a master guitar player, teach during the week at the Cosby Highway business.

After a few minutes, the owner, Tony Olivent, was able to chat and had an interesting story to tell about his background and how he and his wife ended up in Newport. The Olivent name is Scottish but he hails from the deep south, Albany, Georgia, where he grew up on the farm and knew what it was to raise tobacco. Wife, Mary Ann, was at the store but spends time as a legal secretary. She too is acquainted with rural, farm life having grown up in Memphis learning all about horses. The couple has been together for more than 30 years and have a son, Jody, who is an electric motor technician. Mary Ann had to spell her maiden name, Pellicciotti, which makes her family Italian. They ran a horse breeding farm. When Tony was a young man, he got interested in horses and shoeing them. By the time he was 10 years old the family had located to Memphis. So, already you see they are on a collision course. Tony also served a stint in the Marines, but it was when he was hired by Mary Ann's father to shoe a horse that they got together. Farriers didn't make much then, about $8 for resets and $15 for new shoes.

After being together awhile Tony and Mary Ann decided they would like to live in a warmer climate where he could do something besides shoeing horses and farming. They discovered the Virgin Islands and moved to St. Croix, living there for 20 years. He used his woodworking skills as a finish carpenter and cabinet builder, and she refined her skills as a legal secretary. By Oct. 1990, they were ready to return to the US, particularly to be closer to their son, his wife, and the grandchildren at Maryville. Yet after a few years, the big town didn't hold that much allure. "We wanted a small town with nice atmosphere" so they looked to the Smoky Mountains and discovered Newport by chance. They bought land at Clear Creek Estates near Parrottsville. Tony, now 55, used his builder skills a couple years ago to build their home. Being too young to retire, he wanted to work but could no longer do the intense physical labor of carpenter work. It's important to know he has always played around with the banjo. Thus, it was natural to walk into Fiddlin' With Music, when John Hodges was operating it at the Bryanttown center. Tyrone interrupted our chat to explain how he brought Tony and John together. John had complained to Tyrone last year that it was time to sell out. Tyrone in the meantime had met Tony and discovered his interest in a job and his love of music. He introduced the men and by Sept. 2009, the Olivents owned the music shop now called Strings 'n' Things.

Another fellow in the shop that day was Jimmy Gilliam. He said he knew me and we had a mutual friend. "Who?" Bluegrass banjo player John David Ford had worked as an advertising designer at the Plain Talk many years ago. He and Jimmy often played together. "I'm into bluegrass and this is my favorite place to hang out," he said. Tony told me later that Jimmy is a modest fellow but "he could play with any band. He's that good."

"We're trying to be a full-service music store," they said, pointing to walls filled with various instruments, guitars, banjos, and mandolins. "There is such a diverse music interest" in Cocke County, said Tony. This interest ranges from classical piano, to cello, any string instrument, horns, and band instruments. They contacted Cocke County High School and talked with Director Pat Mason to find out what instruments they should stock. Now Strings 'n' Things rents or sells to students. They have sheet music, books, DVDs and a lot of helps for those wanting to play or improve their skills.

Tony has created a job he enjoys, gets to play banjo at the store, jam with other musicians, and build friendships. Tony and Mary Ann hope to have public music sessions in the parking lot as the weather warms. I think they will succeed because you can't get anymore southern than Georgia and Memphis and appreciating Appalachian musicians, who play for fun and play well. "We are getting a new customer base." Before I left two others came in, Charlie Dunn, a guitar player, and Greg King, of Dandridge, and David McClary, He is a former owner of Fiddlin' With Music.

Another reason I think they will succeed is their obvious commitment to Newport, service to customers, and "We've put our retirement into it," said Mary Ann.