| Sources |
- [S4] Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 9 Dec 2003.
William Clay Blazer obituary
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 26 Apr 2009.
Just Plain Talk - Granny offers bears and critters for sale
Late April turned into early summer at the end of last week when temperatures in our hometown hit the mid 80s and are expected to hang around into May for a warm Ramp Festival.
If you drive around the area near the Cosby Post Office, maybe in search of a breakfast biscuit at DJ's Market, you may have seen a small family of motionless bears. Behind the array of black bears, and other critters a small pickup truck was parked. Two people were keeping warm inside on a 40s morning. I pulled into the parking lot at Movies & Munchies and saw the sign on the truck, "Granny's Bears & Birds." A woman got out of the truck and introduced herself as Granny, Jo Ann Lick, who lives on English Mountain not far from Jones Cove. Her husband was also bundled up with her. Jimmy Lick also does chainsaw carving and got his wife in business by starting the chainsaw for her years ago. They moved to the area over five years ago on an invitation by friends. They come from Jacksonville, Florida, but did not know my former Miami pastor, Elro Driggers, A Free Will Baptist pastor who left Miami in the 1960s and ended up in Jacksonville. She was a professional cake decorator and he a commercial fisherman. Jimmy, who sports a large handlebar moustache, much like Attorney General Jimmy Dunn, is fortunate both to be alive and to be living in the mountains. He told me that as a nine-year-old a car struck and almost killed him. Jimmy was in a coma for 17 days during which time he had many vivid experiences, like visions. I think it was one of these that showed him the Smoky Mountains. Jo Ann said that she learned her current craft from a neighbor. The couple work at their home on days early in the week carving an assortment of bears and an occasional frog. Then, towards the end of the week, they find a parking space along Cosby Highway, set out their carvings and sell these to tourists and locals. The carvings are made from cedar or pine and the Licks also do benches. They have also gone to customers' homes to carve logs on site. Granny pointed to small unpainted bears holding various small signs. These sell for $30 and bigger bears painted black range from $60 to $100. The bigger the carving the bigger the price tag. Another thing I wondered was how you got the logs to hold still while carving on them. Granny told me these are fastened by nails or screws to a fixed base on a table or large chunk of wood for stability.
Since meeting them, I've encountered or learned of several artist carvers who live either fulltime or part time in the county. I hope to tell you about them and their artistry. They do amazing work and are nationally known.
You recall that I mentioned the construction project at the Newport Plaza West owned by the Guy Hommel Sr. family. I've seen work continue on the Ford's Cruz Thru on the Hommel property, and finally met the future store operators. Also, I learned that Junior Hommel has become ill in recent days. Then on Wednesday our ad rep. Vickie Mason told me he had suffered a blood clot in his lungs and was at Morristown-Hamblen Hospital for treatment. It is a good hospital and we hope he recovers nicely.
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