Good Day Atlanta Viewer Information Story March 25, 2016
ATLANTA - Hooray For Dollywood! Pigeon Forge Park Opens For Season: She's one of the most unique and recognizable people on the planet -- so it's only appropriate that her theme park is unlike anywhere else on earth!
Dollywood Theme Park opens for the season on March 19th, and Good Day Atlanta got the chance to travel to Pigeon Forge and celebrate with the park's namesake, Dolly Parton! The Tennessee attraction first opened back in the early 1960s as Rebel Railroad, but it wasn't until Dolly Parton became part of the operation in 1986 that it was renamed Dollywood and became a hugely popular tourist destination. The park has seen major expansions over the years, including the recent addition of Dollywood's DreamMore Resort.
Good Day Atlanta's Paul Milliken interviews Dolly before DreamMore Resort opened -- and now, he traveled to Pigeon Forge to meet up with her again and talk about the excitement surrounding this upcoming season.
WEB LINK: http://www.dollywood.com
Gardening With Gurvir: Spring Annuals with Pike Nurseries expert Melodie McDanal and Good Day Atlanta anchor Gurvir Dhindsa. Spring has officially sprung! It’s time to say goodbye to those winter pansies, and hello to spring annuals! Quick tips to help your garden and patio show off the start of the season with bright, colorful annuals. For more information click here.
Actor Brandon Spink joins us to discuss his blooming career. Spink was most recently in "Miracles From Heaven," and will be seen in the upcoming "Batman Vs. Superman." For more information on Brandon Spink click here.
Burgers With Buck: Fred's Meat and Bread at Krog Street Market. Read Buck Lanford's story here:
Classic sandwiches, hand-cut fries, and old-school sodas...that about sums up the menu at Fred's Meat & Bread at Krog Street Market. It sounds like the perfect place for the next #BurgersWithBuck segment, right?
Well this week, something completely different happened.
Under pressure from certain member(s) of the staff, we tried something never before seen on #BWB. Something this lifelong burger lover had never tried or experienced before. Something this card carrying carnivore had never even considered.
We ate a...(wait for it, wait for it)...veggie burger. No, this is not a misprint or a typo.
The Veggie Burger at Fred's Meat and Bread is made with chickpeas, slaw, pickles, aioli, tomato, and avocado, and it is considered one of the best. Given my lack of experience in this genre...I cannot confirm or deny these claims, but I can tell you that several of the ladies in the Fox 5 newsroom agree.
Despite my unrefined veggie burger palate, I'll confess, I enjoyed it. It didn't taste like a traditional burger, but it was good. I ate every bite (big shocker there, huh?). However, in the interest of full disclosure, I chased it with a Fred's Bacon Cheeseburger complete with Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, b&b pickles. Guess what, I enjoyed that as well (yes I know, another big shocker).
Bottom line, if you're a burger purist, don't hate me for trying a veggie burger. I'm just expanding my horizons. Don't be scared to expand yours as well. The truth is, I may or may not ever have another one in my life. But there is no doubt that I will have another Bacon Cheeseburger at Fred's. In fact, I'm craving one right now.
For more information on Fred's Meat & Bread and the Krog Street Market go to their website, http://www.fredsmeatandbread.com/.
And, as always, if you have a favorite burger that you would like to see featured on, tell me about it on https://www.facebook.com/BuckFOX5 or https://twitter.com/BuckFOX5, and don't forget to use the hashtag #BurgersWithBuck and/or #BWB.
Sprayberry NJROTC prepares for Nationals : The Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) at Sprayberry High School competes in drill competitions against other programs. Recently, they placed second in a regional competition earning a selection to the National Competition in Pensecola, Florida. They are the onlu high school from Georgia to earn a spot in this particular competition.
The Sprayberry High School NJROTC program began under the leadership of LCDR Dennis Wonders and GYSGT Joe Ingram in 2009 and grows each year. Wonders says the program is not only about the military. He emphasizes that cadets learn teamwork, leadership and how to be good citizens. Ingram says motivation and determination drive his cadets, who are a diverse mix of students.
Former Sprayberry High School NJROTC Cadet, Lance Corporal Squire K. "Skip" Wells was killed along with four other Marines in the Chattanooga shootings in july of 2015. His memory is carried high on the shoulders of the cadets going to this competition. "I'm convinced that his sacrifice was a big motivator for these cadets to put forth the effort they did this year" says Wonders.
The cadets head to the Navy National Academic, Athletic and Drill Competition next Thursday, March 31. The competition takes place April 1 and 2. They are still raising funds to pay for a charter bus and lodging. The school, local business leaders and some military orgranizations have pitched in. The program is still looking for more funds. There is information at the end of this article for those who wish to help.
Instructors say their goals are for cadets to finish high school and to help them earn scholarships when they can. The Cadet Commander, C/CDR Robert Young, earned the Georgia Military Scholarship through the Georgia National Guard and will attend North Georgia College in Dahlonega after he graduates Sprayberry.
Young says his time in the NJROTC Program has taught him the value of working with others and says, "The bond you develop between all of your friends ana acquaintences in ROTC is a bond that you can't break."
Interested in Donating to the Sprayberry NJROTC to help with expenses to the competition? Visit their web site at sbnjrotc.org. Or, if you wish to write a check, you can make it out to Sprayberry Foundation with NJROTC in the memo line and get it to the school. For more information click here.