CHATTANOOGA’S

MONDAY / OCTOBER 19, 2026 · ISSUE #86

LOCAL LIFE, WELL SPENT.

Free trees and a home worth a closer look.

ORIGINAL SCOOP ILLUSTRATION

This week brings two free trees for eligible households, a Hixson home worth a closer look and Tila Eddings’ work with Shiva Foundation. Plus, a little surprise: a new section from local writer Sharon Shadrick.

New here? Welcome! You’ll get good local news every Monday and weekend picks every Thursday.

01 / GOOD NEWS, ROOTED HERE

A little neighborhood care can start in your own yard. Reflection Riding, EPB and the City of Chattanooga are teaming up for Free Tree ReLeaf on Saturday, October 24. Chattanooga residents or EPB electric customers qualify for two free trees per household, while supplies last.

SAT, OCT 24 · PICKUP STARTS AT 9 A.M., WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
Reflection Riding’s Native Plant Nursery · 400 Garden Road
Free · First come, first served

Second pickup: Brainerd Farmers Market · 20 Belvoir Avenue · 10 A.M.–1 P.M.

Before you go: Staff will verify your property address and can help you choose a tree for your planting spot.

Plan your tree pickup →

Local artists and suppliers are helping restore Chattanooga’s Art on Main sculptures. At Fire Station #1, Scatter is scheduled for restoration with new benches and playful plaza elements. The city expects work on Scatter to finish in early November.

Got a local business with room to grow? TVFCU’s Idea Leap competition will award $300,000 to 15 small businesses across Chattanooga, Ocoee and Northwest Georgia in May 2027. Eligible local owners have until Monday, October 26, at 5 p.m. Eastern to apply. Check the rules and apply →

03 / A LOCAL VOICE

By Sharon Smith Shadrick

Nothing encompasses the southern experience like sitting on the porch with a jar of sweet tea. Add ice and lemon and we’re set. The world we live in discourages relaxation and reflection, but this weekly column is a promise to pull that back. We’ll reminisce about what we remember. We’ll talk about places no longer here, but rooted in our soul like Mt. Vernon Restaurant, Dairy Gold, and The Leader downtown. We’ll talk about the people who woke us up in the morning like Luther Massengill, Harry Thornton, and Judy Corn.

We'll focus on new things like bookstores and local authors. I’ll listen to feedback and ideas from you. If you are an author with a book to share or a bookstore, email me at [email protected] with your information.

Before we jump in, I’d like to introduce myself properly. Even though I was born in Chicago I am an Appalachian author. I was born during the Hillbilly Highway era when droves of Appalachians fled to the north for jobs. I have lived and worked in Chattanooga, Dunlap, and Whitwell for most of my life.

I am a retired teacher and the author of two books. The Power of a Paper Clip, co-written with Linda Hooper and a companion to the documentary, Paper Clips. The film was released over twenty years ago and detailed Whitwell Middle School’s work on a Holocaust project that has changed the town for a generation. In addition to that, I have a new poetry chapbook, Housedresses, which is in presales right now. You can subscribe to my Substack at https://sharonshadrick.substack.com/ for more thoughts and stories.

I’m thankful to have this opportunity in Chattanooga’s SCOOP to share with you, and hopefully, you’ll share with me as well.

04 / MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS

Tila Narendra Eddings says she wasn’t a cat person until she met Shiva.

Then she watched him welcome the foster kittens who came into her home. Frightened newcomers found reassurance in his company, and Eddings began learning how cats communicate trust, affection and boundaries.

“Shiva became my greatest teacher,” she said in an email interview.

She founded Shiva Foundation in his memory. Today, its work brings together medical support for community cats, trap-neuter-return efforts and neighbors willing to help.

Eddings says her biotechnology engineering education helped shape that approach. She wants to understand what keeps cats from getting spayed or neutered and make it easier for people to help before more kittens need homes.

“Science taught me how to solve problems, but my love for animals gave me a purpose worth solving them for,” she said.

One kitten who stays on her mind is Poe. Eddings says the foundation rescued the little black cat, who is still learning to trust people but now lets her pet and hold him.

The work has also introduced her to neighbors who give their time, money and care to cats who aren’t their pets.

“I've learned that our community doesn't lack kindness. What we often lack is understanding,” she said.

For Chattanooga readers interested in helping, Eddings points to the foundation’s TNR Ambassador Program. She says it provides training, trapping equipment, supplies and guidance for neighbors helping community cats, with surgery costs covered by the foundation at approved partner clinics. No previous experience is required, she says.

Neighbors can also contribute food and supplies or help support veterinary care.

Find the volunteer application and ways to help through Shiva Foundation’s quick links.

05 / A SEASONAL REFLECTION

In Chattanooga and the surrounding areas the people are starting to feel fall in the air.

Autumn is beautiful everywhere; but there is something special about the mountains that are near by. There is nothing like going on a drive on the outskirts of town and seeing all the colors that are out on a country road or in the mountains. It is nothing short of magical. Pumpkins are glowing orange all over and out in the country is where you can find pumpkin patches, local corn mazes and the still colorful zennia.

There is something extra special about Autumn on the lake, especially if it’s on a mountain. The air gets crisp and cool and the leaves burst in to dozens of colors. Canadian geese are migrating out after learning how to fly as babies. New geese will be coming in to visit during their migration and stop to fuel around Thanksgiving, making the surrounding areas feel even more festive.

The leaves gently and sometimes not so gently blow in the wind. The beauty of the leaves floating on the water is indescribable. The smell in the air is like no other with burning campfires and the smell of wood.

As we go on a long hike, we can explore nature while the leaves are crunching under our feet.

It isn’t hard to reset yourself when you see all the beauty; then with the reset comes the anticipation of Thanksgiving.

We all have so much to be thankful for.

Written and photos by Sharon Hicks

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Dan Hicks

DAN HICKS | REDFIN CHATTANOOGA | TN LICENSE #353819