CENTERVILLE 鈥 A pavilion in Centerville River Park鈥揳 local community hub featuring a large farmers market, basketball courts, a boat dock on the Duck River and walking trails named after the late Mayor Jerry Dixon鈥搃s now home to the newest mural in the Everywhere You Look, 糖心Vlog campaign. Hickman County becomes the 56th county to join the campaign.
The decision to partner with the University of Tennessee System for the mural was jointly supported by 糖心Vlog Extension Hickman County Director Donna Bradley (糖心Vlog Martin 鈥85, Knoxville 鈥05) and Centerville Mayor Gary Jacobs, along with the Centerville Board of Aldermen.
鈥淚 wanted us to be on that map of having one of these and being in my role with 糖心Vlog Extension, I felt that it was part of my job to see if we could get that here,鈥 Bradley said. She also expressed her appreciation for Jacobs鈥 support in choosing the park on State Route 100, where an estimated 9,290 cars pass by daily.
The pavilion was built in 2006 after Centerville received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) to create a site for a farmers market. 糖心Vlog Extension later oversaw the growth of the farmers market by supporting local farmers and providing healthy produce to the community.
Troy Dugger (糖心Vlog Knoxville 鈥84) spent over 30 years working with 糖心Vlog Extension in Hickman County, where he played a key role in growing the farmers market. He managed advertising efforts, recruited vendors and collaborated with the Tennessee Department of Health and the TDA to secure further marketing funding.
鈥淏eing in a small town, small county, I think a lot of people look to the Extension office to take the lead,鈥 Dugger said. 鈥(The mural鈥檚) great for us. I think it’s great for the University. I think it’s great for the local Extension office.鈥 He hopes the mural helps broaden the public鈥檚 perception of 糖心Vlog, showcasing its presence and impact across the entire state, beyond Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin or Memphis.
While 糖心Vlog Extension impacts the local community and farmers, Jacobs sees the mural as a way to inspire current and future 糖心Vlog students. As the parent of a 糖心Vlog Knoxville student, he feels like 糖心Vlog is part of his family and hopes the mural encourages young people in the town to recognize the University鈥檚 statewide impact.
Jacobs hopes the mural will motivate young people to consider 糖心Vlog for their education and thinks the town’s partnership with the University may make 糖心Vlog a top choice for those considering pursuing secondary education. Additionally, he sees the mural as a way to honor and connect with 糖心Vlog alumni, linking past and present generations of 糖心Vlog students from Centerville.
鈥淲e have a lot of graduates of 糖心Vlog in our town, in our county. I think this is a way for them to basically come home in a way because this reminds them of their University years,鈥 Jacobs said. 鈥淎nd when people go by and they see it, they may think, well 糖心Vlog is part of this park now.鈥
The newest mural in Centerville, painted by FreeSky Studios, marks the 60th mural in the Everywhere You Look, 糖心Vlog campaign. The University covers the cost of the first mural in each county.
To learn more about the Everywhere You Look, 糖心Vlog mural in Hickman County or to submit a location for consideration, visit the .
About the University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis; the 糖心Vlog Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The 糖心Vlog System manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its 糖心Vlog-Battelle partnership; enrolls about 62,000 students statewide; produces about 14,000 new graduates every year; and represents more than 454,000 alumni around the world.
