By Lauren Kelly and Grace Powers
Nestled under the bright blue footbridge sits the Karns Community Center. This building, once home to the library, isn’t much to behold. Most people driving down Oak Ridge Highway never even notice it. Still, once a month, this quaint little building lights up with laughter. On the first Tuesday of each month, at seven o’clock (or whenever they get around to it) the Karns Community Club holds their monthly meeting.
The Karns Community Club is an organization determined to stay on the forefront of local goings-on, and does so with cheer and determination. Members meet monthly to discuss local developments and news, community service opportunities, and upkeep of public grounds and property. The club is in charge of the Karns Community Center as well as the Youth Center, and works to maintain other public areas such as the playground. The Karns Community Club also keeps up with new developments in the greater Knox County area and stays up-to-date with issues that affect the community and its residents.
Members of the Karns Community Club know the ins-and-outs of the community – sometimes before everyone else does. They discuss local news and developments such as new businesses, buildings, and neighborhood blocks. The meetings are productive, but laughter is certainly in no short supply. Any stranger passing by could see that the members are close friends with each other, and have been for years.
While younger members are always welcome and are crucial to keeping the club going strong for years, the current members aren’t slowing down. On the agenda were efforts to care for the building grounds, community cleanup efforts, and collaborative activities with the Little League as well as the Lions Club. The group works hard to keep public grounds clean, well-kept, and beautiful.
Though the club does important work for the community, the members don’t take themselves too seriously. If someone shows up late for the meeting, them they are greeted with good-natured smiles rather than disapproving glares. New members are always welcome and are never turned away or left to sit in the shadows. Members of the club are united by an unconditional love for this little community they call home, and if at the end of the day another person is proud to be a part of Karns, then it is a day well-done.
The Karns Community Club isn’t the only community organization that calls this building home. The Karns Community Club also hosts monthly meetings for the Karns Business Association and the Lions Club. The building is home to many past and present clubs, and is also available to rent for private events, with proceeds going to benefit the Community Club’s activities.
Those involved in the Karns Community Club want everyone to know that if you live in Karns, then you are a member! Anyone is welcome and encouraged to attend monthly meetings to learn more about community activities and even help make your vision for the future a reality. In a world where global issues are constantly pouring in at our fingertips, the Karns Community Club is an opportunity to step aside and focus on our own corner of the world. After all, there are always hedges that need to be trimmed.
For more information about Karns Community Club activities and meetings, visit http://www.karnscommunityclub.org/.
Karns Oral History Project 
Very nicely written report.
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