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Lake City’s name change to Rocky Top challenged in federal court

Posted at 4:10 pm March 11, 2014
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Lake City Council Approves Rocky Top Name Change

The Lake City Council votes 4-0 in November to change the town’s name to Rocky Top, and Rep. John Ragan said he has draft legislation to approve the name change to introduce in the state legislature.

Note: This story was last updated at 6 p.m.

The Gatlinburg publisher of “Rocky Top”—a bluegrass tune, state song, and unofficial anthem for the University of Tennessee—filed a federal lawsuit on Monday that seeks to prevent Lake City from changing its name to Rocky Top as part of a plan to turn the former coal mining town into a tourist destination.

The publisher, House of Bryant Publications LLC of Gatlinburg, also owns many Rocky Top trademarks, and it believes that the proposed name change for Lake City “is an attempt to unfairly exploit the fame and goodwill of House of Bryant’s intellectual property,” according to a press release from Waddey Patterson, an intellectual property law firm based in Nashville.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Monday. The defendants are Lake City, Rocky Top Tennessee Marketing and Manufacturing Co., Anderson County Commissioner Tim Isbel, Franklin resident Brad Coriell, Lake City businessman Mark Smith, Lake City Vice Mayor Michael Lovely, and Knoxville resident Carl “Buddy” Warren. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Government, Lake City, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, Brad Coriell, Carl "Buddy" Warren, Coal Creek, copyright, federal lawsuit, Gary L. Montle, hotel, House of Bryant, House of Bryant Publications LLC, John Ragan, Lake City, Lake City Council, lawsuit, legislation, Mark Smith, Michael Lovely, name change, Randy McNally, restaurant, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee Marketing and Manufacturing Co. Tim Isble, Tennessee General Assembly, theater, theme park, trademark, U.S. District Court, Waddey Patterson, water park

Lake City recommends Rocky Top name change, but receives copyright warning

Posted at 6:37 pm November 7, 2013
By John Huotari 5 Comments

Lake City Council Approves Rocky Top Name Change

The Lake City Council votes 4-0 on Thursday to recommend changing the town’s name to Rocky Top, and Rep. John Ragan, right, said he has drafted legislation to approve the rechristening in the state legislature.

LAKE CITY—Just hours before a historic vote to change this town’s name for the second time in less than a century, Lake City Mayor Tim Sharp received a legal letter warning him that a proposal to build a Rocky Top theme park here could violate trademark rights and should be dropped.

But project supporters packed City Hall on Thursday, and the Lake City Council pressed on, voting 4-0 to recommend changing the name of this former coal mining town to Rocky Top. It’s the first step in a project to build a multi-million dollar theme park that could include an interactive Knotty Pine 3-D theater, water park, hotel, and restaurant.

The last-minute letter from an intellectual property attorney in Nashville could have Lake City officials and the park’s investors scrambling to answer legal questions. The notice was “very unexpected,” Sharp said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Government, Lake City, Lake City, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Andrew J. Howard, Barry Thacker, Boudleaux Bryant, Brad Coriell, Buck Wilson, Buddy Warren, Coal Creek, Coal Creek Watershed Foundation, David Dezern, Donald Douglas, Felice Bryant, Gary L. Montle, Gary Mullins, House of Bryant, House of Bryant Publications LLC, Lake City, Lake City Council, Louise Nelson, Michael J. Lovely, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tennessee, Rocky Top Tennessee Marketing and Manufacturing, Shain Vowell, Tennessee General Assembly, theme park, Tim Isbel, Tim Sharp, University of Tennessee Volunteers, Waddey Patterson

More than 400 attend Rocky Top meeting in Lake City on Friday

Posted at 1:12 pm November 4, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

More than 400 people attended Friday night’s bean and cornbread social and informational meeting on a proposal to change the name of Lake City to Rocky Top as the first step toward the creation of a massive Rocky Top theme park.

The event was held at Main Street Baptist Church and featured a presentation from the developers of the proposed tourist destination as well as from Anderson County Property Assessor Johnny Alley, who told the crowd that property taxes would not only not go up because of the project, but if all goes as planned, residents could actually see their property taxes decline as new revenue comes in. Lake City Mayor Tim Sharp told residents that the only cost to the town will be changing the name.

The park, as proposed, would be built on land owned by the city on Highway 441 between I-75 and Highway 25. The first phase of the development would be called the Rocky Top Pavilion and would feature a theater designed to attract musical acts like those found in Branson, Mo.; an indoor-outdoor water park; and a large restaurant. Developers also envision a sports hall of fame and museum. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Government, Lake City, Lake City, Top Stories Tagged With: I-75, Johnny Alley, Lake City, Lake City Council, museum, property taxes, restaurant, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Pavilion, sports hall of fame, theater, theme park, Tim Sharp, tourist destination, water park

Lake City has Nov. 1 public meeting on changing name to Rocky Top

Posted at 12:14 pm October 22, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

Lake City residents who want more information about a proposal to change their city’s name to Rocky Top as the first step toward the creation of an amusement destination with a water park, restaurant, and theaters tied together by the area’s coal mining history will get a chance to get that information and share their opinions during a public meeting scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. in the Family Life Center of Main Street Baptist Church.

The Lake City Council will consider the name change on Thursday, Nov. 7. If approved, the change would have to be approved by the General Assembly. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Government, Lake City, Lake City, Top Stories Tagged With: Buddy Warren, Coal Creek, coal mining, Lake City, Lake City Council, Main Street Baptist Church, name change, restaurant, Rocky Top, theaters, theme park, water park

Rocky Top theme park proposed in Lake City

Posted at 3:00 pm September 30, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

Information from WYSH Radio

A new theme park proposed for Lake City could prove to be an economic boon but before anything can happen, the developer wants the city to change its name.

Proposed is a $20 million project that includes a brewery and distillery, interactive kids’ theater, and an outdoor amphitheater, an indoor/outdoor water park and resort with a restaurant that looks like a shipwreck and seats 700, and a Rocky Top-themed sports museum, as well as a 100-bed lodge and several other attractions.

In addition to the theme park, they also want to change the name of the city to Rocky Top. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Anderson County, Business, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: amphitheater, brewery, distillery, Lake City, Lake City Town Council, lodge, resort, restaurant, Rocky Top, sports museum, theater, theme park, water park

Town Hall meeting in Lake City to focus on proposed theme park

Posted at 11:20 am September 26, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 2 Comments

Information from WYSH Radio

There will be a Town Hall meeting in Lake City at 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday), during which attendees will be able to see and hear a presentation from Knoxville Businessman Buddy Warren—owner of several companies including Rocky Top Beer and Rocky Top Moonshine as well as the right to the name “Rocky Top, Tennessee”—to discuss his proposal to build a Rocky Top theme park and relocate his bottling company, brewery, and distillery to the Lake City area.

The proposed park would include a Rocky Top sports museum, a coal miners’ theater for live music, an emporium, a restaurant, a 100-bed lodge, an Interactive 3D theater, an indoor water park, and several other amenities, including a new studio for our sister station Merle FM.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Top Stories Tagged With: bottling company, brewery, distillery, Lake City, lodge, restaurant, Rocky Top, sports museum, theater, theme park, Town Hall, water park

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Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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