Sara Schwabe: 520 takes a final bow
Well, this is it, kids. The last Knoxville520 article.
I've been racking my brain to think of a clever way to go out with a BANG! and leave a lasting impression on the Knoxville entertainment scene. Nothing I came up with seemed quite right, though. After days of trying to cook up a super-fabulous, Busby Berkeley-esque grand finale for Knoxville520, I realized that I'm just too damned sentimental right now to be witty. I'm going to miss this job and the folks who helped make it a reality.
A little more than a year ago, I was given the chance to create something brand new. Since then, I've learned a great deal about the worlds of entertainment and web-mastery. I won't bore you with the details, except to say that everyone should take such a risk at some point in their life.
I look back and remember how excited and scared I was to take on this project. It was such new territory for me and the only thing I knew to do was to surround myself with a strong support group. It turned out to be the best thing I could have done. This network of talented and inspiring people have been invaluable to me and to the quality work we were able to produce at Knoxville520. Between the old friends who donated their time in the early days (Phil Pollard, Dennis Perkins, Brent Thompson, Paige Travis, Jon Worley & Jules Marino), the folks who became part of the 520 family (Debra Dylan, Jack Rentfro, Gretchen Paxton, Michael Gill & Amy Lawless) and the current 520 staff (Bethany Tomkins, Dustin Milotte, Joe Beuerlein, Greg Wood & Phil Irminger), we were able to create a unique tool for entertainment-seekers in our area. I feel personally blessed to call these people my colleagues. I would like to extend special thanks to each of them for their vision and hard work.
That's about all I have to say, so I guess that my final words for 520 are nothing very profound or clever. Instead, they are simply words of gratitude - for the dear people who joined me on me on this adventure, and also for being given the chance to leave even a small impression on the Knoxville entertainment scene. And what a great entertainment scene it is! Keep doing your part to support our area bands, orchestras, theatre companies, visual artists and writers. There's a whole lotta talent in Knoxville - but you already knew that.
Sara Schwabe
(exit stage left)
Comments
Thank YOU for all of your hard work and willingness to fight for and take risks - you are already missed, and I'm so proud of you! GREAT JOB
Posted by: Gretchen | May 31, 2007 2:12 PM
That big musical extravaganza photo ... was that from Berkeley's "O, Dem Golden Showers?" (It was only the largest such scene ever filmed!)
Posted by: Bulova Woods | May 31, 2007 2:14 PM
I am proud of what you and the staff and contributors accomplished. It's sad to be losing this unique voice about the Knoxville scene. I'll miss you and am thankfull for the experience.
Posted by: Debra Dylan | May 31, 2007 2:56 PM
What I am gonna do now? With no knoxville 520.com to read? This is a sad day. It has been fun to read what's going on in Knoxville from the 520 point of view. You will be missed. Good Luck in your next endeavors & thanks for this past year of enjoyable interesting articles!
Posted by: Nancy B Strange | May 31, 2007 3:37 PM
520.com, Thanks, you will not be forgotten. It was the best website to spring up in a while. Thanks to all who made it possible for me to find out what was going on when I came up out of my hole in the ground!! Special thanks to Sara. I am sure that you will benefit from the experience. Remember, you have to turn the page to get to the end of the book no matter how good that page was. Goodbye
Posted by: Dennis Double | June 11, 2007 11:33 PM
Well, this is not good news at all. So sad to see 520 go...
I loved this site.
Thanks for all the great info thus far - you'll be missed!
Posted by: Jenni Bates | June 12, 2007 6:52 PM