(c)2009 NPT PHOTO BY DAVID POPIEL
Sherry's Market is named after Sherry Winter, who is usually at the Cosby Highway
grocery most days. Her husband, James Winter, is semi-retired due to health reasons.

Sundays are leading off some important events this monthin our hometown with today, Flag Day, and next week, Father's Day and thenbeginning of summer, already showing its hot, biting teeth.

On a recent visit to Sherry's Market off Cosby Highway,where the visiting Mayfield giant cow got shot with paint balls, a key personwas not at work. I chatted with James Winter but neglected to talk with SherryWinter, the store's namesake. During late April, I revisited to talk about howshe got involved in the business. Sherry was a Gibson, who was raised inNewport, and I found out she is a cousin to the late Irene Gibson. I made herphoto a few times with Conway Twitty because she was his Newport fan club. Thelast time we met with Twitty was at what is now Bella's Country Kitchen offKnoxville Highway. Sherry married James in Nov. 1984 and they have onedaughter, Leann Gooderham. Her real estate business is located next to themarket. Her son is Brandon Massey, who married Megan McKay. That makes Sherry agreat grandmother with the birth of Ethan Massey. Some of you will have knownSherry's mother, the former Annette O'Neil who married Robert Gibson of Bybee.There was also a sister, Bobbie Jean Phillips, who at age 36 died. Robertfarmed and also trained horses when living in Knoxville.

I asked Sherry how she got interested in business,particular food and grocery sales. As a teenager, she went to work for BeetleStrange, who you recall operated Beetle's Broasted Chicken off Morristown Hwy.Sherry worked as a waitress there and also in Gatlinburg. Then she joinedVernco for four years as an assembler alongside Etrula Black and Delores Moore,some of the co-workers she recalls in the 1970s. After marriage, James and Sherryoperated J&S Sales located in the small center that houses the Beauty Shop.At that time, WNPC Radio had its broadcast offices in the center. The Winterssold ceramics and electronics for cars and after two years sold the business.For some years she worked at Laurel Springs resort and James took to the fleamarket circuit. About this time, Beatrice Lindsey still owned Terry's Market,named after her son. They agreed to lease the store to the Winters in June 1985for five years during which time Beatrice died. Sherry and James continued thelease from 1990-95 and Terry died. Those who shopped at Terry's remember he wasconfined to a wheelchair, but was always friendly and helpful. I understand hewas in a car crash on the Cosby Hwy. on a narrow bridge not far from LowerEnglish Creek. That bridge has since been widened. The Cody family, includingJack Cody, owned the store and ultimately sold it to the Winters. Their biggestproblem over the years has been flooding caused by Cosby Creek. Sherry recallssitting on the counter watching floodwaters run through the store. It must havebeen the year it also flooded their neighbors, Bill and Gayla Ewing at PioneerWoods. Despite the weather and this year's slow economy, she has loved meetingand greeting customers and likes to know what's going on with them and theirfamilies. She is helped by Daveeta "Tootsie" Jacobson, who was atwork that morning. She is a daughter to Homer Fine. James is an afternoon manworking part-time because of his health. Sherry says that "God's helpmakes life easy." She closes the store on Sundays and relaxes at herMcGaha Chapel home. On June 9, she turned 60 and still enjoys visiting fleamarkets seeking out horror books. Her home contains thousands of these. "I'dlike to work until 65" and then retire. But, who would carry on thetradition?

I learned of an interesting scam recently related to aPlain Talk classified ad offering four female fawn pug pups for sale. It seemsthat Jerry Showman, of Newport, was the target and he explained to me whathappened after running his adv., which got his pups sold. A caller claimed towant to buy the pups and was sending a check for $2,000. They told Jerry thatwhen he got their check for him to please send them a check to cover theshipping fee. He did not because the $2,000 check was worthless and he wouldhave been sending his good check to the scammer.

A lot of interesting people show up at the NewportKiwanis Club and such was the case recently when Brian Cagle spoke on huntingeducation classes. You've seen these mentioned in the Plain Talk for youth whoneed to learn gun safety. Brian is involved in such education programs as anoutdoorsman who manages Pioneer Credit. That's where Libby Strange also works.He's been doing this for 21 years. Brian lives in Newport and enjoys hunting,fishing, ATVs, and motorcycles, too. For 10 years he has been a Tenn. WildlifeResource Agency certified hunter education instructor. Some of you outdoorsmenare familiar with Ducks Unlimited. He is Smoky Mountain area chairman andearned an excellence in leadership award this year. He is also a fellowKiwanian in Sevierville and was voted Kiwanian of the year twice.

In plain talk, most every business has itsleaders and Newport seems to have many that can take the heat and stay cool,too.