Evening star., 1939-08-13
BY JACQUES FUTRELLE, Jr.

ny JACQUES FUIKELLE, Jr.
With none of the fanfare that
accompanies the launching of a
new resort, the Tennessee Valley
Authority quietly has been develop
ing the recreational facilities of
Lake Norris. Controversy, power
policy and the negotiation of elec-
trical system contracts have been
T. V. AS headline lot, submerging
the fact that the Lake Norris re-
gion is likely to become the Eastern
recreational rival of its bigger Fed
eral brother, Boulder Dams Lake
Mead, which already is famous
among Western travellers for its
boating, fishing, camping, sight-see-
ing and kindred diversions.
But recreation all along has been
a part of the T. v. A. scheme Of
things, forgotten perhaps by the
public but not by the Authority
It even goes so far as to define
recreation aptly: Recreation is con-
structive relaxation. 1t is the re-
animation of the body. mind and
spirit after toll; the turning from
something one must do to something
one wants to do. Recreation in its
true sense implies personal and
profitable participation, as contrast
ed with amusement, which is an un-
creative use of leisure time" Thus
having defined recreation, it sets
about providing it.
Two parks have been developed
Big Ridge and Norris, on the south
west side of the lake about half
hour automobile drive from Knox
vile. Each has facilities for boat
ing, swimming, horseback riding
picnicking and hiking, and to &C
commodate the recreating public are
cabins with running water, electric
hot plates, ice boxes, cooking uten.
sils, dishes, bedding and linens
Groceries and ice may be obtained
within the parks. Most of tn.
cabins are equipped with showers
Boats, outboard motors and fishin,
tackle are available for rent, ane
speedboat and cruiser trips on tn,
lake begin at the nearby boat docks
Stables rent saddle horses.
=
Such outdoor vacation facilitie
of T. v. A. have been brought t,
the fore by the announcement tina
the privilege of owning summe
cabins at spots along the deepl.
indented 705-mile-long shore ha
been offered Americas resort-mind
ed public. Rising from the water
edge are some 10000 acres of land
managed by the T. v. A. Division
of Forestry, with many wooded
ridges and coves. Initial survey
lead to the decision to choose be
tween so and IS sites, totaling SOM
1000 acres, in which individual
and organizations would be permit
ted to develop camps and recrea
tional facilities, including separat
cabins. Five areas for individua
cabins have been selected carefully
some so lots staked out, and thes
will be open to lease beginning to
morrow.
Planned communities they will be
in not-too-confining sense. Tn
one-acre lots will afford the seclusiol
of rural retreat, but even so, one
neighbor will not be permitted t.
commit architectural atrocities, an
his docking facilities will be in
stalled according to restrictions. Be
fore allowing the lessee to build, tn
Authority passes on the extenrior de
sign of the cabins to see that the.
conform to the native setting. Will
a forethought that simplifies tn
step to ownership, T. v. A. has draw
up sketch plans of 10 cabins. Ar
rangements of rooms, suggested ii
each of the designs, are not man
datory, but the general exterior ap
pearances are. A premium is sc