From first graders to assisted living home residents and all those in between, everybody in Highlands benefits from the Mountain Garden Club’s annual plant sale— especially those who love to garden. Held every year on the Saturday before Memorial Day, it’s an event Highlands area residents look forward to all year long.

This past Saturday, the Highlands Ball Park was covered with hundreds of plants provided by members of the club, their spouses and their friends. This was the 29th year the club has sponsored the event.

Care to invite bluebirds to your home while supporting a good cause? For the third year in a row, unique bluebird houses built by Franklin-area craftsmen are being sold to benefit KIDS Place.

Founded in 1991, KIDS Place is a private, nonprofit agency with the mission of providing “hope and healing for abused children and their families through coordinated services in a child-friendly place.”

This year, local craftsmen John Gallant and Nick Bolli are constructing the birdhouses, taking over for Fred Slagle who started the project three years ago.

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A new lodge, owned by Phil and Sharon Drake, has opened with nine suites in the Holly Springs Community of Franklin. The lodge is secluded enough for relaxation, yet close to historic downtown Franklin.

The recently renovated lodge has beautifully decorated one bedroom, one bath suite accommodations (plus sofa beds in each suite), with high speed wireless Internet access, flat screen televisions with Direct TV, personal kitchen areas with sinks, minifridges, and small dining tables, and personal screened-in porches (including porch swings on most units).

Keller Williams Realty in Franklin, along with many local sponsors had a successful Fishing Tournament to benefit Manna Food Bank and other local charities on Saturday, May 14, at Lake Chatuge.

Organizers would like to thank all the local businesses that donated food, raffle items and sponsors that contributed to the fishermen’s prize money: