Ellington

The third time’s the charm for new Signal Mountain residents Kat and Kevin Smith, the featured August Newcomers of the Month.

The family’s April move to the St. Ives neighborhood is their third time moving back to Chattanooga, but their first experience living on Signal Mountain.

“I enjoy the aspect of being part of a community, the feeling of safety and belonging, and the general nice feel of the mountain,” said Kat Smith.

The Russia native said she initially came to Chattanooga at age 15 as an exchange student at East Ridge High School, and she went on to graduate from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Working at her first job at Norwest Financial (now Wells Fargo), she met husband Kevin, whom she followed to the Des Moines, Iowa office. They remained there for two years before returning to Chattanooga, living first in Red Bank and then moving to Ooltewah. Her husband’s job with AmSouth Bank (now Regions Bank) brought the family to Knoxville for several years before they came back to the area this spring and settled on Signal.

“This time we’re here to stay for awhile,” said Smith. “This is the place I want to raise my children.”

She said she loves her new house, built 30 years ago to the dream-home specifications of the William Roller family.

“It’s very refreshing to be able to have your children run around the neighborhood and set up lemonade stands and to see people actually stop,” she said.

The Smiths’ daughter Olive is getting ready to start kindergarten at Thrasher Elementary; her mother said the reputation of mountain schools was a huge drawing point for the family to move to the community.

“We’re very impressed with Thrasher so far,” Smith said. “We’ve heard it’s superb.”

She said she also liked that the teacher evaluating her daughter during registration went to Thrasher herself.

“People here all seem to have roots on the mountain, but at the same time it’s not so inclusive that someone like us doesn’t feel out of place,” she said. “That’s what makes you want to come and makes you want to stay.”

Smith said she heard about the Signal Mountain Newcomers group from neighbor Pinky Young.

“She said that is how she felt she got to know folks when she moved here and wanted to extend the same courtesy to us,” said Smith. “The whole club is very nice and welcoming.”