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VOL. 5, NO. 12
MARCH 21, 2011
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Lowering the boom on trash in Fort Loudoun Lake By Wendy Smith
FEATURED F CO COLUMNIST L LARRY VAN GUILDER
Power play See Larry’s take on legislation introduced by Sen. Stacey Campfield to expand the powers of the county mayor at the expense of county commission. And look for Sandra Clark’s interview with Commissioner Richard Briggs. See A-4 and A-5
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
UT Prez tours the Eugenia Williams house Preservationists rejoice! Wendy Smith has the details on A-2
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It’s a dirty job, and it’s a good thing that Knoxville’s got people who are doing it. Anyone who boats, skis, paddles on or simply walks beside the 52mile stretch of water served by the Fort Loudoun Lake Association should be grateful for the nonprofit’s efforts to keep it clean. The daily task of the FLLA is to remove debris, logs and “large miscellaneous items” from the waterway. Examples of such items are runaway docks, refrigerators and coolers. Recently, someone called to report a dead cow in the water. Two staff members work parttime in winter months and full-time during boating season to check the river for debris from Forks of the River to Fort Loudoun Dam. Another major concern of the FLLA is stormwater. Heavy rain can unleash a flood of garbage into the lake, as it did the weekend of the UT vs. Oregon football game. Because the rain occurred during the game, trash cans outside the stadium were overflowing with tailgating garbage, and much of it ended up in Fort Loudoun. “There was trash all around the large yachts,” recalls Julie Costner, executive director of the FLLA. The group has installed bright orange booms, or skimmers, to catch floating debris coming from tributaries that flow through town, but the booms couldn’t contain the trash that day. When it rains hard enough to raise the water level of the river, logs are a bigger problem than garbage. When the shoreline isn’t stabilized, changing water levels cause erosion, which eventually leads to fallen trees. Mike Gaugler, FLLA’s stormwater program director, visits elementary and middle schools, as well as
EDITOR Larry Van Guilder lvgknox@mindspring.com ADVERTISING SALES Paige Davis davisp@ShopperNewsNow.com Darlene Hacker hackerd@ShopperNewsNow.com Debbie Moss mossd@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 10512 Lexington Drive, Suite 500, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 24,267 homes in Bearden.
Ray probes for a Midway solution By Larry Van Guilder On a recent Friday afternoon downtown, the irresistible force met the immovable object. Between the two stood Gloria Ray, president and CEO of the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation. You don’t go to
Analysis work in a building that bears your name unless you’ve carved more than a few notches on your gun, but finding an accommodation to suit both Midway community residents and The Development Corporation may be impossible even for the redoubtable Ray. “By design,” Ray said, “there are no politicians in this group.” Yet even without the schisms created by political affiliations, the gulf between what the community wants and what TDC insists it must have is vast.
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dents by inviting them to participate in clean-up projects. Adults could also benefit from stormwater education, says Costner. “Stormwater isn’t treated through a fi ltering system when it flows into the lake. When water comes into contact with other material such as trash or chemicals, it gets picked up and carried and deposited into the lake.” In spite those who mistreat Fort Loudoun, the water is surprisingly clean, with low E. coli levels. Water testing was one of the first priorities Julie Costner, executive director of the of the FLLA when it was established Fort Loudoun Lake Association, creates in 2006. a masterpiece at Painting with a Twist, “Grandparents saw their grand10932 Murdock Dr., Suite 103-A. The aschildren playing in the water and sociation is holding a fundraiser at the wondered if it was clean. No one was studio on March 24. Photo submitted testing the water,” says Costner. Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, to teach kids Like many other nonprofits, the how trash travels from parking lots FLLA is currently operating with a to waterways. The association edu- deficit. Most of the group’s funding cates high school and college stu- comes from donations from pri-
Mission impossible?
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A boom put in place by the Fort Loudoun Lake Association catches trash from First Creek. Photo by Wendy Smith
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The 18-member ad hoc committee is an eclectic group, with representatives from the private sector, ORNL, UT, the Knoxville Chamber and TDC, a quasi-governmental organization. Early in the committee’s initial meeting, Tom Ballard, who heads the partnership directorate at ORNL, encapsulated Ray’s dilemma when he said, “It’s unclear to me whether we can even form a consensus.” Bob Wolfenbarger, who has been a leader in opposing TDC’s plan for a business park, said the community has “a vision” of where it wants to go. “The land, in our opinion, belongs to Knox County’s citizens,” he said, and asked rhetorically what one would do with 380 acres along with the funds TDC had initially set aside to develop the property. Speaking as chair of The Development Corporation, Roger Osborne said, “We’re coming here with an open mind,” seeking an “effective economic development plan for Knox County” that will create jobs. But Osborne quickly revealed TDC’s “open mind” has limits:
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“We paid $25,000 an acre for that land, and we intend to get our money back.” Ray (literally) strung a clothesline in the meeting room and pinned a piece of paper reading “Midway Business Park” at one end and a second piece reading “Ochs Center Report” and “USDA Farm Presentation” at the other. Before the meeting was over, the space between was filled with ideas including “Sustainable City,” “Solar Farm Switchgrass,” “Business Incubator,” “Retail Outlet” and “Farmers Market and Teaching Center.” Elaine Clark, president of the French Broad Preservation Association, noted that opportunities “in the middle” hadn’t been studied, and Ray gamely tried to address that deficiency. Ray suggested using at least part of the land for a demonstration city boasting the latest in energy-efficient housing that might include a solar research facility or a solar product manufacturer within its boundary. She speculated that the “10 million tourists” who visit the Smokies might be attracted to
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vate citizens who use the lake. It also holds contracts with the city of Knoxville to clean up tributaries. TVA funds about 2 percent of the annual budget – and provides trash bags. Events like Painting with a Purpose raise money and awareness. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at Painting with a Twist, 10932 Murdock Drive, Suite 103-A. Participants bring their own beverage or water, and receive step-by-step instruction on a painting project. Other upcoming fundraisers are the Raising of the Water party, which will be later in the spring, and the Paddle for Clean Water in August. The FLLA is happy to assist any group with a clean-up day by providing gloves, waders and trash “grabbers.” For more information: 523-3800 or http://fllake.org.
such an innovative project. But Ray is in a tough spot, dangling green enticements for the opponents of the business park while simultaneously acknowledging the importance of return on investment for TDC. Where the “twain shall meet” is far from clear. For at least some of those who fought the Midway development for the past decade, nothing short of the dissolution of TDC and the return of its assets to Knox County would prove satisfactory. The Chamber, the TDC hierarchy and local power brokers would fight desperately to stave that off, and dissolving the corporation would require approval of its board of directors. That won’t happen except under enormous political pressure from the highest office in Knox County, although in the past Mayor Tim Burchett has hinted that the responsibility for economic development rightfully rests with the county’s executive branch. For TDC, then, the strategy seems clear: wait. Wait for a friendlier reception on County Commission, or wait for your opponents to tire out. If Ray can find a middle ground, she’ll be the unanimous selection for “Woman of the Year.” Move over, Katherine Hepburn.
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