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VOL. 6 NO. 25 NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ IN THIS ISSUE
June 18, 2012
Celebrating conservation By Wendy Smith
Lavender man
Betty Bean writes about Bearden guy Joe Hollar, who turned a codes violation into a seasonal sources of income by planting lavender in his detention basin. Beans calls him “Lavender man.”
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See Betty’s story on page 2
IN THIS ISSUE
Meet the interns
It’s summer (almost), which means the Shopper interns are back. Meet this year’s group and see photos from their tour last Tuesday of the News Sentinel plant.
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See pages A-8
Those who attended the Foothills Land Conservancy’s (FLC) Summer Celebration only had to take a look around to understand the organization’s mission. For the third year, the annual party and fundraiser was held at Penrose Farm on Nubbin Ridge Road. Christine “Teenie” Hayworth worked with Maryville-based FLC to put a conservation easement on the 130-acre horse farm in 2007, and, as a result, her property will never be developed. “I’ve lived here about 60 years, and I just did not want to see 800 houses on this property,” she said. Conservation easements allow owners to retain their property, pass it to family members or even sell it with permanent restrictions placed on its development. Easements coordinated through FLC are monitored at least once a year to make sure that the landowner’s wishes are being honored. When Hayworth looks out her window, she might see the Maryville College equestrian team practicing, since she allows the school to use her property. But no one will ever see a housing development on the rolling hills of Penrose Farm. It was an appropriate place to announce the creation of the Jim and Gail Harris and Christine Hayworth Financial Assistance Fund. There is considerable expense involved in creating a conservation easement, like the costs of an appraisal and long-term oversight of the property. But easements can help families who might otherwise lose their land due to inheritance taxes, and the
Angie Arnett, Steve Arnett, Mary Jendrek and Mark Jendrek enjoy the scenery during the Foothills Land Conservancy’s Summer Celebration, held at Christine Hayworth’s Penrose Farm in West Knoxville. fund will benefit those families. “Some people simply can’t afford it, and that’s a fact,” said Hayworth. The organization also announced the creation of a new endowment fund that will cover operational costs for FLC when fully funded. Billy Minser was named the 2012 Conservationist of the Year for his efforts with FLC, including serving as Land Protection Committee chair. Bob Van Hook was recognized for his contributions during his fiveyear tenure as president of FLC’s board of directors. More than 50 easements were placed and a stewardship fund and legal defense fund were established under Van Hook’s
Refugee family reunites in Knoxville
Bud battles back Halls guy Bud Ford, longtime sports information director at UT, is being honored with a lifetime achievement award from America’s sports information directors.
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See Marvin West on A-5
Index Anne Hart Wendy Smith Government/Politics Marvin West Jake Mabe Faith Shopper Interns Business Health/Lifestyles
A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 Sect B
10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378) news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com GENERAL MANAGER Shannon Carey shannon@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Sandra Clark sclark426@aol.com BEARDEN REPORTER Wendy Smith shopperWendy@comcast.net ADVERTISING SALES Laura Lyon lyonl@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.
Reuniting at the Leadbetter home last week are: (front) Titilayo and Tolani Alaka; (middle row) Amon and Linah Chauke; (back) Rulani Chauke, Theresa and Ron Leadbetter and Miyatani Chauke. Photo by Wendy Smith
By Wendy Smith West Knoxville resident Ron Leadbetter collects friends like some people collect coupons, and he gathers them from all over the globe. Some relationships, like the one he shares with the Chauke family, have lasted for years. Last week, the Leadbetters hosted a reunion that brought the family together
Is the time right to build a new home? “YES!” Steve Kitts
FDIC
from three different countries. The relationship began in 1988 when Ron sat next to Chauke’s oldest daughter, Rulani, on an airplane. Rulani’s father, Amon, was Inspector of Math in Western Zimbabwe, a prestigious position. In 1991, Amon and Rulani passed through Knoxville during a trip to the U.S. Since Rulani was the same
age as the Leadbetters’ daughter, Cara, she attended class with her at CAK for a week. Ron helped Amon buy a computer because that was one of many things he couldn’t purchase in his home country. Over the next decade, living conditions in Zimbabwe became more challenging. “Life was so difficult. You couldn’t buy anything, even if you had the money. The security situation also deteriorated,” Amon says. The story of the Chauke family is full of remarkable accomplishments and extreme injustice. Their middle daughter, Miyatani, was awarded a full scholarship to attend the College of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey, but it was difficult to raise the $50 registration fee. Two years later, the family faced another fee of $500. That’s when Amon realized he would have to find work outside of Zimbabwe. He got a job teaching math at a high school in England in 2003. But after a year, he was told that he needed further credentials to teach there, and his visa wouldn’t allow him to take the qualifying exams. Fortunately, his wife, Linah, had no shortage of work. She held down several jobs at once so that Rulani could attend school in Canada. Linah went to school, too. She got a degree in business management and a master’s degree in international policy and diplomacy. She will soon graduate with a degree in nursing, which she hopes to use in a business environment. The Chauke’s give credit to God
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leadership, said FLC executive director Bill Clabough. Clabough instituted a new tradition when he presented Van Hook with LeAnn Mynatt receives a wooden eagle from a large wooden eagle for Bob Van Hook as she takes his place as FLC his work. The inspiration board of directors president. Photos by Wendy Smith came from the 14 bald eagles that have nested on Bob and Nancy Van Hook’s new board president. She is an atKingston lake property over the torney who specializes in environpast nine years. Their property is, of mental, safety and health issues. course, preserved by a conservation Since it began in 1985, FLC has easement. preserved more than 30,000 acres Attorney LeAnn Mynatt received in 18 counties, including 4,400 a smaller wooden eagle from Van acres that were added in 2011 Hook for agreeing to serve as the through conservation easements.
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for the many difficult situations they have endured. Amon’s passport was confiscated after he lost his teaching job in England, and he lived in constant fear of being forced to leave the country. But in 2007, he officially became an enemy of Zimbabwe because of his former teaching career. That allowed him to claim asylum as a refugee. “God intervened,” he says. The family faced another ordeal in 2007 when their youngest daughter, Xaniso, was working on a degree that required a one-year internship. Before she started the job, she was told that she would have to return to Zimbabwe to get a student visa. Linah was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to return. Xaniso was in Zimbabwe for five months before the wife of Amon’s cousin in New Zealand offered to serve as her sponsor so she could get the visa. The biggest challenge of all was the family’s long separation. After Rulani moved to Canada, her parents weren’t able to see her for 11 years. They were finally united with her, as well as her two children, Titilayo and Tolani, last year. The family spent a couple of days exploring East Tennessee before heading to the West Coast to watch Miyatani graduate from the University of California with a doctorate in neuroscience. Xaniso, who now has a master’s degree, couldn’t take time off from work. “They’ve done well, even with obstacles that would have made most people give up,” observes Ron.
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