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VOL. 7 NO. 12
IN THIS ISSUE
Place
Special Section Find tips for home protection, decoration, repair and more in “My Place.”
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See the special section inside
Miracle Maker There are two amazing things about Knox County Elementary Teacher of the Year Kitty Menhinick. One is that she absolutely knew what she wanted to be – a special education teacher – at the age of 14. The other is that she was able to achieve her goal in spite of her own difficulties with school. “I was an information overload kid,” she says. “School was a mighty struggle.”
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See Wendy Smith’s story on A-9
Judge Leibowitz The hardest thing a judge ever has to do is sentence a human being to die. Even though the life-ordeath decision is up to the jury, it is the judge’s responsibility to look the defendant in the eye and deliver the verdict. Mary Beth Leibowitz has been the Division 3 Criminal Court judge in Knox County since February 1989, when Gov. Ned McWherter swore her in. She was a pioneer, and now she plans to retire. Betty Bean caught up with the judge for a profi le.
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See Law Dogs on A-5
Let’s hear it for track teams
Tennessee football is jumping around in rehabilitation. We don’t know how long it will take the Vols to learn to win. Tennessee basketball generated some excitement but that was a tease. It just wasn’t good enough. Tennessee baseball is a maybe for some day in the distant future.
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Read Marvin West on page A-6
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Honoring By Sandra Clark Retired Knox County Commissioner Bee DeSelm was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Knoxville/Knox County League of Women Voters at a fundraiser at the Knoxville Hilton last week. In 1976, DeSelm and the late Mary Lou Horner were the first women elected to the old Quarterly Court. Both continued to serve on the Knox County Commission. DeSelm left in 1998, after voters adopted term limits. Horner left in 2006 when the state Supreme Court upheld that vote. DeSelm represented District 4, a chiefly city district that includes Sequoyah Hills and much of Bearden. She was a tireless advocate for city taxpayers, correctly pointing out they were taxed twice to pay for shared services. Through her efforts, the libraries and then the school systems were merged. The Bearden Branch library building is named for her. Following the death of her husband, Dr. Hal DeSelm, a botany professor at UT, Bee moved to Hamilton House. She now lives at Shannondale retirement community. DeSelm remains active in the
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March 25, 2013
Bee
Jamey Dobbs with Bee DeSelm Photo by Libby Morgan
Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church and the League of Women Voters. She was president of the LVW from 1965-67. Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero served with DeSelm on
the commission. They have remained friends, and DeSelm lined up transportation to visit Rogero’s election night celebration. Rogero issued a proclamation in DeSelm’s honor which was read
by LVW president Jamey Dobbs. DeSelm was a “role model and inspiration” to many women including herself, Rogero said. Commissioner Wanda Moody also spoke at the event
Once Upon a Dream Mary Costa lights up the room By Jake Mabe She still gets nervous before a performance, believe it or not. She says she’s given maybe 10 “perfect” performances in her career, although you know the number is more than 10 times that. And she can still light up a room like the star she is, in the best and truest sense of what that means. Mary Costa, Knox bornand-bred, opera star, Princess Aurora from Walt Disney’s 1959 animated film “Sleeping Beauty,” spoke to students at Gibbs High School last week. Anyone touched by her spirit will never forget it. She came, as a surprise,
A close-up of the base of the Disney Legends Award, presented to Mary Costa in 1999 by Michael Eisner and Roy Disney. to speak to Dean Harned’s film studies class. Junior Seth Hall wrote to Costa when he found out she was Mary Costa, renowned opera singer, actor, and the voice of from Tennessee. Turns out, Princess Aurora from Disney’s 1959 “Sleeping Beauty,” spoke Costa knew Harned’s late with students in a surprise visit to Dean Harned’s film studies grandmother, Bearden resiclass at Gibbs High last week. Photos by Ruth White dent Helen Harned.
The Duncan strategy After listing the savings he’s achieved during three years as trustee, Duncan alluded to the scandal that’s plagued his tenure. “Some people want to focus on a program that I didn’t manage well and that caused embarrassment to me and my family.” Duncan said delinquent tax collections were 43 percent higher last year than the year before he took office. With collections this Flanked by his mom, his wife high, the delinquent tax attorney and his dad’s chief of staff (Bob would have been paid $600,000 Griffitts), Duncan enjoyed a polite under the program used by previand even pleasant reception at the ous trustees. Instead, Duncan brought the job Halls Republican Club – his first speaking engagement since two in-house for about $100,000. Now, key staffers resigned after guilty with Chad Tindell gone, Duncan has outsourced it to the county’s law pleas in Criminal Court.
By Sandra Clark
The crown prince of the Duncan Dynasty gave a glimpse of his re-election strategy last week. Knox County Trustee John Duncan believes he, like a football coach, should be judged by his body of work.
Analysis
John Duncan with wife Jennifer at Halls Republican Club Photo by S. Clark department where “we’re getting nine attorneys for (the cost of) one.” Duncan said he will take bids on state-mandated advertising, currently about $100,000 a year to the News Sentinel. He’s reduced travel expenses, resulting in a $5,400 pay cut to some staff. He’s opening satellite offices only
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Seth had only asked for an autograph. You should have seen the look on the students’ faces when Costa walked into the room. Each smiled. Some cried. I’m not kidding. “I never expected a call or anything like this,” Seth says. You should have seen student MaKayla Mounger. To say “Sleeping Beauty” is her favorite is like saying Mario Andretti knows how to drive. Purses, dolls, T-shirts, blankets, she’s got it all. “I’m trying to contain myself,” MaKayla said. Costa says speaking to young people is “Once upon a Dream” (the song from “Sleeping Beauty”) come true. “I have something in my heart for young people,” Costa said. “They don’t know how really gifted they are.” She told them about getTo page A-3
during tax season, saving another $100,000 annually. Duncan said the county’s investments have “improved by 19 percent” on his watch. His office now has 34 full-time employees, down from 59 at one time. “We’ve returned $13 million to the general fund to date, and I hope to add another $6 million at the end of this fiscal year,” he said. If Duncan can avoid indictment (a judgment call by Attorney General Randy Nichols to present to the grand jury), he may coast to re-election. The Duncan strategy: run for the most bloated office in town. Cut expenses. Increase collections. Hire grown-ups (at least the second time around). And trust the team, led by Mama Lynn. After all, you’ll never get beat if no one runs against you.
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