VOL. 9 NO. 20
BUZZ Rockin’ the Docks Rockin’ the Docks is an allday festival each Memorial Day on Fort Loudon Lake at Lenoir City Park. Food vendors will arrive at 1 p.m. with live music at 5. A salute to soldiers is at 8 with fireworks to begin at 10. Organizers plan a rock climbing wall and a children’s play area. They ask attendees to leave pets at home and say alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
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Historic technique yields new art By Wendy Smith Retired University of Tennessee zoology professor Jim Liles was a beloved teacher, author and historian. The Sequoyah Hills resident passed away in 2002, but one of his colorful hobbies will be saluted this weekend at the Smoky Mountain Quilters 2015 Quilt Show. Jim’s widow, Dale, who has a master’s degree in entomology, explains how the two scientists threw themselves into researching and experimenting with natural dyes. Jim’s interest in black powder rifles led to involvement in 18thcentury reenactor groups, which led to an interest in the creation of authentic period uniforms, she says. “There is no one single thing. Everything runs in cycles, and you can’t separate them into one item.” The couple moved to Knoxville in 1959. They shared an interest in history and handicrafts, so they were regulars at the Southern Highland Craft Guild Fair held in Gatlinburg. There they met Mary Frances Davidson, a math teacher
IN THIS ISSUE Victims speak Lynn Porter doesn’t believe in sugarcoating reality, and she’s confident that her 16-year-old daughter, Amber, is prepared for what she’s going to hear when the man who gunned down her father six years ago stands before a judge May 28 and pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Sources say he will probably serve seven years.
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There is a therapy session going on every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cokesbury United Methodist Church North Campus. It’s “fiber therapy,” and the willing participants are members of the Thursday Bee.
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See Sherri’s story on page A-3
Planting a row for the hungry The Hunger Helper Market at Church Street United Methodist Church was the idea of Carl Bell, a professor of animal science and researcher at the University of Tennessee and a member of the church’s stewardship committee. His daughter, Celia Bell Ferguson, is the wife of the current pastor, Andy Ferguson. She remembers her dad’s passion for helping the needy. “He’d say, ‘If you plant a garden, plant an extra row for the hungry,’ and he did that himself.
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Read Carolyn Evans on page A-7
At Litton’s it’s all about that burger Litton’s Market, Restaurant and Bakery has some dedicated purists. Their passion is the burger. Add whatever sides you want, choose cheese or not, but don’t leave Litton’s without eating the burger.
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Jim Liles wears authentic 18thcentury dress at Fort Loudoun. He used natural dyes on his costumes, and the Turkey red on his vest was one of his specialties. Photo submitted
Read Betty Bean on page A-4
Fiber therapy
See Mystery Diner on page A-11
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from Oak Ridge who had written a booklet about natural dyes. Dale was immediately fascinated. “I got intrigued that all this color was coming from plants.” Dale went home with the booklet, wool yarn from Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and a jar of dried cochineal − an insect used to create purple dye. Jim approved of his wife’s new hobby, but he had his own interests, which included canoeing, hunting and winemaking. “Everything he pursued, he did with intensity,” she says. While Dale’s skills at hand-dyeing, hand-spinning and felt-making earned her acceptance into the Southern Highland Craft Guild, Jim became a reenactor at Fort Loudoun, a British fort erected in the Vonore area during the French and Indian War. Dale painstakingly made a pair of linen pants for his costume, but when she presented them, he asked why they weren’t period-authentic green. Dale said she didn’t know how To page A-3
SOUP dinner benefits food co-op By Betsy Pickle The second version of Knoxville SOUP scored extra funding for a new local food co-op. Held at Ijams Nature Center, the combination dinner/microgrant initiative, presented by the South Knoxville Alliance, drew its first proposal from outside of South Knoxville this time. Organizers are trying to encourage individuals and groups from throughout the city that need funding for creative communityimprovement projects to take advantage of the program. The SoKno Food Co-op, 6710 Willa Essie of the SoKno Food Co-op receives the Knoxville SOUP Chapman Highway, won the grant grant money from master of ceremonies Alan Williams. Photo by B. Pickle from Saturday night’s donations Willa Essie, director of the co- tendees mentioned that they had for dinner – a total of $305 from around 60 attendees. Alan Wil- op, presented her project at the visited the co-op since its openliams of WVLT served as master first Knoxville SOUP in March but ing in April, and seeing it in action did not win the grant. Many at- likely aided the popularity of Esof ceremonies.
sie’s proposal. Alliance House Community of Knoxville, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to fighting poverty, health issues, illiteracy, inequity and inequality in at-risk communities – particularly in the 37912, 37914, 37915 and 37917 ZIP code areas – was the first non-South Knox contender for a SOUP grant. The evening’s third proposal was from South Knoxville Elementary School, which was seeking funds to create a reading nook. Attendees listened to the proposals, then dined on soup, sandwiches, salad, fruit and desserts before casting their votes. Knoxville SOUP plans to hold the dinners bimonthly until they gain the momentum to go monthly. They are also looking for a permanent meeting space. Info: knoxvillesoup.com.
Teachers’ raise in play with reduced schools budget By Betty Bean Back in February, Gov. Bill Haslam gave teachers a reason to hope when he included nearly $100 million in his budget to give them a 4 percent raise. Superintendent James McIntyre made it clear it was past time to do it. Sales-tax revenue numbers were holding their own, and over on the county general government side, the notoriously penurious Mayor Tim Burchett was poised to recommend a 3 percent employee raise. But now, the possibility looms that teachers could be the only Knox County employees who won’t get a pay raise, and there have been fears that the annual merit pay (APEX) bonuses could be in jeopardy as well. While Knox County Schools personnel were awaiting McIntyre’s recommendation on how to deal with a budget shortfall, County Commission chair Brad Anders and school board chair
lan said he expects discussion of some kind of tax increase to come up at the joint meeting. Anders was blunt: “We haven’t had a property tax increase since 1999. I know it’s not popular among ReJim McIntyre Mike McMillan Chris Caldwell publicans, but I’d like to talk about it. It’s going Mike McMillan were working out to get to the point that we have to,” the details to convene a joint com- he said. “And it’s not just for schools mission/school board meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 21, at the East for me – I don’t think the schools Tennessee History Center, 601 are as efficient as they could be. But there are great infrastructure South Gay St. Both said everything will be on needs across the county. “We’re on a 100-year rotation the table for discussion – includon paving roads, for example. ing raising taxes. “I’ve not had any discussions We’ve got 2,000 miles of roads in with Dr. McIntyre regarding cut- the county, and we’re paving less ting the teachers’ pay raise (from than 20 miles a year, most years. the 3 percent McIntyre has rec- The Rescue Squad, whom we deommended),” McMillan said. “The pend on, is in financial trouble. Do question becomes how much are we let them fall? “In my district, we’ve got two you going to cut?” Though noncommittal, McMil- parks – Harrell Road and Plumb
Creek – sitting, purchased and designed, but not done. We’ve got a subdivision in Karns, the road is coming apart from the curb. We should be doing more sidewalks around schools.” But for now, the county’s finance director, Chris Caldwell, said the problem is simple arithmetic. Burchett’s budget appropriates $14 million more than last year to Knox County Schools, based on growth in sales and property tax revenues. But the state funding formula covers only 44 percent of KCS teachers, leaving the county to make up the gap – a gap that’s exacerbated by last year’s decision by the school board to spend $4 million from its fund balance. Caldwell also said automatic step raises are not built into county general employees’ pay scales (unlike teachers), making it difficult to draw an apples-to-apples comparison.
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