VOL. 8 NO. 10
IN THIS ISSUE
If chickens could pay rent
Two proposed apartment complexes were a hot topic at last week’s Council of West Knox County Homeowners. Members expressed dismay over the possible progress of a 246-unit apartment complex at Northshore Town Centre and the BZA denial of a zoning appeal brought by neighbors of the proposed Westland Cove development.
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A new place
March 10, 2014
to see the old Bearden
Read Wendy Smith on page A-3
Richard Pickens gets a surprise I’ll say this in a soft voice: There isn’t enough happiness in Richard Pickens’ life. The Ol’ Vol has an assortment of problems. Some, estrangement from family, for example, he brought on himself. Some descended on him like a dark cloud.
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Read Marvin West on page A-5
Meet car guy Claude Reeder He earned a law degree, played a large role in building the framework for the Tennessee Valley Fair, might have helped found the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and became a local household name selling cars, once taking a cow as partial payment for a Studebaker.
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Linda Lee, who ran Parker Brothers Ace Hardware in Bearden for 25 years, has added to the Bearden history display that was once part of the store. The new display is in the Bearden Food City deli. Photo by Wendy Smith
By Wendy Smith Bearden residents can learn more about the history of their community at an unlikely location — the Food City at 5941 Kingston Pike. The collection of photos, artwork and historical information has grown since it was housed at Parker Brothers Ace Hardware, just down the road at 5214 Kingston Pike. Linda Lee, the granddaughter of Parker Brothers founder Lloyd Parker, ran the store from 1980 to 2005 with her husband, Chuck. She installed the history display at the
store with her friend and fellow Bearden historian Terry Faulkner. When the Lees retired, the display moved to their basement while Linda sought a new location. It made a brief appearance at the Silk Purse, the clothing store owned by Lee’s friend Judy Gardner. But when some of the frames came apart, the display returned to her basement. Now, the expanded display fills the eat-in deli area at Food City. Lee credits Josh Gibson of Jerry’s Artarama for help To page A-3
A drawing of 19th-century Bearden, created by historian Terry Faulkner, is part of a new display at Food City.
Read Jim Tumblin on page A-5
When giving hurts
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Poets are coming! Poets for Preservation is a spring poetry series presented by Knox Heritage and eight local poets in April and May. Native Knoxville poets will perform works about history, home and new beginnings in celebration of the opening of Historic Westwood at 3425 Kingston Pike. Poets will read in pairs on Saturdays at 3 p.m. in April and May. Refreshments will be served, and guests are welcome to look around the newly restored mansion after the readings. Info: www.knoxheritage. org.
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Weston or Chuck? Shopper-News publisher Sandra Clark looks at the Congressional race from District 3 and tells tales from the Lincoln Day Dinner in Union County. Go online and click on Clark.
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By Wendy Smith
Tennessee Clean Water Network Executive Director Renee Hoyos consults with Dr. Sharon Jean-Philippe, soil scientist and assistant professor of urban forestry at the University of Tennessee. Photo by Betty Bean
Urban forest, Eastside greenway take shape By Betty Bean Good news for the environment, nature lovers and neighborhood children; bad news for privet, honeysuckle, kudzu and litterbugs. The Tennessee Clean Water Network has acquired five more acres for the Williams Creek Urban Forest project – doubling its acreage – and is preparing to tote the goats back to East Knoxville in June for the second chapter of a three-year land-clearing project. The goats not only
made a big dent in clearing the area of invasive undergrowth last summer but also drew crowds of visitors who came to watch them munch weeds. “The goats were very popular,” said TCWN Executive Director Renee Hoyos. “People were coming by to take pictures, and they got to be a real family attraction. Children loved them.” In addition to being entertaining, the goats were so efficient that they cleared enough ground for To page A-3
Bob Lupton was enjoying his first Christmas as a resident of inner-city Atlanta when he witnessed something that changed his entire ministry. When members of a suburban church brought Christmas presents to a poor, urban family, the kids were ecstatic, the mom was embarrassed, and the dad vanished out the back door. The charitable gift exposed the dad’s inability to provide, and it was more than his fatherly pride could handle, he said. Lupton, the author of “Toxic Charity,” shared insight he’s gained from more than 40 years of ministering to the poor at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church’s 2014 Global Mission Conference. After that Christmas, Lupton examined the ministry’s other charity programs and noticed a pattern. If someone received something once, they were appreciative. If they received it twice, there was some anticipation. When they received it a third time, it created expectation, and after the fourth time, it created entitlement. If someone received something five times, the result was pure dependence. That, he says, is toxic charity. From then on, he adopt-
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Bob Lupton, author of “Toxic Charity,” speaks at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church’s 2014 Global Mission Conference. Photo by Wendy Smith
ed the position that charity is helpful only in a crisis situation. After the crisis has passed, it’s time to rebuild. “Development is the right response to chronic poverty issues,” he said. Defining “crisis” is tricky. Hunger, he said, is not a crisis. “In 42 years of living in the city, I’ve never seen a starving person. I’ve seen food insecurity, but not starvation.” Lupton’s response to the chronic needs of his neighbors was to build healthy relationships, something that isn’t accomplished through one-way giving.
He began to see both the needs and the resources in his neighborhood, and utilize the resources. Nobody is so poor they don’t have something to contribute, he said. Even the homebound elderly can serve as the neighborhood watch. His golden rule is “Never do for others when they have the capacity to do for themselves.” The ministry’s programs evolved into neighbor-run organizations that meet needs and empower. A free clothing closet became a business when customers were required to purchase items. The new business provides employment, and customers feel appreciated rather than demeaned. A food pantry became a food co-op when neighbors pooled resources to have more purchasing power at a local food bank. The arrangement led to a weekly potluck lunch where neighbors show off their cooking skills. Christmas has changed, too. Generous church members still purchase items, but the unwrapped gifts are placed in a store where parents can shop for their children at reduced prices. “What kids need more than toys is effective parTo page A-3
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