Bearden Shopper-News 050416

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VOL. 10 NO. 18

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BUZZ

BMS shares locker love with

Friends since middle school to take final curtain Alyse McCamish and Anna Smith will soon leave Knoxville to pursue their acting dreams, but they’ll take one last curtain call together this weekend in the Oak Ridge Playhouse production of “Urinetown.� McCamish graduated from Bearden High School last year, and Smith will graduate from Bearden this month. They first acted together in a West Valley Middle School production of “Annie.� At Bearden, they performed together in “Thoroughly Modern Millie� and “Footloose.�

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JaJuan’s

family

Read Wendy Smith on page A-2

Thomas kickoff Knox County Commissioner Bob Thomas will kick off his campaign for county mayor at the same place Tim Burchett announced his candidacy seven or so years ago. All are invited to a free baloney lunch with R.C. Colas and Moon Pies from 11:30 to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, at Powell Auction and Realty, 6729 Pleasant Ridge Road behind the Clinton Highway Walmart. Commissioner Ed Brantley will serve as master of ceremonies for his friend and colleague Thomas. Entertainment will be provided by the Chillbillies, and Sammy “Barney� Sawyer will make the rounds.

JaJuan Latham’s locker is covered by notes and posters from Bearden Middle School students following his April 16 shooting death. Photo submitted

By Wendy Smith It takes a big locker to hold the love of Bearden Middle School students. The school has a tradition of celebrating happy occasions by decorating the lockers of students who are celebrating birthdays or preparing for big games. But after Bearden Middle School sixth grader JaJuan Latham was killed in a drive-by shooting on April 16, students channeled their grief by placing notes and posters on his locker, number 1206. Latham’s best friend was seventh grader Shay Tate. When she noticed the notes on his locker, she added her own, and soon it was covered. She asked students who had lockers nearby if notes could be placed on their lockers, and those, plus the wall above them, were also filled with notes. The two had been friends since elementary school. He called her his “sister,� she says. School administrators initially tried to halt the makeshift shrine,

Vestival (festival) is Sweet 16 Vestival is turning Sweet 16 this year, and it will be the hottest destination in SoKno this Saturday, May 7. However, on Friday, May 6, an even older event will be celebrated at the Vestival kickoff reception at Candoro Arts & Heritage Center: the 225th anniversary of Knoxville. “We’ll have a toast to the 225th anniversary of Knoxville and a toast to the 16th annual Vestival, says Sharon Davis, Candoro board president and chair of Vestival. Davis has ordered a birthday cake from Village Bakery for the reception, and the bakery is donating 1,000 cupcakes to be given away at the Candoro booth on Saturday.

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By Sandra Clark Mayor Madeline Rogero called for $2.7 million for sidewalks and crosswalks across the city, when she presented her budget last week, including $750,000 for sidewalks within school Parental Responsibility Zones and another $750,000 for new sidewalk construction. Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett will present his budget Monday, May 9. We’ll see then what he proposes. Regardless, sidewalks present a dilemma – residents at planning meetings consistently request them; some like those in West Hills even rally at 7 a.m. to demonstrate the need for sidewalks. Yet sidewalks are a low budget priority for decision-makers, al-

(865) 218-WEST (9378) NEWS (865) 661-8777 news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Wendy Smith ADVERTISING SALES (865) 342-6084 ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore Beverly Holland | Amy Lutheran CIRCULATION (865) 342-6200 shoppercirc@ShopperNewsNow.com

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but realized it was a way for students to heal and share emotions. Principal Sonya Winstead wanted Latham’s family to experience the love that was being expressed on the lockers, so she asked art teacher Michael Weininger if stuShay Tate dents could recreate a locker that could be shared. He immediately saw eighth grader Carlie Tenney and knew she’d be perfect for the job. She recruited her best friend, eighth grader Stephanie Warman, to help her paint a giant locker on pebble board that could hold the notes and posters, which were taken down last week. Both girls knew Latham because they waited for after-school pick-up together. Warman says he always asked her for candy. To page A-2

A giant painted locker created by Carlie Tenney and Stephanie Warman holds notes left on Latham’s locker. Photo by Wendy Smith

Sidewalk study shows needs in school zones

Details online in South Shopper

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May 4, 2016

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most at the bottom of the wants and needs list. A January 2014 study prepared for the Knox County Department of Engineering and Public Works by Transportation Consultants Inc. identified locations within the county having the greatest potential and actual usage of walk-toschool trips. The study showed 22,322 of Knox County’s 59,276 students live within the Parental Responsibility Zones where bus transportation is not provided. Using a complex formula, planners determined the top schools for walkers if sidewalks were installed. These are, in order: Cedar Bluff Elementary, Londsdale Elementary, Blue Grass Elementary, Belle

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Morris Elementary, Norwood Elementary, Powell Elementary, Powell High School and BrickeyMcCloud Elementary. “Using this knowledge about where the greatest pedestrian demand and/or potential exists should provide a focused starting point for pedestrian project planning,� the report concluded. Seems sensible, yet Knox County has built sidewalks over the past 3-4 years at Halls Elementary and from Karns Elementary to Karns Middle – both areas where political pressure was intense and neither was on the priority list. Just a thought, but why not drop by to chat with Burchett at one of his nine meetings over two days following his budget presentation. And we dare you to walk:

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Monday, May 9: â– Budget presentation, 9 a.m., City County Building â– South Knoxville Senior Center, 11:30 a.m., 6729 Martel Lane â– Strang Senior Center, 1:30 p.m., 109 Lovell Road â– Halls Senior Center, 2:45 p.m., 4405 Crippen Road â– Carter Senior Center, 4 p.m., 9040 Asheville Highway â– Burlington Branch Library, 5:30 p.m., 4614 Asheville Highway Tuesday, May 10: â– Karns Senior Center, 1 p.m., 8042 Oak Ridge Highway â– Cedar Bluff Library, 2 p.m., 9045 Cross Park Drive â– Bearden Library, 3 p.m., 100 Golfclub Road â– Fountain City Library, 4 p.m., 5300 Stanton Road

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