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VOL. 6 NO. 11
IN THIS ISSUE
What a gas!
Members of the Tellico Trio team will probably just stick to vanilla after the Farragut Rotary Club Spelling Bee for Adults at Pellissippi State on March 6. The team made it through nine rounds of spelling before getting tripped up on “neapolitan” to come in second at the annual fundraiser.
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March 12, 2012
Knox ’bots in By Wendy Smith Six high schools represented Knox County at “Rebound Rumble,” a competition between basketball-shooting robots held at the Knoxville Convention Center March 1-3. A total of 54 teams came from as far away as Canada to compete in the Smoky Mountain Regional FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition. Each team had just six weeks to use a common kit to build a robot that could be operated remotely to shoot and recover basketballs. During the competition, robots were assigned to teams, or alliances, of three, and earned points by shooting baskets or balancing on bridges with other ’bots during each 2-minute, 15-second match. Hardin Valley Academy and Knoxville Catholic High School
See page A-2
SOLD! Strolling musicians, an Italian feast, Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” and the sound of “Going once, twice, SOLD” made for a special evening Feb. 26 at Concord United Methodist Church.
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See page A-3
Mardi Growl... It wasn’t just the dogs that dressed funny at Mardi Growl downtown. Sandra Clark snapped some great shots.
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See page B-3
Signs of spring Springtime just has a special feeling to it. The feeling came to me recently, as I stood and admired my first jonquil, a neat double blossom whose ancestors graced my grandmother’s yard well more than 75 years ago.
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See Dr. Collier’s story on page A-6
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Carson wins! Fifth District school board member Karen Carson beat challenger Elaine Davis to win re-election March 6. According to unofficial returns from the Knox County Election Commission, Carson garnered 3,510 votes (58.02 percent) to Davis’s 2,540 (41.98 percent).
Index Sherri Gardner Howell Government/Politics Town of Farragut Dr. Bob Collier Faith Schools Business Community Calendar Health/Lifestyles
A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A9-10 A12 B4 Sect B
10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378) news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Sandra Clark sclark426@aol.com.com ADVERTISING SALES Jim Brannon brannonj@ShopperNewsNow.com Debbie Moss mossd@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 10512 Lexington Drive, Suite 500, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 33,237 homes in Farragut, Karns and Hardin Valley.
Farragut High School sophomore Tanner Hobson and Maryville High School junior Evan Widloski make repairs to Farragut’s basketball-shooting robot. Five Maryville students joined the Farragut team to participate in the Smoky Mountain Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. Photo by Wendy Smith
AmeriCorps member ‘wades’ into post By Suzanne Foree Neal AmeriCorps member Josh Cunningham went from fire to water when he came to Farragut to help with the town’s stormwater system. The Mount Holly, N.C., resident’s path to national service started as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. When he got out of college with a degree in food service management, he thought he would build houses for Habitat. “I knew I wanted to do national service after college, but I wanted a chance to travel,” he says. His first AmeriCorps assignment was working as a firefighter out of Sacramento. That’s when he decided food service wasn’t his thing. He found himself drawn to environmental issues. He wanted to come back East and found an opening through the Community Action Committee to work in water quality issues for Farragut. “I chose Farragut for my next service,” he says. “It was a chance to do a lot of work outside and make a difference. Water is something we take for granted, but I’ve learned to appreciate it.” Cunningham feels strongly about national service and AmeriCorps gave him an opportunity to try his hand at different things, find his passion and a career. “I’m the eyes and ears out in the field concerning stormwater issues,” he says of his posting with the town. Turkey Creek, he explains, is an impaired stream because of the high E. coli levels. “E. coli comes from
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To page A-10
Horse Haven needs help By Theresa Edwards
Josh Cunningham spends a lot of his day in waders checking out streams in Farragut. The AmeriCorps member has adopted the section of Turkey Creek that flows through Campbell Station Park from Kingston Pike to the end of the park. Photo by S.F. Neal a lot of sources – people not picking up after their dogs, aging septic systems and stormwater runoff from paved surfaces. E. coli in itself isn’t harmful; it’s more of a warning sign of other bad things in the stream.” He spends about threefourths of his time out in the field. While it’s a lot safer than fighting fires, he confesses to sometimes taking a spill into the water. Dressed in waders up to mid-chest, the tall, lanky Cunningham says he sometimes gets strange looks from people as he wades up and down Turkey Creek. His main work area is Campbell Station Park, which he has adopted from Kingston Pike to the end of the park. While wading in those waters he’s come across possums, busted a beaver dam, and encountered a snapping turtle and small fish. “Nothing scary like snakes,” he laughs. He finds Farragut an
interesting community because “it’s very much in control of its own destiny and can make local decisions.” Cunningham adds, “I know the work I do makes a big difference and I can see the difference faster.” Cunningham, 23, says his assignment in Farragut is “definitely different” from working in an impoverished area, which is the usual perception of AmeriCorps workers. “It may be called affluent, but there’s still a need in this community to keep the streams clean,” he says. “We like to think every town should have an AmeriCorps member doing national service.” When his contract ends in June, he’s not sure what he’ll do next but graduate school is an option or another year of national service. If he stays with AmeriCorps, he’ll likely move on to another location. “They want you to spread your wings,” he says, smiling.
Keep Your Me Memories emo SAFE!
Horse Haven of Tennessee (HHT) is helping tremendously in caring for the abused horses recently seized from the Voltz Lane farm by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Unit. The horses are being cared for at Chilhowee Park. According to Jennifer Ellison, barn manager at HHT, multiple shifts of volunteers go there all day. The horses are in a step program. They are given hay three times a day and recently started receiving a handful of grain twice per day. They will also be given Equine Red Cell vitamin and mineral supplements to boost their immunity. Ellison has a passion for caring for horses. “I don’t understand how people can mistreat horses the way they do, letting them get so malnourished when they have so much to offer,” she said. HHT’s mission statement is “To advocate for, rescue, protect and defend our God-given equine from abuse and neglect in Tennessee.” In addition to caring for these horses at Chilhowee
Horse “Love Bug” receives care from Horse Haven of Tennessee barn manager Jennifer Ellison. Photos by T. Edwards of TEPHOTOS.com
Park, HHT cares for 30 horses on its Hardin Valley ranch. The nonprofit needs donations, including Equistages horse feed, de-wormer, Red Cell, hay, shavings, halters, lead ropes, gas cards and money. Horse Haven has about 75 volunteers and can always use more. Founder Nina Margetson says, “Our horses thank you for your donations,” and “We love our volunteers.” Info: www. HorseHavenTN.org/.
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