VOL. 8 NO. 15
‘ROUND TOWN
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April 14, 2014
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The running of the town of Farragut is greatly enhanced by the committees that cover everything from plumbing and gas to beautification. Serving on one of those committees means committing to monthly meetings as well as assisting with projects, programs and plans under the committee’s jurisdiction. Applications to be on one of Farragut’s advisory committees, councils and boards are now being accepted. Completed applications must be returned to the town hall by Friday, May 16. Committees include Arts Council, Beautification Committee, Board of Plumbing and Gas/ Mechanical Examiners, Board of Zoning Appeals, Folklife Museum Committee, Knox County Education Relations Committee, Parks and Athletics Council, Personnel Committee, Stormwater Advisory Committee and Visual Resources Review Board. Information about each of the committees is available on the town’s website, as well as on the committee application form. In addition, printed applications are available at the Farragut Town Hall Information Center, 11408 Municipal Center Drive, or by calling 966-7057. For additional information, contact town recorder Allison Myers at allison. myers@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen makes the final determination on who will serve at the June meeting.
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Town of Farragut Personnel Committee – All day, Tuesday, April 15 Opening day, Knox County Primary Election Early Voting – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in community room Farragut Municipal Planning Commission – 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17 Visual Resources Review Board – 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 BOMA – 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24
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Bearden: Wendy Smith interviews founders of Fort Kid as the city announces plans to restore it. Union County: Sandra Clark interviews District Attorney General Lori PhillipsJones; while Libby Morgan writes about a headless cow. North/East: Betty Bean has the scoop on city plans to revitalize the Magnolia Avenue Corridor.
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At the tournament to determine the national champions, junior Ice Bear forward Jayce Dorman steals the puck and drives to the net to score the winning goal in championship game against Idaho Steelheads. Line mates Gage Despins (12) and Lucas Despins (17) follow up from behind to support the drive. Photos submitted
The junior Ice Bears are Under-18AA U.S.A Youth Hockey National Champions. Celebrating are Nick McGregor, Mason Jobe, Austen Thompson, Michael Thompson, Mitch Kestner (goalie), Gage Despins (captain), Jake Fountaine, Braden Pichel, Austin Scheidt, Jayce Dorman, Lucas Despins, Drake Lamm, Josh Quarles (goalie), Josh Maine, Connor Clarke, Kyle Lindsay, Aaron Liner, Corey Staples, Felix Bjurstrom and Michael Roulier. At back are coaches K.J. Voorhees, Rob Despins, Jeff Lindsay, Lance Fountaine and Dave Staples.
KAHA junior Ice Bears complete 3-year quest to secure title By Stefan Cooper The cliché rang true for the 18U junior Ice Bears last weekend in Wayne, N.J. The Knoxville Amateur Hockey Association team routed the Idaho junior Steelheads, 5-1, in the title game of the USA Hockey Youth National Championships on April 6. The national championship came with the junior Ice Bears making
their third trip to the tournament in as many seasons. It is the first time a Knoxville hockey team has won a national championship. “It took three years to build this team up,” junior Ice Bears coach Robert Despins said. “It’s been a lot of hard work.” Aaron Liner and forward Jayce Dorman both put home a pair of goals in the championship game,
with Farragut graduate Gage Despins adding a fifth. Lucas Despins, the second of three Despins triplets, had an assist on the Liner goal. Goalie Mitchell Kestner stopped all but one of the junior Steelheads’ 20 shots. The national title was truly a team effort, Robert Despins said. The junior Ice Bears (46-5-3) netted a tournament-best 27 goals during a weeklong, five-match stay, the goals totaling five better than the next best team. Liner and Gage Despins both had four goals in the tournament. Braden Pichel and Jake Fountaine had three goals each for Knoxville, the Tennessee state champions, with Pichel collecting his on the team’s only hat trick in the tournament. Felix Bjorstrum and Jayce Dorman both put the puck in the net twice, with Dorman’s two goals coming in the second period of
Lay, McMillan are GOP candidates to replace Swann By Jake Mabe The swan takes flight. After 32 years on the bench, 4th Circuit Court Judge Bill Swann announced his retirement last year, shortly after lawyer Greg McMillan said he would seek the job whether Swann ran or not.
Analysis Swann is Knox County’s most controversial judge; lawyers and litigants either love or hate him. Many just bypass his court entirely, filing in Chancery Court and putting a burden on that court’s caseload. The biggest complaint against Judge Swann is his overreliance on psychologists, with several working in his court, pushing up costs. The state requires that divorcing couples undergo one mediation session; Swann requires four. The state requires four hours of Parent Education Seminars; Swann requires 12. It is difficult to get a trial date because he has trial “managements,” which require litigants to spend yet another day sitting in the courtroom with their lawyers so that progress toward settlement can be “measured.”
Another frequent complaint is his overreliance on Orders of Protection. At one time, Knox County’s 4th Circuit Court issued more OPs than Davidson, Hamilton, Shelby and Sullivan counties combined. He also has a stable of lawyers who work as his “special masters.” These lawyers have their own robes, dockets and nameplates. When they’re not wielding a gavel, they are practicing in his court, raising the question of how these individuals can be agents of the judge one day and come before him the next. Candidate Patti Jane Lay is one of these, and Swann has endorsed her to succeed him. These practices have caused Chancery Court dockets to become overloaded with divorce cases. Swann’s critics say he has made the process of getting a divorce in Knox County expensive, cumbersome and protracted. The candidates: Two lawyers seek to replace Judge Swann, a race that will be decided in the May 6 Republican Primary. The winner will face the winner of the Democratic Primary, either Daniel Kidd or David Valone, in the general election. Patti Jane Lay and Greg McMillan are campaigning hard – both
in the shadow of Bill Swann. Lay grew up in Fountain City and Bearden, graduating from Webb School of Knoxville. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Emory University in Atlanta and a law degree at UT. She and her husband, Tom Baugh, live in Bearden and have three children. Lay McMillan says he declared his intentions to run in 2006. He graduated from Bearden High before earning a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from UT. He and his wife, Summer, have five children. He is special counsel with the Lewis Thomason law firm. McMillan says he got into the race because “the court hasn’t been working well for the people of Knox County for several years.” He says he will: ■ Do a better job screening orders of protection, granting them not at the initial stage by special masters but by the court of record. “It eliminates appeals.” ■ Ensure better coordination between law enforcement and the court, making orders of protection simplified, clear and typed rather
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the championship game to open a 3-0 lead. Five others – Lucas Despins, Kyle Lindsay, Michael Thompson, Mason Jobe and Austen Thompson – scored a goal for Knoxville. The junior Ice Bears are headquartered at the Cool Sports Icearium in Farragut, where KAHA holds its league games. The 2014 USA Hockey youth national champions include: Felix Bjurstrom, Kyle Lindsay, Connor Clarke, Aaron Liner, Joshua Maine, Gage Despins, Nicholas McGregor, Lucas Despins, Braden Pichel, Jayce Dorman, Joshua Quarles, Jake Fountaine, Michael Roulier, Austin Scheidt, Mason Jobe, Corey Staples, Mitchell Kestner, Michael Thompson, Drake Lamm and Austen Thompson. The junior Ice Bears are coached by Rob Despins, Lance Fountaine, Jeff Lindsay, David Staples and K.J. Voorhees.
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than written. ■ Change the way the docket is handled. He says most cases are filed in Chancery Court because of Swann’s “biases,” which have created a logjam. ■ Change Swann’s snowday policy, opening court even if Knox County government is closed for those who can McMillan safely make it to court. On the civil side, McMillan says he will change the current policy of a 12-hour parenting class to the state-required four-hour class and will look at offering online classes. He says when parents are going through a divorce, their children need them more than ever. “The court needs to work better for the people of Knox County. There’s going to be a change (in judges). But it needs to be the right change.” We were unable to connect with Lay by press time. Candidate bios can be found at their websites, w w w.pattijanelay forjudge.com and http://mcmillanforjudge.com. Betty Bean contributed to this report.
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