VOL. 7 NO. 15
IN THIS ISSUE
Miracle Maker Knox County Schools’ Career and Technical Education department will hold its capstone event, CTE Goes Live, Friday, April 19, at Market Square. Jake Mabe interviews CTE director Don Lawson about the event and other CTE programs.
➤
www.ShopperNewsNow.com |
April 15, 2013
www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow
Dogwood time in Farragut
See Jake’s story on page A-9
Art for church Stitch-by-stitch a group of women plan to add beauty to their church by marrying art and function. Pew kneelers at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Farragut have seen better days, so member and needlepoint enthusiast Lois Threlkeld decided it was time for an update.
➤
See Suzanne Neal’s story on A-7
How to follow a legendary coach Following a legendary coach is a daring high-wire act. History says there are far more missteps, slips, falls and crashes than happy landings.
➤
See Marvin West’s story on A-6
The harder half We complain about paying taxes; it’s right there in the Bill of Rights: “Americans have the right to complain about sending part of their hard-earned money to Washington.” Well, maybe it isn’t there in so many words, but still …
➤
See Lynn Hutton’s story on A-6
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Dine Out for Education Knox County Schools’ 10th annual “Dine Out for Education” will be held Tuesday, April 16, at nearly 40 restaurants with 80 locations throughout Knox County. Participants who eat at the selected restaurants will automatically have 10 percent of their pre-tax total donated to the Knox County Schools Partners in Education program, which helps fund programs including the Career Fair for 8th graders and high school students, the Teacher Supply Depot and the Barney Thompson Scholarship. Nearly $20,000 was raised during last year’s event. Participating restaurants can be found at www.knoxschools.org.
10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378) NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sherri Gardner Howell Suzanne Foree Neal ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Shannon Carey Jim Brannon | Tony Cranmore Brandi Davis | Patty Fecco
With the beautiful Fox Den entrance as a backdrop, Dogwood Arts Festival volunteers get ready for the official ribbon-cutting that opened the Farragut trail on April 10. Farragut is the featured trail for the 2013 festival, which continues through April. The Farragut trail begins at Fox Den, continues through Country Manor and ends in Village Green. The trail features public gardens and camera sites. Holding the ribbon are Shirley Fogarty, committee member for the Farragut trail; Nancy Schmitz, chair of the Farragut trail; and Ann Graf, overall trails chair for the festival. For more pictures of the ribbon-cutting and Dogwood luncheon at Campbell Station Park, see pages 2 and 3. Photo by Sherri Gardner Howell
Cuckoo for clocks By Suzanne Foree Neal Time seldom stands still when J.D. Miller and Joanie LaTorre are on the job. It is their job to get time moving again, no matter if that progress is measured by a Rolex or a cuckoo clock. Miller has moved his longtime watch repair business on Magnolia Avenue to Farragut. LaTorre, a longtime clock appraiser for the television show “Antiques Roadshow,” and her husband, L.J., moved their second-generation clock/watch repair business from Florida to Tennessee two years ago and set up shop at Black Bear Clock Repair in Sevierville. L.J. fixes clocks there. Miller and LaTorre have been consulting on clocks for years. “It seemed right to get together,” she said. They brought in Terri Anderson, who designs and makes custom jewelry, to add the jewelry component of the business. Concord Watch, Clock & Jewelry Center is at 11130 Kingston Pike, around the corner from the former Food City location. Most of the antique clocks in the store are at least 100 years old. When Miller was a teenager, he wanted to know how a watch worked, so he took one apart and put it back together. That began a fascination with clocks and watches that has stayed with him for 50
years. He worked as a petroleum and natural gas engineer for Sun Oil Co. for many years, fixing timepieces as a hobby. “I decided the corporate world wasn’t for me,” he said. “I started fixing clocks and watches full time. I’ll work on anything that ticks except bombs.” In addition to fixing timepieces, he’s also a collector, with a personal passion for pocket watches. The oldest, and a favorite, is a doctor’s watch in a round sharkskin case that dates to 1795. It was made by a company that made pocket watches for five generations of kings. The business draws customers from nearby states as well as locals. LaTorre goes to Florida once a month to pick up clocks from people in her old business neighborhood. “I had customers who were mad at me for closing,” she says of the Florida store. “They said I couldn’t leave because I was the only one they trusted with their family heirlooms. Clocks are made to last for generations.” Their biggest problem is trying to repair someone else’s repairs. “People think if they can fix a car, they can fix a clock,” LaTorre says. “But they can’t, because it is very delicate work.” Miller says sometimes timepieces are so damaged that it costs more to fix them than they are worth.
Joanie LaTorre and J.D. Miller always have an eye on the clock – or sometimes the watch. The duo have set up shop at Concord Watch, Clock & Jewelry Center. Photo by Suzanne F. Neal Those may find a new home in his parts drawer. LaTorre’s reputation as an appraiser has her number on many folks’ speed dial. She gets calls and photos from people at flea markets, garage sales and antique stores, asking if they should buy a certain timepiece and wondering what might be wrong with the clock and how much it might cost to fi x it. When it comes to timepieces, they take all brands. In one day, they took in a Mickey Mouse watch and a woman’s Rolex. LaTorre’s favorite is the Seth Thomas Sonora
chime clock with four, five or eight bells, because she loves the sound. When her cellphone rings, it is to the sound of clock chimes. Miller’s ringtone is clock bells. While Miller also works on clocks, he prefers watches. “You enjoy doing what you appreciate more and what you do well. There aren’t many people who will touch watches,” he said, resulting in the store getting a lot of sub-contractor work. Sometimes that means digging deep to find an old part or making it. “Discontinued is a favorite word,” he said, with a laugh.
Community school coordinators reflect on first year By Wendy Smith There are still kinks to work out at Knox County’s three new community schools. But site resource coordinators at Green Magnet, Lonsdale and Norwood elementary schools see favorable results from
Analysis afterschool programs that benefit students and their families. All are optimistic that the programs will be even better next year. The coordinators have been surprised and pleased by the organizations that have offered after-
school programming to students. Liz Thacker coordinates the program at Norwood, which serves approximately 100 students five days a week. For example, Thacker contacted the Northwest Middle School step team to see Liz Thacker if they would be willing to perform for her students. The coach asked if, instead, the middle school students could put on a mini-camp. The camp,
held last week, was fun for all. Adam Fritts, coordinator of Lonsdale’s community school, is amazed by how the need for programming often dovetails perfectly with an organization’s need to provide it. The Joy of Music School receives grants that require it to provide education, and the 90 kids who participate in Lonsdale’s Monday through Thursday community school program are a perfect match. Erika Long coordinates programming for the 60 students who attend Green Magnet community school five days a week. She’s en-
FREE Diamond Earrings
thusiastic about a garden club that’s being offered with the help of UT’s Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Department and Agricultural Extension Service. Volunteers have cleaned out an old greenhouse at the school to be used during the school day as well as by community school participants. Each community school also has needs. Thacker would like to see more community buy-in. She hopes to have the opportunity to reach out to service clubs and neighborhood associations, but says there aren’t More on A-3
Get Ready for Mother's Day! Preserve those old Pr reels, slides & vhs tapes today!
with $199 purchase! p
Foster' s Fine Jewelry
7023 Kingston Pike In the West Hills Center
584-3966
Expires 5/15/13 Must present coupon.
www.fostersjewelry.com
1 FREE Tape Transfer with $50 purchase Bring your VHS, slides, Includes VHS, VHS-C, Hi8, Mini-DV & Audio Cassette film and more into Coupon must be presented at time order is dropped off. Discount will the digital age.
not be applied to previous orders or orders that are being processed. Expires 4/20/13 SN041513
Audio & Video Conversion
686-5756
www.DigitizeItNow.com 12752 Kingston Pike, Renaissance Farragut, Ste 103, Bldg E