VOL. 7 NO. 22
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IN THIS ISSUE
with the ‘masters’
Meet Danny Trent, new principal at Farragut Middle Danny Trent says his four years at Central High School will make him a better middle school principal because now he understands what students need to know to be successful in high school.
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See Sandra Clark’s story on A-9
Fun on two wheels When the activity to raise funds for a worthy cause fits perfectly with the cause it is helping – well, that’s a winwin. Cardiac Kids (Coronary Artery Risk Detection in Appalachian Communities) is a non-profit with programs to help identify, educate and treat children and their parents who have abnormal cholesterol levels as well as other cardiovascular disease risk factors. Recently, the group sponsored a bike ride fundraiser. Sherri Gardner Howell and Justin Acuff were there for Farragut Faces.
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Story and pictures on A-3
Joy in a name Tears of joy streamed down Devon Tarr’s face as she finally held her Ethiopian daughter, Brielle. After 15 months of waiting, filling out paperwork and longing to be together, Devon and her husband, Nathan, were overcome with happiness when they were united with their new daughter in Ethiopia.
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See story on A-7
Weight loss Marietta Cumberland Presbyterian Church hosts the community TOPS weight loss club. It’s doing quite well.
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See story on A-7
June 3, 2013
County’s master gardeners cultivate educated planters By Betsy Pickle At the most recent gathering of the Knox County Master Gardeners, the gardeners were more interested in the plants they were eating than the ones beautifying the yard around them. But that didn’t stop them from breaking into shoptalk as they enjoyed the pleasant spring weather and each other’s company at a potluck at the Farragut home of gardener Joyce Montgomery and her husband, Tucker. Knox County has around 75 active master gardeners, about onefourth of whom live in Farragut. They volunteer through the Knox County Extension Office to help the public with horticulture-related information. “We’re not supposed to be laborers, per se,” says Montgomery. “We’re supposed to be educators.” The MGs set up an “Ask a Master Gardener” booth at local farmers’ markets and plant sales. They speak to garden clubs. They answer phones at the extension office and help with community gardens. “Not everybody’s an expert in everything, but everybody has an interest in something,” says Ellen Morar, a Farragut resident and the group’s treasurer. “I like native plants and wildflowers, but … I mostly have volunteered with community gardens, which has been kind of interesting because it’s a sunny project, and I have a shady interest!” Community gardens are popular these days. “Lots of churches have them,” says Morar. “I also work with the Davis YMCA, and they have a huge one that they’re just getting going.” “A lot of the community gardens are growing vegetables so that they can give them to food banks,” says Barbra Bunting, a Hardin Valley resident whose expertise is organic vegetable gardening.
Enjoy an evening outdoors with other master gardeners are Lisa Cronin, Barbra Bunting, host Joyce Montgomery, Ellen Morar and Kathy DeValentin. Photos by T. Edwards
and Kathy DeValentin of West Knoxville decided to take the master gardener class together three years ago. DeValentin had always “puttered” in the garden but didn’t take it seriHelping with dinner at the gathering of master ously until being gardeners are Mary Mishu and Lynn Carlson. inspired by her sister, a master Morar has been a master gar- gardener in Arizona. dener since 2010 and Bunting Cronin got into gardening since 2008. A would-be MG has through the encouragement of her to apply and explain why he or sister-in-law. she wants to be a master gardener, “The garden that I planted then pass a 12-week class offered was my therapy after my parents once a year. During the first year, passed away,” she says. a master gardener must volunteer They now serve as co-chairs of 40 hours in one of the group’s core the Knoxville Botanical Garden projects. Subsequently, each gar- project. “A group of us planted a dener must volunteer 25 hours master gardener bed there, and and take eight hours in continuing it’s a demonstration bed for what education annually. perennials can be grown,” says Friends Lisa Cronin of Farragut DeValentin.
Bill McReynolds, who has lived in Farragut nearly all of his 74 years, became a master gardener in 2000. “I used to teach the vegetable class through the master gardeners,” says McReynolds. “Barbra was in my class. Now she’s taken the reins, and she’s doing the organic.” McReynolds, who is retired from East Tennessee Natural Gas Co., raises garlic, tomatoes and eggplant and sells them at the Tuesday farmers’ market at Ebenezer United Methodist Church. McReynolds started farming as a teenager, helping his grandfather, who was the manager of the Admiral Farragut Farm on Northshore Drive. After his stint in the Navy, he returned to farming and gardening as a hobby. He began selling produce to create an education fund for his granddaughter, Olivia DeAngelo, who’s now a student at To page A-5
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Drug collection Saturday
Condo wars:
Anyone wishing to get rid of expired or unused medication can bring it for safe disposal 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at Covenant Senior Health at Fort Sanders West, 220 Fort Sanders West Blvd., Building 2. Residents can also dispose of used mercury thermometers. Info: http:// www.medicationcollection.org/.
Who polices homeowners associations? By Betty Bean Disputes within homeowners groups can get ugly, particularly in condominium developments where neighbors live cheek by jowl. Last Tuesday evening a group of Devanshire subdivision homeowners were set to meet with a reporter at Tracey Gross’scondo to air complaints against their homeowners association. That afternoon, Gross was rushed to the emergency room at Parkwest Medical Center with chest pains and spiking blood pressure. She was stabilized and returned home to host the meeting. Still wearing her hospital bracelet, she pointed to water stains on her living room ceiling.
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Condo owners pay monthly dues and annual special assessment fees to fund the external repairs that are the responsibility of the HOA. Gross says the stress of dealing with Devanshire’s unaddressed maintenance issues and financial problems, plus the ongoing tension in the neighborhood, is ruining her health. Last September, Gross’s neighbor Judy Hedden sent a letter to Tracey Gross (right) looks at legal the Metropolitan Planning Com- documents with neighbor Judy Hedmission with complaints about den. Photo by Betty Bean alleged financial irregularities, intimidation and failure to abide by bylaws. She and Gross are part of one – has the authority to regulate a group of Devanshire homeown- homeowners associations. ers who are tangled in a legal dis“On the surface, an HOA may pute with the HOA board, and she appear to be good for the commuwanted to know if MPC – or any- nity. The problem is that there is
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no oversight. This puts an unfair burden on the homeowners to have to take legal action in what could be avoided in the first place,” Hedden’s letter said. She received a reply from MPC director Mark Donaldson, who addressed the question of whether MPC could remove an HOA board for misconduct. “The answer to that is a definitive no. The planning commission does not require the creation of an HOA, so it stands to reason that it has no authority to intervene in the actions of an HOA. I do not foresee a situation in which the MPC would require an HOA or forbid the creation of an HOA” Donaldson wrote. Devanshire Homeowners Association president Ed Johnson declined to comment on the complaints, citing ongoing legal battles, but issued a warning: “If they are talking to the media
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