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Coffee break
Vicki Gillenwater says when she started riding horses, “I rode very badly. I was persistent, but not very good.” She began riding at age 6, so she has had time to practice. Now a world champion in three different breeds, Vicki spends the majority of her time at her horse farm, Scenic View Farms, and traveling to competitions. Vicki says she loves the same thing about horses that she does about people. “I love their hearts and their intelligence.” Sit a spell and meet Victoria Gillenwater.
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See Coffee Break on page 2
Miracle Maker Meet Alisha Hinton, principal at Sequoyah Elementary School, who stepped into the job with the strong support of her predecessor, Martha Hill. Join them as Sequoyah celebrates being in the state’s top five percent.
➤ See Wendy Smith’s story on page A-9
Tony Norman What makes Tony Norman tick, and did he win election as commission chair because of a strategic error by the other side? Betty Bean has an opinion.
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See Bean’s column on page 4
On to Florida! Marvin West likes football. And the old reporter has forgotten more Vol history than most commentators know. This week, Marvin takes us down the trail to Florida games great and greater.
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See West’s column on page 5
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VOL. 6 NO. 37
IN THIS ISSUE
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September 10, 2012
Bicycling Farragut’s trails … family affair By Suzanne Foree Neal Bicycling is more than just recreation for Mark Littleton. It’s family time and has been since he and wife Karen were married. Littleton, chair of the Farragut/Knox County Schools Joint Education Relations Committee, remembers his first bike. “It was a little black bike with red training wheels and a headlight,” he says. As a somewhat older, cool kid in Harriman, he recalls the 5-speed banana seat bike he rode. “I bought my first good bike in 1982, a Univega, and had it at Tennessee Tech. I kept it and now Andrew is going to Tech, so 30 years later, it’s making a return,” Littleton says, noting that Andrew, 18, has opted to leave his good bike at home. That Univega has seen a lot of miles. Littleton once rode it from Cookeville to Birmingham, Ala., as a fundraiser for the Baptist Student Union at Tech. When he completed his master’s degree in engineering, Littleton treated himself to a Giant brand bike that had caught his eye and also bought one for his wife. Andrew got his exposure to bikes as a baby. Littleton recalls biking around Cades Cove with Sarah, now 14, in a baby carrier and Andrew and Emily, now 17, in a trailer behind his bike. “As soon as they could peddle, I was over that,” he laughs. A memorable family biking vacation was to Colorado. “We took all the bikes. We had four hanging off the back and one tied to the top. We looked like Chevy Chase heading off for vacation,” he laughs, comparing them to the popular vacation movie series. While he and Andrew don’t ride as often, they cover more miles when they do. Karen and the girls tend to ride more often, but shorter trips. Littleton keeps a map of Farragut’s trails in a small bag strapped
Rounding a curve on the Grigsby Chapel trail behind Farragut Commons is Sarah, Mark and Andrew Littleton. Bicycling is a favorite pastime for the family and a good way to get some exercise. On this day, wife Karen and daughter Emily had other plans. Photo by S.F. Neal to his handlebars for their local rides. Finding the trails was a pleasant surprise when the family moved back to East Tennessee about five years ago from Central Kentucky. Karen Littleton is from Morristown. “What I like about the Farragut trails is you can ride 1 mile, 10 miles or more,” Littleton says. Put-in points for bikers are easy to access and when a trail runs out, there are wide sidewalks to get you to the next link if you don’t
ride the road, he notes. While he and Andrew will ride the roads, Karen and the girls stay off them. “I don’t think the roads are a good place for families to ride,” Littleton says. “As I ride the town’s trails, I begin to see the thoughtfulness and planning,” Littleton says of the system, which the town hopes eventually to run throughout the town and link up when possible to Knox County trails. Littleton has ridden every trail
in Farragut at least once. Littleton knows the hard spots – uphill grades. “The worst hill on the Grigsby Chapel greenway is just on the east side of Westchase, and the Everett Road hill as you ride back under the interstate,” he says. Then there’s the one in the Fox Run greenway just below the water tower. “Going west we usually wind up walking our bikes to the top, but you get a beautiful view of the Smokies as a reward for the effort.”
Index Coffee Break A2 Sherri Gardner Howell A3 Government/Politics A4 Marvin West/Lynn Hutton A5 Anne Hart A6 Faith A7 Kids A8 Miracle Maker A9 Business A13 Health/Lifestyles Sect B Calendar B4
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Committee takes on alderman’s request By Suzanne Foree Neal A passing remark by Farragut Alderman Ron Honken has led to a new project for the Farragut/Knox County Schools Joint Education Relations Committee. Honken has said at more than one Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting that he would like to see some recognition in the schools to the fact that the town has now upped its donation to them to $22,000 each. Mark Littleton, committee chair, listened. So have committee members. Kim Arms, Nancy Wentz, Michael Singletary and Russell Barber were in sync with Littleton. Before they get into the details, Littleton would like to know exactly what Honken has in mind. “Honken wants each school to have a banner in some prominent location,” Littleton said. “If we push it, we’ll make sure it gets done. He wants the schools to buy the banner out of the town’s grant money.” Members and guests, including Heather Karnes, Farragut Middle School principal, and retired Far-
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Julia Craze, retired Farragut Primary School principal, will be voted on at the next Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen to become the sixth member of the Farragut/Knox County Schools Joint Education Relations Committee. File photo
ragut Primary School principal Julia Craze, kicked around several suggestions for wording to give
emphasis to the fact that Farragut supports its schools. Wentz mentioned that students at Farragut High School could produce the banners as part of classwork. Barber will look around for some quotes on banners in several sizes and materials to get an idea of what it would cost each school. Littleton would also like input from the schools as to what might work for each. Karnes said about the only place that would work in her school was in the entrance area. “The entrance area is probably best for all schools,” Wentz added. She would prefer any banner not be displayed in an athletic complex “because most of the money goes to technology.” Craze noted that she has always used town money to buy technology for her school. “Knox County sometimes has grants if we can match the funds. I think it would be nice to have something,” Craze volunteered. “Knox County did not buy one single computer in my school. People think Knox County favors Farragut schools, but that’s not so.” She noted that
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computer money comes from the hard work of parents and fundraising efforts. Craze has submitted an application to become a member of the committee and it will be voted on at the Sept. 11 meeting of the board. (A quorum wasn’t possible for the usual meeting date.) Committee members will fan out to visit their assigned schools and see what needs to be deleted or added to the “wish list.” Karnes mentioned that the middle and intermediate schools were still working on funding for a new sign at the combined entrance to the schools. “I hope I get it before I retire,” she joked. Craze finally saw her wish for a new sign and sidewalk at the primary school come true after she retired. The brick is up for the replacement sign, but still no lettering. New primary school principal Gina Byrd stopped by for a few minutes to thank the committee for helping get those items crossed off the wish list. “The sidewalk has cut down on car traffic at the school,” she said.
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