GOVERNMENT/POLITICS A4 | OUR COLUMNISTS A6-7 | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS A8-11 | BUSINESS A12 | HEALTH & LIFESTYLES SECTION B
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VOL. 50, NO. 41
halls / fountain city
OCTOBER 10, 2011
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A dream comes true By Ruth White
SPECIAL SECTION
In support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
FEATURED COLUMNIST DR. JIM TUMBLIN
Albers hosts Civil War reunion This is the second installment of Dr. J.C. Tumblin’s tale of A.J. Albers. A segment of his work, “Fountain City: Facts, Myths and Mysteries” See page A-6
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4509 Doris Circle 37918 (865) 922-4136 news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Larry Van Guilder lvgknox@mindspring.com ADVERTISING SALES Patty Fecco fecco@ShopperNewsNow.com Shannon Carey shannon@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 4509 Doris Circle, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 27,825 homes in Halls, Gibbs and Fountain City.
Dreams really do come true and, thanks to the Dream Connection, 7-year-old Ashleigh Gideon and her family are having one special dream granted. Brian and Christie Gideon learned that their youngest daughter had cystic fibrosis when she was 4. People with cystic fibrosis have airway secretions that are drier, stickier and harder to clear than normal secretions. This thick mucus can block the bronchial tubes in the lungs and can lead to gradual blockage, infection and lung damage. The youngest Gideon is a ball of energy and doesn’t let her disease get the best of her. She takes 16 different medications daily to help her stay healthy and active. Ashleigh’s aunt Marina nominated her for the Dream Connection. When notified of the opportunity to have a wish granted, she chose to visit Disney World with her family. She is excited to visit Seuss Landing to see all of the wonderful things the author of her favorite book, “The Lorax,” has to offer. The Gideons will enjoy their first trip to Disney World as a family. Ashleigh’s sisters Taylor and Elena are looking forward to visiting the nearby Sea World and feeding the dolphins, enjoying breakfast with
Ashleigh, Elena and Taylor Gideon enjoy time in the backyard with their parents, Christie and Brian. the Disney princesses and taking the tea cups for a spin. The Dream Connection fulfills the special dreams of children ages 3-18 who face life threatening or chronically debilitating illnesses in the East Tennessee area. A “dream come true” to a child can give back, in some small way, that which disease and illness have taken away.
Ashleigh Gideon headed out to Florida where she and her family will be enjoying time at Disney World, thanks to the Dream Connection. Photos by Ruth White
Local crematory offers options By Sandra Clark Construction is underway to build a crematory at Gentry-Griffey Funeral Home in Fountain City. Eric Botts, managing partner, expects the facility to be open by year’s end. A licensed funeral director, Botts, 31, has been in the industry since age 14. His family is involved with the Ralph Bunch Funeral Home and Crematory in Cleveland, Tenn. Jerry Griffey, longtime owner and licensed funeral director and embalmer, continues to work at Gentry-Griffey and is “available when families ask for him and sometimes when they don’t,” said Botts, with a nod toward the irrepressible Fountain City fi xture. New owners bought the funeral business and the
accommodate,” he says. The chapel has been refurbished, and Botts realizes “we’ll never get away from traditional services.” But as new families move here and younger people lean toward the concept of cremation, Botts believes it’s a logical extension of the business to add the crematory – the first in Knox County. The escalating expense of funeral services is a factor with the average funeral costing $8,000 plus a gravesite and marker while the average Eric Botts, managing partner of Gentry-Griffey Funeral Home cremation costs $2,000. The Fountain City facility in Fountain City. Photo by S. Clark is properly zoned, according property some three years is used often for special oc- to city officials, and a buildago. Griffey and his wife, casion family photos. ing permit was obtained. The Joan, retain an ownership Botts studied at UT-Chat- contractor is Phil Buckles interest. The house was built tanooga, majoring in busi- with Capital Construction. Cremations are “heavily 139 years ago and sits on a ness. As a funeral director, regulated,” Botts said. hill overlooking Fountain he’s open to new ideas. City Lake. The landscaping Cremation is a two-step “Any way a family wants is outstanding and the site to proceed, I will cater to and process with only heat re-
Capital a la capitol Padgett plan has Nashville flavor
by banks, Padgett says, and it’s up to K nox v ille (and private By Larry Van Guilder i n v e s t o r s) to go where How are you going to keep bankers fear them down on the farm, to tread. once they’ve seen Paree? Padget t So goes the song, and so says his goes Knoxville mayoral candidate Mark Padgett’s plan Mark Padgett plan to give st a r t-ups to bring Nashville’s ideas to Knoxville, the capitol’s a leg up is modeled on the less sophisticated cousin in Tennessee Small Business the hills. Small businesses Investment Company Credit are being shown the door Act, shorthand “TNInvest-
co.” The “Padgett Plan,” a 28-page document released by his campaign the day after the primary, includes a flowchart illustrating the workings of TNIvestco. However, only in the broadest sense does Padgett’s plan resemble TNInvestco, which provides tax credits to venture capitalists who then sell the tax credits to insurance companies and use the proceeds to invest in businesses. Ideally, these businesses produce new tax revenue which is cycled back into the state’s tax credit fund, resulting in something like a perpetual
fur farm with dollars rather than skins. Padgett’s concept for Knoxville is simpler. The city puts up $1 for every $3 from a private investor. Padgett says the “angel investors” will be selected through competitive bidding and only businesses in the city of Knoxville would be eligible for a capital infusion. There’s another significant difference in the state’s plan and what Padgett envisions for Knoxville. The state allocated $200 million in tax credits as seed money for TNInvestco. Padgett won’t say how much the city
leased into the atmosphere. In addition, Gentry-Griffey will maintain an open door policy. Anyone can visit during office hours and tour the crematory. A viewing room will allow families to witness cremations if they desire. Botts says cremation is another option for families, and he’s glad to offer this service to the Knoxville community. “We’re here to serve Fountain City first, but we will be expanding our marketing effort,” he said. “Knoxville is a big place. “I know the importance of trust. A family’s loved one won’t leave this property. Everything will be handled on-site.” Gentry-Griffey has created a website with frequently asked questions. Info: www. knoxcremations.com/.
will set aside until he determines what can be trimmed from the budget. He believes at least 10 percent (about $17 million) of the city’s roughly $170 million general fund budget could be pared off. Padgett concedes that’s a sizeable cut but bases his optimism on his experience working with former Gov. Phil Bredesen. Nominally a Democrat in a nonpartisan race, Padgett’s major themes would be at home in any Republican’s campaign literature: cut bureaucratic red tape; remove To page A-2
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