VOL. 53 NO. 16
www.ShopperNewsNow.com |
April 21, 2014
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IN THIS ISSUE
S ummer C a mp! It’s that time of year again, time for kids to look forward to summer break, and time for parents to think about filling those long summer days. Lucky for them, there is an abundance of camp opportunities right here in East Tennessee.
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Check them out inside
$1 movies at Regal Regal Entertainment Group will host kids at $1 movies this summer. The 23-year-old program will be available at 350 Regal theaters across the country at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, start date based on local school schedules.
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See the story on page A-14
‘Blessed beyond measure’ State Sen. Becky Massey shows off a “Halls Has It” T-shirt, a gift from Halls Business and Professional Association board member Ted Hatfield at the Halls BPA Prayer Breakfast at Beaver Dam Baptist Church on April 18. Massey gave the keynote address. “We are fortunate and blessed beyond measure to live in East Tennessee. How much more blessed can you be?” she said. Photo by Shannon Carey
Seeking trail lovers The newest way to show Volunteer spirit is through the Trail Volunteer program. A partnership between Knox County, the city of Knoxville, the town of Farragut, Ijams Nature Center, Outdoor Knoxville and Visit Knoxville, the program gives people who already enjoy using local trails and greenways the chance to be ambassadors for them.
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Read Betsy Pickle on page A-4
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
MADD walk at West Hills Park Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s local affiliate will host a non-competitive MADD walk and 5K fundraising event 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 26, at West Hills Park. The race will start at 10:15. Registration is $15 for those ages 5-21, and $20 for those 21 and older. Corporations and other groups are encouraged to form teams of 10 or more and are asked to raise $100 each through donations.
Jake Mabe taking leave of absence Longtime Shopper-News reporter Jake Mabe will take a leave of absence for healthrelated issues. Most recently the Knox County government beat reporter, Mabe has also served as features editor and Halls community reporter for the newspaper. Mabe asked that readers be told that he is taking time off to recover from “a debilitating, but non-terminal, illness.” We all look forward to his return.
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Halls High’s Alumni Dinner is Saturday Three of Halls High’s finest will be inducted into the Halls High School Hall of Fame during the Alumni Association’s annual dinner Saturday, April 26. David Wayland said Halls grads and those who attended the high school will gather at 6 p.m. for a social time. “We’ll start through the food line at 6:30,” he said. The Halls High Jazz Band will play during the covered dish dinner. The program will include special recognition for the Class of 1964, and Wayland expects a big turnout from the Class of 1951 as well, since classmate Allen Elkins will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. New officers will be installed. Judson Palmer is president. “We should be finished by 8:30,” said Wayland, a former president and current member of the banquet committee. Jim McManus has promised to park a 1964 Ford near the entrance for photographs and group pictures. Honorees for the Hall of Fame are: Allen Elkins graduated from Halls in 1951. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He left the Marines in 1953 and attended the University of Tennessee, graduating in 1957. In October 1957, he became a staff employee
school who always had the best interest of the students and school at heart. Palmer left a positive mark on all who attended the school during his tenure. Palmer was made an honorary graduate of Halls High School by the board of directors of the Halls Alumni Association on March 24, 2014. Ron Wallace attended Halls High from Allen Elkins Joe Palmer Ron Wallace 1951 to 1955. He was a member of the band, played football, participated in several clubs of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he and had the male lead role in the senior play. Wallace graduated from Canisius College in served for 35 years. In 1979, he was designated a member of the Senior Intelligence Service Buffalo, N.Y., with a bachelor’s degree in business and then assigned to the National Foreign As- administration. In 1956, he was a sweeper on the lines at Ford Motor Co. in Chicago. In 1959, he sessment Center 1979 to 1981. In 1983, Elkins was appointed to be the entered the apprentice program at Ford and beCIA’s director of finance. He served as direc- gan moving his way up through the company. He was the youngest person to be promoted to tor until his retirement in July 1988. He continued working as a contract consultant at the assistant plant manager and was the first plant DCI Center for Security Evaluation until 1992. manager in the history of Ford Motor Co. to reJoe Palmer served as principal at Halls tire from both manufacturing and assembly. Wallace was elected president of the Halls High School from January 1949 until May 1959. He taught second-year algebra at Central High School Alumni Association in 1995. Under High School for many years until his retire- his leadership, the association established the Hall of Fame, the memorial for Halls students ment in 1974. While serving as principal at Halls, he was who made the supreme sacrifice in military serheld in high regard by students and parents. He vice, the Walk of Fame and scholarships for Halls was considered a stern and serious leader of the High graduates.
The legacy of Black Wednesday all having been “invited to leave” by the court following their disregard of the charter amendment imposing a two-term limit, adopted by voters in 1994. Sheriff Tim Hutchison was replaced by his handpicked successor, Jimmy “J.J.” Jones, who in turn hired Hutchison until the new pension kicked in – a lifetime pension that started for Hutchison at age 54 at $80,000 per year and escalates annually. This spring’s ballot is littered Register of Deeds Steve Hall with names from Black Wednes- was replaced by his chief deputy, day. And that’s remarkable. Some Sherry Witt, who in turn hired participants were tainted to the Hall, who continues to be empoint of political destruction; oth- ployed in the office. ers skated with no apparent fallout. Both Jones and Witt are runWednesday, Jan. 31, 2007. ning for what amounts to a third That’s the day 19 Knox County term, and both are likely to win. County Clerk Mike Padgett commissioners met to select eight replacement commissioners and was replaced by sitting Commisfour countywide officeholders – sioner Billy Tindell. Padgett is unWhen we read in another paper about “Black Friday,” we knew it was time to revisit our county government’s worst day. Betty Bean writes about Black Wednesday in her column (page A-4), and two ex-commissioners (Phil Guthe and Mark Harmon) actually published books about it.
Analysis
Commit to be FIT.
opposed as the Democratic nominee to regain his old job this year. Trustee Mike Lowe was replaced by his chief deputy, Fred Sisk, who hired Lowe back. Sisk did not seek election when John Duncan announced for the job. Lowe is headed to court on criminal charges; Duncan resigned after paying bonuses people had not earned; and the commission appointed Craig Leuthold, a commissioner during Black Wednesday, to the job. He’s on this year’s ballot. Others with a Black Wednesday connection: Michele Carringer, who was appointed to replace Scott Moore after he was ousted, seeking election as a commissioner at-large. Mike Hammond, a commissioner on Black Wednesday, is a candidate for Criminal Court Clerk. Phil Ballard, also a BW com-
missioner, is the property assessor, up for re-election in 2016. Greg “Lumpy” Lambert, Larry Clark, Ivan Harmon and Mark Cawood are Black Wednesday commissioners who voted for Jones and now work for him. Other voting commissioners with ties to the sheriff were Paul Pinkston, whose wife worked in inmate medical services, and Scott Moore, whose wife went to work for the sheriff after Black Wednesday. Guthe writes about commissioners who: “… have no particular background, education or training for the position. … Only a fraction of eligible voters choose a relative unknown with perhaps questionable talent from a short list.” Whether they advocate for government big or small, once there most never want to leave. – S. Clark
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