VOL. 53 NO. 20
IN THIS ISSUE
Johnson on glide path to re-election
If anyone is on a glide path to easy re-election it seems to be state Rep. Gloria Johnson, who squeaked out a 299-vote win 18 months ago to win a seat in the House of Representatives. It was a district Mitt Romney carried by 1,100 votes, but several Romney voters pushed the button for Johnson, who has become one of the most popular legislators among Democrats and least popular among Republicans (who control the House by a 71 to 28 margin.)
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Read Victor Ashe on page A-4
Cookie sales reflect economy You can figure how the economy’s doing by counting customers in the cookie aisle. That’s the gospel according to Steven C. Smith, president/ CEO of Food City, who said, “Unemployed or underutilized people don’t go down the snack aisle or the cookie aisle.” And although the economy is coming back, there are slightly fewer people working today than in 2007, Smith said.
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Read Sandra Clark on page A-12
Ice machine hosts grand opening Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero attends her share of grand openings. It’s part of the job. But it’s one thing to cut the ribbon at a new store or park. It’s something else to do the honors at an, um, ice machine. See how Powell guy Andy Wallace got the mayor to his opening and learn about the best ice in town.
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Read Betsy Pickle on page A-14
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Celebrating Greek traditional dance Traditional dance is alive and well in Greece, says Christos Papakastos, a teacher at the University of Athens who visited Knoxville. Wendy Smith was there for pictures and an interview. See her story on Page A-7 of the Bearden Shopper-News.
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Garden party is a By Cindy Taylor
Perfect 10!’
Sylvia Williams knows how to throw a party! The director of the Fountain City Art Center more than proved that during the 10th annual garden party held at the pre-World War II home of Bill and Ginger Baxter. “It may be raining out there, but the sun is shining in here,” said Bob Meadows, art center president and master of ceremonies. His table included handcrafted miniature books for those fortunate to be his guests. Ginger and garden master-mind Bill Baxter had the hilltop grounds groomed to perfection. The colorful flowers were so bright their blooms dared anyone to miss the sun, as that ball of Fountain City Arts Center charter board member and auctioneer Kenneth Clayton Jr. honored fire was noticeably abhis dad with a postal- and journalistic-themed table at the garden party. The table was voted sent. “most creative theme.” Photos by Cindy Taylor “I love hosting and d Linda Wise, garden party was asked by Sylvia to o co-chair, sets up her table. Ladies in “It’s always fun to play dress- The Creamery Park Grille, a live be on the board when n their flowered up,” said board member Aleex auction, a silent auction and jazz we first started the artt music by Lewis, Maney and Coker. center,” said Ginger. “We are lucky hats and flowing dresses evoked Conner. The event included a tour of More than $15,000 was raised to have someone as passionate thoughts of times past. Gentlemen were dashing in berets and suits. the amazing gardens, lunch from for the art center, meeting the goal. about the art center as Sylvia.”
Hansard hits cancer at Relay for Life By Cindy B Ci d Taylor T l Kim Hansard, a local radio personality and six-month cancer survivor, spoke May 9 at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at Tennova Health & Fitness Center. Hansard has supported the event for years but says it has a new meaning for her now. “I have just recently begun to speak about my experience with breast cancer in public,” she said. “It brings on a whole new view of this event once you’ve been through the disease.” Hansard says talking about her personal battle with cancer has be-
come a mission. She often i i Sh ft sports t a T-shirt that states “Yes, they’re fake. The real ones tried to kill me.” “Cancer is sometimes hard, sometimes easier, but never fun,” she said. “The loss of your breast is hard, but once you know cancer is in your body you want it out.” The crowd was slimmer for the fifth annual event than in years past due to the weather. Those who turned out did so because their lives or the life of someone they love has been affected by the disease. Ben Easterday is North Knox chair for Relay for Life.
“Relay don’t no “R l survivors i d ’t stop t matter if it’s rain, shine, snow or sleet,” said Easterday. “We go most of the night, and we’ve seen it all.” After the opening ceremonies, the event began with a Survivor Lap followed by a Caregivers Lap. A Luminary Ceremony was held at 9 p.m. to honor those who have lost the fight against cancer and to support survivors and those currently battling the disease. The eight teams and 48 participants have raised more than $10,000, and the amount continues to rise. Kim Hansard fires up the crowd.
Lauren Kitts is heir to family tradition By Betty Bean Lauren Kitts did a good job of hanging onto her composure the first few minutes after she was declared the winner of CTE goes Live, the talent show featuring vocalists from every high school in Knox County. Sure, she shed a couple of tears when her name was called – who could blame the Powell High School junior for being overwhelmed at having prevailed over tough competition in the biggest talent contest of the year? But she pulled herself together when MC Jack Ryan summoned her up to the Market Square stage and asked her to sing an encore. She belted out the first few lines of “I Will Always Love You” (the Whitney Houston version, not the Dolly Parton one) without a hitch. And then she saw her daddy. “I’d gotten my composure back until I looked down and saw him, and I started crying again. He was laughing and crying – he said he felt like he’d won it himself. And Mama? She was just filled with
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joy. I just lost it.” The contest was on the night of her 17th birthday. Offstage, Lauren is a little bashful, but singing comes as naturally to her as breathing. In fact, it runs in the family. She is the daughter of gospel singers Michael and Delilah Kitts, aka Michael and Delilah, the Sonny and Cher of gospel music (because of Michael’s diminutive stature). She’s been joining them onstage for several years Lauren Kitts, CTE goes Live winner and hopes to jumpstart her career as soon as she graduates next year. Winning a trip to Nashville sang at churches all over Union to record a song at Nash10 Studios County. won’t dampen her plans a bit. “Daddy was the youngest of 12, Music runs in the veins of the Mamaw Brewer was the oldest of Kitts family, a supersized clan out 14 and Papaw Runt was the oldest of Luttrell that is closely related to of 11,” Lauren said. “I’m from a rethe equally musical Hunley and ally big family with tons of cousBrewer families. Con Hunley is a ins. My mom’s from Kingsport and cousin. was an only child. Daddy says he Mike Kitts, who began per- had to go all the way to Kingsport forming with area bands at the to get out of marrying a cousin.” age of 12, is one of 12 children of A member of the Powell High longtime Union County school School Singers and the Concert board member Samuel “Runt” Choir (her cousin Caleb Brewer is Kitts and Leita Rose Kitts, who also a member of the choir), Lau-
ren is generally classified a “second soprano” but considers herself an alto. In addition to Whitney Houston, she likes R&B, ’70s music, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Phoebe Snow. She says sometimes people compare her voice to that of Adele. “I don’t see that one, though.” Her mom says she inherited her prodigious pipes from her father. “I’ve been singing since I was 2,” Lauren said. “My mom remembers me jumping up and down and singing, ‘Man, I feel like a woman.’ My mother’s a soprano and a great singer. It’s kind of hard to describe my daddy, honestly. He can sing anything he wants, and he can’t go anywhere without seeing somebody he knows.” ■
CTE goes Live
Contestants in CTE goes Live were winners of school events and participated in photo shoots, radio interviews, choreography and dress rehearsals. To page A-3
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