VOL. 52 NO. 22
IN THIS ISSUE
Miracle Maker
Danny Trent is leaving as principal of Central High for Farragut Middle School. “I want to thank Fountain City parents, businesses, staff and kids for their support,” Trent said. “It will be tough when I walk out this door for the last time.” Trent toured the Central campus with Sandra Clark.
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See Sandra’s story on A-9
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
New principal for Fountain City Tina Holt is the new principal at Fountain City Elementary School, replacing Crystal Marcum, who resigned. Holt is currently a fellow in the Principal Leadership Academy, and in that capacity Tina Holt she also serves as assistant principal at Ritta Elementary School. She joined the Knox County Schools in 1995 as a first grade teacher at Beaumont Elementary. She has also taught at Ball Camp Elementary and served as an instructional coach and TAP master teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Cumberland College, a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Tennessee Tech and an education specialist degree in educational leadership from UT.
Drug collection Saturday 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/.
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Fountain City celebrates its people By Libby Morgan It would be difficult to find anyone more “Fountain City” than Jean Payne. She was born in Fountain City 81 years ago, attended Fountain City Elementary and Central High, taught at Central, has attended Fountain City United Methodist Church her whole life, is on the board of the Fountain City Art Center, and has lived her life helping other people in Fountain City. Payne was named Fountain City Woman of the Year on Memorial Day in Fountain City Park. “My goodness! Having lived here literally all my life, the community and the institutions of Fountain City have nurtured me. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back, if in any small way,” Payne says. Big Gene (her husband) and Little Jean met in the first grade and live in Fountain City, of course, and Jean says, “I treasure the time I spent teaching my students American government and comparative political systems, and I dearly love seeing how my students have fared as they have grown up. “I have been fortunate to be able to keep up with my students as they have become adults, including Nick Pavlis, who’s now on City Council, and our newest Friend of Fountain City, Joe Walsh, and many, many more,” she says. Payne was named Teacher of the
Jean Payne at home in her Roy Hembree has been cutting Don Jones’ sunroom. hair for 43 years. Photos by Libby Morgan Year by the Knoxville Education Association during her 23 years at Central. She chaired several winning election campaigns, getting Tommy Schumpert, Earl Hoffmeister and Alan Morgan into office. After retiring from teaching, Jean says she took on her second career at the church, as director of the singles and retirees program, and she coordinates medical transportation for members who need help
in getting to appointments.
Roy Hembree Roy Hembree’s business, Broadway Barber Shop, seems to be the center of the universe for Fountain Citians. Every subject imaginable is discussed and joked about in that comfortable way between friends who’ve known each other, oh, say 40 or 50 years. Or more. Hembree got started on his ca-
reer in 1960 and shortly thereafter landed at Fountain City Barber Shop with Ray Wallace. Soon he was running Smithwood Barber Shop for Wallace, and soon after that, he bought it. He opened Broadway Barber Shop in 1993, and still uses Wallace’s indestructible barber chairs from the early ’60s. If only those chairs could talk! Hembree’s family conspired to get him to show up at Honor Fountain City Day. He intended to stay home and work on a project, but they guilted him into coming, saying they all wanted to go and didn’t want to leave him behind. He made it, and he now proudly displays his Fountain City Man of the Year plaque,alongside his Lion of the Year plaque from last year. The Lions recognized Hembree for successful fundraising efforts, which included a challenge for him to walk his age in laps, for which he raised $7,000. “I’m not from here, but Fountain City has adopted me. My heart’s always been here. I just try to treat people better than I want to be treated. “I want to thank Fountain City for accepting me. I’ve made a whole lot of friends here,” Hembree says. Don Jones, in the barber chair with Roy’s razor at his throat, said, “I’ve never heard anybody say anything bad about Roy.”
Statehood Day at Marble Springs By Theresa Edwards A living history weekend celebrating the day Tennessee was granted statehood on June 1, 1796, was held at Marble Springs state historic site, the last remaining home of Governor John Sevier. People dressed in 1790s attire took visitors back in time as they demonstrated open-hearth cooking, blacksmithing, weaving, spinning wool, bullet casting, quill writing, tomaJerry Griffey (of Gentry Griffey hawk throwing, cannon firFuneral Chapel) portrays ing and skirmishes. Colonel Francis Alexander “I like to make history Ramsey from the Ramsey fun to learn,” said Halls House Plantation. “The RamMiddle School history in- Halls Middle School history teachers Ted Williams, Michael Cato and Jarrod Pendergraft seys and the governor were structor Michael Cato who reenact a skirmish during Statehood Day Living History weekend at Marble Springs. At right very close friends, so that is helped demonstrate a skir- is Governor John Sevier’s farm home. Photos by T. Edwards of TEPHOTOS.com why I’m visiting here today,” mish. “We were chasing Griffey said. horse thieves.” Live dulcimer music added a fes- tours, viewing the governor’s old Sevier’s cabin and detached kitchen. of 1812, Indian artifacts and farm including the tavern, loom There was a variety of dis- blanket trader items. Info: www. tive tone. Visitors enjoyed self-guided house, smokehouse, springhouse, plays including guns of the War marblesprings.net/.
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Kyle looks back Kyle Testerman calls the four years of his first term in office as Knoxville’s mayor “the best years of my life. I really mean it. Those were great years – for me, for my family and for the city.”
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Condo wars:
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 re-
turned home to host the meeting. Still wearing her hospital bracelet, she pointed to water stains on her living room ceiling. 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 the
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Tracey Gross (right) looks at legal documents with neighbor Judy Hedden. Photo by Betty Bean
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She and Gross are part of a group of Devanshire homeowners who are tangled in a legal dispute with the HOA board, and she wanted to know if MPC – or anyone – has the authority to regulate homeowners associations. “On the surface, an HOA may appear to be good for the community. The problem is that there is 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 To page A-3
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