KARNS/HARDIN VALLEY
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VOL. 7 NO. 12
IN THIS ISSUE
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March 25, 2013
A new spot for seniors
Find tips for home protection, decoration, repair and more in “My Place.”
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See the special section inside
Miracle Maker There are two amazing things about Knox County Elementary Teacher of the Year Kitty Menhinick. One is that she absolutely knew what she wanted to be – a special education teacher – at the age of 14. The other is that she was able to achieve her goal in spite of her own difficulties with school. “I was an information overload kid,” she says. “School was a mighty struggle.”
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About 70 seniors filled Karns Library to ask Mayor Tim Burchett about plans for the new Karns senior center. Photo by T. Edwards of TEPHO-
See Wendy Smith’s story on A-9
TOS.com
Judge Leibowitz The hardest thing a judge ever has to do is sentence a human being to die. Even though the life-ordeath decision is up to the jury, it is the judge’s responsibility to look the defendant in the eye and deliver the verdict. Mary Beth Leibowitz has been the Division 3 Criminal Court judge in Knox County since February 1989, when Gov. Ned McWherter swore her in. She was a pioneer, and now she plans to retire. Betty Bean caught up with the judge for a profi le.
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See Law Dogs on A-5
Let’s hear it for track teams
Tennessee football is jumping around in rehabilitation. We don’t know how long it will take the Vols to learn to win. Tennessee basketball generated some excitement but that was a tease. It just wasn’t good enough. Tennessee baseball is a maybe for some day in the distant future.
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Read Marvin West on page A-6
10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378) NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Theresa Edwards ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Shannon Carey | Patty Fecco Jim Brannon | Tony Cranmore Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly and distributed to 29,974 homes in Farragut, Karns and Hardin Valley.
By Theresa Edwards Karns residents are excited to learn plans are moving forward to build a senior center nearby, possibly at the Karns sports park off Oak Ridge Highway west of Emory Road. Commissioner Brad Anders has been requesting the Karns senior center a long time. “He is right and we are going to deliver that,” Mayor Tim Burchett said. “We have $30,000 budgeted for architecture in the capital plan,”
Burchett said. “So we are on the road to getting that done.” Anders said that $500,000 was set aside last year in the capital plan for the senior center, and it will cost about $100,000 per year to run it. Hemal Tailor, senior director of community outreach, is working on a request for proposal for the center. “I would encourage you all to visit our other five senior centers and tell us what programming you
want,” Tailor said. That will determine the design of the Karns center. “It’s time for you to be actively engaged in the process.” “We’re not going to build a swimming pool though,” Burchett said. It costs a lot and has liability issues and maintenance expenses. “I would like the center to have line dancing, ballroom dancing, exercise classes, cards and bingo,” said Peggy Bolinger. “I would enjoy the fellowship with all my friends.”
“It would be nice to have a pool table there,” said Jim Hensley. The Rev. Catherine C. Nance, pastor of Beaver Ridge UMC, said “I would love to see a place where our older adults could come during the day, have a safe place for fellowship, education, just a place to meet with friends. There are a lot of new people moving into the community, so that would be a good place for some long-time To page A-3
Fine Arts Night at Hardin Valley By Theresa Edwards “If it weren’t for University Medical Center’s NICU, Payton would not be here,” mother Teresa Scoggins said. “She’s definitely a gift.” Born at 25 weeks, Payton was in the NICU six months before coming home. She is now 14-months-old and released from home health care. Scoggins lost Sofia, Pay-
ton’s twin sister, at 18 weeks. Being the choral director at Hardin Valley Academy, Scoggins is coordinating a Fine Arts Night to raise money and awareness for UT’s NICU. Proceeds from the event will benefit Phase II including the building of more private rooms for NICU patients. “They found when babies have a quiet area,
dimly lit, where they can control circumstances, the babies tend to do better,” Scoggins said. “Many babies have sensory issues where extreme light and noise affect them.” The Fine Arts Night will begin 6 p.m. Thursday, April 4, showcasing talents of the school’s visual art, theater, band, orchestra and chorus
groups. Guests will then enjoy a spaghetti dinner 6:45 p.m. followed by entertainment by jazz musicians, The Streamliners. Contact Teresa Scoggins by email at teresa. scoggins@k noxschools. org for tickets which are $15 prior to the event. Tickets will be sold at the door, but will not include Payton Scoggins at 10 days old in NICU. Photo submitted the dinner.
The Duncan strategy After listing the savings he’s achieved during three years as The crown prince of the Duncan Dynasty gave a glimpse of his re- trustee, Duncan alluded to the election strategy last week. Knox scandal that’s plagued his tenure. “Some people want to focus on a County Trustee John Duncan believes he, like a football coach, should program that I didn’t manage well and that caused embarrassment to be judged by his body of work. me and my family.” Duncan said delinquent tax collections were 43 percent higher last year than the year before he took ofFlanked by his mom, his wife fice. With collections this high, the and his dad’s chief of staff (Bob delinquent tax attorney would have Griffitts), Duncan enjoyed a polite been paid $600,000 under the proand even pleasant reception at the gram used by previous trustees. Halls Republican Club – his first Instead, Duncan brought the job speaking engagement since two key in-house for about $100,000. Now, staffers resigned after guilty pleas with Chad Tindell gone, Duncan in Criminal Court. has outsourced it to the county’s law
By Sandra Clark
Analysis
John Duncan with wife Jennifer at Halls Republican Club Photo by S. Clark department where “we’re getting nine attorneys for (the cost of) one.” Duncan said he will take bids on state-mandated advertising, currently about $100,000 a year to the News Sentinel. He’s reduced travel expenses, resulting in a $5,400 pay cut to some staff. He’s opening sat-
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ellite offices only during tax season, saving another $100,000 annually. Duncan said the county’s investments have “improved by 19 percent” on his watch. His office now has 34 full-time employees, down from 59 at one time. “We’ve returned $13 million to the general fund to date, and I hope to add another $6 million at the end of this fiscal year,” he said. If Duncan can avoid indictment (a judgment call by Attorney General Randy Nichols to present to the grand jury), he may coast to reelection. The Duncan strategy: run for the most bloated office in town. Cut expenses. Increase collections. Hire grown-ups (at least the second time around). And trust the team, led by Mama Lynn. After all, you’ll never get beat if no one runs against you.
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