VOL. 8 NO. 13
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Connecting with service
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Burchett asks state to rename road for McKamey Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett sent a letter to state Sen. Randy McNally on March 26 asking McNally consider seeking the General Assembly’s approval to rename the portion of Oak Ridge Highway from Beaver Ridge Road to Stoneridge Drive that passes in front of Grace Christian Academy the Midshipman William McKamey Memorial Highway. McKamey, a former football standout at Grace Christian, collapsed during football practice at the U.S. Naval Academy and died March 25. Read Nancy Anderson’s tribute on page A-3.
IN THIS ISSUE Three eye trustee’s office Three Republicans – Barry Hawkins, Craig Leuthold and Ed Shouse – are running for Knox County Trustee this year.
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Read Jake Mabe on page A-4
Bean predicts charter school Before the summer is over, the school board will approve the district’s first charter school. Steve Diggs, executive director of the Emerald Youth Foundation, says Emerald Charter Schools will submit an application for a tuition-free, K-8 public school, to be called Emerald Academy, on April 1. The school board will vote it up or down before the start of next school year. They’ll vote yes.
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See Bean’s story on page A-4
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March 31, 2014
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Pellissippi students break out of classroom with service learning projects By Laura Cline Pellissippi State students are redefining the location of the classroom. A one credit hour class – SERV2410 – addresses povertyrelated issues in the community and allows students to learn what it is like to be part of the solution to those problems. “Helping to connect people to relevant applications of their values is one of my favorite parts of this initiative,” said Dr. Annie Gray, English professor and servicelearning program coordinator. For Dr. Gray and her students, service learning is about connecting people to their communities in mutually beneficial, meaningful ways. Dr. Gray led in creating this new service course in which students read and discuss needs in the Knoxville community and then apply that knowledge in service to an organization of their choosing. Because of the flexibility built into the course, students can structure the SERV2410 experience to their interests and career aspirations – exploring how their skills and knowledge can meet needs within the community. Student Shaun McComas volunteered at Co-Parenting Solutions, a non-profit based in Oak
Dr. Annie Gray talks to a SERV2410 class about their service-learning activities. Upcoming projects that will see service-learning students lending a helping hand include making blankets for the Linus Project at Magnolia Avenue Campus and working on a campus wide local food initiative at Hardin Valley. Photo by Sherri Gardner Howell
Ridge, that helps families resolve parenting and custody issues by offering free parenting classes and counsel through a legal clinic. McComas, who has worked for over two years at an addiction recovery facility, appreciated the opportunity to volunteer with a non-profit and interact with clients from more diverse educational and
economic backgrounds. “It was neat to get to see the inner workings of a non-profit that has to deal with more issues than my workplace, and it was helpful to see how some of these state and federally funded areas operate,” said McComas. SERV2410 student Jessica Michel said she gained valuable hands-on experience. “I feel like there are a lot of things that school doesn’t teach you,” said Michel. “This class helps us have a wellrounded education. I’m not the same person I was going into it.” Michel volunteered with Bridge Refugee Services, a decision that was partly motivated by listening to the stories of Ugandan refugees who spoke at her church. “There is so much to be done even here in our community. Before doing service-learning, I didn’t know about all the needs in the community,” she said. Understanding and responding to issues like poverty represents a primary goal of the service-learning course. “Poverty has lots of different faces,” said Gray. “The goal is to reflect on the root causes of poverty and strategize with others about sustainable solutions to those problems.” Jerri Reed, who will graduate in December with a degree in Health Science, has volunteered
with a few of Pellissippi’s community partners, including Second Harvest Food Bank and Caris Healthcare. Reed says that she most values the opportunity to simply help someone. “The look on their faces when you give them food or when you spend time with a hospice patient is my favorite part of the experience.” The students in SERV2410 added that a valuable feature of the course was the opportunity to share their service experience with others in the class. “Some of my classmates are working with Lost Sheep Ministry, the Humane Society, Appalachian Bear Rescue, and others,” said McComas. “I like the combination of service and education and how those two things came together in the class. It raised my awareness of community service and of the needs in the area.” The SERV2410 class is just one way the college is incorporating community service into the lives of Pellissippi students. Professors can offer a Service Learning option as part of their curriculum as a way to integrate community service with the classroom learning experience. In Service Learning, the volunteer experience is tied to the course learning and is included in the student’s transcript.
‘Unique situation’ at Pleasant Ridge intersection By Jake Mabe A
subdivision on Pleasant Ridge Road has created storm drainage for one neighbor and a unique problem for both city and county engineers. Mary Russell of Pleasant Ridge Road spoke Jim Snowden to Knox County
Commission last week about the stormwater drainage that runs onto her property from nearby Spradlin Place subdivision, which was approved in 2006. She also said turn lanes into the subdivision off Pleasant Ridge Road have yet to be built. County deputy director of engineering and public works Jim Snowden says the problem is “a unique situation.” “As far as the drainage issue
goes, we’ve looked at it and think we’ve found a solution agreed upon collectively that will solve the problem,” Snowden said. “We’ll begin work on it as soon as the weather is permissible.” He said the subdivision is located in Knox County and that Russell’s property is located inside the city limits. Snowden said he contacted city engineering last week and that confusion exists over whether the
city is to bond a turn lane or if the turn lane will be built during an impending project to improve Pleasant Ridge Road. “The state originally designed (the improvement project) and bought rights-of-way. Then they gave it to the city to construct. The city’s survey showed it was going to cost $11 million, so they’ve had to scale back a bit and re-evaluate what they can do.”
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■ Sandra Clark interviewed Jared Effler, the 14-year prosecutor who was fired for requesting time off. Of course, he is running against his boss for district attorney general. Union County edition. ■ Betty Bean interviewed Dan and Peggy Moriarity at the Time Warp Tea Room. Bean calls it “Cheers without the booze.” North/East edition ■ Libby Morgan went out to take pictures of a trash pickup on Norris Lake and brought back a photo of an eagle. Union County edition ■ Ruth White dropped by Halls Middle School where the Society for Creative Anjachronism re-enacted medieval combat for the enjoyment of the students. Halls edition
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Now ‘pitching’ for Bearden Phil Garner to be honored at school’s stadium By Stefan Cooper No way the pitch was a strike. It wasn’t even close! “It was four or five inches off the plate,” former Bearden Bulldog Phil Garner remembered. “I looked back at (the umpire) kind of funny, and I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ “He said, ‘That’s it, rookie. Go sit down.’ ” Three pitches, and Garner’s first major-league at bat was done. The man the baseball world would come to know as “ScrapIron” held his tongue. Things have a way of coming full circle, said Garner, owner of the highest career batting average in World Series history. On April 16, the circle returns Garner to Knoxville, where Bearden will christen its new baseball facility “Phil Garner Ball
Park” and unveil a bust of the former Bulldog shortstop. Garner will throw out the first pitch on a night that has Bearden hosting rival Farragut. A project of the Bearden baseball boosters, the new stadium and bust are a necessary and deserved honor, Knoxville businessman Jim Bruner, a former Bulldog teammate of Garner, said. “There will be some kid who comes along and says, ‘Hey, he came right out of Bearden, right out of Knoxville,’ ” Bruner said. “He (Garner) was just a really smart guy to begin with. He recognized he had some talent, but he worked hard at it.” These days Garner resides in Houston, a city where he managed the hometown Astros to their first and only World Series appearance in 2005. It’s been a while, but he
Jamie Lee Sealander poses with a bust she did of former Bearden and MLB player and manager Phil Garner that will greet fans at the school’s newly renovated stadium. Photo by Justin Acuff remembers Knoxville, he said. Garner said he was humbled when Bruner approached him about the name for the new stadium. “The moral of the story, I guess, is you better be nice to your teammates because one day, 50 years later, they may want to put your name on something they’re building,” he said. “It certainly makes me feel good about it. Jim and all the rest of the guys, we’re still good friends.”
The baseball highlights came largely during Garner’s 1967 senior season at Bearden. That spring, with Bruner pitching and playing first, the Bulldogs claimed the region championship before falling to eventual state champion Tennessee High at substate. After Bearden, Garner went on to an All-American career at the University of Tennessee, where he
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