VOL. 7 NO. 19
pp www.ShopperNewsNow.com
IN THIS ISSUE Character Counts Character Counts held its awards banquet May 7 at The Grande Event Center (part of the Expo Center recently renovated for events). “The room was filled to capacity with 700 in attendance,” said coordinator Martha Masterson. “I think this was the best one ever.” “Our character is shaped by our choices,” said WBIR news anchor John Becker as master of ceremonies. ”
➤
Mayy 13, 2013
www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow pp
Karns sidewalk completed
See the story on A-3
Coffee Break As Dr. Alan Gassel prepared to have his picture taken for this week’s Coffee Break, two of his six dogs wanted their turn in the limelight. Alan was only too happy to indulge them. Keeping pets happy – and healthy – has been his life’s work.
➤
See Coffee Break on page A-2
Barbecue blast West Knox Rotary’s big barbecue cook-off, which drew nearly 50 teams from across the country, was a first-time event, but those in charge say it won’t be the last.
➤
See Anne Hart’s story on page A-12
Karns middle and elementary By Theresa Edwards Walking is safer in the schools to the Karns branch library community with the completion of and the baseball park. “Cindy Pionke, director of a new one-mile sidewalk connecting
Grace Baptist Church celebrated the 25 years of service of Becky and Dr. Ron Stewart May 5 with two services and an evening dinner reception in Cullum Hall. “It’s been an amazing journey,” said Stewart. He gave a message on that journey, comparing it to David’s journey in the Bible.
➤
See story on page A-7
No way to know “Ten years ago, when Doug Dickey was finishing up as athletic director at Tennessee, dear friend Nancy Siler and I had an interesting conversation about potential replacements,” Marvin West writes. “Her candidate was Bill Schmidt. “Nancy said he met all requirements. He had been an Olympic athlete and a Tennessee coach, a Chuck Rohe assistant. He had a Master’s degree in business with emphasis on accounting.”
➤
See Marvin’s story 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 Jim Brannon | Tony Cranmore Brandi Davis | Patty Fecco
To page A-3
Push for a park on Kingston Pike By Anne Hart
25 great years
Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, Knox County director of planning and development Cindy Pionke, Karns students and commissioner Brad Anders cut the ribbon celebrating completion of the new sidewalk connecting Karns middle and elementary schools with the Karns branch library. Photo by T. Edwards of TEPHOTOS.com
West Knox dentist Larry Tragressor is hoping to convince either public officials or private donors to purchase a piece of property that sits in front of the historic Baker-Peters House, which he owns, and turn that land into a park. The .83-acre piece of land, at the corner of Kingston Pike and South Peters Road, has been home to a service station for a number of years but now stands vacant. Tragressor says the underground gas storage facilities that served
the gas station have been removed. The move would increase the value of Tragressor’s own property, but he says he can’t afford the $690,000 price tag for the parcel, which is listed with Ean Moffett of Holrob. In addition to his dental practice, the pre-Civil War building Tragressor bought in 1990 houses the Baker-Peters Jazz Club. Tragressor told members of the Council of West Knox County Homeowners that he envisions a passive park with benches where visitors could sit to read historic
markers. Also at the meeting: ■ Knox County Commissioner Dr. Richard Briggs says he will pursue his idea that the county should find an existing building to lease for a new Karns Senior Center, rather than build a new facility. He said the move would save significant tax dollars that would be spent on overhead if the county owned the building. ■ Knoxville City Council member Duane Grieve discussed the work of the city’s sign task force, which has been studying the mu-
nicipal sign ordinance, last revised in 1985. He said there will be a number of opportunities for public input as the proposal makes its way through MPC and Council before final approval. One interesting aspect, Grieve noted, is that the city law director must determine that a new ordinance does not violate freedom of speech. ■ Knox County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jeff Palmer discussed the website addition which points out locations where dangerous dogs are housed so citizens can be on the alert to avoid those areas.
Not back yet: Moncier’s struggles continue By Betty Bean Not so fast, Mr. Moncier. That’s the message Herb Moncier received from U.S. District Court after a newspaper article announced that he is once again practicing law in federal court after serving a five-year suspension for contempt of court for disobeying a judge who ordered him to shut up. He says he doesn’t know exactly what he must do to be reinstated. “Evidently there’s a glitch,” he said. “Now I’m being told there’s something more I have to do. I did not expect to be in the position that I’m in today after 43 years of practicing law – at the center of this controversy. “I’ve cancelled three appointments this week with
SALES • SERVICE • MAINTENANCE
new clients who wanted to hire me to be their attorney in federal court.” Actually, Moncier’s pretty much always been in the center of controversy, whether for representing a Group W Bench full of infamous criminals or for forcing the local political establishment to comply with laws that they’d just as soon ignore, and doing it with a frequency, bluster and degree of success that members of the political establishment have found maddening. His highs are stratospheric, his lows tragic. And they’re almost always public. As one friend says, “Good or bad, things happen big to Herb.” Herb’s father, James C. Moncier, was a successful entrepreneur who founded
a chain of 17 Easy Way Five & Ten Cent Stores and acquired three cattle farms where he raised registered Aberdeen Angus. Every spring, Herb, a lifelong animal lover, would adopt a calf to raise and show at the fair in the fall. And every year it was the same – the trauma of selling the calf to the highest bidder, always the White Stores, inevitably followed the triumph of winning a blue ribbon. “I knew where the calf that I slept with at night in the barn (at the fair) was going to end up, and as long as the White Stores were in business, I would never eat beef from there. I wouldn’t even walk by the counter,” he said. To page A-4 Herb Moncier at work
Keep Your Me Memories emo SAFE! Preserve those old Pr reels, slides & vhs tapes today!
Family Business for Over 20 Years 5715 Old Tazewell Pike 687-2520 Financing available through TVA Energy Right program* *Restrictions May Apply
Call for Spring Maintenance
Cantrell’s Cares
$10 OFF $50 PURCHASE
Bring your VHS, slides, Cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers. film and more into Coupon must be presented at time order is dropped off. Discount will the digital age. not be applied to previous orders or orders that are being processed.
Audio & Video Conversion
Expires 5/18/13 SN061313
686-5756
www.DigitizeItNow.com 12752 Kingston Pike, Renaissance Farragut, Ste 103, Bldg E