VOL. 7 NO. 23
IN THIS ISSUE
Outdoors Outdoor Living Special Section Find out where the wild things are and much more in this month’s “myOutdoors.”
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See the special section inside
Meet the interns Yes, it’s that time of year again. The interns have arrived at the Shopper News. Meet them and hear about their adventures last week at the Knoxville News Sentinel, having lunch at Litton’s and visiting radio’s Phil Williams.
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See pages 8-9
Master photographer “Not merely were the (Jim) Thompson pictures used as powerful aids in those early days, but their use and value – and the infinite variety of subject matter – grew with the (Great Smoky Mountains) park movement. It requires no stretch of one’s imagination to realize that without the help of these magnificent views there might have been no national park in the Great Smokies.”
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See Jim Tumblin’s story on A-5
Miracle Maker Principal Jamie Snyder took two 5th graders to advocate for technology in their school. They won, as Corryton Elementary was one of 11 schools selected to get new technology this fall.
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See story on A-11
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Joe Carson wins ethics essay award Joe Carson, PE, has won the 2013 Milton F. Lunch Ethics contest sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Carson, a West Knox resident, is employed by the U.S. Department of Energy in a position with nuclear safety responsibilities. He also won the annual engineering ethics contest in 2003 and 2009. Along with the award came a $500 prize to Carson and another $500 to the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers. His winning essay will be published in PE Magazine and posted on the NSPE website.
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‘Skeeters’ on the run By Nancy Anderson
Imagine No Malaria. That’s the goal of the United Methodist Church, adopted in 2008 when the Methodists set out to raise $75 million within seven years to end the deaths and suffering from malaria in Africa. In May, a benchmark was reached with $40 million raised or pledged. Locally, the congregation of Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church jumped in to help. The Karns church met its goal through the efforts of Ron and Lynn Johnson. Their Skeeter Run offered fun, fellowship and exercise to participants. On race day, more than 300 friends joined the Johnsons on Neyland Drive to walk or run 3.1 miles. Every sponsored step earned money, and the congregation not only met but surpassed its $10,000 goal. That’s enough to buy treated bed nets, medical treatment and research to save 1,000 lives. According to an online arTo page A-3
Caty Davis, Lynn Johnson and Lori Hopper enjoy a morning of fun while helping to raise $10,000 to fight malaria in Africa. Photo by Nancy Anderson
Road construction lags By Sandra Clark The widening of Oak Ridge Highway (SR 62) has been delayed by utility relocations, according to Mark Nagi of TDOT. Contracted to APAC-Atlanta Inc., the $32 million project from Copper Kettle Road to Schaad Road is estimated to be finished by year’s end 2014. The contract for the 3.925-mile project was awarded Feb. 10, 2011. According to the TDOT website, to date 107,916 cubic yards of dirt has been moved. The road is being widened to four lanes (two lanes in each direction). Meanwhile, Powell motorists may drive on the new Emory Road (SR 131) from Gill Road to Clinton Highway sooner than expected. The $15.7 million project is set to be finished by Aug. 31, 2014, yet
the work by Potter South East LLC is 65.2 percent complete with just 47 percent of the contracted time elapsed. “Work is progressing on the project,” said Steve Borden, director of TDOT Region 1 and assistant chief engineer. “With most of the bridge completed, efforts will continue to complete the grading operations, drainage structures and connections to the existing roadways.” In other TDOT news, crews got straight to work on the ramp improvement project at Callahan Drive, and much of the grading is complete. When finished, northbound traffic will have two ramp lanes off I-75 and the $1.2 million project should prevent backups onto the interstate. The contractor
is APAC-Atlantic Inc. Estimated completion date is Sept. 30. The long-awaited widening of Maynardville Highway from Temple Acres in Halls to the Union County line is still just that – awaited. Nagi said “the earliest this contract would be in a bid letting would be Aug. 20, 2013.” Rightsof-way have been acquired and legal notice published for demolition of structures within those rights-of-way. The project is 6.24 miles, and Nagi said it more than likely would be in a fall letting. Meanwhile, the worst parts of the road (where small cars might disappear) have been resurfaced. Ah, patience. Tazewell Pike: TDOT has opened bids for repaving SR 131
(Tazewell Pike) from SR 331 (Emory Road) to the Union County line. Apparent low bidders at the May 24 letting were APACAtlantic Inc., $543,597, and Rogers Group Inc., $568,638. As of Friday, the contract had not been awarded. There’s no word on the proposed Halls connector, a Knox County project that was designed and punted to TDOT. It would permit a left turn from Norris Freeway onto Maynardville Highway by removing a swath of median which includes tribute trees planted by the Halls Business and Professional Association about 10 years ago. And there’s nothing new on the proposed intersection improvements at I-640 and Broadway.
Who knew and when did they know it? Mayors deny support of bill By Betty Bean State Rep. Steve Hall faced pointed questions from members of the Council of West Knox County Homeowners who said they were kept in the dark about a bill that removes the scenic highway designation from a segment of Middlebrook Pike where Tennova Healthcare has purchased land for a new hospital. Hall said both city and county mayors knew about the bill and no one voiced opposition. Contacted after the meeting, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero said she didn’t talk to Tennova representatives or to city lobbyist Tony Thompson about the issue, and would have advised Tennova to consult the neighbors about their plans had she been asked. Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said he was not
ary as a caption bill, amended and passed in April. It was sponsored in the Senate by Becky Massey and Stacey Campfield. “I’m a big boy. If I messed up, I messed up. The information I had, the talking points were that the Knox County mayor was informed and the city mayor was informed. I don’t think there was a homeowners organization on the list (of those who had been informed of the requested designation change). “If the mayor had a problem, I would have balked. City lobbyist Rep. Steve Hall at the Council of West Tony Thompson was there. If there Knox County Homeowners. Photo by had been a problem, they would have notified me about it. As far as it Betty Bean being ‘hush hush,’ I didn’t know that it was,” Hall said. “Nobody voiced involved in the matter, and consid- any opposition.” Hall said Tennova needed the ers it a city issue. Hall said he sponsored the scenic highway designation change House bill at the request of Ten- because it set unacceptable limits nova vice president Jerry Askew. on the heights of new buildings. “What we did was move it one The bill was introduced in Janu-
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mile because they had purchased property to build a hospital and didn’t realize until after they bought it that the zoning limits them to building no higher than 35 feet,” he said. “This will create thousands of jobs during construction.” Sue Mauer, the group’s vice president, chided Hall: “Too bad the delegation in Nashville didn’t let word come back to Knoxville.” Homeowners council president Margot Kline said there was more at stake than a temporary construction job bonanza, because the bill opens the door to undesirable changes. “We are concerned with what else that might come in on their frontage – taller signs, visual clutter – things that lots of people fought hard to protect against. Although it was presented as providing a lot of jobs, it will also cost a lot of jobs,” she said.
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