VOL. 7 NO. 46
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November 18, 2013
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IN THIS ISSUE
Holiday Special Section
Karns Middle School students and a few teachers jumped at the chance when Shopper-News school beat reporter Sara Barrett and publisher Sandra Clark visited the school’s career fair. We had a blast and so did the kids. See for yourself on Page A-8 and on the Shopper-News Facebook page. We even got invited to join the upcoming career fair at Cedar Bluff Middle School, which had “scouts” at the event. At left are leaders of the Karns event: counselor Anna Borland, principal Brad Corum and counselors Susan Nalls and Michelle Williams. See how easy it is to get otherwise somber people to “be in the paper?” Great fun!
Holiday cheer and more!
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See the special section inside
On the road
One day in 2007, Don Bosch had a revelation. A former collegiate athlete who arrived in Knoxville from St. Louis, Mo., in 1981 to attend UT on a swimming scholarship, he’d taken a 25-year break from competitive sports, finished law school, launched a successful career as a lawyer, started his own firm and been involved in some of the highest-profile criminal cases in the region. He had also packed more than 100 pounds onto his 6-foot-3 swimmer’s frame.
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Read Betty Bean on page A-6
Miracle Maker
Nearly a semester into Knox County School’s 1:1 technology pilot program, Corryton Elementary seems to be off to a running start. “We take what we used to do with pencil and paper and find interesting ways for them to engage with it with technology. Every day we’re trying something new,” says teacher Sherrie Dudley.
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Read the story on page A-9
Welcome to Alice’s Garden
Ijams Nature Center just can’t escape its past – and that’s a good thing. But it also keeps looking forward, and that’s a great thing. Ijams officially opened Alice’s Greenhouse, a working and teaching space just up the hill from the main building, with several of Alice Yoe Ijams’ descendants in attendance: George Kern, Martha Kern, Stuart Ijams Cassell, Alexis Niceley and Josephine Ijams Niceley.
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Read Betsy Pickle on page A-14
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Creating a ‘Fantasy’ The Th he secrets behind beh hind d h magic i the By Sherri Gardner Howell Belinda Ford says she felt good the first time she volunteered to help out at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s Fantasy of Trees. Her son Bret was in elementary school, and his teacher was participating and asked for volunteers. Belinda signed up, working a four-hour shift one day. This year – as she has for the past 20 years – Belinda will log almost 80 hours in six days as a Fantasy of Trees volunteer. And she still feels good about helping. Fantasy of Trees is an annual fundraiser and holiday tradition for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. The event, held at the Knoxville Convention Center,
kicks off with a gala preview party on Tuesday night, Nov. 26, then continues daily through Sunday. Hours and ticket prices vary and are available on the website at www.fantasyoftrees.org. Ford’s work, however, will be done when the doors open on that Tuesday night – at least until time to take it all down. “There are basically three big areas that help pull the show together. “One is floor volunteers who staff all the rides, children’s activities and recruit and train the people needed for that. Another puts together and displays all the things that are for sale. The third is called the designer side, and that is where I hang my hat,” says Ford. Ford and her co-chair, Jackie Smith, assemble more than 25
volunteers to help transform an empty room into a fantasy land. “When we walk in on the Thursday before Thanksgiving, what we see is a big, empty convention center room with concrete floors, poles and big trucks unloading boxes. I start marking off with tape where things need to go. Rather quickly, the whole room begins to take shape as we work with the staff’s floor plan and the company hired to do the pipe and draping. It is pretty amazing to see it transform over a couple of days.” The intangibles are what keep Ford coming back, she says. “Watching and talking to the volunteers and seeing how much they give makes you feel good about the world again. It washes away a lot of the negatives we are sometimes exposed to.”
At last year’s Fantasy of Trees, Meg Retinger grabs a photo opportunity with her granddaughter Mathis. Fantasy of Trees is Wednesday through Sunday, Nov. 27-30, with proceeds benefiting East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Photo by Sherri Gardner Howell
Huber development hops first hurdle About the proposed density, By Sandra Clark John Huber didn’t need to hire Donaldson said, “We can do better John King when he had Mark (than has been done). We can save the slopes and the trees on those Donaldson. slopes, yet still accommodate the number of people we know will be here in the next 40 years. “We expect 300,000 new peoThe executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Commis- ple to move here by 2040 with 2/3 sion joyously argued the merits of of them in Knox County. If we conHuber’s plan to build upwards of tinue the trend that we’ve seen for 300 apartments and a 75-boat ma- the last four decades, we will fill rina off Emory Church Road near up Knox County from edge to edge with ½-acre lots. And. Do. We. Pellissippi Parkway. Huber presented his case quite Want. That?” The MPC’s answer was reeloquently, attorney John King plugged in the legal niceties (im- soundingly no. Commissioners portant when Wayne Kline and the approved the staff recommendaopponents go to court), but Don- tion on a voice vote with only Mialdson capped the debate like this: chael Kane heard dissenting. And “We’ve spent 2-1/2 years (Plan now the debate moves to Knox East Tennessee) listening to resi- County Commission. Literally hundreds of nearby dents of a 5-county region who have told us to increase housing residents attended a community along our transportation corri- meeting to oppose the developdors. They have asked for alter- ment. Many of them came to MPC natives to suburban housing; for last Thursday and stood when land use to connect homes to job Wayne Kline challenged MPC staff’s density calculations. Kline centers.”
Analysis
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said the undevelopable land on slopes, underwater or within the flood plain should not be used for the calculations. He said the 100-acre Melgaard family farm should have no more than 127 apartments, 172 max, and called the staff’s calculation “whimsy.” Commissioner Wes Stowers was perplexed: “I’ve had four years of calculus and I can’t see (the disparity between 127 and 335). Donaldson was quick to explain: He said Kline used the county’s general zoning plan which is advisory only. He also disagreed with Kline’s definition of developable land, saying if the ridgetop were leveled, the entire tract could be developed. But since Huber is proposing to preserve 17 acres (and use another 10 acres as a buffer), he’s entitled to bonus density mentioned in the county’s ridgetop plan which was never actually codified. Donaldson said Huber also got extra density because of the land’s
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proximity to the interstate. When Commissioner Laura Cole suggested a compromise on density, she was argued down by Commissioner Art Clancy who said, “Vote it up or vote it down, but if we don’t go with the staff recommendation we’re asking for trouble.” After the land was rezoned Planned Residential, next up was the plan. King argued it was not premature because it aided in rezoning to see the proposed land use. “A marina is an inappropriate use of this land, and we object to the 312 apartments,” said Kline. “This marina won’t sell gas or food,” said King. “It’s just a place to launch fishing boats.” The vote came quickly and affirmatively. Staff recommendation was adopted without change. It was a great day at MPC for John Huber. It was disappointing for the neighbors of Westland Cove. The marina still must be approved by TVA.