VOL. 11 NO. 2
FIRST WORDS
Do you know your roots? Kizzy said, “My pappy real name Kunta Kinte. He a African.â€? “You don’t say!â€? Miss Malizy appeared taken aback. “I’se heared my greatReneĂŠ Kesler gran’daddy was one dem Africans, too.â€? This dialogue between a young slave girl and a slave matriarch was taken from an excerpt of the book “ Roots, The Saga Of An American Familyâ€? by Pulitzer Prize w inner Alex Haley. Kizzy demonstrates the grit of a young slave girl determined to be defined not by her current enslaved situation, but rather by her strong ancestral heritage. What’s more, Kizzy’s staunch affirmation of her heritage aroused and inspired an elder to recall the stories told of that same proud lineage. Do you know your roots? Discovering our roots is about uncovering the stories of hidden treasures buried in our history while also unearthing layers of one’s self. Zack F. Taylor Jr. has researched and written five volumes of “African American Family Genealogy for Jefferson County, Tennessee,â€? and it is an extensive work. His dedication to uncovering the black families of Jefferson County is extraordinary. Additionally, Robert A. McGinnis has researched and compiled many books, including “Gone and All but Forgotten, The AfricanAmerican Cemeteries of Knox County, Tennessee.â€? Neither my friend Zack nor Robert resembles the people they have researched. Yet, when I asked them why they choose to do this work, both reply among other things, “It’s important.â€? To page A-3
Business group to meet Jan. 19
Come meet Karns area business owners and network during lunch as the North West Knox Business & Professional Association meets at noon Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Karns Community Center on Oak Ridge Highway. The group is seeking leadership for 2017 and an election will be held on Jan. 19. RSVP to nwkbpa@ outlook.com
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January 11, 2017
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Shay Siler, fostering trust at KES By Nancy Anderson Shay Siler, former principal at Carter Elementary School, takes over as principal of Karns Elementary School this semester. Siler said the move may seem lateral, but Karns is a much bigger school and will pose its own set of challenges to her leadership style. “One thing I’ve always done is learn who the parents are and what kid belongs to what parent. With Karns having nearly 1,300 students, it’s going to be quite a challenge. But I’m not one to sit in my office. I like to greet parents when they come in. It’s important for them to feel welcome. I want them to trust that their kids are safe in our hands. Visibility and consistency are key.� Siler said she wants to build a special rapport with her staff but understands that trust is earned. “At Carter I was able to unite the staff as one team, and I’d like to foster that here at Karns as well. That’s going to be a tall order because the school is so much larger, some staff may never see each other.� The new principal said she plans to initiate fun team-building activities to unite the staff. She’s also made it a major goal to listen to staff members in order to address possible issues. “Mid-year transitions aren’t typical. I have to step in in the middle of the school year and figure out how we function as a team, what are our strengths and weaknesses. “I will be listening to the staff for things we can tweak. I want to foster a relationship where they feel safe to speak to me honestly about things we need to work on.� Siler holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the College of Charleston, a master’s and specialist in education in administration and supervision from the University of Tennessee. She enjoys spending time with her family and reading mystery novels in her spare time.
Shay Siler settles in to her new office as principal of Karns Elementary School. Photo by Nancy Anderson
Green Earth Solar sees a bright future By Margie Hagen Many people don’t realize that using the sun to generate power has been around for centuries. Solar energy, once thought of as an obscure concept, has come to be a viable and prolific source of renewable power. In the 1700s, solar ovens were used to cook meals; the 1800s brought discovery of the photovoltaic effect, the use of solar cells to generate electricity. In the early 1900s, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his paper on the photoelectric effect. Scientists from Bell Labs later improved the process and the industry began to develop. It was slow in the beginning, but as the
cost was reduced and the benefits grew, interest in renewable energy heated up. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, installations have grown 17-fold since 2008, and since 2010 costs have dropped by roughly 50 percent for a solar electric system. That’s good news for one West Knox company, Green Earth Solar LLC. Founded in 2009, Green Earth Solar is owned by Chip Mincey and Ed Zubko. Both have lived in Knoxville for many years and became interested in solar power after looking at energy trends and the increased cost of electricity. Knoxville is a member of the Solar Amer-
ica Cities Program, a federal program supporting 25 American cities committed to making solar a mainstream energy source. With a renewable energy-friendly environment and some early incentives, Mincey and Zubko made the decision to start the business, and have quickly become one of the regional leaders in the industry. Green Earth Solar installations include Knoxville Convention Center, ORNL, Vanderbilt University and East Tennessee Public TV, to name just a few. In West Knoxville, the company provided solar energy to Farragut’s McFee Park and Cool Sports Icearium. To page A-3
Knoxville to state: Get us some money and leave us alone By Betty Bean Mostly, what legislators heard at their annual breakfast with city officials is that Knoxville wants the state to help pay for a new treatment facility and otherwise stay out of city business. Yes, they’d like the state to help foot the bill for a behavioral health urgent care center (formerly called the safety center). The sheriff and the police chief and the attorney general and the city and county mayors all want this facility, which they say will take the pressure off the Knox County Jail by removing mentally ill inmates and substance abusers from the jail population and placing them in a short-term treatment facility. But Mayor Madeline Rogero politely informed the local lawmakers that what she wants most from Nashville is for the state to
stay out of the city’s business. She doesn’t want any “deannexation� laws, and said the city of Knoxville has not attempted any involuntary annexations for more than a decade. “The prospect of allowing deannexation for properties that have been part of the city and receiving city services and investment for more than a decade raises complicated legal and financial questions that would likely take years to resolve� is how a handout summarizing the city’s legislative wish list put it. City officials would also like for the state not to attempt to regulate short-term rentals (like Airbnb), and refrain from interfering with the city’s ability to jumpstart redevelopment projects by using tax abatement tools like TIFs and PILOTs.
The majority of the lawmakers present pledged their support for the behavioral health urgent care facility, led by Sen. Becky Massey, who outlined a threepronged plan to get it done, with her preferred option being for the governor to include it in his budget from the get-go. Plans B and C would be a “backup� bill she and Rep. Eddie Smith are sponsoring and, as a last resort, a budget amendment. The general sentiment was that chances are good that the state will support the facility, which is also strongly supported by county Mayor Tim Burchett this session. Rep. Bill Dunn said he’d like to hear more specifics. There was little pushback from the lawmakers until Rogero brought up diversity. “We consider diversity a
strength,â€? she said, citing the difficulties North Carolina ran into after its Legislature passed a so-called bathroom bill. She said North Carolina’s losses were other localities’ gains, including Knoxville’s. “We got an event because of that ‌ Please keep Tennessee opening and welcoming,â€? she said. This plea struck a nerve with Dunn, who said the North Carolina legislators were forced to act to counteract an ordinance passed by the city of Charlotte. He said he believes in “the diversity of the individual,â€? and cautioned against telling people how to run their businesses. Rep. Martin Daniel told Rogero that he hears complaints about the city disregarding property rights and being “ultraregulatory.â€? To page A-3
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