VOL. 7 NO. 32
IN THIS ISSUE
Miracle Maker
Dr. Jim McIntyre says he’s as enthusiastic about the new school year as “any in my career.” Knox County Schools has made gains on test scores every year since McIntyre arrived as superintendent in 2008.
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See Sandra Clark’s story on A-9
Volleyball training in Karns area Knoxville Volleyball Academy is preparing to open its new facility in Karns. Director David McGinnis and assistant Joe Fiore are designing programs suitable for highly competitive club players as well as recreational athletes. “We want to inspire young athletes between the ages of 7-18 to perform well on the volleyball court and to go on to become confident successful young adults,” said McGinnis.
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See story on A-3
Faith from sorrow Dawn McGuire was pregnant with her third baby when her life changed forever. After having two healthy baby boys, Dawn and Kevin McGuire were overjoyed to find out she was expecting a girl. “I asked people to pray that Jena would come to know Jesus at a young age and that I would be able to share Jesus with the doctors and nurses.” McGuire would find both prayers answered in the following months.
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See Ashley Baker’s story on A-4
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Mabe to be guest on WDVX show Shopper-News features editor Jake Mabe will be the special guest on the WDVX “East Tennessee Quiver” at 10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15. He will be talking about local musicians he’s covered throughout his career as well as highlighting Elvis Presley’s lesser-known songs with show host Bradley Reeves. Listen at 89.9 FM, 102.9 FM or online at www. wdvx.com.
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August 12, 2013
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McDonald’s manager retires it’s their first job. Most don’t know anything By Laura Cline about customer service. But they learn,” he Pritam Mahajan, McDonald’s store mansaid. ager at Cedar Bluff, retires this week after a Mahajan has a golden rule philosophy 24-year career with the fast food chain. with his teenaged employees: “I try to teach Mahajan and his wife, Anu, moved to them and treat them like I’d want my sons to Knoxville from India in 1989. Anu Mahajan be treated.” worked as a nurse at Parkwest Medical CenSeeing the progress and growth of his ter while he began his career in fast food. employees is one of Mahajan’s biggest incenStarting out as a crewmember, flipping tives. burgers and working the registers, Mahajan And the investment pays off. “When you had a solid career becoming store manager teach them well and respect them, they’ll in 2005. work hard for you.” During their careers, the Mahajans put Although excited about retirement, Matwo sons through college. The McDonald’s hajan’s feelings are certainly bittersweet: manager beams, saying, “They’re both suc“I have a very big attachment to this place. cessful. I’m very proud of them.” When I come to work, I feel like I’m coming Son Amit went to school in Denver and to my second home. These people are like my currently works for an IT company there, family.” while Nitin graduated from UT and now The Mahajans will move to Chesapeake, serves as manager of planning and analysis Pritam Mahajan is retiring as manager at the Cedar Va., to live closer to son Nitin. And Knox for Dollar Tree in the D.C. area. County will lose a good family. Not only did Mahajan’s career provide for Bluff McDonald’s. Gene Crabtree, who is known for his his family, but his commitment to developwork with “Character Counts,” said his son ing his employees has equipped them with people of all ages,” he says of McDonald’s diworked for Mahajan at McDonald’s 20 years the life skills necessary to better provide for versity. ago while in high school. themselves and their families. “We usually have about 9-10 students em“I suspect a lot of other high school kids have “I like that we employ high school kids and ployed at a time. For about 80 percent of them, ‘grown up’ while working there,” said Crabtree.
Beaver Creek grant-funded projects complete By Jake Mabe Projects along Beaver Creek funded by a $919,000 “clean water” grant secured in 2008 have been completed. Knox County watershed coordinator Roy Arthur, who is the grant’s project manager through the Beaver Creek Task Force, says the grant was awarded through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s 319 grant program. “Every state gets an allotment every year and the state decides how to allot it,” Arthur says. “This grant was run through UT and the Tennessee Water Resources Research Center, who was the administrator. We focused on sediment reduction into Beaver Creek.” Partners included Knox County Stormwater, Hallsdale Powell Utility District, the Tennessee Water Resources Research Center and other UT departments and,
early on, TVA. Arthur said a watershed plan was created to focus on three areas – runoff from agriculture, stream bank erosion and sediment input from residential areas. “We did not address construction runoff. That is handled by Knox County Stormwater.” Arthur says a major component was community engagement/education. “These included, for students, the Adopt-A-Watershed program in six schools on or near Beaver Creek (Gibbs High, Halls High, Powell Middle, Powell High, Karns High and Hardin Valley Academy), and for adults, we held a variety of programs that focused on more specific areas rather than just general watershed education.” The agriculture runoff portion of the plan included fi xing pasture input problems on 23 farms along
Beaver Creek from Gibbs to Solway. “We also held farmers’ breakfasts for education purposes and the last one we held was attended by 120 people.” The stream bank erosion portion of the plan included the signature project of fixing major erosion along Beaver Creek in Mill Run subdivision in Halls as well as creating a 3,500-foot riparian zone. The residential portion of the plan was undertaken in cooperation with Knox County Stormwater’s Environmental Stewardship Program. Arthur says it included installing 23 rain gardens in residential areas designed to capture and infiltrate the first one inch of rain off of 1,000 square feet of a roof top. “Eroding ditches (3,000 feet) were also turned into grass-lined swells, and we fi xed 2,000 square
feet of bank erosion problems, including on school property.” The last two projects funded by the grant are the cistern system installed this summer at Halls High School’s greenhouse and the Harrell Road Stormwater Park, which is still under construction. At the latter, Arthur says 1,700 feet of 18inch pipe was installed to reroute stormwater from Painter Farms subdivision through a created wetland pond, rerouting 355,000 gallons of water in a one-inch rain. “Before, all of that was going straight into the creek. Now, it’s filtered into ponds. These projects are all designed to provide some flood mitigation. Because we don’t have a large swath of land anywhere along Beaver Creek, we have to create storage on a small scale wherever we can. The more we can put into storage, the more it’s going to help prevent flooding.”
Tennova project delayed, Pavlis sets public hearing By Sandra Clark Knoxville City Council has delayed rezoning land on Middlebrook Pike near West Hills subdivision where Tennova wants to build its flagship hospital. The project would result in the closure of the old St. Mary’s Hospital in North Knoxville. The vote is now set for Sept. 17. Knoxville Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis has set a council workshop for 5 p.m Thursday, Aug. 29, in the Main Assembly Room, City County Building. Rocky Swingle spoke on behalf of opponents: “This is a serious issue that deserves full discussion.” Wesley Neighbors Community Association voted 91-7 against
the hospital, Swingle said, even though Tennova has met numerous times with residents and has made several concessions to minimize the impact on residents. “We’ve got 200 yard signs up in West Hills and 300 names on our petition (against the project),” Swingle told the council. “Yes, it’s a $300 million investment by Tennova and several temporary (construction) jobs and increased taxes, but those taxes and temporary jobs are not free. “The biggest cost is the closure of St. Mary’s, followed by the diminution of the quality of life in West Knoxville.” He asked council to fund both a traffic and environmental impact study.
MPC Director Mark Donaldson said a “thorough traffic study, the most intensive study our rules permit,” will be required at Tennova’s expense. Attorney John King said his client, Tennova, did not want a postponement because “time is money.” Tennova has been “very communicative with multiple meetings,” King said, and had hoped for just a two-week delay (because the district’s council member, Duane Grieve, was out of town). City Council also postponed a vote on proposed apartments at Northshore Town Center until Sept. 3. Rezoning for Westwood on Kingston Pike (new home of Knox Heritage) was approved.
South College expands parking The grading underway at South College, visible from I-40, is for additional parking since Kimberly-Clark recently relocated there and the college has added a Phar-
DEAL OF THE W WEEK!
macy College, said college president Steve South. This location of South College includes specialized laboratories, a student center, library plus
classrooms for education, nursing, physician assistant and pharmacy programs. The building originally was headquarters for Goody’s. – Nancy Whittaker
Davis at the helm
Northshore Elementary School principal Susan Davis stepped to the podium and asked for quiet before the school’s ribbon-cutting last week. Everyone hushed quickly, kids and adults. An open house was held immediately following the ribbon-cutting. “This is a beautiful building,” said Davis, “but what’s most important is what happens in these classrooms.” – Sara Barrett
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