North/East Shopper-News 022416

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NORTH / EAST VOL. 4 NO. 8

BUZZ Five Points housing plan Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) will hold a public meeting to present final renderings of a new affordable senior housing development to Five Points’ residents and community stakeholders on Monday, Feb. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at the Walter P. Taylor Boys & Girls Club, 317 McConnell St. The development will be the first units to be built back onto the footprint of Walter P. Taylor Homes and Dr. Lee L. Williams Senior Complex in East Knoxville as part of the Five Points Master Plan. Construction of The Residences at Five Points is expected to cost approximately $10 million and KCDC plans to break ground on the senior housing development in April 2016. The public meeting will also include discussion on the next phases of development in the neighborhood. The master plan incorporated more than a year of community meetings and interviews and was presented to the community in 2014.

Pushback on Magnolia upgrades Community activists are pushing back on the city’s plan to spend $6 million to $8 million to landscape and generally enhance a 6-block portion of Magnolia Avenue. Mayor Madeline Rogero confronted the protestors for the first time on Feb. 16.

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Read Sandra Clark on page 5

Oscar picks It’s Oscar time and Betsy Pickle is entertaining us with her speculation on winners this Sunday. “For those who haven’t already had their fill of movie awards shows, the granddaddy of them all – the 88th annual Academy Awards, airing this Sunday night on ABC – provides the best office-pool guessing game of the year.�

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A digital rendering of the new football field for Fulton High School. Work is scheduled to begin around March 28. Photo submitted

By Ruth White Ask any coach for a list of top five wishes and somewhere close to winning a state championship will probably be having a maintenance-free field installed as a gift from Pilot Flying J and the Haslam Foundation. Fulton High School, through the luck of a draw, is second in line for the renovations and will have ground broken on the new field around March 28. Over the following six to eight weeks, the work will progress and result in a field of dreams in time for the kickoff of the 2016 season.

Fulton head coach Rob Black. Photo by R. White

Read Betty Bean on page 5

(865) 922-4136 NEWS (865) 661-8777 news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Ruth White ADVERTISING SALES (865) 342-6084 ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore Beverly Holland | Amy Lutheran CIRCULATION (865) 521-8181

Head coach Rob Black is thrilled with the installation of turf for several reasons, including no more mowing, weed eating or painting of the fields for Friday night football games. “The coaching staff would gather after practice on Wednesday nights to eat a quick bite of supper and paint the fields for the games,� he said. “Around 1 a.m. on Thursdays we would head home for a couple hours of sleep before returning for a full school day.� Although the group made it a fun To page 3

Neighbors work to enhance park By Sandra Clark Members of Town Hall East planted 14 Princeton elms along the periphery of Tank Strickland Park last weekend. “The trees are part of Town Hall East’s ongoing efforts to improve the county-owned, vestpocket park near the East Knoxville branch of the library,� said Nick Della Volpe. Kasey Krause, the city’s urban forester, selected the trees in McMinnville as a part of the city’s effort to establish a diversified tree canopy in the city (where this park is located, along Asheville Hwy.). Princeton elms were selected because they are more tolerant of The next project is a bouncy horse the higher pH of the fill soil placed for the little ones. there during the reclamation of

the site, Della Volpe said. Town Hall East is also raising funds to add a spring-mounted rocking horse to the children’s play area. And another bench will be installed this week by Cemex, a community partner engaged in improving the community park, which sits on the former site of three poorly kept buildings (including the lariat lounge and a used tire/auto repair shop). Cemex donated fill and topsoil used to reclaim the site by Town Hall East volunteers who worked with the county on the project. Also, TDEC excavated a segment of the buried/concrete piped Loves Creek that passes through the park, to help aerate the flow and enhance habitat.

Read Pickle’s Picks on page 9

The Tennessee Clean Water Network’s recent report that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s enforcement actions have dropped 75 percent during the first five years of Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration shocked the public at large, but came as no surprise to those who deal with the agency regularly.

February 24, 2016

A new field for Fulton High

Water pollution

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Cemex will install a second bench like this one near the playground area. Della Volpe, a longtime member of Town Hall East and the district’s current representative on Knoxville City Council, is steamed To page 3

Rotarians set workday at Ridgedale By Tom King It’s not your average school, Ridgedale Alternative School. No official PTA. No clubs. No athletic teams. One floor houses classes for middle school alternative school students in grades 6-8. Upstairs are 12 classrooms of special education students in grades K-12. Today, the school has 115 students and these are not what we think of as neighborhood kids in the Ridgedale area off of Oak Ridge Highway. The students come from all over Knox County, bused in daily by 29 buses and shuttle vans. Diana Gossett, a former special education teacher, is the principal of this special school, a position she has held since 2011. She leads a staff of about 70, doing special work for special kids. She has 19 classroom teachers and 46 teaching assistants. “Our TAs are the

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Diana Gossett loves her job “I could talk forever about why I love Ridgedale,â€? says principal Diana Gossett. “I love being around children and around other adults who love children. ‌ I want to make Gossett a difference for children. “Yes, there are lots of meetings, observations, maintenance issues, budgets and other matters that seem to fill up a typical school day. Nothing, however, can compare to the feeling we get when a parent thanks us for

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meat and potatoes in the school. They are very committed and very valuable. I’m fortunate to have such a dedicated staff,� she says. Two TAs ride each of the buses and shuttle vans each morning and each afternoon. “We are giving these students the skills they need to be successful in less restrictive settings and we teach them social and life skills so they can go back to their regular base schools,� she said. The alternative school works with students who have disciplinary issues such as continuous class disruptions, fighting, drugs or bringing knives or guns to school. The majority are 8th graders. The gender ratio is 3-1 boys. “We need to get these 8th graders back to their schools to get them ready for high school,� Gossett said.

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teaching their child or when we run into a former student working in the community, being successful. “We measure each student’s success on what is meaningful for that specific student. ‌ Because we are able to focus on individual students and their individual needs, sharing the joys of meeting their goals is very personal for each of us at Ridgedale. “I am inspired daily by the commitment shown by all of our staff. Teaching our students can be very challenging and, yes, sometimes even defeating. However our educators go over and beyond to see that our students’ needs are met. It’s not always easy – but it is definitely worth it.â€?

2 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

Only one regret Some women won’t go anywhere without the right purse or the perfect scarf to properly accessorize an outfit. Karen Moore’s accessory of choice last spring was a little different. She carried a lawn chair everywhere she went. Before she had a lumbar fusion at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Moore couldn’t stand up for more than four minutes at a time without excruciating pain. Unfortunately, sitting down wasn’t much better. Moore, who is part owner of Huck Finn’s Catfish restaurant in Pigeon Forge, says she spent a lot of time in tears and in misery. “It felt like I’d been stabbed with an ice pick,” Moore says. “The pain went down my right side through my hip, and all the way down to my foot.” Her problems started when sciatica began to take hold in 2012. A spinal laminectomy by a different surgeon relieved her pain for about six months, but a follow-up MRI confirmed that she needed lumbar fusion. Lumbar fusion is surgery that uses bone tissue to connect vertebrae in the spine, mimicking the normal healing process of broken bones. Neurosurgeon Barrett Brown, MD, performs the procedure through The Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional, and has seen it transform the lives of back pain sufferers like Moore. Moore wasn’t ready. She was about the business of taking care of business. She was traveling out of state once a month to help care for her parents, plus trying to keep up with a demanding job. Although the pain seemed

Karen Moore can sit comfortably for a plate of catfish at her restaurant and rise pain free at the end of the meal, thanks to a lumbar fusion performed at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. She says her only regret is that she didn’t have the procedure sooner.

unbearable, she bore it anyway. She very simply didn’t think she could sacrifice the time for surgery and recovery. “My oldest son had a lumbar fusion two years earlier at another hospital, and I took care of him. They told him not to get on a plane for three months, and I couldn’t imagine not being able to go see my parents for that long,” Moore says. So she tried alternative measures to manage the pain, including spinal injections every month for about a year, a chiropractor, physical therapy and “lots of Tylenol and Advil.” The breaking point came when her physical therapist told her there was nothing more he could do for her.

“I wasn’t living,” Moore says. “I was just existing.” Moore had heard about Dr. Brown and was interested in learning more about how he would help to relieve her pain. She gathered up every ounce of courage, and made the phone call that would change her life. “From the moment the first person answered the phone, I felt at ease,” Moore says. “Everybody on the office staff was wonderful.” With compassion, they listened to her concerns throughout the process, and offered unwavering support. “It felt more personal. It felt like they really cared about me,” Moore says. After a new MRI and a consultation with Dr. Brown, lumbar

fusion was recommended for stenosis spondylolisthesis and a herniated disc. Fear and uncertainty no longer ruled. “He just put me at ease,” she says. Minimally invasive surgery was finally performed on June 18 of last year, with six small incisions rather than one long incision, allowing faster recovery and less pain. That was a pleasant surprise for Moore, who had witnessed her son’s long and painful recovery from traditional surgery. “I had no pain at all when I woke up,” Moore says. “I remember moving my leg and hip around, and I had no pain, at all!” Assuming she was just enjoying the effects of surgery medi-

cation, she and her family disregarded the doctor’s opinion that she was ready to go home the day of her surgery. But even the next day, the sharp pain that had shot down her leg two days earlier was gone. “I never used a walker at home, I never used crutches, and I just went to follow-up therapy once,” Moore says. “The therapist said, ‘You don’t need to be here.’” She was careful to follow the doctor’s instructions not to bend, lift, or twist for six weeks, but less than a month after surgery, Moore was back at the restaurant, greeting guests and running the cash register. “Every day was just better and better,” Moore says. “I thought it was going to be four, five, six days in the hospital, I thought it was going to be a long, long recovery.” Six months after the surgery, Moore was waiting in line at an electronics store when she saw a man who was looking for a chair to sit in. She listened as he talked to someone nearby about his pain. “The more he talked, the more it described what was going on with me,” Moore says. She pulled up Dr. Brown on her smartphone and told him if he wanted good results, “you should go see these guys.” Moore says her only regret is that she didn’t have the surgery a lot sooner. “I think about all the time I wasted – I was in so much pain,” Moore says. “Now I can stand as long as I want, I can walk, I can sit and I’m back to living, again.” To learn more about spine surgery at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, visit fsregional.com/spine.

Relief much closer than you think Just like Karen Moore, many patients that end up at the Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional find out about the treatments offered in a variety of ways. Whether it’s advertising, word of mouth or another way, the efforts are a big part of specialists, like Dr. Brown, desire to bring care to underserved areas. “Our main effort is educating people on their options for their pain. We use articles such as this to do that,” said Dr. Brown, who Barrett Brown, MD partners with Dr. Joel Norman in spinal, cranial, stroke and pituitary tumor surgeries. “It lets patients know what is available in their area or what is nearby.” “Another way we spread the word is by Dr. Norman and I having clinics in a couple

different areas of the state; not too far from Knoxville but within a reasonable drive that we know we can always meet the patient quality that we expect, as well as making it convenient,” added Dr. Brown. “Then, if a patient does decide to have surgery with us, we’ll do that at Fort Sanders Regional and it’s not hours away for the patient and their families.” Dr. Brown, for example, opened a new office in Suite 230 of the Roane Professional Office Building at 8035 Roane Medical Center in in Harriman, Tenn. That clinic will be open on the first and third Thursdays of every month. Likewise, Dr. Norman has an additional office in Suite 208 of the Robert F. Thomas Building at 744 Middle Creek Road in Sevierville where he works twice monthly. They alternate office times at their Alcoa/Maryville clinic at 205 Corporate Place in Alcoa. “So we have clinics in these other loca- see us,” said Dr. Brown. “We can always get tions twice a month, kind of broken up in them in at one of the other clinics, if it is an the month so that if something develops, immediate need.” people have a couple of options to get in to For more information about the

Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional, go to fsregional.com/minimallyinvasive or call 865-541-2835.

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community

NORTH/EAST Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 3

A Confederate Yankee at Knoxville’s Roundtable

Neighbors work

By Cindy Taylor No one was more surprised than North Knoxville resident Dorothy “Dot� Kelly when her name was called. Her mouth filled with chocolate cake at the time and in a state of shock, Kelly says she wasn’t sure she could choke down the bite of food. As a true Southern woman of grace she swallowed, of course. Kelly is a founding board member and served as president of the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association. It was at the 2015 Tennessee State Sesquicentennial meeting dinner that she was called to the stage to receive the first ever Fred Prouty Award. Prouty is highly respected in the field of war history and is a longtime program director of the Tennessee Wars Commission. The award recognized Kelly for her efforts in working to preserve and interpret battlefields on a regional and statewide basis. It came with a grant which Kelly designated to the Knoxville Civil War Roundtable Preservation Fund. A love of Civil War history predates Kelly’s middle school years. She recalls hearing her grandmother speak to her parents about the war in casual conversa-

Dorothy Kelly at a historical marker in the area of Fort Dickerson overlooking Knoxville. Photo by Cindy Taylor

tion. “When I was about 10 years old I would listen to my grandmother’s stories about her grandfather, Benjamin Donehue, who was a Confederate soldier,� says Kelly. “I urged her to tell me more and my interest grew from there. Years later I found out I have a Yankee ancestor on the other side of the family.� Although the Civil War has been an obsession with Kelly since she was a preteen, she says these days you need some kind of a hook to get young people interested in history. Most of Kelly’s Civil War knowledge resides in her head though she has pub-

Workday at Ridgedale Some are surprised to learn of the special education component of the school. The teachers work with students who have a variety of disabilities – autism, intellectual disabilities, severe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or emotional and mental health issues. The two groups of students do not interact at school but do ride the same buses and vans. The special ed classroom studentteacher ratio depends on the students’ needs and individual program. The

From page 1

ratios in alternative classrooms is one teacher and one assistant in each room of up to 15 students. “Our special ed students are those who need help with specific tasks and need more attention and work outside of a normal classroom setting,� Gossett explained. “The kids in the alternative school have just made some bad decisions and we’re a second chance for them. We see very few repeat offenders.� Gossett considers Ridgedale Baptist Church, the school’s next-door neighbor,

Administration Building, Knoxville Zoo. Info: Paul Ruff, 696-6584.

COMMUNITY NOTES â– Alice Bell Spring Hill Neighborhood Association. Info: Ronnie Collins, 637-9630. â– Beaumont Community Organization. Info: Natasha Murphy, 936-0139. â– Belle Morris Community Action Group meets 7 p.m. each second Monday, City View Baptist Church, 2311 Fine Ave. Info: bellemorris. com or Rick Wilen, 524-5008. â– Chilhowee Park Neighborhood Association meets 6:30 p.m. each last Tuesday,

â– Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association meets 7 p.m. each third Tuesday, Larry Cox Senior Center, 3109 Ocoee Trail. Info: edgewoodpark.us.

lished several articles. She says she may one day put a small book together on a specific area of Civil War history. Kelly continues to serve with the preservation association. Its work in South Knoxville at Fort Dickerson has brought a previously little-used area to life. The group has been instrumental, along with Knoxville Parks and Recreation, in purchasing cannon replicates, installing benches, picnic tables and interpretive markers and replacing a crumbling stone wall. Due to her extensive service and commitment to preservation in the Knoxville

area, Kelly now has her own namesake award. The Dot Kelly Civil War Preservation Grant was established in December by the board of directors for KCWRT in coordination with the East Tennessee Historical Society. Kelly says many of the Civil War sites in the South disappeared long ago. She would like to see more people in Knoxville recognize the value of their Civil War heritage. “Our Civil War history and sites need protecting,� says Kelly. “We have a great opportunity to preserve, understand and appreciate the crucial Civil War years and the sacrifices of our ancestors.�

to be its PTA. “They reached out to us and have adopted us. They bought and installed a new playground for the school – a $40,000 expense,� she said. “And on Wednesday nights their youth group comes over and does some extra cleaning work for us and leaves wonderful notes of appreciation for our teachers. They also help us with Christmas baskets for the kids and their families.� Ridgedale will get more help on Saturday, Feb. 27, when seven local Rotary clubs come together for a World Rotary Day workday to spruce things up. Their

work will begin at 9 a.m. on a variety of projects. Gossett and her staff take very seriously the school’s Mission Statement: “To provide a safe, consistent environment with a structured plan for each student’s personal success.�

yahoo.com. â– Historic Fourth & Gill Neighborhood Organization meets 6:30 p.m. each second Monday, Central UMC, 201 Third Ave. Info: Liz Upchurch, 898-1809, lizupchurch1@gmail.com.

â– Excelsior Lodge No. 342 meets 7:30 p.m. each Thursday, 10103 Thorn Grove Pike. Info: Bill Emmert, 933-6032 or w.emmert@att.net.

â– Inskip Community Association meets 6 p.m. each fourth Tuesday, Inskip Baptist Church, 4810 Rowan Road. Info: Betty Jo Mahan, 679-2748 or bettymahan@knology.net.

â– First District Democrats meet each first Monday, Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Asheville Highway. Info: Harold Middlebrook, haroldmiddlebrook@gmail.com; Mary Wilson, marytheprez@

â– Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association meets 6:30 p.m. each first Monday, Community Club House, 916 Shamrock Ave. Info: Bill Hutton, 773-5228 or s_wlhutton@yahoo.com.

about a billboard owned by Lamar. “Efforts are still underway to have Lamar Advertising remove a billboard from the park. Lamar’s regional property division in Atlanta had originally promised not to renew the lease at option time when the auto repair/ tire shop was acquired several years ago,� he said. “Thus far, local Lamar reps have refused to honor that acquisition promise, and the matter has been taken up by the county law department. Lamar’s refusal to act has caused the Avalawn tree team to not plant and actually take back one of the trees scheduled for planting in the park (last weekend). “Hopefully, Lamar will reach down in its corporate conscience to find the requisite public spirit it had previously pledged, and honor its commitment.� The park has been the site of Town Hall’s annual ice cream summer social. Cliff Brooks, a local landscape designer, has donated his time and talents to prepare a master landscape plan for the third phase of Tank Strickland Park. Both Town Hall East and Cemex

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fields. “We missed a ton of practice days in the past due to weather, but once the new field is installed not much will run us off the field.� The durability of the turf will also take the pressure of preserving grass fields off the coaches. In addition to the new field, the Haslam Foundation will provide each high school with $100,000 for academic enhancements.

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have adopted the park officially and worked to improve it over 10 years. Della Volpe and others on City Council have provided funds to help complete the park. From page A-1

job, spending more time with family and preparing for the games will be a welcome change. “By spring, I was mowing the field every other day. The turf will not only save time but also on gas and lawnmower maintenance in the long run.� The turf fields will play much like grass fields but drainage won’t be the huge problem that it is for some

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4 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • Shopper news

Parrington has been everywhere Hank Snow long ago sang a traveling song, “I’ve been everywhere.â€? I’ve been everywhere, Marvin man West I’ve crossed the deserts bare, man I’ve breathed the mountain air, man Then I met Dave ParOf travel I’ve had my rington, big man in town, share, man 6-2½ and 280. He really I’ve been everywhere has been everywhere. Born in England, raised Hank rattled off a bunch of places, some of which in South Africa, college in rhymed: Reno, Chicago, Houston on a diving scholFargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, arship, competitor in the Toronto, Winslow, Saraso- Moscow Olympics and ta, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, coach in the Atlanta and Oklahoma, Tampa, Pana- Sydney Games. In 25 years as Tennessee ma, Mattawa ‌ Louisville, Nashville, diving coach, he has led VolKnoxville, Shefferville, unteers to other Olympics, Jacksonville, Waterville ‌ World University Games, World Championships, I’ve been everywhere. Snow never mentioned World Diving Cup, Pan Maynardville or Powell but I American Games, Comcould relate. I thought I had monwealth Games and Aftraveled widely. Seven Olym- rican Games – a combined pic Games and several side 25 times. He has been other intertrips created that illusion.

esting places as a recruiter. Among his favorite holiday outings have been soccer games in Liverpool and a canoe trip down the Zambezi River, home to the hippopotamus, crocodile, bull shark and Victoria Falls, the world’s largest. Adventures? He’s had a few others. Dave was born in Wallasey (so was Malcolm Lowry, author of “Under the Volcano�). Francis Winder Parrington, his grandfather, still holds the world record for distance diving. Dave’s parents were prominent swim coaches. His mother had been a twotime Olympic swimmer. The British were encouraging young professionals to join the English colony of Southern Rhodesia. Dave says his folks were adventurous and moved to Salisbury. He was 3. “I grew up in the water,�

he said. “The pool my parents managed was across the street from our home, 30 seconds away.� It was a middle-class lifestyle, three servants, excellent education. English roots, allegiance to the crown, one year of mandatory national service – at 19, Dave signed up for the British South Africa Police. He stayed three years. It became a life-and-death job. Rhodesia was locked in guerilla warfare. Black opposition to white rule seethed. Violence arrived as terrorism. Ears were severed. Limbs were lopped off. Villagers were killed. Parrington drove a patrol car. He went to investigate crime reports, sometimes into the bush. Some experiences he described as sickening. He said the necessary discipline shaped his life. The University of Houston discovered Parrington’s

Fulmers fund Parrington scholarship Phillip and Vicky Fulmer funded a $250,000 scholarship endowment in 2008 in honor of UT diving coach Dave Parrington. Daughter Brittany Fulmer was a diving competitor and had been coached by Parrington since age 8. Vicky Fulmer said: “Our goal was to honor Dave Parrington and recognize all he has accomplished in the swimming/diving world ‌ He is an incredible man who has made a tremendous impact on Brittany’s life, as well as the lives of many young divers and student athletes.â€? Phillip Fulmer said: “Creating this scholarship was our family’s way of showing our appreciation for Dave and the role he has played in our family ‌ This endowment will ensure a scholarship for a Tennessee diver for years to come.â€?

potential as a diver. Rhodesia became Zimbabwe and he represented it in international competition. Houston kept him as a coach until Tennessee called in 1990. Parrington has been least publicized among UT winners. He has coached

several great Volunteers, six NCAA and 39 SEC champions. Twelve times he has been honored as coach of the year but it has mostly been a secret. Now you know. Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com

Trump takes South Carolina, TN votes March 1 Donald Trump won the South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary on Saturday. It was a dominating win. Most pundits agree that Marco Rubio has the best shot to defeat Trump if he consolidates so-called establishment support. My guess is that Trump’s biggest opponent isn’t Marco Rubio or Hillary Clinton. It’s himself. In the past, presidential primaries have been a great way for the ideological base of each party to let off a little steam. Presidential primaries are often like a tea kettle. The rhetoric heats up, there’s lots of noise,

Ted Cruz’s supporters believe they could elect the first genuinely conservative president since Ronald Reagan. Scott Marco Rubio’s supportFrith ers believe he’s handsome, charismatic and isn’t named Jeb Bush. By the way, Hillary Clinand then both parties settle ton prevailed in the Nevada down (enjoy their tea) and caucus on Saturday. Clinton accept an establishment is also expected to win the South Carolina primary this candidate. For Republicans, that weekend. When was the last time may not happen this year. Trump’s supporters a major party presidential believe America may fi- candidate was being innally get a straight-talking vestigated by the FBI? Restrong-man who will stand gardless of how you view up against the injustice of the controversy surrounding Clinton’s private email the hour.

server, this isn’t some vast, right-wing conspiracy from the 1990s. It’s the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Democrats should be nervous. ■Too many delegates? It’s long past time to reform the way the Tennessee Republican Party chooses delegates to the convention. If you voted early in the Republican Primary, you couldn’t have missed the long list of delegates on the ballot. It’s confusing and unnecessary. Local candidates further down the ballot can be easily lost by voters less familiar with the voting machines. The state Republican Party should simplify the process and remove the del-

egates from the ballot. Make it simple like the Democratic Primary ballot which does not list delegates. Here’s hoping state Republicans fi x the mess for the next election cycle. It’s a problem that has gone on for too long. ■County law director. The county law director’s race is also on the Republican Primary ballot. Incumbent Richard “Bud� Armstrong faces local attorney Nathan Rowell. Since no Democrat is running, the Republican Primary winner is all but assured victory. If Armstrong prevails, some expect him to run for county mayor in 2018. (Tim Burchett is term limited.)

Also, the next round of judicial elections is in 2022. Armstrong has been mentioned as a possible candidate for general sessions judge or chancellor (Clarence E. “Eddie� Pridemore will be on the ballot in 2022 if he seek s re-election.) Of course, if Nathan Rowell defeats Armstrong next week, Rowell would be an unlikely candidate for mayor but would be an obvious candidate for judicial office. In 2022, Rowell would be half-way through a possible second term as law director. For politicians, it’s never too early to look ahead. Scott Frith is a local attorney. You can visit his website at www.pleadthefrith.com

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Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 5

The view from White’s Creek The Tennessee Clean Water Network’s recent report that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s enforcement actions have dropped 75 percent during the first five years of Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration shocked the public at large, but came as no surprise to those who deal with the agency regularly.

The battle for District 13

Betty Bean Steve Scarborough isn’t shocked. A founder of the Dagger Kayak Company, he used his retirement funds to buy a scenic, 1,500-acre swath of woodlands along the old Gordon’s Turnpike in the White’s Creek gorge. He and his wife, Annie, live on the property, which stretches into Cumberland, Roane and Rhea counties. His long-range plan includes securing conservation easements and selling large lots to like-minded buyers (on a portion of the property) and getting the creek declared a scenic river, which would require discharge permit holders to release effluent as clean as the water in the creek. And how clean is White’s Creek? “Perfect,� Scarborough said. He is a former member and chair of the Tennessee Conservation Commission, which serves TDEC in an advisory capacity. He is complimentary of TDEC’s professional staff, but highly critical of Haslam and his political appointees. “Haslam is absolutely no friend of environmental efforts,� he said. “We (the

Steve Scarborough stands proudly at White’s Creek.

TCC) did some good stuff, but the Haslam administration seemed to resent the very idea of us making suggestions about things like best management practices for coal mines and timberlands. Tennessee is the only state that doesn’t have a strong best management practices policy for timber companies, who had asked us to study the logging industry. The timber companies wanted the state to adopt best management practices, but if you’d seen the reaction of the Legislature, you’d have thought we were asking to sell their first-born daughters into slavery. We’d write white papers, they’d go into a black hole.� Scarborough said things got worse when Haslam took the recommendation of the chamber of commerce lobbyists and folded the TCC into the Tennessee Heritage Commission, which met infrequently. But he doesn’t blame it all on Haslam, who took

office in 2010. He is deeply critical of TDEC’s lack of oversight at TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant’s ash storage facilities prior to the massive coal ash spill in 2008. The state agency failed in its responsibility to inspect and sign off on TVA ash storage facilities, Scarborough said. “TDEC was rubberstamping anything TVA wanted to do while they were having blowouts and leakages from the big ash pile� Scarborough said TVA spurned a consultant-recommended $23 million solution and opted for a $4 million stopgap measure. “They saved $19 million on the fi x and spent $1.4 billion to clean it up. If TDEC had been doing its job, the TVA ash disaster would have never happened.� He has kind words for the professional staff in the field, however. “The guys on the ground do a good job,� he said. “We’ve had sediment problems where the crystal clear water of the creek turns or-

ange, and those guys will go hunting (for the cause of the sediment). They’re the best. But what TDEC doesn’t do is enforcement.� James McMillan, the Shannondale-area farmer who is Knox County’s most aggressive stormwater runoff watchdog, echoed Scarborough’s sentiments. “The professional staff knew what was going to happen when Haslam came in,� McMillan said. “They were used to taking one step forward and 10 steps backward, depending on the election, but it’s gotten real bad in this administration. I’ve been on the phone with TDEC this past week, and they were laughing about the commissioner (Bob Martineau). “They said, ‘James, you thought it was bad 12 years ago? Now we can’t even pick up the phone for fear of getting in trouble.’ I asked if they were really scared of that little short fat (guy) in Nashville, and they said no, but he can fire us.�

‘Start asking us what we want and Stop telling us what we need’ Wow. Sometimes the city just can’t give away money. A small but noisy contingent of East Knoxville residents is protesting the city’s plan to spend between $6 million and $8 million to upgrade a 6-block section of Magnolia Avenue. Dissent broke out at a Jan. 21 public forum at the O’Connor Center when the Magnolia Avenue Streetscapes project was unveiled. Even though it’s been on the drawing board since 2009, some residents said they had no chance to give suggestions. The protestors came to the City Council meeting on Feb. 2 and returned on Feb. 16. Mayor Madeline Rogero missed the Feb. 2 meeting, but secured the council’s consent to suspend the rules to allow everyone at the Feb.

government

improved sidewalks, street lighting, benches, bike racks, landscaping and even trash cans. Sandra But protestors called it Clark “gentrification� that could lead to higher property values, driving out marginal business and residential 16 meeting to speak. She tenants. said afterwards she would On Feb. 16, tempers flared meet with them in her office and language not usually or on their turf. heard at public meetings was The project parallels cor- hurled at the council. ridor upgrades underway The trigger was a generic or planned for Cumber- rendering that showed preland Avenue, Broadway and dominantly white people Chapman Highway. walking and riding bikes on The East Side project a suburban-looking street. deals with Magnolia Avenue Accusing the city of carbetween Jessamine and N. ing more about “hotels and Bertrand streets in the area condos and restaurants� of Pellissippi State’s Magno- than about people, a young lia campus. woman said the city should It provides for raised me- support existing businesses dians to replace the contin- and programs like the shutuous center left-turn lane, tered Tribe One that offered bike lanes, bus pull-offs, jobs to neighborhood youth.

“You shut down Tribe One. Where were you all when the doors closed? “What about the freedom schools in the summer? I’m just really tired of this same narrative. ... “Tennessee is for sale to the highest bidder. The Gibbs deal should show us that,� she said. “If you really care about people, you’ll start asking us what we want and stop telling us what we need.� Apologies for not getting the name of this passionate, articulate community activist. She reminded me of another young mom who challenged the status quo in support of her inner-city neighborhood as a member of Knox County Commission some 30 years ago. Her name? Madeline Rogero.

Former state Rep. Gloria Johnson is seeking her seat back from Eddie Smith, Victor chair of the Knox legislative Ashe delegation who defeated her in 2014. Johnson will need to run a much more focused and aggressive campaign this year to defeat Smith than she did last time around when she openly toyed with chairing the Democratic State Committee while serving in the Legislature as she sought a second term. She seemed more interested in being chair than Johnson Smith being state representative. Johnson did not camissues which are contrary paign as actively in 2014 as to most elected officials she did in 2012. She even in East Tennessee but traveled to Baton Rouge consistent with the national prior to the election she lost Democratic Party. to Smith for a Democratic ■UT continues to women’s meeting when she have issues in Nashville should have been here in Knoxville going door to door. with its burial of the Lady Not many votes in Louisiana. Vols name change legislation by state Rep. Roger Mayor Rogero was noKane and state Sen. Becky where nearly as involved in the Johnson re-election cam- Massey. There are hard feelings in Nashville. paign in 2014 as she was in There is legislation 2012 when she even worked now to guarantee First a phone bank for Johnson. Rogero will endorse Johnson Amendment rights to students, to freeze tuition, as a loyal Democrat but will to require public forum at be missing in action during UT Board meetings and to the campaign. reduce funding for the UT Smith has had a moderOffice of Diversity, which ate voting record in line with the district. His chair- triggered outrage over gender-neutral pronouns manship of the delegation and taking Christmas out of in his freshman term gives Christmas. validity to the respect he Each of these issues could has. District 13 is a toss-up go against UT if they come district and the identity to a vote. The easiest one of the major party presifor the Board to resolve is dential candidates could to start a public forum at all impact the result. Smith Board meetings just as TVA is a delegate candidate for does and every council and Marco Rubio. commission across the state He works well with Gov. does. The 43 legislators who Haslam while Johnson wrote about the Lady Vols strongly opposed most of name change and who were Haslam’s programs. Smith denied an opportunity to was instrumental in makpresent it at a public Board ing the annual legislative meeting are most unhappy. meeting with Rogero be Gov. Haslam chairs the UT open to the public. Board just as he chaired city ■Rogero has recently council as mayor. He is familbeen going to Washington iar with public forums and a lot and missed a council their value. Sharon Pryse, meeting on Feb. 2 due to a speaking engagement. Some a board member, served on KUB’s board, which has a feel she is auditioning with public comment period at its the Clinton folks and key monthly meetings. Democrats in Washington Haslam and the Board to nail down a position in a Clinton or Sanders Adminis- could adopt a new procedure allowing public tration while on these trips. participation without being She was an Obama delegate to the last national directed by the Legislature. Democratic convention but That would be a positive step toward calming has not officially endorsed troubled waters. Hard to Clinton or Sanders at this understand why the Board time. She continues to has not done this. adopt policies on social

GOSSIP AND LIES ■Andrew Graybeal will not find his diploma and our next property assessor will be Jim Weaver or John Whitehead. ■Nathan Rowell can’t fault Bud Armstrong for increasing the budget of the law direc-

tor’s office when the increase was due to bringing work inhouse to avoid outsourcing to firms like Rowell’s. Net savings - millions. Winner on March 1 - Armstrong. – S. Clark

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6 • FEBURAY 24, 2016 • NORTH/EAST Shopper news

SENIOR NOTES â– Carter Senior Center 9040 Asheville Highway 932-2939 Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Offerings include: card games; exercise programs; arts and crafts; movie matinee each Friday; Senior Meals program noon each Wednesday. Register for: Carter CafĂŠ and Movie Matinee, 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 2. Field trip, Mighty Musical Monday: Jazz Vocalists, 11 a.m. Monday, March 7; lunch, $5. Free beginner computer class, 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 8.

How’s your chicken luck? Shirley McMurtrie told me a new one: If you find a five-leaf clover, it surely means bad luck; however, if you keep hunting until you find a four-leaf clover that will redeem you and then you will have good luck. Carson “Eddie� Thompson shared his experience with “witching� for water. Some years ago when the Thompsons built their home on Bull Run Road, they needed a well. Carson tried “witch-

Bonnie Peters

ing� with coat hanger wire. Sure enough, the wire bent at three sites near the house. When the well driller came, they checked the sites again, and at one particular site the wire bent down-

ward more forcefully. The driller agreed that this spot is where the drill should begin. He told Carson that he would need to drill 145 feet down for a good supply. Guess what! When the drill got to 145 feet, water was flowing at 15 gallons per minute, and the man told Carson that was sufficient water so that they should never run out. To this day, they have not run out of water. Pauline Smith also called to tell me one I hadn’t heard before about “chicken luck.� If you raise chickens, the

first person who comes to your door on New Year’s Day brings your chicken luck and determines the sex of your chickens! If a girl or woman comes to the door, all the chickens will be hens – a good thing. If a boy or man comes to your door, all the chickens will be roosters. Additionally, Pauline told me when she was in high school New Year’s Day was not a holiday, and children had to attend school. Pauline had to walk a little ways to catch the bus. A neighbor, Gladys Welch, saw her

and asked her to come in to bring her chicken luck. Pauline went in, and Gladys asked her to sit down. Gladys told her that if she would sit down that meant the setting hen would do a good job of setting on her nest and all the eggs would hatch and bring her a big flock of pullets. Obviously, it is too late to determine your chicken luck for 2016; but be sure to mark your calendar for 2017 and see if chicken luck works for you. Contact Bonnie Peters at bhpeters@att. net or 687-3842

Elmcroft employees dress up in period attire from Big Don’s to celebrate with the birthday girl. Pictured are dining services director Judy Harper, 100-year-old Frances Healey; (back) community relations director Rebecca Swingle, business office manager Jenna Conforti, marketing coordinator Lisa Ellis and health and lifestyles director Pat Anderson.

■Corryton Senior Center 9331 Davis Drive 688-5882 knoxcounty.org/seniors Monday-Friday Hours vary Offerings include: exercise classes; card games; crafts, billiards; Senior Meals program, 11 a.m. each Friday. Garden club meeting 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 1. Veterans Services, 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 8. Register for: Super Seniors meeting, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 8; magic show. ■Larry Cox Senior Center 3109 Ocoee Trail 546-1700 Monday-Friday Hours vary Offerings include: exercise programs; bingo; arts and crafts classes. ■John T. O’Connor Senior Center 611 Winona St. 523-1135 knoxseniors.org/oconnor. html Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Offerings include: Free tax preparation available 9 a.m. Wednesdays through April 13.

Frances Healey By Sara Barrett Frances Healey is the definition of living independently. “She still does her own taxes,� says Healey’s daughter, Clare Crawford. Many of Healey’s friends and family members dropped by Elmcroft West on Feb. 16 to celebrate Healey’s 100th birthday. She is 100, but she doesn’t act her age. “I don’t use the assisted living services here,� says Healey. “Most people have their medicine given to them, but I keep my own. It’s nice to know I have as-

turns 100

sistance if I need it, though.� Healey is still making her own living arrangements and says she moved to Elmcroft partly to give Crawford piece of mind. She’s hit it off so well with staff of former facilities where she’s lived that several attended her party. “I majored in chemistry at William and Mary, but no one would take a job application from a woman in that field back then,� says the centenarian. Healey lived in South Africa for about 15 years before her husband passed away, and

then she moved back to the states with her daughter. She enjoys staying busy so much, she’s retired twice. The second time was at age 81. The staff at Elmcroft say Healey does just about every activity they offer, including bridge, “name that tune,� trivia and aerobics. They credit her positive attitude for her longevity, but Healey gives credit to something else. “Stay away from doctors and medicine,� she says with a laugh. “I have a feeling I said that to a doctor the other day, too.�

Best friends Donna Legg and Frances Healey celebrate with their daughters (back) Paula Connatser and Clare Crawford.

Frances Healey prepares for her close up as Elmcroft marketing coordinator Lisa Ellis ties the ribbon of a hat around Healey’s chin. Photos by S. Barrett

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Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 7

Local cardiologist has a heart for Africa

The benefits of reading Then the king commanded ‌ saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. ‌ (2 Kings 22:12a, 13a NRSV)

By Carolyn Evans Mike Liske wanted to catch up with a friend he hadn’t seen in 20 years, so he sent him an email and arranged for a visit to Africa. In January 2008, Liske, a pediatric cardiologist living in Nashville, landed in Kenya for a visit with Russ White, a friend from the University of Michigan Medical School. “I knew that Russ had become the chief of surgery at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya,� Liske says. “I emailed him, not necessarily for spiritual or noble purposes. I thought it would be exciting to go to Africa, and perhaps I could provide a medical service.� He asked if White could use a cardiologist to look at kids. “I was thinking we would do no more than prescribe medication and give out information,� he says. He was so taken back by the plight of the African children needing heart surgery that he came back to Nashville with a dream. “I put on a presentation at Vanderbilt about how vast the need is there. The folks over there have no chance of getting the medical care they need,� he says. Liske’s colleagues responded. That fall he gathered a group of about 13 doctors and nurses to go back to Africa with him for a week. Since then, Liske moved to Farragut and joined Two Rivers Church. The mission trips to Africa have continued and expanded. Now multiple teams go so that a whole month of pediatric heart surgeries are done each year. Liske, a father of four, goes for 10 days. Like the other volunteers, he not only pays his own expenses, he helps raise money for the surgeries through the nonprofit Hearts of East Africa, which coordinates efforts with Samaritan’s Purse.

UT NOTES ■Dixie L. Thompson has been named vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, where she will oversee all aspects of graduate education on the Thompson Knoxville campus and at the UT Space Institute. Thompson will take the post April 1. ■Global Security Lecture, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29, Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, 1640 Cumberland Ave. Samar S. Ali will present “Countering Violent Extremism in Syria and Beyond.� Free and open to the public. ■UT will host the Tennessee chapter of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (TLSAMP) conference Feb. 25-26. The focus of TLSAMP is to improve the numbers and quality of minority students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. Info: tlsamp@utk.edu.

HEALTH NOTES ■CADES Caregiver Support Group meeting, 10 a.m.-noon Tuesday, March 1, Concord UMC, 11020 Roane Drive. Guest speaker: Cheryl Blanchard, LMSW, with Lifepoint Dementia Care Counseling. Info: 675-2835. ■Diabetes Management Series, noon-1 p.m. Thursdays through Feb. 25, Knox County Health Department auditorium, 140 Dameron Ave. Free and open to the public. Info/ registration: 215-5170. ■“The Full Plate Diet? Are You Eating Enough to Lose

Dr. Mike Liske has been to Africa eight times to work with a team providing heart surgeries for young patients. Photos submitted Although the Americans are volunteering their time, there are hospital costs. Each surgery costs about $2,500, a bargain when compared to $150,000 for pediatric heart surgeries here, but still too much for most African families to pay. The mission-minded doctors and nurses stay in a guest house on the hospital compound, set up heart clinics in the hospital and screen children to see which ones are good candidates for heart surgery. “Not all kids are candidates for surgery because some of them have waited too long, and they’re too sick,� he says. “The chance of them dying is just too high. We’re looking for a child who needs one surgery and will have good recovery time.� While there, the heart surgeons usually perform two surgeries each day. Liske has seen many patients, and he recalls one he likes to keep at the top of his mind. “He was very weak and couldn’t walk or run,� remembers Liske. “He had his heart defect repaired. His father brought him back for a follow-up the next year, and they were so happy. His dad said he’s playing soc-

Weight?� program begins 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, North Knoxville 7th day Adventist Church, 6530 Fountain City Road. Eight-week program. Info/registration: 314-8204 or KnoxvilleInstep.com. ■Peninsula Lighthouse Group of Families Anonymous meetings, 6:15-7:15 p.m. each Tuesday, 1451 Dowell Springs Blvd. Newcomers welcome; no dues/fees; no sign-up; first names only. Info: Barbara L., 696-6606 or PeninsulaFA2@aol.com. ■UT Hospice Adult Grief Support Group meeting, 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, UT Hospice office, 2270 Sutherland Ave. A light supper is served. Info/reservation: Brenda Fletcher, 544-6277.

CALL FOR ARTISTS â– The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville is seeking nomination for

My mother read to me before I can remember. Even after I could read, I would ask her to read to me because I loved the sound of her voice. There were always books in our house, shelves of them, and to this day, if I have a book, I can be happy in any waiting room, on any flight, on any quiet evening. So, herewith are some fabulous quotes about reading; I hope these will encourage you to read to your children, for your own pleasure, or for the good of your soul. “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.� – Emilie Buchwald “Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.� – P. J. O’Rourke

“I see all of us reading ourselves away from ourselves, straining in circles of light to find more light, Pediatric cardiologist Mike Liske works at a heart clinic in Kenya until the line of words bewhere he spends 10 days every year. comes a trail of crumbs that we follow across a page cer with the other boys and Kenyan doctors and nurses of fresh snow.� – Billy Collins is able to keep up just fine, and support people are dowhereas before he couldn’t ing a limited number of even walk. He’s making heart operations on their straight A’s in school and own. Our goal is to turn it wants to be a doctor.� over to him in the future.� Liske just got back two Liske says he initially weeks ago from his eighth didn’t have that vision. ■West Haven Baptist Church, 5651 Matlock trip. “Seeing how great the Drive, will host VBS “Our long-term goal need was, I initially felt FunShop, a VBS training with this, and we’re start- like just a drop of water,� he and networking event, ing to achieve it already, is says. “But with the compaSaturday, March 5. Group to make it a self-sustaining ny of many colleagues and Publishing VBS expert will and self-replicating proj- support agencies, this drop provide hands-on training ect. Every time a team goes turned into a little stream over, our goal is help train and then a rushing river. It’s Russ and his team. Over the something God has blessed years, he’s now gotten to the and used, and it has turned point that his own group of into a really exciting thing.�

WORSHIP NOTES

Cross Currents

Lynn Pitts

“Wear the old coat and buy the new book.� – Austin Phelps “There is no frigate like a book To take us lands away Nor any coursers like a page Of prancing poetry.� – Emily Dickinson “Tolle, lege.� (“Take up and read.�) – Augustine “We read to know we are not alone.� – C. S. Lewis “That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit.� – Amos Bronson Alcott “Everywhere I have sought peace and no found it, except in a corner with a book.� – Thomas a Kempis “A good book has no ending.� – R. D. Cummings

on its “Cave Quest VBS.� Registration: group.com/ vbsfunshop. Info: Elizabeth, 237-4090. ■First Comforter Church, 5516 Old Tazewell Pike, hosts MAPS (Mothers At Prayer Service) noon each Friday. Info: Edna Hensley, 771-7788.

# ) & # ',

History award nominations sought The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) invites nominations from across East Tennessee for Awards of Excellence in the field of history. The annual awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation, promotion, programming and interpretation of the region’s history. The postmark deadline for award applications is April 8. Info/nomination form: 215-8824; eastTNhistory. org; East Tennessee Historical Society, PO Box 1629, Knoxville, TN 37901.

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# % ! " "& ! # ! Poet Laureate for the city of Knoxville. The deadline for nominations to be received is Friday, April 1. Info/nomination forms: knoxalliance.com/ poet.html, or send an SASE to Liza Zenni, Arts & Culture Alliance, PO Box 2506, Knoxville, TN 37901. ■“Peep Show!�: featuring art of the human figure in all forms, clothed, nnude and in between. Presented by Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 N. Broadway. Ap-

plication is $5 per piece; limit three pieces per person. Drop off : 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 25-27. Exhibit on display March 4-26. Info: BroadwayStudiosAnd Gallery@gmail.com; BroadwayStudiosAndGallery. com.

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kids

8 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • NORTH/EAST Shopper news

Blackburn, Lynberg share Teacher of Year honors at SMG Ashley Blackburn and Jennifer Lynberg are two different types of educators—one teaches first grade and the other works with kids with special needs. They both have taught for seven years, Blackburn in her third year at Sarah Moore Greene and Lynberg in her first. Blackburn grew up knowing she wanted to become a teacher. Her kindergarten teacher, Sherry Corden, now retired from Rocky Hill, instilled a love for education in her at an early age. Blackburn got the opportunity to student teach with Corden and her mentor helps her set up her room each year. Lynberg wanted to become a history teacher when she was in middle school, but life had another plan and she first went to work in a retail setting. When a door opened for her, Lynberg went on to school and got her teaching degree. Her first year was spent teaching high school history in Virginia with special needs students. She loved working with the students and

Ruth White

watching them as they began to bloom in the classroom. Lynberg went back to school and earned her master’s in special education. Both teachers love being at Sarah Moore Greene. Blackburn loves working with the students and calls the staff members “wonder-

Got school news? Ruth.white@shopper newsnow.com

Call Ruth at

922-4136 www.ShopperNewsNow.com

Sarah Moore Greene Teachers of the Year, Ashley Blackburn and Jennifer Lynberg. Photo by R. White ful.” She has met some of her best friends at SMG and wouldn’t trade her experiences for anything. Lynberg loves how the staff members

work as a team for the students and enjoys putting her heart and soul into the kids. “We pour into the students and they give back every

day,” she says. When Blackburn was asked what she might do differently in her classroom, Lynberg immediately answered for her. “Every day is an adventure in her classroom (also known as The Doghouse thanks to Blackburn’s dogthemed room),” she says. “The students know that she loves each of them and she goes out of her way to make sure that they love school.” Blackburn uses a favorite stuffed dog, Rocky, to help with classroom management, and former students like to stop by her room to check up on him from time to time. Lynberg uses pillow pets in her classroom, allowing her students to name them and then read to them in a non-judgmental setting. “The kids know that they aren’t judged by their pillow

pet and build confidence in reading to their friend,” she says. When named Teacher of the Year, Blackburn admits crying like a baby because it is a very special honor to be recognized by her peers. She feels that everyone at Sarah Moore Greene genuinely cares about the students. Lynberg was shocked (and asked principal Susan Espiritu to repeat it for her) because it’s her first year at the school and she knows the range of wonderful teachers on staff. Both agreed that the school has come such a great distance in gains for all students and credit the leadership as a key factor for the student success. “Teaching life skills (through the Leader in Me program) helps them improve academically,” says Blackburn.

Fulton retires Steele’s jersey By Ruth White The Fulton High basketball team honored former player Jalen Steele with a retirement of his jersey last week before the game against Alcoa. Steele is one of the most decorated players in Knoxville basketball history, having led the Falcons to back-to-back state championships in 2008 and 2009, and earning the Class AA Mr. Basketball award in 2010. Additional honors include being named an All-District player all four years, district player of the year (2008-2010), District 3-AA tournament MVP in 2008 and 2010; and Region 2-AA tournament

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 Big Read: Spiritual Songs – “The History of the Negro Spiritual,” 6 p.m., Beck Cultural Center, 1927 Dandridge Ave. A musical lecture/concert presented by Dr. Naima Johnston Bush. Info: beckcenter.net, knoxlib.org. Big Read book discussion: “A Lesson Before Dying,” noon, YWCA, 420 Clinch Ave. Hosted by YWCA and Union Ave Booksellers. Bring bag lunch. Facilitated by Avice Reid. Info: ywcaknox.com, knoxlib.org. The Bits ’N Pieces Quilt Guild meeting, 1 p.m., Community Center, Norris. Program: “Favorite Quilting Tips” presented by the members. Visitors and new members welcome. Info: Mary Jane Berry, 494-7841. Computer Workshops: Internet and Email Basics, 2 p.m., Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Asheville Highway. Requires “Introducing the Computer” or equivalent skills. Info/registration: 525-5431. International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m., Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clinton. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; oakridgefolkdancers.org; on Facebook.

THURSDAY, FEB. 25 Big Read book discussion: “A Lesson Before Dying,” 5 p.m., Beaumont Elementary, 1211 Beaumont Ave. Dinner followed by discussion. Facilitated by Indya Kincannon. Info: knoxlib.org.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY, FEB. 25-26 AARP Driver Safety class, noon-4 p.m., Halls Senior Center, 4410 Crippen Road. Info/registration: Carolyn Rambo, 382-5822.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26 Film Night: “Making of North America: Origins,” 7-9 p.m., Narrow Ridge Mac Smith Resource Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Popcorn and hot beverages provided. Info: Mitzi, 497-2753 or community@narrowridge.org.

MVP (2008-2010). Steele was a three-time All-State team member, was the PrepXtra Player of the Year twice and Sophomore of the Year, and is Fulton’s all-time leading scorer with 2,400 career points. In Steele’s four years at Fulton, the Falcons went 115-18. He signed to play college basketball at Mississippi State and played three years in the SEC for the Bulldogs. He is now completing his college career at Lincoln Memorial University. Steele joins Bill Justus and James Gallman as the Former Fulton basketball player Jalen Steele chats with Jody Wright following the ceremony only Falcons to have their to retire his #24 jersey. Photo by R. White basketball jersey retired.

SATURDAY, FEB. 27

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

Ballroom dance, 7-9 p.m., Halls Senior Center, 4405 Crippen Road. Live music by the David Correll Band. Admission: $5. Info: 922-0416. Final day of sign-ups for spring league baseball and softball for ages 4-14u, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Holston Ball Park, 5900 Asheville Highway. League fees: $60. Teams will play at several locations around Knoxville. Info: Julie Townsend, 659-6989; Randy Geames, 525-5275. Fourth Saturday Jam Session, 7 p.m., old Rush Strong School, Leadmine Bend Road, Sharps Chapel. Country, bluegrass and gospel music. Free admission, donations appreciated. Kitten and cat adoption fair, noon-6 p.m., West Town PetSmart adoption center, 214 Morrell Road. Sponsored by Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee. Info: www.feralfelinefriends.org. Saturday Stories and Songs: David Blivens, 11 a.m., Powell Branch Library, 330 W. Emory Road. Info: 947-6210. Saturday Stories and Songs: Sarah Rysewyk, 11 a.m., Fountain City Library, 5300 Stanton Road. Info: 689-2681.

Adrian Burnett Elementary’s Hoopalooza basketball game, 7 p.m., Halls High Gym. School staff vs WBIR Heartbreakers. Info: 689-1474.

SUNDAY, FEB. 28 Silent Meditation, 11 a.m.-noon, Narrow Ridge Mac Smith Resource Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Info: Mitzi, 497-2753 or community@ narrowridge.org. Yoga, 9:30-10:45 a.m., Narrow Ridge Mac Smith Resource Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Bring yoga/Pilates mat, towel and water. Info: Mitzi, 497-2753 or community@narrowridge.org.

MONDAY, FEB. 29 QED Experimental Comedy Lab, 7:30-9:30 p.m., The Pilot Light, 106 E. Jackson Ave. Free comedy show blending stand-up, improv, sketch and other performance styles. Donations accepted.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m., Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clinton. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; oakridgefolkdancers. org; on Facebook.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3 Bee Friends beekeeping group meeting, 6:30 p.m., Walter State University Tazewell Campus. Speaker: Ben Volk; topic: swarms, splits and related issues. All welcome. Big Ridge 4th District Neighborhood Watch meeting, 7 p.m., Big Ridge Elementary School library. Info: 992-5212.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 Free beginning beekeeping class, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m., First Avenue Meeting Hall (across from Duncan Lumber) in New Tazewell. Presented by Bee Friends in Claiborne County. Guest presenter: John Hamrick, UT Extension agent and bee specialist. Lunch provided. Info/registration: Julianne Behn, 617-9013. Kitten and cat adoption fair, noon-6 p.m., West Town PetSmart adoption center, 214 Morrell Road. Sponsored by Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee. Info: www.feralfelinefriends.org. Retirement Income Planning workshop, 10:30 a.m., Halls Branch Library, 4518 E. Emory Road. Presented by Darrell Keathley, from the nonprofit COFFE. Info: 922-2552. Weed Wrangle, 9 a.m. Volunteers needed to help remove invasive plants in Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum, Ijams Nature Center, and Lakeshore Park. Info/volunteer registration: weedwrangle.com and click on the photo of Knoxville.

MONDAY, MARCH 7 American Legion meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynardville. All veterans are invited. Info: 3875522.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 Paulette 6th District Neighborhood Watch meeting, 7 p.m., Paulette Elementary School cafeteria. Info: 992-5212.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 The Foothills Craft Guild JuryFest. Membership applicants must reside in Tennessee, and crafts must be of original design produced within the past two years. Info: foothillscraftguild.org; Bob Klassen, klassenbob0619@gmail.com, or Ken Shipley, shipleyk@ apsu.edu. International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m., Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clinton. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; oakridgefolkdancers. org; on Facebook.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10 VFW meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynardville. All veterans are invited. Info: 278-3784.

weekender

Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 9

Playing the Oscar game By Betsy Pickle For those who haven’t already had their fill of movie awards shows, the granddaddy of them all – the 88th annual Academy Awards, airing this Sunday night on ABC – provides the best office-pool guessing game of the year. Face it, for an event that purports to honor “the best� of the film world, the Oscars are a subjective contest. The members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences can be an eccentric bunch – and it’s hard for the general public to remember that it’s a group made up of individuals, not a monolithic entity. The controversy this year was over the lack of ethnic diversity among the acting nominees. But it’s not as though the voters passed each other notes saying, “Don’t vote for any nonwhite actors.� Does the Academy need more diversity in its ranks – which seems the most likely way to come up with a slate that represents the full spec-

Leonardo DiCaprio immerses himself in a struggle for survival and revenge in “The Revenant,� nominated for 12 Academy Awards.

trum of those working in the industry? Of course. But ignore the conspiracy theories. Here are my predictions for this year’s winners. Best Picture: “The Big Short,� “Brooklyn,� “Bridge of Spies,� “Mad Max: Fury Road,� “The Martian,� “The Revenant,� “Room,� “Spotlight.� Way too much padding here, in my opinion. “The Big Short� was a mess,

“Spotlight� was a disappointment and “Mad Max: Fury Road� was amazing to look at but not really Best Picture-worthy. “Bridge of Spies� was solid but not groundbreaking. You could probably make the same call on “Brooklyn,� but it had some magic to it. “The Martian� was a terrific piece of filmmaking and acting, but it’s likely to be a

victim of its box-office success. The best two – “Room� and “The Revenant� – seem like polar opposites on the surface, but each features brilliant internal performances that lift it beyond the ordinary. I loved both, but I think “The Revenant� is going to win. Acting – Best Male: Bryan Cranston, “Trumbo�; Matt Damon, “The Mar-

tian�; Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant�; Michael Fassbender, “Steve Jobs�; Eddie Redmayne, “The Danish Girl.� The voters did a great job in this category, but unless the world spins off its axis before Sunday, DiCaprio is going to win. Acting – Best Female: Cate Blanchett, “Carol�; Brie Larson, “Room�; Jennifer Lawrence, “Joy�; Charlotte Rampling, “45 Years�; Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn.� This should be a runaway for Larson, who was astounding in a breakthrough role. But Blanchett has a lot of fans, and Rampling has nostalgia working in her favor. Ronan and Lawrence, alas, are long shots at best. Acting – Best Supporting Male: Christian Bale, “The Big Short�; Tom Hardy, “The Revenant�; Mark Ruffalo, “Spotlight�; Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies�; Sylvester Stallone, “Creed.� I’m a fan of both Bale and Ruffalo, but I don’t think either deserved a nomination. The standout is Hardy, who had a very good

Peacemaker The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance will present its Peacemaker Award in celebration of the lives and work of the musical group The Emancipators 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at St. James Episcopal Church, 1101 N. Broadway in Knoxville. With a style described as “subversive hootenanny,� the ensemble gets

year. Rylance is worthy but not likely. Stallone could get the old-codger vote. Acting – Best Supporting Female: Jennifer Jason Leigh, “The Hateful Eight�; Rooney Mara, “Carol�; Rachel McAdams, “Spotlight�; Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl�; Kate Winslet, “Steve Jobs.� I can’t believe McAdams even got a nomination. Please. To me, Vikander is the obvious choice, though she should have been considered a lead. Mara and Winslet were both fine. As for Leigh, I think director Quentin Tarantino’s script shot her in the proverbial foot. Best Director: Adam McKay, “The Big Short�; George Miller, “Mad Max: Fury Road�; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, “The Revenant�; Lenny Abrahamson, “Room�; Tom McCarthy, “Spotlight.� Again, to me, it’s between “The Revenant� and “Room.� The Academy seems to favor big and splashy, which means Inarritu should win again after his hat trick last year with “Birdman.�

its name from the newspaper “The Emancipator,� published in East Tennessee in 1820 as the first American newspaper devoted to the abolition of slavery. The group performs original songs and currently consists of members Larry Osborne, Mitzi Woodvon Mizener, Kevin Collins, Durant Thompson and Mark Dumond. Info: peacesongwriter@gmail.com or 414-5711.

Elizabeth Peterson has enjoyed playing the witch in the Knoxville Opera Company’s school outreach programs of “Hansel and Gretel.� She’ll be playing the role of the mother in the actual production this weekend at the Tennessee Theatre. Photo submitted

The good, the bad

and the gingerbread By Carol Z. Shane Elizabeth Peterson, part of the cast of the Knoxville Opera Company’s upcoming production of “Hansel and Gretel,� is no stranger to the concepts of good and evil. Her day job, after all, is that of pastor at Fourth Presbyterian Church in North Knoxville. But until recently, she’s never had to embody both concepts within the space of a month. Though her contract for the role of “mother� was signed many months ago, Peterson has spent a large part of January playing the witch in Knox County

Schools as part of the KOC’s outreach program. She’s the only cast member to have appeared in both versions of the story. Peterson holds master’s degrees in opera and divinity, and is currently working on her doctorate of divinity. Having appeared at Mighty Musical Mondays and the Rossini Festival, she’s a familiar face on the Knoxville musical scene. This is her first production with the KOC. “It’s fun to play the bad guy!� she says. “I loved interacting with the kids. I flew my broom in and among them, and I had a

light-up wand.� Reactions varied. “I made a couple of kids cry. Some of them laughed at me. But I would say in general the kids liked me. Some would run up and hug me!� For the big show, she has to switch gears radically. “Now I’ll be singing in fear of this person this witch who’s going to eat my children, and I’ve been her for the last month!� The classic Grimm’s fairy tale was set to music by the 19th-century composer Engelbert Humperdinck. (It may be news to some readers that Arnold George Dorsey, the popular 1960s

‘Gods of Egypt’ The god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and mortal Bek (Brenton Thwaites) join forces to save the world in “Gods of Egypt.� Also starring Gerard Butler, the film is rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and action, and some sexuality. singer of “Release Me� and other hits, received his unusual stage name from his manager as a publicity gimmick.) First performed in 1893, the opera is known for its all-age appeal. In the KOC production, the witch will be played by mezzo-soprano Jennifer Roderer. Though Peterson cherishes her stint as the villain, she’s more than happy to be playing a different part this time around.

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After all, she’s a mother of two herself: Leah, 12, and Zachary, 10. “The coolest thing ever was performing at my daughter’s school,� she says. Unsure as to how that would go over, she was delighted with her daughter’s positive, proud reaction. “That was a highlight of my life,� says Peterson. “For real.� The Knoxville Opera Company’s production of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and

Gretel� will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Tennessee Theatre on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. An opera preview hosted by Maestro Brian Salesky will take place 45 minutes prior to each performance, and children are invited onstage after the final curtain to take pictures with the cast. Tickets/info: knoxvilleopera.com or 5240795.

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10 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • Shopper news

Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 11

BUSINESS NOTES ■Eric Botts and Holly Hambright are co-chairs of the Dogwood Arts Festival for 2016. Botts is vice president of operations for Evergreen Botts Services, a privately-held funeral service provider operating 12 funeral homes in Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky including Fountain City-based Gentry Griffey Funeral Hambright Chapel. Hambright is head chef and managing partner of Holly’s Eventful Dining, Holly’s Gourmet’s Market & CafÊ and Holly’s Corner, which is located in the heart of Happy Holler on Central Ave.

business News from the Rotary Guy

Knox Rotary in partnership to

restore Elkmont’s amphitheater

If you enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’ve probably watched a program or taken a rest break at the Elkmont C a m p ground AmGreg Hee, division vice president of Waste Connections, gives a check for $2,500 to the safety phitheatre. patrol students at West View Elementary School to help pay for their trip to Washington, D.C., at Tom King The old thethe end of the school year. Hee talked about recycling and stressed “safety first.� atre is about to get a lot of attention. The Rotary Club of Knoxville is partnering with the Friends of the Smokies and Rotary District 6780 to restore it. The Park is a great part of the club’s history – the club’s first president, Col. David Chapman, was in■Bill Pittman will retire April By Sandra Clark strumental in convincing 1 as Snake handling is a relithe National Park Service president gious ritual practiced mainly and COO to select the Smokies as the in rural Appalachia – priof DeRoyal first national park in the marily Tennessee, Kentucky after a 32southeast region. Col. Chapand West Virginia, says Joe year career man actually had a home in Jarret. with the Elkmont. He spoke last week to company. “This is a great project for North Knoxville Rotary at He will take us because this is the 100th over the Litton’s. Jarret talked about anniversary of the national investment an article he had published Pittman park,� said Sandy Martin, propin the Tennessee Bar Jourclub president. “The work erty portfolio that he and his nal, April 2014, and a visit should be starting in the father have developed under he made to a small church in the brand Pittman Properties. spring and we’ll have one or West Virginia. two workdays there for our He is credited with expand(His wife, Amanda, ing DeRoyal’s presence members. We are very excitstayed in the car.) internationally, and under ed and honored to be a part The legal challenge is to his leadership, the company of this project.� outlaw the practice with- Jerry Griffey of Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel and Joe Jarret, now has sales in more than The total project is estiout trampling on the First UT lecturer and former Knox County law director, at last week’s 70 countries. He lives in North mated at $25,000, she said, Amendment’s guarantees of meeting of the North Knoxville Rotary. Knoxville. and the club’s part will be free speech and religious ex■Summit Medical Group has $10,000 – pression. Jarret said a Tennessean avail. met all criteria for Laboratory $5,000 from the club and “Although the rituals named George Went HensAccreditation by COLA, a “The sheriff ultimately a matching grant from Disexercised in churches that ley is credited for spreading ruled Hensley’s death a suinational healthcare accreditatrict 6780. tion organization, and has practice snake handling are snake handling practices in cide.� The restoration work will received the COLA Laboratory fairly uniform, the states the South in the early 20th Jerry Griffey, a member include: Excellence Award. where such rituals occur dif- Century. of the North Knoxville Ro■The projection booth fer in their approach to the ■Children’s Miracle Network Hensley founded a church tary Club, said he operated at the rear of the amphitheRadiothon, sponsored by practice,� he wrote. at Sale Creek in Grasshopper a funeral home in Newport ater will be demolished, re107.7 WIVK and NewsTalk 98.7 “Tennessee’s serpent- Valley, Tenn., about 35 miles before moving to Fountain radio stations, raised $103,090 instating the original, rearhandling law has remained northeast of Chattanooga. City. projection design. to benefit East Tennessee virtually unchanged since its He said a couple of cous“The practice continues,� ■The screen on the origChildren’s Hospital. inception in 1947 and con- Jarret wrote, “despite the ins tried to outdo each other inal roll-down door will be tinues to make no specific skepticism offered by schol- in demonstrations of faith. ■UT Medical Center’s trauma replaced. center has been verifi ed mention of the use of poison- ars or the fact that George Each handled a poisonous ■Rotten benches will be as a Level I Trauma Center ous or dangerous snakes in Hensley died of a snakebite snake and neither was bitreplaced and painted. by the Verification Review religious practices. ten. Then both drank strychin 1955. ■Stonework on the stage Committee of the American “Kentucky likewise out“According to witnesses, nine. College of Surgeons. The will be repainted and relaws the handling of poi- during a Sunday worship “We held the service ACS Committee on Trauma’s placed. sonous snakes, albeit spe- service held in the town of for one on Thursday and verification program does not ■Lights for all pathways cifically renders, illegal Altha, Fla., Hensley handled the other on Friday,� said designate trauma centers. around the theatre and the “using, displaying or han- a diamondback rattlesnake Griffey. Rather, the program provides theatre itself will be redling any kind of reptile in for approximately 15 minconfirmation that a trauma Jarret is more interested placed. connection with any reli- utes before it bit him. center has demonstrated its in the law than the theology. ■Asphalt sidewalks will commitment to providing the gious service.� Kentucky’s “The Calhoun County But he ended his presentabe patched and repaired. highest quality trauma care Act remains unchanged sheriff attempted to con- tion with a passage from The Elkmont Campfor all injured patients. since it was challenged in vince Hensley to receive Matthew 7: “Judge not, and ground area is an extremely ■Weigel’s has scheduled 1942.� medical treatment to no ye shall not be judged.�

Waste Connections boosts recycling

Snakebit: Snake handling in East Tennessee

News from The Pointe at Lifespring

The key to vibrant living By Heather Haley Vibrant. Definition: full of energy and enthusiasm. Vibrancy is what separates the mundane from the brilliant. It is the key ingredient that changes mediocrity to exceptional, and conventional to extraordinary. The key to living is to living vibrantly. There are seven main Heather Haley components to living a vibrant life: ■Be Inspired – Gain a deeper sense of spirituality & feed the soul! ■Be Well – Intellectual stimulation, get moving & stay active! ■Be Challenged – Ignite competitive spirit, learn, grow & motivate! ■Be Adventurous – Try something new every day, explore & experience the unique! ■Be Family – Cherish family connections, share & continue family traditions! ■Be Social – Embrace friendships, celebrate the moments, talk, laugh & listen! ■Be Connected – Engage in meaningful community outreach, share experiences & expertise! Each component fosters an overall well-being of living! There is a trend in our society that says, “My kids are grown, my career is complete, now what? What purpose do I have, now?�

Today, remove that thought from your mind. With each day on this earth, there is a purpose. Each day brings vibrancy all on its own, it’s time to choose your place in the earth’s natural vibrancy. The birds are chirping, the sun is rising, the flowers are blooming ‌ what is your part of the vibrancy that needs to be played? Today, find your purpose. Today, search out how you can better incorporate the seven components to vibrant living. Our mission every day should be “to optimize health and well-being by passionately promoting a Vibrant Life filled with joyful experiences, meaningful endeavors and abundant opportunities to connect with family, friends and the local community.â€? Today, what can you change in your life to truly live and live vibrantly? Vibrant life. Be Vibrant. Be You. To learn more about the Vibrant Life program provided by The Pointe at Lifespring, contact Heather Haley at 865-896-9909, email LifespringDSM@ ISLLLC.com or go to www.ThePointeSeniorLiving.com Heather Haley is Director of Sales & Marketing for The Pointe at Lifespring Senior Living, opening soon! Info: 865896-9909 or visit the Leasing Office at 3016 S. Mall Road, Knoxville 37917.

its third annual Hiring Day. This on-site hiring event will be held at all 63 locations throughout East Tennessee today (Feb. 24) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Applicants can interview for full- or part-time positions at all levels. ■Museum of Appalachia’s 37th Tennessee Fall Homecoming, to be held Oct. 7-9, has been designated as

one of the “top 100� events in North America by the American Bus Association. Homecoming offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to ABA.

popular part of the Smokies and has more than 100,000 visitors during the springtime months alone – more than 1,000 daily. Elkmont Amphitheatre’s interpretive programs attract approximately 3,000 people annually. â–

Letters to our soldiers

The Rotary Interact clubs at Webb School and Catholic High joined recently in a letter-writing project to our troops overseas. Through the organization A Million Thanks.Org, 17 students wrote letters thanking our soldiers for their bravery, sacrifice and service. The letters were mailed to the organization and then distributed to troops worldwide. The goal was for the two Interact Clubs to participate in a joint project for a good cause. Phil Petree is the Interact advisor at Knox Catholic and Liz Gregor at Webb School of Knoxville. â–

North Knox club plans party

The North Knoxville Rotary Club will not meet at noon Thursday, Feb. 25, at Litton’s. Instead, the group will gather at Fountain City’s Chop House after work for networking and fellowship. â–

Farragut Food Gala in April

Farragut Rotary will have its 2nd International Food Gala at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the UT Visitors Center on Neyland Drive. Four cuisine teams from the Pellissippi State Culinary Institute will prepare the food. One team will be selected by the judges as the best. Tickets are $75. Funds will provide team awards and scholarships for Pellissippi State adult students with preference to single mothers, as well as other club projects. To attend, email event coordinator Keith Bryson at brysonjk@comcast.net Tom King is a retired newspaper editor, a Rotarian for 28 years and past president of the Rotary Club of Farragut. He can be reached at tking535@gmail.com

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12 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • Shopper news

NEWS FROM EMERALD YOUTH FOUNDATION OF KNOXVILLE

A Message from Steve Diggs Emerald Youth President and CEO When Emerald Youth Foundation began more than two decades ago, we built our programs around neighborhood kids having fun alongside caring adults. Like growing kids everywhere, urban children Steve Diggs and teens craved to belong to healthy community. Then as now, Emerald Youth wanted a lot for the city’s young people. We wanted each child to know the Lord through Christian faith, and have academic success and good health. But we wanted even more. Emerald’s goals include raising up the next generation of leaders in Knoxville, so that churches, families, businesses and city institutions will have good servant leaders. Emerald Youth’s four-part focus on faith, learning, relationships and health seems the best way to meet these goals. We believe that community transformation begins within each of its people. A child who has experienced God’s work and love in his or her life is most able as an adult to bring about healthy change in neighborhoods and cities. Another way to put it is that the connections in kids’ homes with the church, their schools and the community need to stay strong. Research is clear that when these connections are not healthy, kids are at risk. Isolation and disconnection from community are a threat to us all, regardless of our socioeconomic background. Knoxville is a city that cares deeply for its children. Let us work together – with a long-term view – to help all our children stay involved in healthy community and fulfill their potential as God intended.

Emerald Youth to hire 30 summer AmeriCorps members While winter weather persists in East Tennessee, summer plans are already taking shape at Emerald Youth, including the hiring of about 30 AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps, a network of national service programs, has had a longstanding relationship with Emerald Youth since 1998. Charged nationally with “helping others and meeting critical needs in the community,” Emerald Youth AmeriCorps members will serve this summer from May 9-July 15. Their responsibilities will include leading summer day camp activities, providing academic enrichment, taking children on field trips and much more. “The AmeriCorps program allows Emerald Youth Foundation to reach more kids in more ways. Emerald Youth AmeriCorps members spend the majority of their time engaging young people in academic and health related activities, two areas crucial to Emerald Youth’s mission,” said Rachel Davis, EY staffing manager. Requirements, at minimum, to qualify for an AmeriCorps position include, but are not limited to: being at least 18 years of age; having or willing to earn a high school diploma or GED equivalent prior to the end

AmeriCorps member Tim Ramsey helps Jashaela Bohanon with her homework.

of the AmeriCorps term; being a certified U.S. citizen, a national or legal permanent resident. AmeriCorps members receive a living allowance while they serve and an education

award, which can be used for college expenses or to pay back qualified student loans. For info or to apply, contact Rachel Davis at rdavis@emeraldyouth.org or call 6373227 x. 112.

Lacrosse is one of several sports Emerald Youth is offering this year at the Sansom Sports Complex.

The votes are in! Thanks to the support of Uni- tough, and we appreciate Coach versity of Tennessee basketball Barnes and his staff for their help. fans, Emerald Youth is the recipi- It was a fun contest in which to ent of a $7,500 donation from In- participate.” finiti. The competition, supported loVol fans – and fans of Emerald cally by Harper Infiniti, was proYouth – voted daily in the Infiniti duced by the National Association Coaches’ Charity Challenge for of Basketball Coaches, the NCAA head coach Rick Barnes, who was and ESPN. competing nationally against 47 basketball coaches to raise funds for their selected charities. “We are incredibly grateful to Tennessee fans for their votes in support of Coach Barnes,” said John Crooks, Emerald Youth marketing and communications A donation from the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Chaldirector. “The lenge will support Emerald Youth’s ministry with kids competition was throughout Knoxville.

Spring and summer sports take shape Emerald E Emer Em m rald alld Youth Yout Yo uth th Foundation has a full roster of te team eam m ssports ports underway for young people, eextendport po xten xt end en dding through the remaining weeks of winter on into summer’s hottest days.

Basketball

Emerald’s AAU basketball offers advanced levels of play to a wide range of ages, giving boys and girls a chance to compete against other AAU teams in state and regional levels. For middle and high school boys who are still learning basketball, yet desire a competitive environment with dedicated coaches, Emerald Youth’s recreation league is a perfect fit.

Lacrosse

Lacrosse is being offered this spring for boys ages 11-13. This fast-paced field sport is cited for building fitness and mental acuity.

Soccer

About 250-300 youth aged 4-14 were expected to sign up for Emerald’s Academy (recreation) League soccer, with teams formed in mid-February at the Sansom Sports Complex.

Track

Tryouts for Emerald’s Track Club will be May 3. Boys and girls in 1st through 11th grades are eligible to participate.

Swim

Tryouts for Emerald’s 10th annual summer co-ed swim team will be May 10. Swimmers aged 7-17 are eligible. For more details about any of these sports opportunities, call 865-637-3227 or www. emeraldyouthsports.org

Love movies? Then you'll love the Shopper's take on both the local filmmaking scene and Hollywood releases.

Betsy Pickle, East Tennessee's premier film critic, keeps you in the know in Weekender.

Shopper news • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • 13

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14 • FEBRUARY 24, 2016 • Shopper news

VE RESER R FO NOW IN E MOV S! G SAVIN

OPENING FALL 2016

The Pointe at Lifespring Senior Living is anything but ordinary…. It is VIBRANT! BE WELL

BE INSPIRED

• Intellectual stimulation • Energize the mind & body • Get moving & stay active • Healthy dining by design • Holistic wellness approach

• Gain a deeper sense of spirituality • Feed the soul • Combine feelings, imagination & thought • Motivate and encourage others • Celebrate diversity of beliefs

BE CHALLENGED • Ignite a competitive spirit • Bring out personal best • Learn, grow & motivate • Reach for new heights

BE ADVENTUROUS

®

TM

• Try something new • Explore & experience the unique • Expand horizons • Learn new things everyday

BE FAMILY • Cherish family connections • Share & continue family traditions • Celebrate togetherness • Expand the family circle

BE CONNECTED

BE SOCIAL • Embrace camaraderie • Celebrate the moments • Talk, laugh & listen • Develop friendships • Have fun!

• Engage in meaningful community outreach • Share experiences & expertise • Intergenerational engagement • Charitable endeavors • Foster advocacy

RESERVATION OFFICE OPEN AT:

3016 S. Mall Road • Knoxville, TN 37917

(865) 896-9909 www.ThePointeSeniorLiving.com

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