North/East Shopper-News 070115

NORTH / EAST VOL. 3 NO. 6

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July 1, 2015

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BUZZ Watson is new to Carter Middle Thomas Watson is the new principal at Carter Middle School. He replaces oneyear principal Chad Smith, who will become the new principal at Powell High School.

Watson beWatson gan his career with the Knox County Schools in 1996 as a teacher at Whittle Springs Middle School and also served as a teacher at Carter Middle School. In addition to teaching, he has served as an administrative assistant at Green Magnet Science and Math Academy and an assistant principal at Northwest Middle School.

He is currently principal at Richard Yoakley School.

Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a bachelor’s in biology, and a master’s in curriculum and instruction, all from the University of Tennessee. He also holds an education specialist degree in administration and supervision from Lincoln Memorial University.

Red Gate Rodeo The annual Red Gate Festival and Rodeo will be held Friday and Saturday, July 17-18, at Red Gate Farm in Maynardville.

Carnival starts at 5 p.m.

Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.

Rodeo starts at 8 p.m. each day. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for kids 4-10 years old, and free for kids age 3 and under.

Info: www.redgaterodeo. com or 992-3303.

Unhappy week Betty Bean says why Dr. Jim McIntyre had a most unhappy week in a column titled, “McIntyre’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week.”

And this week could be even worse.

➤

Read Betty Bean on page 4

Jazz for Joy Taber Gable is the first Joy of Music School student to attend Juilliard.

And he’s coming back for a concert Thursday, July 9, and bringing a jazz quartet along.

He wants everyone to support the school that provided him his foundation, momentum and opportunity so that more and more children can take part and see their lives changed through the art and discipline of music.

➤

Read Carol Shane on page 7

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero (center) prepares for a balloon release after addressing the Prayer Vigil of Remembrance at Bethel AME Church last week.

At left are Marty Koontz, Bethel associate minister, and Tanya Tucker, overseer of St. Joseph’s House of Prayer. Photo by Bessie M. Jowers/Bethel AME

By Bill Dockery Members of Knoxville’s religious community overflowed the sanctuary at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church last week to pray and remember the nine churchgoers shot to death in a his-

toric South Carolina church last week.

The interfaith service, “A Prayer Vigil of Remembrance,” was cohosted by the Bethel AME congregation on Boyd’s Bridge Pike and the Overcoming Believers Church

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Thank you for being here,” Bethel minister Keith Mayes told the crowd of over 400 people, which included ministers and members of black and white churches from To page 3

Youth take cool mission to hot streets

By Bill Dockery With the thermometer reading in the mid-90s on the sidewalk, refreshment is as close as a little red wagon holding a tub of cold water.

The only thing more refreshing to the people congregated near the homeless missions on Broadway is the group of youngsters dragging the wagon, ladling out the cool liquid, and passing out bubblegum and conversation.

“You’ll see. They are going to be there waiting for us,” Lindy Player The afternoon water wagon team pauses in the garden shade at St. John’s Lutheran Church before hitting the hot streets to serve people standing predicts as the young people apnear the homeless missions along Broadway. This team includes visitor Hal- proach adults gathered in a misey Dockery, Seth Howell from St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, sion courtyard. The wagon and its S.C., Keli Shipley from 1st Presbyterian, Knoxville, Will Trout from St. John’s entourage are quickly surrounded.

The youth are part of Win Our Lutheran, Lindy Player, also from St. Andrew’s, and Nolan Romero from LuWorld, an urban ministry started theran Chapel in Gastonia, N.C. Photo by Bill Dockery

A heritage worth remembering:

By Betty Bean One Saturday evening in 1958, I settled down in front of the TV at my grandparents’ house to watch “The Gray Ghost,” which celebrated Col. John Mosby, a dashing Confederate whose raiders rode rings around dimwitted Yankees to the tune of “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” I loved that show.

But Mosby didn’t have time to

by St. John’s Lutheran Church 12 years ago that now brings as many as 250 young people to serve on the streets and in the social agencies of inner-city Knoxville every summer.

“WOW is an immersion experience in urban ministry,” said Amy Figg, associate pastor at St. John’s. “The focus is on faith formation, leadership development and hands-on urban ministry.”

On a recent weekday, WOW young people were holding birthday parties at Guy B. Love Towers, a low-income residential development; doing cultural education at Global Seeds, a program in the 4th and Gill neighborhood for Iraqi To page 3

Finding John Bean draw his sword when my granddad came barreling out of the kitchen and told me to find something else to watch.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because it’s treason,” he said.

“And I despise it.”

I didn’t know what treason was, but I’ve remembered this small incident for more than 50 years, although it took decades for me

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in the wake of the recent shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, where a young white man killed nine African American worshipers in an evening prayer meeting and Bible study.

“We all need one another.

William Rule, Union Army veteran, newspaper reporter and Parson Brownlow protégé who later founded the Knoxville Journal, wrote the most succinct account of what it was like to make the long walk to Cumberland Gap and described it in great detail here: ht t p:// babel.hat h it r u st.org/cg i/pt?id=loc.a rk:/139 60/ t5r78r69k;view=1up;seq=21 Information about the Sixth Tennessee Infantry Regiment, including rosters, is here: tngenweb.org/civilwar/usainf/usa6inf.html

to understand what it was really about: It was the voice of my greatgrandfather, challenging me to come find him. He stayed in my ear no matter how many times I saw “Gone With the Wind.”

Here’s what I knew: John Alexander Bean was a Union Army veteran, but he was no Yankee.

He was a straight-line descendant of the long hunters who’d migrated down from Virginia and settled near Jonesborough.

Russell Bean was the first white child born in Tennessee. Russell’s father, Captain Billy Bean, and at least one of his uncles rode 150 miles with John Sevier to whip the British at King’s Mountain and later moved on down the valley to Bean Station and Knox County. A rowdy, restless bunch, some of the Beans continued westward (Judge

John Alexander Bean, Private, Sixth Tennessee Infantry, USA Roy Bean was a distant relation), but others, like John A’s grandfather (also named John and a veteran of the War of 1812) stayed put.

That distant John Bean’s grave is in the Living Waters Baptist To page 3

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2 • JULY 1, 2015 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

Living in ‘Paradise’ Sevier woman enjoying life after new melanoma treatment “I’ve ridden a camel in Morocco, I’ve rappelled in Guam, and I’ve ridden a train in Japan,” Chris Bender says as she sits peacefully in a Sevierville coffee shop.

Bender, 62, has had a lifetime of adventures, but nothing could have prepared her for the ultimate adventure of ghting to live.

Bender has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), cancer and lupus.

The most life-altering battles came with reinforcement from Thompson Cancer Survival Center (TCSC) and oncologist Michelene Liebman, MD. Lingering over a vanilla frappuccino, Bender recounts the story of how her knowledge of MS helped catch cancer in time.

Having temporarily lost her eyesight because of MS in the past, Bender didn’t take it lightly when she suffered intense pain in her right eye while she was at work one night in June of 2012. “I had a really bad headache, and my eye was throbbing,” Bender recalls.

“Most people would have ignored it, but because of my background with MS, the very next morning I called my eye doctor,” Bender says.

The eye doctor referred her to a specialist in Knoxville who performed a variety of tests just two days later. Bender was told there was a protrusion on the back of her right eye, that it was a sign she had cancer somewhere in her body and that she needed to see an oncologist right away.

Bender’s doctor in Sevierville referred her to Thompson Cancer Survival Center and Liebman. Liebman sees patients at TCSC Sevier on a regular basis, in addition to working at TCSC Downtown.

Liebman ordered scans to be performed at LeConte Medical Center and brought Bender into the of ce soon after. “When I walked in she said, ‘We know you have cancer, we just don’t know what kind,’ ” Bender says.

Liebman began to put the call out for other doctors to see Bender and search for the cause. A biopsy on a lung lesion revealed that Bender had stage 4 melanoma.

“That was kind of hard for me to understand,” Bender confesses, “but at that point it had gone to my lungs, it had gone to my

After being diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, Chris Bender is thankful to Thompson Cancer Survival Center for the specialized treatment that has saved her life and a diagnosis that includes “no evidence of cancer.” brain and it was on my eye.”

There had been no tell-tale moles or mysterious patches on her skin. Bender learned melanoma can arise in places that aren’t so obvious as sun-exposed skin.

Bender says Liebman had made it clear that ghting the cancer would be warfare. It proved to be true, and Liebman was ready to do battle.

She immediately had Bender set up an appointment for brachytherapy on the affected eye. Liebman set her sights on the brain tumors next.

Surviving melanoma Michelene Liebman, MD, says recent years have brought rapid advancements in melanoma treatment. Patients who might not have had hope when they were diagnosed a few years ago now have a ghting chance. Chris Bender is one of them.

“The disease-free survival we have obtained with Christine is almost unprecedented except in some clinical trials Dr. Liebman for stage 4 melanoma,” Liebman says. Yervoy was administered only at initial diagnosis with complete response.

“That means she has not had recurrent disease needing frequent chemotherapy.”

Staging is the extent of involvement of cancer throughout the body, and the stage of the disease directs the treatment recommendations. “Most cases of malignant melanoma are diagnosed at an earlier stage, when surgical excision can be curative,” Liebman explains.

“However, a few patients have metastatic disease at presentation, which means the

cancer has spread to other areas in the body.”

Some patients develop metastases after their initial de nitive treatment.

Bender received immunotheraphy, which uses new drugs like Yervoy (Ipilimumab) to enhance the body’s ability to kill cancer cells by increasing the killing power of the white blood cells.

For some patients, targeted therapies which inhibit cell proliferation are preferred.

“Some melanomas have a particular gene mutation,” Liebman says. “When targeted gene inhibition therapy is used, the result is the killing of the cancer tumor cells.”

“Stage 4 melanoma carries a poor prognosis with few months survival if not treated,” Liebman says. “Increased survival by months to years is quite gratifying and a great milestone in the treatment of this disease.”

Since her initial treatment in 2012, many more immunotherapy drugs have become available for use in metastatic melanoma.

Liebman says these treatments do have side effects, but in general are not as toxic as chemotherapy

A rst MRI had shown three tumors. A new MRI revealed a total of eight. “That’s how fast it was growing,” Bender says.

“We chose to use the Gamma Knife for targeted radiation to the lesions,” says Liebman. The Gamma Knife at Fort Sanders Regional delivers 192 nely focused beams of gamma radiation to small targets inside the brain.

The beams converge at a point to treat the affected tissue, while minimizing the damage to healthy brain tissue. “This spares the patient some of the side effects of radiation,

which may include memory loss and dif culty concentrating,” Liebman says.

Next, Liebman attacked the three lesions on Bender’s lungs. Chemotherapy was started within two weeks of Bender’s rst Gamma Knife procedure.

Liebman recommended the relatively new cancer drug Yervoy (Ipilimumab), and it worked. The cancer stopped spreading and Bender was winning the war.

Then just when it seemed like the worst was over, Bender was diagnosed with lupus. Bender consulted with Liebman and together they determined therapy for the lupus could wait. The best course of action would be to keep focusing solely on cancer treatment.

Bender’s diagnosis today is “no evidence of cancer.” She hasn’t required continuing chemotherapy, which is somewhat astounding for a stage 4 melanoma patient.

Grateful to be alive, Bender gives credit to God and her oncologist. “If I had gone to some other doctor somewhere else, I don’t know that the outcome would have been the same,” Bender says.

This Sevier County cancer survivor praises Liebman for being direct, honest, proactive and because, in Bender’s words, “she doesn’t treat me like I’m just another medical record in her hand.”

Bender is also grateful to her “church family” and her “work family,” who constantly offered support. This was especially important to her since she has no family in East Tennessee.

Bender didn’t escape this war without some battle scars, she’s lost vision in her right eye, and she remains fully aware that cancer could come back with a vengeance at any time. That simply motivates her to make the most of life.

“Every day is special,” Bender says. “Every day is paradise.”

To learn more about cancer diagnosis and treatment at Thompson Cancer Survival Center, visit thompsoncancer.com or call (865)541-1720.

Signs of melanoma Melanoma is more than “just” skin cancer. Left untreated, it can even be deadly.

“And statistics show that melanoma has been rising at an alarming rate in young people ages 18-39,” Liebman says, and she indicates this is likely the result of indoor UV tanning combined with signi cant repetitive outdoor sun exposure.

“Once the damage is done in the skin, the disease process continues for life, and skin cancer can show up at any time,” Liebman says. “It is very important to protect the skin, use sunscreen and check out any lesion on the skin that does not look normal.”

While some melanomas are hidden, melanomas on the skin (cutaneous lesions) are usually visible to the naked eye. If you see a mole or freckle on your skin that seems to be growing or changing, remember the “ABCDE” signs of melanoma: A – It’s asymmetrical, meaning the two sides don’t match up B – A border that’s uneven or irregular C – Dark or black in color D – Large in diameter E – It evolves or changes over time See your doctor if you have concerns and ask for a referral to Thompson Cancer Survival Center if you nd you are in need of an oncologist.

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community

NORTH/EAST Shopper news • JULY 1, 2015 • 3

Kuumba Watoto Drum and Dance performers lead the parade.

Prayers unite

Keeping the beat for the Kuumba Festival parade Photos by Sherri Gardner Howell

Foothills Craft Guild to hold Jury Fest

Drummers, dancers keep the beat at Kuumba The words of Maya Angelou paired with an inspirational tagline set the stage for the annual Kuumba Festival in Knoxville: “ ‘Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear,’ we rise together, celebrate and uplift our community.”

The African-American arts festival began on June 26 on Market Square and moved to Morningside Park for the subsequent two days. As is tradition, music, dance, ethnic food and international crafts were the hallmark of the celebration of African heritage.

Joyce Billingsley and Jackie Dale sat on a bench at Market Square on Friday, eyes on a sky that threatened rain. “I am here to see the dancers I have heard so much about,” said Billingsley, who recently moved to Knoxville from California.

“This is my first festival here, and I can’t wait to see

Sherri Gardner Howell

the dancers.”

Chris Douglass watched as his two excited daughters, Sydnee and Englynn, gave their preferences to a jolly and patient balloon artist, David Perkins. “Pink with white flowers,” said 5-year-old Englynn, as Sydnee, age 3, piped in that she wanted the same.

At one of the craft booths, Louise Mogendi and her son, Roy A. Williams, gave impromptu lessons in the Kenyan history of Kisii stone carving. “You know it as soapstone,” said Mogendi. “It comes from the Kisii highlands in western

John Bean Church graveyard.

I’d heard that John A had declined an invitation to join the Confederate Army and walked all the way to Cumberland Gap to join the Union Army and that he’d been taken prisoner, escaped and gotten so hungry that he’d boiled an old boot in hopes of getting it tender enough for dinner, and that when his children expressed disgust at the notion of trying to eat a boot, he’d snap: “It used to be a cow, didn’t it?”

I’d heard that his biggest regret was missing the chance to shake hands with Abraham Lincoln. I knew he was a stonecutter by trade and that he’d lost his arm much later in life after he knelt to pray at the funeral of another old soldier, reached down to steady himself on a grave marker and got bitten by a black widow spider. My father remembered that his grandfather always wore a suit and could tie his shoelaces one-handed.

I didn’t give those stories much thought or credence until the Internet age afforded me the means to chase them down. And what I found is that most of them were pretty close to the truth.

John A was 18 when he enlisted in the Sixth Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Brigade on April 18, 1862, in Knoxville, an occupied city seething under the burden of sharply divided loyalties. He stood 5-9, had dark hair and gray eyes and was officially mustered in and assigned to Company D, which was composed entirely of Knox Countians and led by Captain Marcus Bearden, on April 23, in Boston, Ky., near Louisville.

This means he enlisted, covered some 70 miles of rough, enemy-occupied terrain on foot from the family farm in Ebenezer to reach Cumberland Gap and was conveyed to Boston in five days’ time.

Military records say he’d been “left sick in hospital, Sept. 17, 1862,” and “Had been reported a deserter but had been captured by the Rebels and not deserted.” The next John A sighting was a memorandum from Prisoner of War records placing him back with the U.S. Army at Camp Lew Wallace in Ohio on Oct. 31.

Here’s the surprise: There were a bunch of Beans in Company D. John A’s father, Henry, enlisted on the same day as John A, as did John A’s uncle, William Camp Bean.

Kenya. My ancestors were carvers of the stone in Kenya. We do all the carving by hand.”

The sound of the drums ramped up the excitement – and perhaps drove away the rain – as the parade through Market Square began. The talented Kuumba Watoto Drum and Dance group, the Tennessee Pearls dance teams and a host of costumed characters strutted through the square to the drummers’ beats. On stage, under the Kuumba lights, organizers beckoned the crowds forward for the evening concert by Africa Unplugged, a Greensboro, N.C., music group that features traditional African instruments.

Morningside Park activities included an African marketplace, children’s activities and performances by the Knoxville Jazz All Stars and Alvin Garrett.

The Foothills Craft Guild is accepting new member applications from fine craft artisans for its second Jury Fest to be held Wednesday, Aug. 12, with take-in days Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 10-11. Info/application: Bob Klassen, bobklassen@charter.net, or www.foothillscraftguild.org under the “How to Join” section.

across the city. “This is not a black issue or a white issue.

It’s not an AME issue, nor a Baptist or Methodist or Presbyterian or Universalist issue. It’s an American issue.”

The program included a series of prayers by prominent black and white clergy, interspersed with music from the combined Bethel and Overcoming Believers choirs.

Tanya Tucker, overseer of St. Joseph’s House of Prayer, prayed for “the ability to be patient, kind, and long-suffering. Give us the patience to live together in our differences.” Steve Hancock, pastor of nearby Riverview Baptist Church referred to God when he said “we have you in common.”

Chris Buice, minister at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, said, “We could be home alone but we are here together. We could choose to isolate but instead we choose to congregate. Hear our prayer.”

Buice’s congregation experienced a similar attack

From page 1 from a gunman in 2008, killing two churchgoers and wounding seven.

Mayor Madeline Rogero, who led a contingent of city officials, said, “In the face of senseless violence, we have no words. We grieve with the families and church in Charleston. We are grateful that hatred and fear are not the true face of our city.”

Doug Banister, pastor of All Souls Church, received amens from the attendees when he said, “We can’t love until we admit that we don’t love.”

Daryl Arnold, pastor at Overcoming Believers Church, challenged the group to be unified against hatred and evil, to keep perspective and to pray. “If we are going to be a community that walks in power, we’re going to have to be a community of prayer.”

At the end of the service, the worshippers moved to the parking lot to pray one last time and release hundreds of black and white balloons as a symbol of racial and religious unity.

Hot streets

From page 1

and Irani refuges; and visiting the residents at Serene Manor, a nonprofit nursing home on Wray Street.

They help out at Knox Area Rescue Ministries and the Volunteer Ministry Center, as well as Christenberry School, Beardsley Farm and Habitat for Humanity.

At the nursing home, WOW participants talk with the residents, play boardgames and Wii bowling, and generally just engage.

“One of our guys said that all they need is joy, and that’s all we take them,” said Liza Hawkins, director of the WOW program.

Hawkins came as a participant several years ago from her Lutheran church in Murfreesboro before joining the paid summer staff. After graduating from Carson-Newman University in 2014, she hired on as the program’s year-round paid

director. While she may go to graduate school or seminary eventually, she said she is “taking time off from school to give back to the ministry that gave so much to me.”

Will Trout, a 15-year-old who attends GatlinburgPittman High School, sees real changes in the youth who come to WOW. “When some of them get here, they are shy and don’t talk a lot, even to people from their own church. By the end of the week, they are dancing and singing with everyone.

It makes a great difference.”

The program enriches the experiences of the youth and the lives of the people they interact with, but it also provides concrete help to service organizations that need an extra hand or two.

“We help them do things,” Hawkins said. “When we wipe down tables, we are

freeing up some of their staff to do other things. It really adds up.”

WOW runs for eight weeks in June and July with an average of 65 participants per week, including volunteers and staff. The middle- and high-schoolers come from churches as far away as North and South Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin and Minnesota and as close as First Presbyterian, Knoxville. The program houses visitors in the church-owned Beamon Building nearby, with overflow into the church’s classroom spaces.

MILESTONES ■ Jason Theodore Burke of Corryton graduated cum laude from Union College with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

From page 1 Presumably, they all walked to Kentucky together. A year later, Henry went home and his son George signed up in his place.

William Camp Bean would die in Nashville, probably of cholera, in 1863. Captain Bearden survived being shot near Marietta, Ga., after the Sixth Infantry joined Gen. William T. Sherman at the Battle of Atlanta, which means that Tennessee boys helped burn down Tara, so to speak, before most of them were detached and returned to Nashville while Sherman continued his march to the sea.

On March 30, 1865, the Sixth Tennessee received this official commendation: “Many of these brave men have already served beyond the term of their enlistment, and their services are gratefully appreciated. We can but bid them a kind farewell with feelings of gratitude and deep solicitude for their future welfare. May they return in safety to their homes to enjoy the liberties of the Government they have so nobly defended.”

A footnote says the Tennesseans “moved on foot and otherwise nearly 10,000 miles.”

John A and George Bean were mustered out on April 24, 1865, nine days after Lincoln was murdered by a Rebel sympathizer.

According to a cryptic but credible family Bible account, Henry Bean’s sister, Lydia Bean Duncan (John A’s aunt), became a widow when her husband, a Confederate sympathizer, was “shot by a Bean” in 1865.

Lydia, also according to Duncan family records, became the first – and probably the oldest – Knox County woman to register to vote after the passage of the 19th Amendment. She was said to have walked to town to register but was later unable to cast her vote due to failing health.

So there it is. John A. Bean turned 18 in an occupied city. He knew he could have been imprisoned or hanged if he’d been caught on that long walk to Kentucky but did it anyway, as did many East Tennessee men.

He lived to become the father of nine, a pillar of Knoxville’s First Methodist Church, a staunch Republican (duh) and an old man whose only recorded regret was that he never got to shake hands with Lincoln.

And that’s a heritage worth remembering.

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4 • JULY 1, 2015 • Shopper news

Tennessee might do something different Football coaches, for the most part, are creatures of habit. They are inclined to do what they always have done.

Down and distance are dictatorial. Defensive alignments are predictable. Play selection for third-and-one is right there in the scouting report, same as last week and last season.

Coaches will tell you that player experience is critical.

The late, great Robert R. Neyland said we could expect one loss for each rookie in the starting lineup. Back then, he was talking about sophomores. Today’s rookies are freshmen.

In theory, experienced players have great advantages. They have learned what it takes. They are less

Marvin West

likely to make dumb mistakes. They are far less likely to panic in a crisis, even when overmatched.

Coaches count on consistency and dependability. It helps them sleep.

Great emphasis is thus placed on returning regulars. There is merit to this maxim if those starters were winners, not so much if all they have to show for their efforts are battle scars.

Now and then coaches do the unexpected, set aside the significance of experience or just dare to be different, as was Butch Jones last year in choosing talent over letters. Freshman tailback Jalen Hurd over senior tailback Marlin Lane was a convincing example.

Derek Barnett was the first freshman in UT history to start at defensive end.

You know how that turned out. He led in tackles for loss against SEC foes. He had three sacks against Ole Miss and South Carolina.

Inexperience didn’t seem to hold him back.

Freshman Jashon Robertson switched from defensive tackle in August to right offensive guard and started all 13 games.

Tight end Ethan Wolf did pretty well. Aaron Medley kicked 20 of 26 field goals, including one in the clutch against the Gamecocks.

He hit 42 extra points and might have made more if Tennessee had scored more touchdowns.

Defensive backs Todd Kelly Jr. and Emmanuel Moseley looked like they belonged.

Twelve true freshmen started games, including a school-record seven against Missouri. Some started because of talent. Some started because of need.

Freshmen of 2015 may actually have more ability than the previous group, but there are no automatic starters. One or two or three may shove estab-

lished players aside and take their jobs. The coach relishes the thought of competition.

“We’re going to rely on two true freshman defensive tackles to really play a big part in this year’s outcome of many games, so we have to get them ready to go,” Jones said.

He was talking about four- or five-star Kahlil McKenzie (6-3 and down to 330) and four-star Shy Tuttle (6-3 and 313, a pleasant development in spring practice). They do not resemble spectators.

Drew Richmond, 6-3 and 305, has announced his intentions.

“My expectation is for me to start.”

The third-ranked offensive tackle in all of high school football does not lack confidence. He says he can be ready for Day One, Sept.

6, Bowling Green, Titans’ place in Nashville. Be there!

“I feel like I am pretty good.”

Preston Williams is a possible starter for later in the season. The day he officially recovers from knee repairs, he may be the Vols’ best pass receiver. He comes with five recruiting stars and lofty goals.

“I’m going in trying to break records,” he said.

For the already record, Butch Jones is still following the original blueprint, brick by brick toward the restoration of Tennessee excellence. He hasn’t said it, but he has demonstrated his choice of ability over experience.

There may be other subtle changes. Think Mike DeBord, ability and experience, lots of experience.

Marvin West invites reader comments.

His address is westwest6@netzero.com.

McIntyre’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week Last Monday, Knox County Commission verbally spanked schools superintendent James McIntyre before voting 9-1 not to help him out of a potential legal jam by retroactively approving a grant he’d accepted last fall without going through the proper legal and procedural channels.

Betty Bean

On Tuesday morning, the news broke that the previously anonymous “unindicted co-conspirator” mentioned in the tax fraud indictment of state Rep. Joe Armstrong is McIntyre ally and former school board

chair Sam Anderson.

Later Tuesday, McIntyre announced that Anderson had resigned from a $42,000-a-year, 16-hourper-week position as an “advisor” to Knox County Schools that was not publicly advertised before Anderson’s hiring.

On Wednesday, it became public knowledge that the school bus driver who caused last December’s deadly accident that killed two children and a teacher’s aide was not only text messaging at the time of the crash, but also was carrying on an extended conversation with a prostitute, and that parents had been complaining to Knox County Schools for more than a year about this driver’s disdain for safety.

On Thursday afternoon, reports surfaced that a group of citizens is shopping

for a lawyer to help them file an ouster suit against McIntyre.

All in all, it was not a good week to be superintendent.

As serious as McInt y re’s other emJim McIntyre barrassments are, the brewing ouster suit is likely connected to the “matching” grant from The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems that McIntyre accepted without getting school board and County Commission approval, as required by law.

Under the terms of the grant, TBC put up $29,700, which Knox County Schools “matched” with $60,300 for salary and another $30,000 for benefits to bring Broad

resident Christy Hendler on board as director of planning and improvement. The Broad Center requires its residents be paid at least $90,000 annually.

Hendler’s prior professional experience was with Procter & Gamble, and she has an MBA from Xavier University. No educational background is listed on her Broad Center profile. She is the fourth Broad resident to have worked for Knox County during the tenure of McIntyre, who is an alum of the Broad Superintendent’s Academy. The Broad Center is considered a leader in corporate education reform.

Its annual report describes the residency program like this: “Since 2003, the program has recruited and placed early-career executives with private and civic sector experience and advanced

degrees into two-year, fulltime paid positions in urban school districts, state and federal departments of education and top charter management organizations.

More than 250 Broad Residents have been placed in 39 school districts, 30 public charter school management organizations, seven state departments of education and the U.S. Department of Education.”

Because the grant required the county to pony up funds, McIntyre is in legal jeopardy because he failed to secure up-front approval from both the school board and County Commission. Instead, he unilaterally accepted the grant and got school board approval after the fact. He asked County Commission to do the same but ran into trouble when former KCS teachers Rob Taylor and Jennifer

Owen appeared at the June commission meeting and urged the commission not to approve the grant.

Taylor accused McIntyre of dodging the school board because the appointment came at a time when he did not enjoy friendly majority.

Owen said McIntyre needs to go: “This illegal act remained hidden for an entire year, the length of the grant.

Many such contracts have been handled correctly, and it seems clear that this was not failure to understand the law. This was willingly and knowingly done, and five Board of Education members chose to become complicit.”

First District Commissioner Sam McKenzie was the only yes vote. Amy Broyles was absent.

Betty Bean is a columnist for ShopperNews. Reach her at bbeanster@aol.com.

GOSSIP AND LIES

We’ve got your health care all wrapped up.

■ School board members should check the time cards of former board chair Sam Anderson, who claimed to have worked 16 hours per week for a $42,000 salary.

■ And while they’re at it, board members should find out why parent complaints about the driving habits of the late James Davenport were not taken seriously.

■ And finally, they should start looking for a new superintendent.

■ Foster Arnett shuffled up and issued a marriage license to a same-sex couple only after the state attorney general told him he must.

■ Arnett has been working from suburban branches of the County Clerk’s office since suing the Public Building Authority (and Knox County) over mold and “unsafe” working conditions in the courthouse.

■ Notice how many of the folks who say marriage should be between one man and one woman are working on their third or fourth?

■ Tim Burchett’s response to the Supreme Court’s ruling was, “We will enforce the law.”

That was similar to Gov. Bill Haslam’s response.

Feel secure knowing we have the clinical expertise, latest medicines and advanced treatments to bring you better health. From colds, flu, allergies and infections to well exams, blood pressure and diabetes management – we have your health care all wrapped up.

■ Charme Knight Allen, Knox County’s little-known attorney general, handled criticism well on TV Sunday.

At Southern Medical Group you will find complete and compassionate primary care. And we’re connected with one of the nation’s highest performing health networks, Covenant Health. That means better patient care – for you and your family.

■ Mike Lowe’s less-than-a-year sentence was not enough? asked Stephanie Beecken.

■ Best we could do, said Allen, pointing out co-defendant Delbert Morgan’s conviction led to a 30-day sentence by the judge. We asked for 10 years and Morgan’s case had stronger proof than Lowe’s, she said.

■ Lowe’s plea bargain and sentence to the county’s detention facility allows her office to retain control of him and Morgan as she seeks restitution of some $593,000.

■ “I can’t get more than they took,” she said. But she looked like she wants to try.

■ Arthur Seymour Jr. is accustomed to a friendly reception at Knox County Commission and Knoxville City Council. He got less than that last Thursday at the town of Farragut.

■ Seymour didn’t disclose his client. In fact, he didn’t talk at all after a standing-roomonly crowd of angry residents told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that the developer had no right to speak after withdrawing an agenda item.

■ Bob Markli, an alderman, said, “Anytime someone wants to spend $37 million in our town, we should hear them.”

■ The apartment applicant will return. So will the residents.

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NORTH/EAST Shopper news • JULY 1, 2015 • 5

UT controversy won’t end soon The controversy over removing the name Lady Vols from most teams (except women’s basketball) continues. It is not going away anytime soon given the letter state Rep. Roger Kane wrote (co-signed by 44 other lawmakers) and sent to the UT Board of Trustees.

Kane secured the signatures of 45 of the 132 members of the General Assembly without trying.

He simply passed the letter around and got a strong reaction. Kane is a solid, conservative lawmaker from northwest Knox County. He defeated longtime political powerhouse Sheriff Tim Hutchinson to win the GOP primary and became known as a political giant-killer.

Prior to this, he was virtually unknown.

In Nashville, he is regarded as thoughtful and informed. He has a keen interest in this subject with his daughter having been active in UT sports.

His “Save the Lady Vols” letter got the backing of state Sens. Richard Briggs and Becky Duncan Massey plus Reps. Martin Daniel, Eddie Smith, Bill Dunn and Kane – a majority of the delegation. This cannot be shunted to the sidelines.

What was anyone thinking when Dave Hart authorized and advocated this change, which the campus leadership and system president then endorsed? Cer-

Victor Ashe

tainly not the merits or demerits of the name change.

Were they not aware of the public relations war this would trigger?

Why did the rollout not have a game plan to sell it to UT alumni and fans across the state?

Did they honestly think 132 state legislators would remain silent when their constituents were calling, emailing, writing letters to the editor and marching?

Not for a minute.

Is this name change a fight worth fighting considering all the other issues the university faces annually?

The leadership is now spending time on this instead of funding and management. How vital to UT’s success is this name change?

Does UT’s leadership not realize that this may now be headed to the floor of the General Assembly, where legislation could well be introduced in 2016 to reverse the name change?

Do the UT leadership and board want to do battle in Nashville in January on this? Are they not aware the Senate can start holding

confirmation hearings on UT Trustees to get them to listen more carefully to the Lady Vols supporters?

The decision of the UT Board of Trustees not to hear comments on this matter at last week’s Knoxville meetings handed Roger Kane a perfect and understandable reason to take it to the Legislature. He can now say the entire UT leadership has declined to give 45 lawmakers and thousands of citizens a day in a public setting to express their views.

UT is relying on legalisms to avoid public discussions. Isn’t a college campus all about hearing different points of view?

Yes, but apparently not when it comes to the Lady Vols name.

UT will ultimately have to make some concessions here. The university may have to reverse course. It cannot stiff the General Assembly. The governor cannot save it on this issue.

Roger Kane is a lawmaker to be taken seriously, and UT will hear more from him. Trustees need to listen to the people in a public setting or see a bill passed that they will dislike.

Margie Nichols, a savvy media person, is currently on staff. She knows this region well and could have predicted what has happened. My guess is no one included her as they made

this decision. Now that it has happened, it is not so clear who can get UT out of this controversy.

■ The Rotary Club of Knoxville will host a centennial reception 6-8 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 31 at the East Tennessee Historical Society for political and community leaders.

■ Jeff Chapman completes 25 years this week as director of the McClung Museum on the UT campus, which he has led to a level of excellence only dreamed of a few years ago. If you have not visited the museum recently you should. It is a special place in Knoxville.

■ City Council member Marshall Stair has raised $36,000 off a fundraising letter for his reelection. This is impressive and exceeds the norm for a council candidate. Mayoral candidates have trouble matching that total. All incumbents will win and continue the tradition of eightyear terms for mayors and council members since term limits were imposed.

■ Bill Lyons, a member of the Tennessee Historical Commission, says he will vote to remove the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue from the state Capitol if it comes to the commission. Knoxvillian Larry Martin chairs the State Capitol Commission, which oversees statutes in the Capitol. He is commissioner of finance.

government Open-streets program could foster bike-friendliness

It would still be a stretch to call Knoxville bikefriendly, but there are indications that we’re on the right path.

A new bicycle facilities plan maps out needed upgrades to the city’s bicycling infrastructure, and one of the top projects – sidewalks, crosswalks and 800 feet of a 6-foot shoulder on the south side of Kingston Pike at Golfclub Road – has been funded with a $946,000 grant from TDOT. Over 26,000 votes were cast for an Appalachian Mountain Bike Club plan for a black diamond bike trail in Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, netting the group a $100,000 grant in a nationwide contest sponsored by Bell Helmets.

The next big news may be an event that will allow the community to hit the streets on bikes, trikes, scooters and feet without the hindrance of cars for a few hours.

The idea of closing city streets to vehicles for a set period of time is new to Knoxville, but the concept has been around for a long time. According to www. openstreetsproject.org, Seattle Bicycle Sundays began in 1965 with a car-free zone connecting three parks, and the initiative inspired simifrom their care due to drug lar events in New York City abuse to demonstrate a com- and San Francisco that are mitment to responsible par- still going on today. enting before they can reAnother source of inspigain custody. ration is Ciclovia, an event Before the child can be re- that originated in Bogotá, turned, the parent must not Colombia, in the 1970s. Tobe the subject of a criminal day, more than a million investigation for at least 90 people recreate, primarily days, resolve any former and on bicycle, on 120 kilomepending investigations by ters of roadway for seven child protective services to hours each Sunday. the satisfaction of the court, The idea behind Ciclovia and pass two consecutive and open-streets initiatives drug screens. is the same. It’s about giving “I am very pleased that everyone in the community these new laws are set for the opportunity to get out enactment and believe and get moving. It’s not a they will make a difference street fair, like the Rossini in protecting some of our Festival, or a race, like the state’s most vulnerable vic- Covenant Health Knoxville tims from being harmed,” Marathon. It’s fun, free, inMassey said. clusive fitness.

Massey passes tough-on-crime laws Major legislation sponsored by state Sen. B e c k y Massey to help victims of strangulation, a crime often involved in domestic Sen. Massey violence, is among 171 new laws set to take effect today (July 1).

The new law redefines strangulation to include: “intentionally or knowingly impeding normal breathing or circulation of the blood by applying pressure to the throat or neck or by blocking the nose and mouth of another person, regardless

of whether that conduct results in any visible injury or whether the person has any intent to kill or protractedly injure the victim.”

Massey explains: “Currently the definition of strangulation requires the act must be ‘intentional,’ which is a higher standard of proof. By adding ‘knowingly’ it puts the definition of strangulation more in line with similar criminal acts to protect victims of domestic violence.

“Present law also requires a visible injury in cases of strangulation. In some cases, visible injury cannot be seen unless the victim dies and an autopsy is performed and does not account for cases in

Shopper Ve n t s enews

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THROUGH TUESDAY, JULY 7 Enrollment open for foster parenting classes to be held 5:30-8:30 p.m. each Tuesday beginning July 7 for eight weeks. The classes will be conducted by Camelot in the LaFollette office, 240 W. Central Ave. Info/to enroll: Susan Sharp, 423-566-2451 or ssharp@ camelotcare.com.

THROUGH THURSDAY, OCT. 22 Tickets on sale for “The Music and the Memories” show featuring Pat Boone backed by Knoxville swing orchestra The Streamliners, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, Oak Ridge Performing Arts Center, Oak Ridge High School, 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Proceeds go the Oak Ridge High School music department. Info/tickets: www.KnoxvilleTickets.com or 656-4444.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m., Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clinton. Sponsored by the Oak Ridge Folk Dancers.

First visit free. No partner or dance experience required. Adults and children accompanied by an adult welcome. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; www. oakridgefolkdancers.org; on Facebook.

which the victim escaped.”

Massey said that strangulation victims are seven times more likely to become victims of homicide and that 50 percent of all domestic violence homicide victims are strangled at least once before they are murdered.

Massey also sponsored two other bills set for enactment today. Both protect children including a new law that adds to the residential and work restrictions for sexual offenders to prohibit them from being alone with a minor in addition to being prohibited from residing with a minor.

The other new law requires parents whose children have been removed

THURSDAY, JULY 2

Wendy Smith

It’s also a way to get the community used to seeing bicycles on the road, which is the first step toward bicycle-friendliness.

City of Knoxville Director of Engineering Jim Hagerman says that a committee is discussing the possibility of an open-streets event and that the administration is supportive. While some cities have weekly or monthly events, Knoxville would likely start with a half-day event that could become annual.

One challenge would be choosing which streets to close. Open streets typically feature a signature urban street, he says, so Gay Street is an obvious candidate. But sections of Gay Street will be closed over the next six months, making it a poor choice for a fall event.

The route should be small enough for the streets to be full of people, which creates interest.

Gil Penalosa, former commissioner of parks, sport and recreation for the city of Bogotá, talked about Ciclovia at the Tennessee Bike Summit held in Knoxville in April. He’s the founder of 8 80 Cities, a Canadian nonprofit that promotes walking and biking in public spaces.

Knox County communications director Michael Grider liked what he heard.

He began commuting via bicycle last year, and he thinks a local event would give more people the opportunity to enjoy cycling.

It’s an attractive event because it requires no (new) infrastructure, he says.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves.”

Reach Wendy Smith at ShopperWendy@ wowway.com.

supplies last. Program is free. Info: 684-1200.

MONDAY-FRIDAY, JULY 6-10

Arts and Crafts with Anna Hughes, 4 p.m., Mascot Branch Library, 1927 Library Road. Info: 933-2620.

Happy Travelers Gathering/Luncheon, 11 a.m., North Acres Baptist Church, 5803 Millertown Pike. Music provided by Mavis and Paul Hughes with Joyful Sound.

Free; $7 donation suggested. Info: Derrell Frye, 938-8884.

Etiquette classes, 4-5:15 p.m., Imagination Forest, 7613 Blueberry Road. Hosted by the Cardinal School of Etiquette for ages 6-12. Cost: $125. Info/registration: 312-2371 or alwhite07@comcast.net.

FRIDAY, JULY 3

TUESDAY, JULY 7

The Union County Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m., 1009 Main St., Maynardville. Fresh produce, meat, plants, cut flowers, artists and craftsmen. “First Friday” celebration includes live music, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, featured agribusinesses and more.

New vendors welcome. Info: 992-8038.

Drum-Making Workshop, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., East Tennessee Technology Access Center, 116 Childress St. For teens and adults with and without disabilities. Info: Lorrie or Shaynie, 219-0130.

Happy Travelers trip: “Singin’ in the Rain” at Cumberland County Playhouse with lunch at Cumberland Mountain State Park. Cost: $55 inclusive. Info/ registration: Derrell Frye, 938-8884.

SATURDAY, JULY 4 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.

Premiere of “200 Years of Volunteers,” 7 p.m., East Tennessee PBS. Documentary highlights the events, men and women that earned the state its nickname from the Revolutionary War Battle of Kings Mountain to the modern battlefields of today.

Young-Williams Animal Center adoption special, noon-4 p.m., adoption fees for cats and dogs 4 years and older will be just $4. Available at YoungWilliams Animal Center, 3201 Division St., and the Young-Williams Animal Village, 6400 Kingston Pike.

Info: www.young-williams.org.

MONDAY, JULY 6 American Legion meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynardville. All veterans are invited. Info: 387-5522.

Mighty Musical Monday with O’Connor Senior Singers, noon, Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Lunch of sandwich, chips and a dessert, $5, in the lobby while

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 Afternoon LEGO Club, 2 p.m., Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Asheville Highway. For kids in first through fifth grades. Info: 525-5431.

Computer Workshop: Introducing the Computer, 2 p.m., Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Asheville Highway. Info/registration: 525-5431.

International Folk Dance Class, 7:30-10 p.m., Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road, Clinton.

Sponsored by the Oak Ridge Folk Dancers. First visit free.

No partner or dance experience required. Adults and children accompanied by an adult welcome. Info: Paul Taylor, 898-5724; www.oakridgefolkdancers.org; on Facebook.

THURSDAY, JULY 9 Halls Book Club: “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania” by Erik Larson, 1 p.m., Halls Branch Library, 4518 E. Emory Road. Info: 922-2552.

Living with Diabetes: Putting the Pieces Together, 2-4 p.m., Fountain City Branch Library, 5300 Stanton Road. Info: 689-2681.

interns

6 • JULY 1, 2015 • Shopper news

Tales of a Volunteen

By Emma Dale

The first day of my job as a Volunteen at Children’s Hospital, I get handed a bad picture of me on an ID and an ugly khaki vest.

“OK, so they’re not the most attractive,” Cathy, who’s one of the Emma Dale two women maelstroms in charge of the program, says as she holds it up to me, “But, they have pockets!” She gestures to the two gigantic abysses on either side of the vest.

I’m given a laminated card detailing in tiny print nearly everything, Cathy tells me, that could go wrong in the four hours my shift spans. The appropriThe KARM women’s facility holds just over 100 beds, providing ate reaction, in equally tiny a safe resting place each night. Photo by Amanda McDonald words, is almost always “Go to the nearest nurse’s station and await further instruction.” Basically, whatever happens, don’t get involved unless you want the paperwork filled out afterwards to give the Himalayas a run for their money.

That seems to be the genent programs to help home- eral consensus with most

By Charlie Hamilton Have you ever shopped less people get back on their of my work there, too. Just at one of the local KARM feet and return to normal like every other Volunteen Thrift Stores? Did you know life. Around 25-30 percent of who put on his or her khaki that a portion of your pur- the homeless population has vest, I had heady aspirations chase went toward aiding some type of mental illness, of making changes, of being the Knoxville Area Rescue and close to 12-15 percent inspirational; and just like Ministries shelter for the are some of our country’s every Volunteen that padded veterans. All over this coun- up and down the halls of the homeless?

Yes, KARM is a nonprofit try mental health intuitions hospital, I eventually realorganization that started in have been closing their doors ized my job consisted of this: 1960 and has been helping to these people, and care for *knock, knock, knock* our community’s homeless veterans has deteriorated.

“Hello, I’m Emma from If all of the community for 55 years. KARM houses over 400 men, women and will come together we can Child Life Services.

“Is there anything I can children each night, and all end homeless in our serves nearly 1,000 meals community. Thank you, Su- get you today?” *mumble, mumble* every day for people in need. san Renfro, for our tour of “No? You sure? We’ve got KARM has many differ- this great organization.

We can end homelessness

Matthew McConaughey movies, books, toys…” *grumble, cough* “OK. Have a great day.” *tries to close the door softly and fails* That’s as life-changing as my work gets, most of the time. I get a drink from the cafeteria, contemplate whether I can get away with unbuttoning my vest, and drag my feet when it’s time to go organize a playroom, or make paper bag puppets (One time, while manning the information desk, two of us made 50. Fifty).

Sometimes I even wonder if the lengthy registration process was worth it.

But then a little moment happens that makes up for the three hours and 55 minutes I spend doing nearly nothing.

The little girl I’m watching in the patient room stretches her arms up to me to be picked up.

A child wearing only a diaper and an IV shrieks in joy when we give him a Spiderman plane.

A mom brags in broken English about her baby’s advanced motor skills on the elevator ride up to the cardiology unit.

A girl I saw entering the doctor’s office in tears flounces out an hour later, animated and smiling when we let her pick a stuffed animal to take home.

Those are the little things that overshadow even the moment you realize that some of the children you’re putting butterfly stick-on tattoos on aren’t ever going to walk out of this building.

They’re the little things that make being a Volunteen and having to wear an awful vest all worth it.

Ministry of healing at KARM

By Shannon Carey Shopper-News interns paid another visit to Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries this year, and Sue Renfro was once again our guide.

From the bustling kitchen to the uplifting Launchpoint and Bridge transitional programs, interns got an eye-opening view of what it means to be homeless or work with the homeless in Knoxville.

Renfro said KARM is working on updating the men’s dormitory and adding buildings to Serenity Women’s Ministry to serve as shelter for intact families. Fundraising efforts are ongoing.

Also new this year is KARM’s Arts on Broadway program, which brings professional performances to KARM’s guests.

Knox Area Rescue Ministries director of marketing and communications Sue Renfro provides a tour for the Shopper interns. Photo by Amanda McDonald

“It brings positive art and beauty to our residents,” Renfro said. “It is part of our ministry of healing.”

Mobile Meals a great experience

By Maggie Williams Last Tuesday the Shopper-News interns delivered Mobile Meals for senior citizens in North Knoxville. It was a very enlightening experience for me and all of us who were involved.

We split into three groups, and each group had a delivery route. Each route has around eight stops on it, and every day 60 routes are delivered. That’s a lot of deliveries!

This program helps the community in a way people don’t normally think about. The people were very appreciative of us. One man, when asked how his day was, replied, “Any day I wake up is a good day.” The other recipients had similar responses. This is an experience I won’t soon forget.

Mobile Meals: delivering more than food

By Ruth White

Shopper interns Charlie Hamilton, Abi Nicholson and Maddie Ogle prepare to deliver Mobile Meals to a resident.

Photo by Amanda McDonald

Laken Scott, Mobile Meals coordinator Shelly Woodrick, Anne Marie Higginbotham, Peggy Williams and Betty Mengesha finish volunteer orientation and are ready to head out to deliver meals. Photo by Amanda McDonald

KARM urges independence

By Emma Dale Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries hosts the male half of their 400 nightly guests in a long, bare, grey room outfitted with industrial looking bunks in rows.

Each bed is numbered, and after each man checks in at a table outside the hall (a process that included being registered in HMIS, a sort of national homeless network), he receives a bunk number along with sheets, a

blanket and a pillowcase to go on said bunk.

Sue Renfro, director of marketing and communications, says that KARM has been working on the problem of having homeless “regulars” consistently staying there, by redirecting them toward different programs that encourage job-searching and an overall search for independence.

“We’re a ‘Motel 5,’ not a Motel 6,” she said.

Privileged to help

By Maddie Ogle

A reminder of God’s grace adorns the wall over a bed in KARM’s men’s facility. Photo by Maddie Ogle

The smell of salmon patties and tartar sauce drew us toward the Mobile Meals kitchen. We sat around a rectangular table as Shelly Woodrick, volunteer coordinator, described our task.

We set out with maps showing the locations of peo-

ple who had ordered meals – a choice of hot or cold.

After we delivered all of the food to the many people, I realized from the kind words of appreciation that this service is very important. At the end of the day, I felt very privileged to have helped these people.

Mobile Meals delivers close to 800 meals every day to individuals in Knox County. The hot, well-balanced meals are distributed by many volunteer drivers.

Last week the Shopper interns spent the morning handing out food and chatting with several residents during the day. Many meal recipients were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by five smiling individuals (as opposed to the standard one or two) who were eager to talk and listen to stories.

Several residents invited the group inside and shared memories of family with the interns. One woman shared stories of her five children and showed the group por-

traits of each hanging on her dining room wall. Although her life has had a few bumpy spots, she stated that she has been very blessed and is happy to have some of her children living near her. As the group left, she hugged each intern a big hug, appreciative of their time to listen.

Another meal recipient, a couple who has been married for almost 70 years, shared stories about their family, the gentleman’s military service and their love of being outdoors.

This day, the residents in the Sterchi and Inskip area that experienced meal delivery times five, received more than food, but the gift of companionship and friendship.

Woodrick keeps Mobile Meals moving

By Betty Mengesha There are many people in Knoxville who have reached an age where they must depend on others to acquire food or cannot afford to feed themselves.

Luckily, Mobile Meals, also known as Meals on Wheels, has developed an organization to reach out to these individuals and better their living conditions.

So much work is put in to help the process move smoothly. A major part of this process is the volunteer work. Imagine having to organize 80 volunteers every day, making sure that new volunteers are educated on how the system works, everyone is given a route to feed over 800 people, and no harsh weathers prevent anyone from having a meal.

Well, Shelly Woodrick

does all of this every day as the volunteer coordinator of Mobile Meals.

Woodrick has been working with Mobile Meals for two years. She has had several experiences with media and other non-profit organizations. She has a true passion for helping those in need and that is what led her to Mobile Meals.

With all the expenses that seniors are struggling with these days, Woodrick puts effort into aiding anyone in need as best as she can.

She says, “We try to keep them in their home as long as we can.”

Mobile Meals has been around in Knoxville since 1971, and they continue to help as many as they can. If you would like to volunteer or offer a donation call 865524-2786.

weekender

Shopper Sh hop ppe p r news • JULY 1, 22015 0155 • 7 01

Jazz for Joy

FRIDAY, JULY 3 ■ Midnight Voyage LIVE: One More Time (A Tribute to Daft Punk), 9 p.m., The International, 940 Blackstock Ave. Info/ tickets: www.intlknox.com.

■ Red, White and Blues Pre-Independence Day Picnic and Casey Abrams Concert, 6:30 p.m., The Lawn at Renaissance|Farragut, 12700-12800 Kingston Pike. Familyfriendly event. Bring lawn chairs. Info/tickets: www. farragutbusiness.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 4 ■ Boys & Girls Club of Tennessee Valley Duck Race, 2:02 p.m., World’s Fair Park, 1060 World’s Fair Park Drive. Benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley.

■ Clinton Fireworks and 4th of July Event, 5 p.m., Lakefront Park. Free event. Info: 457-0642.

■ Festival on the Fourth, 4-10 p.m., World’s Fair Park, 1060 World’s Fair Park Drive. Free festival; held rain or shine.

■ Independence Day Concert, 8 p.m., World’s Fair Park.

Performed by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Free community concert open to the public; no tickets required.

Pianist Taber Gable, now studying at Juilliard, brings his jazz quartet home next week to benefit the Joy of Music School. Also pictured is saxophonist Marquis McGee. Photo submitted

By Carol Shane And now for a good ol’ American success story.

The kind of story that doesn’t happen very often, but when it does says a lot about the American spirit.

At the age of 11, Taber Gable began studying piano at the Joy of Music School, which provides free music lessons to kids who for various reasons wouldn’t ordinarily be able to have them.

Blessed with natural talent, he practiced diligently.

Along with mastery of the instrument, he garnered respect from staff and colleagues for what the school’s executive director, Frank Graffeo, calls “his work ethic and pursuit of the highest musical goals.” He graduated from West High School and won a full music scholarship to the University of Hartford in Connecticut, graduating in 2014.

And now he’s at Juilliard.

Studying with Wynton Marsalis. Ever hear of him?

Not only that, he seems to be a prince of a person.

Graffeo says, “Ever since Taber became a part of the Joy of Music School family, he has distinguished himself as a person of humility, abundant talent and overflowing grace. It has been an unparalleled pleasure to watch and hear his development as a man and as a musician.

“No matter how accomplished he becomes as a musician, he has demonstrated his full development as an accomplished human being through his desire to give back to the teachers and administrators of the Joy of Music School.”

Gable is indeed giving back. Because of his love for and appreciation of the Joy of Music School, he and three of his Juilliard jazz cohorts are in town to perform

a benefit concert.

Gable says, “My motivation was to give back and show appreciation and gratitude to all those who have supported me. In the last five years I haven’t had much time to be home or show the benefits that my schooling has granted me, so I figured it was time. It was also a brief chance for me to get away from the big city and come back home and bring along my musical friends who have become family away from home, and show them my Tennessee home.”

Joining Taber are drummer Jonathan Barber, guitarist Andrew Renfroe and bass player Lesly Valbrun.

The evening’s host will be Hallerin Hilton Hill of Newstalk 98.7 WOKI, and food will be provided by Holly’s Eventful Dining. The event sponsor is Clayton Bank, with additional support

from World Travel.

In case you were wondering, Taber is the first Joy of Music School student to attend Juilliard. He wants everyone to support the school that provided him his foundation, momentum and opportunity so that more and more children can take part and see their lives changed through the art and discipline of music.

But, says Graffeo, “The gratitude runs both ways.

We are honored to have played a role in his growth.”

Juilliard Jazz for Joy takes place at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 9, at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St. Tickets range from $25 to $125. Top-level tickets include a private reception afterward with Taber and his friends. Tickets are available at 525-6806 or at http://bit.ly/1GAodFl. Send story suggestions to news@shoppernewsnow.com.

Strippers and sci fi, oh my!

By Betsy Pickle The summer of sequels continues this week, with two biggies hitting local screens today (Wednesday) to get an extra slice of that holiday pie.

Size matters in “Magic Mike XXL.” The R-rated sequel to the pulchritudinous 2012 hit picks up three years after the first. Mike (Channing Tatum) has left the stripper life, but he can’t resist rejoining the Kings of Tampa when they decide to go out with one last big show in Myrtle Beach.

Producers are counting on the same magic as before. The cast also includes Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez,

Jada Pinkett Smith, Amber Heard, Donald Glover, Kevin Nash, Elizabeth Banks and Andie MacDowell.

Gregory Jacobs directed.

Expect a lot of “He’s back” jokes to accompany “Terminator Genisys,” a PG-13 reboot of director James Cameron’s 1984 classic. Once again, John Connor (Jason Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and save the human race, but when Kyle arrives he discovers the timeline has been fractured. He must depend on unexpected allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), to complete his new mission

■ Independence Day Concert and Fireworks Show, 7:30 p.m., A.K. Bissell Park, 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge.

Bring lawn chair or blanket. Concert by Oak Ridge Community Band. Free; donations accepted. Info: www.orcb.org or 482-3568.

■ July 4th Celebration and Anvil Shoot, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Highway, Clinton.

Includes demonstrations, music, food and more. Info: 4947680 or www.museumofappalachia.org.

■ Let Freedom Ring: 4th of July at Marble Springs, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Marble Springs State Historic Site, 1220 W. Gov. John Sevier Highway. Free; donations appreciated. Info: 573-5508, info@marblesprings.net or www.marblesprings.net.

■ Norris Day July 4th Celebration on the Norris Commons.

Presented by the Norris Lions Club. Lots of activities. Barbecue pork and chicken dinner with all the sides served by the Norris Lions Club, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Norris Middle School cafeteria. Info: 368-4884.

■ Rocky Top July 4th Celebration, George Templin Athletic Field. Live music, food, inflatables, games and more. Fireworks, 10 p.m.

■ Sons of the Revolutions Celebration, 10 a.m., James White’s Fort courtyard, 205 E. Hill Ave. Free admission; donations accepted. Info: www.jameswhitesfort.org.

■ The Secret City Excursion Train, Heritage Center, Oak Ridge. Departure times: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Info: www. secretcityrailroad.com or 241-2140.

■ Town of Farragut Independence Day Parade, 9:30 a.m., beginning on Kingston Pike at Lendon Welch Way and continuing to Boring Road.

■ Wine and Canvas – Festival on the 4th Art Walk, 2-8 p.m., World’s Fair Park, 1060 World’s Fair Park Drive. Featuring 30-minute demonstration classes on 8”x10” canvases. Free.

SUNDAY, JULY 5 ■ Native American Flute Circle, 4 p.m., Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave. Everyone welcome. To register: 5774717.

of resetting the future.

Alan Taylor directs the re-envisioned “Genisys,” which also stars J.K. Simmons, Courtney B. Vance and Sandrine Holt.

Opening on Friday at Downtown West is “The Overnight.” Alex (Adam Scott) and Emily (Taylor Schilling) and their son, RJ (R.J. Hermes), are new to Los Angeles, and they’re happy to meet Kurt (Jason Schwartzman) and Charlotte (Judith Godreche) and their son, Max (Max Moritt). But a family play date grows increasingly bizarre as the night wears on.

Patrick Brice wrote and directed the R-rated com- Rome (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Mike (Channing Tatum) get into it as Ken (Matt Bomer), Tarzan edy.

(Kevin Nash), Richie (Joe Manganiello) and Tito (Adam Rodriguez) watch in “Magic Mike XXL.”

Sissy

Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee

Duke

Siamese Siblings

Rumor

Visit our adoption centers at Petsmart West Town

Adoption fairs Saturdays noon - 6 pm

www.kfcf.petfinder.com www.feralfelinefriends.org Space donated by Shopper-News.

LLogan ogan Contact Debbie at 300-6873 for adoption and fostering information.

business

8 • JULY 1, 2015 • NORTH/EAST Shopper news

YWCA provides vital social services

By Anne Hart

Fun at the Circle G Rosalie Inman from Morning Pointe of Lenoir City Assisted Living feeds a llama at the Circle G Ranch Safari in Strawberry Plains. Visiting the ranch was a bucket list favorite for several residents. Photo submitted

While the name may be somewhat deceiving, in that there is no religious training for participants, the mission of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) hasn’t changed since its founding in 1899.

The organization is still a social service agency with its primary mission “to help women who are alone and need help and have no place to go,” according to Marigail Mullin, CEO of the Knoxville YWCA since 2006.

Speaking to the Rotary Club of Bearden, Mullin said the downtown YWCA offers refuge to women in transition in its 58-bed facility.

But that shelter isn’t free. The women must find jobs and pay $60 a week in rent. They may stay no longer than two years, and there is always a waiting list for the available space.

Mullin said the case histories of the residents “are very hard to read.

There are 58 different stories, but one thing they all have in common is that they have decided to change their lives.

We meet with them, we work with them, but we don’t do it for them.”

There is a large staff that works with the victims of domestic violence, with the M. Mullin court system and with the Family Justice Center. “We want to alleviate pain, stress and danger,” Mullin told the group.

Mullin said the program has an 85 percent success rate of women who are able to live on their own and support themselves within the two-year time period.

The Phyllis Wheatley Branch YWCA, located in East Knoxville, has a different mission, Mullin said, serv-

ing as a community center and offering an after-school program to some 300 students from Vine Middle School yearly.

With help from a federal grant, the organization has also developed curriculum for a new program called “Game Changers.” The program will teach middle school boys about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking and ways in which they can prevent violence against women and girls.

The YWCA is partnering with four local organizations in the mentoring program: 100 Black men of Knoxville, Emerald Youth Foundation, the Knoxville Area Urban League and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Knoxville.

Mullin said the local YWCA is funded by the United Way, grants and donations from the public. It works in collaboration with about 100 other organizations.

Korean War vets tell their stories

By Anne Hart Many of their stories were heartbreaking. And in the telling, occasionally a voice would break and tears would come and there would be a pause before the speaker could begin again.

Some arrived in wheel chairs, others on walkers, still others surprisingly spry considering their age.

A few needed help in standing to take the microphone from the master of ceremonies, local TV personality Gary Loe, who moved gently through the crowd of several hundred that packed Buddy’s Banquet Hall, giving everyone who wanted to speak the opportunity to do so.

The occasion marked the 65th anniversary of the invasion of South Korea by North Korea on June 25, 1950 – a war that the United States quickly entered – and the story tellers included both the American soldiers

who fought in that war and natives of South Korea who now call Knoxville home.

The annual reunion was started a few years back by former Knoxville City Council member Rex Davis, himself a veteran of that war, who had only three others at his home for that first reunion, where war experiences were shared. The reunion has grown dramatically since then, and it’s no wonder why.

These old soldiers are the real thing. The stories they tell are true. These men lived their stories.

They were young when they went to war – many just teenagers. Some volunteered, others were drafted, but the one thing they have in common is pride – that they fought and saved South Korea from a horrible fate and then came safely home.

And they remember the friends they fought alongside who didn’t return –

some 54,000 in all. Another 103,000 were wounded, 8,000 are still listed as missing in action and 4,000 were held as prisoners of war until the war ended.

Davis said, “This is a time for remembering the past and celebrating the present,” and then added with his huge trademark grin, “Seeing this big crowd puts a smile on my face that an undertaker couldn’t take off.”

And then the stories began.

Many mentioned the terrible cold they endured while fighting – temperatures 20, 30 and 40 degrees below zero.

One veteran told of being assigned to pick up the bodies of American soldiers from the battlefield – bodies that the enemy had wired to explode when moved.

Dick Whitson, who fought at Pork Chop Hill, proposed a toast “to those

Veterans Mose Lobetti, Fred Fogarty, Buddy Wallace and Tom Mercer. Wallace, a Vietnam War veteran, said he attended the event because he wanted “to honor our heroes.” The others at his table all fought in the Korean War. Photo by Anne Hart guys who didn’t get to grow up and be old men.”

Jim Coffin said his last view of Korea was “horizontal.” He was hit by a grenade while on a stretcher being carried to a helicopter.

But it wasn’t all gloom and doom.

The appreciation voiced

by the native Koreans in the audience was overwhelming.

Dr. Kenneth Kim, president of New Hope Mission, told the veterans, “Because of your sacrifice, our two countries are now the closest of allies and South Korea is now a highly industrial-

ized nation. You were there for our country – fighting not for your country but for ours. We will never forget.

“Thank you for protecting our country and defending our way of life. We cannot thank you enough for protecting the freedoms we all hold so dear.”