North/East Shopper-News 081215

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NORTH / EAST VOL. 3 NO. 32

BUZZ City candidates meet and greet Alice Bell/Springhill Neighborhood Association will host a meet and greet for nine candidates for city offices at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17, at New Harvest Park on Washington Pike. Fountain City Town Hall and other neighborhood groups are co-hosts. Everyone is invited, and refreshments will be provided. Candidates will not debate, but those attending will have a chance to talk individually with each of them.

Haslams at Botanical Gardens Gov. Bill and Crissy Haslam will join Mayors Tim Burchett and Madeline Rogero to dedicate the new Visitors Center at the Knoxville Botanical Gardens, 2743 Wimpole Ave, 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14.

CHS Sports Hall of Fame The first class of the Central High School Sports Hall of Fame will be inducted at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at the school. Honorees include coach Joel Helton, coach Bud Bales, coach Tommy Schumpert, Tony Cosey, and Lorie Compton Rheinecker. Tickets are $25 which includes breakfast. Anyone interested in attending may purchase tickets at Central High School or you can contact athletic director J.D. Lambert at james.lambert@knoxschools.org. Lambert said nominations and selections will come from the C Club, membership open to those earning a CHS varsity letter.

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Oakwood welcomes Hispanic neighbors By Betty Bean The Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association took a big step toward inclusiveness last week when it dedicated its August meeting to reaching out to its Hispanic neighbors. Oakwood Lincoln Park is a huge, multi-cultural neighborhood containing more than 2,700 houses. Its neighborhood association has found a new burst of energy and taken on new projects and ideas over the last couple of years, and last week’s meeting featured a Hispanic-flavored potluck dinner complete with rice and beans, fajitas, salsa dishes made with homegrown veggies, homemade guacamole and more. Honored guests were Oakwood-Lincoln Park residents Jose Luis Santiago, Hector Chavez, Jose Alfaro, Manuel Santiago, Maria Perez Mercado and Emma Ellis-Cosigua. Perez Mercado, who is from Puerto Rico, does translating for the Hispanic community. “I am here to help them so they can live better in this neighborhood with all of us together,” she said. Santiago, first speaking in Spanish through translator EllisCosigua, then in English, said he has been here nearly 14 years and is very happy. “I believe if we give respect we also receive respect. I came to this country to work so my family could have a better life. I heard we wanted to get organized in our

Phyllis Nichols

Pickin’ on Finbarr

Read Betty Bean on page 5

7049 Maynardville Pike 37918 (865) 922-4136 NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Bill Dockery ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore Alice Devall | Shannon Carey

Photo by Betty Bean

neighborhood and want to say that for the elderly here, if they ever need assistance in any way, the Latino community is ready to help.” When asked what he’s been able to do for his family since he moved here, he said that he has been able to give them the most important thing possible – an education. His daughter is a lawyer, his older son a priest and his younger son a me-

chanical engineer. “I am so grateful to this country because it made sure they could accomplish their dreams.” The down side, he said, was not being able to be with his dying father nor to attend the funeral of his only granddaughter after she died after a car accident. “For us it is very hard, but we also know that being here, we can help our families,” he said.

Manuel Santiago, who worked in the Florida tomato fields for seven years, is happy to be in Tennessee. “I’ve been treated well and made good friendships. I’ve had a few problems but always solved my problems by praying to God,” he said, recounting the experience of being cited by a police ofTo page 3

The Knoxville Area Urban League and Enterprise RentA-Car teamed to distribute shoes and school supplies to more than 1,200 children at the 13th annual “Shoes for School.” With school starting Aug. 10, the Saturday event at Caswell Park was timed for

the start of the new academic year. Phyllis Y. Nichols, president and CEO of the local Urban League, said the signature event is “one of my favorite days at work. “The joy we share with the children as we give them new shoes and school supplies is

irreplaceable for us and for them.” The Urban League, Enterprise and other sponsors hosted a festive atmosphere with food, games and inflatables provided by booth sponsors representing area businesses, nonprofit organizations, church groups

and others. The event is a community effort and something that families and volunteers eagerly anticipate each year. “We are so grateful for our staff and sponsors who work so hard to make this event successful each year,” Nichols said.

Vets looking to reclaim Sharps Ridge

Read Bill Dockery on page 4

Just before he walked into the Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association meeting last Monday, people were wondering aloud why city council member Finbarr Saunders has drawn opposition while his at-large colleagues are running unopposed. When Saunders took a seat, someone asked him that question. “I don’t know,” Saunders said. “Marshall Stair and George Wallace are unopposed, and I’ve got three!”

Emma Ellis-Cosigua and Jose Luis Santiago speak to the Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association

Urban League hosts ‘Shoes for School’

Bruce comes back Former UT coach Bruce Pearl was in town last week for a check presentation to a charity he helped launch.

August 12, 2015

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By Betty Bean Before the Knoxville chapter of the Women Veterans of America started talking about it, who remembered that Sharps Ridge Memorial Park was dedicated to veterans? Earlier this Jessica King year, WVA Commander Jessica King started thinking about the ethical responsibilities of using donated money wisely. “We decided to have a big project to spend our money on, rather than just sharing it with other non-profits, and we thought we’d ask the city to find us a park that we could help clean it up and dedicate to veterans. In the process of my research, I discovered that Sharps Ridge was dedicated as a memorial to veterans when it opened in 1953.” When she reported this information back to city officials, they asked where she had found the

Sharps Ridge Memorial Park

Photo courtesy of Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood As-

sociation

information. “On the city website,” she said. She also found evidence of the park’s purpose in the form of a stone monument halfway up the ridge that says, “Dedicated in the year 1953 to veterans of all wars. Made possible by subscriptions from public spirited citizens of Knox County, Tennessee.” What emerged after meetings

with Knoxville Parks and Recreation director Joe Walsh and parks maintenance superintendent Mike Harris is a plan to clear the brush around the scenic overlook on the south side of the ridge and to establish an overlook on the north side as well. The stone monument, which has been obscured by heavy overgrowth, would be moved to the south overlook, which has a com-

manding view of the Smokies. Flags will be placed there, and the group is going to look into the possibility of paving the area with memorial bricks. If fundraising efforts pick up, they will also look at installing picnic and playground areas. Some of the property on the ridge is in private hands, including a swath owned by WATE-TV, whose general manager Dean Littleton attended last week’s WVA meeting. Littleton told the group that WATE is preparing to take down one of its towers, which will free up more space for recreational use, and likely will cooperate with their efforts in any way possible. WVA is looking to fill volunteer positions on construction, landscaping, fundraising, accounting and finance, procurement, public affairs and marketing committees, as well. King started a fundraising page asking for help and has been disappointed with the results. Info: www.wvachapter44 .org and the fund-raising site, gofundme.com/sharpsridge

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