North/East Shopper-News 110514

NORTH / EAST VOL. 2 NO. 44

IN THIS ISSUE

A-E students thrive at Fair

www.ShopperNewsNow.com |

Light for a new year

Read Patricia Williams on page 3

Next is depression Superintendent James McIntyre appears to be in the third stage of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) in coming to terms with the loss of his 8-1 majority on school board.

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Read Betty Bean on page 4 Shobhitswarup Swami leads the East Tennessee Hindu fellowship in celebrating Diwali, the Hindu new year. He is doing aarti, a series of ritual motions with a lamp lit by clarified butter flames.

Mike Hammond tackles new job Mike Hammond said he’d clean up the Criminal, General Sessions and Fourth Circuit Court Clerk’s office, and two months after taking office, he’s well on his way.

It used to take hours, days or even weeks to locate documents in the dead file office, he says. But after filing approximately 200,000 documents, staff was recently able to locate the record of a 1992 traffic violation, which allowed a resident to pay his fine and renew his driver’s license. Without the record, the county would have had to forgo the fee.

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Read Wendy Smith on page 5

Smokin’ Butz BBQ You won’t see 18-wheelers at Parton’s Smokin Butz BBQ, 10211 Chapman Highway, but don’t bother if you expect white tablecloths and candlelight.

Your snobbery will only cause you to miss one of the top-three best-tasting smoked brisket sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. And the beans? No. 1, hands down.

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Read the Mystery Diner on page7

Holiday artists As we head into the holiday season, it’s a good idea to take a look at ways to make giftgiving more meaningful. Many of us are considering options other than the plastic and the prefab – original art, for example.

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Read Carol Shane on page7

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ET Hindu families kick off 2071 with Diwali celebration

By Bill Dockery

Students in the culinary arts program at Austin-East High School recently kicked it up a notch. Under the tutelage of UT grad and chef Joslyn Johnson, they competed in the Tennessee Valley Fair Commercial Baking, SkillsUSA and Sugar Bakers Culinary Arts baking competitions, earning three individual first-place and a team secondplace ribbon.

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November 5, 2014

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The new Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is the worship center for East Tennessee Hindus from Johnson City and Pigeon Forge to Oak Ridge and Kingston. Photos by Bill Dockery

While the Vol faithful decked themselves in orange for the traditional UT-Alabama game at Neyland Stadium on a recent October Saturday, the Hindu faithful from around East Tennessee gathered at a new worship center off Strawberry Plains Pike to celebrate the start of a new year with rituals from a 2,000-year tradition.

The center – the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir – is a new place of worship at 602 Brakebill Road where some 400 Hindus staged their annual Diwali celebration, the Festival of Lights that rang in the year 2071 on the lunar calendar they use.

“We mark Diwali to wish for peace, prosperity and happiness,” said Manish Bhatt, who drove in from Morristown to participate.

The center opened in September 2013 and serves Hindu families living in the greater Knoxville area. Worshippers came to the new year service from Kingston, Oak Ridge, Pigeon Forge, Jefferson City, Morristown and Johnson City. The fellowship associated with the center is known as a satsang, or “good company.”

The service began with men and women seated on separate sides of a worship space that featured an elaborate gilded facade housing figurines representing various Hindu deities. Liturgy and chanting was led by Pu. Shobhitswarup Swami and Pu. Nirdosh Swurup Swami, two orange-robed holy men who came from Atlanta for the celebration.

Worshippers offered food to the deities on the altar, and the swamis led the group in the aarti ritual, which involves swinging lit lamps to illuminate the deities.

The festivities included a celebration of Diwali for children, themed “The Truth Always To page 3

My Son Shines at Carter Park A mother’s dream

By Patricia Williams Michael and Julie Limbaugh were happily anticipating an addition to their young family when Dierks arrived on Jan. 3, 2014.

The trip home from the hospital was happy. Their bouncing baby boy had passed all the immediate neonatal tests with flying colors. “The nurse even referred to him as perfect,” says Julie.

“I will check on my boys

ent with Dierks.

But when he was just 2 days old, Julie laid Dierks down, only to come back 12 minutes later and notice his chest was not moving.

A mandated enzyme deficiency screening had been performed on Dierks, but the results took five days to return. By then, an autopsy had already revealed his cause of death.

Many times misdiagnosed as SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), an enzyme deficiency known The Limbaughs enjoy a recent family outing. Photo submitted as medium-chain acylcoenzyme dehydrogenase when they’re asleep, look- moving up and down,” says deficiency, or MCADD, had ing to see that their chest is Julie, and it was no differ- prevented Dierks’ system

from metabolizing food into energy. Although he was eating and eliminating properly, Dierks wasn’t getting sufficient nourishment. Sadly, the disorder is 100 percent curable with dietary adjustments when detected in time.

Still grieving her loss months later, Julie took her sons Drake, 7, and Deegan, 2, to a park. While watching her boys play, she got an idea that made her smile for the first time in a long while.

She would build a park in Dierks’ honor. Thus, the My To page 3

KCEA presidency could be next political fray

By Betty Bean Political junkies worried about going into withdrawal after the Nov. 4 elections can rest easy – there’s a fi x waiting right around the corner.

The Knox County Education Association will be choosing a new president this winter, a biennial event that doesn’t usually attract a lot of attention outside the professional circle of teachers who are participants.

But this year could be different.

School news has been big news in Knox County in 2014. High-profile administrators have been taken down by high-profile scandals while Superintendent James McIntyre has come under increasing scrutiny, the glittering state and national “report cards” notwithstanding.

School board races attracted more attention than county com-

Hopson

Coats

mission races in August, and one candidate in this week’s special District 2 Board of Education race will probably set a new record for school board fundraising. McIntyre has remained relentlessly upbeat even while drawing increasingly harsh criticism from Mayor Tim Burchett.

During this time, KCEA president Tanya Coats has represented Knox County’s teachers and has sat through some long, conten-

tious meetings. Throughout the year, her tone has been respectful of McIntyre and his supporters.

Recently, however, she has expressed dissatisfaction with the way the superintendent has slowwalked the collaborative conferencing process, which began in October 2011, shortly after the General Assembly stripped teachers of their collective-bargaining and tenure rights under the Professional Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act, which ordered school boards and teachers’ representatives to produce a Memorandum of Understanding regarding teachers’ pay and benefits within three years. Knox County was one of the first local districts to begin the process but will not meet the state’s deadline.

The spark that kindled the explosion of attention to all things

KCS was a speech given by Halls Elementary School third-grade teacher Lauren Hopson, who went before the board last October and gave voice to teachers’ dissatisfaction with local, state and federal laws that she and others believe have burdened children, blamed teachers for societal and environmental factors affecting student performance and loaded educators down with increasingly unreasonable and often counterproductive requirements.

A month after Hopson’s “Tired Teacher” speech went viral on the Internet, more than 300 of her colleagues, sympathetic parents and students showed up at the November school board meeting wearing red to back her up.

Coats will be seeking a second term as KCEA president. Hopson has been nominated, as well.

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2 • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

On the road, pain free and loving it As the caregiver for her husband for years, Karen Keirstead of Loudon, 70, put off tending to her own health problems, including the pain in her lower back.

“The pain started off and on for about four years,” she said. “It started in my feet and ankles, and then moved to my lower back. It would come and then after awhile it would be OK, and then it would come back. My husband had Alzheimer’s disease, and I was taking care of him, so I had to put off anything for me.

“When he passed away, I thought I needed to take care of myself,” she said. “The pain went down my entire left leg. I couldn’t even put my shoes on, tie sneakers. It was so painful because my sciatic nerve was being pinched.”

Keirstead tried chiropractic treatments, an acupuncturist and steroid shots, with none of them bringing permanent relief.

Happily, she also remarried, and Keirstead said her new husband, Jim Lane, began taking care of her as the pain got worse.

“My husband had to help me out of the bed in the morning, give me a hot shower, put ice on my back. That was the only way I could do anything,” she said.

Through a friend, Keirstead heard about Dr. Joel Norman, a neurosurgeon who operates at the Center for Minimally Invasive Spine

cure, but Keirstead wanted to wait.

“We wanted to go on a safari in Kenya!” said Keirstead. “I was trying to get surgery before, but Dr. Norman said that would not be a good thing.”

Instead, Norman worked with Keirstead on a plan that allowed her to safely take the trip.

Upon her return to East Tennessee, Keirstead had surgery in January 2014 at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center.

“By Tuesday, I was no longer taking any kind of pain medicine because I had no pain,” said Keirstead. “I haven’t looked back. I feel fine. I’m back to playing golf again, and taking long trips in the car. I Karen Keirstead and her husband, Jim, toast after a two-week drive from don’t have any more pain Loudon, Tenn., that took them through Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, than somebody 70 years Toronto, Buffalo and finally back home. After minimally invasive spine old would have.” surgery at Fort Sanders Regional, Keirstead was able to make the trip Keirstead said she pain free, even while sitting for hours.

Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional.

In May 2013, Dr. Norman confirmed Keirstead’s diagnosis: spondylolisthesis, which is generally a degenerative condition that results in “slipping” or sublaxtation of one vertebral body over another. This instability puts pressure on the sciatic nerves running down the legs and also causes pain in the lower back.

Surgery to remove the discs and stabilize the vertebrae is an effective

Back and Leg Pain Neck and Arm Pain

NEW RELIEF Fort Sanders Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

What is spondylolisthesis?

Spondylolisthesis is one of the main reasons for spinal fusion surgery, said Norman. At Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, this surgery can be done with a minimally invasive approach.

Using special imaging and instruments, the surgeon operates through several small incisions instead of one large one. The goal is to reposition the bones so they’re not compressing a nerve and to fuse them together, to stabilize the area.

The small incisions mean less blood loss and quicker healing.

“This gets people back on their feet faster and back to regular activity much sooner than a large incision operation does,” said Norman. “After a hospital stay of one to two days, most people return to normal activities within one to four weeks.”

Spondylolisthesis can be caused by an injury or a malformation at birth, but is more often the result of arthritis and aging.

“The typical patient is 50 to 60 years old,” said Norman. “Spondylolisthesis is a condition causing back pain that I feel confident I can fix with an operation,” he said.

“In most cases we’re able to return people to their normal way of living.”

For more information about the Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional, call 865-541-2835 or visit fsregional.com/minimallyinvasive.

Back pain, leg pain, neck pain, arm pain… the root of the problem is often a pinched spinal nerve.

The good news is that now Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center’s physicians use state-of-the-art minimally invasive techniques to perform spine surgery. Compared with traditional open surgery, minimally invasive surgeries offer patients many advantages, including a smaller incision, less postoperative pain, faster recovery and improved outcome.

Non-surgical treatments such as physical therapy and medication should always be tried first. If those don’t help, surgery may be the best option.

Fort Sanders Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Not every one is a candidate for minimally invasive approach to spine surgery.

To learn more about minimally invasive spine surgery, please call 541-2835 or visit fsregional.com/ minimallyinvasive.

Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery www.fsregional.com/minimallyinvasive 8300-1208

Almost everyone experiences back pain – especially lower back pain – at some point in life.

For about 5 to 10 percent of people, back pain comes from a condition called “spondylolisthesis.”

From the Greek words “spondylo,” meaning spine, and “listhesis,” meaning “slip,” spondylolisthesis is when one vertebra slips in relation to another above or below it.

The misalignment can press against a nerve or allow fluid between the vertebrae to bulge and cause a painful cyst. In both cases, the pain can radiate from the back down the leg.

“Spondylolisthesis is often missed on initial MRIs,” said Dr. Joel Norman, a Dr. Joel Norman, neurosurgeon Neurosurgery with the Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional.

The vertebrae tend to slip back in place when the patient is lying down for the MRI scan. To get a better image, the patient must have X-rays standing up or bending forward and leaning back.

“That way you’ll see the slippage of the bones in there,” said Norman. “Usually the person’s pain is much worse when walking or standing.”

would recommend Fort Sanders to anyone facing spinal surgery.

“I thought Fort Sanders was wonderful,” she said. “I was impressed by the fact that there were so many registered nurses on the floor. I thought there would be one for the whole floor, but there were at least three or four of them tending to me, and I was real impressed with that level of care. I can’t say anything bad about it.

“And Dr. Norman is so wonderful. Anytime I met with him, I felt very comfortable; everything he said to me was true.”

This summer, Keirstead returned to her normal activities, including golfing and a two-week road trip to Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit and Toronto.

“We drove the whole way! I haven’t done any bungee jumping yet, but I feel great,” she said.

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community

NORTH/EAST Shopper news • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • 3

Devon Petty won first place at Tennessee Valley Fair in the fondant icing category with this creepy crawly spider cake.

Austin-East Culinary Arts II students participating in the Tennessee Valley Fair baking competitions were: (front) Tkeya McCulley and Coneisha Bowers; (back) Anthony Barnes, Allen Young, Devon Petty and Quanello Evans. Not pictured: Santasia Cason.

Edible art earns ribbons Students in the culinary arts program at Austin-East High School recently kicked it up a notch. Under the tuPatricia telage of UT grad and chef Williams Joslyn Johnson, they competed in the Tennessee Valley Fair Commercial Baking, SkillsUSA and Sugar Bak- individual first-place and a ers Culinary Arts baking team second-place ribbon. competitions, earning three Anthony Barnes enjoys

cooking when he is not wearing the #78 jersey as an offensive/defensive lineman for the Roadrunners.

For the baking competition, Barnes drew inspiration from his childhood memories of “Sesame Street” with a Cookie Monster cake, winning first place in the butter crème icing category. “I

Halloween fun

Light for a new year Prevails.”

Ashwin Bramhmbhatt, an engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge, estimates that as many as 1,000 Hindu families live in the greater

his mouth,” said Barnes.

If you don’t like spiders, you might’ve had trouble with Devon Petty’s spider cake, first-place winner for fondant icing. “Cooking is fun and helps me relieve stress,” said Petty.

Quanello Evans, who wants to be a computer engineer, came away with first place in fondant cupcakes Quanello Evans repurposed for clown faces complete waffle cones as hats for cup- with waffle-cone hats.

Accolades are still to cakes, earning him a firstcome. Students in the adplace ribbon. vanced class will compete to create a themed table setting thought it would be a nice and menu using their own touch to crumble a cookie in recipes. The winner will be

featured on WBIR’s “Live at Five at Four” in December.

The classes’ work is available for catering to the community. It can be a full menu, boxed lunches, cakes, cookies or snack trays. “This helps to fund contest entry fees and other expenses,” explained Johnson. Because she keeps her students busy, you might want to place your order early.

Give the students a try for your upcoming holiday meals and parties. Call the school at 865-594-3792. Chef Johnson welcomes your support.

My son shines

voting too much of herself to the “My Son Shines” project. That’s when Drake stepped in. He had earned $10 walking a neighbor’s dog. Instead of putting it in the bank, he chose to “give it to the playground.” Julie then knew she was doing the right thing.

The Limbaughs can be contacted at jmclimbaugh@ gmail.com or 865-748-0167.

Donations may be made to the My Son Shines fund through the East Tennessee Foundation at www.easttennfoundation.org. Be sure to designate your contribution to the My Son Shines fund.

Son Shines project was born.

Her inspiration was “You Are My Sunshine,” which mothers in Julie’s family have sung to their children for generations. The song was also sung at Dierks’ funeral service.

Julie has partnered with Knox County Parks and Recreation to enhance Carter Park. Her mission is to raise $70,000 to add components to the park that replicate outdoor activities such as kayaking, rafting, climbing and zip-lining, with consideration for chil-

The weather did not deter Kimberley Tucker and her clan. They celebrated at Knoxville Center mall.

From page 1

Knoxville community. Almost all the participants hail from Gujarat, a state in far west India.

The sect of Hinduism is known as BAPI Swaminarayan Sanstha. It focuses on

both spirituality and social service, and its followers abstain from alcohol and other addictions, adultery, eating meat and impurities of body and mind. Worldwide, the sect supports hospitals and other charitable institutions aimed at helping people.

Student Breiana Johnson stands with culinary arts teacher chef Joslyn Johnson (no relation). Photos by Patricia Williams

From page 1 dren with special needs.

So far, two fundraising events have garnered a drop in the bucket toward the goal. Under her agreement with Knox County, she has three years to raise $70,000. That’s when Carter Park is scheduled for an allocation of county funds for basic upkeep.

But Julie is not deterred.

“I have found healing in the planning and execution process,” she says.

At one point, Julie was concerned she may be de-

Patricia Williams can be reached at patwilpower@gmail.com.

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4 • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • Shopper news

Reporter’s notebook: Next stop – Just about everybody’s got election fatigue, including whoever did the graphics for the state GOP’s TV ad featuring Gov. Bill Haslam and District 13 state House candidate Eddie Smith exchanging manly grins at the Tennessee/Alabama game.

Beneath them is a bunch of Benjamins with this caption: “Balenced Budgets.”

■ On the morning after Election Day, political operatives are declared goats or geniuses. But however the District 2 school board race goes, Gary Drinnen and Joe May, who ran Tracie Sanger’s campaign, look like winners.

Sanger, who made a big splash when she logged more than $44,000 in con-

Betty Bean tributions in the campaign’s first reporting period (most of it from outside her district), reported only about 10 percent of that ($4,355) in the second reporting period.

Sanger has reported paying nearly $20,000 to Drinnen’s Targeted Strategies and owing another $8,102. May & Associates got $2,868.64 for signs, so with another financial disclosure to go, it appears that the consultants will have sucked up nearly threequarters of Sanger’s record take.

■ Superintendent James McIntyre appears to be in the third stage of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) in coming to terms with the loss of his 8-1 majority on school board.

In an Oct. 30 email to the board members but not to the media, McIntyre announced his intention to drop the magnet school portion of the proposed Bearden Middle School International Baccalaureate program. He said this

depression

change cuts the cost of the program from $747,000 per year to around $500,000, “… in recognition that the 2016 budget appears to be a very challenging one.”

Board chair Mike McMillan still has his doubts.

“Dr. McIntyre’s been very emphatic from the start of the discussion that he can find the money, and by reducing this cost, apparently he feels he can gain support from a board member or two that had reservations about the original cost. But the fact still remains that we’re spending a half million dollars that we do not have, and by his own admission, the money’s going to be short. What’s going to be cut out of the budget?

At this point in time I don’t think he can tell us.”

■ The second example came after District 9 board member Amber Roun-

tree demonstrated that she wasn’t going to be cajoled, bullied or bored into dropping her opposition to the SAT-10 exam, which is administered to Knox County’s youngest students (kindergarten through second-graders).

First, McIntyre changed its name to K-2. Rountree wasn’t impressed.

Then he announced that he’d stop making kindergarten students take it.

Here’s what Rountree said about that on her Facebook page: “Not giving up on my 1st & 2nd grade teachers or kiddos.”

Later, she said she won’t be satisfied with a third of a loaf (which means, of course, that she will continue to push to abolish the whole thing, whatever its name).

Next stop: depression.

GOSSIP AND LIES ■ Welcome to a political section that was printed pre-election for your reading pleasure on the day after the election.

■ When Betty Bean turned in a headline on “depression,” we thought she meant her own.

■ WATE-TV has decided to go forward without anchor Gene

Patterson. That’s a shame.

Gene’s contract ends in December.

■ Gene gets credit for reviving “Tennessee This Week,” the Sunday talk show that’s fun to watch, despite George Korda.

■ Just when they’re needed the most, it’s open season on reporters.

Law school enrollment down

Law student enrollment at the University of Tennessee College of Law is down substantially from last year.

In 2013 there were 158 firstyear students, and this year there were 95 with 10 added as transfers. In 2012 there were 120 entering students.

The goal is to get the entering class of law students back to 150 while maintaining diversity and academic standards.

Law dean Doug Blaze says this is a nationwide trend due to a smaller job market for law graduates.

Also, there are more law schools in the United States now than 15 years ago. UT is not filling positions such as retiring professor Carl Pierce’s to accommodate this reduction.

Blaze says it’s too early to determine whether the reduction will be the new normal or is a one-time aberration. He feels the freeze in law school tuition will assist in attracting students. Plus, a new state law allows military veterans anywhere in the U.S. to enroll at in-state tuition fees for law school that is less than $20,000 a year, whereas out-of-state tuition for law school at UT exceeds $37,000 a year.

Interestingly, the percentage of female law graduates, which was 50 percent only a few years ago, has

Victor Ashe

dropped to 40 percent this past year.

■ The Urban Land Institute, which spent four days in Knoxville a few weeks ago at a cost of $125,000, has issued its thought-provoking report on a vision for downtown.

ULI came to Knoxville at the urging of council member Duane Grieve. They had been here more than 14 years ago when they recommended World’s Fair Park as the site for the convention center. That occurred.

This year they state clearly that the green space on the west side of the World’s Fair Park should be preserved and not turned over to UT for a new theater or school.

As you may recall, Mayor Rogero established a task force with UT to look at the World’s Fair Park. It held numerous meetings at the Holiday Inn. Fort Sanders neighborhood was denied a seat at the table but could attend meetings. Many felt this was a cover to develop

(remove) the green lawn at the park. Deputy Mayor Bill Lyons was the prime mover behind this at city hall. The ULI report pushes Lyons back.

The ULI report should bury that idea. People like Randall De Ford, Fort Sanders supporter and architect, are thrilled that ULI took their side of the issue and are still disappointed that the city administration did not include them on a task force that impacted their neighborhood.

While ULI does not officially kill off this development, it is hard to imagine their insight would be ignored, and it gives Mayor Rogero a graceful way out of this controversy by deferring to this report on this issue.

■ Bill Baxter, Knoxville resident and owner of Holston Gases, spends a week a month in Jackson Hole, Wyo., where he is the owner of the historic Wort Hotel (see www.worthotel. com). Baxter is a former chair of TVA and commissioner of economic development for Gov. Sundquist.

This historic hotel was featured in the New York Times Sunday travel section, and the Wort was named Best Small Historic Hotel in America by its 300 peer historic hotels. Also,

it received the Four Star Award from Forbes Travel.

It is located in the center of Jackson Hole, which is near Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone.

■ Three former American ambassadors currently live in East Tennessee, but the number will expand to four in a few years with the planned move of Jim Knight to Tellico upon his retirement as ambassador to Chad. Knight was previously ambassador to Benin. He has also served in other African nations including Nigeria, Angola, Cape Verde Islands, The Gambia, Madagascar and desk officer for Ethiopia.

The current former ambassadors here are Cran Montgomery (Oman), Margaret Scobey (Egypt and Syria) and this writer (Poland).

■ The oldest current U.S. senator is Diane Feinstein of California at 81, with Lamar Alexander the 15th oldest current senator at 74. He will become the 12th oldest senator as three older than he are retiring this year: John Rockefeller of West Virginia, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Carl Levin of Michigan, all Democrats.

Bob Corker is the 54th oldest senator now at 62. After January 2015, he will be the 51st oldest senator due to these three retirements.

Pumpkin season

By Bob Collier This is pumpkin season. A recent item in the news tells us that this year has seen a bumper crop of pumpkins in Tennessee.

Folks with pickup trucks and flatbed trailers loaded with the big orange vegetables tool up and down the roads and byways, offering a selection of this year’s big crop.

There was a blurb on the evening news about a fellow who had won a blue ribbon at his state fair for coming up with a 2,040-pound pumpkin.

They showed the prizewinning behemoth being transported with big straps, dangling from a front-end loader.

Just imagine how many people you could feed with a couple of acres of those babies! By my careful and exacting calculations, a one-ton pumpkin should produce 800 pumpkin pies, or about 6,400 good servings. That should take care of most any family gathering, including all the cousins and in-laws, plus any strangers that happened to show up.

Pumpkins are in the same family as other winter squash, of which there are many. They’re not just to carve into jack-o’lanterns for Halloween; they’re good food. They are native to the New World, and early colonists here discovered them being grown by the Native Americans. Our newly immigrated European ancestors quickly adopted pumpkins as a major food source. We are told that pumpkins saved any number of the early settlers from winter starvation.

The early New Englanders initially fi xed a pumpkin by cutting out the top, jack-o’-lantern style, removing the pulp and seeds, and then pouring in cream, honey and spices. The “lid” was put back on and the whole thing roasted in the coals of the fireplace. When it was done, they ate the resulting product right out of the pumpkin, like a pudding.

That sounds like a satisfactory way to fend off starvation. But they did go on to develop pumpkin pie, more or less as we do it today. Sugar was unavailable as a sweetener, hence the honey in the pumpkin pudding.

They also used molasses as a sweetener, and one account tells of a group of Connecticut pioneers postponing Thanksgiving until they could solve the problem of getting molasses for their pumpkin pies.

With cool frosty air and falling leaves, we instinctively turn to foods that seem appropriate to the season. We’ve gone from greens, green onions and new potatoes, through okra and tomatoes, to autumn foods.

November doesn’t feel exactly right for key lime pie, either. I have a theory that says we’ve been given pumpkin pie to help our systems transition from the lighter summer desserts to the glorious pecan pie and eggnog of the high winter holidays. I like to use all parts of this theory.

Pumpkin seeds are a tasty treat, especially when roasted and salted. And thick, greenish pumpkin seed oil is usually mixed with other oils to give a distinctive flavor to cooking oils and salad dressings.

But back to that pumpkin pie – don’t forget the spices. Remember the word “spices” in the Pilgrims’ pumpkin pudding recipe? One of our popular fast-food establishments advertised its milkshake flavor for October as “pumpkin spice.”

The spices usually used in pumpkin pie recipes combine with the flavor of the pumpkin itself to give us that distinctive yummy flavor we’ve become accustomed to.

Consultation with my go-to encyclopedia of culinary information, Rombauer and Becker’s “Joy of Cooking,” plus a conversation with my knowledgeable chef daughter, tells me the proper spices for a pecan pie are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves or allspice.

Those spices had been known to European cooks for centuries, even though they originated in such tropical climates as the West Indies, Southeast Asia and India. Even in the snowy wilderness of colonial New England, those folks would have had those spices available. Most likely, each family would have brought some of each of those rare and precious cooking treasures into their New World home, and then, using their cooking skills, applied those exotic spices to that wonderful new vegetable, the pumpkin.

Perhaps thinking back on those determined folks hammering out an existence in wintry New England, and their pausing long enough to enjoy a spicy piece of pumpkin pie created from a newfound local food, will add a little pleasure to your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. A dollop of whipped cream won’t hurt either.

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Shopper news • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • 5

No more ‘whipping boys’ in clerk’s office

By Wendy Smith Mike Hammond said he’d clean up the Criminal, General Sessions and Fourth Circuit Court Clerk’s office, and two months after taking office, he’s well on his way.

It used to take hours,

days or even weeks to locate documents in the dead file office, he says. But after filing approximately 200,000 documents, staff was recently able to locate the record of a 1992 traffic violation, which allowed a

resident to pay his fine and renew his driver’s license.

Without the record, the county would have had to forgo the fee.

Better records mean better collecting, which is one of his goals. The office col-

Organizing records, improving collections and updating technology are a few of Clerk Mike Hammond’s goals since taking office in September. Photo by Wendy Smith

lected $11.3 million last year.

Hammond, who was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame during his 40-year radio career, wasn’t the obvious choice to straighten out the clerk’s office, but attention to detail is vitally important in the radio business, he says, because everything that happens on air requires a paper trail.

“The principles are the same. It’s just a different magnitude.”

Indeed. Everything that happens in the courts produces documents that must be managed. There are hundreds of cases each day, and court lasts until 2 or 3 p.m.

That leaves little time for filing before the day is over and the process starts all over again, he says.

Managing that much data is a challenge, but it’s a responsibility Hammond takes personally.

Frankenstein meets the dummies Let’s push Halloween out a few days on the calendar.

Some horrifying creatures turn up in early November, and at least one is a cinch to appear on every ballot in every election.

Crazed politicians are nothing new (see McCarthy, et al.), but the increase in wacko, scary folks occupying legislative seats since President Barack Obama’s election is unprecedented.

Sarah Palin may have been “sui generis” (a species unto herself), but her lunatic ramblings were an inspiration.

Dozens of political wannabes have looked at Palin and thought, “If that’s what

Larry Van Guilder

the people want, I can deliver.”

Now (thank you, John McCain), some call themselves lawmakers.

Ghoul #1: Arizona state Rep. Debbie Lesko, granddaughter of Frankenstein A couple of years ago Lesko introduced a bill that would have allowed businesses and insurance com-

panies to deny coverage for birth-control pills for religious reasons.

The bill made the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Hobby Lobby case, which applied only to family-owned businesses, appear timid. For example, it would allow employers to require proof of a medical prescription for women who used birth-control pills for hormone treatment.

Republican women will yet disenfranchise themselves, but this effort narrowly failed in the Arizona Senate.

Ghoul #2: U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, grandson of Frankenstein

Santorum had a couple of terms behind him before Obama came along, but the sex-obsessed Pennsylvania Republican’s ideological paternity of smaller fry like Lesko can’t be ignored.

In a 2011 interview Santorum blathered about the “dangers” of contraception.

“It’s not OK,” Santorum said. “It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.”

(No doubt Jesus advises the senator on how things are supposed to be.)

Santorum embodies H.L. Mencken’s take on Puritanism as, “The haunting fear that someone, somewhere,

government “It’s not a flippant thing.

Each record represents a person. I don’t understand why it wasn’t done properly.”

That’s why real-time data entry is one of his top priorities. Clerks are being trained to enter data digitally while they’re in the courtroom, and Hammond plans to hire three more.

Improved technology is another. Typewriters were still being used when Hammond came into office.

Computers and software in all three divisions are being replaced, and training sessions for Windows 13 are currently in progress.

Another upgrade is in the works for the jury room.

The addition of television monitors and audio equipment will allow juries to review testimony or evidence, like 911 calls, without leaving the room.

Through all the changes, the staff has been great,

Hammond says. In addition to the enormous task of reorganization, the clerk’s office has been reviewing files to make sure no more mistakes are made. Recently, 4,260 individuals were identified as possibly not being up-to-date on payments, and errors were found in the records of 10 that could have resulted in wrongful arrests.

It’s all about being proactive in keeping mistakes from happening, he says.

The staff has also been playing catch-up with the criminal court appeals records. When Hammond came into office, the recording of minutes was behind by 15 months. Now, the process is behind just three or four months.

The staff is tired of being the “whipping boy” of the City County Building, says Hammond.

“They’ve got direction now.”

may be happy.”

Ghoul #3: U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, bride of Frankenstein If Blackburn’s parents had practiced birth control more assiduously, Tennesseans would not be afflicted with this narcissistic halfwit today. The Mississippi native never met a camera she didn’t love or a foot that wouldn’t fit in her perpetual-motion mouth.

Blackburn introduced legislation to delay implementation of the Affordable Care Act by one year at the same time that Tennessee passed on expanding Medicaid.

She’s been named one of the most corrupt members of Congress by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Wash-

ington for repeated failures to file accurate campaign finance reports.

She was one of six Republican sponsors of the “birther bill” that would require future presidential candidates to produce a birth certificate.

We can’t do justice in this space to the fatuous philosophy of the Tennessee Twit. But rumor has it she is considering a presidential run in 2016, so we’re sure to hear more from the Volunteer State’s answer to Michele Bachmann all too soon.

The Dr. Frankenstein who unlocked the crypts of creeps like Lesko, Santorum and Blackburn lurks in our mirrors. By not demanding better, we get the government we deserve.

Are You at Risk for

COPD?

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a major cause of illness and the third leading cause of death. However, many people don’t realize they have the disease.

• Do you cough several times most days?

• Do you bring up phlegm or mucus most days?

• Do you get out of breath?

• Are you over 40 years old?

• Are you a current smoker or an ex-smoker?

If you answer yes to three or more of the above questions, you may be at risk for COPD. Call 865-305-6970 to schedule a free screening.

Our Mission To serve through healing, education and discovery

Open House Sunday, November 16 2:00pm - 4:00pm Ages 2 through eighth grade.

Individualized academic instruction and enrichment.

Wednesday, November 19 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The University of Tennessee Medical Center Heart Lung Vascular Institute

The University of Tennessee Medical Center in conjunction with University Pulmonary and Critical Care is offering this free screening in recognition of World COPD day.

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6 • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • Shopper news

“The Red Skiff” by George Rothery was chosen as a finalist in Artist Magazine’s 2014 competition. Photo by George

“Breaking Close to Shore” will be one of George Rothery’s paintings on view at the Art Market Gallery in November. Photo by George Rothery

Local artists add to

Rothery

holiday joy

As we head into the holiday season, it’s a good idea to take a look at ways to make gift-giving more meaningful. Many of us are considering options other than the plastic and the prefab – original art, for example.

Knoxville is blessed with many craftspeople and artists, and two venues are celebrating that abundance with shows opening this month.

The Art Market Gallery on Gay Street will present their artists of the month, Kathy Lovelace and George Rothery, at an opening reception on First Friday, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., Nov. 7.

The show runs through Nov. 30.

Carol Shane

Considering the number of water lovers, boaters and fishing enthusiasts in the area, these two artists will have a wide appeal. They both specialize in marine subjects.

Born into an Air Force family, Lovelace and her brother – a talented commercial artist – were always encouraged to draw. “Most rainy days,” she says on her website, you could find the two of them “lying on the

family living room floor, with crayons, markers and pencils in hand, drawing on leftover end rolls of newsprint provided by their uncle who worked in the press room at the local newspaper office.”

She made a career in banking but took art classes along the way, and her love of drawing, creating and making things with her hands has grown over the years.

From her website: “Most of Kathy’s paintings are functional art in that they are depicted on small furniture and accessory pieces for the home, such as trays, stools, boxes, etc. The painted surfaces are protected with ten coats of polycrylic

3-D artist Kathy Lovelace paints marine life on functional objects. Photo by Kathy Lovelace

making each item entirely safe to use without fear of damaging the underlying painting.”

So if you have a trout lover in your life, check out some of Lovelace’s work. Oh – did I mention she specializes in big, gorgeous multicolored Smoky Mountain rainbow trout? She paints brook and brown trout, too. Her husband is an avid fly fisherman, and his love of sport fishing led her to choose the iconic fish as her subjects.

George Rothery’s oil and acrylic paintings center on beachscapes, seascapes and portraits of sea vessels. In fact, he’ll paint a portrait of your boat if you want him to – his website offers infor-

mation on how to commission such an artwork.

His masterful paintings show a passion for sea life.

“My family’s summer house was on an island in New Jersey between the ocean and Barnegat Bay,” Rothery recalls. “I grew up around boats. It’s in my blood.”

Some of the paintings are so vivid that they give a feel of photo-realism. Others have a more impressionistic quality. All are first-rate.

Rothery was named as a finalist in the 2014 Artist Magazine Competition.

“Considering that there were 7,500 entries,” he says, “I’m real pleased to be included!”

Info: www.artmarket gallery.net; 865-525-5265.

■ The Fountain City Arts Center kicks off its holiday art show with a reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14. The public is invited.

Sylvia Williams, director of the Fountain City Art Guild, says the event will showcase two-dimensional art of all types – watercolor, oil, acrylic and more. “We’re considering adding 3-D,” she says, “but not for this show.” She adds that the FCAG mounts two shows per year. “We meet once a month, and people are always encouraged to join.”

The holiday show runs through Dec. 18. Info: http://fountaincityartctr. com; 865-357-2787.

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When: Sunday, November 9 • 6:00pm doors open at 5pm Where: New Beverly Baptist Church 3320 New Beverly Church Rd., Knoxville, TN 37918

Info: 546-0001 or

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Directions: No admission charge, but a love offering will be taken.

Worship with us!!

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Shopper news • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • 7

Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ looms on movie horizon

Most filmgoers know director Christopher Nolan for his angst-ridden Batman movies: “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight” rises.

weekender THURSDAY-SATURDAY ■ “A Nice Family Gathering” presented by the Powell Playhouse, Jubilee Banquet Facility, 6700 Jubilee Center Way. Performances: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7 p.m.

Saturday. Tickets: $10 at the door. Dinner, $15, or lunch, $10, available before performances. Meal reservations/times: 865-938-2112.

Betsy Pickle

THROUGH SUNDAY, NOV. 16

But Nolan also has another series – his “I” movies: “Insomnia,” “Inception” and now “Interstellar,” opening Friday. OK, they’re not really connected – other than beginning with an “I,” featuring striking visuals and (though “Interstellar” still is an unknown) thought-provoking inner dramas.

As the name suggests, “Interstellar” takes place in outer space, where a team of explorers looks beyond our solar system for a planet that will sustain human life as Earth is no longer able to do so. A wormhole lets them travel farther and faster than ever before, but every hour they’re in it amounts to seven years on Earth, so the pressure is on.

The “stellar” cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Wes Bentley, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Topher Grace and Casey Affleck.

Keira Knightley plays a young woman having problems finding direction in life in “Laggies.”

Knightley plays Megan, a 28-year-old content with working odd jobs for her father (Jeff Garlin) instead of using her degrees in an actual career. She gets a real-

■ “4000 Miles” by contemporary playwright Amy Herzog, Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave. The production is performed without an intermission and contains adult content and language. Info/performance schedule/tickets: 865-9745161 or clarencebrowntheatre.com.

FRIDAY Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and David Oyelowo are on a mission to save humanity in “Interstellar.”

■ Opening reception for exhibit of art and creations in celebration of the Day of the Dead, 5-9 p.m., the Emporium, 100 S. Gay St. Free. Exhibit will continue through November. Info: www.holafestival.org.

■ Opening reception for Art Market Gallery November featured artists George Rothery and Kathy Lovelace exhibit, 5:30-9 p.m., Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St. Info: 865-5255265, or visit artmarketgallery.net, or facebook.com/Art. Market.Gallery.

■ Public reception for “In/finite Earth” exhibition, 5-9 p.m., the Balcony gallery of the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St. Exhibit features work by 15 emerging young artists with disabilities. Info: www.theemporiumcenter.com/visit.html.; 865-523-7543; www.knoxalliance.com.

Megan (Keira Knightley) symbolically keeps herself off the fast track by hanging out with a turtle in “Laggies.” ity check at her 10-year high school reunion, where she learns that all her friends are embracing adulthood with jobs and spouses and kids, and she hits full panic mode when her boyfriend (Mark Webber) pops a surprise proposal.

Instead of dealing with her issues, Megan hides out in the home of Annika, a teenager (Chloe Grace

Moretz) she’s just met, and Annika’s single dad (Sam Rockwell).

Lynn Shelton (“Hump Day”) directed the romantic comedy.

Also opening Friday is “Big Hero 6,” an animated action-comedy adventure from the team behind “Frozen” and “Wreck-It Ralph.”

Set in the fictional city of San Fransokyo, the film is

about a troubled 14-year-old genius who bonds with a cutting-edge robot as they work with his nerd friends to solve a dangerous mystery. The film was inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name.

The vocal cast includes Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Damon Wayans, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk and Maya Rudolph. Don Hall and Chris Williams directed.

Plate it

Parton’s Smokin Butz BBQ My grandpa, at the rare times he ventured out of the county, always wanted to eat where the truck drivers ate. Of course, he preferred that Grandma pack a fried bologna sandwich to eat in the car, but if she was hankering for a meal out on the road, he looked for the parking lot with the most 18-wheelers.

I guess that’s why I’m not a fast-food fan. It’s hard for “two all-beef patties” to live up to fried bologna or a truck-stop burger.

You won’t see 18-wheelers at Parton’s Smokin Butz BBQ, 10211 Chapman Highway, but don’t bother if you expect white tablecloths and candlelight. Your snobbery will only cause you to miss one of the top-three best-tasting smoked brisket

■ Alive After Five concert: CD Release Party for Steve Brown’s “Threnody,” 6-8:30 p.m., Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive. Tickets: $10; $5 for members/students. Info: 865-934-2039.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY ■ Dessert theatre production of “I Hate Shakespeare,” 7 p.m., Halls High cafeteria, Presented by the Halls High Masquerade Players. Tickets: adults, $10; children under 12, $5.

Includes show and choice of dessert and drink. Tickets: Kim Hurst, 865-922-7757 or kim.hurst@knoxschools.org by 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5.

SUNDAY ■ Hard Knox Roller Girls intraleague bout featuring Machine Gun Kellys vs. Black Bettys, 6 p.m., Smoky Mountain Skate Center, 2801 E. Broadway, Maryville. Open skate, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Ticket prices include skate rental. Info: www. hardknoxrollergirls.com.

■ Sing Out Knoxville, a folk singing circle, 7-9 p.m., Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike.

Songbooks are provided. Info: bobgrimac@gmail.com or 865-546-5643.

Pike; $75. Featuring Frederick the tenderness of the meat, Wildman Imports. and piled high on the bun.

Even without the truck ■ UT Culinary benefit for Angelic Ministries – 6:30 to 8 drivers, Grandpa would p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, Univerhave been happy.

Mystery Diner

sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.

And the beans? No. 1, hands down.

The beans were an easy winner for me because I’m a baked-beans purist. They will add pork to them – for 99 cents – but as they come, these are basic, old-fashioned, saucy/sweet baked beans, and they are lick-thebowl delicious. Well, don’t lick the bowl … Break off a piece of your bun and sop up what’s left.

You can get the brisket on a bun or as a platter. I chose the bun (see above).

■ First Friday Gallery, 6-9 p.m., Downtown African American Art Gallery, Suite 106, The Emporium Building, 100 S. Gay St. Artist Hawa Ware will be spearheading an ongoing effort to raise awareness, funds and resources to help aid “No condition is permanent” in her country, Liberia, West Africa.

Parton’s Smokin Butz BBQ, 10211 Chapman Highway, 865-773-0473.

Upcoming food events: No points for plating, but close your eyes and dig in for a lipsmacking beef brisket and beans at Parton’s Smokin Butz BBQ.

It was fork-tender, smoky and cooked perfectly. The seasoning was mild, so the diner can choose whether to eat it just as it is or sauce it up with Parton’s sweet or original barbecue sauce. I chose original for half, then put sweet on the other half

■ KaTom’s Cooking Class with Chef Christopher Pease of Echo Bistro and Wine Bar – 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5 at KaTom’s, 305 KaTom Drive, Kodak; $30. Menu includes Thai beef Nicoise salad with ginger lime dressing, sautéed Thai shrimp pasta and Thai mango rum flambé with coconut sticky rice. 865-2251559.

and loved them both.

Brisket has to be tender and juicy and properly sliced. I always chop mine up, but that’s just a thing with me. Parton’s brisket sandwich was sliced to a ■ Naples/Ashe’s Winery Dinmedium thickness, showing ner – 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at Naples, 5500 Kingston they had justified faith in

sity of Tennessee Conference Center, 600 Henley St.; $150 for table of eight. “Catering to Broken Lives” is an Angelic Ministries fundraising dinner to be presented by students of the University of Tennessee Culinary Certification Program. Tickets: Dana Wallace at 865-705-7115

■ Caymus Wine Dinner at Bistro By the Tracks – 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 17, at Bistro, 215 Brookview Centreway; $100.

Featuring chef-prepared dinner paired with wines of Caymus Vineyards in Napa Valley.

Reservations: 865-558-9500 Send upcoming restaurant events to news@shoppernewsnow.com.

ABSOLUTE ESTATE AUCTION

Adopt a pet today!

Saturday, November 8 • 1:00pm

Your new best friend is waiting at Yo ung-Williams Animal Center.

To settle estate of Mary Lynn and Louis Riddle, Sr. 3BR/2BA, all brick basement rancher located at

Visit our two Knoxville locations to find a dog, cat or other furry friend in need of a loving home. Adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, vet exam and much more.

5206 Wild Cherry Lane just off Tazewell Pike 3 miles from Pratts Country Store in North Knoxville

OPEN HOUSE Sunday, Nov 2 2-3pm or call Stephenson Auction Co. for appt.

865-457-2327

6400 Kingston Pike

3201 Division Street

On Bearden Hill

Just off Sutherland Avenue

Open every day from noon-6 p.m.

Already have a furry family member?

Spay or neuter your pet today!

Young-Williams offers low-cost spay/neuter surgeries at $70 for dogs and $45 for cats. Additional discounts are available to those who qualify.

Help us end animal homelessness in Knoxville.

Call (865) 215-6599 to request an appointment! www.young-williams.org

Over 1700 SF upstairs in this 3BR/2BA all brick bsmnt rancher w/recently remodeled kit w/cherry cabs & side-by-side fridge/freezer, DW, range, built-in microwave & trash compactor. Den w/FP, formal DR, sep LR. Full-size bsmnt w/lrg room for strg or workshop and FP. Central gas H&A, alum windows w/storm windows, marble window sills, dbl-car garage each w/electric opener and alarm system.

AUCTIONEERS NOTE: The 2 heirs of Mr. & Mrs. Riddle have employed Stephenson Realty and Auction Co. to sell their parents house at absolute auction. This is one of the nicest houses that we have auctioned in the last several years and with interest rates near all time lows, now is the time to buy. PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THIS AUCTION! TERMS: $15,000 down day of auction with balance due in 30 days. House auctioned “as is” with 10% buyers premium.

DIRECTIONS: In North Knoxville, turn off Broadway on Sanders Dr. at the Firestone Tire Store and go .2 miles. At traffic light at intersection of Jacksboro Pk & Tazewell Pk at Pratts Country Market go through intersection and continue on Tazewell Pk for 3 miles.

Right on Wild Cherry Ln to 2nd house on left.

IF YOU CAN’T ATTEND AUCTION & WANT TO BID BY PHONE, CALL BEAR STEPHENSON 865-567-8292 This house was built before 1978 and may contain lead-based paint. If you wish to conduct leadbased paint tests, contact Stephenson Realty & Auction Co. for appointment. 865-457-2327.

NO MINIMUM • NO RESERVE • SELLS TO HIGHEST BIDDER Announcements day of auction take precedence over all previously advertised material.

Auctioneers: William “Bear” Stephenson, Harold Reed, Will Bunch

210 Seivers Blvd • Clinton, TN 37716 865-457-BEAR (2327) • 1-800-523-2701 Visit our website: the auctionbear.com •

kids

8 • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • NORTH/EAST Shopper news

Newspaper club official photographers of the day Jubrea Davis and Aliyah Huff use iPads to catch the action.

Tyree Gibson types a story with the assistance of Shopper-News publisher Sandra Clark. Photos by SMG students

Student Danea Summerford set up the wooden train and Matryoshka nesting dolls for this photo.

Dionna Geter conquers the world, or at least a blow-up version, during the newspaper club.

Melody Antle helps Carter’s band captain, Alex Drinnon, warm his hands after his performance.

Carter fan Clarence Reliford endures the harsh weather to support his great-grandson, #66 Jacob Woods, along with relatives Kathy Jeffries and Kathy Woods.

Carter trumpet player Tyler Hancock with Marie Woods in costume. Photos by Patricia Williams

Carter fights hard but falls to Fulton Judarius Jones likes the wooden train from Germany, brought by special guest Carol Springer.

If you give a kid a camera …

By Ruth White

FISH DAY

It’s time to stock your pond!

Delivery will be:

Monday, Nov 17 Dandridge: 12:30-1:15 Jefferson Farmer’s Co-op Knoxville: 2:00-2:45 Knox Farmer’s Co-op Blaine: 3:15-3:45 Blaine Hardware & Feed Halls Crossroads: 4:30-5:00 Knox Farmer’s Co-op Tuesday, Nov 18 Clinton: 12:30-1:15 Anderson Farmer’s Co-op Maryville: 3:00-3:45 Blount Farmer’s Co-op

Fish Wagon To place order call 1-800-643-8439

www.fishwagon.com Like us on facebook

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you handed a camera to an elementary school student?

Last week during the newspaper club at Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy, I did just that.

As one group of students interviewed a special guest, I gave several students a quick lesson on photography. Then I let them use my camera (and school iPads) to capture what was happening in the classroom.

The students were very careful with the equipment and, to my surprise, got some great shots!

By Patricia Williams The Fulton Falcons flew to unfamiliar territory on Friday night to challenge Carter in the Hornets’ nest.

They found it difficult to land. Cold wind, rain and the threat of snow made for less than desirable conditions for everyone. The concessions were hawking “hot chocolate $1; ice cream free.”

This was the lowest-scoring game of the season for Fulton with the final score 18-12. Carter led 9-6 at the half, the first time Fulton had trailed this season. It was a riveting game that kept fans of both teams on their feet to the end. Some 31 penalties were called, at times leading to an offset.

The Falcons are usually on the board with double digits in the first quarter and had averaged over 60 points per game – until now. The winning team was

Doing dual-duty at the Carter game on Halloween are Stella Stout, Bailee Stout and Maddie Lewis. a tossup down to the final seconds. Both teams will advance to the playoffs.

SPORTS NOTES ■ Registration open for Upward Basketball/Cheer through Nov. 11. Cost: $75/ child; includes basketball jer-

sey or cheer top/skorts. Info/ to register: www.corrytonchurch.com or 865-219-8673, ext. 1.

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NORTH/EAST Shopper news • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • 9

Ben Dobson at Savvi Formalwear in Knoxville Center

New concept in East Knoxville

Be cool, be Savvi

By Sandra Clark Ben Dobson is as excited today as he was when he bought his business some 30 years ago. At Savvi Formalwear, renting tuxedos for weddings and proms puts him in touch with people at their happiest times.

And the business is virtually recession-proof. Who could ask for more?

“We’re selling the experience,” Dobson says. “Your wedding and the birth of a child are the most important days of your life. And it’s always fun to get dressed up and go someplace.”

Savvi has two locations: Knoxville Center mall and Windsor Square off Kingston Pike (which Dobson opened in 1990).

While the two Knoxville stores are locally owned and operated, Savvi itself is nationwide with some 500 stores. The inventory includes men’s tuxedos and formalwear from top

designers for weddings, proms, college formals or any black-tie affair. Alterations are done onsite, so Dobson can assure both speed and perfection.

With the inventory onsite, customers can see and touch what they are renting rather than flip through pictures online or in a catalog. Dobson uses words like “comfortable, elegant and hip” to describe his offerings and says current trends include slim-fit and vintage styles in grays and tans.

Dobson enjoys the family aspect of his business.

He might outfit a young man for prom, then for his wedding and work with him again when his son attends eighth-grade prom. But he never forgets for whom he works.

“We do bridal shows, never groom shows,” he says with a smile. “We want to keep those brides happy.

A wedding is all about the

Shopper s t n e V enews

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THURSDAY, NOV. 6 Seminar luncheon sponsored by Trinity Funeral Home, 11:30 a.m., 228 Main St., Maynardville. Guest speaker: attorney Anne McKinney. Topic: Estate planning and the future Tennessee inheritance tax laws.

Offered to all business owners and professionals in Union County. Info: 865-992-5002.

Bee Friends beekeeping group meeting, 6:30 p.m., auditorium of Walters State University Tazewell Campus. Program: free honey tasting. Info: 865-617-9013.

FRIDAY, NOV. 7 “By Golly It’s Holly!” Knox County Master Gardeners program, 3:15-4:30 p.m., Humana Guidance Center, 4438 Western Ave. Free and open to the public.

Info: 865-329-8892.

Missing Man Table and Flag Dedication Ceremony, 10:30 a.m., Morning Pointe, 7700 Dannaher Drive. Veterans Day program held in the honoring of and awareness for the 83,000+ POW/MIA veterans from all past and current wars. Public is invited. Info: 865-686-5771, ext. 403.

“Grander” Opening celebration, 4-6 p.m., Imagination Forest, 7613 Blueberry Road. Ribbon-cutting, 4 p.m. followed by community cash mob, refreshments, door prizes. The public is invited.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, NOV. 7-8 Church yard sale, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Lighthouse Christian Church, 8015 Facade Lane. Household items, furniture, decor, toys, clothing and more.

Christmas bazaar, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Highland Baptist Church, 6014 Babelay Road.

Rummage/bake sale/Santa’s workshop, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Fairmont Presbyterian Church, 2537 Fairmont Blvd.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, NOV. 7-9 Junior League of Knoxville’s Tinsel & Treasure, Knoxville Convention Center. Hours: 10 a.m.-7

To start a business, prospective merchants must often find a building, obtain estimates on equipment and remodeling, deal with contractors and permits – the list goes on and on, often with hidden costs. Salon Suites takes out all the guesswork.

Although similar offerings have opened in West Knoxville with amazing response, Salon Suites is a new concept for East Knoxville.

At 2560 E. Magnolia Ave., it’s close to I-40’s Cherry Street exit, allowing loose” is set for November. easy access from any direcDobson hails from tion. Hairstylists, barbers, Greeneville. He moved to nail technicians, massage Knoxville to attend UT and therapists and aestheticians now calls Knoxville his are just some of the profeshome. sionals welcomed.

He enjoys meeting and So how does it work? forming relationships with There are a total of 18 suites, interesting people, not only one a double, for rent at very customers, but also other affordable rates. Even utiliwedding professionals who provide mutual referrals and great friendships.

“There are so many wonderful and talented wedding professionals in the Knoxville area, and I am very proud to be a part of such a group,” he says.

bride.” And he says girls often assist with their date’s prom attire as well, making sure colors are coordinated.

“We establish rapport with our customers, and they become our friends,” Dobson says. He’s been invited to weddings, and it’s not unusual for brides to bring by wedding photos or to tag Savvi on social media.

How has he stayed in business? “Hard work and good luck,” he says. “We keep our inventory in stock so customers can try on clothes on the spot. This is convenient, and it reduces our costs because we’re not doing overnight shipping.”

Shopping locally matters, Dobson says. He is here to help schools with ■ Aging – A Family Affair: fashion shows and proPractical Information ductions. The next one is Related to Aging, 8:30 a.m.at Bearden High School 3:45 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, where the musical “FootRothchild Conference Center,

Nancy Whittaker

ties are included. Five of the suites are already wellequipped with shampoo stations, styling chairs and hairdryers. Stylists need bring only their hand tools and their clients!

Other suites will be furnished as needed; some can be used as business offices.

There’s a break room with a refrigerator and microwave, and an onsite washer and dryer. Lessees can access the exterior door 24/7, and each suite has its own private, lockable entrance.

To schedule an appointment or for more information, call 865-978-0693.

SENIOR NOTES

■ Savvi Formalwear will participate in a fashion show at Knoxville Center mall on Nov. 29.

8807 Kingston Pike. Cost: $35.

Includes: continental breakfast, lunch, exhibitors’ fair, choice of three workshops and materials. Info/list of workshops/to register: www. knoxseniors.org/afa.shtml.

p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunday. Tickets: $8 at the door. Info: www.JLKnoxville.org.

SATURDAY, NOV. 8 Thunder Road Gospel Jubilee, 7 p.m., 1388 Main St., Maynardville. All gospel singers welcome. Info: Joe, 865-201-5748.

Thunder Road Author Rally, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Maynardville Public Library, 296 Main St., Maynardville. Info: 865-992-7106 or http://www. maynardvillepubliclibrary.org/.

Bean supper and live auction, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Macedonia UMC, 4630 Holston Drive. Tickets: adult, $5, children 10 and under, $2. Info/to donate: 865-5236618.

Biggest Little Sale to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., in the former Old Navy store next to Sears at Knoxville Center, 3001 Knoxville Center Drive. Admission: $5. Donations of unwanted usable items are welcome. Info: 865-523-9455 or www.tennesseebig.org.

National Neighborhood Toy Store Day celebration, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Imagination Forest, 7613 Blueberry Road. Special sales; prizes; balloon animals

by Bop’s Balloons; book signings by local authors Katy Koontz, Gayle Green and Heather Robinson; and more.

Community fall festival, 4 p.m., Texas Valley Baptist Church, 7100 Texas Valley Road. Antique cars, inflatables, games and food. Everyone invited.

TUESDAY, NOV. 11

Dollar, Yohe at Impact Conference Eternal Life Harvest Church East, 2410 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., will host Impact Conference 2014 at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 12-14. Pictured are conference guests Vickie Yohe, a Dove Award-winning gospel singer and worship leader, and Creflo Dollar of World Changers Church International with Eternal Life pastor James Davis. Info: 865-971-1988.

Photo submitted

view Heights Baptist Church, 7809 Ridgeview Road, Corryton. Info/directions: 865-712-1835.

Soy candles class, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Appalachian Arts Craft Center, 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris.

Instructor: Victoria Nicely. Registration deadline: Nov. 8. Info: 865-494-9854 or www.appalachianarts.net.

SUNDAY, NOV. 16 Snowman Beads class, 1-3 p.m., Appalachian Arts Craft Center, 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris.

Instructor: Renee Mathies. Registration deadline: Nov. 9. Info: 865-494-9854 or www.appalachianarts.net.

TUESDAY, NOV. 18 UT Hospice Adult Grief Support Group meeting, 5-6:30 p.m., UT Hospice office, 2270 Sutherland Ave. A light supper is served. Info/reservation: Brenda Fletcher, 865-544-6277.

Honor Guard meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynardville. All veterans invited. Info: 865-256-5415.

Art exhibit and silent auction, 5:30 p.m., Morning Pointe, 7700 Dannaher Drive. Proceeds to benefit Powell High School Art Program. Art created by residents of Morning Pointe, local artists and student artists from Powell High School. Info: 865-686-5771.

THURSDAY, NOV. 20 AARP Driver Safety Course, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., O’Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona St. Info/registration: Carolyn Rambo, 865-584-9964.

Free admission available to all veterans and activeduty military on Veterans Day, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Highway, Clinton. Info: 865-494-7680 or www.museumofappalachia.org.

“Salt Block Cooking” class, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Avanti Savoia, 7610 Maynardville Pike. Cost: $50. Info/ to register: 865-922-9916 or www.avantisavoia.com.

Knoxville Civil War Roundtable meeting, 7 p.m., Bearden Banquet Hall, 5806 Kingston Pike.

Speaker: Ed Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service. Topic: “Sherman’s March to the Sea. Cost: $15, members; $17, nonmembers; lecture only, $3.

RSVP by noon, Monday, Nov. 10: 865-671-9001.

Thunder Road Gospel Jubilee, 7 p.m., 1388 Main St., Maynardville. All gospel singers welcome. Info: Joe, 865-201-5748.

Turkey Shoot, 9 a.m., corner of Hickory Valley Road and Malone Gap in Maynardville. Hosted by the American Legion Post 212.

Pre-Black Friday, a small business and pre-holiday shopping show, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Jubilee Banquet Facility, 6700 Jubilee Center Way.

THURSDAY, NOV. 13

SUNDAY, NOV. 23

VFW meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynardville. All veterans are invited. Info: 865-278-3784.

Hard Knox Roller Girls intraleague bout featuring Black Bettys vs. Lolitas Locas, 6 p.m., Smoky Mountain Skate Center, 2801 E. Broadway, Maryville.

Open skate, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Ticket prices include skate rental. Info: www.hardknoxrollergirls.com.

Smocked Christmas Ornaments class, 2-4:30 p.m., Appalachian Arts Craft Center, 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris. Instructor: Janet Donaldson. Registration deadline: Nov. 16. Info: 865-494-9854 or www. appalachianarts.net.

SATURDAY, NOV. 15 Thunder Road Gospel Jubilee, 7 p.m., 1388 Main St., Maynardville. All gospel singers welcome. Info: Joe, 865-201-5748.

Old-Fashioned Gospel Singing, 7:30 p.m., Ridge-

SATURDAY, NOV. 22

10 • NOVEMBER 5, 2014 • Shopper news

NEWS FROM SOUTHEASTERN RETINA ASSOCIATES

Hope for diabetic macular edema at Southeastern Retina Those facing vision problems caused by diabetes can find the most advanced treatments right here in East Tennessee.

Southeastern Retina Associates, with locations in Knoxville, Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities, recently received the prestigious Top Site for 2013 Award from the National Institute of Health and the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network for its contributions in advancing medical research of diabetesinduced retinal disorders.

“We are honored to be acknowledged at this level for our clinical excellence,” said Dr. Joseph M. Googe, Jr. of Southeastern Retina Associates. “Our entire staff has always been committed to providing the finest care possible and offering our patients the newest and best treatments of vision-threatening disease.

“If you are diabetic and have vision issues, as a patient of Southeastern Retina Associates, you can be assured you have the most experienced medical team in the region working to preserve your eyesight.”

■ What is diabetic retinopathy?

A diabetic’s body does not use and store sugars properly. High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels in the retina, the nerve layer at the back of the eye that translates light into images the brain can understand. Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retinal blood vessels.

Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), also known as background retinopathy, is diabetic retinopathy in the early stages, characterized by tiny blood vessels in the retina leaking blood or fluid. The retina can swell due to this leakage and form deposits called exudates.

Mild NPDR is common among people with diabetes and usually does not affect their vision. When vision is affected, it is due to macular

tissue which may cause wrinkling or detachment of the retina.

PDR may cause more severe vision loss than NPDR because it can affect both central and peripheral vision. PDR may lead to vision loss from vitreous hemorrhage (blood leaking into the clear, gel-like substance that fills the eye), traction retinal detachment (scar tissue wrinkling or pulling the retina out of position, causing visual distortion),

“If you are diabetic and have vision issues, as a patient of Southeastern Retina Associates, you can be assured you have the most experienced medical team in the region working to preserve your eyesight.” edema (swelling or thickening of the macula) or macular ischemia (closing of small blood vessels, causing vision to blur).

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is growth of new blood vessels on the surface of the retina or optic nerve caused by widespread closure of the retinal blood vessels, preventing adequate blood flow. Unfortunately, the new blood vessels do not resupply the retina with normal blood flow, and they may be accompanied by scar

or neovascular glaucoma (abnormal blood vessel growth in the iris and drainage channels in front of the eye, causing pressure in the eye and possible damage to the optic nerve).

■ Diagnosis and treatment A medical eye exam is the best way to check for changes inside your eye. Those with Type 1 diabetes should schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor within five years of being diagnosed, and follow up yearly after that. Those with Type 2

diabetes should have an exam at the time of diagnoses and then once each year. Pregnant women with diabetes should have an exam in the first trimester because retinopathy can progress quickly during pregnancy.

However, vision loss is largely preventable. If you have diabetes, you can lower your risk of vision loss by maintaining strict control of your blood sugar and blood pressure, and by visiting your eye doctor regularly.

Early detection is key.

Today’s improved methods of diagnosis and treatment mean that a smaller percentage of those with retinopathy will develop serious vision problems.

There are several treatments for retinopathy, including injections into they eye of anti-VEGF medication.

This medication can stop the growth of abnormal blood vessels and bleeding. Laser surgery is another option for those with macular edema, PDR and neovascular glaucoma. Vitrectomy, a microsurgical procedure, removes blood-filled vitreous fluid and replaces it with a clear solution.

According to Dr. Googe, diabetic retinopathy is the most common complication of diabetes and is the leading cause of preventable blindness. But preventative measures and modern treatments can help keep your outcome looking clear and bright.

Southeastern Retina Associates

John C. Hoskins, M.D.

Joseph M. Googe, Jr., M.D.

Stephen L. Perkins, M.D.

James H. Miller, Jr., M.D.

Nicholas G. Anderson, M.D.

Tod A. McMillan, M.D.

R. Keith Shuler, Jr., M.D.

Providing Comprehensive Retina Care in East Tennessee for almost 35 years.

Nationally recognized as the Region’s Most Experienced Retina Team specializing in X X X X X

X Diabetic Diseases X Diabetic Retinopathy X Epiretinal Membrane X Flashes and Floaters X Intravitreal Injection for Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Eye Disease

Macular Degeneration Macular Hole Retinal Detachment / Tears Retinal Vein and Artery Occlusion Retinopathy of Prematurity

As the Only Fellowship-Trained Medical and Surgical Retina Specialists in the Region, our retina specialists utilize the most advanced therapies and surgical approaches to provide the best treatment available. Southeastern Retina Associates also maintains active clinical trials and research programs to provide cutting-edge treatments to East Tennessee.

865-251-0727 www.SoutheasternRetina.com

Experience Expertise Diseases and Surgery of the Retina and Vitreous 5 Knoxville Offices to Serve You Excellence As well as offices in: Oak Ridge, Maryville, Harriman, Sevierville, Crossville, Morristown, Cleveland, Chattanooga, Dalton, GA, Rome, GA, Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol, Abingdon, VA.