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VOL. 5 NO. 3
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See how to run By Nick Della Volpe
(865) 922-4136 NEWS (865) 661-8777 news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Ruth White ADVERTISING SALES (865) 342-6084 ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Amy Lutheran | Patty Fecco Beverly Holland | Mary Williamson CIRCULATION (865) 342-6200 shoppercirc@ShopperNewsNow.com
January 18, 2017
‘Church in the curve’ anchors Trentville community
FIRST WORDS
Should you seek one of the five Knoxville City Council seats up for election this year? The primary is just seven months away. You and your family must decide if you have the time and the inclination to serve. To start: Della Volpe Examine your district boundaries at knoxmpc.org/. Visit knoxvotes. org for rules and forms. Get a petition signed by at least 25 registered voters from your district (get 50 to be safe). Appoint a treasurer before you raise or spend the first dime. Ground game: Plan how you reach potential voters and persuade them to support you by their votes, campaign contributions, signs, and by contacting others to support you. That’s a mouthful. Let’s break it down. You have to ask people to vote for you. Talk to them in person if possible or use your phone, email or other social media. Recruit friends to help. Find the active voters. Of roughly 20,000 people in your district, fewer than 3,000 will actually vote. Get a disc of the regular voters from the election office and get your message to them. Money: How do you ask friends and strangers to cough up dough for your campaign? It feels kind of creepy. You hate to be a mooch. ... Get over it! You will need to raise at least $10,000 to buy several hundred signs, send two or three voter mail-outs, and maybe buy a few radio and newspaper ads. Name Recognition: Most folks will not be focused on the race until voting time is at hand (August primary and November general). Repetition means recognition. Save your main bucks for showtime. But you will need signs earlier to let folks know you are running, and maybe pay for a mailout and/or a meet-the-candidate gathering. Meanwhile, keep talking to people. Show up at community meetings. Ask for their vote. If you survive the August primary, you will then be running citywide – so yeah, more money is needed. Those last few weeks are a sprint with lots of additional ground to cover. Also, be sure to file the city and state financial disclosure reports on the schedule set by rules. To page 3
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By Esther Roberts “The church in the curve, that’s ready to serve,” is the motto of Trentville United Methodist Church, located at 9215 Strawberry Plains Pike in East Knox County. A visit to this architectural gem affirms that motto, as the church offers many outreach programs, including a well-stocked food pantry, that make a visitor feel warmly welcomed. The church stands on a welltended grassy lot and features ample parking, level sidewalks and a fenced play area for children. Several large trees offer shade and shelter for the resident songbirds. This tranquil setting is enhanced by the small, private garden just inside the entryway to the church, complete with park bench where one may pause and pray or have a quiet conversation with friends. The church was constructed in 1958, after the original Trentville church – which was immediately across Strawberry Plains Pike from the present structure – burned to the ground in January. Undaunted, the Trentville congregation raised $30,000 in just four days to begin funding a new building and to purchase the property upon which the present structure stands. Knoxville architect George F. Barber, well-known for his expertise in the “pattern book” architectural style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was hired by the Trentville congregation to design the new church. According to the written historical records at the church, “Mr.
Trentville United Methodist Church is an East Knox County landmark, designed by renowned architect George F. Barber. Photos by Esther Roberts
Barber seemed inspired by God as he looked over the new building site. Within a few days he had made drawings of the proposed new building. Members of the church accepted his proposal as a dream come true and were also inspired to begin the new project.”
Midway through construction, the funds raised to cover construction costs had been depleted, so several members of the church
signed a personal note to cover To page 3
Birdsong is principal at Carter Elementary part of the Leadership AcadeBy Ruth White my in 2011. She also worked as Jessica Birdsong was appointed the prinan assistant principal at A.L. cipal at Carter Elementary, replacing Shay Lotts Elementary. Siler, who is now at Karns Elementary. BirdBefore serving at Carter, song transitioned to Carter during the winter Birdsong was principal for break and was eager to meet and greet stufour years at Pleasant Ridge dents on their first day back on Jan. 10. Elementary in the Norwood Birdsong joined Knox County Schools in area. She said that moving 2006 as an experienced special education to Carter was a little easier teacher at Northwest Middle School. She served Birdsong knowing that Pleasant Ridge as a special education consultant for three years beginning in 2008 and was selected to be was in the good hands of new principal San-
dra Roach. “The staff at Pleasant Ridge is phenomenal and the kids will love Sandra.” Birdsong is excited to get to know the kids at Carter. “Carter has a lot of tradition. This isn’t just a K-5 school but a K-12 community.” She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in special education from Bowling Green State University; a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Montana; and an Educational Specialist degree in educational leadership from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
‘Supremes’ singer Mary Wilson to visit Knoxville By Carol Z. Shane Pop singers come and go, some trailing clouds of glory, some disappearing after their allotted 15 minutes. Few have as generous a heart as Mary Wilson of the Supremes, who will perform as part of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s News Sentinel Pops Series on Feb. 4. Wilson has graciously agreed to appear as a guest speaker at the Sister to Sister conference of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Greater Knoxville Chapter (NCBW, Greater Knoxville) at the Phyllis Wheatley Center ear-
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portunities that align with the NCBW’s mission.” She spoke with Jennifer Barnett Harrell, the KSO’s director of education and community partnerships, with whom she’d worked on MLK Day events. Harrell advised her to submit a written request, and she would forward it to Wilson’s team. Hundley handed the assignment to Delores Mitchell, human resources manager for Lowe’s in Knoxville and president of NCBW, Greater Knoxville. “I wrote the proposal,” says Mitchell, “and the KSO did the rest.” “The KSO has been a superb
long-term partner with the Martin Luther King Jr. of Greater Knoxville Commission, where I also serve as a commissioner,” says Hundley. “The orchestra is known as a pillar in our community with a reputation of inclusiveness, which encouraged me to reach out.” With its Knoxville chapter established as a 501(c)(3) organization in July 2015, the NCBW is an advocacy group for women of color in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. The Sister to Sister conference To page 3
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lier that same day. It all started when Joshalyn Hundley, newly elected vice president of resource and development for the organization and vice president of comMary Wilson munity development at First Tennessee Bank, noticed that the date of Wilson’s performance coincided with the conference. Hundley says, “One of my primary roles is to search for op-
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The gift of healing Fort Sanders Regional chaplains and Stephen Ministers help ease pain Nine days before Christmas, hospital chaplain Randy Tingle was checking his list – twice. After all, finding anything in his office at that time of year is next to impossible. Bags full of gifts were scattered all about, making it difficult to get behind his desk inside Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. The bags, containing gifts for children or grandchildren of the hospital’s employees, were part of FSRMC’s annual “Angel Tree” campaign. As hospital chaplain, Tingle collects and distributes the gifts every year. “It’s a treat and a mess every year,” he said with a smile. “I get the privilege of being the one who hands them out and organizes them coming in, but I don’t do the work of buying them. I take the angels in, not knowing how I’m going to serve them, and the employees really come through. Our environmental services department did several angels, the radiology department did six angels and the doctors provided for 10 kids.” But handing out holiday gifts isn’t the only service provided by FSRMC’s chaplain’s office. Tingle stays busy working with three oncall pastors and others to help attend to the spiritual needs of patients, employees and families through bedside visits, thriceweekly worship services, daily prayer services and special seasonal services for Christmas and Easter. The chaplain’s office also holds a yearly memorial service for families of palliative care patients who have died. Tingle’s duties also include the dis-
On top of his other duties, Fort Sanders Regional Chaplain Randy Tingle coordinates the hospital’s participation in the Angel Tree campaign.
tribution of daily devotionals, stocking the hospital’s chapel with helpful information, keeping each patient room stocked with Gideon Bibles and working with 1,000 registered clergy from the community to help them better serve their congregants. The 45-minute worship services Tingle holds in the hospital’s chapel twice each Wednesday and once on Sundays include devotional time, hymn singing and prayer. “What’s powerful about the services here is that you’re preaching to a specific population,” he says. “In a church, you’ve got all kinds of things going on, but when you know everybody in the room is dealing with a stroke, you can share in a little more
poignant way.” Tingle’s office serves those of any faith and can provide a rabbi, a priest, an imam, or other spiritual adviser including some Spanish-speaking clergy. “Our role as chaplains is a little bit more ‘clinical’ in that we meet the person where they’re at, wherever their faith walk is,” he says. “We’re there to serve them no matter the doctrine or theology iand to walk with them in that setting. For the most part, it’s trauma care, crisis care. It’s helping folks get through the heat of the moment, whatever it is that’s going on with them.” Occasionally he’ll perform communion, but said he’s often reluctant because his parish pa-
Chaplains lend aid, comfort to wildfire victims A day after the horrific Gatlinburg wildfires, Fort Sanders Regional chaplain Randy Tingle was witnessing its terrible toll as he and other clergy offered aid and comfort to patients at Covenant Health’s sister facility, LeConte Medical Center. Tingle was one of several Covenant Health chaplains and local clergy who visited LeConte in the days after the wildfires that claimed 14 lives, injured 191 and caused an estimated $500 million in damages. Throughout the night of the fires, LeConte Medical Center became a hub of activity as rescue workers brought in patient after patient. During the time Tingle was there, he worked alongside three nurses who lost their houses, “and all three of them worked that day,” Tingle said. “They said, ‘I can sit around and worry about this or I can work.’ So they were there being a nurse and taking care of people.” Meanwhile, back at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, employees were filling the hospital’s chapel with hygiene products, clothes, water, food and other items collected for families in need. “It took several pickup loads to get it all down to LeConte,” said Tingle, adding that being able to provide tan-
gible assistance helps a community pull together. “That’s what happens in a disaster – it makes us feel better to be able to respond in a tangible way.”
An update: How to help Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of the people of Sevier County, surrounding communities and even other states, LeConte Medical Center’s warehouse is at storage capacity and currently is no longer accepting in-kind donations for wildfire victims. However, the Sevier county community will need additional items in the future. Please do hold any items you have generously collected, and contact the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation at 865-446-9627 to let them know what type of items you have gathered. They can help you schedule a delivery to the warehouse if space becomes available. LeConte Medical Center is still filling care package requests for those who need the clothing and other essential items available in their warehouse. If you know of anyone who needs assistance from the warehouse or if you are seeking ongoing volunteer opportunities to help those affected by the wildfires, go to www.lecontemedicalcenter .com for information.
tients might have swallowing issues. “When I first came I didn’t think about those things, and I got trained by the nurses,” he recalls with a chuckle. “I’ve learned you have to be very careful and get permission.” He also has performed a half-dozen weddings and does one or two baptisms a year. Between those duties and other campaigns like United Way and Covenant Health’s WeCare drive for employees in need, it’s little wonder that Tingle and his three on-call chaplains rely heavily on a small army of volunteers known as Stephen Ministers. Together they try and visit every person admitted to Fort Sanders Regional, with referrals coming from the hospital’s doctors or nursing staff, particularly in oncology, cardiology and palliative care. “We’re at about a 90 percent rate at seeing all the admitted patients,” says Tingle, adding that he personally visits 12 to 15 patients a day, and he and his Stephen Ministers made 12,500 visits last year alone. A third of his Stephen Ministers are former patients looking to “give back.” All have undergone 50 hours of training in pastoral care basics and developing skills such as listening to patients and understanding their own counseling techniques. Tingle currently has about 40 Stephen Ministers on the roster, about half of whom are actively giving the minimum four hours a month. Others volunteer as much as 15 hours a week. When the latest Stephen Ministry class is commissioned, he will have 10 more Ste-
phen Ministers to help. “Stephen Ministers are a huge, huge help,” Tingle says. “We wouldn’t be a department without them.” Tingle said that while the Stephen Ministers’ role is not counseling, they “come with a counseling spirit or compassion.” As an example, he notes that Stephen Ministers’ 30-second to two-minute visit is largely informational, telling the patients about worship times, how to contact the chaplain’s office, contacting their church family if desired, and just letting them know they’re available if the patient needs them. “Stephen Ministers are for the folks who need a prayer, folks who need a listening ear, folks who are just going through a rough time. Anytime someone’s in acute care it’s not necessarily the diagnosis that bothers them – it’s the other stuff going on in their life.” Stephen Ministers come from all walks of life, all faith groups, “retired teachers, retired professors, actively working insurance agents, pastoral counselors, and even a former hospital chief nursing officer. The professional nature of these folks, the intelligence of them, the gifts that they have just in terms of serving is amazing,” says Tingle. For more information about FSRMC’s Pastoral Services, visit fsregional.com/pastoral-services. For more information about the Stephen Ministry opportunities, call the chaplain’s office at (865) 331-1235.
Care for dying: FSRMC launches No One Dies Alone In 1986, a dying patient asked Sandra Clarke, a nurse at a hospital in Eugene, Ore., to stay with him. The busy nurse promised she would do so as soon as she finished her tasks with other patients. When she returned, the man had died. Alone. It was an event that triggered a national volunteer program that recognizes the right of every person not to die alone. The program, now in its 16th year, has been implemented at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center after nurses there also recognized the need. “One of our case managers in oncology came to me and said, ‘You know we have about 10 deaths a year where there’s no family and nobody to be with them,’” said Randy Tingle, FSRMC’s chaplain. The nurses asked if one of FSRMC’s Stephen Ministers might be able to sit with patients in their last hours. At the time, Tingle didn’t think he had enough Stephen Ministers available to stay with patients for extended hours, and he knew the volunteers would need additional training. Tingle began researching the problem and discovered No One Dies Alone, the program launched by Clarke after her experience in Oregon. He also learned that the NODA program has been in place at Fort Sanders Regional’s sister facility, Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, for six years. After customizing NODA’s training program, recruitment of volunteers began. Roughly half the first 26 NODA volunteers at Fort Sanders Regional are University of Tennessee students,
while the remainder are either Covenant Health volunteers or employees. “The biggest piece of this is teaching people how to listen and how not to worry about not ‘doing things.’ When you’re sitting for someone who’s dying, there’s really nothing you can do for them,” said Tingle. “What you can do is just be present and care for them and treat them with respect and dignity. A lot of times they just need someone there to hold their hand, moisten their lips and make sure they’re warm.” Tingle says there are myriad ways patients might find themselves facing their final hours alone. “Some are estranged from family, whether it be through addiction or just years of life,” he said. “A lot of times they have outlived all their family and there is nobody left to be with them in those last hours. And we get people who are traveling . . . and they wind up here in their last hours because they’re away from home when some crisis happens. “NODA provides a service to make sure patients get the respect and dignity that they deserve,” said Tingle. “We all have a right not to die alone … it doesn’t really matter what you think theologically, whether or not you believe God’s got their back or not. What matters is what’s going on around them. They deserve to have the dignity of having someone to hold their hand or be in the room with them.” For more information about NODA or to volunteer, call the chaplain’s office at (865) 331-1235.
To ALL of Our Volunteers - Thank You! For more than 50 years, members of the Fort Sanders Regional Volunteer Auxiliary have helped support the mission of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. During National Healthcare Volunteer Week, we recognize each of our volunteers for their selfless commitment to our patients, staff and doctors.
0094-0102
Want to know more about volunteering at Fort Sanders Regional? Call (865) 331-1249 or go to fsregional.com.
North/East Shopper news • January 18, 2017 • 3
Kari Sanders has a way with words and movement Carol Z. Shane
tor. “I have been performing dance since the age of 6 or 7, learning in church. “When I was growing up, Atlanta was on the rise for entertainment and very well-known for its dance scene. I was introduced to all types of dance styles – jazz, African, ballet, contemporary, mime, you name it! I moved to Knoxville at the age of 21. The dance isn’t as much on the forefront but it’s definitely here!” And Sanders is doing her bit to help the art form grow. In addition to teaching Intro to Dance and Beginner Hip-Hop at Knoxville Fine Arts and Crafts Center, she’s now on the faculty of Inskip Elementary School. “My job came through another local artist, Michelle Gore, who does amazing painting and poetry. She invited me to come in and do a dance workshop for the children last summer. While doing the workshop, the co-
Mary Wilson will focus on HIV/AIDS, body image, breast and other cancer risks, sex and abstinence, date rape and domestic abuse. Wilson, who with her fellow Supremes represented the height of glamour and sophistication during the golden days of Motown in the ’60s and ’70s, is herself a passionate advocate for HIV/AIDS research and treatment, traveling as a CultureConnect ambassador on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. On the U.S. Embassy website, she stresses the need for celebrities to help raise awareness for HIV/AIDS. “People listen to your songs. You can get their attention. “How sad this disease is. I’m not speaking as a victim. I’m speaking on the level that we all need to recognize – there are all different approaches to take to get to that area of healing. We have to start right at the family, at the little girls. We’ve got to teach those little children how to survive, go on to live, and have a future.” She has raised thousands of dollars for AIDS awareness, and here in Knoxville,
‘Church in the curve’ half of the $80,000 total construction cost. Despite such fiscal challenges, building proceeded apace, and the Rev. Perry Tanksley preached the first sermon in the new building on Nov. 23, 1958, just in time for Thanksgiving. The sermon was titled, “According To Your Faith, So Be It Unto You.” The congregation grew and an expansion was dedicated on July 21, 1985. Refurbished in 2010, the church interior is airy and inviting, with brightly painted children’s rooms featuring custom-painted depictions of animals and Biblical stories, and a spacious fellowship hall with newly remodeled kitchen. The crown jewel is the
See how to run Platform: This need not be formal. Why are you the best person for the job? What distinguishes you from the two or three other serious candidates in your primary? Write it out. Talk it over with friends. Keep it simple. You are asking to represent about 20,000 people in your district (and ultimately 190,000 people in the city at large). You will be reviewing budgets and contracts, deciding zoning questions, and helping to set public policy for the future through ordinances.
COMMUNITY NOTES ■■ Alice Bell Spring Hill Neighborhood Association. Info: Ronnie Collins, 637-9630. ■■ Beaumont Community Organization. Info: Natasha Murphy, 936-0139. ■■ Belle Morris Community Action Group. Info: bellemorris.com or Rick Wilen, 524-5008. ■■ Chilhowee Park Neighborhood Association. Info: Paul Ruff, 696-6584. ■■ Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association. Info: edgewoodpark.us. ■■ Excelsior Lodge No. 342. Info: Bill Emmert, 933-6032 or w.emmert@att.net. ■■ Family Community Education-Carter Club. Info: Anne Winstead, 933-5821. ■■ First District Democrats. Info: Harold
ordinator, Blaine Sample, observed and at the end, she offered me an interview.” Sanders not only teaches dance but also tutors through the UT-assisted Community Schools program. “In performing arts we teach dance, theater, music and circus. We are currently preparing for a performance in February for Black History Month alongside Austin East High School’s West African Drummers and Dance Troupe. At the end of the semester, we will do a musical production called ‘It’s a Jungle Out There.’ “In tutoring, we go over any curriculum the child is struggling with. We have at least three teachers in a classroom so that each child can get the proper enrichment.” Students’ schedules also include Spanish lessons, nutritional information, and learning about veggies, fruits, planting and harvesting in their school garden. All this fits right in with Sanders’ youthful energy and passion. She says, “It is still fairly new for Inskip Elementary, but it is definitely making a positive impact on the students, parents, faculty and community.”
Young Kari Sanders channels her passion for poetry and dance into enrichment for her community. Photo submitted
From page 1 she’ll have her boots on the ground, walking the walk, when she speaks directly to some of those girls and their families. KSO executive director Rachel Ford says, “It is very kind of a celebrity like Mary Wilson to donate her time like this. We are looking forward to the KSO Pops performance that will feature Mary on Feb. 4 at the Civic Auditorium and are glad to have engaged an artist who cares about the community she’s visiting and is willing to volunteer her time to speak about important social issues.” “We believe that Mary Wilson is capable of speaking into the lives of our participants and can encourage those of us who are walking alongside of her championing these efforts,” says Hundley. “It was simply a gift from God that she agreed.” Info: about Mary Wilson’s work as a CultureConnect ambassador, iipdigital. usembassy.gov; about the NCBW, 100blackwomen-greaterknox v ille.org; for ticketes to the KSO’s Pops Series, knoxvillesymphony.com/.
Abigail Wyatt works at the Millertown Pike Food City location and was honored for volunteering with the Butterfly Fund for pediatric cancer research. Abigail got involved with the Butterfly Fund after her good friend Emily Barger died of cancer in 2008.
From page 1
Food City recognizes associates who volunteer in their community and supports their giving spirit. “Many of our associates volunteer their time and talents to numerous service organizations throughout the areas in which we operate and we feel it’s needful to recognize the valuable services and support they provide,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City’s president and chief executive officer. After his attendance at a 2002 White House meeting geared toward boosting national volunteerism through corporate support, Smith launched Food City’s Claude P. Varney Volunteer Recognition Program, in memory of the food chain’s former president and board vice chair. Each year, special committees are established to review associate volunteer activities and select individual award recipients. One overall winner is selected
sanctuary, where Barber’s elegant design remains a timeless frame surrounding the screens and electronic instruments of modern worship services. Like many churches, Trentville is faced with the challenge of an aging and declining membership and has been partnering with Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church to support one pastor between the two congregations. Should Trentville United Methodist Church ever close, it will be a profound loss to the East Knox community. Sunday morning worship services start at 9:45 a.m. and casual dress is welcomed.
From page 1 You should expect phone calls and emails from confused or angry citizens dealing with issues that confront them – and you are now their knowledgeable ombudsman channeling help from city departments and workers. You understand how the local government works. Do you have the time and the inclination to work for the betterment of your community? Then wade in, the water is fine.
■■ Dogwood Arts 2017 events and exhibits entry deadlines: Dogwood Art DeTour, Feb. 10; Chalk Walk, Feb. 20; Regional Art Exhibition, March 3. Info/applications: dogwoodarts.com or 637-4561.
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■■ Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association. Info: Bill Hutton, 773-5228 or s_wlhutton@yahoo.com. ■■ Old North Knoxville, 6:30 p.m. each second Monday, St. James Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 1101 N. Broadway.
■■ Second District Democrats. Info: Rick Staples, 385-3589 or funnyman1@comic.com.
from each Food City location and corporate levels. Store winners then move to compete at the district level. Twelve district winners are recognized with an award and a $250 contribution to their chosen charity during a special corporate luncheon. Two divisional winners are then chosen and honored with a plaque and a $750 charity contribution. One overall winner is selected to receive the Varney Humanitarian Award in addition to a $1,250 charity contribution made on their behalf. “We’re extremely proud of the difference our associates make through their many humanitarian contributions. Our company is wholly committed to providing exceptional service to the citizens and communities in which we operate and ensuring our associates have the support they need to become the best corporate citizens possible,” said Smith.
CALL FOR ARTISTS
Nick Della Volpe, an attorney, represents District 4 on Knoxville City Council.
■■ Parkridge Community Organization. Info: Jerry Caldwell, 329-9943.
Beth Dunn is an associate at the Strawberry Plains Food City location. She volunteers at East Knox County Elementary School and is an active member of the school’s PTO.
Teri Lynn Lott works in the Food City pharmacy of the North Broadway location. She volunteers with Project Linus, Knitted Knockers and the Knitting Guild of America. She learned to knit when she was 4 years old and enjoys knitting mittens and baby hats for others.
Food City honors associates for volunteer spirit
KN-SPAD0103154217
“At the age of 10, my mom told me about the power of the pen,” says Strawberry Plains resident Kari Sanders. “At that time I didn’t know how to express myself so I just held it in. Then, when all of my anger built up, I’d just blow up randomly. So my mom said, ‘Instead of holding things in and blowing up, write.’ And I did. I’ve been writing ever since.” Originally from Atlanta, Sanders is a young entrepreneur who writes, dances and performs under the name “Kari Werde Sanders,” taking her middle name from a form of the German word that means “to become” or “to turn into.” She’s performed poetry since the age of 13, when she won the First Word Youth Poetry Slam sponsored by the Chicago urban and hiphop radio station V-103. “I was able to perform at Earthlink Live Atlanta and did a commercial spot for (sitcom) ‘Girlfriends.’” Sanders is a fixture on the Knoxville poetry slam scene, appearing frequently at Big Fatty’s and the Open Chord, both on Kingston Pike. But she’s not just a “word nerd,” another self-descrip-
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4 • January 18, 2017 • North/East Shopper news
Holston volleyball teams win district championship titles Holston Middle School’s junior varsity volleyball team was named district champions. At the Holston Middle School’s varsity volleyball team was recently recognized for winning the district recognition ceremony are team members Triniti Stephens, Gracie Gregg, Shelby Kiggans, Auchampionship. Pictured are Kameron Tedesco, Lexi Robinson, Kaylee Mitchell, Jordann Reagan, dryona Lane, Emma Grace Miller, Maddie Tackett, Adley Jones, Shelby Billingsley and Adison MaKenzi Rogers, Emma Patterson and Ashley Neubert. Not pictured is Alissa Milstead. Graves. Photos by Ruth White
Like Christmas all over again
Inauguration Day trivia! By Kip Oswald Over the holidays, our competitive family played a lot of board games during our family time. Now, I can’t tell you how many times Kip Kinzy and I lost because we didn’t know some trivial presidential history. This made us decide to find some fun, little known facts to help us win those family board games someday, and maybe you will enjoy learning these things too! For the next two articles, we will look at Inauguration Day, a tradition that is special to our country and is happening on Jan. 20. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as our 45th president, but should he really be our 46th? Did you ever hear of President Atchison? Trivia question! If David Atchison had ever been counted as one of our presidents, Mr. Trump would be number 46! Zachary Taylor, our 12th president, was due to be inaugurated on a Sunday but due to his religion, he refused until Monday. Since there was not an acting president or vice president, Mr. Atchison, who was a senator from Missouri, became president for 24 hours. Also, during that 24 hours, he appointed many of his friends to cabinet offices, but just for 24 that hours. Now that is good trivia! Of course, George Washington was the very first president to be inaugurated, but it was in the spring to avoid bad weather. The
day did not move to Jan. 20 until 1933. There are certain things scheduled to happen every Inauguration Day. The day begins with a worship service and then the current president and new president ride together to the inauguration. The president repeats his oath directly from the Constitution. All but three presidents have placed their hands on the Bible. John Quincy Adams used a constitutional law book. Franklin Pierce and Theodore Roosevelt chose not to place an oath on the Bible. Three presidents have had to restate their oath after the ceremony. Chester Arthur and Calvin Coolidge took the oath outside Washington, D.C. and had to restate the oath when back in Washington, D.C. President Barack Obama had to retake the oath after the Chief Justice had him repeat the wrong words during the ceremony. After the oaths, the new President gives a speech called the Inaugural Address to the audience. George Washington gave the shortest one at 135 words. The longest speech was William Harrison’s, which he gave on a chilly, rainy March day. He then got pneumonia and died a month later. After the speeches, the outgoing president and his family leave the capital city while the new president goes to lunch in the Capitol Building. Next week, we will learn some interesting history about the rest of the day! Watch next week’s events to see new history being made! Comments to oswaldswordtn@gmail. com
By Ruth White Carter community members Larry and Marty Acuff have collected and distributed school supplies to teachers at Carter Elementary for 12 years, and the reaction of the staff members never gets old. “I got a stapler!” exclaimed one staff member as I entered the cafeteria to talk with the Acuffs. Her excitement was as if she had received $100. Larry taught driver’s education at Carter High for 30 years, and several of the CES staff members remember him from their high school days. Marty Acuff calls this “our mission.” The pair spend considerable time searching out the best deals on paper, pencils, rulers, Carter Elementary kindergarten teacher Shannon Edwards (center) poses for a photo with Larry notebooks, backpacks, glue and Marty Acuff. Photos by Ruth White sticks, and yes, a stapler or Before school starts in two. Women in the club would 12 years, they have set up the fall, the cafeteria is filled The project began years do good works for the com- boxes upon boxes of school before through a “do-good- munity. Marty and Larry supplies in the Carter El- with every supply a classer” club, the (former) Home took on the school supplies ementary cafeteria for the room teacher might need, and the new teachers are Demonstration Club. project and for the past teachers to “shop.” the first to pick from the array of goodies. “One year, a new teacher just cried at the sight of the supplies because she shared that she had $20 in her bank account and didn’t know how she would set up her room,” said Marty. Having taught, Larry understands the amount of personal funds that teachers will spend for their students and he wanted to give back to the community. Leftover supplies from a day of shopping are donated to the school, and the staff sets up a supply closet for students when needs arise. The teachers are grateful to the Acuffs and the ministry, calling them “wonderful people” and the event “the best time of the year.” For Teachers Staci Leach and Tatum Meadows gather school supplies for their classroom, donated many, it’s like Christmas all over again. by Larry and Marty Acuff.
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North/East Shopper news • January 18, 2017 • 5
Washington Pike UMC’s Urban Family Outreach welcomes kids By Carol Z. Shane Years ago, when former U.S. Army Captain Patrick Polis told a Methodist bishop that he’d heard the call to the ministry, the distinguished elder had only one question: “Does your wife know?” After all, at the time Polis was CEO of a highly successful cutlery company. But he was certain and yes, Gayle – now his wife of 43 years – knew and supported him. Polis has been head of the flock at Washington Pike United Methodist Church since 2010. And one of the programs he is most eager to talk about is the Urban Family Outreach (UFO.) The 20-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit faith-based afterschool program, which has earned the highest rating from the state Department of Children’s Services, started out in-house but grew, says Polis. Now serving 36 children, Washington Pike has the capacity to serve more than twice that.
The focus is on academics, and there’s plenty of communication between the church and nearby Belle Morris, Christenberry and Spring Hill elementary schools. The UFO staff is long-tenured, says Polis, and “we have people who have grown up in this program who are now bringing their kids.” On a recent Wednesday, a lively group gathers in the gym. UFO director Nelle Daniel holds down the fort. “Here,” says a little girl, handing over a sheet from a coloring book, “this is from my punishment.” “It says something about our program that we give coloring sheets as punishment!” laughs Daniel. They’re not really punishment, she explains, but a tool to get a child to sit still and focus when a behavioral problem needs to be addressed. “We don’t like ‘time out’ because it isolates the child and the others stare.”
“They are super folks.” The kids also enjoy afterschool nibbles. Daniel cherishes a Christmas card she got from a child. “I like you because you serve snack,” it said. For safety, the church has an electronic surveillance system, and as part of the UMC’s “Safe Sanctuaries” practice, they observe the “two-adult rule,” which requires that a minimum of two adults be present during every child-centric program, event or ministry. Nelle Daniel directs Washington Pike UMC’s Urban Family Outreach program. “We have a lot of good moments here,” she says. With her is the Rev. Dr. Patrick Polis. Photo by Carol Z. Shane That kind of compassion permeates the program. “We take each child and see what their strengths and weaknesses are, and work with them,” says Daniel. “We have a wonderful licensed social worker who comes in once a week. She focuses on the single-par-
Clark named Commercial Bank Employee of Year By Ruth White Janice Clark has been part of the Commercial Bank family for 22 years and calls herself the “last of the original crew.” Clark started at the bank as a teller and was eventually promoted to head teller. She says, with a laugh, that she’s done it all but work with loans. “I was a stay-at-home mom for years and when I decided to enter the workforce, everything I knew was obsolete. No one knew what shorthand was,” she said. Her branch is at Maynardville Highway and Emory Road on a lot that was known around town as the “boat lot” because it had become overgrown around discarded old boats. Once Commercial Bank purchased the lot and built its building, it received an Orchid Award from Keep Knoxville Beautiful for the beautification of the property. Clark was named the 2016 Employee of the Year – an award given across all branches. During the year, four employees are nominated for the President’s Award (through a co-worker, customer recommendation or supervisor) and one is selected as the Employee of the Year. “The other three employees are more deserving
ent families and helps with whatever anyone needs – government assistance, car repairs.” Daniel’s son Ross, a recent Maryville College graduate, is on staff as a tutor, and “teachers from the Joy of Music School come in once a week,” says Polis.
FAITH NOTES ■■ Alice Bell Baptist Church Clothes Closet (3305 Alice Bell Road) will be open 9 a.m. -1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Everyone invited. Adult and children’s clothes will be available. Everything free. ■■ Fairview Baptist Church, 7424 Fairview Road, will host “Men’s Night Out” 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb 25, at the church. Speaker: Hank Parker, professional bass fisherman. Cost: $15. Info/registration: fairviewbaptist.com. ■■ First Comforter Church, 5516 Old Tazewell Pike, hosts MAPS (Mothers At Prayer Service) noon each Friday. Info: Edna Hensley, 771-7788.
The gift of snow For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11 NRSV) We were in the mountains when the snow fell. It began with large flakes, flakes so heavy they didn’t drift and float, but fell straight down, as if in a hurry to get to the ground. Truth be told, I become a child again when snowflakes start falling. I can stand at the window, watching the floating, drifting flakes, and I am filled with wonder by the fact that, like people, no two snowflakes are alike. It seems to me to be proof that God loves His children, and knows that we are all children at heart. Somewhere, deep down in whatever sophistication we hide behind, we are delighted by a falling snowflake – a unique gift that cannot be duplicated. I am realistic enough to
Commercial Bank operations supervisor Janice Clark in her office in the Halls branch. Photo by Ruth White than I am,” said Clark. “I am blessed to work with a great group of people and Commercial Bank is a fun, good place to work.” Clark appreciates the ability to share her faith with others and said that the customers are the reason she loves working at the bank. “We share our joys and our burdens with one another. It’s not a job to me but an opportunity to serve others.” When she isn’t at the bank, Clark enjoys crafting – something that she considers her therapy. She enjoys creating decorative art, woodwork, embroidery, porcelain dolls, creating
Appalachian-style brooms and almost every aspect of the craft industry. “I love to do things that pull out the old ways. People have commented that my house looks like a Cracker Barrel (which isn’t a bad thing).” Most important to her is her faith and church, Clear Springs Baptist. Clark says they have the best choir ever (even though she doesn’t sing and blesses everyone by keeping quiet). Family is also important. She loves spending time with her five grandchildren, who range in age from 7 to 21. Gathering around the dinner table as a group is something she treasures each week.
Breakfast Rotary’s Maciolek to be district governor By Tom King Today his title is “District Governor Nominee Designate.” Next year the title will be “District Governor Nominee.” In two years he’ll be “District Governor Elect.” And finally, for the Rotary year 2019-20, he will be just “District Governor” – or DG Greg. Tom King I’m talking about Greg Maciolek, a three-time past president of the Knoxville Breakfast Rotary Club. He was selected by a nominating committee of past district governors to lead District 6780’s 65 clubs and is the Breakfast club’s first member to ever become a District Governor. And as part of this process, District 6780 Rotarians will confirm him as DG-ND at the annual District Conference on April 22 in Chattanooga. Greg owns Integrated Management Resources Inc., a management consulting and training company that provides assessments for hiring, development, coaching and career, plus leadership and communications training. He joined the Breakfast Club (which meets each Wednesday morning at Get-
tysvue Country Club) in 1999 after retiring from the U.S. Air Force. He currently serves as the club’s public image chair and is involved in many club activities. He’s also Rotary Zone 30 public image coordinator and wears two hats for District 6780 – district secretary and communications chair. He also serves as the disGreg Maciolek trict’s videographer with over 150 videos completed on behalf of the district and zone. Greg served 26 years in the Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. He retired with the rank of colonel. He was a fighter pilot flying the F-106A/B, F-4C/D and the F-16ADF aircraft. He attended Troy State University and received a master’s in human resources, and his undergraduate degree was earned at Wayne State University. “I am humbled to be selected to serve as district governor and I look forward to serving the clubs in any way I can to make them more viable, effective and to reach more people to help. Rotary is indeed serving humanity,” Greg said. Greg is married to Brissa and they have three grown children and five grandsons and live in Knox County.
Children who participate in UFO are formally enrolled, but the church also offers Kids Club, a community program the first and third Wednesday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. All that’s needed to join in the fun is a parent’s permission slip. Washington Pike Methodist is at 2241 Washington Pike. For more information about UFO or Kids Club, call the church at 865-5230603, or email urbanfamily daycare@gmail.com.
Cross Currents
Lynn Pitts
acknowledge that snow can be a dangerous beauty, that we need to respect it, and I freely admit that the older I get, the more I respect it! I don’t want to fall and crack my noggin! So, these days, I tend to enjoy it through a window decorated with icicles hanging from the eaves. We Americans tend to think of the Holy Land as desert country, with occasional oases strewn about, which to some extent is true. But it does snow there, especially in the mountains, and it’s a wondrous thing to see!
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last words Knox greeways have new driver Tim Hester, former city manager of Norris, has been hired as the new greenways coordinator for the city of Knoxville. He started to work this week. Brian Hann, active chair of the city greenway commission, praised the choice, saying, “I look forward to seeing him in action.” He replaces Lori Goerlich who left for Chattanooga after a lackluster four years in Knoxville. Hester will clearly be a positive upgrade in this office and greenways will be moving forward. His office will be at Lakeshore Park. ■■ If U.S. Rep. Diane Black becomes the permanent chair of the House Budget Committee, will that impact her potential run for governor next year? She is the interim chair for now until Georgia Republican Tom Price is (presumably) confirmed to the Trump Cabinet as Health and Human Services secretary. Paul Ryan chaired the budget committee before becoming House speaker. It is an important, demanding and time-consuming position. It is a sign of the respect the House leadership holds for her skills, which will be tested under President Donald Trump. Her office for now says it will not affect her decision on whether to enter the 2018 race for governor. She is considered by many to be the leading candidate at this early stage in the contest and she can fund her own campaign if necessary. Other potential candidates include Randy Boyd of Knoxville, state Sens. Mark Green, Mark Norris and Doug Overbey, and possibly House Speaker Beth Harwell. ■■ Knox County officials are hopeful that Gov. Bill Haslam will include funding in his budget for the Knox Safety Center, which is being pushed by Mayor Tim Burchett and former district attorney Randy Nichols. Money was not in last year’s state budget, but a behind-the-scenes effort has been made since then to secure funding. If not included, expect the Knox lawmakers to push funding by legislation. The governor has not announced his decision. ■■ Wayne Christensen, 71, retired director of Knox Youth Sports, has decided to run for the West Knoxville city council seat now held by Vice Mayor
Victor Ashe
Duane Grieve, who retires in December because of term limits. Christensen may be opposed by David Williams and Tim Hill. Others mentioned include Bearden activist Terri Faulkner, West Hills sidewalk supporter Sandi Robinson, Knox County election commissioner Andrew Roberto, and former Democratic party vice chair Doug Veum. This could be a crowded field that triggers much interest. ■■ Lois Riggins Ezzell, the 35-year director of the state museum, has been gone 18 days but only a few blocks away, where she secured an easy $40,000-ayear job as a fundraiser for the new museum building at age 77. Interestingly, no one asked her to do this except herself. But the foundation board is in her pocket and they are happy to spend money citizens give for the museum to enhance her personal retirement on top of her state pension. She attempted her last week in office to create an actual office for herself within the museum as the foundation actually does not have office space anywhere. When museum commission chair Tom Smith discovered this last-minute maneuver, he placed a halt to it. This sequence of events is impossible to make up. It is also most unfortunate that some public employees do not realize when it is time to depart. The museum commission is scheduled to meet next week, Jan. 24, to choose a permanent replacement. Meanwhile the governor is trying to raise $40 million to pay for the new $160 million museum. Birthdays: Chancellor Mike Moyers turns 56 on Jan. 19. Congratulations! Marie Leonard, widow of Farragut’s first mayor, Bob Leonard, celebrated her 90th birthday last Saturday at the Farragut Town Hall. Knoxville’s oldest living former mayor, Randy Tyree, turns 77 on Jan. 20. He was also the youngest person ever to be elected mayor in 1975 when at age 35 he was elected over the late Kyle Testerman.
6 • January 18, 2017 • North/East Shopper news
UT makes life more difficult for Butch Top leadership of the University of Tennessee, if there really is some, has made life more difficult than necessary for Butch Jones. As the coach sought to improve his staff, prospective assistants kept asking nosey questions about who will be the next athletic director. Potential offensive coordinators with names you might recognize were curious about the job and such trivia as chain of command, grasp and understanding, long-term stability and exactly how important will football be in the overall scheme of things. Here’s the dilemma: If Butch was forced to pick an available replacement for Mike DeBord when he really wanted someone else, he has a built-in excuse for future problems. You tied my hands. President Joe DiPietro and the board of trustees have known for months and months that UT needed a chancellor and athletic director. We’ve all known since August that Jimmy Cheek and Dave Hart were moving on.
Marvin West
Common sense dictated a new chancellor was the first priority in replacing the lame ducks – just in case that person wanted a vote in the selection of the new athletic director. Identifying Beverly J. Davenport took almost forever. Time dragged on. Even for a quick study, figuring out what is Tennessee football takes longer than making instant potatoes. Delay, delay, delay. Finally, she or DiPietro or somebody more powerful wants a professional search company to sort through AD possibilities, make recommendations and mask responsibility. There was a time Butch and I thought we knew the next athletic director would be David Blackburn, Vol for life, very successful as recent leader of athletics at UT-
Chattanooga. He seemed so obvious. He is 50. He has the ideal background. He has experience. He knows everybody who matters, big donors, politicians, thousands of fans. DiPietro is already his top boss. David, son of a high school coach, was born in Loudon. He played quarterback there. He enrolled at UT and learned a lot as student manager for John Majors’ teams in 1988-89. He went to Morristown to be a coach. Phillip Fulmer invited him back for an administrative role in recruiting and compliance and a few dozen other things. Doug Dickey saw greater potential and promoted Blackburn. Through the years, he looked after facilities, fundraising and event management. Because he could read and write, he evolved into the athletic department connection to the Thornton Center and academics. He participated in coaching searches. He became a senior associate AD under Mike Hamilton. He was a big help in dealing with the NCAA during
a time of crisis, the Bruce Pearl and Lane Kiffin era. If winning matters, it appears Blackburn and Chattanooga have excelled. Last year UT-C became the first school in a hundred years to win Southern Conference titles in football and men’s and women’s basketball. Maybe I shouldn’t mention that the basketball Mocs defeated the Vols in the opener of this season. Maybe I shouldn’t mention that Blackburn is Tennessee through and through. He is not from Florida or Alabama or even Cincinnati, from whence cometh Dr. Davenport and, before that, Coach Jones. David has never been athletic director at Notre Dame or UCLA or even Kansas or Kentucky. He is known widely but is not famous outside the Volunteer family. But, he is smart and aware and interested. Come to think of it, if the big time is what really matters. Dr. Davenport has never been chancellor at any of those places. Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero,com.
School board politics: It’s not about party There are no Rs or Ds on local school board ballots. Board members are elected on a non-partisan basis, and despite some past saber rattling from the Red-tothe-Roots crowd, it doesn’t appear that Republicans are preparing to change that status. This probably makes Patti Bounds Mike Edwards Knox County school board chair Patti Bounds happy. Bounds is worried about Betsy DeVos, the ultra-conservative Amway billionaire who is President-elect DonBetty ald Trump’s choice to head Bean the Department of Education. It’s DeVos’ identification with school privatizaFor Bounds, a conser- tion, not her overall politics, vative who was raised Re- that bothers Bounds, who is publican, it’s educational also not comfortable with philosophy, not party lines some of the positions of that divide the board, the state legislators who repmajority of whom oppose resent her district, even much of the reform agenda though they are fellow Refavored at the state and na- publicans. “The more I get to know tional levels. “I could probably tell you them and the more I study where people come down, the issues, the more I just if you had to put them in want to scream when Bill a box, as far as Republi- Dunn talks about vouchcans and Democrats, but ers. And the more time I’m that’s not what affects how spending in Nashville, the they vote,” Bounds says. more I’m seeing the pres“We have some very di- sures to conform and fit in.” But the group she finds verse opinions. But here’s the thing that makes me most worrisome is the state feel like I’m out there and school board, whose nine don’t know who I am some- voting members (one per times: it’s the Democrats (in congressional district) are Nashville) who are fighting appointed by the governor for (public) education and to serve five-year terms. see the dangers in the re- This board strongly supform movement (excessive ports charters and vouchers high stakes testing, charter and high-stakes testing. “Some of them have zero schools, vouchers and privatization, linkage of teacher knowledge of education, evaluations to sometimes- and they’re the ones making the major decisions. They’re flawed test results).”
not accountable to anyone,” Bounds says. “The only one Mike Edwards (who represents the Second Congressional District) is answerable to is Bill Haslam, and citizens have no vote in the matter. I think they’re good people and have done good things for the state. If you’d asked me 10 years ago, as an average person, if I was in favor of vouchers, I’d say, ‘What’s a voucher?’ And you’d say every child deserves a good school, and I’d agree. It’s the far-right people saying that’s what they are trying to do. You have to ask why are they doing this.” Bounds worries that the Legislature might try to abolish local school boards and let the state board run everything from Nashville.
Edwards takes issue with most of what Bounds said. He said he’s studying a stack of documents seven inches thick for the next board meeting, and considers himself answerable to Tennessee’s schoolchildren – not to the governor. He said he doesn’t see teachers as adversaries and that nobody is looking to shut down local school boards. “Our biggest push is not against teachers. It is against the U.S. Department of Education. We’re not answerable to the governor. And we’re not trying to please the governor. Nor or we trying to please the Department of Education. “None of us are ideological and none of us are on there with an agenda.”
Here comes Harry
Former state Rep. Harry Tindell, 56, has announced his intention to seek the District 4 seat on the Knoxville City Council in the upcoming election. A lifelong resident of Knoxville, Tindell was twice elected to the Knox County school board before serving 11 terms in the state House. He lives in the Alice Bell/Spring Hill community and is self-employed in the insurance business. Harry Tindell “It will be important to have new city council members with varied experience in this period of change,” he wrote in a press release. Info: harrytindell4knoxville@gmail.com or on Facebook.
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JANUARY 28, 2017
CONSIDER THESE STARTLING NUMBERS: • There are estimated to be 27 million slaves worldwide • This industry brings in $32 billion/yr., and those numbers are increasing daily. • Reportedly, 161 countries are affected by human trafficking as either sources, transit centers or destinations.
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