GOVERNMENT/POLITICS A4 | OUR COLUMNISTS A6 | BUSINESS A7 | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS A11
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powell
VOL. 50, NO. 36
SEPTEMBER 5, 2011
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A Lion in winter So long, J.D. Powell honors J.D. Jett See Greg Householder, page 3
Shannon Carey Ends her run as our columnist for Moms 101. She’s afraid her kid will find out what she’s been writing! See story on page 11
Sandra Clark Writes about Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre ... his contract extension and his strategic compensation plan, APEX. See story on page 5
FEATURED COLUMNIST JAKE MABE
Ten years ago... Jake recalls his first trip to New York, 10 days before 9/11, and visiting Ground Zero five months later. See page 6
By Greg Householder On Aug. 27, the Powell Lions Club celebrated its 60th anniversary. Edd Miller has been there every step of the way. Miller is the only active charter member left from the original 43 who started the club in 1951. After serving in the infantry in the Army and seeing action in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, Miller married a Powell native and moved to Powell in 1948. “It was a very small community,” Miller recollects. “Back then there were one or two grocery stores and the post office was in the corner of the old Groner Grocery.” Groner Grocery, like most businesses in Powell at the time, was located near the railroad station. According to Miller, not much was located on Clinton Highway in those days. “Weigel’s was known as Broadacres Dairy back then. Yes, Powell was rather small,” he adds. For a small community, Miller says that there was a lot of interest in forming the Lions Club. After all, 43 men got it started. Most area Lions Clubs would love to see 43 folks in attendance today. The tradition of the Powell Horse Show started the next year according to Miller.
Edd Miller accepts recognition of his years of service as a charter member of the Powell Lions Club from Lions District 12-N Gov. Chuck Bailey at the club’s 60th anniversary dinner. Photo by Jake Mabe “Our first show was held on the high school football field,” says Miller. He chuckles – “I doubt that would be possible today.” Miller tells of the legendary Cas Walker having one of his show horses in the inaugural show. Later, the Powell Lions sponsored a donkey basket-
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4509 Doris Circle 37918 (865) 922-4136 news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Larry Van Guilder lvgknox@mindspring.com ADVERTISING SALES Patty Fecco fecco@ShopperNewsNow.com Darlene Hutchison hutchisond@ ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 4509 Doris Circle, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 8,314 homes in Powell.
Just as the new school year begins, County Mayor Tim Burchett celebrates his first year in office. What “marks” has the mayor earned since last September? Geography: Burchett may be the most peripatetic mayor in Knox County history. His community conferences regularly take him around the county on listening tours. He has been criticized for sometimes forgetting that the city of Knoxville is part of the county, at least during budget preparation, and some would say he’s more familiar with Carter than Farragut. But those are largely political issues rather than intellectual shortcomings. C+ Math: A good teacher is essential to excelling in this subject. John Troyer is a first rate financial guru, and Troyer guided the mayor through an inaugural budget that included a plan to shave the county’s debt by $100 million over five years. Give the mayor a B. Communication Skills: The mayor excels in one-on-one situations. He’s personable and given to plain talk. Early on there was some serious miscommunication about the severance package deal former Mayor Mike
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ball game at the high school gym – another event Miller thinks would be impossible to hold in this day and age. A promotional company provided the donkeys and the players, all from the community, rode them while playing basketball. Sometime later, the Lions bought property behind the
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Good for members and non-members. Must present coupon at time of service to receive discount. Exp. 9/30/11
Tim Burchett File Photo Ragsdale engineered for three departing senior staff members. That faux pas hurt Burchett’s credibility out of the gate and lowers his grade to a C. Civics: This is a tough one. The mayor’s stand on Carter Elementary School is not one you would expect a veteran politician to take. Investing loads of political capital in a project to help one community when other parts of the county need help could come back to haunt the mayor in a few years. But Burchett will tell you he has a soft spot for the underdog, and while that may not be characteristic of an ambitious politician, it isn’t a trait to be scorned. BIt’s only fair to ask the mayor for his take on his
first year in office. We posed several questions. Q: Would you do anything differently? A: “I never even think about stuff that way. … Lots of times it’s not how you start but how you finish.” Q: What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned since taking office? A: “I really didn’t have that many surprises.” Burchett added he had to be careful not to get too insulated from his constituents. Q: What’s been your greatest challenge? A: “This Carter thing has been a real challenge. … We’ve had so many roadblocks. … But I don’t have time to sit and feel sorry for myself.” Q; What’s the most enjoyable aspect of the job? A: “I enjoy just getting out and meeting folks. (When you’re talking to someone) right then, that’s the most important thing in that person’s life.” Burchett gave himself a “solid C” for his first year in office and said he tries to do “a little better every day.” He said he spends time every morning in his office thinking and praying about the work ahead. Despite the challenges, he confesses his life could be worse: “Nearly every day is gravy on all-biscuit wheels.”
circus. It rained and the Lions had to lay down boards to keep circus-goers from swamping out. The Lions later sold the property to the county for expansion of the elementary school. Miller doesn’t remember exactly when the current location of the club’s clubTo page A-2
Mercy announces name change The pending acquisition of Mercy Health Partners by Health Management Associates comes with some name changes. Immediately following the anticipated October closing, Mercy will become Tennova Healthcare. Six area Mercy hospitals will also acquire new names. Mercy Medical Center North in Powell will become North Knoxville Medical Center. In a written release, Mercy explained Tennova’s origins. The first part of the name relates to the system’s Tennessee roots. “Nova” is derived from the Latin “novare,” to make new. Mercy Medical Center West employees gathered in the hospital cafeteria last Thursday to hear administrator Jeff Potter make the formal an-
nouncement. Potter told the Shopper-News that details remain to be worked out, but he does not anticipate any job losses. “We expect an expansion of services,” Potter said, “and it could happen pretty quickly.” Other planned facility name changes include: ■ Mercy Medical Center at St. Mary’s: Physicians Regional Medical Center ■ Mercy Medical Center West: Turkey Creek Medical Center ■ St. Mary’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital: Jefferson Memorial Hospital ■ Baptist Hospital of Cocke County: Newport Medical Center ■ St. Mary’s Medical Center of Campbell County: Lafollette Medical Center – Larry Van Guilder
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elementary school. According to Miller, this was low-lying flood-prone land. The Lions moved the horse show to that location and many current Powell Lions remember being asked to help present ribbons and such while going to the elementary school. Miller tells of one year when the Lions sponsored a
Burchett gets a ‘solid C’ By Larry Van Guilder
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