Powell/Norwood Shopper-News 070914

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POWELL/NORWOOD VOL. 53 NO. 27

NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ

Urban gardens

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July 9, 2014

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Celebrating our independence

The city of Knoxville is ready to propose changes in the zoning ordinance that will make it easier for individuals and community groups to establish gardens on privately held land. Anyone interested in community gardens, urban agriculture or sales of produce from these gardens is invited to meet 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, at Cansler Family YMCA, 616 Jessamine St. Info: 215-2065.

IN THIS ISSUE Vols new and old enjoy Rocky Top Photographer (and sometime insurance guy) Doug Johnson captured the action of the Rocky Top summer basketball league with two shots, while the Powell Smokies captured the Knox County baseball tournament championship (8 and under, coachpitch) at Bower Field.

Pictures on page A-9

Payouts to paramours It is not often a serious candidate for the U.S. Senate has in his past a state Supreme Court decision that delves into his personal life, thereby making it public. But such is the case with Gordon Ball, a wealthy Knoxville attorney and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in the Aug. 7 primary.

Read Victor Ashe on page A-5

McIntyre’s mojo melting away It started as Alice’s Restaurant. Superintendent James McIntyre could get anything he wanted at any time, generally by an 8-1 vote. But now McIntyre’s board majority is melting, and neither his contract nor his long-range plan nor the August election will save him. He’s done. Alice isn’t cooking here anymore.

Read Betty Bean on page A-4

Find us in Food Shopper-News publisher Sandra Clark says if a newspaper is good enough, readers will find it – even if it’s stuffed inside the Wednesday Food section.

Read Sandra Clark on page A-4

7049 Maynardville Pike 37918 (865) 922-4136 NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Cindy Taylor ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Shannon Carey Jim Brannon | Tony Cranmore Brandi Davis | Patty Fecco

Local singing sensation Sydni Stinnett, 13, performed the National Anthem at the PBPA’s Picnic at Powell Station Park on July 4. Photos by Cindy Taylor

By Cindy Taylor The Powell Lions Club 4th of July Parade hit its 60th year of cruising the streets of downtown Powell this year to much improved weather over 2013. Hundreds celebrated their independence by tailgating and lining Emory Road to watch the parade pass by. The Powell Business and Professional Association invited everyone to Powell Station Park afterward for lots of free goodies and an a cappella treat by Sydni Stinnett singing the National Anthem. Stinnett won

snacks and drinks at the park. PBPA sends thanks to: Farm Bureau Insurance, UT Federal Credit Union, First Century Bank, Food City, Knoxville Realty Executives, the band Wolf Song, Edward Jones Company, Angela Floyd School of Dance, State Farm, Tennova Health and Fitness, One Life Church, Powell Presbyterian Church, Frontier and Hallsdale-Powell Utility District for their generous donations of time and goodies. The Powell Lions Club sends thanks to all who participated.

Resident Nadine Fitchpatrick, Lantern Alzheimer’s memory care program coordinator Lynda Rose and resident Ethel Jacobs from Morning Pointe; Jacobs decorated her walker just for the parade. Residents baked cookies to hand out along the route.

More parade photos on page A-3

Clayton Park: What might have been By Betty Bean In 2009, Knox County commissioned Ross/Fowler P.C. to draw a master plan for Clayton Park in Halls. Residents had bought 11 acres on Norris Freeway and deeded the land to Knox County. Mike Fowler conducted community meetings, took suggestions and developed a plan for a park that “takes advantage of such unique site features as an emerging wetland, numerous existing

mature trees, open meadowlands and over 1,000 feet of frontage on Beaver Creek,” the narrative said. The park now under construction bears little resemblance to the leafy, passive park Fowler described. His plan, for which the county paid $14,250, envisioned: ■ A multipurpose meadow amphitheater ringed with picnic tables and fi xed seating. ■ A recreation meadow with natural play areas.

■ A wetland boardwalk and an elevated creekwalk and overlook with interpretive signage. ■ A tree-top adventure play area. “This system of decks, ramps, slides and steps reaches up to interact with the canopy of several mature trees,” Fowler’s narrative says. Now almost every tree has been cut, the ground flattened. Although Knox County officials

promise to replant trees, it is clear there will be no canopy of mature trees in the park’s central area. Delays could cost Knox County a $615,413 greenway grant at Clayton Park, and the county already has lost a state grant for Plumb Creek Park off Lovell Road. Officials say they cannot start work at Plumb Creek until Clayton Park is finished. Looking at Clayton’s parched grass and lack of shade, perhaps Plumb Creek is better off.

Demoted Earl speaks out at school board By Betty Bean Former Brickey-McCloud Elementary School assistant principal Sheila Earl was moved to tell her story at last Wednesday’s school board meeting after hearing board members at the Monday workshop talk about clamping down on teachers who bypass the KCS “chain of command” by going public with complaints about the administration. Earl is fearful of retaliation but promised her daughter she’d be brave because many colleagues have received the same treatment she has and don’t know why. The last year she was an assistant principal, she was evaluated by Knox County Schools’ elementary schools director Nancy Maland, who gave her the highest possible rating – a level 5 score. This result was typical for Earl, a 23-year KCS employee, so she had reason to be excited when she got a phone call from the KCS human resources department July 19, 2012.

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the voice competition on Knoxville Unplugged. Food City Powell provided free hot dogs at the park while their smoker set up in the parking lot at the Clinton Highway store. The smoker will also be at Food City Powell from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 11-12 during the store’s Freshville event. During these two days the store will feature a huge produce sale highlighting locally grown produce. Businesses and individuals in the community participated in the parade and provided

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“I naively believed that my time had finally come and I was going in to interview for a principalship,” she said. “After all, I had spent nine years as a successful assistant principal after 14 years as an award-winning teacher. I had even completed the D-21 program with excellent results as well.” When she went to the meeting with Maland and HR director Kathy Simms, she was stunned to hear that Superintendent James McIntyre had decided to return her to the classroom, a change that carried a 25 percent pay reduction. “When I asked for the reason why, I was reminded that administrators serve at the pleasure of the superintendent. (Nancy) Maland acted as a scribe, but she remained silent. (Superintendent) McIntyre was conveniently out of town.” Maland retired at year’s end. Earl, a single mother, was given very little time to clear out her office, prepare to teach third grade

and readjust her family budget to the pay cut. Her former principal said she had no idea why Earl was demoted. Her new principal suggested that perhaps this was a test to see how gracefully she handled difficult situations and speculated that she might get a promotion the next year. “That, of course, did not happen,” Earl said. There was a bit of a silver lining, she thought. Under state guidelines, Earl’s evaluation score qualified her for an APEX bonus, so she had reason to expect some financial help that fall. But when she checked the APEX website in November, the words next to her name were “Employee no longer in good standing.” She attempted to find why she had been labeled a loser, but multiple phone calls and emails got no response until her sister (acting without Earl’s knowledge) contacted the county ethics board. Finally, in April 2013, she heard

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from KCS chief accountability officer Nakia Towns, who informed her that being reclassified as a classroom teacher after having been an administrator automatically made her ineligible for the bonus. Earl, who said she has been shocked at the level of micromanagement that classroom teachers have to endure nowadays, was required to submit her emails to board chair Lynne Fugate in order to be allowed to speak at the meeting. Many of the teachers who have been speaking out in recent months were present, although they were harder to pick out in the crowd because most were not wearing their familiar red SPEAK (Students, Parents, Educators Across Knox County) T-shirts. Members of a newly formed group, Educators for Excellence, identifiable in bright blue TTo page A-3

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