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A great community newspaper
VOL. 51 NO. 51
December 17, 2012
Santa stops in Powell
IN THIS ISSUE
Coffee Break
Longtime Shopper-News columnist Dr. Jim Tumblin received the 2012 Knox Heritage Media Award for his long-running monthly column, History and Mysteries. We are quite proud of Dr. Jim and thought you needed to get better acquainted with him over this week’s Coffee Break.
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See page 10
Miracle Maker When most parents think about the Parent Teacher Association, they envision the handful of women who work the equivalent of a full-time job to raise money for smart boards and playground equipment. But when members from each of the county’s PTA-affiliated schools come together, even bigger things happen.
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See page 7
Comedy of errors Changing coaches wasn’t as depressing as some disasters, Marvin West says. The search was a comedy of errors. Never have so many who knew so little said so much. Media and fans with “inside” information were very entertaining. Better than Oprah. The outcome was OK.
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Daisy Gentry wears a special Christmas dress to visit with Santa at Frontier Communications. Gentry asked Santa for a bike, flute and Easy Bake oven. Photo by Ruth White
See Marvin’s story on page 8
McIntyre hears from kids at forum
Lions Club holds craft fair
By Jake Mabe
The Powell Lions Club sponsored a craft fair at Jubilee Banquet Facility along with free eye screenings, diabetes testing and photos with Santa. The Farragut Lions Club helped with the eye screenings and diabetes testing. “The Lions Clubs do a lot of events together. We help each other,” said Lion Kathy Burrow.
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The old cliché about education – “It’s all about the kids” – was spot-on during Dr. Jim McIntyre’s community forum at Brickey-McCloud Elementary School last Thursday night. Following a 20-minute presentation in which McIntyre praised the school system’s recent successes (improvement in TCAP, TVAS and ACT scores as well as high school graduation rates), student council members dominated the question-and-answer period, asking McIntyre about everything from fielding elementary-level sports teams to having a longer school instructional day and more field trips. One asked about adding Spanish to the elementary
See page A-3
Christmas bazaar It was a beautiful day for Christmas shopping, especially if you were already at Knoxville Center Mall. You could purchase special or handmade gift items just by hopping over to City on a Hill Church on the back side of the mall to take advantage of the church’s first bazaar.
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NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Theresa Edwards ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Shannon Carey | Patty Fecco Jim Brannon | Tony Cranmore Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at and distributed to 8,185 homes in Powell.
in addition to traditional high school courses, and the school system might explore offering them to upper el-
uled vacancy, the By Betty Bean board of commisState Rep. Bill Dunn is draftsioners formuing legislation to change the way lates a rank-orutility district commissioners are dered list of three selected. nominees, which Hallsdale Powell Utility Disis submitted to trict, which has been the focus of the county mayor, controversy over water rates and who may choose hiring practices in recent years, one of the candilies within Dunn’s 16th House Dis- Bill Dunn dates or reject the trict and is governed by a threemember board of commissioners entire list and force the board to who serve staggered 4-year terms. repeat the process. Three months before a schedIf the mayor rejects the sec-
Earth
Gallery & Gifts Mike Padgett Owner
school curriculum. McIntyre said world languages are being offered on a limited basis in middle schools
every student would receive an iPad. McIntyre says technology can allow teachers to do even more creative and innovative things in the classroom as well as help structure class activities based on individual student needs. “We’ll continue to talk to the folks on County Commission and the mayor and help us identify funding (for technology).” McIntyre said he believes publishers will stop printing textbooks in favor of an electronic textbook within the next five to seven years, “by the time many of you (students) are in high school.” Brickey-McCloud 5thgrade teacher Jilynn Parmly said she comes from a To page A-3
Dunn to tweak utility district board selection
See page 9
4509 Doris Circle 37918 (865) 922-4136
Brickey-McCloud Elementary assistant principal Megan O’Dell welcomes Knox County Schools superintendent Jim McIntyre to the community forum last Thursday. Photo by Jake Mabe
ementary grades as well. Asked about the possibility of a longer school day, McIntyre said the school calendar is set for two years but the school board will soon begin discussing what future calendar years might look like. “Five states are adding 300 hours to the school year, and a few schools in Tennessee are going to participate to see if it makes a difference in student learning,” McIntyre said. “How we utilize our time best is important (to) squeeze as much time as possible in the school day for learning.” He said a longer school day would also allow more opportunities for extended learning, tutoring or afterschool enrichment. One child asked when
ond slate of nominees, the board is authorized to make up a third list, with the top candidate getting the appointment if the mayor again fails to act. Earlier this year, HPUD’s Board of Commissioners and county mayor Tim Burchett were locked into a high-profile war of wills over a scheduled appointment. The commissioners’ preference was to reappoint longtime chair Jim Hill. Burchett was not inclined to cooperate, and ended
up appointing Sheriff’s Office employee Todd Cook instead. Dunn says he is working with a staff attorney to simplify and speed the process. The best option they’ve found is to introduce the threat of handing over the decision to County Commission. The bill would apply statewide. “The idea is that both the utility district and the mayor would want to come to an agreement before it got to that point,” Dunn said.
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