Shopper-News 121613

VOL. 1 NO. 18

www.ShopperNewsNow.com |

IN THIS ISSUE

Artists celebrate the season at Austin-East ‘reel’

Walker runs for school board

In case anyone doubts that James McIntyre will be the key issue in next year’s school board races, meet Marshall Walker, a retired Knox County Schools social worker who was in the audience last week when the school board voted 8-1 to extend McIntyre’s contract.

➤

Troy Watring and Samiya Allmon (at right) perform a routine with the A-E Dance Company. They are two of dozens of students at Austin-East who participated in last week’s red carpet show for the community.

Shopper-News photographer Ruth White was there and shows many young people at work (it’s not play, folks) along with her comments. See page 6.

Read Betty Bean on page 4

Candoro gets festive The Candoro Arts & Heritage Center’s annual holiday open house drew neighbors and friends from far and wide.

The Candoro Marble Building was decorated with seasonal greenery – and some human-made items – that brought smiles to everyone.

➤

Read Betsy Pickle on page 3

Change at Vine Cindy White came to be principal at Vine Middle School after four years as principal at Karns Middle. Before that, she’d been assistant principal at Karns High. But before she got into administration, she’d been in the trenches – 27 years as a classroom teacher, primarily in the city center.

➤

Harold Woods volunteers,

enjoys each day

Read Betsy Pickle on page 6

Matlock’s dream Okay, you’ve seen it while driving down Millertown Pike east: a neatly-graded building pad adjoining Kinzel Way across from the newly-renovated Sam’s Club. It sits idle, staked and waiting for footers and concrete that never comes.

What gives?

➤

Read Nicky D. on page 7

It feels like ‘down-home’ John and his wife, Kristie, own Parton’s Smokin’ Butz BBQ at 10211 Chapman Highway. Haven’t tried them yet?

Don’t wait another minute for this treat to your tastebuds!

John cooked on smokers for years and his friends were always asking for more of his delicious meals. He describes himself as a “hometown boy” and says Seymour residents will know his location because it is the former Pixie Drive-In.

➤

Read Nancy Whittaker on page 7

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

December 16, 2013

www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow

Sylvia and Harold Woods strike a pose at the San Diego Zoo in June 2013.

By Betsy Pickle Everyone has an expiration date. Harold Woods has been told that his is sooner rather than later.

“They keep telling us, ‘within six months, within six months,’” says Sylvia Woods, Harold’s wife of 52 years. “We’ve been hearing that now for two years.”

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 after it attacked his bile duct, which had to be removed.

He’s been through chemotherapy several times, as well as radiation.

His doctor told him in July that he could have more treatment – and feel terrible all the time – or he could just keep on living his life, dealing with the pain as it comes up.

No surprise, Woods is plugging along. The longtime community

volunteer has scaled back his activities somewhat. He’s serving only on the boards of directors of East Tennessee PBS, Cornerstone of Recovery and Project HELP, as well as on the Tennessee Democratic Party executive committee.

Volunteering is a hard habit to break.

“I’m not one to sit there quietly,” says Woods. “I get involved and know more or less what’s going on.

That’s the way it’s been my whole life. Anything I’ve joined, I’ve participated – otherwise, I wouldn’t have joined.”

Woods is widely respected for his 40-plus years of service to the AFL-CIO, which he joined after he started working for the Aluminum Company of America in Alcoa in 1965. (He retired in 2002 but still

continued to serve the union.)

He was in the first class of Leadership Knoxville in 1985, and he has a long list of awards for community service from everyone from the CAC and United Way to the Boy Scouts and PTA. He and his wife were both honored with the 2013 Truman Day Champions Award this fall at the Knox County Democratic Party’s Truman Day event. The award was in recognition of their decades of service in improving the lives of working people in the state of Tennessee.

Woods says he learned to respect working people as a child.

He was born in his family’s home in the Mead’s Quarry area of South Knoxville. His father worked at the Williams Lime Plant – 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

When their house burned, his father bought the materials to rebuild, but his mother was the one who built it.

“She put every nail in,” says Woods.

Woods has fond memories of

his old neighborhood.

“Of all the communities you could grow up in, that was the best,” he says. “We loved each other. The parents took care of all of us kids. We were all poor. We all had the same circumstance, and we had the same enemies.”

Woods learned early on that people with money had a distrust and often a contempt for those who were poor, and he fought many battles to improve life and work conditions for the poor and middle class.

He remains hopeful about the future, but he worries that the country for now is heading backward.

“I lived in the best of times,” he says. “I lived in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. We brought up the middle class. When people worked, they got paid decent pay, and the people that couldn’t work, they wasn’t starving or hungry.

“Today, it isn’t that way. They’re getting back to rich and poor; they’re doing away with the middle class that built this country.”

MLK Celebration names special guests

By Sandra Clark The committee that’s organizing the local celebration for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday has announced three special guests: Memphis Mayor A. C. Wharton Jr. will speak at the annual Leadership Educational Symposium on Jan. 16. Wharton has as mayor of Memphis since 2009 and also served two terms as mayor of Shelby County. During the morning Symposium, he will lead a roundtable discussion on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as speak on topics relevant to

business, education and mayoral issues.

John Seigenthaler, founder of the First Amendment Center and a former president of the American Society of Newspapers Editors, will bring the keynote speech at the Leadership Awards Luncheon at noon Jan. 16. For 43 years, he served as a journalist for The Tennessean, Nashville’s morning newspaper. He was founding editorial director of USA Today and served in that position for a decade.

Dr. George McKenna III will speak at the Memorial Tribute

Service at noon on Jan. 20, the official MLK Holiday. McKenna has been a teacher, superintendent and administrator as well as educational consultant to numerous school districts and other organizations. He is the subject of the CBS television movie, “The George McKenna Story” starring Denzel Washington.

Except for the ticketed Awards Luncheon, all of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative events are open to the public without charge. Info: www.

MLKKnoxville.com.

"Run For Their Lives" 5K race

January 11, 2014 Call Pam at 688-9858

Seigenthaler

Wharton

We Offer:

Proud sponsor of the

brought to you by freedom 4/24 in partnership with Firewall Ministries, to raise awareness of human trafficking.

McKenna

“Cantrell’s Cares” SALES • SERVICE • MAINTENANCE 5715 Old Tazewell Pike • 687-2520 Over 20 years experience Ove

A+ RATING WITH

• Complete inspections, maintenance & repairs for all air conditioning & heating equipment • Money-saving high-efficiency system upgrades!

• FREE ESTIMATES on new equipment • FINANCING through TVA Energy Right program

• Maintenance plans available.

2 • DECEMBER 16, 2013 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

Enjoy the holiday season (andfoodthe) without overdoing it ing his or her intake, you can fill a plate for them. Having a buddy at the event can help keep you focused on the people and not the food.

■ DON’T FORGET THE VEGETABLES. Vegetables are high in nutrients and low in calories. Make sure you choose vegetables that have plenty of color and crunch. Making your plate visually interesting can help you feel less deprived. Crunchy foods like vegetables take longer to eat and make you slow down to appreciate your food.

■ DON’T RUN ON EMPTY. Whatever you do, don’t go to a party hungry and don’t “save up” for a big end-of-day meal.

Eat a mini-meal before the office get-together or make yourself healthy snacks throughout the day. If you face a buffet table on an empty stomach, you’ll have little chance of preventing a diet disaster.

■ PICK A SMALLER PLATE. Avoid buffet size plates and choose a plate from the smaller sizes usually available on the dessert or appetizer table. A full small plate looks more appealing than a large plate with lots of empty space.

■ IF YOU BOOZE IT, YOU WON’T LOSE IT. Alcohol can be very fattening. Whether you’re sipping a glass of wine or having a frosty cold beer, those empty calories are going to add up! Drinking will not quell your appetite either. In fact, it may loosen your determination and cause you to binge on foods you might never have touched sober. If you do choose to imbibe, try making some switch-offs, like having a wine spritzer instead of a whole glass of wine.

■ AVOID SECONDS. Take modest portions of the foods you’re interested in eating and don’t make a second trip to the buffet. If you need to hold something after you’ve enjoyed first helpings of holiday foods, hold a cup of tea, coffee or other nonalcoholic beverage.

By Beth A. Booker, Fort Sanders Regional Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist As the final stretch of the holidays nears, so too does the crunch of shopping, family and tempting food. But there’s a way to avoid a dieting disaster and keep your waistline in check for 2014. Here are some strategies for having a tasty, terrific holiday.

■ START YOUR DAY OUT RIGHT. Use the morning meal to pack in lots of nutrition with whole grains, fruits, and lean protein.

People who skip breakfast usually make up the calories (or more) later in the day.

Use this time to refresh yourself and build a healthy base for the day.

■ GAME PLAN. Planning is paramount during the holiday season. You need a course of action: think about what to do when you’re offered foods you feel you should not eat; what to eat instead; and ways to enjoy the season that are not foodrelated. If you have a plan you will not be caught off-guard.

■ WHERE’S THE FIBER? Eat foods high in fiber including whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Fiber delays digestion, making you feel full longer and making you less likely to binge on holiday foods.

■ BRING SOMETHING YOU LOVE. Ask to bring something to the holiday party or family dinner. Make sure your contribution is something that you like and is low in calories while being high in nutrients. By bringing something along, you can be assured that you have a go-to food for healthy snacking.

■ HELPING HAND. Ask someone else to fill your plate at a buffet. Walk down the line without a plate first, making mental notes of what you might want to eat AND what you might want to avoid. Ask a friend to fill your plate and not deviate from your requested foods. If your friend is watch-

Vanilla roasted snacking nuts Nuts are healthy foods when eaten in small quantities. Make these tasty nuts as an alternative to chips and candy. They deliver heart-healthy fats and hunger-banishing proteins along with great taste. Enjoy these salty sweet spiced nuts on their own, or as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt.

1 tablespoon bestquality vanilla 1 large egg white 3 cups raw nuts (almonds, walnuts and pecans are nutritious choices) 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Healthier holiday cooking made easy!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine egg white and vanilla in a bowl and whip with a fork until frothy.

Stir in nuts and mix well. Mix sugar, salt and spices together; then sprinkle over the nuts. Toss again until well mixed.

Pour nut mixture onto a cookie sheet topped with baking parchment. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn off oven. Remove baking sheet and stir nut mixture. Return nuts to the oven (now off) and let stand in warm oven for 10 minutes. Remove, let cool and serve.

One way to cut your calorie intake and beef up beneficial nutrients during the holiday season is to modify traditional recipes. Try to increase the nutrition available in your holiday favorites with these ideas: 1) If you’re making stuffing or dressing from scratch, replace 1/2 of the bread in the recipe with whole grain bread. Add some vegetables and a bit of softened dried fruit (apricots or apples are nice) to increase the volume of the stuffing while upping the nutritional display.

2) Make your mashed potatoes with sweet potatoes or 1/2 white and 1/2 sweet. You can

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center wishes you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. fsregional.com • (865) 673-FORT

add some applesauce to the sweet potatoes to increase the sweetness and cut the calories while adding a creamy consistency.

3) Stir some wheat germ or nuts into stuffing or sprinkle on top of casseroles to add nutrients and crunch.

4) Add some Grape-Nuts cereal to the pecan pie topping. You can also add cranberries to a pecan pie to cut the richness and add bright color.

5) Make your beverages count by adding cloudy apple juice, pomegranate or Concord grape juice to the list of options. Add club soda to make a festive spritzer.

Shopper news • DECEMBER 16, 2013 • 3

Candoro gets festive The Candoro Arts & Heritage Center’s annual holiday open house drew neighbors and friends from far and wide.

The Candoro Marble Building was decorated with seasonal greenery – and some human-made items – that brought smiles to everyone. The sounds of the season were provided by the talented Freddie Brabson, fresh off his acclaimed performances at the Tennessee Theatre’s December Mighty Musical Monday.

Bill Snyder, the Tennessee’s house organist and a generous supporter of Candoro, was honored for his service with a marble plaque made by Buddy Mulkey of Island Home Monument Co. Alas, Snyder was ailing with a cold and had to rush home

After a brief report from Eric Johnson on plans in progress for a workday at Mary Vestal Park, president Betsy Newman Seay welcomed Pickle the 18 attendees to a spread of holiday snacks last Monday.

The VCO meets at 6 p.m. after the presentation. on the second Monday of Aside from Brabson’s each month at the South playing, a display of vintage Candoro marble items Knoxville Community Cenand conversations between ter. friends new and old, the ■ Living Christmas highlight of the evening was Tree a spread of delicious treats, including fresh-from-theThe Sevier Heights Livoven chocolate-chip cookies. ing Christmas Tree will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year with its presentations at 3 and 7 p.m. SaturThe Vestal Community day, Dec. 21, and Sunday, Organization’s December Dec. 22, at Thompson-Bolmeeting was mostly play, ing Arena. not work.

The family-oriented show ■

Vestal Community Organization

features a parade, music and dancing, live animals and elaborate costumes, all illustrating the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ.

More than half a million people have attended the Living Christmas Tree over its 25 years. The event was honored in 2009 as one of the Top 20 events in the Southeast for the month of December by the Southeast South Knoxvillians Mebbie Jackson, Ajeet Khalsa and Sherby Jones connect at the Candoro Holiday Open House. Photos by Tourism Society.

Betsy Pickle The cast, including a 247-person choir sitting in a 54-foot-tall tree, consists entirely of volunteers from Sevier Heights Baptist Church.

Free parking is provided. Tickets are free and are available at the church, 3232 Alcoa Highway, or at www. livingchristmastree.org.

Teresa Johnson and Danny Rader catch up at the open house.

Sherry Williams, Patrick Michael and Wendy Drummer take it easy at Candoro.

Ocean Cannon, Arlen Wenther, Levon Wenther, Guru Dev Ball and Evalyn Wenther celebrate Candoro and Levon’s birthday at the open house.

Twins Tonetta Dibrell and Tonya Hill and Candoro drawing instructor Brad Selph get into the holiday spirit.

Betty Butler, Valarie Johnson, Geraldine Setzer and Regis Ann Borsari enjoy some treats at the Vestal Community Organization’s December meeting.

Jennings cites savings under ‘Obamacare’

By Betty Bean Last week Quality Label & Tag CEO Jim Jennings got the bottom line numbers for his company’s 2014 health insurance premiums, and they’ve made him very happy. Once he learned that he could get better rates and better coverage for his employees through the Affordable Care Act than from his current insurance carrier, he said the choice was easy.

Here’s how he sees it: “My 2013 cost was $15,649 per month with my old carrier. My new

cost would be $18, 397, so I went to the marketplace and chose Community Health Alliance. We’ve got one additional family now, and the cost will be $15,028.

“I can get a 50 percent tax credit for two years that I qualify for because I have fewer than 20 employees – and that will drop it down to $7,500. Even without the tax credit I’d be saving $3,500 a month. This thing will save me about $80,000 a year.”

Jennings said the coverage is better under the new

plan.

“The deductible under the old policy was $2,000 for an individual; $6,000 per family. Under the new policy it’s $500 per individual; $4,500 per family. Copays for office visits were $40 for a primary physician and $60 to see a specialist.

The new plan is $20 for primary, $50 for a specialist, and co-pays count toward the deductible. Under the old plan they didn’t.

“Under the old plan, prescription drug co-pays were $10 for generics, $45 for

name brands and $25 for exotic drugs like chemotherapy, etc. The new plan’s pharmacy benefit copays are $10 for generics, $30 for name brands and $60 for exotics.

“If I’d renewed with (the old company), it would have been $220,764. This year, I’ll still pay my 2013 rate, but with the tax credit, I’m paying $187, 788 divided by 2 – $93,000 after the tax credit. I’ll be able to expense that as a business expense.

“This is not nickels and dimes. If it was a couple of

hundred dollars I wouldn’t even put all this work into it.”

Quality Label had always paid 100 percent of employees’ family health insurance premiums until last year when costs got so high that employees were required to pay 10 percent of the cost of their dependents’ premiums. Next year, the company will go back to paying the entire cost.

“We’ve prided ourselves for 24 years in paying employees and dependents’ premiums, and these were

good plans – not one of those (discount store) plans.

We’re glad to get back to that. And these insurance agents who were complaining (about the ACA) are writing policies left and right. … My agent, he’s a Republican, but he figured out this is the law and he can’t fight it. So many computer illiterate people like me are happy to let an agent do this for them.

“There are winners and losers in everything and finally the poor people get a win.”

5301 Fountain Road • Knoxville, TN 37918 gentrygriffey.com (865)689-4481 Eric Arnold Botts, Managing Partner & Licensed Funeral Director; Jerry Griffey, Founding Partner & Licensed Funeral Director; Bryan McAdams, Assistant Manager & Licensed Funeral Director

Trust, Value and Service Since 1948.

government Continuity on council Next Saturday the five re-elected city council members will be sworn into office for their final term and a special council meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the City County Building to choose a vice mayor, Beer Board chair and representative to serve on KAT.

Victor Ashe

Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis will be chosen vice mayor again for a two-year term which means he will have served four years as vice mayor, along with Brenda Palmer to chair the Beer Board and former mayor Daniel Brown to continue on the KAT board (which was not consulted over the mayoral termination of the KAT management contract).

Jack Sharp is the longest serving vice mayor in the past 75 years having served 14 years as vice mayor (or seven two-year terms). Due to term limits no one will ever reach that length of service again. Sharp currently serves on MPC. This is a special called meeting by the mayor which is a practice I started as mayor in 1990. The reason to choose the vice mayor on the day the council and/or mayor is sworn into office is to ensure there is a vice mayor to assume authority should something happen to the mayor. Prior to this the city might go several weeks before a vice mayor was chosen by the council.

■ More developments on the KAT (bus system) stemming from the Thanksgiving firing of KAT director Cindy McGinnis as a result of the $39,000 Gobis report.

Gobis never interviewed a member of the KAT board in it is inquiry.

The mayor never consulted (only informed) any KAT board member including Mark Hairr (former KAT director and UT employee now) on her decision to cancel the Veolia contract and thereby terminate McGinnis. She did not talk to any KAT board member about McGinnis’ performance prior to her departure. The city website as of Dec. 11 still showed McGinnis in her KAT position.

Melissa Roberson is the interim director. The mayor apparently intends to do a search for the new director. The manner in which McGinnis was fired has spread across the online transit community which will cause qualified persons to think twice about Knoxville, knowing the job might last for only six years (time remaining to Rogero as mayor assuming a second term).

The mayor after Rogero would be free to change the KAT director. This writer predicts the rest of the Gobis report including the abolition of the KAT board will be shelved and forgotten by this administration. McGinnis has been removed which was the goal. It could have been done without the report.

The Gobis report is not seen as objective or a valid roadmap for Knoxville transit.

■ Retiring KAT board member Essie Johnson will be honored for 32 years of service (this write appointed her three times to the board) at the next KAT board meeting.

She was not reappointed

by Mayor Rogero who is not reappointing anyone to more than two terms on various city boards.

■ The UT inquiry into charges against suspended UT band leader Gary Sousa should be concluding soon.

It is headed by a member of the Provost’s office. The Provost is on record as being very critical of Sousa which raises the question of how impartial such an inquiry can be if one of her employees is heading it up.

Sousa is reported to have employed an attorney. He has tenure and is assured of a position on the music school faculty if he loses his band position, which seems likely. Whatever happens will be awkward for UT. ■ TVA CEO Bill Johnson has taken the ax to several positions at TVA including the position of Emily Reynolds, longtime aide to former Sen. Bill Frist and former Secretary of the Senate. She handled congressional relations for TVA. She resides in Nashville and never moved to Knoxville. She has not determined what she will do next.

Johnson was paid $5.9 million for only nine months’ work by valley ratepayers. This has triggered considerable unrest and dissension by ratepayers. The board has been silent on it.

4 • DECEMBER 16, 2013 • Shopper news

Walker seeks school board seat In case anyone doubts that James McIntyre will be the key issue in next year’s school board races, meet Marshall Walker, a retired Knox County Schools social worker who was in the audience last week when the school board voted 8-1 to extend McIntyre’s contract.

Walker, who is divorced with two daughters and three g r a n d d aug hter s, says he would not have voted with the majority.

Walker “There was no need to do that at this time. That carte blanche authority they’ve given the superintendent minimizes their authority.

The school board hired the superintendent. He didn’t hire them.”

Walker plans to run against 1st District incum-

Betty Bean bent Gloria Deathridge, who voted for the extension.

Retired Vine Middle School principal George Kemp will manage his campaign. “(Gloria) Deathridge personally is a very nice woman. We are just different in our approach about how we should deal with the educational system in Knox County,” Walker said. “My experience has been with youth, parents, families and coaching. I believe that our school board representative should be responsive to the community and I will encourage more involvement from all of our community.”

Walker attended Eastport Elementary School and Vine Middle School and was among the first AfricanAmerican students to attend Fulton High School,

where he played football, basketball and baseball and graduated in 1966.

His father, the late Norman Walker, was the head custodian. His younger brother, the late Jackie Walker, became a two-time AllAmerican linebacker at the University of Tennessee and was the first African-American elected to captain a UT football team and the first African-American to be named an All-American from the Southeastern Conference.

Marshall got a football scholarship to Florida A&M, but transferred to UT after he suffered a career-ending knee injury his freshman year. He has an undergraduate degree in human resources and a master’s in social work, both from UT. He worked for Knox County Schools from 20012012, and was assigned to six inner city elementary schools. He worked for the Tennessee Board of Paroles as a supervisor from 1986-

2001, and prior to that, worked for Child Protective Services in Knoxville as a senior counselor.

He was an active volunteer in youth sports, and became an assistant coach at Austin-East in 1983.

“Sam Anderson gave me a chance,” he said. “I coached under him until I moved away.” One of his proudest memories is of A-E beating Maryville in the last game he coached.

Walker, who says he was one of those kids who was not projected to go to college, believes youth sports helped him beat the odds and that involving young people in sports instills discipline and builds relationships.

“When I went to Fulton, sports had a lot to do with blending nationalities, races and ethnic groups. That was the difference. Other students that looked like me experienced negativity that I did not experience because I played sports.”

GOV NOTES ■ One-on-one constituent meeting hosted by Knox Mayor Tim Burchett will be 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Dec. 18, at the Fountain City Library, 5300 Stanton Road.

■ Knox County Commission will meet today (Dec. 16) at 2 p.m. at the City County Building. December meetings were moved up a week because of the Christmas holiday.

Holiday hobnob

State Rep. Gloria Johnson, Knox County Trustee candidate Jim Berrier, and Leland Price, candidate for Criminal Court Judge Division 3, attend the Knox County Democratic Christmas party.

■ Knox County school board will meet 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, in the boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building, a move necessary because of a scheduling conflict at the main assembly room of the City County Building.

Changes ahead for Shopper news coverage Long ago and far away I wrote about a school board meeting. It was a totally different superintendent and board.

“Sophistry,” was the oneword reply of a soon-to-be former principal. I didn’t even know the word ... and when I looked it up I still wasn’t quite sure how it applied to my column.

Last Monday when the current school board voted 8-1 to extend Jim McIntyre’s contract until Dec. 31, 2017, I finally got it.

Buzz Thomas called McIntyre “the smartest superintendent I know,” and my cat sneezed.

The smartest superintendent would not have jeopardized the re-election prospects of his most vulnerable allies on the board by asking for the 4-year contract.

Three years is plenty long enough. At least that’s what my cat thinks.

Sandra Clark

The smartest superintendent would have taken the raise to which he was entitled and used it for postage stamps so the teachers could return their anonymous surveys anonymously.

Instead, instructions went forth for principals to collect the surveys and send them to the central office.

And Dr. McIntyre said he would set up a teachers’ appreciation fund with the $5,000 raise.

For the 10 people who might not know it, Mike McMillan was the sole dissenting vote. I don’t like to be on the side of Mike McMillan.

Neither does my cat.

So I’m moving on. No more school board meetings for me. And no more for Jake Mabe either. (Read Jake’s poignant blog linked from our website.) Jake and I got way too close to these issues and to these people, our friends.

Here’s our ShopperNews lineup for 2014. It’s designed to challenge us.

Hopefully, it will make us a better newspaper.

■ Betty Bean will cover the school board and the 2014 elections for school board seats. The Miracle Maker feature was already set to expire on Dec. 31. It won’t be replaced.

■ Jake Mabe, previously Halls area reporter and features editor, will be the Knox County government reporter. Jake will monitor projects in each community that we serve, and he’ll write a political column on this page every week.

■ This writer will oversee community reporters/editors for our eight zones.

■ Betsy Pickle, who has been the primary writer for the new purple Shopper – the one you are reading – will continue to cover all things South.

■ Betty Bean will take on coverage of all things East and North (south of I640).

■ Ruth White will take Jake’s old job, covering the Halls/Fountain City zone.

■ Libby Morgan will handle Union County and occasionally Fountain City.

■ Cindy Taylor will cover Powell and Norwood communities and schools.

■ Sherri Gardner Howell will continue to cover Farragut and our Karns/Hardin Valley zone.

■ And Wendy Smith will continue covering Bearden while adding responsibilities for MPC and zoning appeals.

a d i l o h y p p a H

! s y

from the

Shopper news • DECEMBER 16, 2013 • 5

Oh, the things that might have been This time, for lack of a For three consecutive bowl seasons, we have been yard on third down and a stuck with the things that few inches on the infamous fourth-down stop, the Volmight have been. unteers and faithful followers are again home for the holidays.

Being home for ChristMarvin mas is celebrated in song.

Being home for New Year’s West brings on eye strain. It is also embarrassing. With so many baby bowls, you have If all the 2011 Volunteers to be really bad to miss the had given a decent effort entire party. against Kentucky and anyInstead of holding court body had tackled the run- in Memphis, preparing for ning “quarterback,” that the Liberty Bowl and maybe year could have ended dif- singing along with Diamond ferently.

Rio, Butch Jones can get Blowing the big lead and two days off. I suppose he losing to Missouri in over- deserves a break. He has retime let the air out of 2012 cruited as if his life depends and led to the disaster at on it.

Vanderbilt and the expenCome to think of it … sive divorce from Derek These are not recent but Tennessee has made some Dooley.

terrific bowl memories. The Vols are third in appearances (49) and seventh in victories (25). They played in seven Sugar Bowls and six Cotton Bowls, back when it was significant.

Steve Spurrier made jokes about UT and the Citrus Bowl but the Vols are 4-1 in Orlando – much better than not being there.

Tennessee 20, Texas 14 on Jan. 1, 1951, in Dallas was the first bowl to get my undivided attention. I was a high school senior listening on radio. Later, I was blessed to hear how they did it from the principals, Herky Payne, Hank Lauricella, Andy Kozar, Bob Davis, Jim Haslam, Jimmy Hahn, John Michels, Gordon Polofsky, Ted Daffer, Pug Pearman, Pat Shires and others.

The long journey In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.

This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

(Luke 2: 1-5 NRSV)

Cross Currents

Lynn Pitts

ney of more than 80 miles.

They would have come O carry her safe to Bethlehem, little gray donkey, down from the hill country tonight. of Nazareth, followed the A miracle rests on your small feet, little gray donJordan River Valley all the key, tonight. way to the Dead Sea, then All heaven is watching your mission divine, turned west again and up And over a stable a star waits to shine, the mountain to Jerusalem, While shepherds and wise men all look for a sign, and south the last six miles Little gray donkey, tonight. to Bethlehem. (“Little Gray Donkey,” Roger Wagner) In addition to the usual brigands and thieves and Lovely Christmas cards Consider the circum- murderers who prowled notwithstanding, the road stances: Joseph has to leave the roads, there were other to Bethlehem was not a walk Nazareth and his livelihood issues to worry about: Join the park. to make an arduous jour- seph’s loss of income while

Doug Atkins never said much about that particular game. He was involved in other big ones.

Kozar had keen recollection of the halftime theme

by General Robert R. Neyland: “We’ve got ’em right where we want ’em.”

The Vols were trailing 14-7 but the coach said superior conditioning would decide the second half.

It did. Kozar scored two touchdowns.

I so badly wanted the great 1956 team to win the Sugar Bowl. That was the down day in John Majors’ all-American career, one for seven as a passer with two interceptions and the fumbled punt that led to Baylor’s victory.

It was hard to accept Oklahoma 26, Tennessee 24 in the 1968 Orange Bowl.

Tennessee trailed 19-0 at halftime, woke up and outscored the Sooners 24-7 in the second half. Karl Kremser’s field-goal try was ruled wide right. His hurt remains a vivid image.

No. 2 among my favorites was 1971 in New Orleans, Tennesssee 34, Air Force 13.

There was a week of warmup. Polished brass and snappy ribbons got almost all the attention. Tennessee was told several times that Air Force was at least awesome.

Finally, they lined up for a game. The Vols scored three touchdowns and a field goal in the first quarter. Bobby Scott was MVP. Bobby Majors returned a punt for six.

Tim Priest, Ray Nettles and Jamie Rotella were much too much on defense.

My favorite bowl blast was New Orleans 1986, Sugar Vols 35, mighty Miami 7. Daryl Dickey was tour guide. Fantastic defensive plan gathered turnovers and squelched Vinny Testaverde. The town turned orange.

Tennessee’s victory over Ohio State in the 1996 Citrus was fun. Jay Graham had a good game. Peyton Manning was good enough.

Jeff Hall kicked clinching field goals. Heisman hero Eddie George absorbed some big hits.

You are correct, whipping Florida State in Tempe to win the 1998 national championship was the really big bowl. At the time, I thought there would be others.

away from the carpentry shop, the weather (it may well have been springtime, and not December, so that rains were a concern, and I can tell you from personal experience that March in Israel is cold!), the lack of Holiday Inns along the way, and Mary’s pregnancy and approaching due date.

There must have been a lot of traffic on the roads, because everyone in the country had to register. Under normal circumstances, there might have been a caravan of other native Judeans they could join.

However, because of Mary’s growing waistline, Joseph may have chosen to travel separately from the others from Nazareth, to avoid the whispers, the pointing fingers and the knowing looks.

Any woman who has been pregnant (not to mention any man who has lived with a pregnant woman!)

knows that the last days of a first pregnancy are not easy. Aside from the physical discomfort of carrying around this bowling ball in her tummy, imagine Mary’s backache from riding on that little gray donkey, her fear of delivering her first child so far from home and her mother, the sense that all of this is unfair, and if itweren’t for the honor of the thing, she would be just as happy if she had never met the angel Gabriel.

As long as the physical journey was, however, the faith journey was longer and wider and deeper. God chose this couple for good reason: they were made of sturdy stuff, and they were obedient and faithful. Without fully understanding the why’s and the wherefore’s, with no roadmap or guarantees, they were willing to undertake the task that God had laid before them.

Unable to see around the curves or over the hills, they heard, heeded and obeyed.

They set out on the adventure that would make them immortal.

Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com

CHURCH NOTES Special services ■ First Lutheran Church, 1207 N Broadway, will hold Advent services 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. The public is invited.

■ St. James Episcopal Church, 1101 N. Broadway, will hold the following services Tuesday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Family Service and Nativity Pageant with Holy Eucharist, 4 p.m.; Christmas Eve Choral Prelude, 10:30 p.m.; Holy Eucharist, 11 p.m.

On Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, the church will hold Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m. Info: 523-5687 or www. stjamesknox.org.

CERTIFICATE ACCOUNTS to make your spirits bright!

Good Rates

Low Minimums

10 MONTH CERTIFICATE

42 MONTH CERTIFICATE

.55% APY

1.30% APY

$2,500 minimum

$500 minimum

Easy Terms BUMP UP* CERTIFICATE 24 MONTHS .80% APY $5,000 minimum *A BUMP UP CERTIFICATE allows you to request one rate bump (to current 24-month certificate rate) during certificate term!

(865) 544-5400 (800) 467-5427 tvacreditunion.com NOT A MEMBER? Not a problem! You can open a Certificate Account without being a Credit Union member, but we would love for you to JOIN US! This obligation is not a deposit, share, or special account in the Credit Union and is not insured by the state credit union share insurance corporation or the National Credit Union Administration.

Your savings federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government

NCUA

National Credit Union Administration, a U.S. Government Agency

More rates and terms available. APY=Annual Percentage Yield.

Rates are accurate as of 11/21/2013. BUMP UP Certificate is not applicable to an IRA certificate. Early withdrawal penalties may apply. Ask for details.

SAFE SOLID SECURE and right here in East Tennessee

kids

6 • DECEMBER 16, 2013 • Shopper news

The ‘reel’ Austin-East The performing arts program at Austin-East is amazingly talented, and last week I experienced a show that could have cost big bucks in a non-school setting. The school’s red carpet event highlighted the talents of students in the dance company, band, art department, theatre and the culinary arts.

Guests walked the red carpet as the paparazzi snapped pictures. Culinary arts students featured a delicious spread of food.

WBIR news anchor Robin Wilhoit, master of ceremonies, welcomed the guests to see the “reel” A-E. The performances began with “The Universal Language,” a short skit performed by Malik Baines and Stephanie Spidell. Their skit has received several awards and earned the pair an opportunity to perform overseas.

Following a performance by the Austin-East singers, members of the AVID program presented their chalkboard confessions. The program, Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID), is a support system that prepares students in the academic middle for fouryear college. It provides opportunities to increase writing, inquiry, collaboration and reading skills.

Ruth White

The students confessed their fears prior to entering the AVID program and then flipped their board to talk of their success. One student talked of her fear of taking the ACT test. The flip side of her board stated that 100 percent of the AVID students scored higher than expected on the exam. Another shared that 100 percent of the AVID students were accepted to college.

The A-E Dance Company performed “Fickle Love” and “Emanon,” showing that it takes dedication and talent to be successful on the stage.

The art department presented a slide show featuring the levels of art education offered at the school.

To close out the evening performances, the West African Dance and Drum ensemble performed a heart pounding “Sorsonet.”

The final event was the showing of “The Reel A-E”, a video directed by Tyler Hays. The piece will soon be posted on the school’s website to show the great things that happen at the school.

Culinary Arts students Takedra Myers, Teonna Mitchell, Annecissa Brown and Ameena Muhammed helped cater the food for the evening. They are pictured with instructor Joslyn Johnson and principal Benny Perry.

Jaylan Rorex shows her chalkboard confession. Once unsure of going to college, she now has three choices for her future.

Danielle Pierce dances with the West African Darrisha Triplett performs with the A-E Dance Dance ensemble.

Company.

Change comes to Vine (Note: This is an abbreviation of a story by Betsy Pickle. The full version is available online at www.

S hopp e rNe ws Now.c om.

Click on “Archives,” then Halls/Fountain City edition for Dec. 9.)

Cindy White came to be principal at Vine Middle School after four years as principal at Karns Middle.

Before that, she’d been assistant principal at Karns High. But before she got into administration, she’d been in the trenches – 27 years as a classroom teacher, primarily in the city center.

She jumped at the offer to make a difference at Vine.

She works about 12 hours a day, but says she would not have it any other way.

“I love what I do. I love my job.”

Changing a school’s culture is a multi-year process, she says. White started by having conversations with people who knew what things were like before – parents, students, community members – and listening to their concerns.

Vine Middle principal Cindy White discusses school issues with assistant principal Desiree Jones and Dexter Murphy, assistant principal and Leadership Academy Fellow. Photos by Betsy Pickle

“I spent the whole summer doing that, listening to what they had to say. After listening, I had a vision in place.”

The vision is multifaceted: giving every student the same excellent education; taking pride in the school and working to make it succeed; getting the community involved in the school; and increasing expectations for academic excellence.

White has made discipline a top priority. She’s already seen a change,

and she hopes to see more, even though she warns that change takes time. The key is relationships, she says.

“I’ve found through my experience it begins with the relationship with the kid. You can never fake that. Kids are smart. They know whether you like them, whether you like what you do, whether you have passion for what you do.

“I was always a strict teacher, but I could be strict because I had a relationship

Stephanie Spidell and Malik Baines perform “The Universal Language” during Austin-East’s night of performing arts. Photos by Ruth White

Shahada Parker and Andre Wilson are mem- Aaron Willis performs with the Marching bers of the West African Drum ensemble.

Roadrunner band. with the kids.”

White went to six different elementary schools and a junior high and a middle school by the time she was in eighth grade.

She was born in Birmingham, but her father’s job kept the family moving.

She ended up in Knoxville for her freshman year at Halls High School, and she’s lived here ever since.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in education and her master’s in administration and supervision at the University of Tennessee.

Her twin daughters have also become teachers and are at Gresham Middle School, where they went to school. White became a grandmother this summer and is excited that another grandchild is on the way.

Work keeps her so busy that her family takes up any time she might have for a hobby.

Physical changes have made Vine welcoming. It has become a Community School, strengthening ties between the school, students, families and neighbors. And it’s a STEAM school – with arts holding equal weight with science, technology, engineering and math.

Hilda Zarate and Jessica Brown hand out programs and escort guests to the auditorium.

James Nelson represented the school as Mr. A-E.

Jaida Hill performs with the Dancing Dolls, part of the Marching Roadrunners.

business

Shopper news • DECEMBER 16, 2013 • 7

Restaurant with a ‘down home’ feel John and his wife, Kristie, own Parton’s Smokin’ Butz BBQ at 10211 Chapman Highway. Haven’t tried them yet? Don’t wait another minute for this treat to your tastebuds!

Nancy Whittaker

John cooked on smokers for years and his friends were always asking for more of his delicious meals.

He describes himself as a “hometown boy” and says Seymour residents will know his location because it is the former Pixie Drive-In. Ribs, brisket, pork and chicken are staples on the menu. John also has lots to offer to anyone who isn’t a barbecue fan. He creates daily “specials” and his loyal customers let him know what they prefer.

There is “Meatloaf Monday” and Friday “Steak and

Shrimp” as well as “all you can eat wings” on Wednesdays. Most intriguing is Thursday’s “football potato.” John describes it as a football size potato stuffed with your choice of fillings.

The menu also includes catfish, hamburgers and numerous other choices.

Although it is chilly now, John is excited about the car clubs that meet every Friday night starting in the spring.

Front patio tables and “out back picnic tables” are also full in the spring and summer. For now, you can warm up inside Parton’s. Don’t miss out on their homemade desserts. Fried pies, strawberry shortcake, peanut butter pie and Hershey bar casserole are a few of the choices – all, of course, served with ice cream.

John and his crew have served at many parties and weddings and they have “full blown” catering, not just a buffet. They deliver, set up, serve and clean-up for group events. Check out their menu at www.PartonsBBQ.com or their daily spe-

John Parton, owner of Parton’s Smokin’ Butz BBQ, with his “Pig Rig” smoker

cials on Facebook. Contact: cated his business to 1300 773-0473.

McCalla Ave. in April and says the central location is working well. Barron moved ■ Have fun at to Knoxville to attend graduate school at UT and also Mighty Mud teaches ceramics at Walters Mighty Mud can help State. you discover your creative Mighty Mud is not only side. Even if you are a nova teaching studio but also ice, kids and adults can sign gives many local artists a up for an amazing variety place to work and display of ceramic classes. Mighty their finished creations.

Mud is also a distributor for There is a beautiful galceramic supplies from clays lery open to the public from and glazes to tools.

11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday Owner Barron Hall relothrough Saturday.

Barron Hall in the artist gallery at Mighty Mud Come on in and still a spell – make yourself at home! That is how John Parton wants everyone to feel when they enter his restaurant in Seymour.

Raku is an extremely popular class which uses both fire and smoke to create unique patterns and designs. It’s great for couples, families or groups because of the fun shared during the class.

“Cup, Bowl and Plate” allows beginners to try their hand with the wheel. You learn how to make three items in one night – a great introduction class.

Two dates to mark on your calendar: Wednesday, Dec. 18 from noon to 1:30,

Barron will be participating in an event sponsored by the Arts and Cultural Alliance at the Emporium Center. Check out www.knoxalliance.com for details. On March 1-2, Mighty Mud will have a booth at the Women’s Expo at the Convention Center where folks will actually be making pottery.

Check out the website at www.mightymudclay.com to register for classes. Facebook or their newsletter will also help you keep track of what’s new. Contact: 595-1900.

Matlock’s dream meets banking bumps on Millertown Pike Okay, you’ve seen it while driving down Millertown Pike east: a neatly-graded building pad adjoining Kinzel Way across from the newly-renovated Sam’s Club. It sits idle, staked and waiting for footers and concrete that never comes.

What gives?

Business by

Nicky D.

MSM property on Millertown Pike is cleared and awaits development. Photo by Nick Della Volpe watched the house come down, and workers drain the pond and reroute the creek to accommodate MSM’s commercial development, divided into 7 or 8 lots. Next heavy equipment began grading the site and building protective detention ponds, and built an interior access road named Miller Place. About

earthmoving equipment sits idly by, waiting for the green light to dig footers Over a year ago, MSM and get the planned medical Development LLC began office building underway. developing a 10.6 acre That building was planned tract that formerly hosted to house two businesses: a a brown ‘50s style ranch dentist office and eye exam/ home and a farm pond that eyewear center had been ran along the edge of Loves planned for that building Creek. pad. But work mysteriousOver the months, you ly ground to a halt. More recently, old man winter bared his frosty teeth. To date, no concrete or steel News from Pellissippi State - Magnolia Campus has gone up.

What are they waiting for?

The second phase of the development has been deLoralee Bryant under- returned to her alma mater. and enroll and register for layed, awaiting some move“When a student comes appropriate classes. s t a n d s ment on the financial front “When a student comes where stu- into my office,” she said, dents are “a lot of times I will share in,” said Bryant, “we talk c o m i n g my story, because I think it about their academic and from when helps them feel more com- career goals, about the prothey visit fortable to know that I’ve grams they’re interested in Sara Martin, outreach her advising sat where they are sitting. I and tips for succeeding in coordinator for Smart Trips want the students who come college.” office. for the Knoxville-Knox Pellissippi State’s ap- County Metropolitan PlanAfter all, for advising to understand it wasn’t so that it’s OK to be nervous plication deadline for the ning Commission, has beBryant very long and it’s OK to have ques- spring 2014 semester is Jan. came a registered architect 6. Classes start Jan. 16, and after 12 years of education, ago that she sat where they tions.”

Academic Student Sup- the last day to register is internship and testing. are – as a student of Pellissippi State (then Techni- port helps students clarify Jan. 14.

The achievement fulfills Info: www.pstcc.edu/ a longstanding professional cal) Community College. their academic goals, develBryant, now coordinator of op an academic plan, learn magnolia or call (865) 329- goal of Martin’s and delivers Academic Student Support about campus resources, 3100. unexpected benefits for her at the college’s Magnolia Avenue Campus, earned her associate’s degree from Pellissippi State in 1999.

“I always wanted to come back to Pellissippi State, because this is where I got started,” said Bryant, who is the first full-time advising Open Seven Days a Week with Three Convenient Loca ons coordinator stationed permanently at the Magnolia Make an Appointment or Walk-in Today Avenue site.

“I always wanted to make Allergies/sinusi s ● Nausea● Urinary problems ● Sports physicals ●S tches ● On-site lab a difference in people’s lives, and how you do that is working with people.”

Bryant graduated from Pellissippi State with a degree in Office Systems Technology (now Administrative Professional Technology) and immediately Cold/flu● Earaches ● Flu shots ● Skin rashes ● Sore throats ●Sprains/Fractures ● X-Ray landed a job at Tusculum Loca ons: Hours (all loca ons): College. From her first position there as a receptionist, Deane Hill 865-558-9822 Mon-Fri, 12 pm - 8 pm she worked her way up to Farragut 865-671-6720 Sat, 9 am - 5 pm become the coordinator of Fountain City 865-687-7704 Sun, 12 pm - 8 pm www.summitmedical.com academic advising.

Fourteen years later, she the same time, the city’s contractor began efforts to widen the bridge over the creek and add a lane to Millertown Pike.

When you drive past the MSM site, you notice the Time to Shine Car Wash, which opened this summer, adjacent to the red clay bui ld ing-pad-in-wa it ing along Kinzel Way. Large

Advisor got start at Pellissippi

… first from Community South Bank, which has a security interest in the property based on loans to MSM, and later the governmental banking regulator agency, the FDIC, which has control over the bank.

Community South currently holds the title to the property, due to loan problems. With a bit of luck, that banking and regulatory hurdle will be cleared in time for MSM to get construction underway before winter settles in. Time will tell.

The plat for this 10.6 acre property shows it has 7 or 8 parcels for future development. The combo medical

facility (currently on hold) is scheduled to occupy at least two of those building lots, and another hosts the completed car wash next door.

There obviously is room to grow more business here, especially now that the Millertown Pike construction/ disruption has been completed. Two MSM lots at the corner of Loves Creek Road and Millertown Pike also look promising.

Nothing definite has been announced. According to neighborhood reps from the Alice Bell/Spring Hill Community, who met with Mark Matlock this summer to discuss the company’s plans, MSM dreams include a possible Walgreens or other chain drug store and a community restaurant on the corner of Millertown and Loves Creek Road. Perhaps a Chili’s?

Only time will tell…

Whatever develops, it will be a further vote of confidence in the East’s potential for healthy growth.

I was unable to meet with Mark Matlock before print time. But whatever MSM current plans, we wish them well.

The East side is growing.

MPC’s Martin is registered architect work in alternative transportation.

Martin moved to Knoxville from her hometown of Chattanooga in 2000 to attend architecture school at UT. She was amazed at the range of the education.

SERVICE GUIDE

SUMMIT EXPRESS CLINICS URGENT CARE WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST

Architecture school teaches design at every scale – from a single room to an entire city plan.

Before joining MPC, Martin spent nine years working for local architecture firm Ross/Fowler.

ROOFING RE-ROOFS • REPAIRS • METAL WINDOWS • SIDING

24 Hr. Emergency Service Will work with your insurance company Insured, licensed & bonded • Locally owned & operated Member BBB since 2000 FREE ESTIMATES!

524-5888

exthomesolutions.com

ADVERTISE A D YOUR BUSINESS SS S in our Service Guide.

Ads start at $10.00 per week!

It’s your business.

And we’re blabbing it to everyone.

218-9378

8 • DECEMBER 16, 2013 • Shopper news

Make this holiday the happiest!

Holiday Loan Rates As Low As

3

.99%

Fixed APR* Up To 36 Months

*Annual Percentage Rate. Minimum loan amount is $1,000.

Term up to 36 months. Estimated monthly payment is $29.52 per $1,000 borrowed. Minimum monthly payment is $35. Other rates, terms available.

Rate based on credit worthiness and other factors. Rate may change at any time. New money only.

4.50% Fixed APR up to 48 months, minimum amount is $7,500. Estimated monthly payment is $22.81 per $1,000 borrowed.

Other rates, terms available. Rate based on credit worthiness and other factors. Rate may change at any time. New money only.

Vehicle Loans Rates As Low As

1

.85%

Fixed APR* Up To 72 Months

*Annual Percentage Rate. Up to 72 months. 2008 and newer models. Less than 100,000 miles. Estimated payment is $14.86 per $1,000 borrowed. Other rates and terms available. Rate based on credit worthiness and other factors. Rate may change at any time. New money only.

$VN DERXW VFKHGXOLQJ \RXU ÀUVW SD\PHQW WR EH GXH XS WR GD\V DIWHU \RX UHFHLYH WKH ORDQ

Apply online today at UTFCU.ORG 865-971-1971 800-264-1971 0DLQ 2IÀFH 2100 White Avenue, Knoxville University Center at UTK Franklin Square UT Medical Center Emory Road in Powell Martin Memphis Federally insured by the NCUA

Equal Housing Lender