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SOUTH KNOX VOL. 32 NO. 48 1

BUZZ You’re invited for fun at Stanley’s Stanley’s Greenhouse is hosting an open house 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at 3029 Davenport Road with refreshments, area crafts, artists and music. Info: 865-573-9591.

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Holidays are in the pink at Candoro

Repairs for Island Home greenway A portion of the city’s Will Skelton Greenway in the Island Home Park neighborhood will remain closed until spring 2016 for structural repairs. City officials will remove and replace a portion of the greenway that damaged by river erosion and destabilization from a large fallen tree. The closure is located near Island Home Park between Spence Place and Alamo Avenue. Pedestrians will be rerouted to Island Home Avenue, an alternate street that runs parallel to the blocked-off area. Will Skelton Greenway is 3.62 miles and runs along the Tennessee River from Island Home Park, past the Tennessee School for the Deaf, through Ijams Nature Center and ending at the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area. Info: knoxvilletn.gov or 865215-4311.

Christmas parades Seymour Christmas parade, 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, Valley Grove Baptist Church to Kroger. Sponsored by the Seymour Area Chamber of Commerce. WIVK Knoxville Christmas parade, 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, Gay Street.

Ed and Bob At-large commissioners Ed Brantley and Bob Thomas will ring the Salvation Army red kettle bells from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the West Town Mall entrance near Charming Charlie’s. Everyone is invited to stop by to talk with Brantley and Thomas about items of interest. Other commissioners may join them in the fundraising effort.

IN THIS ISSUE Not bad, Vols You wanted progress. You got progress. OK, it was eight progresses instead of 10, but not bad, not bad at all. Butch Jones pushed the right button. “We are a good football team,” he said. Enough Volunteers believed and turned the declaration into reality. Let us salute the leaders.

➤

Sharon Davis, interim president of the Candoro Arts and Heritage Center, hopes to put everyone in the holiday spirit at the Candoro Holiday Open House on Dec. 12.

By Betsy Pickle Sharon Davis bubbles over with enthusiasm when she talks about the Candoro Arts and Heritage Center. In only her second full year on the board of directors, Davis was voted interim president in late September and will launch a full term on Jan. 1. A successful real estate agent and South Knoxville investment property owner, she never gave a thought as to how

Candoro was run until she was recruited to be on the board. “Until you have a responsibility or interact, people don’t think about, as a rule, the framework of an organization, but that has been all I have thought about since the latter part of September when they talked me into being interim chair,” says Davis. Davis is covered in glitter from an afternoon of decorating the Candoro building, 4450 Candora

ficers, and Trudy Monaco, founder of the Candoro Arts and Heritage Center, will be honored. Despite the glitter evidence, Davis says the halls won’t be decked as fully as they were last year, when she assisted April Burt with adorning the building. “We’ve kept our decorations to a minimum so that the artwork can be enjoyed,” she says. The Young High School graduate enjoys the glitz, but her focus has been on sounding out the other board members and refining the focus of the organization. The board works through committees to oversee the building and grounds, develop educational programs and improve its operations. She has joined the Alliance for Better Nonprofits to learn, in part, how to help the board function more effectively. The board is also working to become better ambassadors for the marble heritage of Candoro and Knoxville. “On Oct. 24, the board went on Ave., for the annual Candoro Holi- the Pink Marble Trail Tour,” says day Open House. The free event Davis. “We rented a bus, bought will be 4:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. box lunches and took a half a day 12. The food is being supplied by to go on the Pink Marble Trail. I Elene Cazana. Music will be pro- figure as board members, we need to recognize Tennessee marble, we vided by the Jazzphonics. There will be door prizes and need to know a little bit about the giveaways. Two life-size outdoor history of Candoro and we need to reindeer figures in white valued at know where around Knoxville the $300 will be the prize in a fund- marble is displayed. “It’s everywhere – it’s beautiful. raiser. Knox County Law Director Bud To page 3 Armstrong will install the new of-

Melnik heads Keep Knoxville Beautiful By Sandra Clark A venerable organization has new leadership. Patience Melnik is the executive director of Keep Knoxville Beautiful. A California native, she moved to Knox County when her husband took a job with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric A d m i n i s t r at ion Melnik Laboratory in Oak Ridge. They have two boys, ages 5 and 11. Melnik has an easy laugh and a certification in grant-writing. She should do well in her new job. Two weekends ago, she cor-

Read Marvin West on page 4

7049 Maynardville Pike 37918 (865) 922-4136 NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Betsy Pickle ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore Beverly Holland

ralled a couple hundred volunteers to plant 60,000 daffodils on three interstate interchanges off I-275. Her predecessor, Allison Teeters, wrote the grant, which was funded by Lowe’s. “We finished with a half-hour to spare,” says Melnik. She is assisted part-time by AmeriCorps worker Alanna McKissack, who is program coordinator. With a limited staff, Melnik relies on her board of directors. Bob Graves, owner of Carex Design Group, is president of the KKB board. Members are Susie Stout, Chad Weth, Fran Nichols, Jennifer Shuler, Ariel Allen, Mary Kathryn Durr, Tammy Kravitz, Allen Koch, Clark Lindsey, Casey McClure, Lee McCord and Ryan

Money. Honorary board members are Edythe Nelle McNabb and Felicia Felder-Hoehne. Keep Knoxville Beautiful hosts an annual banquet at which it presents “orchids” for commercial beautification. The banquet is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, at The Standard, 416 W. Jackson Ave. Tickets are $85. Melnik said her organization’s strength lies in the number of volunteers it can turn out for cleanups or planting projects. Sponsors provide supplies such as trash bags and gloves. Another strength is the organization’s clarity of purpose. Setting a vision to keep Knoxville “clean, green and beautiful,” the website lists these specifics:

By Betty Bean

One afternoon in 1989, I picked up the phone at my desk at the Knoxville Journal and a very polite voice on the other end of the line said, “This is Alex Haley. Do you have a few minutes to talk?” I’d just written a smart-alecky item about him in the Journal’s gossip column, so I braced for verbal abuse. I mean, this was the auA 13-foot bronze statue of Alex Haley, sculpted by Tina Allen, is the centerpiece of Haley Heritage Square on Dandridge Avenue.

thor of “Roots” and “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” two of the most important books of the late Twentieth Century. But instead of giving me the cussing I deserved, he invited me to lunch at his Cherokee Bluff condo, where he had adjacent townhouses – one his residence, the other an office. A UPS man was behind me when I knocked on his door. Alex ushered me in and opened the package. It was barbecued ribs from Quincy Jones. We went next door to his residence, where he showed me his collection of identical guayabera shirts (short sleeved cotton, with

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Clean: annual litter assessment, litter cleanups, public education and kids’ programs such as the “talking tree.” On average, Keep Knoxville Beautiful supports over 3,300 volunteers who remove more than 48 tons of litter from Knox County’s roads and waterways annually. Green: KKB offers its recycling trailer free of charge to anyone who wants to provide recycling at an event. Beautiful: Mass plantings called “beautification mobs” dramatically improve a local landscape in a single day. KKB solicits nominations for public or private spaces in need of cleanup. A new graffiti-abatement program will support victims of graffiti.

Alex Haley, Knoxville’s adopted son

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four front pockets and double rows of pleats down the front, favored by hombres everywhere) while we waited for the casserole his housekeeper had made to warm up. Marilyn Yarbrough, dean of UT’s law school and the first African-American woman to head a law school faculty in the South, joined us. He and I stayed in touch until the Journal folded. He’d suggest stories, gently critique something I’d written and occasionally invite me (and half of Knoxville) out to his farm in Norris when he threw parties for people like Oprah Winfrey, who gamely attempted to clog to Rocky To page 3

2 • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

Missing the links Retired trooper vows strokes won’t end his golf game There’s a golf club in the trunk of Bryan Farmer’s car with his name on it. It’s a top-of-the-line driver, brand new and still in the box. He bought it June 12, 2014, after playing 18 holes of golf. But that night, Farmer had a stroke of another kind – a blood clot on the left side of his brain – that has, so far, put his golf game on hold. But even after suffering a second stroke 10 months later, he vows he’ll be back in the swing of things this month, thanks to the care he received at Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center (PNRC) at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Roane Medical Center. “It might not be pretty, but I’m going to hit that driver,” declares Farmer, whose slightly drawn right arm and weakened right leg are reminders of that June night when a 3 a.m. bathroom visit was the first hint that something had gone wrong. “When I got out of the bed, I noticed some extreme dizziness, to the point where I almost fell down,” said Farmer, a Harriman resident. “It was similar to a blood sugar spike. I have high blood pressure and diabetes, and I knew I got dizzy when that happened to me in the past. I didn’t think a lot about it. I went ahead, got my balance back, went down the hall to the restroom, came back to bed and went straight to sleep. No sickness, no nothing.” The following morning, he still had some dizziness, but not enough to prevent him from driving to Fairfield Glade where he works in quality assurance for the vacation resort. “I sat down at my desk and the dizziness came back,” he said. “I got up from my desk and walked down the hallway, and my right foot dragged the ground. Just one time, but it almost tripped me up, and one of the other guys I work with saw me and said, ‘Let’s go back into your office and sit down.’ ” It was then that one of the managers with nursing experience came in. Suspicious, she checked Farmer for stroke symptoms. “I passed every one of them with flying colors,” said Farmer who, as a retired Tennessee Highway Patrol lieutenant, was familiar with the signs of a stroke. “No numbness, no

strokes are often not seen on CT scans within the first 24 hours. For this reason, an MRI of the brain was completed, and showed that he had indeed had a stroke.” But even then, he still appeared to be unaffected. Then at about 3 a.m., Farmer arose from his hospital bed to go to the restroom and discovered his right side was paralyzed. “Paralysis had set in, and my right leg was useless,” said Farmer. “It just got worse.” Transferred by ambulance to the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders, Farmer began to realize the seriousness of his condition. “I couldn’t move my right arm – it was drawn up and curled against my chest,” Farmer recalled. Brian Farmer continues “My right leg was pretty to work toward returnmuch pointed to the right. ing to the golf course, I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t after suffering two move. I couldn’t even feed strokes in the last year. myself.” Farmer was treated at On the fourth day of his the Comprehensive 31 days in Fort Sanders, Stroke Center at Fort Farmer was moved into the Sanders Regional and PNRC wing to begin his Patricia Neal Rehabilitingling, no headache. None of therapy. “I’m sitting there tation Center. that. Just dizziness.” in a wheelchair in a row of four or five other people Yet, despite the successful in wheelchairs, waiting FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) campaign to raise stroke symptom aware- on them to get therapy too,” he said. “I look ness, minor strokes can and do occur with- at some of these people, and the thought is out the person ever knowing it. Mild stroke going through my head, ‘You know, I could symptoms that recover after a brief period have been a whole lot worse. I’ve got to go of time may indicate a transient ischemic in here and do what they tell me to do to the attack (TIA) or “mini stroke.” While seldom best of my ability.’ ” deadly, TIAs are often precursors to a fullThat was made easy by the PNRC doctors, blown ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke that nurses and therapists, whose encouragemay follow if symptoms are left untreated. ment was always coupled with enthusiasm Stroke symptoms can also occur over a from Day One. span of hours or days. At first, the affected “I wish I could remember her name, but person may have little or no symptoms, but the girl who came to wheel me up to as time passes, the symptoms will become therapy was just bubbling with excitemore apparent as an estimated 32,000 brain ment and positivity,” he said. “From cells die each passing second. her to the doctors to the nurses to the Pressed to go to the emergency room, therapists, I can’t say enough good Farmer reluctantly agreed. At Parkwest things about those people. Of course, Medical Center, Farmer thought perhaps he I had a positive attitude from my had dodged a bullet when a CT scan came family and a special friend. Between back negative for stroke. those people, I couldn’t help but stay However, according to Dr. Daryl Harp, positive. The level of professionalism neuoradiologist, “Physicians are aware that and effort they put forth was amaz-

WARNING Signs of

The Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional delivering immediate and excellent care When a stroke happens, timely treatment is critical. The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional is well above the national average in delivering prompt treatment of life-saving medication. Clot busting drugs are given to stroke patients through a vein to improve blood ﬂow and minimize potential disabilities. The amount of time it takes for a patient to be brought in to a hospital until the moment medications are intravenously administered is referred to as “door to needle time.” While the average door to needle time is a little Arthur Moore, more than an hour, the door to needle time at Fort Sanders Regional is 30 minutes. That’s half an MD hour faster than the national average. It’s just one of the many advantages a patient has when treated at a comprehensive stroke center. The stroke center exists to provide the highest level of stroke care for complicated stroke cases.

ing. They were magniﬁcent.” “We’d only do three hours of therapy a day, but it seemed like 10,” Farmer added. “It was really grueling because I started at Ground Zero. I lost every ounce of strength I had on my right side, and my left side too basically – my body was just sapped of strength. I remember them giving me a twopound weight to lift – two pounds! I couldn’t even pick that up!” Still, 31 days after the stroke, Farmer was wheeled to the door and discharged from PNRC. He walked the last 15 to 20 feet to his ride home. “It wasn’t the prettiest or most graceful walk I’d ever taken,” he said, “but it was the most gratifying.” His rehab continued a couple of weeks later at Patricia Neal Outpatient Center at Roane Medical Center, and he heaps more praise on the therapists there. “They were just top-notch, positive people, which was good for me because I had to help myself and I didn’t need someone who was going to bring me down,” he said. “They were just as determined here to make me better as they were in Knoxville. Their attitudes were great. They are really dedicated to their work, and enjoyed their work – and it showed.” A second stroke last April, just months after ﬁnishing his outpatient rehab, slightly affected his speech and cognition but for the most part is undetectable. In the meantime, he goes to the gym three times weekly to lift weights and work on the elliptical bike. “As far as real limitations, I have none,” said Farmer. “I can’t run. I can’t jog. I can walk ok. It takes me awhile to get somewhere but I can do it,” he says. “I’m not back to where I want to be – I want to be on the golf course right now. That’s where I want to be. And that’s where I will be in September. It may not be pretty, but I’m going to be on that course.”

“It really exists to provide that next level up from what you can get at your local community hospital,” Arthur Moore, MD says. “Strokes can often be treated at those hospitals, but ﬁnding out why the stroke occurred to prevent it from happening again sometimes takes someone who’s done a lot more work in treating stroke.” Moore says ﬁnding out the “why” takes some digging into a patient’s background, and sometimes it’s not as obvious as the main risk factors. “Stroke centers tend to be better and faster at treating stroke just because we see it all the time,” Moore says. “We have doctors who can go up into the brain and pull a clot out, and that’s a really specialized niche. Most hospitals don’t have access to someone who can do that.” The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional sees patients from throughout East Tennessee, and even from Kentucky. To learn more, visit fsregional.com/stroke, or call (865) 541-1111.

Stroke

When it comes to stroke, time lost is brain lost, so it’s important to understand the warning signs and how to reduce your risk. If you or a loved one experience any of these symptoms, call 911. Sudden severe headache with no known cause Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

stroke: LIKE IT NEVER EVEN HAPPENED. Leading the region’s only stroke hospital network www.covenanthealth.com/strokenetwork

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No comprehensive stroke and rehabilitation center in our region does more to reverse stroke’s devastating effects than Fort Sanders Regional Medical Fort Sanders performs Center. That’s why hospitals clinical trials and procedures for stroke not available across East Tennessee refer their most complex stroke patients to anywhere else in our region. us. And only Fort Sanders Regional is home to the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, East Tennessee’s elite rehabilitation hospital for stroke, spinal cord and brain injury patients.

SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • 3

All over the road The Joe Hill Roadshow – a tribute to labor activist Joe Hill on the 100th anniversary of his death – was a huge success by any measure. There was great attendance throughout the event, which started with a potluck dinner held in the Carriage House at the Candoro Marble building. Performers packed several waves of crowds into the Candoro meeting room. The celebration went on late into the night, and organizers Chelsea Voelker and Jack Herranen seemed thrilled. Old friends bonded, and new friendships were formed. All the musical acts earned generous applause, but the crowd went wild for poet/musician Black Atticus, whose rhymes provided a different vibe from the folk/ roots sounds of the others. The highlight of the evening came when Voelker read a passage written by her inspiration, Pablo Neruda, that included lines about wanting to see smiles on the faces of people as they went into and came out of City Hall. Mayor Madeline Rogero, standing in the back, shouted, “So do I” – to the delight of the packed room.

community Holidays at Candoro People can be proud to be from Knoxville. About 100 years ago, Knoxville had 35 functioning quarries. And Candoro was one of the latest ones. It closed in the late 1980s.” One of their stops was the Knoxville Museum of Art, which boasts Tennessee marble itself. “Several of our (Candoro’s) pieces are displayed at the Knoxville Museum of Art,” says Davis. “Next year we hope to be in the position to take the public on the Pink Marble Tour. Before then, we will be in planning to open our doors for public tours a couple of days a week. People who are interested in the

Betsy Pickle

ment got by with a little help from her friends. She invited current and retired art teachers to come help paint the doors of a nondescript warehouse. The design is a quilt pattern, Bear Claw, which the artists recreated in a variety of colors. “We’re trying to make it with really vibrant colors to make it relevant to right now,” said Casteel. Her recruits included Caroline Blanks, Peggy Leland, Cyndi McGrail, Ellery Nief, Jenny Snead and Bob Thompson. ■

Jewelry class at Ijams

If you’re into craft fairs, you’ve probably seen salvage jewelry – pieces made from odds and ends that can be simple or elaborate, industrial or whimsical. Sarah Brobst is a local artist who makes salvage jewelry, and she also works at Ijams Nature Center. She will bring her two worlds together for a salvage jewelry ■ Painting SoKno creations class from 6 to 8 Plans are in the works to p.m. Thursday at Ijams. turn the south end of BarParticipants can bring ber Street – across from their own treasures – things South Knoxville Elementa- like old jewelry or watches, ry School – into a space for odd keys or hardware – or public gatherings. just dig through the bins at Cleaning, clearing, the class for items. Brobst sprucing up and equipping will help people transform will take place in phases. them into wearable works For the first one, Heather of art. Casteel of Knox County Cost is $20. Call 577Schools’ visual arts depart- 4717, ext. 110, to register.

Tennessee marble industry history will be able to learn about it, see photos and touch the marble and see how it’s done.” This time last year, the board expected the building to be undergoing longterm renovations for much of 2015, but the schedule changed. The Aslan Foundation, which now owns the property, has been making “little repairs all along so that we can stay in the building and function so that the community can use the building and operations can go on. When they get where they have to close it, we’ll know it in plenty of time, and so will the community,” says Davis.

Alex Haley Top under a canopy on the Bob Thompson and Caroline Blanks paint a door at a Barber lawn. I’d see him at the Street warehouse as part of a placemaking project to make the Fresh Market shopping for area appealing and usable as a public space. Photos by Betsy Pickle groceries – one of his last published stories (in Parade Magazine) was about a new friend, an immigrant who worked in the produce section there. Alex Haley embraced this low-rise burg. He lived by his famous maxim, “Find the good and praise it,” befriending almost everyone he met. He died of a sudden heart attack in February 1992. His family took him home to Henning, and the N.J. Ford Funeral Home in Memphis presided over his funeral. A few weeks later in Nashville, Sen. John Ford told me that Alex lay in state for two Regis Borsari and Kathy Reilly wait for the music at the Joe Hill days and they changed his event to begin. clothes four times. I wondered if they laid him out in

From page 1

From page 1 a guayabera. Shortly thereafter, longsimmering plagiarism accusations that had dogged him since the publication of “Roots” boiled over, tarnishing his legacy. They were painful to read and took on witch hunt proportions. This week (Wednesday, Dec. 2, 6 p.m.) at the East Tennessee History Center, University of Tennessee history professor Robert J. Norrell will talk about his new book, “Alex Haley and the books that changed a nation,” which he believes could begin to rehabilitate Alex’s reputation. I’ll be there, and I’ll buy the book. It’s the least I can do for this good man who loved us as his own and left us better because he passed our way.

COMMUNITY NOTES ■ Colonial Village Neighborhood Association. Info: Terry Caruthers, 579-5702. ■ Knoxville Tri-County Lions Club meets 7 p.m. each second and fourth Monday, Connie’s Kitchen, 10231 Chapman Highway, Seymour. Info: Facebook ■ Lake Forest Neighborhood Association. Info: 209-1820 or mollygilbert@yahoo.com.

Kevin Blue and Eric Johnson take a break from directing parking at the Joe Hill Roadshow.

Kevin Horn checks out the responses to a mini-survey about musical influences and roots music at the Joe Hill Roadshow.

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WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2 Jazz Lunch series: “Tribute to Woody Shaw with Trumpeter Alex Norris,” noon-1 p.m., Square Room, 4 Market Square. Admission: $15; includes lunch buffet served by by Café 4. Info/tickets: www.knoxjazz.org or at the door.

THURSDAY, DEC. 3 AAA Driver Improvement Course, 5:30-9:30 p.m., AAA office, 100 W. Fifth Ave. Four-hour course helps reduce points for traffic offenders and teaches how to reduce risk while driving. Cost: $30 members/$35 nonmembers. Must preregister. Info/registration: Kate, 862-9254; Stephanie, 862-9252. Knoxville Writers’ Guild meeting/potluck dinner, 7 p.m., Central UMC fellowship hall, 201 E. Third Ave. A $2 donation requested at the door.

FRIDAY, DEC. 4 “Amahl and the Night Visitors” by Gian-Carlo Menotti, 7:30 p.m., St. John’s Cathedral, 413 Cumberland Ave. Performed by Marble City Opera. Family friendly production with free admission. Info/tickets: 525-7347. Holiday Greens Tea and open house, noon-3

p.m., Ivan Racheff House and Gardens, 1943 Tennessee Ave. Free event. Holiday wreaths, tabletop designs, amaryllis and baked goods will be available for purchase. Info: 522-6210. Matt Brown and Greg Reish in concert, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Tickets: $14, some discounts available. Info/tickets: www.jubileearts.org. Opening reception for Art Mart Gallery December’s featured artists, pastel painter Fran Thie and ceramic artist Bob Conliffe, 5:30 p.m., Art Market Gallery at 422 S. Gay St. Info: 525-5265; artmarketgallery.net; facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery. Opening reception for an exhibition of recent photographs by Dean Rice, chief of staff to Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, 5-9 p.m., Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay St. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 23. Info: 523-7543 or knoxalliance.com. Opening reception and awards night for new exhibit about food, 5-9 p.m., Broadway Studios And Gallery, 1127 N. Broadway. Guests for the reception are asked to bring a canned of food for donation to local food bank. Exhibit on display through Dec. 31. Info: Jessica Gregory, 556-8676; BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com. Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble benefit, 6 p.m., Holston Hills Country Club. Featuring: a performance by TCDE, a silent auction and live auction, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and spirits; DJ and dancing until 10:30. Tickets: $75. Info/tickets: 584-9636. A Tennessee Evening Gala, 6-11 p.m., Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, 461 W. Outer Drive, Oak Ridge. Live music, an auction and more. Info/tickets: 482-1074 or childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.

THURSDAYS-SUNDAYS, DEC. 4-20 “Cinderella and Ebenezer,” Knoxville Children’s Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Ave. Performances: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 1 and 5 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Info/tickets: 208-3677; knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com; info@ childrenstheatreknoxville.com.

■ Lindbergh Forest Neighborhood Association meets 6:30 p.m. each third Wednesday, Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike. Info: Kelley DeLuca, 660-4728, kelleydeluca@gmail.com

■ Old Sevier Community Group meets 7 p.m. each third Thursday, South Knoxville Elementary School library, 801 Sevier Ave. Info: Gary E. Deitsch, 573-7355 or garyedeitsch@bellsouth.net. ■ South Haven Neighborhood Association meets 10 a.m. each third Saturday, Hillcrest UMC, 1615 Price Ave. Info: Pat Harmon, 591-3958. ■ South Knox Republican Club meets 7 p.m. each third Thursday, South Knox Optimist Club, 6135 Moore Road.Info: kevinteeters018@ gmail.com.

FRIDAY-TUESDAY, DEC. 4-8 Christmas Dinner with the Ramsey’s, 6:30 p.m., Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorngrove Pike. Features candlelight tour of the home and dinner prepared by Rosa’s Catering. Tickets: $125. Reservations required. Info/reservations: 546-0745 or ramseyhouse. org.

SATURDAY, DEC. 5 AAA Driver Improvement Course, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., AAA office, 100 W. Fifth Ave. Eight-hour course helps reduce points for traffic offenders and teaches how to reduce risk while driving. Cost: 40 members/$50 nonmembers. Must preregister. Info/registration: Kate, 862-9254; Stephanie, 862-9252. Cookie walk and craft fair, Faith Lutheran Church, 225 Jamestowne Blvd. Craft fair, 8:30 a.m.noon; cooker walk, 9 a.m. until sold out. Proceeds to benefit the Shepherd of Hope Food Pantry. Info: faithcookiewalk@yahoo.com. Craft show and sale, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Summit Towers, 201 Locust St. Items include: paintings, drawings, wood art, crocheted items, ceramics, Christmas crafts, baked goods and more. Holiday Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Historic Jackson Square, Oak Ridge. Shopping, live music, photos with Santa and more. Proceeds to benefit ADFAC (Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian). Info: www. jacksonsquareadfacbenefit.com. Market Square Holiday Market, noon-6 p.m., with farm vendors selling until 3 p.m. near the Market Square stage, and craft vendors and food trucks open until 6 p.m. on Union Avenue adjacent to Market Square and along Market Street. Info: MarketSquareFarmers Market.org or NourishKnoxville.org. Tennessee Schmaltz, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Tickets: $14, some discounts available. Info/ tickets: www.jubileearts.org.

4 • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • Shopper news

Not bad, not bad at all You wanted progress. You got progress. OK, it was eight progresses instead of 10, but not bad, not bad at all. There was one catch. Shopper readers, bless you, picked up on “what might have been” and said the frustration applies to this very entertaining Tennessee team. One called it “brutal honesty” in saying the Volunteers could have been so much more, that those infamous fourth-quarter collapses knocked them down from outstanding to well above average. Stopping Florida on fourth and 17 might have meant two more wins.

Marvin West

We all applaud the successful November. Cheers. We also see through it. The schedule was front-loaded. The second half wasn’t as difﬁcult. The Vols didn’t look all that great at times, but they did what they had to do – win ﬁve in a row. They competed. They never took a Saturday off. There is a wonderful connection between true grit, guts and glory.

The pivot point was the day after the painful loss to Arkansas. Heads were drooping. Conﬁdence was fractured. Butch Jones pushed the right button. “We are a good football team,” he said. Enough Volunteers believed and turned the declaration into reality. Let us salute the leaders. Georgia turned out to be the swing game. That victory was good for the soul – and recruiting. The Vols peaked at Kentucky. Special teams were, to use one of Butch’s favorite words, “great.” South Carolina almost spoiled the season. At Mis-

souri, the offense ran boldly between the 20s but the ﬁre went out in the red zone. Hail to Aaron Medley and hard-nosed tacklers. Tennessee treated Vanderbilt’s so-called crusty defense as if it were a myth. In Jones’ third season, coaching continued to evolve. The boss said Mike DeBord did an unbelievable job of setting the mentality and playing complementary football. I enjoyed his scripted opening sets. I thought some Saturdays turned too conservative, old Michigan style. You don’t need me to tell you the running attack was much improved. Consider-

ing injuries, the offensive line exceeded expectations. Coleman Thomas made a difference. Kyler Kerbyson earned a lot of respect. Downﬁeld blocking by receivers (especially Josh Smith) was good. As the proverbial bull in a china shop, Jalen Hurd was beautiful. He caused some DBs to consider tennis or golf. No question about it, Alvin Kamara is a genuine playmaker. Interesting that Joshua Dobbs broke a Jimmy Streater running record. You may blame coaching, receiver injuries, drops or Pig bombing out for the mediocre passing game. OK to point a ﬁnger at Dobbs’ inaccuracy. Precise passes were the exception rather than the rule. Tennessee’s defense had

a chance to make this a terrific season. It didn’t finish the big ones, but it did its fair share in the eight victories. The front was tough. I am an Owen Williams fan. Hard to overlook Derek Barnett. Jalen Reeves-Maybin was very good. Darrin Kirkland made magnificent progress. Malik Foreman confused me. I thought no way, but his hustle won the South Carolina game. I hope Cameron Sutton stays for 2016 and becomes an all-American. I hope Brian Randolph can play in the NFL. I wish for Trevor Daniel a richly deserved scholarship. Get well soon, Shy Tuttle. Where are you, Dillon Bates? Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com.

Majority of commissioners in favor of Midway A survey of Knox County Commissioners revealed that most either favor or are leaning toward approving a zoning change that would allow for the creation of Midway Business Park in deep East Knox County. Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission recommended a sector plan amendment and rezoning of the proposed 345acre business park at its Nov. 12 meeting. A vote on both requests from the Development Corporation is scheduled for a vote Dec. 21 by Knox County Commission. Four commissioners indicated they were in favor of the creation of the business park, and two said they were leaning toward a “yes” vote. Two were unwilling to take a position, and one was against the rezoning. Two did not return calls from the Shopper News. Eighth District Commissioner and chair Dave

Wendy Smith

Wright won’t take a position until the vote is called. But recent announcements from Advanced Munitions and Lifetime Products, along with numerous rezoning requests in the county, indicate an uptick in interest in the area, he said. Fewer residents have expressed opposition to the business park than ﬁve or 10 years ago, and those who are opposed aren’t as adamant, Wright said. The proposed site is in his district. Several previous concerns have been addressed. A wastewater plan is more deﬁned, and Interstate 40 access will be improved. The plan no longer calls for

grading of the site because parcels will be incorporated into existing topography. Cemeteries within the site still need to be addressed. He thinks an additional community meeting should be held. At-large Commissioner Bob Thomas won’t take a position yet, but most of the feedback he’s received about the business park has been positive. Residents say the county’s going to grow, he said. “It’s a fact that things change. I’m excited for East Knox County. So much is going on there.” Thomas grew up in East Knoxville. Randy Smith and Jeff Ownby are both leaning toward approval of the rezoning, but Ownby said his position would change if the cost of the project were to increase or signiﬁcant opposition was expressed. Smith said recent announcements

of businesses moving to the area could signal a need for more space. John Schoonmaker, Brad Anders, Mike Brown and Ed Brantley all said they planned to vote in favor of the rezoning. Schoonmaker, who participated in Mayor Tim Burchett’s bus tour of West Knoxville business parks and attended the Nov. 12 MPC meeting, said community leaders haven’t spoken out against the East Knox business park. Brantley said the business park’s previous hurdles have been overcome. “I think it’s time to move MPC commissioner Laura Cole talks with Developon, to move forward.” ment Corporation president Todd Napier at the Charles Busler was the public hearing at Carter Elementary School on only commissioner to say the proposed business park at Midway Road. Cole, he would not support the who opposed the rezoning initially, voted yes this zoning change. He thinks time around. Photo by S. Clark the site is too small, and he would prefer a 1,000-1,500acre site in an outlying area. Sam McKenzie and Amy to the survey before press “People out there are not Broyles did not respond time. interested in extra trafﬁc.”

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government

Shopper news • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • 5

Richard Bean remembers He’s worked for local government since the Coal Man, the Ice Man and Mr. Aubrey ran the show, and there’s not much Richard Bean, superintendent of the juvenile detention facility that is named for him, has forgotten. Like Sept 1, 1962, the day he went to work serving paper for domestic relations court; April 12, 1968, the day he married Lillian; Pearl Harbor Day, 1990, the day he quit drinking. Bean was a 1959 graduate of Powell High School – Earl Hoffmeister was the football coach his senior year, Jim Monroe his principal. He was supposed to finish in 1958, but he had other priorities in those days. “I spent five years and one summer in high school. Got behind – I liked to chase women. People ask if I went to college, I say no. I never would have got out.” There were other kinds of trouble to get into, as well. “We went on a senior trip to Daytona Beach, and everybody dyed their hair blond. I had my mustache blond, my eyebrows blond and a blond ducktail. When I got back, Earl called me out on the football field and told me they were going to expel me if I didn’t dye my hair back.” The Coal Man and the Ice Man were Democrats Bobby Toole and Paul Nicely. Re-

Betty Bean publican Aubrey Jenkins was the junior partner in Jenkins & Jenkins, one of the most powerful law firms in town. More pragmatic than partisan, they were patronage machines, the men to see if you wanted a job. “Aubrey, he was the master. That’s his picture, right up there next to that calendar,” Bean said, pointing at one of the hundreds of photographs that line his office walls (It’s impossible to escape his office without getting your mug shot. With him.) The calendar page marks Feb. 1, 1972: his first day at the juvenile detention center. When he finally graduated, Bean joined the Navy, and when he got back in 1961, he worked days at Dante Food Market and weekends as a bouncer at a club on Clinton Highway. The following year, Jenkins got Sheriff Carl Ford to hire him as a deputy. “I went down to a pawn shop on Gay Street and bought me a badge and a slapjack, and I worked seven days. Never had an interview, just went to work. Six months later, I met the sheriff.” He said he learned

the importance of spelling from Juvenile Court Judge Richard Douglass – the hard way. “Judge Douglass was a mean Democrat, but he took a liking to me. He was running for re-election in ’74, and we went and bought 10,000 boxes of Band-Aids (to hand out as Election Day favors) and put his name on them but left one of the Ss off. He bought 10,000 stickers, and we had to put them stickers on the boxes. Every one of them.” Bean’s loyalty was tested again when Mayor Kyle Testerman declared war on city sanitation workers and got himself locked into a battle to keep them from unionizing. “At that time, we were city employees, and when he fired all the garbage men to keep them from joining the union, we all had to pick up garbage. Had to go in at 6:30 or 7 and we had (police captain) Mickey Snyder driving a big truck, with Calvin Housewright and Bobby Smithers on little satellite trucks. Me and Jimmy Kyle Davis, he was my recreation director, were on another truck. … One night, Kyle called everybody in and said he’d been getting complaints about the men running that route over on Sutherland sitting in Highland Memorial Cemetery drinking beer at lunchtime.

Kane drafts bill to restore LV name Richard Bean reveals the secret to his longevity on the job: BC Powder. He said, ‘I’m going to put a stop to it.’ ” (Bean confesses that he and the others would stop at a convenience store to buy bologna sandwich makings and a 12-pack and find themselves a shady spot in the graveyard to have lunch. He doesn’t sound sorry.) Over the years, he and Lillian built the “Bean Machine” and wielded considerable influence in the courthouse and beyond. Today, things are a little quieter, and Bean doesn’t seem to be as involved as in years gone by. When asked if that perception is correct, he grinned. “I’m just more underground now.” (Continued next week)

The Old Mother Hubbard effect Old Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard, To give the poor dog a bone; When she came there, The cupboard was bare, And so the poor dog had none.

Nothing comes easily for Knox County Schools. When technology prices drop and a Chromebook can be bought for $200 or less, multiply that times 58,000 students to get a cost of $11.6 million for Knox County Schools. Ouch! And an even more expensive problem is on the horizon. That’s the cost of personnel to keep the technology running when parent groups or businesses buy the technology. Just last month 33 businesses kicked in $250 each to buy Chromebooks for Powell High School. It’s happening all over the county. But the school system is not staffed to keep all the devices powered, wired and running. School board member Lynne Fugate summed it up at a recent meeting: “Everybody wants (the technology), but it costs a lot of money. “How do we get ahead of it? “Our parents are demanding it and are buying

The mayor’s rage Sandra Clark

computers for the schools and we have to support it. “Let’s not lead from behind.” Gail Byard is the chief technology officer for Knox County Schools. “Chromebooks are game changers,” she said. She said a 4-year rollout at $1 million per year would put a Chromebook in the hands of each high school student and teacher. Oh by the way, KCS needs 63 additional technicians. Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre said schools in economically disadvantaged areas have bought computers with Title One funds, while other schools have committed Coupon Book dollars to technology. Board member Tracie Sanger voiced support for increased technology, but Knox County Schools has hit the Old Mother Hubbard effect. The money cupboard is bare.

Is Victor Ashe annoying and hard to live with? Absolutely. But a guy who has written a column for Shopper News every week for five plus years is a columnist. And this newspaper will support every columnist and reporter we publish. Do we always agree with Victor? No. Will we let a politician – even one we like – get away with denying access to public information? Nope. Madeline Rogero is suffering from a bad case of second-termitis. She’s safely re-elected and now termlimited so what’s to lose? Let’s ban that dancing butter stick and egg from the top of Magpies Bakery, even though the sign ordinance clearly allows for art. Let’s just tell off the former 4-term mayor because he’s a pest. Let’s charge the Fountain City Christmas parade $1,500 for police reserve officers for the first time in 48 years. Call it another downside of term limits. Victor Ashe was a political writer in college. He’s got a hammering style, but

he’s also got a nose for news and the contacts to track down stories. I recruited Victor while he was still in Poland to write a column for Shopper News. Back when everyone was speculating on what he would do next, we struck our deal. Citizens are best served by opinions from a variety of informed sources. Lord help us all when the “news” we know comes from PR departments, be they City Hall or UT sports.

Smith is ‘all wet’ Commissioner Randy Smith was walking down Gay Street Monday en route to lunch with Mayor Tim Burchett, finance director Chris Caldwell and PR guy Michael Grider. It was a strange sight in pouring rain. Burchett was wearing his tan Carhartt jacket (which smells like a wet dog – his words). Grider was juggling an umbrella over the mayor when the men passed a mom and baby without protection from the rain. “Randy Smith just handed her his umbrella,” said Burchett. “Didn’t even tell her who he was. Just said, ‘Keep it.’”

For those who thought the Lady Vols controversy over the name change has vanished, check again. It may be back in January in Nashville when the Legislature reconvenes. Knoxville Republican state Rep. Roger Kane is drafting legislation to restore the Lady Vols name to women’s sports at UT. He is also looking at legislation to require the UT Board of Roger Kane Trustees to hold a public hearing on any issue where 25,000 citizens sign a petition asking for one. The UT Board of Trustees failed to allow legislators or the public to speak at its meeting despite 25,000 citizens asking the name be restored. One common criticism of the board is that very little discussion occurs in its public meetings, and all members seem to be in lockstep with each other. If Kane introduces these two bills, they will generate strong discussion. Over one-third of the General Assembly signed a letter to UT President Joe DiPietro urging a reversal of the name change. The board and DiPietro declined to hear the matter in a public setting. Most of this could be resolved if the board would appear interested in legislative opinions and hear them out, even if they did not adopt every proposal. UT Board vice chair Raja Jubran is often the point man for the UT administration to convince local legislators not to support these bills. He is a close friend of Gov. Haslam. Jubran has made reduction of rising tuition costs a focus of his time on the board. He takes his duties seriously. ■ Bob Whetsel, former city development director, is back from his nine-week bike ride across the southern part of the USA from San Diego to St. Augustine, Fla. He is 30 pounds lighter and sporting a beard. The trip was managed by Adventure Cycling Association out of Montana.

Victor Ashe

Over beer at Central Flats and Taps, Whetsel, 63, reviewed the highlights of the epic trip. Whetsel has also been in the Everest region of Nepal Bob Whetsel (trekking instead of biking then), plus Cambodia and Thailand. He said 16 started on the trip and 13 completed it. Dan Duncan, husband of Lisa Duncan, retired head of the Dogwood Arts Festival, was a Knoxville participant. Others were from Canada, the Netherlands and Australia. Each day got them at least 40 miles further along and sometimes as much as 92 miles. Rest stops (meaning more than one day) occurred in Phoenix, Austin, Fort Davis and Silver City, to name several. The bikes had f lat tires. Overnights ranged from tents to hostels to motels. The trip started Sept. 14 and ended Nov. 16. All clothes and necessities were carried on individual bikes. Whetsel worked for four mayors over 23 years, starting with this writer. He said it was a memorable trip but is glad to be back in Knoxville. His next adventure is with his wife, Melynda, for a cruise in Hawaii in 2016. ■ Gov. Haslam continues to maintain high personal popularity, according to recent polls. His challenge, with three years left as governor, is to translate it into more support for his legislative proposBill Haslam als. He is unlikely to bring up Insure Tennessee or a gas tax hike in the legislative session starting next month.

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6 • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news

SENIOR NOTES ■ South Knox Senior Center: 6729 Martel Lane 573-5843 knoxcounty.org/seniors Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Offerings include: dulcimer and guitar lessons; arts and crafts classes; dance classes; exercise programs; Tai Chi; card games; Joymakers practice; free swim 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Senior Meals program noon each Wednesday and Friday. South-Doyle Madrigal Singers perform a Christmas cantata 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7. Christmas party 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, featuring the Joymakers Choir. Christmas Cookie Exchange/Tricky Santa party ($10 limit) 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16. The Knox County Veterans Services will answer questions 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 17. Register for: Toenail trimming appointments Wednesday, Dec. 16. ■ South Knox Community Center 522 Old Maryville Pike 573-3575 Monday-Friday Hours vary ■ John T. O’Connor Senior Center 611 Winona St. 523-1135 knoxcounty.org/seniors Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Offerings include: Card games, billiards, senior fitness, book club, Senior Savvy computer classes, bingo, blood pressure checks 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday. Silver Stage Players’ “Christmas 1945,” 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, donations appreciated. Register for: Candlelight Holiday Dinner with crafts, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8 (RSVP by Friday, Dec. 4); Harrah’s trip, 8 a.m. departure Monday, Dec. 7 (Frankie Hicks, 525-1475);

Pumpkin munchin’ Artist Scottie Baxter, gift shop president Gail Morell and O’Connor Senior Center manager Sue Massingill pose in front of Exceptional Gifts and Crafts Shop at the O’Connor Senior Center

O’Connor gift shop is ‘exceptional’ By Cindy Taylor Located inside the O’Connor Senior Center in Northeast Knoxville is what center manager Sue Massingill refers to as “the best kept secret in town.” The secret she is referring to is an art center/gift shop featuring unique and beautiful handmade items crafted by members of the center. The Exceptional Gifts and Crafts Shop is a small space filled with collections of wood carvings, oil paintings, jewelry, pottery, blown glass and an abundance of other crafts. You can pick up handmade greeting cards for about $1. Selection and price are incredible. The art center was established more than 20 years ago. Gail Morell has managed the shop for 12 years. “Our seniors love to display their handmade items here and shop for gifts too,” said Morell. “Profits from sales in the shop go to sup-

port the O’Connor Center.” Senior artists can bring their work to the center to be sold on consignment. There is a $10 fee per year to become a member of the gift shop. Artists donate one day per month to work the shop. Currently more than 15 senior artists display and sell their work in the gift shop. Gift shop hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your Christmas list and cash or checks. You won’t want to leave empty-handed and they don’t take credit cards. While you’re enjoying a shopping spree at the gift shop be sure to tour the rest of the facility. You may be amazed at what you find. The center offers physical fitness classes, creative writing, art classes, discounted lunch, health screenings, health instruction, neurobics and too many more activities to list. An Internet café should be open on-site by the end of the year. Of

course everyone has heard of the O’Connor Singing Seniors. There is also a band and drama group. Minimum age to participate in the activities offered at the center is 50. Anyone is welcome to tour or make purchases in the gift shop. A visit to the center will most likely afford you many new friends. “We average more than 200 senior visitors daily,” said Massingill. “Our goal is to help seniors add life to their years.” Upcoming holiday events include the Singing Seniors Holiday Concert - December 2; Crafts by Candlelight - Dec. 8; Christmas 1945, the O’Connor Silver Stage Players - Dec. 10; Downton Abbey Tea - Dec. 11 and a Christmas sale Dec. 15. The John T. O’Connor Senior Center is at 611 Winona Street. Info: 523-1135. Info and a daily calendar available at www.knoxseniors. org/oconnor

Before a visit to the local pumpkin patch, residents of Morning Pointe of Powell make a quick stop at Einstein Bros. Bagel Shop on Cedar Bluff Road, where manager Terry Morris provided fresh baked (just for them) pumpkin muffins with Cream Cheese icing! Pictured are Jane Hodges (at top) and Margaret Herbison, licking icing off of her fingers.

Festival of Wreaths at Elmcroft Support Alzheimer’s Tennessee by bidding on a wreath as Elmcroft of Halls sponsors the second annual Festival of Wreaths from 3:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3. UT choral group will perform from 6-7 and winners will be announced at 7 p.m. All are invited.

Cronan to speak in Corryton Joan Cronan, former University of Tennessee women’s athletic director, will be speaking and signing her book “Sport Is Life” at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 14, at the Corryton Senior Center, 9331 Davis Drive, Corryton. Joan Cronan

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faith

Shopper news • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • 7

Travel influences ministry of First Presbyterian pastor By Wendy Smith Her desire to serve God and people has taken Meredith Loftis to several states and much of the continent of Africa. She plans to put those experiences to good use as the associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church, 620 State St. “Travel is a great teacher. I hope to be able to use it in my ministry,” she says. Loftis was installed last Sunday. She grew up in Dunwoody, Ga., where she was actively involved at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church. She began to imagine a life of ministry as a teen, and her faith was further refined at Clemson University. She spent a summer working with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in Gautier, Miss. − an area hit hard by Hurricane Katrina − and that experience led her to work for the American Red Cross in Pickens, S.C., for a year. “I enjoyed it, but I couldn’t talk about my faith.” Loftis went on to Columbia Theological Seminary

in Decatur, Ga. The most influential pastor in her life was a woman, she says, and no one ever discouraged her from pursuing ministry as a career because of her gender. But she admits that her parents were stunned when that career took her to Africa. A two-year fellowship with Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan included a year in Zambia. She worked with an ecumenical organization that traveled throughout the country equipping laypeople to be church leaders. The church is exploding there, she says, and there aren’t enough trained pastors to staff the congregations. Churches in Africa wrestle with a different set of issues than those faced in the U.S. Two of the biggest challenges for churches in Zambia are HIV and polygamy. One of the cultural challenges she faced was being asked for money. It’s normal for Zambians to ask friends and family for money, and

What’s in a year? And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years. … (Genesis 1:14 NRSV) So, if there are 12 months in a year, why is the name of the last month December, a word derived from the prefi x dec, or 10 (think decade or decathlon)? I wonder about such things! So, being my mother’s daughter, I looked it up, and here is what I learned. The ancient Romans insisted that all wars cease during the time between the old and new years. March (named for Mars) was the first month in the Roman calendar. That is how the following months were named as they were: April was from the Latin for “second.” May was named for Maia, the goddess of growing plants (seems reasonable to me!). June was named for Juno, queen of the gods, who was also the patroness of marriage, which is why June is so popular for weddings! We will come back to July and August, because they were later additions.

because she was white, she was assumed to be rich. “I had more marriage proposals than I knew what to do with,” she says. Before returning to Manhattan, Loftis spent time traveling in Africa and Asia, which further exposed her to different cultures. Knoxville appealed to her because it’s a less stressful environment than New York City and closer to home. Because she’s learned how to be comfortable with people who are different from her, she hopes to serve those who are often overlooked. “We’re called to take care of each other, even if

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■ Macedonia UMC, 4630 Holston Drive, will present its annual Christmas musical, “Christmas – Make It a Memory,” 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. The Macedonia musicians and choir will be joined by Ava Barber (former soloist with Lawrence Welk’s TV show) and other singers from the Pigeon Forge theaters. ■ Music ministries of Community Evangelistic Church in East Knoxville and Christ Covenant Church in Farragut will join for three presentations of “How Great Our Joy – a Gospel Christmas!” Presentations: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11-12, Christ Covenant Church, 12915 Kingston Pike; 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, Community Evangelistic Church, 2650 Boyds Bridge Pike. Info: 5251589 or cecchurch.org; 6711885 or office@christcov.org. ■ Second UMC, 1524 Western

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Ave., will host the 35th annual Christmas Handbell Concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. The Celebration Handbell choir and the Powell High Singers will present “Glory to the Newborn King.” ■ Music ministries of Community Evangelistic Church in East Knoxville and Christ Covenant Church in Farragut will join for three presentations of “How Great Our Joy – a Gospel Christmas!” Presentations: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11-12, Christ Covenant Church, 12915 Kingston Pike; 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, Community Evangelistic Church, 2650 Boyds Bridge Pike. Info: 5251589 or cecchurch.org; 6711885 or office@christcov.org. ■ Second UMC, 1524 Western Ave., will host the 35th annual Christmas Handbell Concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. The Celebration Handbell choir and the Powell High Singers will present “Glory to the Newborn King.”

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Cross Currents

September, then was the seventh (septem meaning seven), and October was the eighth. (you see how an octopus got its name – eight legs!) November was from the word for ninth, and December from the prefi x dec, meaning 10. All very neat and nice. So where did the other two months come from? In 1582, Pope Gregory (and, no doubt, his astronomers) realized that the calendar was no longer in sync with the seasons. So he fi xed it by adding July (in honor of Julius Caesar) and August (in honor of Caesar Augustus). And that is why, although the names are a little of out sync, our calendar is correct!

we don’t understand each other.” She feels called to a ministry of hospitality, she says. Since she arrived at the beginning of September, First Presbyterian has been partnering with a Congolese family through Bridge Refugee Service. Because the church is in the heart of downtown, it’s well situated for reaching out, she says. She knows it’s a welcoming congregation because it has welcomed her. “I think they’re excited to have a pastor who’s Meredith Loftis participates in a tribal dance by the Chewa young, single, female and a tribe in Katete, Zambia. She is the new associate pastor at First millennial.” Presbyterian Church. Photo submitted

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kids

8 • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news

Food is attention grabber By Betsy Pickle You can usually look over a crowd of students at a school assembly and see a few kids fidgeting, yawning or just looking bored. That wasn’t the case at South Knoxville Elementary School when a couple of teenagers came to read to the entire student body. Maybe it was because the readers were kids, too. Or perhaps it was the subject: food. But the SKES students seemed spellbound as they listened to 4H “all stars” Justin Cross and Lydia McCurdy take turns reading “How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? The Story of Food.” The short book covered the origins of different kinds of food – things like bread, cheese, tomatoes, apple juice, carrots and even the chips in chocolate chip cookies – in a kid-friendly way. “Do you like chocolate?”

SKES principal Tanna Nicely, right, introduces the school’s “principals for a day,” Carson Dailey and Cammie Kromer.

Lydia McCurdy reads to the student body at her old school, South Knoxville Elementary, as her fellow 4H “all star,” Justin Cross, listens. Photos by Betsy Pickle

Justin asked the students. After a resounding “yes” response he said, “I do, too!” A discussion after the reading gave the students a chance to ask about other foods and how they are produced. The program was a part of Ag Literacy Week, emphasizing the importance of agriculture and farmers. Justin, a senior at L&N STEM Academy, and Lydia, a home-schooled junior from South Knoxville, have been active in 4H for years. Justin and his family raise sheep, and Lydia and her family have horses, which she rides in competitions. Principal Tanna Nicely told the children that she grew up on a farm and she lives on a farm now and said that much of her leadership style was developed from concepts she learned from farming. Many of the older children at SKES are in-

volved in 4H. Sharon Davis, Knox County extension agent, presented the school with copies of the food book. She also provided devices for the classrooms that will allow students to view the roots of plants as they grow. The assembly took place on the same day as the Principal for a Day initiative. Nicely had her “principals” – two local leaders – speak briefly to the children before they spent the morning visiting classrooms and special groups to get an education about SKES. Cammie Kromer, president of the Junior League of Knoxville, and Carson Dailey, an officer with the South-Doyle Neighborhood Association and a member of the county Board of Zoning Appeals, introduced themselves but quickly switched into observer mode, enjoying the program along with the kids.

Retired teachers honor new educators By Ruth White Ahn

Ison

Evans

Lane-Suttles

Gadwaw

Reed

Rife

Seven students have received scholarships from the Knoxville Retired Teachers Association in celebration of National Retired Teachers Month. Each recipient received $1,000 to help with college expenses. Scholarships are awarded through an essay/application process. Carson-Newman University student Joonkil Ahn received the Tom Underwood Scholarship from committee member Joyce

business

Condry. Lucie Lane-Suttles, an ETSU student, received the Reuben/Pat Hunter Scholarship. Both scholarships are the two original awards given out by the association. Alyssa Ison received the Colleen Bennett Scholarship. Alyssa is a student at ETSU and was given the award by committee member Earl Wells. Two students received the Association Scholarship, including Lauren Evans from UT and Powell resident Myra Rife who studies at South College.

Krissy Gadwaw from ETSU received the James Rayburn Martin Scholarship from Nancy Gerhardt. James Martin was Gerhardt’s great grandfather and was the first certified public teacher in Floyd County, Va. Holly Reed, who studies at UT, received the Bill and Bea Carney Scholarship. Bill Carney was the principal of the (then new) Norwood Elementary and served the community for 23 years. Reed accepted the scholarship from Julia Craze.

News from the Rotary Guy

Knoxville Rotary salutes silent hero Sam Beall

The District in Bearden says ‘thanks’ with holiday open houses By Sandra Clark The District in Bearden is saying “Thanks” and “Happy Holidays” to customers and friends from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, with a series of open houses. The festivities extend through Saturday at most stores. Restaurant members are providing hors d’oeuvres at the Friday events, according to Bebe Vogel, who coordinates The District in Bearden events. M.S. McClellan promises good food from Bistro by the Tracks and cocktails for a festive evening. Bob McClellan will hold a trunk show by Wilsons Leather, a leading specialty retailer of quality outerwear and accessories since 1899. The store is located at 5614 Kingston Pike in Melrose Place. Info: 865-584-3492. Bennett Galleries is celebrating its 40th anniversary with music, food from Aubrey’s and selected treasures from its vault (including some works by Richard Jolley). Look for a trunk show by Nashville artist and jeweler Robin Haley on Friday and fromthe-farm tastings by North Carolina’s Dusty Farms and Nursery all day Saturday. The galleries are at 5308 Kingston Pike. Info: 865584-6791. Est8te, a clothing and home décor store, will feature sparkling wine, small bites from Naples, and special holiday gifts at Friday’s

open house. Also, on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 5-8 p.m. there will be refreshments and a 20 percent off sale to benefit the cancer support community. The store is at 145 South Forest Park Boulevard, next to The Grill at Highlands Row. Info: 865588-1588. G&G Interiors has created a “winter wonderland” for the holidays. During the open house on Friday, G&G will serve food from Naples. The business provides turnkey decorating services for private residences and executive offices. Info: 5508 Kingston Pike. Info: 865212-5639. The District Gallery will present Knoxville native Joe Parrott and his show, “From Knoxville to the Mediterranean.” Parrott will be painting on Saturday and is expected to be present during Friday’s open house which will include live music and food from Holly’s Gourmet Market. The Gallery is at 5113 Kingston Pike. Info: 865200-4452. Sole in the City is sponsoring 12 Days of Christmas, starting Friday, Dec. 4. Register during the open house. The winner will receive 12 days of gifts from the store. Open house food and appetizers will be presented by Holly’s Gourmet Market. The store offers upscale shoes and accessories at 5508 Kingston Pike in Cherokee Plaza. Info: 865-249-7329.

By Tom King has always been among the primary focus areas of Rotary International. The Rotary Club of Knoxville is celebrating its 100th Tom King anniversary year in 2015, and as part of that they heard recently from an old friend – Sam Beall. It was in 1937 when the club presented Sam with a Rotary scholarship for $500 a year during his first two years at the University of Tennessee. That scholarship propelled him to a fascinating and very significant career. Sam’s father had died during the Great Depression, and after Sam graduated from high school in Georgia, his mother moved him and his kid brother to Knoxville, her former home. Her father had built the first bellows for the Fulton Bellows Co. Sam was befriended by Rotarians Tom McCroskey, president of the Limestone

two-year scholarship from Knoxville Rotary. And today, 100 years after its founding, the club still awards scholarships to deserving students.

Education

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The Rotary Club of Turkey Creek Sunset is into the holiday spirit, making a $500 donation to the Shepherd of Hope Food Pantry at Faith Lutheran Church in Farragut. The pantry helps support 100 families. The club meets weekly at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the church.

Knoxville Rotary president Sandy Martin and Sam Beall Company, and Leonard Jones of Knox Litho. Sam wanted to go to UT but was virtually penniless, he said at a recent meeting. Knoxville Rotary came to the rescue with a scholarship. He graduated in 1942 with a degree in design engineering. Charles Ferris, then head of UT’s Engineering School, took a special interest in Sam. World War II was underway, and DuPont was recruiting engineers for the top-secret Manhattan Proj-

Turkey Creek aids food pantry

ect at the University of Chicago. With help from Ferris, Sam got a job working with the Chicago team and worked daily with Enrico Fermi, called the “Father of the Bomb.” From that springboard, Sam became director of the Reactor Division and the newly formed Energy Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. When Sam retired in 1978 he was ORNL’s director of the Reactor and Energy Divisions … and it all began with that $500,

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Bearden tapes meetings

The Rotary Club of Bearden is now videotaping its Friday noon meetings at Buddy’s Bearden Banquet Hall. The club’s technology guru, Leo Knight, who owns Neighborhood Nerds, spearheaded this effort. One of the Nerds’ interns, Nathan Diambra, is handling the taping. Tom King is a retired newspaper editor, a Rotarian for 27 years and past president of the Rotary Club of Farragut. He can be reached at tking535@gmail.com.

BIZ NOTES ■ Edwin Spencer M.D. has performed a surgical implant for a patient with a fracture to the upper arm bone which connects to the shoulder. The device was approved by the FDA in April 2015. It is made of a nickel-titanium alloy that forms a mesh-like structure, Dr. Spencer similar to a coronary artery stent. The device is implanted through a small incision in the upper arm and directly into the hollow cavity of the

bone. When expanded, it creates a rigid internal scaffold, stabilizing the fractured bone fragments from the inside. ■ Russell Betcher M.D. of Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic is the medical honoree for this year’s Knoxville Jingle Bell Run/ Walk for Arthritis as the 2015 corporate chair. The Jingle Bell Run/Walk is nationally sponsored by AbbVie, Massage Envy and Ferring Dr. Betcher Pharmaceuticals.

It is presented locally by Tennova and sponsored by National HealthCare Corporation, Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. Info: jbr.org/knoxville 615-806-8540. ■ Premier Transportation has acquired Chattanooga-based All Aboard USA, bringing the Knoxville company’s total fleet to nearly 40 motor coaches stationed throughout East Tennessee. Nick Cazana is the Premier Transportation owner. Randy Ingram, All Aboard owner and operator, has joined Premier to manage the Chattanooga location, which brings the Premier Transportation team to 85 employees.

Shopper news • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • 9

By Carol Shane Looking for more ways to be Santa’s helper? Join the party at “Holiday Sparkles and Spirits,” a gala evening to benefit The Joy of Music School, which provides music lessons to area kids who wouldn’t otherwise be able to have them. The event combines the warmth of a holiday gathering with the sound of children’s voices, plus delicious food and drink. There are also silent and live auctions. It’s a great evening for a great cause. “Holiday Sparkles and Spirits” takes place 6:309:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, at Cherokee Country Club, 5138 Lyons View Pike. Info: 525-6806. ■ On a recent Tuesday morning, a group of Knoxville musicians gathered in the bowels of the Tennessee Theatre for their first and only rehearsal with the music directors of the touring company of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” The company is based in New York, where the theater world’s best come to sing, dance and play music with the best talent on the planet. They’re accustomed to the highest standards. The rehearsal went smoothly, and when it came

weekender Doc Severinsen chose the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra to tour with him in September. The KJO presents “Swingin’ Christmas” Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Tennessee Theatre. Shown top to bottom are Will Boyd, Mark Tucker, David King, Brad McDougall, Greg Tardy, Keith Brown, Tom Johnson, Bill Swann, Michael Spirko, Michael Wyatt, Nathan Warner, Tommy Sauter, Tom Lundberg, Vance Thomspon, Severinsen and Don Hough. Photo submitted

time to rehearse the finale of the first act, the conductor, Michael Horsley, gave the downbeat. As the music built in intensity, his conducting gestures gradually stopped; they weren’t needed. Horsley, smiling widely, was simply enjoying the music. As the last note rang through the marblelined space, he exclaimed, “Whaddaya know! Knoxville can PLAY.” The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, who’d just blown the roof off of “Blue Skies,” hung their heads sheepishly and grinned. In an age when much popular music relies on electronic wizardry rather than hard-earned musical prowess, these guys are the real deal. If you haven’t heard them, you’re missing one of the premiere performing groups in the region. Founded in 1999 by trumpeter Vance Thompson, they’ve appeared at jazz festivals in the United States and Europe, released four critically acclaimed CDs and presented scores of concerts, many featuring world-renowned guest artists. Their most popular annual concert happens next week. And this year, “A Swingin’ Christmas” will feature jazz vocalist Cécile

McLorin Salvant. “I’ve actually been trying to get her for several years now,” says Thompson, who adds that, in his opinion, Salvant is “the most important female vocalist to come along in jazz in the last few decades.” “Although she is well known to the jazz community around the world, she is still unknown to the general public.” He’s excited to introduce her to Knoxville audiences, along with some of the brightest, brassiest Christmas music you’ll hear all season. Tickets go fast, so if you want to hear those horns, you’d better get on the horn. The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra’s “A Swingin’ Christmas,” sponsored by Merrill Lynch, takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Tennessee Theatre downtown. Info: knoxjazz. org or 573-3226. Send story suggestions to news@shopper newsnow.com.

Animal lover Hendrix brightens 2016 By Betsy Pickle Elaine Hendrix has been a stocking stuffer before – her character in “Inspector Gadget 2” inspired a variety of Happy Meal toys – but all fans will want for Christmas is a 2016 calendar featuring Hendrix showing vintage attitude – and a lot of leg. It’s the Girls for Animal Rights 2016 calendar, and it benefits the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Illinois Birddog Rescue and Hendrix’s own The Pet Matchmaker. “I’ve got a new PSA out for the Animal Legal Defense Fund,” says Hendrix. “They’re the ones who got me involved with the calendar. I love them. But I also love the gals who are doing the Girls for Animal Rights.” (Find the calendar at girlsforanimalrights.com.) Born in Oak Ridge and reared in Knoxville, Morristown and Atlanta, Hendrix is a passionate animal activist. She spent Thanksgiving taking care of homeless people and pets in Los Angeles. “It’s a funny thing being a ‘celebrity’ … I know that there are a lot of people who worry about their image and what they’re attached to. For animals, I do whatever I can do.” When she’s not rescu-

ing animals or promoting their rights, Hendrix stays busy with her day – and night – job. She stars on the new FX series “Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll” with Denis Leary, Elizabeth Gillies and John Corbett, which recently concluded its first season. “I am an expert on rock ’n’ roll now,” Hendrix says with a laugh. “I can official-

in girlfriend and backup singer. “It’s amazing,” says Hendrix. “So fun. Best job I’ve ever had. We work long, hard hours, but it’s worth it. We all get along. We love each other. We’re having a blast.” Fortunately, even working 12- to 16-hour days, Hendrix doesn’t have to worry about saving her voice. “Thankfully, it’s ‘Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll.’ If you have a (trashed) voice, all the better.” The second season will East Tendebut on FX in 2016. nessee naThis week, Hendrix is tive Elaine getting ready to start shootHendrix ing a political satire called takes a “Swing State” with Jon breather Gries, Taryn Manning, Anfrom her gela Kinsey from “The Offilm and fice” and Sean Astin. animal “I play sort of an Ann work. Photo Coulter-type character,” submitted says Hendrix. She worked this summer with Noah Wyle and Xander Berkeley on the drama ly say that.” “Shot.” And the sex and drugs? “It’s what happens when “I’ll say ‘no comment’ on a young boy accidentally those!” The show is about a vet- shoots a man, and what eran rock ’n’ roller, Johnny happens immediately afRock (Leary), whose dream ter that, and by the end the of resurrecting the career consequences of it,” she he flushed down the toi- says. “It’s really making a let hinges on the daughter, statement on senseless gun Gigi (Elizabeth Gillies), he’s violence, which I was very never known. Hendrix plays happy to be a part of. It’s a Ava, Johnny’s longtime live- heavy film. It’s a very dra-

matic film.” Making a movie with a message is something that appeals to Hendrix. “My life is so cause-oriented,” says Hendrix. “When my work aligns with my beliefs, that’s the ultimate.” Hendrix, who got her start in guest roles on TV shows before breaking out in “Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion” and “The Parent Trap,” has been working steadily as an actor for more than 20 years and has also produced several features and shorts. The industry-wide conversa-

‘Krampus’ is coming When a boy inadvertently summons a Christmas demon, his dysfunctional family – including his dad (Adam Scott) – may end up paying the price in “Krampus.” The cast includes Toni Collette, David Koechner, Conchata Ferrell, Allison Tolman and Emjay Anthony. The comedic horror film, rated PG-13 and opening in theaters Friday, was directed by Michael Dougherty (“Trick ’r Treat”).

Love movies? Then you'll love the Shopper's take on both the local filmmaking scene and Hollywood releases.

Betsy Pickle, East Tennessee's premier film critic, keeps you in the know in Weekender.

tion about the disparity of opportunities and pay for males vs. females in Hollywood has not escaped her. “I think all actors – the middle-class actors – are getting pay cuts all the time,” she says. “The whole industry has changed. And for women, who are already getting the short end of the stick, it’s even worse now, which in 2015 I can’t even believe I’m saying that. “There is a lot of talk and a lot of push toward females in the industry, but I feel like it’s still right now all talk and very little action.”

10 • DECEMBER 2, 2015 • Shopper news

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