South Knox Shopper-News 021115

SOUTH KNOX VOL. 32 NO. 61

IN THIS ISSUE

Turning those blues green

People and plants chilled out together at the fifth annual Beat the Winter Blues Wine & Cheese Party, a benefit for Ronald McDonald House held last Friday at Stanley’s Greenhouse.

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Giffin School still ‘in limbo’

See Betsy Pickle’s story on page 3

Level playing field for students?

Unexpected barriers awaited the Austin-East Robotics Team when they applied to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition, an international program that challenges talented high schoolers to solve high-tech science and engineering problems.

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See Bill Dockery’s story on page 4

No ice buckets needed here It all started with the ice bucket challenge. As the country was in the grips of that trend, Bonny Kate Elementary School fourth-grader Nolan Brang read an article that shared other types of charity challenges and became interested in boosting the YoungWilliams Animal Center. He and two friends started a successful campaign to collect donations for the animal shelter

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See Betsy Pickle’s story on page 8

Wine 101 Nancy Whittaker meets Jim Maples, owner of Southland Spirits and Wine.

Customer service is tops for Maples at the recently remodeled store. He says Southland can offer customer service that grocery stores can’t.

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See Nancy’s story on page 9

Meet the toreador Bass-baritone Ryan Kuster thinks that most people can relate to George Bizet’s opera “Carmen,” which is being performed by the Knoxville Opera Company this weekend.

“For one thing, people will recognize the music. Most people know a lot more of ‘Carmen’ than they think they do.

And the story is compelling.

There’s no real hero. It’s very human – there’s not a clear moment where you say, ‘Oh, this is the person that I root for.’”

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February July 29, 11, 2015 2013

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See Carol Shane’s story on page 7

7049 Maynardville Pike 37918 (865) 922-4136 NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Betsy Pickle ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore Wendy O’Dell | Sara Whittle

The old Giffin School on Beech Street has a lot of fans but so far no developer. Photo by Betsy Pickle

By Betsy Pickle The Giffin School building in South Haven has a long history, but its future remains a question.

“It is historic, and it is in limbo, and we need somebody to get in there and save it, especially since it’s in good condition now,” says Kim Trent, executive director of Knox Heritage. “We don’t want it

to sit long or else it could deteriorate pretty quickly. Once a building isn’t occupied, it deteriorates more quickly than it does when you’ve got somebody there looking after it every day.”

Hugh Holt, Knox County’s director of purchasing, says, “We have done our dead-level best to secure” the building, but trespass-

ers have broken in and left trash behind.

The county Purchasing Department would like to find a buyer soon, he says.

“We are looking at what our next steps are with the building,” says Holt, who attended Giffin as a youth.

The building at 1834 Beech St.

has been unoccupied since Remote Area Medical, the nonprofit healthservices provider founded by Stan Brock, moved out and set up new headquarters in Rockford last May. Knox County, which owns the property, quickly issued a request for proposals, hoping to find a deTo page 3

One sculpture to go; hold the second

By Bill B Bil illl Dockery D k The city’s Public Art Committee voted on Thursday not to buy a $36,000 sculpture on State Street and postponed consideration of another sculpture that has been offered as a gift for Mary Vestal Park in South Knoxville.

The stainless-steel sculpture is by Isaac Duncan of Chattanooga and sits in front of the State Street Garage. It is part of the yearly Art in Public Places program that Dogwood Arts has The Public Art Committee took under advise- sponsored for eight years.

Dogwood Arts execument the offer of a marble and steel sculpture done by Bruce Bennett. The gift, if accepted, tive director Lisa Duncan would replace an earlier sculpture at Mary Vestal (no relation) said that the piece is for sale for Park that deteriorated in the weather.

$36,000 or can b be removed $ 6 d when the Art in Public Places program makes its selections for the upcoming Dogwood Arts Festival. Duncan noted that for $35,000 the committee could place seven sculptures around town in the Art in Public Places program.

The committee discussed whether to spend its budget on purchasing the Isaac Duncan piece or to have the space empty and commission a sculpture specifically designed for the State Street location. The voice vote not to buy the sculpture appeared unanimous.

The sculpture under con-

The Public Art Committee has turned down the opportunity to buy a stainless-steel sculpture that stands in front of the State Street Garage. Titled “Threaded,” the piece

by Chattanooga artist Isaac Duncan was offered at a price of $36,000. It is part of the Dogwood Arts yearly To page 3 program, Art in Public Places.

Love, love me do

By Sherri Gardner Howell

I have bad news for greeting card companies, restaurants and florists. When it comes to filling hearts with love on Valentine’s Day, you have some heavy competition that you will never beat.

Elementary schools.

My sweet husband, who groans like all men when February rolls around, has presented me with some very lovely cards, beautiful flowers and delicious dinners for Valentine’s Days through the years. Nothing can compare, however, to the Popsicle sticks picture frame with crayon red hearts on all sides and a second-grade photo of our younger son grinning from ear to ear. The scrawled “I love you Mommy” on the back completes the heart-tug.

And then there is the plaster of Paris handprint from our firstborn

when he was 5 with a teacher-assisted poem on the back: “Here’s my hand on Valentine’s Day; Hold me close as I grow and play.” Even now, in the midst of trying to declutter, I can’t part with the schoolmade Valentine’s Day cards.

I have been away from elementary schools so long that I don’t even know what’s “allowed” anymore as far as giving Valentines to classmates. I remember my own Valentine’s Days at school, however. Who knew so much could be read into the size and sentiment on silly “tear on the dotted line” Valentines? Yes, class lists were sent home with proper admonishments for every child to provide a card for every other child and that no additional “gifts” could be brought to school, unless there was one for everyone.

And, yes, we followed all the

rules in my small town in the 1960s. But that doesn’t mean each chipper “Barbie says: You’re the grooviest” or Yogi Bear’s “I can’t BEAR to be without you” we received wasn’t analyzed, dissected and conclusions drawn.

I knew Greg Hart loved me after Valentine’s Day in fourth grade.

Greg and I both bought The Beatles Valentine’s pack to pass out in our classroom that year. We both gave each other the same card: the largest one in the pack with all FOUR Beatles on it and the sentiment: “Love, Love Me Do. Happy Valentine’s Day.” I knew it was true love. I, personally, had spent almost an hour deciding between that card and the “All You Need Is Love” smaller card for Greg. It was destiny.

(Destiny took an ugly turn the next year when Greg threw me

over after I won Miss Lexington Junior First Princess. He immediately declared his love for Teresa Smith, who won queen. He moved out of town shortly thereafter, but I had nothing to do with that.)

Unfortunately for adult men and women today, all this competition from elementary school crushes and children’s handprints doesn’t take the pressure off for Valentine’s Day. We all love to be loved, and we love to be reminded that we are loved. The point, of course, is to look inside the heart of whoever it is you love. You’ll find the right “gift” in whatever brings that smile to his or her face.

And if you just can’t figure it out, call an elementary school teacher.

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2 • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

‘Excellent treatment’ for prostate cancer

red Knoxville attorney makes case for early detection

Retired Knoxville attorney makes case for early detection It was a freak accident – Fred Thomforde of Knoxville had just hooked the ball to the left and down a hill. Upset over the shot, he hopped into his golf cart and sped toward the ball.

But when he pressed the brakes, the cart began sliding on the wet grass. “Like some kind of fool, I stuck my foot out to stop it, and boom! Hit a bump, went up in the air and came down with my groin on the handle,� Thomforde recounted.

While it hurt and caused some bruising, the 70-year-old retired attorney didn’t think much about it until later that evening when blood in his urine prompted him to seek medical attention, a decision that not only would change his life, but save it as well.

For it was that visit to his primary care doctor, Dr. Michael Passarello, in 2008 that got him a referral to Dr. Edward Tieng, a urologist at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center – a decision that ultimately led to Tieng’s early detection of prostate cancer.

Dr. Tieng determined Thomforde’s golf cart injury was not serious but, because of the blood in the urine and because Thomforde had been a smoker, the doctor moved cautiously. He ordered a test to determine the amount of prostatespeciďŹ c antigen (PSA) in Thomforde’s blood. That test came back

Fred Thomforde is grateful for Dr. Edward Tieng and the staff at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. He said of the individualized treatment he received after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, “Early detection made all the difference.�

with a PSA score of .8 nanograms per milliliter – well within the normal range. “I think the ‘danger zone’ is something like 2 and above,�

Thomforde said of the PSA score. “I never got into the danger zone, but early in 2010, Dr. Tieng said, ‘They are still normal, but these levels are rising.’ He wanted to check it again in three months.�

Three months later, the PSA lev-

el was still within the normal range, but Thomforde was asked to return yet again. “I’m still in the normal range,� he said. “I started out at .8 but now I’m at 1.8. So we had a long talk.�

It was during that “talk� that Dr. Tieng recommended Thomforde undergo a biopsy, a procedure in which 12 core samples were removed from the prostate gland by a needle. The biopsied tissue

was then sent to a laboratory and “graded� by a pathologist who assigned it a Gleason score, a scoring system of 2 to 10 used to describe the cells’ appearance. A score of 2 to 4 indicates the cells appear normal, 5 to 7 indicates intermediate risk of prostate cancer and 8 to 10 indicates an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Thomforde’s Gleason score was 7. “I guess everybody reacts differently when they hear ‘you have cancer,’ but for me, it came like a blow to the soul,� said Thomforde, who previously had undergone surgery and radiation treatment for a form of cancer called sarcoma a year and a half earlier. “I may have been more mentally prepared for this than a lot of people. I don’t think you ever get completely prepared for the news that you have cancer but I had at least been through it.�

To determine whether Thomforde’s prostate cancer had spread, Dr. Tieng ordered CT and bone scans. When the imaging indicated that his cancer was contained to the prostate, Dr. Tieng presented Thomforde with his options. “By this time, I had a good relationship with Dr. Tieng and had complete conďŹ dence in him – he’s a very likable person but very professional,â€? said Thomforde. “He explained to me the various options – there’s radiation treatment, hormone treatments and so forth – and

I ďŹ nally said to him, ‘I will defer to your judgment on this’ and he said, ‘If I were you in your particular condition and health, I would recommend surgery.’ I didn’t even think about it. I just said, ‘Let’s do it.’ â€?

In an almost 3-hour minimally invasive procedure, Dr. Tieng used Fort Sanders’ da VinciÂŽ robot to remove Thomforde’s cancerous prostate gland. The pathologist later conďŹ rmed that Thomforde was cancer-free. “I was a little uncomfortable the ďŹ rst couple of days or so, and there was a little leakage for a few months but even that wasn’t all that serious. When you consider what the risk was, it was pretty minor,â€? said Thomforde. “My body had returned to normal within about three months or so.â€? “My hospital experience was excellent, my recovery was excellent: Nurses, technicians, lab people, the doctors, the whole experience to me was ďŹ rst rate,â€? said Thomforde. “My PSA never got into the ‘danger zone’ per se but Dr. Tieng made a judgment based on his personal history with me. Rather than just keep going with the PSA, he went with the biopsy and it caught the cancer while it was conďŹ ned to the prostate. Early detection made all the difference.â€?

For more information about Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, please visit fsregional.com.

Speed kills: PSA velocity aids in early detection Riding a bike, getting a digital rectal exam, certain medications and age are among the things that can cause it to rise.

Herbal mixtures, obesity, aspirin and cholesterol-lowering drugs can cause it to fall.

It can yield false-negative or false-positive results, making your day or ruining it.

It’s the Prostate-SpeciďŹ c Antigen test, a tool for measuring the level of a protein produced by the prostate gland. The higher the level, the more likely is a man’s chance of prostate cancer.

Since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 1986, it has been the standard for prostate cancer screening. Now, however, it is under scrutiny by some advisory groups which recommend against it because of questions surrounding its accuracy.

PSA levels of 4.0 nanograms per milliliter and lower are considered by most doctors as “normal� and any levels above that would merit a biopsy. Recent studies, however, have shown that some men with levels below 4.0 have cancer and men with higher levels do not have cancer. “There is now so much controversy regarding using PSA as a value and I tell my patients outright, especially nowadays, that it’s not the best test,� said Dr. Edward Tieng, urologist at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “There are a fair number of patients

who will have a normal PSA but their prostate nodules feel like cancer. That’s why you can’t just base prostate screening on the PSA levels alone.�

Tieng says, instead, he uses the PSA test in conjunction with a host of other tools, including the digital rectal exam which, he says, a lot of men prefer not to have but tells his patients, “you don’t die of embarrassment, but you can die from cancer.�

An equally important factor, says Dr. Tieng, is PSA “velocity,� which is not a separate test but rather a measure of how quickly the PSA is rising over time, a potential indicator of a cancer’s aggressiveness.

PSA velocity is the measurement that prompted Tieng to recommend a biopsy to patient Fred Thomforde although his PSA level was still considered normal. “If the PSA level rises more than .75 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) over a 12- to 18-month period, to me, that is considered abnormal and I am a little more aggressive in making sure there is not something causing that rise in PSA,� said Dr. Tieng.

Other types of PSA tests used by Dr. Tieng are the age-adjusted test and the percentfree test. The age-adjusted test takes into account that PSA levels are normally higher in older men even when they have no cancer.

The percent-free PSA looks at the amount

of protein that circulates free vs. attached to blood proteins. Men with prostate cancer have a lower percentage of free PSA. Sometimes, doctors use a PSA density test to measure the size of the prostate using a transrectal ultrasound because levels run higher in men with larger prostate glands.

It is not considered as useful as the percentfree PSA test, however.

Because prostate cancer is typically slowgrowing, Dr. Tieng says a patient’s age and other health issues are also taken into consideration when diagnosing and treating.

Also, those with a family history of prostate cancer and African-Americans have a slightly higher risk. “Prostate cancer takes about 10 to 15 years to grow to the point that it may actually kill a patient if not treated at all,â€? said Dr. Tieng. “That’s why I tell folks, the ones that are most likely to beneďŹ t from early detection and more aggressive therapy are the ones who expect to live another 10 to 15 years.â€?

Once cancer is suspected and a biopsy conďŹ rms the diagnosis and imaging shows the extent of the cancer, Dr. Tieng says the patient will have a choice to make. One published report says most of the 217,000 men diagnosed in the United States with prostate cancer each year are in their mid-60s or older and have a low risk of dying from the disease

if they defer treatment. But, the report continued, more than 90 percent with low-risk cancer, including 80 percent of those 75 and older, opt for treatment. “There are tons of options out there, they all work and they all have side effects,â€? said Dr. Tieng. “A lot is dependent on the patient in terms on what they want to do when they weigh out the risks and the beneďŹ ts. In my practice, I feel with surgery, you get your side effects early on but it gets better over time. With radiation, you do well initially before the effects of radiation catch up with you. If you compare both groups 10 years out, the side effect proďŹ les are pretty similar in terms of incontinence and erectile dysfunction.â€?

Dr. Tieng believes that radical prostatectomy – whether performed in the traditional “openâ€? procedure or with the daVinci robot which is less bloody and offers the surgeon a better visualization – is often the better solution. “Surgery is a good option, but it’s deďŹ nitely not for everybody,â€? he said. “It’s the most invasive option, but my advice toward surgery versus other treatments is you know exactly what your found pathology is because studies have shown that the biopsy specimens don’t always correlate with the actual cancer. You may have more or you may have less.â€?

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SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • 3

Beating the blues at Stanley’s

community

People and plants chilled out together at the fifth annual Beat the Winter Blues Wine & Cheese Party, a benefit for Ronald McDonald House held last Friday at Stanley’s Greenhouse.

Betsy Pickle More than 300 guests looking to relax with some tasty treats and vino headed to Davenport Road for the easygoing event. Harpist Anne Jackson set the mood with lovely tunes as friends and Ronald McDonald House supporters chatted and browsed the merchandise in the greenhouse retail center.

The greenery and flowering plants made for a beautiful and purposeful backdrop. Stanley’s offered a 10 percent discount on purchases and donated that 10 percent to Ronald McDonald House.

Ronald McDonald House executive director Sue Beverly and board member Mark Brodd relax at the Beat the Winter Blues party. Photos by Betsy Pickle

Bobbie Temple (background) and April Burt check out the décor items for sale at Stanley’s during the Beat the Winter Blues Wine & Cheese Party fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House.

out, everyone was washing their hair last Thursday night. Or perhaps they were still trying to figure out the thinking behind Seattle’s final pass at the Super Bowl.

Anyway, senior planner Mike Brusseau and deputy director Dave Hill from the ■ MPC looks South MPC showed up at FlennikThe Metropolitan Plan- en Landing, and five South ning Commission started Knoxvillians (plus two who its series of public meetings arrived after another meeton updates to city sector ing) joined them to get a one-year plans with South look at rezonings suggested by the MPC staff. Included Knoxville’s last week.

Judging from the turn- were a former quarry on

Stone Road, properties on Aberdeen, Colonial and East Red Bud, and land adjoining Ijams Nature Center and William Hastie Park.

Brusseau emphasized that the changes are suggestions only and explained the current zoning and why changes are being suggested.

“The goal is to bring the zoning into compliance with what the (sector) plan says,” he said.

MPC will hold meetings for the North, East and Central sectors at 6 p.m. today

City Council member Duane Grieve, a committee member, raised the issue of how sideration for the park in ting in front of Bennett’s the committee can receive Vestal is a marble and steel former studio in Vestal and input from the public on poconstruction by sculptor that property owner David tential art placements and Bruce Bennett. Gene Burr, Witherspoon has offered to how to pay for maintenance who was the architect when move it to the park for free. of pieces that have been put the park was created in “The marble piece is very in place. Members took no 1978, said the Bennett piece appropriate in Mary Vestal action on Burr’s request. is being offered to replace a Park. It’s a little whimsical,” The panel briefly disredwood and ceramic sculp- Burr said. “The Vestal com- cussed public art opportuniture by Joe Falsetti that was munity is excited about it.” ties in Suttree Landing, the removed by the city when Committee discussion new park in South Knoxville, it deteriorated because of centered on whether the and also talked about the weather and insect damage. group has guidelines for $250,000 upcoming comBurr said the piece is sit- accepting gifts of artwork. mission to place a sculpture

One sculpture to go

From page 1

Giffin School

From page 1

with Knoxville High School.

Let’s just get this to its next life, let somebody take care of it, and fix it quickly before it costs more to fix.”

veloper to turn Giffin into “So with this one, we were “an asset to the community.” really happy to see it transiThe county was unable to tion quickly, just like they did find a developer through the process.

SOUTH KNOXKnowing that RAM was VILLE - Very vacating the premises, Knox charming 3BR/2BA Heritage, a nonprofit hishome w/ cedar & toric preservation group, stone siding. 1-car named Giffin School to its gar, wood- burning Fragile 15 list last May. Restove FP. Amazing cent buzz in South Knoxlocation within ville has spread a rumor minutes of shopping & dining! $139,900. MLS#910742 that Knox Heritage bought TOWN & COUNTRY REALTORS OF EAST TN, INC. the property.

Billie Barber • billiegibson@tds.net “Oh, no, no, no,” says Trent. “When things make Cell: 865-256-5547 • Office: 865-982-5000 that (Fragile 15) list, we really focus on finding a soluCLIP & SAVE tion for those. We wanted to bring it to everybody’s attention because it’s one of those that’s a little bit off the beaten path, and we were worried it might just sit TOUR SCHEDULE there if there wasn’t some attention put on it.

“There’s been so much DATE NAME OF TOUR PRICES START AT growth happening in South Feb 14 Valentine Special - 1-Day Mystery Tour $99.00 Knoxville we thought it might Feb 20-22 Penn Dutch Country/Hershey “Special” $159.00 be a property that someone Mar 12-15 New York City “Economy”/Penn Dutch Country $399.00 would be interested in. It’s a Mar 27-29 Ohio Amish Country “Special” $179.00 pretty little building.”

Apr 10-12 Washington, DC/Cherry Blossom/Mount Vernon $299.00 The original part of the Apr 17-19 Pennsylvania Dutch Country/Hershey/Gettysburg $199.00 May 7-10 New York City “Economy”/Penn Dutch Country $449.00 building was constructed in May 22-24 Loretta Lynn’s Ranch/Memphis/Graceland $329.00 1930, with additions made May 30-Jun 13 Southwest/Grand Canyon;Hoover Dam. Kings Canyon $1,649.00 in 1950 and 1957. The twoJun 16-18 Ohio Amish Country $219.00 story brick building is about Jun 20-24 Niagara Falls/Penn Dutch Country/Hershey/”JOSEPH” $459.00 30,669 square feet and sits Jun 27-Jul12 The Great Pacific Northwest $1,879.00 on a lot that’s approximately Jul 23-26 Niagara Falls/Great Lakes/Henry Ford Museum $410.00 6.3 acres.

Jul 31-Aug 2 “JOSEPH”/Pennsylvania Dutch Co/Hershey/Gettysburg $299.00 Aug 13-16 New York City “Economy”/Pennsylvania Ducth Country $449.00 Trent says Knox County Sept 4-6 Pennsylvania Dutch Country/Hershey/Gettysburg $229.00 has been diligent about GifSept 26-Oct 2 7-Day New England Fall Foliage $819.00 fin.

Oct 17-21 Niagara Falls/Penn Dutch Co/Hershey/Washington, DC/”JOSEPH” $479.00 “Some of the properties Oct 31-Nov 11 Southwest/Grand Canyon/California $1,199.00 we’ve tried to save before, Nov 20-22 Washington, DC/Mount Vernon Off-Season $239.00 for whatever reason, with Nov 25-28 New York/”Macy’s Christmas Parade”/Radio City Music Hall $819.00 the school system or other Dec 5-6 Nashville/Opry Mills Mall/Grand Ole Opry $199.00 entities, there wasn’t a big All tours include round trip by modern air conditioned, restroom-equipped motorcoaches. Also, all tours are full escorted and include motel accommodations as well as admission to the listed atttractions and many other extras. hurry to pass them along,” she says. “They just decomFELLOWSHIP TOURS Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, TN missioned them and then, 423-349-2300 as humans do, they kind of For a brochure on any tour listed forgot about them. And by please call TOLL FREE: the time they thought about 1-800-999-3156 www.fellowshiptourstn.com them again, the roof was Depart from: Johnson City, TN • Kingsport, TN • Bristol, TN & VA, Knoxville, TN • Dandridge, TN leaking and a lot more ex• Bulls Gap, TN • Abingdon, VA • Wytheville, VA • Roanoke, VA, Chilhowie, VA • Asheville, NC pensive rehab was required.

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2015

Debbie Helsley holds one of the SelectaDNA kits distributed to South Woodlawn residents by CSI Protect and the Knoxville Police Depart■ Mark your ment last Saturday. Items calendars marked with a special liquid TREK South’s February and registered with the comhike will be 1-3 p.m. Sun- pany can be traced to their day, Feb. 15, at The Bluffs rightful owner if recovered and High Ground Park. after being stolen. The prodMeet at the gravel lot across uct is used in 37 countries in from the blue water tower Europe. CSI Protect is starting on Cherokee Trail. Visit the with Knoxville to introduce it TREK South Facebook page to the United States. for updates.

Registration is open for the 2015 National Senior at the Neighborhood Spelling Bee, set for 9:30 Conference, Saturday, a.m. Saturday, July 18, at the March 7, at the Knoxville Knoxville Convention Cen- Convention Center. Visit ter. For info, visit nationalse- http://www.cityofknoxville. niorspellingbee.com. or g /de velopment/ Learn more about n e i g h b o r h o o d s / 2 0 1 5 growing or organizing a conference.asp for info and neighborhood association registration.

Monte Stanley and Janice Tocher catch up during the Beat the Winter Blues party.

(Feb. 11) at New Harvest Park Community Center and for West and Northwest sectors at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church, Room 31.

in the center of the Cradle of Country Music Park at Gay Street and Summit Hill.

When asked, committee chair Liza Zenni indicated that no members of the committee are from East Knoxville and the group has no current plans for placing art in that part of town.

“We will be welcoming input from the public,” she said.

4 • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • Shopper news

Tennessee fame is forever To the new guys who signed up to be Volunteers: Welcome and be advised that Tennessee football is forever – unless you fail miserably, embarrass us something awful or just plain quit.

Tennessee fans never forget. Your obituary will mention that you are an old Vol and whether you made all-SEC. Proof positive: The recent Shopper column about what happens when the cheering stops just missed matching the record for the most email comments in one week.

Readers generally approved but seven told me, with different tones, that I had overlooked Jim Haslam and his many gas stations.

Not so. Too obvious. Big Jim is the ultimate success story and a very, very generous supporter of the university.

Five wondered why attorney Tim Priest wasn’t mentioned. Similar logic.

He is in the spotlight at least 12 Saturdays a year as Vol Network analyst. Good match. Honest without be-

Marvin West

ing harsh. I’m a fan.

One reader caused this follow-up column.

She thought I should have told you about Alan Cockrell, former quarterback, baseball all-American and new assistant hitting coach for the New York Yankees. She and I agree the Yankees are/were big time. Trying to instruct Alex Rodriguez is certain to make news.

Cockrell is a baseball lifer but he had his football moments. He was the first Vol freshman to start a game at quarterback, Colorado State, 1981. Two weeks later, he suffered a bad knee injury. It was thought he might be finished.

He made it back and threw two touchdown

passes in the dramatic 1982 upset of Alabama (Mike Terry interception game). I remember a 40-somethingyard scoring run against LSU in ’83. Alan was a costar in the Citrus Bowl win over Maryland and Boomer Esiason.

Ah yes, now you remember. That was Cockrell’s last football game. Thereafter, he concentrated on baseball, won distinction as a slugging outfielder, was MVP in the SEC tournament and first-round draft choice of the San Francisco Giants, one pick ahead of Mark McGuire.

The theme of his pro career was never give up. He played and played in nine minor league seasons before the Colorado Rockies finally provided the proverbial September cup of coffee in 1996. He was 33.

Alan appeared in nine games, one as an outfielder, eight as pinch hitter. He had a double off Tom Glavine and one other hit, two runs batted in, four strikeouts.

That was that.

Technically, Cockrell was near flawless with the bat.

He had leadership skills. He had the patience to teach.

He stayed in baseball as a scout, coach and manager in the Rockies’ farm system.

He helped the big club for a few minutes in 2002 and came back as hitting coach in 2007, the World Series season. Ask Todd Helton how much Cockrell did.

Colorado led the National League in batting, on-base percentage and total hits.

Too soon the Rockies regressed and Alan was unemployed – for a few days.

Seattle wanted him. After that, he worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks as minor league hitting coordinator.

His period of obscurity is finished. Fifty-two New York reporters, bloggers and sports-talk types will ask about growing up in Joplin, Mo., about five seasons with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and about being on the Vols’ all-century baseball team.

Tennessee quarterback?

Really? Do you know Peyton Manning?

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

God hates health insurance There certainly are, like Republican supermajorities and June Griffin. In her prayer, Griffin let God know that the same health insurance he provided Moses and the 12 tribes of Israel – none – was good enough for poor folks in Tennessee.

On the brighter side, the Knox County Health Department is warning of the dangers of chikungunya: “With many residents making plans for spring and summer vacations and mission trips to the Caribbean, ... be aware of chikungunya.”

Chikungunya is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitos. It causes fever, joint pain, headaches, rashes and assorted miseries and lasts about a week.

Why have you never heard of chikungunya?

First, you probably can’t afford a Caribbean vacation. Second, there’s a much more dangerous viral infection making the rounds in the states: measles.

Unlike chikungunya, measles is transmitted by an infected person, and the number of infected is growing thanks to the unforgivable lunacy of the anti-vaccination crowd.

Unvaccinated children in Disneyland in December were exposed to a much greater health threat.

If I were sending bulletins, I’d make sure I impressed parents with the absolute necessity of having children vaccinated on schedule.

Let’s level the playing field

one family of the half-dozen involved A-E students had ready access to the Internet.

“I had to print out all the forms, send them home for the parents to sign, and take them with me the morning of the competition,” she said. “Then I had to explain why I was bringing paper forms instead of completing the process online.”

The groundskeepers – the people who created the game and drew up the rules – threw up unnecessary barriers for some would-be players because of the assumptions they made about the lives and resources of the people they expected to go out for the team.

Expectation is also a major factor in warping the playing field. When the UT philosophy department created its Ethics Bowl compe-

It’s official: God hates insurance, especially health insurance for poor people.

We have the “Reverend” June Griffin to thank for revealing His Truth. Her prayer to open the special session of the state Senate scratched seven Republican committee members right where they itch, and Gov. Haslam’s Insure Tennessee proposal went down 7-4.

Here are seven names to remember next election (or when your medical bills force you into bankruptcy): Frank Niceley, Mike Bell, Janice Bowling, Rusty Crowe, Todd Gardenhire, Brian Kelsey and Kerry Roberts.

Newly-elected Sen. Richard Briggs, Sen. Becky Massey and Sen. Ed Jack-

The playing field still is not level.

The gates to the stadium have been opened to everyone, but the field is tilted, uneven. Home-field advantage is more than a myth.

Some teams always have to kick into the wind.

Recently the ShopperNews reported on Robotics Team 5744, the first group of Austin-East students to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition, an international program that challenges talented high schoolers to solve high-tech science and engineering problems.

The A-E team came to the first stage of the contest both scared and eager. Under the leadership of their

Larry Van Guilder

son were the Republicans who backed the governor.

Democratic Sen. Jeff Yarbro also voted for the proposal.

There may be people walking around more demented than June Griffin, but the vast majority of them are medicated. That doesn’t bother Sen. Niceley, who invited Griffin to pray.

Griffin is a “watchdog of democracy,” Niceley said.

“There are things that happen in this country that scare everybody.”

Bill Dockery

Project GRAD director, Tanisha Fitzgerald-Baker, they came to the University of Tennessee College of Engineering, where they got a crash course in putting together a fundamental robot from a kit. In a grueling 11hour day, they worked out how to assemble and wire it, and one young man sat down with the programming manual and learned to make it obey. Other high school teams with more

experience were generous consultants. Sometime in February, Team 5744 faces its next step – making their robot do the chores the contest requires. They are working on it.

But there’s always a back story, the part that doesn’t make the paper. In this case it was the bureaucracy needed to get the A-E team into the contest.

When Fitzgerald-Baker began to put together the A-E application, she was welcomed by the state FIRST coordinator and administrators in the College of Engineering. But the application process had unexpected barriers: Parents of participating students were required to go online. Only

Rogero’s wound is self-inflicted The controversy over radio purchases for E-911 continues, and much of the political fallout for Mayor Rogero was self-inflicted.

She was the person who decided not to attend E-911 board meetings and not to instruct her proxy on how to vote. No one made her do it.

In fact, Bill Haslam, as mayor, attended several E-911 board meetings.

The need for a special board meeting would not exist had Rogero been present and prepared to vote on Jan. 21. It could not come at a worse time for her as she is seeking her second and final mayoral term in September. Skipping every E-911 meeting does not look good.

Her mea culpa excuse for not attending was that the meetings were technical and logistical. Does that mean she might not understand the discussion or be bored? Wow! Is she really serious? She could easily take qualified staff with her to assist, as she does at biweekly City Council meetings where she presides.

She says her police and fire chiefs did nothing wrong, but it is their silence on the radio bids, along with everyone else’s, that has triggered the mayoral demand for a special meeting. One assumes they will vote with her when the next meeting is held.

She criticizes the inadequate website for the 911 board (www.knox911.org) and the absence of bylaws as if this is a new discovery. Had she paid attention to 911 over the past three years she would have already known about it and could have solved the matter long before now.

Rogero would be much better off acknowledging error on never attending 911 and pledging to do better. Voters accept apologies.

911 employees would also welcome a visit from her.

Don Howell, the 911 attorney for 20 years, says the chair can call a special meeting. He is one of the few attorneys who has not tition in 2009, David Goff, the librarian who sponsors the A-E team, quietly admits that there was a lack of respect for the team from the East Knoxville school.

“When we won third place in 2011, everyone was shocked,” he said. Not so much now, for the team went on to win first place in the 2012 and 2013 bowls and came in second in 2014.

In fact, for the first time since they began to participate, the A-E team failed to place in the top three finish-

Victor Ashe

raised his rate for services for a public body, being paid $2,000 a month in 1995 and the same in 2015.

■ KAT: Mayor Rogero is apparently irked that Mayor Tim Burchett endorsed Hubert Smith (a Rogero appointee to the Knox Area Transit) to be chair of KAT in a recent vote. Jim Richards, manager of Mast General Store, was actually elected.

Rogero apparently called Burchett to berate him for sending a letter supporting the Smith candidacy, which had the backing of former Mayor Dan Brown who also serves on the board. She also criticized County Clerk Foster Arnett for endorsing Smith.

Interesting that Rogero has time to call Burchett and Arnett over a minor endorsement letter but has not had time to attend other meetings. County Commissioner Amy Broyles, a Democrat, also wrote KAT backing Smith, along with city council member Mark Campen.

Normally KAT board meetings are quick and quiet. A contested vote for chair is most unusual, especially with endorsement letters from public officials.

■ MPC: The special MPC director search committee is nearing a decision. The committee meets behind closed doors at the direction of Bill Lyons, deputy mayor to Rogero.

But the decision is down to three persons who are now being vetted.

A recommendation is a few weeks off. Burchett and Rogero will have to approve it for it to become effective. The MPC board has no voice in the choice as the new director will not report to them but to the two mayors, which makes for an unclear and potentially unworkable line of author ity. ers in the 2015 competition recently.

“Our team knew they did well. We were shocked not to place,” Goff said. “The students deserve the credit.

They worked hard and expected to win.”

Downpage in the same issue of the Shopper-News was another story about an uneven playing field – the contest to keep all students in school and out of the juvenile justice system.

To page 5

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Shopper news • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • 5

Mancini hits the ground listening On the Knoxville leg of her statewide listening tour, Mary Mancini arrived early, stayed late, answered questions and refused to be deterred from Mary Mancini her mission as the new chair of Tennessee’s Democratic Party: Elect Democrats.

Strengthen the Democratic Party brand. Damage the Republican brand, something she said the opposition is making it easy to do.

“Chip, chip, chip, chip, chip away,” she said, rais-

Betty Bean ing the issue of Chattanooga state Sen. Todd Gardenhire’s getting caught telling a whopper when he claimed he doesn’t get state-subsidized medical insurance (Gardenhire was one of five Republican members of the state Senate’s Health Committee who voted to kill Gov. Bill Haslam’s Insure Tennessee proposal.)

Mancini is a known quantity in Nashville, where she owned a Nashville record store and punk

rock venue, had a radio talk show, spent 10 years as an Internet provider and was executive director of Tennessee Citizen Action, but not so much across the state, so last week, she hit the road for a statewide tour that, if her Knoxville stop is typical of the others, is as much “get to know me” as “listening.”

“Mary’s kind of datadriven and goal-oriented,” said former state Rep. Gloria Johnson, who lost her seat by 183 votes and was also a candidate for state chair until she withdrew to clear the way for Mancini, about whom she is enthusiastic. “She’s really current on all that stuff and will

utilize those tools to make good things happen.”

Randy Neal, Knoxville’s most prominent progressive blogger, describes her as smart, high energy and charismatic.

“Mary did outstanding work as executive director at Tennessee Citizen Action, where she was the go-to person on voting rights and campaign finance. … Her challenge now will be fundraising and recruiting. I don’t know how wired in she is with the old-school Democrats and money people in Nashville, but maybe a fresh new approach is what the party needs.

“I hope she can get Tennessee Democrats back on

government the right path and lead us out of the wilderness. She seems up to the task.”

Organizers tagged the headcount at 125. Mancini pronounced it her biggest crowd of the tour. Representatives of the civil rights community, labor groups, Young Democrats, College Democrats and party leaders from surrounding counties were present.

The Rev. Harold Middlebrook offered the observation that “We have a Democratic pulpit and a Republican pew.” Tax reform activists John and Nancy Stewart acknowledged that amending the state constitution to outlaw an income tax last year has driven a

stake through the heart of their efforts.

“That’s 38 years of work down the tubes,” John Stewart said, lamenting the difficulty of communicating the advantages of a system that is not dependent on sales-tax revenue “We need to simplify what we say.”

When a labor union representative pushed her to take a stand against the Trans Pacific Partnership (called “NAFTA on Steroids” by opponents), Mancini didn’t let him down easy: “I’ll be blunt: I don’t think there’s anything I can do to stop it. My priority is the state. My job is to elect Democrats in Tennessee.”

The new BZA – no politics allowed The Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) has come a long way since private citizens took it over from Knox County Commissioners.

The BZA is the last place to appeal a zoning before going to court. Until 2009, county commissioners appointed themselves to the nine-member board.

A 2008 state law barring commissioners from serving on boards or commissions appointed by commissioners forced all but two board members, Scott Moore and William Daniels, to step down. Daniels had finished his term as an interim commissioner and Moore had been ousted from commission for perjury.

Some were concerned that the commission would appoint developers and real estate agents to the board, says former BZA chair John Schoonmaker, who was recently appointed Fifth Dis-

Wendy Smith

trict county commissioner.

But that didn’t happen.

Schoonmaker, who was president of the Council of West Knox County Homeowners at the time, was encouraged to apply for the post by then-Commissioner Craig Leuthold. He thought Schoonmaker’s expertise would benefit the BZA. Schoonmaker was appointed, along with other community leaders and professional experts from each district: Daniel Brown, Markus Chady, Jean Teague, Larry York, Les Spitzer and Carson Dailey. Daniels became the chair.

Politics plays no role in the decisions of the citizen

board, Schoonmaker says.

Their decisions are based solely on county ordinances.

There is no time limit on cases. One case lasted four hours, Schoonmaker said.

BZA board members recognized that developers and builders had a tendency to overlook rules, like setback requirements, and ask for forgiveness later. They changed the fee structure: $200 if construction had not begun; $400 if it had.

In one case, a builder who ignored a setback requirement had to move a house that was already undeway.

While experts, like architects, are helpful, common sense is the most valuable attribute for board members, Schoonmaker says.

Petitioners seek variances for things they can’t control, like property lines that were established before surveying was an exact science.

Other times, they create their own hardships, and

it’s important to be able to tell the difference.

Schoonmaker says he’s proud that board members don’t make decisions before they’ve heard a case. Sometimes, a Schoonmaker case seems simple on paper, but when it’s presented, it calls for a different outcome.

His biggest disappointment is the Metropolitan Planning Commission’s lack of action on the discrepancy between the city’s and the county’s minimum size for parking spaces. The county’s minimum size is 200 square feet, and the city’s is 162 square feet. Business owners in the county regularly appear before the BZA, and pay a $200 fee, to receive a variance that allows

them to have the same size parking spaces as businesses in the city.

BZA asked County Commission to request that MPC change the county code in January 2012, and there has been no action, he says.

But his time spent with the BZA was overwhelmingly positive, he says.

“It was an absolute privilege to serve on BZA. I looked forward to every meeting because it was always a challenge.”

Playing field

From page 4

In a recent workshop by the NAACP and the Children’s Defense Fund, presenters used federal figures from Knox County Schools to show that African-American students are suspended from school almost three times more often than their white fellow students. If disability is factored in, about one in 10 white students will be suspended, while around one in four black students will be sent home.

Students who are suspended are much more likely to leave school and fall under the jurisdiction of the crimi-

“We didn’t think we could do it...”

nal justice system.

The assumptions our institutions make about the lives and resources of our students are the factors that warp the playing surface, that skew even those honest attempts to level the field so that everyone gets a fair chance to succeed.

The groundskeepers – schools and courts, governments and charities – must make sure that their own expectations do not tilt the field so that people of color and people with disabilities have no possibility of succeeding.

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6 • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • Shopper news

February 13-15

KNOXVILLE CONVENTION CENTER

Harry (Colin Firth) shows Eggsy (Taron Egerton) how to dress for the spy biz.

Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) don’t always see eye to eye in “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

HOW-TO STAGE

James Farmer Author &

Southern Living Magazine’s Editor-at-Large

Romance – or something – is in the air Has the controversy fizzled out, or will “Fifty Shades of Grey” reignite the blaze it set off when it debuted in book form? We’ll know more this weekend, when the R-rated sex fantasy arrives in theaters.

It’s interesting that “Fifty Shades” is being marketed as a Valentine’s Day movie but actually debuts on Friday the 13th. The film stars Dakota Johnson – daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith – as literature student Anastasia Steele, who goes to interview wealthy, handsome Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and winds up falling for him.

The attraction is mutual, but naïve Anastasia may not be able to keep up with Christian’s nontraditional proclivities or his controlling nature.

Neither of the stars has an extensive list of credits, so they don’t carry much baggage with them onto the screen (so much for hiding their nakedness!). Johnson appeared in “The Social Network” and “21 Jump Street.” Dornan was in “Marie Antoinette” but probably was seen by more people during his stint as the sheriff on ABC’s “Once Upon a Time.”

Betsy Pickle The cast includes Luke Grimes, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden and Callum Keith Rennie. Sam TaylorJohnson directed.

On the surface, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” doesn’t seem to be targeting the libido like “Grey,” but it does star Colin Firth as an extremely well-dressed spy.

(And isn’t it odd that he and his “Pride and Prejudice” leading lady, Jennifer Ehle, both have new films out this week?)

Harry Hart (Firth) works for an independent spy agency and has just taken a rough but promising street kid (Taron Egerton) under his wing when an evil genius starts making some scary moves. The Force is strong with this film: “Star Wars” alums Samuel L. Jackson and Mark Hamill both costar. Michael Caine, Mark Strong and Jack Davenport are also in the film directed

by Matthew Vaughn (“XMen: First Class”).

“Still Alice,” which stars Julianne Moore in an

Oscar-nominated performance, looks at early-onset Alzheimer’s from the sufferer’s perspective.

Moore plays a linguistics professor who feels the pain of the dread disease probably more than most. Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart and Kate Bosworth co-stars.

Also scheduled to open locally this week are “Mommy” and “Mr. Turner.”

Canadian film “Mommy” is about a widowed mother who struggles to keep life on an even keel when her teenage son – who’s prone to violent outbursts – returns to live with her after being institutionalized.

The film has won and been nominated for several festival and critics’ prizes.

Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon and Suzanne Clement star for director Xavier Dolan.

“Mr. Turner” won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival last year and is up for four Oscars: cinematography, production design, costume design and original score. Timothy Spall plays eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner, whose odd lifestyle makes it hard for the public and royalty to accept him.

Mike Leigh (“Secrets & Lies”) directed the film.

Moore finds truth in Alzheimer’s drama though she tries to hold on to her life, the

By Betsy Pickle A mind is a terrible thing to lose. What’s disease is stronger than she is.

Other movies have shown how Alworse is realizing that it is slipping away as zheimer’s tests a family. This one comes you are still trying to live your life. from the patient’s perspective.

This is true at any age, but Moore digs deep into the “Still Alice” focuses on frustration and fear of the horror and tragedy the experience, usof early-onset Aling her eyes, her zheimer’s disease. face and her Julianne Moore body language brilliantly to express captures the what Alstruggles of ice is going a woman through. who realThis isn’t izes perhaps escapist more than enter tainmost people ment, but all that is it’s a form of she is losing relief for those as the process who’ve been marches on. touched by the Alice Howland disease – a story is a highly regarded Alice (Julianne Moore) grapples with that’s relatable, a perlinguistics professor losing her memories in “Still Alice.” formance that is true at Columbia Univerto life. sity in New York. She The film shows how has a strong marriage with John (Alec Baldwin) and has reared her family reacts to the crisis; some behavthree children who are now out on their ior is sadly predictable and some sweetly own: Anna (Kate Bosworth), Lydia (Kristen surprising.

The writing-directing team of Richard Stewart) and Tom (Hunter Parrish).

Winding up her regular jog one day, Al- Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, who ice is disconcerted when she realizes she adapted the novel by Lisa Genova, steers doesn’t know where she is. Little details clear of manipulation, letting the naturalbegin to elude her, and she talks to her doc- ism of the situation hit poignant notes.

And, always, there’s Moore, creating a tor about the problem. When she finds out she may have early-onset Alzheimer’s, John ball of confusion so believable, so powerful that “Still Alice” will stick with you long afpromises to see her through the travails.

Alice’s deterioration is pretty fast, and ter you leave the theater.

weekender

Shopper news • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • 7

Meet the

Bass-baritone Ryan Kuster enjoys a break in “Carmen” rehe hearsals at the Knoxville Opera Company. Photo by Carol Shane

FRIDAY ■ “Carmen” presented by the Knoxville Opera, 8 p.m., Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Tickets: KnoxvilleTickets.com, 656-4444; Knoxville Opera Box Office, 524-0795. Info: www. knoxvilleopera.com.

Bass-baritone Ryan Kuster thinks that most people can relate to George Bizet’s opera “Carmen,” which is being performed by the Knoxville Opera Company this weekend.

■ Mandy Barnett in concert, 8 p.m., Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre, Clayton Center for the Arts, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville. Tickets: KnoxvilleTickets.com, 656-4444.

■ Winter Jam 2015 Tour Spectacular, 7:30 p.m., ThompsonBoling Arena, 1600 Phillip Fulmer Way. Tickets: $10 at the door. Info: http://2015.jamtour.com/shows/knoxville-tn.

SATURDAY Carol Shane

“For one thing, people will recognize the music.

Most people know a lot more of ‘Carmen’ than they think they do. And the story is compelling. There’s no real hero. It’s very human – there’s not a clear moment where you say, ‘Oh, this is the person that I root for.’”

Kuster is intrigued by the shades of gray in the characters he plays and prefers to paint even the bad boys as flawed humans rather than villainous archetypes.

“There’s a little bit of bad in the best of us,” he says, “and a little bit of good in the worst of us. It’s not black and white.”

His favorite role so far is Don Giovanni, the title character in Mozart’s opera based on the legendary fictional character Don Juan, who just can’t keep away from the women. The notorious libertine eventually has to pay the piper; he’s dragged down to hell by the ghost of the man he murdered. “Why does he do the things he does?” Kuster muses. “What is he trying to silence or compensate for?”

The handsome singer – he’s been featured on http://barihunks.blogspot. com, a website dedicated to

■ Disney Junior Live On Tour: Pirate & Princess Adventure, 2 and 5 p.m., Knoxville Civic Auditorium, 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave. Tickets: Coliseum Box Office, 215-8999; KnoxvilleTickets. com, 656-4444.

■ Pack of Wolves in concert with special guest Drew Sterchi & Blues Tribe, 8 p.m., Open Chord Brewhouse & Stage, 8502 Kingston Pike. Cost: $10. Benefits The Love Kitchen. Info: www.openchordmusic.com.

SUNDAY ■ “Carmen” presented by the Knoxville Opera, 2:30 p.m., Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Tickets: KnoxvilleTickets.com, 656-4444; Knoxville Opera Box Office, 524-0795. Info: www. knoxvilleopera.com.

■ Jacob Whitesides in concert, 7:30 p.m., Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay St. Tickets: $22 advance, $25 day of show, $126.50 VIP. Info/tickets: http://www.knoxbijou.com.

There’s just something about a man in a cape. Audrey Babcock in the title role and Ryan Kuster as Escamillo the bullfighter strike a fiery pose in Knoxville Opera’s production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” Photo by Megan Clute Photography gelotti in Puccini’s “Tosca” with the Orlando Philharmonic in Florida.

Originally from Illinois, operatic beefcake – is look- eryone does. The same was linger in memory long after ing forward to performing true in Bizet’s time, appar- the audience leaves the the- Kuster now says, “I live out the part of bullfighter Esca- ently to his immense frus- ater: “Toreador, en garde! of my suitcases. I’ve done that since 2013.” millo this weekend. It’s his tration.

Toreador! Toreador!”

The singer thinks that fourth time as the dashing “Bizet wrote ‘Votre Toast’ Kuster’s background inmatador. He enjoys singing as a joke,” says Kuster. “He cludes a prestigious Adler there are significant simithe role and is having fun in was upset when it became Fellowship with the San larities between his bullrehearsals, though “having the crowd favorite.”

Francisco Opera.

He’s fighter and Carmen, the to dredge up all that energy Indeed, according to much in demand these free-living temptress.

“In terms of the way they time after time is exhaust- the website www.classical- days, having most recently ing!” notes.com, the composer performed as a soloist in live their lives, they’re wellUnderstandably so. wrote the aria “to stroke his Handel’s “Messiah” with matched. It’s one day at a Kuster belts out what is ar- star’s ego.” He considered the Milwaukee Symphony time for each of them.”

But if you know the stoguably the most famous aria the last-minute composition Orchestra. Other fall 2014 in “Carmen” and one of the very much beneath him, re- appearances included “Don ry, you know that Carmen most famous in all opera: ferring to it as “filth.”

Giovanni” at Memphis Op- and the matador are mere“Votre Toast,” also known Yet it’s guaranteed to set era and “Carmen” at Opera ly “ships that pass in the as “The Toreador Song.” toes tapping, and strains of Grand Rapids in Michigan. night,” whereas her main You know the tune. Ev- the chorus will undoubtedly Next up is the role of An- squeeze, tenor Don José, is

so obsessed with Carmen that – well, no spoilers here.

You’ll just have to go, see and hear how it all turns out.

The Knoxville Opera Company will present George Bizet’s “Carmen,” sung in French with English supertitles, at 8 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 13, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Tennessee Theatre. Each performance will be preceded by an opera preview hosted by KOC Maestro Brian Salesky. For tickets and info, call 524-0795 or visit www.knoxvilleopera. com.

Send story suggestions to news@shoppernewsnow.com.

Plate it

Northshore Brasserie I have been told by those who know and cook great food not to mess with a good chef’s creation. Don’t ask to substitute the collard greens for a baked potato.

Don’t switch up the salad dressings. Chefs don’t just throw this stuff together, they correctly say. There is a symphony of flavors that should be experienced all together.

I get that. And 99 percent of the time, I follow

Mystery Diner

the rules. So please forgive my 1 percent this week as I confess: I wanted to try the bouillabaisse at Northshore Brasserie, but I cannot, will

not, eat mussels. I asked for them to be omitted.

Northshore Brasserie, 9430 S. Northshore Drive, serves French cuisine the way the French do it. The food is upscale, imaginative and creatively put together (again, sorry about the mussels), but the atmosphere is relaxed. If you mistakenly think of French food as “frou-frou,” leave that

attitude at the door. Brasserie serves hearty dishes, and you won’t be looking under a lettuce leaf for your entrée.

Brasserie owners encourage the neighborhood appeal of the restaurant, and the bar is a lively place after working hours. It’s a gathering place – for lunch, dinner and in the bar.

In spite of my tinker-

The bouillabaisse at Northshore Brasserie is a mix of seafood, sweet potatoes and risotto. Photo by Mystery Diner

ing with the bouillabaisse, it was delicious. The dish includes pan-seared cod, shrimp, mussels, sweet potatoes and risotto in a rich, savory saffron broth. Crusty French bread is served with

it and is the perfect accompaniment to the dish. This is a fork dish with just enough broth to make each mouthful perfect. The bread is better than a spoon for getting that last bit of broth anyway.

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8 • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news

Fourth-grade animal lovers challenge Bonny Kate

By Betsy Pickle

Latham

Toth

Walker

Wallen

Dogwood honors four Dogwood Elementary School has selected four people for Teacher of the Year honors.

Betty Latham, who works in the CDC class, is the Instructional Assistant of the Year. Latham has served at Dogwood since the school opened 20 years ago. She also supports children in Appalachia through a yearly toy drive held in memory of her husband.

First-grade teacher Lisa Walker has worked at Dogwood for 15 years. Walker, who completed her degree at the University of Tennessee, did her internship at Dogwood and simply fell in love with the Dogwood students and staff. She loves teaching in the community in which she lives since this allows her to celebrate the successes of former students. “I love being a part of the Dogwood educational

■

Bonny Kate colleagues select Snapp as Teacher of the Year

Laura Snapp has been voted Teacher of the Year at Bonny Kate Elementary School.

Snapp has been a teacher for 16 years, 11 of them teaching first grade Laura Snapp at Bonny Kate Elementary. She has close ties to the school: Her grandfather, John Rule, was in the first graduating class of Bonny Kate.

Snapp and her husband, Doug, both grew up in South Knoxville and graduated from Doyle High ■

family!” Walker says.

Third-grade teacher Elizabeth Toth has been an educator for 15 years and is a former Knox County Schools District Teacher of the Year. Toth has been a teacher, academic trainer and testing consultant. She attributes her success to the students she has worked with and says that she is proud to be a part of the amazing Dogwood Elementary School.

Third-grade teacher Sandy Wallen has taught both second and third grades at Dogwood Elementary. Wallen graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1997 and holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. “The past 18 years as a Dogwood Dolphin have been exciting, and every year brings new and eager students to teach,” he says.

School, but their loyalty has evolved.

“In my spare time, I love watching the South-Doyle Cherokees compete in all sports and activities,” she says.

The Snapps have two daughters, Emily and Olivia, and attend Stock Creek Baptist Church. They love to camp in the Smoky Mountains, ride their bikes and spend time together outdoors.

Snapp feels honored to be named Teacher of the Year.

“I feel blessed to be a part of the South Knoxville community and especially fortunate to be a Bonny Kate Wildcat!” she says.

South Knox Elementary chooses Carrasquillo as Teacher of the Year

Nilda Carrasquillo is South Knoxville Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year.

Carrasquillo’s 20plus years of teaching include the past six at South Carrasquillo K nox v i l le .

A kindergarten teacher and the kindergarten chair at the school, she has participated as a numeracy coach

for a workshop teaching Common Core standards to kindergarten teachers in Knoxville.

She assisted in the development of the Kindergarten Report Card, and she improved student academic and social growth by using varied teaching strategies and techniques.

A graduate of Florida International University, she has been married for 26 years and is “the proud parent of three amazing kids.”

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11 Computer Workshop: Introducing the Computer, 2 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Info/to register: 215-8700.

Organizing Your Kitchen, 2 p.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Presented by professional organizer Karen Sprinkle. Info: 470-7033.

THURSDAY, FEB. 12 AAA Safe Driving for Mature Operators, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., John T. O’Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona St. Cost: $10. Info/to register: Kate, 862-9254, or Don, 862-9250.

AARP Driver Safety class, 8 a.m.-5 pm., East Tennessee Medical Group (ETMG), 266 Joule St., Alcoa.

Info/to register: Carolyn Rambo, 382-5822.

55 Alive Seniors meeting, noon, First Lutheran Church meeting room, 1207 N. Broadway. Cost of hot luncheon: $8. Speaker: Chris Pluger, a Lutheran Bible Translator and Missionary. Topic: his life in Petauker, Zambia. Public invited; reservations required. Info/reservations: 524-0366.

“Flip, Flop and Freestylin’: Art of the African Diaspora in the 20th and 21st Century,” 3 p.m. Goins Building Auditorium, Pellissippi State Community College Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road.

Lecture by faculty member Herb Rieth. Free and open

It all started with the ice bucket challenge.

As the country was in the grips of that trend, Bonny Kate Elementary School fourth-grader Nolan Brang read an article that shared other types of charity challenges. Interested in raising money for the Young-Williams Animal Center, he got excited about the idea of a pie-in-the-face challenge.

His friend and classmate Emma Jo Hensley loved the idea as well, but they went back to the drawing board after Principal Linda Norris helped them take a more practical view (less mess, expense, etc.)

With the holidays approaching, Emma Jo had a brainstorm. “Every winter at our school we make a tree, and we put mittens for the homeless and hats and stuff like that,” she says. “I wanted to put stuff for the animal shelter because I absolutely love animals, and I want to be a veterinarian when I grow up.”

After enlisting Devon Folsom, another classmate whose friendship with both goes back practically to their beginnings at Bonny Kate, they put together a PowerPoint presentation on the needs of animals to show Norris to get her approval.

PowerPoint. Fourth-graders. Under their own initiative.

“We (Bonny Kate) got the 1:1 Technology Challenge, so we have MacBooks,” says Nolan.

“My dad is a teacher, so I see him do it a lot,” says Emma Jo. “They came up with the stuff, and I would put it down and lay it out,” says Devon, downplaying his role. “I researched facts, and I would lay out the pic-

Devon Folsom, Emma Jo Hensley and Nolan Brang display the pet food and items they collected for Young-Williams Animal Center.

Photos submitted

tures and do some effects and stuff.”

“Devon was, like, our detail guy,” says Nolan.

“He pretty much got everything all together and glued it all together,” says Emma Jo. “We all had our own parts, and we couldn’t have done it without each other.”

Norris approved switching the focus of the charity tree to animals, and she AirDropped the presentation to all the teachers so they could share it with their classes.

The trio did a special showing for their own class and teacher Madison Snyder.

The donation response was staggering to the three friends.

“My goal this year was just 50 (items),” says Nolan. “When we reached 60, I went crazy.”

“There was so much under the tree; there was so much on the tree. It was just packed,” says Emma Jo.

COMMUNITY NOTES ■ Colonial Village Neighborhood Association.

Info: Terry Caruthers, 5795702, t_caruthers@hotmail. com.

■ Knoxville Tri-County Lions Club meets 7 p.m. each second and fourth Monday, Connie’s Kitchen, 10231 Chapman Highway, Seymour. Info: www.facebook.com/ TriCountyLions/info.

■ Lake Forest Neighborhood Association. Info: Molly Gilbert, 209-1820 or mollygilbert@yahoo.com.

■ Old Sevier Community Group meets 7 p.m. each third Thursday, South Knoxville Elementary School library, 801 Sevier Ave. Info: 573-7355 or garyedeitsch@bellsouth. net.

■ South of the River Democrats (9th District) meet 6:30 p.m. each third Monday, South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike. Info: Jim Sessions, jim.sessions@ comcast.net or 573-0655.

■ South Haven Neighborhood Association meets 10 a.m. each third Saturday, Hillcrest UMC, 1615 Price Ave. Info: Pat Harmon, 591-3958.

■ South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association. Info: Shelley Conklin, 686-6789.

■ Vestal Community Organization meets 6 p.m. each second Monday, South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Old Maryville Pike. Info: Newman Seay, 577-4593.

to the community. Info: www.pstcc.edu/arts or 6946400.

Knoxville Square Dance, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Live old-time music by the Hellgrammites with local callers Stan Sharp, Leo Collins and Ruth Simmons. Everyone is welcome. No taps. Admission: $7, some discounts available. Info: www.jubileearts.org.

FRIDAY, FEB. 13 Alive After Five concert: “Fat Friday Mardi Gras” with Roux Du Bayou, 6-8:30 p.m., Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive. Tickets: $10; $5 for members/students. Info: 934-2039.

Valentine dinner fundraiser, 6 p.m., the Old Southern Terminal, 306 W. Depot St. Hosted by the Grace Christian Academy baseball team. Music: The Lore Family. Speaker: Tim Lovelace. Dinner served by The Foundry. Tickets: $125. Info/tickets: coach Mitchell Turner, mturner@gcarams.org; Dave Dunaway, dhdunaway@aol.com; staff of Legal Properties Inc., 524-3670; Grace Christian Academy baseball team, 5914 Beaver Ridge Road, Knoxville TN, 37939; 691-3427.

Tickets go on sale for “Hollywood’s Night Out” presented by Young Variety at Regal Entertainment Group’s Riviera 8 Downtown. Watch the Oscar’s live Regal’s big screen. Doors open 7 p.m. Tickets: $35.

Tickets: Fandango Online or the Regal Riviera Box Office. Proceeds go to Variety of Eastern Tennessee’s Kids

Animals were the focus of giving at Bonny Kate Elementary, thanks to three fourth-graders.

Bonny Kate students and staff donated bags and cans of dog and cat food, pet treats, chew toys, collars – and even pet sweaters, which Nolan, Emma Jo and Devon found very entertaining. With parental assistance, the trio took what they had collected to the Young-Williams facility on Division Street soon after they returned from winter break in January.

“We got a tour of the

place,” says Norris. “They said they were really happy, and they posted a picture on Facebook of us.”

“We even got to pet a rabbit,” says Devon.

All three were inspired by their visit and say they would like to volunteer or perhaps intern at YoungWilliams.

Devon, Emma Jo and Nolan want to do another pet tree next fall and aim for bigger and better results.

Foster parents needed

SOUTH KNOX SENIOR CENTER

Camelot of East Tennessee is in need of foster parents in Knox, Blount, Sevier, Anderson and Loudon ■ Thursday, Feb. 12: 7:30 a.m. free swim; 9 a.m. water aerocounties. Anyone interested bics, South Knox Opry/Valin becoming a foster parentine’s party; 10 a.m. Water ent should contact Michelle Pilates; 12:15 p.m. ballroom Hatter, 481-3972, ext. 412 or dance; 1 p.m. rook, water mhatter@camelotcare.com. aerobics; 1:30 p.m. line dance; 2 p.m. Water Pilates.

Textbooks available for public review Parents and community members who wish to review math textbooks and instructional materials proposed for use in the Knox County Schools during the 2015-2016 school year can view the selections at the Sarah Simpson Professional Development Center, 801 Tipton Ave., through Feb. 20.

■ Friday, Feb. 13: 7:30 a.m. free swim; 8:45 a.m. advanced cardio fitness; 9 a.m. water aerobics; 10 a.m. yoga; 11 a.m.

SAIL exercise, cards, water peeps; 1 p.m. water aerobics, beginning art.

■ Monday, Feb. 16: Closed.

■ Tuesday, Feb. 17: 7:30 a.m. free swim; 8:45 a.m. Cardio Fitness, dulcimer; 9 a.m. water aerobics; 10 a.m. crafts/beading, SAIL exercises; 11 a.m. Tai Chi I; 12:30 p.m. Tai Chi II; 1 p.m. water aerobics, pinochle; 2 p.m. Water Pilates, yoga.

■ Info: 573-5843.

on the Go! Program. Info: Variety of Eastern Tennessee on Facebook.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, FEB. 13-15 “Quilt Show 2015: The Love of Quilts,” hosted by the Farragut Folklife Museum, Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive. Opening reception, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday. Times: 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; 1-4 p.m. Sunday. The show and reception are free and open to the public. Info: www. townoffarragut.org/quiltshow; or Lauren Cox, lauren. cox@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057.

SATURDAY, FEB. 14 Saturday Stories and Songs: Charlene Ellis, 11 a.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Info: 470-7033.

Saturday Stories and Songs: Kindermusik, 11 a.m., Lawson McGhee Library, 500 W. Church Ave. Info: 215-8750.

Tennessee Stage Company New Play Festival Readings: “Cast List” by Gayle Green, 1 p.m., Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road. Info: 588-8813.

Tennessee Stage Company New Play Festival Readings: “The Third Proposal,” 3 p.m., Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road. Info: 588-8813.

business

Shopper news • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • 9

Wine 101 + great customer service Last week, I had a fascinating tour of Southland Spirits and Wine, courtesy of owner Jim Maples. I had no idea such a multitude of products even existed.

Maples grew up in South Knoxville and graduated from Doyle High School.

His family owns 640 Liquor on Western Avenue, and Maples has been in the industry for 22 years. When he decided to make the leap to buy his own business, Southland Spirits and Wine’s previous owner was ready to retire, so the timing was perfect.

Recently remodeled, Southland has been at 211 W. Young High Pike for 32 years. Maples will celebrate his 10th anniversary as a business owner in May 2015.

During our conversation, I was impressed with

6:15 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, at the Labor Exchange office, 2623 Chapman Highway.

All members and prospective members are invited to attend. The South Knoxville Alliance is composed of businesses and organizations within the 37920 zip code.

A cleanup of Fort Dickerson is scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 28.

Meet at the Augusta Road entrance.

Nancy Whittaker

the number of times Maples mentioned customer service. He and his manager, Gabe Myers, are both dedicated to helping their customers. In addition to South Knoxville locals, Maples says they do a big business with downtown residents.

“Wine in grocery stores is a concern, but we have always offered customer service the grocery stores won’t offer,” says Maples. Southland stocks a huge array of wines the grocery stores won’t carry. Recently, a customer who had just moved to

Manager Gabe Myers and owner Jim Maples of Southland Spirits and Wine in South Knoxville Photo by Nancy Whittaker ■ the area came in and asked for a specific wine. Maples says special orders like this are common, and he can usually have them at the store in less than 10 days.

Both Maples and Myers are eager to help their customers choose the right

News From The Register Of Deeds

A hopeful beginning for 2015

By Sherry Witt The

local

real estate and lending markets began 2015 with enc ou raging news as numbers outperformed January 2014 Sherry Witt in virtually every category. On the heels of a strong December, property sales experienced their usual decline in January; however, the total number of transfers recorded bested last January’s number by 39.

For the month that ended on Friday, Jan. 30, there were 583 property sales in

Knox County, compared to 544 during the first month of 2014.

The aggregate value of property transferred also came in some $4 million ahead of last January’s pace. About $146 million worth of real estate was bought and sold in Knox County. Mortgage lending reflected a similar improvement over last year’s figures, as approximately $227 million was loaned against property. That was a modest increase from January 2014, when just under $203 million was loaned in mortgages and refinancing.

The most notable property sale of the month was the Brakebill Nursing Home

wine to complement a dinner party or other special occasion, and their knowledge is impressive. “Wine Wednesday” features a 10 percent discount on all wines, and cases of wine are always discounted, as is wine for weddings and large parties – a Maples specialty.

The men can help order the right products and quantities for receptions and parties. As with any party planning, it is recommended to call and set up a time to come in and discuss options.

Specialty and hard-to-get bourbons are also available.

They offer Pappy Van Winkle twice a year in limited supply. New flavored products are popular; Maples says the hottest item right now is Fireball. He also offers Kenny Chesney’s line of rum, Blue Chair Bay, sold in four flavors.

Check out Southland Spirits and Wine on Facebook for specials and new product info – and for their sense of humor: They advertised “deflated” prices for Super Bowl weekend. Info: 573-1320.

facility at 5837 Lyons View Pike, which was purchased for $10.75 million. On the lending side, the largest mortgage recorded during January was a construction Deed of Trust in the amount of $14.4 million secured by a 20-acre tract on Cherokee Trail. Close behind was a loan for $13.9 million financing property known as Parkside Plaza at 11400 Parkside Drive.

While it may not yet be said that real estate markets have made a full recovery, it is significant to note that last month produced the largest January totals for property sales in Knox County since 2007. SKA to meet Monday That is hopeful news inThe South Knoxville Allideed. ance is scheduled to meet at

Mark Field shares ideas at ETBA

Mark Field was the guest speaker at the Feb. 4 meeting of the East Towne Business Alliance (ETBA). Field is senior vice president of membership for the Knoxville Chamber.

Field encouraged members of the ETBA to become involved with networking opportunities. Several were discussed, including the Chamber’s Schmoozapalooza which will be in March at the Knoxville Expo Center.

Members were also encouraged to meet with Field or other members of the Knoxville Chamber to discuss

Mark Field of the Knoxville Chamber and Justin Sterling, president of ETBA Photo by Nancy Whittaker

Sexton touts CP Center

By Bonny C. Millard Bob Sexton, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Center, has seen many positive changes in services for people with disabilities during his 39 years, including increased opportunities for employment.

Sexton, who started as executive director when he was 26 years old, spoke to the Rotary Club of Knoxville recently about the center and what he’s learned over the years. “(The participants) were thought of as individuals who did not have ability and did not have a way to make their own way,” he said.

“I’m talking about people with significant disabilities, but what I’ve learned over a period of time is that we all vastly underestimated people with disabilities.”

In the 1960s and ’70s, services involved caretaking because people didn’t think that individuals with disabilities could take care of themselves.

“They have slowly evolved into services that help people to help themselves and to make their own way,” he said. “I just think that’s a tremendous, positive change in the way things happen today for

people with disabilities.”

Sexton learned early in his career to listen to the people he served rather than assuming what they needed or wanted.

He discovBob Sexton ered that people with disabilities are like everybody else in that they want to have value and make a difference.

Sexton and his staff started meeting with employers in the 1980s about providing work opportunities. The center now has individuals working with 48 different companies.

“Each of them has a job that fits them in a company in our community,” he said.

The center also helps individuals find places to live that they are comfortable in as well as providing opportunities to develop relationships with others, which enrich their lives.

Info: www.cpcenter.org Note: Rotarians from across Knox County will be in Fountain City Saturday, Feb. 21, World Rotary Day, for a general cleanup at the CP group home.

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any ideas and concerns.

“Knoxville is the regional financial hub of this entire area,” says Field. Economic development of the East Towne area and improvement of business opportunities were discussed.

Nick Della Volpe presented an update on signs along I-640. The ETBA has actively pursued the addition of signs which are scheduled to be installed sometime after July 1.

Jerry Dalton, owner of Dalton Collision, was the breakfast sponsor and gave a brief description of services his company offers.

Located in Blaine, they are certified to repair collisions and handle mostly insurance claims.

Justin Sterling, ETBA president, said he is excited about the future of Knoxville Center mall. Sterling is actively pursuing new businesses and is encouraged about prospective tenants.

The next meeting will be 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 4, at New Harvest Park Community Center. Come a few minutes early to network and join the group for breakfast.

HEARTWISE Our Mission

To serve through healing, education and discovery

Are you wise about your cardiovascular health?

Join us for this comprehensive community wellness fair.

Saturday, February 21 7:30 a.m. – 12 noon For more information or to schedule a screening or a seat for the cooking demonstration, call 865-305-6970.

Free Parking

Discounted Screenings for adults: (space is limited)

• Comprehensive Cardiovascular Risk Assessment (Cholesterol/Glucose Testing, EKG, Carotid and AAA Ultrasound) Fasting Required but Breakfast included after screening, Only $35 • COPD Pulmonary Testing, No Charge • Cardiac Calcium Scoring (Utilizing the Non-invasive 64-slice CT Scanner) Only $99

A Heart Smart Breakfast 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Join the Healthy Living Kitchen staff for a healthy breakfast demonstration featuring our delicious pancakes from our cookbook, A Recipe for Life.

You will learn new recipes and ideas to start your day off right with a heart healthy breakfast. There is no charge for this class but registration is required as space is limited. To learn more about Healthy Living Kitchen programs, please visit www.utmedicalcenter.org/hlk.

To see a complete list of all HeartWise activities, please visit www.utmedicalcenter.org.

10 • FEBRUARY 11, 2015 • Shopper news

LOCAL Businesses

Take chargee of your

Your South Knoxville Choice

Aches & Pains Naturally Foothills Physical Therapy Offers

FREE CONSULTATIONS!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

If you have muscle or joint pain, give us a call and schedule a FREE PT CONSULTATION.

865-573-6458

All you need is Love & Cake

4011 Chapman Hwy., #J

♥ 4” Heart Shaped Cakes starting at $4.50 ♥ 9” Heart Shaped Cakes starting at $14.00 ♥ Chocolate & White Chocolate Dipped Strawberries $14.00 lb. ♥ Thumbprints $4.00 dozen ♥ Petit Fours $16 dozen ♥ Heart Shaped Cookies with Sugar topping $5.50 per dozen

www.foothillspt.us

Reserve your rental today for weddings, birthday parties and picnics!

6202 Chapman Highway 577-9616 Mon - Fri 9-5 • Sat 8-2

Membership discounts available.

1220 West Governor John Sevier Highway

Call 865-573-5508 Email: info@marblesprings.net • www.marblesprings.net

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Sa

Saturday, February 28

Now accepting formals & prom dresses on consignment.

Huge assortment of formals, shoes & clutches!

Many winter items on sale 50% - 70% OFF

Island Home/Gilbert 3BR/1.5BA, family room and pool. $109,900

Immaculate!

3/2 updated kit, new carpet & paint, South/UT. $119,900

NorthWest Knox 4/5BR/2.5BA, bonus rm & pool, built ’06. $179,900

Rocky Hill 4BR/2BA updated kit, move-in ready. Call Caroline McDonald 577-7575. $149,900

3913 Chapman Hwy

337-5958 • M-S 10-6

221 W. Young High Pike • Knoxville

Patrick Michael 607-9548 • 577-7575

www.woodrealtors.com

Self-Service or we will do your laundry for you!

• BRING YOUR COMFORTERS TO US! • 20-100 Pound Washers • Attendants always on duty • We offer pick up & delivery for commercial accounts! Call for details Open 7am - 10pm • Free Wi-Fi • High Def TVs 3721 N. Broadway • 247-6230 • www.bluewaterlaundromat.com

Ranked the #2 Staffing Agency in the area by the Greater Knoxville Business Journal.

For more information call 865-247-4957 • 2623 Chapman Hwy.

We are blessed to have a genuine love for dogs and great groomers!

Herald News Reader’s Choice Award for 2013 and 2014 Call and ask about our prices and discounts.

Luxury You Can Afford • Free WiFi • Microwave/Refrigerator in all rooms • Less than 1 mile from downtown & 1.5 miles from UT 3400 Chapman Highway • Knoxville, TN 37920 Toll Free: 1-866-496-4496 • www.executive-inn.net

KING-SIZE BED

First Visit 15% OFF! All breeds welcome! Cats too!

$39.95 Mon - Thurs

4509 Chapman Highway