South Knox Shopper-News 021716

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SOUTH KNOX VOL. 42 NO. 71

BUZZ Evans talks bikes at Lake Forest d Frigid temperatures didn’t discourage residents from attending the first Lake Forest Neighborhood Association meeting of 2016. Of course, it helped that Carol Evans, executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation, was the guest speaker. Evans may live in Fountain City, but judging by the number of groups that ask her to address them, she’s a welcome visitor in SoKno.

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Read Betsy Pickle on page 3

Ash Wednesday Three South Knox congregations came together for Ash Wednesday services.

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See pictures and story on page 7

Weed Wrangle The Knoxville Garden Club is sponsoring Knoxville’s firstever Weed Wrangle Knoxville on Saturday, March 5, and invites the public to join. Volunteers will gather from 9 a.m. to noon at four public parks to remove non-native invasive plants. Info: weedwrangle.org

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Middle schools groundbreakings Knox County officials will break ground for two new middle schools on Friday, Feb. 19, with the Gibbs event at 11 a.m. and the Hardin Valley event at 1 p.m.

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

February July 29, 17, 2013 2016

Rule of ‘thumb’: Memoir details travels, more

By Betsy Pickle

Bill Pryor used his wits and charm to build a business and support his family. But before he settled down, the asset that got him farthest in life was his thumb. Pryor shares stories of hitchhiking along with tales about everything from fishing to frog hunting to fender benders in “A Good Life,� a memoir that spans the state of Tennessee and ventures far beyond. A South Knoxville resident since 1965, Pryor started hitchhiking while he was a student at Knoxville High School. On one occasion, he was trying to get to Middlesboro, Ky., for a football game, but the three guys who picked him up – and were passing around a bottle of whiskey, which he refused – took the road to Virginia instead. He escaped when they stopped at a roadside market to use the facilities. His adventures on the road were generally positive, though sometimes unusual. One man, who’d also been drinking, picked up Pryor and a friend and had Pryor follow him in a brand-new Plymouth he was delivering to his son. A driver of a moving van gave him a ride to Detroit and paid him to help unload furniture.

Bill Pryor signs a copy of his book for Jim Spencer, left, at a book-signing event at the Laurel Church of Christ. Daughter Becky Hancock, wife Rosemary Pryor and son Jim Pryor look on. Photo by Wendy Smith Pryor had been driving a grocery truck for about a year and a half when he “heard there was big money to be made in Oklahoma

day. So a friend of mine and I said, working in the wheat harvest,� he ‘If there’s that much money out says, sitting with wife Rosemary there, we’re gonna go.’ at their dining room table. “I remember they were making $125 a To page 3

Mum’s the word on suspended principals

‘Mockingbird’ Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present “To Kill A Mockingbird,� based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, Feb. 26 through March 13, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays at 1 and 5 p.m.; and Sundays at 3 p.m. The lives of young “Scout� Finch and her big brother, Jim, are about to change forever, when their father Atticus, a lawyer, is appointed to defend a black man accused of attacking a white teenage girl. Meanwhile, the children become fascinated by their reclusive neighbor “Boo� Radley. All their worlds collide in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama, as its citizens confront their fears and prejudices. The play is performed by 20 talented young actors, ages 8 to 16. The play is directed by Dennis E. Perkins from a script by Christopher Sergel.

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By Sandra Clark Sherry Smith is acting principal at South-Doyle High School following the suspensions with pay Feb. 8 of principal Tim Berry and assistant principal Clark Duncan. A spokesperson for Knox County Sherry Smith Schools said “it’s unlikely it will be resolved by (our

press time)� and apologized for the limited information. Duncan also serves as the school’s athletic director and head football coach. WBIR-TV reported Friday that an assistant football coach, Justin McCarter, had resigned on Feb. 4. He was also an instructional aide at the high school. Smith joined Knox County Schools in 2012. She holds an Ed.S. degree from Lincoln Memorial University.

Beyond the ice By Sherri Gardner Howell

Spend a few minutes with Scott Hamilton, and you will never look at his ice shows the same way again. Scott Hamilton and Friends on Ice is in Knoxville Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. The show has a star-studded line-up, including Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi as cohost with Hamilton and a concert by Grammy winner Michael W. Smith. The show starts at 5 p.m. and is followed by a 7:30 p.m. dinner. It will, no doubt, be a spectacular show with a dozen Olympic, World and U.S. champions skating to Smith’s live music. This is the third visit to Knoxville, and monies raised benefits the Provision CARES and the Scott Hamilton CARES foundations. Hamilton, however, has his eyes firmly set beyond the ice. His mission is cancer research and patient care. His mother, who died after a two-plus year struggle with cancer

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perform their essential responsibilities and duties. WBIR also requested information from law enforcement agencies regarding possible criminal charges against the three. The station reported KPD located no records with their names. A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson declined comment. Superintendent Jim McIntyre should resolve this before any more damage is done to the kids, the school or the administrators.

Scott Hamilton on a mission as cancer activist For 20 years, he worked to raise money for cancer research. At that time, says Hamilton, the money drove the science. “You would give people financial re sou rc e s, and they would go out and try to find out something. Then they mapped the genome, and then, wow, the science is now 20 light years away from the money. I knew I needed to bring more into the equation.� Almost 20 years to the day his mother died, Hamilton found out he had testicular cancer and later developed a brain tumor. “I survived, and then I became

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when Hamilton was 18, sits on one shoulder. His own experiences as a cancer patient and survivor sit on the other. “The day we lost my mother, I became a fundraiser,� says Hamilton. “I was going to do whatever I could to fund research, to get more answers, to do what I could as a grieving, mourning 18-yearold boy to keep another person from going through what I was.� And he skated. Over the next decade he would win four consecutive U.S. championships (1981– 1984), four consecutive world championships (1981–1984) and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.

Berry joined KCS in 2011. The school has done well under his leadership and was one of two high schools, with Bearden, to win one-to-one technology grants. Duncan joined KCS in 1981. He taught and coached at Powell High School for many years before transferring to South-Doyle as an administrator. Knox County Schools said simply that the administrators were suspended pending an investigation into allegations they didn’t

an activist,� says Hamilton. “It was different now. I understood the cancer community better. I understood what chemotherapy feels like; I know what a big massive surgery feels like. I know what radiation feels like, what it does.� The result is the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation. Through CARES (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship), Hamilton takes a multi-level approach that includes fundraising, advocacy, patient care and looking beyond the status quo for treatment and patient education. His partnership with Provision Center for Proton Therapy, where he is also a board member, is part of that mission. “Chemotherapy extended my life,� Hamilton is quick to say. “But I am looking for the day that we teach our own bodies how to get rid of cancer. That’s the game changer. To page 3

2 • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

It’s a new day Radio host praises sleep center for his renewed energy “Rise and shine” is more than just a catch phrase for Bob Bell. The morning radio show host has to be wide awake and on the air at 6 a.m. every weekday, well informed about the day’s events and fully prepared to discuss them with listeners. Bell has a fun and gregarious personality, and that personality shines on Joy620 AM as he interviews guests and fields phone calls from listeners. But there was a time not too long ago when Bell was struggling to keep up with the early hours. Listeners never saw what was happening to him off the air after the caffeine from the early morning coffee had worn off, and after the microphone had been silenced for the day. “I would come home in the afternoon and I would hit a wall,” Bell says. Even after a daily nap, he could only muster enough energy to do the bare minimum of work, and there was little energy left after that for anything else. Anyone who’s worked odd hours on less than eight hours of sleep knows that it’s common to catch a nap once in a while to try and make up for lost time. The nap helps re-energize the mind and body for the rest of the day’s demands. But Bell had reached a point where there was no power in the power nap. Even after resting, he was sluggish. “I’m usually a very cheery kind of person,” Bell says. “I wasn’t being very cheery, and I didn’t know why.” He may not have known why at the time, but he does now. “I wasn’t sleeping,” Bell says. It was Bell’s wife, Meg, who found the key to unlock the mystery. Frequently awake because

Bob Bell’s treatment at the Sleep Center at Fort Sanders Regional has changed his life by providing more energy, better health and wellbeing.

of Bell’s snoring, she noticed that sometimes he would stop breathing during the night. She encouraged him to see his doctor. Bell’s physician recommended Fort Sanders Sleep Disorder Center at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. There, Bell could be monitored during sleep to see if Meg’s observations were correct, and just how serious the problem might be. “My wife says I sounded like a three-year-old kid complaining,” Bell laughs. “I didn’t want to go.” So it was with some trepidation that he went to the Center in December, and monitoring devices were put in place. Bell was left in a room with one simple task to accomplish – sleep. It was easier than he expected it to be. “They are extremely professional in what they do,” Bell says. “They’re very careful to tell you exactly what’s going to happen,

and what’s going to go on with the monitor and your heart rate and your breathing.” Being set at ease from the time he arrived helped him settle in and get comfortable enough to doze off. “You get a little intimidated when you first put all that stuff on,” Bell says, “but you get settled down in bed, you get tired and you do go to sleep.” He says the surroundings helped. “It’s not like it’s some antiseptic hospital room,” Bell says. “You’re in a very comfortable bed, you have a TV, there was a shower there, full bathroom facilities – everything’s there to make you feel at home.” Sleep Center staff even made sure he was awake in time to shower and get ready to go to work the next morning. Bell was impressed by the facilities and staff, and then he was stunned by the results that came from his stay there.

“Are you ready for this?” Bell asks. “The doctor there sat down with me, and he told me I ceased to breathe an average of 89 times an hour.” Bell had been missing the restorative sleep phase known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement). It was affecting every part of his life, from his energy level to his mood to his weight. Suddenly everything made sense. The diagnosis was sleep apnea, and Bell was prescribed a CPAP to help him breathe at night. He wasn’t excited about that, quipping, “Nothin’ says sexy like a CPAP,” but his mother-in-law recommended it, having had her own sleep success with one. As word got out about Bell’s apnea, he started hearing from friends and family members who were successfully sleeping with a CPAP. He decided to give it a try. “The first night I said, ‘I’m not going to be able to sleep with this,’” Bell recalls. “As I was thinking that and closing my eyes, I drifted off and I got one of the most refreshing nights of sleep I’d had in years.” Bell says the CPAP has made a night-and-day difference in his life. “My son came home from college and he could tell I have more energy,” Bell says. “He said, ‘Usually when I come home around

Sacrificing sleep If you try to wind down at night by scrolling through Facebook or catching up on emails, you may be doing yourself more harm than good. The director of Fort Sanders Regional Sleep Disorder Center says the very tools you’re using to wind down, could be windThomas Higgins, MD ing you up, instead. “That blue light is more of an alerting stimulus,” says Thomas Higgins, MD, director Sleep Disorders Center at Fort Sanders Regional. “So it’s a good idea to turn off all your electronic devices 30 minutes to an hour before you go to bed.” Another common barrier to a good night’s sleep is a hard day’s

work. Participants in a recent study who reported sleeping six hours or less at night usually reported working an average of one to two hours more per day than their counterparts who slept longer. You may be getting more hours of work in when you sacrifice sleep for your job, but Higgins says the quality of your work is probably suffering in the process. “Every part of the body is affected by sleep, including the brain,” Higgins says. “Emotional stability, concentration and alertness are affected, and things we learn are processed while we sleep.” Higgins says recent studies have shown that the brain produces chemicals while we’re awake that need to be cleared out during sleep. “If you’re not getting enough sleep, it can actually physically damage the brain,” Higgins says. “People who have sleep apnea and insufficient sleep are more likely to develop Al-

zheimer’s disease at an earlier age, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.” Sleep deprived workers are more likely to overeat, too. Higgins says insufficient sleep over a period of time affects brain chemistry and the hormones that help regulate appetite, so you tend to eat more high carbohydrate, fatty foods. While there’s no magic number of hours every person needs to sleep, Higgins says most adults should try to get 7 to 9 hours of shut eye, and teens should sleep for 8 to 9 hours every night. If you’re getting the recommended amount of sleep most nights but still feel sleepy during the day, you could be suffering from a sleep disorder. Visit fsregional.com/ sleepcenter to learn more about sleep disorders, and how the center may be able to help you get the rest you need.

noon you’re asleep, and now you don’t even think about sitting down till three or four o’clock in the afternoon.’” Bell says when he returned to the Sleep Center for a retest with the CPAP, he was happy to see the improvement on paper. Now that he understands how important a good night’s sleep is to overall health and wellbeing, he’s never going back to the sleepless nights he had before. “You know, if I’m eating right and exercising and trying to lose weight, I am hindering myself if I’m not getting enough sleep,” he says. Bell can’t help laughing about the first time he truly understood the difference a good night’s sleep has made in his life. On Christmas Eve, he remembers deciding to take a nap at the office before going to church. “My work was done, I sat down in my chair,” Bell says. “But I didn’t want to take a nap.” Afternoon naps had become so important to him that it was a little strange not to need one. He was alone at the radio station. It wasn’t quite time to go to the Christmas Eve service. He was at loose ends. “So I got up and cleaned the toilet!” Bell laughs. The Sleep Disorders Center at Fort Sanders Regional has given countless patients renewed energy to get up and live life instead of trying to sleep through it. If you think you or someone you love may be suffering from a sleep disorder, see a physician and ask for a referral. For more information, call 865-541-1375 or visit fsregional.com/sleepcenter.

Getting serious about sleep The Sleep Disorders Center at Fort Sanders Regional is serious about sleep. So serious that a big investment is being made in helping patients sleep soundly for better health. “We have all new equipment,” says manager Scott Vogt, MD. “It’s going to be higher quality testing, we’ll have better video, better audio, and better inputs from the patients we’re recording.” Experts at the Sleep Disorder Center monitor patients’ brain wave activity, eye movement, muscle activity from extremities and chin, heart rate, air flow in and out of the nose and mouth, chest and abdominal movement, and blood oxygen levels. The data is used to diagnose sleep disorders that may be keeping the patient from getting a good night’s rest. Vogt remembers a time when monitoring sleep meant using reams of paper and ink that would splatter on his lab coat if a patient moved or snored too suddenly. The new equipment will use the latest digital technology for the most accurate and environmentally sound results. The comfort level of the patients has come a long way, too. The Sleep Disorder Center now has Tempurpedic and Select Comfort Sleep Number beds in its testing rooms. “It’s exciting for us,” Vogt says. “And we’re usually treating two sleep disorders at once, because now the spouse gets a better night’s sleep, too.”

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community

SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • 3

Beyond the ice

Lake Forest neighbors turned out in force to hear guest speaker Carol Evans: (front) David Gilbert, Margaret Gilbert, Cheryl Ball, Dede Cassell, Dave Gartner; (second row) Morgan Mell, Melanie Van Anda, Rachel Swenie, Carol Evans, Marty Hopkins, Marcia Doyle, Molly Gilbert; (back) Rob Dansereau, Charley Van Anda, Andrew Hodge, Dan Newton, Jonathan Ball, Dave Doyle and Nathan Nelson. Photo by Betsy Pickle

Bike trails bring economic gains Frigid temperatures didn’t discourage residents from attending the first Lake Forest Neighborhood Association meeting of 2016. Of course, it helped that Carol Evans, executive director of Legacy Parks Foundation, was the guest speaker. Evans may live in Fountain City, but judging by the number of groups that ask her to address them, she’s a welcome visitor in SoKno. Many new faces turned out to be people who have moved to Lake Forest to take advantage of the outdoor opportunities afforded by the Urban Wilderness. That’s Evans’ field of expertise, so she gave both an overview and specifics on the UW, which Lake Forest connects through the William Hastie Natural Area. Evans talked about the $15 million annual economic impact the Baker Center found through a study requested by Legacy Parks.

Betsy Pickle

That was “just off mountain biking, just on the South Loop trail,” she said. The impact has “the potential of $52 million when the area becomes a national draw.” “So we know there is economic benefit in general to the community, but in terms of what we hope it does for you and your neighborhood and your quality of life … we hope it has that similar impact.” More benefits will come with the upcoming opening of a black diamond downhill mountain-bike trail that will be suitable for national competitions on the land known as the Wood Property. Evans said the green

space at the end of James White Parkway will become home to a full bike park that should draw visitors as well as residents. “A bike park has a lot of features that people play on all day long,” she said, and accommodates “all levels of activity, all levels of experience.” “There is not one in the Southeast. We’d love to be the destination bike park of the Southeast, and we have the ability to accommodate that, and we have a plan.” Legacy Parks is ramping up its focus on the threemile G&O rail line trail that will connect Chapman Highway to Mead’s Quarry. “Every other city that is reclaiming rail line has seen great business growth and residential growth along those areas,” she said. While economic benefits are important, the UW trails are getting a lot of play from Lake Forest residents.

Evans said Legacy Parks started out with a vision of land conservation and got into the trail business when they met “the mountainbike guys” of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club who were building trails in the Hastie park. Legacy Parks helped to acquire land and easements to expand the trail system. Said Evans: “It’s probably one of the most unique trail systems you’ll find because typically you take a park, and you put trails within a park. And what we did was take parks and connect them with trails. “There are five major landowners for this system, so if we ever don’t get along it falls apart.” Once the pedestrian/ bike bridge over East Red Bud Road is installed this spring, new trails will officially open, raising the UW system to more than 50 miles.

Making a PACT to stay positive By Sara Barrett Makenna Phillips has learned to stay positive through adversity. Her mom is a two-time cancer survivor, and her grandmother is a survivor currently undergoing treatment for her second diagnosis. Both of her paternal grandparents died of cancer. “I realized that my family was a little different in the way they cope with a cancer diagnosis the second time my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Phillips. “I was worried about my mom, but she stayed so upbeat about her life. She taught me that we define ourselves as human beings,” she continued. “Cancer is a disease no different than any other disease; it doesn’t define who we are. She expected to keep on living life and making plans and having dreams whether the cure came or not.” This past summer, the Hardin Valley Academy junior started Positive Affirmations for Cancer Treatment (PACT). The program helps patients find the personal affirmations that work best for them. “When people feel less than human due to stigma and are not voicing their needs, resources are not given to them,” she said. “Life must be more than a ‘fight until the cure comes’ for it to feel worth living, and those diagnosed with cancer deserve the emotional wellbeing to live with some normalcy as we wait for a cure. It is time that people are allowed to normalize their cancer experience so they can enjoy a better quality of life.” After starting a successful custom party supply business, Phillips was familiar with the stress of building from the ground up. She also knew good publicity could help spread the word. Phillips had some pageant experience and knew the

Mini mint “PACTS,” a staple of Makenna’s positive affirmation program. do what I’m doing – teachMakenna Phillips has seen first- ing community workshops hand what a difference a posi- about the healing power of tive affirmation can make in affirmations,” she said. personal outlook. Photos submitted After hosting a workshop on the subject, the overMiss Volunteer’s Outstand- whelmingly positive feeding Teen pageant required back reinforced her decision a platform to promote, so to launch PACT. she entered the competition “I prefer that my workand was crowned the local shops are free especially title holder in November. for the cancer community She competes for the state because they have enough title March 5 in Jackson and expenses to worry about,” then on to the national level she said. if she wins. As for Phillips’ favorite “I felt being a titleholder affirmation for herself, she would open doors for my says it changes daily. project … my dream defi“Life constantly changes nitely goes beyond Tennes- … my affirmation this mornsee,” said Phillips. ing is, ‘What serves me stays, “I’m only one person but what discourages me goes.’ I’ve been an ambassador for There is a fine line between a couple of organizations negative feedback and critiand I know how the ambas- cal feedback. Negative I let sador system works. It’s my go. Critical I take to heart dream to someday train and strive to improve.” ambassadors to go out and Phillips will host a “Pow-

COMMUNITY NOTES ■ Colonial Village Neighborhood Association. Info: Terry Caruthers, 579-5702, 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: facebook.com/ TriCountyLions/info. ■ Lake Forest Neighborhood Association. Info: Molly Gilbert, 209-1820 or

mollygilbert@yahoo.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

er T” tea party fundraiser for PACT from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, at Barrington Clubhouse in Powell. Refreshments will be served and a raffle will be held. “It will be the perfect girls’ afternoon or a mom and daughter date,” said Phillips. She will also do a short presentation about the technique of using positive affirmations. Tickets to the tea are $15 (children 12 and under are free). Proceeds will help cover expenses including mini mint “PACTS,” small packs of candy Phillips distributes with positive affirmations printed on them. A portion will also be donated to Children’s Miracle Network. “It’s not magic, it’s science,” she said of finding the perfect affirmation. “Our subconscious mind stores what our past experiences and other people put there. Using positive affirmations is a way to put healthy messages in our minds ourselves. When we do that, we are better able to manage emotions in a healthy way. “I can’t give someone the affirmation that is right for them, but I can show them how to identify gaps in their life balance and create an affirmation to fill that gap.” Info: healingpact.com or mphillips545@gmail.com Harmon, 591-3958. ■ South Knox Republican Club meets 7 p.m. each third Thursday, South Knox Optimist Club, 6135 Moore Road. Kevin Teeters, kevinteeters018@gmail.com. ■ South of the River Democrats (9th District) meet 6:30 p.m. each third Monday, South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike. Info: Debbie Helsley, 7898875, or Brandon Hamilton, 809-3685. ■ South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association. Info: Shelley Conklin, 686-6789.

From page 1

“In the meantime, we need to just keep lifting the bar. Proton therapy is a prime example of lifting the bar. It is phenomenal technology that treats the cancer and spares the patient collateral damage.” Michael W. Smith Kristi Yamaguchi He doesn’t give medical advice, Hamilton platform to be an activist, says. “I just want people to says Hamilton. “I heard Danny Thomas be practical. Getting that diagnosis is scary, life- say something years ago altering. But the more you that put a lump in my throat know, the more you get out the size of a football,” says and get opinions and in- Hamilton. “He said: ‘Watchformation, the better your ing St. Jude Children’s Hosdecisions will be. Do your pital grow lets me know why I was born.’ We all want to homework.” The many components know what our identity is in of CARES helps cancer pa- this big world. “I have had some pretty tients do that. Information on chemocare.com outline great experiences and some every drug and side effect pretty horrible experiences so patients know what to in my lifetime, but there is expect. There is also a men- something about this that toring program, 4th Angel makes me believe that evMentoring, with more than erything I have ever experi800 mentors in all 50 states. enced was to allow this to be His own experiences, successful.” Info: scottcares.org or coupled with his fame and contacts, give him a good provisionproton.com

Rule of ‘thumb’ “We had $150 a piece that we’d saved up and left Knoxville to hitchhike to Oklahoma. But by the time we got there, the Department of Agriculture in Oklahoma said, ‘You’re about a month and a half late. The wheat harvest is already up north in North Dakota.’” They ended up hitchhiking to Kansas City, where Pryor’s sister and brotherin-law were living. They landed a job painting a house and made enough money to hitch to West Tennessee, where Pryor had another sister. The friend took a bus home, but Pryor stayed on for a visit. Visiting sister Emmalyn in Panama in 1962 changed Pryor’s life. She worked for the CIA, and Pryor quickly fell for her neighbor and coworker, Rosemary. “It was sort of weird,” says Rosemary. “We were in each other’s physical company maybe 30 days before we married. The rest was writing letters.” Rosemary, who doesn’t come into the book until page 335, points out a photo of the two of them on their first date – a truly romantic outing. “We were on our way to tour the jungle warfare training school,” she says. Pryor, who was born in Sharon in West Tennessee, lived in Mississippi, North Carolina and Alabama before his family moved to Knoxville when he was 12. He grew up on what is now the University of Tennessee campus and went to Tyson

From page 1 Junior High for eighth and ninth grades. “There was always something to do with a group of boys,” he says. “If it wasn’t flying kites, it was climbing Cherokee Bluff or renting canoes from Joe Stokes.” He attended UT a couple of times, “but it didn’t take.” He calls the day he was drafted by the U.S. Army “the happiest day of my life.” After the service, he worked a number of jobs before going to work for Sinclair Refining Co. Eventually, he became an independent oil driver and had his own business for 35 years, retiring in 1993. The Pryors have two sons, Jim and Tom, and a daughter, Becky Hancock. Pryor started writing down his memories years ago and got serious about it when he got a computer. “Becky and Steve, my daughter and son-in-law, she took a big stack of those pages home with her, and she would read them to him at night because she thought they were funny, and he became very, very adamant, ‘You’ve got to make a book.’ So that’s how it evolved.” The memoir is not your typical self-published book. At 416 pages, it’s packed with stories, photos and poems. It also has a professional look, thanks to Robin Easter Design. Pryor has held one book signing at his church, Laurel Church of Christ. For info on future signings and to purchase the book, visit woodsonwords.com

McNabb to honor Kershaws George and Cheryl Kershaw will be honored at the annual Spirit Award Dinner benefiting the Helen Ross McNabb Center. The event will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, at the Knoxville Convention Center. The Spirit Award Dinner began in 2004 to recognize individuals who have supported the efforts of the McNabb Center and have worked to improve their community as a whole. George and Cheryl Kershaw have made a long lasting impact on the East Tennessee community. George, in business and as a veteran, and Cheryl, an educator and community leader, have both improved lives by dedicating their talents and time to the community, said

Cheryl and George Kershaw

McNabb CEO Jerry Vagnier. George Kershaw helped develop the center’s annual golf tournament, chairing it from 1995-99. Info/tickets: mcnabbcenter.org or Beth Farrow at 865-329-9030 or beth.farrow@mcnabb.org

4 • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • Shopper news

Dear Luke, all is forgiven There are some wonderful life lessons hidden in the happiness and hurts of sports. Please read this one closely. Sometime in the spring, Luke Anthony Hochevar, 32, one of Tennessee’s alltime baseball greats, will receive his World Series ring. He was the winning pitcher in the deciding game for the Kansas City Royals over the New York Mets. Those two innings in the clutch are, so far, the highlight of Luke’s professional career. In the background are big dreams, millions of dollars and huge disappointments.

Marvin West

Luke was the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft. The Royals paid $3.5 million in a signing bonus. The first contract called for $5.3 million guaranteed. So much was expected and so little delivered. There were many hurdles and about the same number of pitfalls. Hochevar struggled in the minors, got

promoted to Kansas City and struggled some more. A weaker man might have been discouraged. Some said Hochevar, for half a decade, was the world’s worst starting pitcher. There were supporting stats. In 2009 Luke had the highest earned run average (6.55) of all American League starters. His record was 7-13. In 2012, Hochevar’s record was 8-16 with an ERA of 5.73. He led the American League in runs allowed. In 2013, manager Ned Yost finally figured out that Luke wasn’t good enough to be in the regular pitching rotation. He was dispatched

to the bullpen. He exceeded expectations. For the first time in a long time there was a favorable outlook. It didn’t last. In a March 2014 spring training game, Luke suffered an elbow injury. That led to Tommy John surgery and a lost season. He watched as the Royals made it to the World Series – and lost. To compound that run of bad luck, his contract was expiring. It was the Royals’ opportunity to cut and run. In a strange turn of December events, they signed Hochevar, with his losing record, for two more years for $10 million. Amazing. Merry Christmas. Luke’s elbow healed. He regained lost strength. He rejoined the Royals in May.

He pitched well in relief. In the postseason, Yost called on him several times. The results were surprising – 10.2 innings without giving up a run. Maybe you saw the expressions when the last out was recorded. Luke Hochevar said of his manager’s faith: “One man’s belief is stronger than a million opinions.� At Tennessee, Luke was a 2005 consensus All-American (Baseball America, Louisville Slugger, Sports Weekly, etc.) and the winner of the Roger Clemens national pitcher of the year award. His 15 victories tied the school record. He set a single-season strikeout record with 154. He led the Vols to the College World Series. Twice the Dodgers draft-

ed him, out of high school and again in ’05. The second time they thought they had a deal. Between a phone agreement and when the Los Angeles scout showed up with a contract, Hochevar changed his mind. He sat out a year in hopes of better numbers. Along came the Royals. They chose Luke ahead of Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum and a few hundred others. Together, they have somehow hung in there and weathered the storms. They are the champions. Marvin West invites reader reactions. His address is westwest6@netzero.com

Price to seek legislative seat

An attorney in Juvenile Court is a first-time candidate for elective office. Brandi Price announced her candidacy to oppose state Rep. Martin Daniel as a DemoBrandi Price crat from District 18. “Out of 99 members of the Tennessee House of Representatives, only 12 are women,� she said. More specifically, she supports Gov. Bill Haslam on InsureTN but opposes his efforts to Pellissippi State President Emeritus Allen Edwards, right, presprivatize/outsource state ents a shirt to Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow and Afghan native jobs. Angela Niazmand, who visited campus last week. Photo by Wendy Smith Info: 357-2013, 574612-3854 or votebrandi “If you can dream it, you portunity go to school, work price@gmail.com can do it.� or show our faces because of Afghan women are vic- our sex. But that continues tims of their gender, Ni- to be the reality for women azmand said. While gender around the world and we see provides an opportunity for high school graduates to equality has yet to be fully should never forget it. achieved in the U.S., it’s difOur country has its fair attend community college at ficult for American women share of darkness, and edu- no cost. It’s a rare privilege to imagine a world where cation is our light, too. We that should not be taken for we could be denied the op- are fortunate that Tennes- granted.

Education is a way out of darkness Afghanistan native Angela Niazmand was a good student who dreamed of being a doctor. But her studies were interrupted when the Taliban gained control of her country in 1996. Under their regime, women couldn’t attend school or work. She was married at age 15, a mother at 16 and a widow at 17. She rebelled against the regime by teaching elementary school students, primarily girls, in her basement. Today, Niazmand is a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow. The Fulbright Humphrey Program brings young and mid-career professionals from designated countries to the U.S. for a year of nondegree graduate-level study, leadership development, and professional collaboration. She spoke to students and faculty while visiting Pellissippi State Community College last week. She doesn’t remember a time when there was peace

Wendy Smith

in Afghanistan. The Soviet War and resulting civil wars lasted from 1979 to 1992. But the five-year Taliban regime brought the darkest days for women in the country’s history, she said. In addition to restrictions on work and school, women were required to wear burkas that covered from head to toe. Niazmand was beaten by a stranger in front of her young daughter for wearing sheer socks with her burka. The decision to go back to school was hard, she says. She had to complete her upper grades before attending Kabul University. She graduated in 2006, learned English in 2007 and received a second bachelor’s degree

from American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in 2013. She was acting registrar at AUAF for 10 years before being named a Humphrey Fellow last year. At the university, she worked to increase the number of female students by chairing the Female Enrollment Task Force. In the future, she hopes to complete a master’s degree and doctorate in higher education with the ultimate goal of becoming a higher education leader in Afghanistan. She thinks she can help her country by encouraging the education of women and children. “I have come to the conclusion that education is the only way out of the darkness,� she said. Her passion has influenced her daughter, who recently completed a bachelor’s degree and plans to go to graduate school. She shared a newspaper interview from a few years ago in which she spoke of her desire to study in the U.S.

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Shopper news • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • 5

UT brass slow to own up to Hart trouble What’s it going to take for the University of Tennessee’s deciders to admit they’ve got a Dave Hart problem? Did they take a clue from the bombshell lawsuit filed by six unnamed w o m e n – one of whom the a l lege d victim of former UT Dave Hart football players A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams, who were dismissed from the team in 2014 after being charged with rape – which brought UT another dose of unwanted attention last week? The term “rape culture” is pretty much guaranteed to make news, and the story is an unfortunate follow-up to last summer’s news that the feds have included UT among the schools under investigation for violations of Title IX, the law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in educational institutions that receive federal funds. Were they irritated by the bill in the General Assembly aimed at forcing

Betty Bean UT to restore the Lady Vols name to women’s athletics teams? It made a lot of headlines before it was tabled a couple of weeks ago after the two sides worked out a “compromise” that appears to be tilted in favor of the Hart-led abolitionists, but the House sponsor can revive it at any time he chooses, and the session has a long way to go. Did they understand why they had to settle a pay discrimination lawsuit filed by three former employees of the now-defunct Women’s Athletics Department – Jenny Moshak, Heather Mason and Collin Schlosser – for just north of $1 million in January? Have they added that to the $320,000 settlement paid to Debby Jennings, former sports information director for women’s athletics who sued for unlawful discrimination and retaliation when she was forced from her job in 2012? The tab comes to nearly $1.5 million – not

“The Chancellor should issue a communication to all employees of the Athletics Department that threats against a University employee in an effort to impede the exercise of responsibilities related to student disciplinary actions and compliance matters would be a violation of the University’s Code of Conduct and grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment.” – Recommendation submitted in 2014 by the law firm hired to investigate the firing of the director of student judicial affairs.

much compared to the cost of buying out a failed football coach – but did it really need to happen? Do they remember Hart telling them he’d met with all the coaches and all the teams and gotten unanimous support for abolishing the Lady Vols name? Isn’t it embarrassing when an event like the softball team’s recent preseason meetand-greet turns into a Save Lady Vols pep rally after the crowd starts chanting “Lady Vols!” and players join fans posing for pictures displaying a “LVFL” (Lady Vol for Life) banner? Do they ever think back to Jenny Wright, the former director of student judicial affairs who was forced out of her job in 2013 amid a

swirl of rumor, allegations and innuendo (much of it administered by fan-boy sportswriters and homer bloggers)? She was cleared of wrongdoing a year later by the law firm UT hired to investigate the matter, but stories about her vindication were far outnumbered by the smears spread about her dismissal. Are they bothered by the allegation that Hart pressured Wright to ease up on athletes, and what do they make of the concluding recommendation in the 28-page Kramer-Rayson report? (See sidebar) If not, when are they going to start wondering how many times Dave Hart’s peed on their legs and told them it’s raining?

Carringer, Fugate show differences Michele Carringer really wants to be on Knox County Commission, but it’s hard for her to clearly say why. And last week, with a chance to appear with her opponents, John Fugate and Laura Kildare, at the Fountain City Business and Professional Association, she claimed a last-minute need to miss the meeting. Kildare, a teacher for Knox County Schools, sent a representative. She’s a candidate for the Democratic nomination, facing Cheri Siler, who has withdrawn from the race. Fugate relished the free exposure to Fountain City’s business community. He’s already racked up endorsements from the News Sentinel and the Knox County Education Association. He was a favorite at the BPA, too, serving as the club’s president and having been on its board for some 10 years.

Sandra Clark

Carringer grew up in Fountain City, the daughter of Jack and Irene McCrary. Her mom served a term as chair of the Knox County Republican Party. Michele and husband Michael Carringer have two children, Christie and Kent, and a granddaughter. Fugate, manager of Commercial Bank in Fountain City, is from a family of educators. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from ETSU. Both candidates appeared on “Inside Tennessee” Sunday morning.

And that’s where the differences showed. Asked about the city and county’s $12 million subsidy to move Regal Cinemas from Halls to South Knoxville, Fugate said he wished Regal would stay in Halls. Carringer called it a good deal for Knox County to have Regal relocate to the waterfront. Fugate firmly supported construction of new middle schools at Gibbs and Hardin Valley, while Carringer said she generally supports community schools but favors a balanced use of capital money to create facilities parity among all schools, whether new construction or renovations. Fugate stressed his business background, while Carringer emphasized her passion for people and service. She has a lengthy list of service on nonprofit boards.

Carringer

Fugate

Voters can hear and meet the candidates at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, at Sterchi Elementary School. It speaks to the diversity of District 2 that school areas invited include: Belle Morris, Shannondale, Sterchi, Christenberry, Inskip and Fountain City elementary schools; Central and Fulton high schools; Gresham and Whittle Springs middle schools; and Kelley Volunteer Academy, Richard Yoakley Alternative School and the adult high school.

Grant Standefer talks funding Grant Standefer, District 2 candidate for school board, benefited from Michele Carringer’s absence at the Fountain City BPA meeting. John Fugate invited Standefer to take the empty chair. It was a Fugate-like gracious act, but it slighted Standefer’s opponent, Jennifer Owen, who was not invited to the meeting. Standefer had just shown up, but he made the most of the opportunity.

It was interesting to see two guys who obviously didn’t know each other very well discuss issues of funding, school priorities and taxes. Voters got a glimpse of how Fugate and Standefer, both first-time candidates, could work as partners to help residents of District 2. ■ Standefer said after Wednesday’s meeting that he did not solicit the campaign donations of almost

$30,000 as of Jan. 15, that we wrote about last week. “That money just came in,” he said. “I only asked for one donation … from a friend.” Hmmm. Must have been that Laurens Tullock email solicitation we wrote about a couple of weeks back. We raced home and found the email. Sure enough, every “maxed out” donor –$3,000 for a couple – to the campaigns of Buddy

Standefer

Owen

Pelot (Farragut) and Standefer (Fountain City) got Tullock’s email. Guess Buddy’s money “just came in” as well. – S. Clark

government University faces challenges The current legislative session is taking a lot of time for the higher ups at UT Knoxville. Legislators are genuinely unhappy with the university. Some students, faculty and administrators as well as trustees are unhappy with legislators. Some of this is personal. Some is based on policy. Some is based on UT management being tone deaf when it comes to appreciating the role legislators play, and especially the ones from Knoxville. UT won the battle for now over the Lady Vols name change when State Rep. Roger Kane and Sen. Becky Massey withdrew their bill to force a return to the long-standing name. The so-called compromise is just that, “so-called.” UT got its way. The compromise is not much more than a fig leaf. Lady Vol fans, who know the issue, are disappointed. Their feelings will persist for a long time. Prior to the announcement on Feb. 1, there was a three-hour meeting the day before (Sunday afternoon) the session beginning on Monday in Chancellor Jimmy Cheek’s office on campus. It was attended by Massey, Kane, state Rep. Harry Brooks, Anthony Haynes (UT lobbyist and vice chancellor paid $184,000 a year), UT board vice chair Raja Jubran and Cheek. This action followed Gov. Haslam’s chief lobbyist working the Legislature against the bill. Haslam is chair of the board but seldom attends meetings. Trustees were enlisted by UT to call their legislators to oppose it. Word is that David Hart threatened to resign if the repeal bill became law. Kane probably had the votes to pass the bill in the House but Massey may not have had the votes in the Senate Education Committee. Massey and Kane should not be criticized for dropping the legislation but praised for raising the issue in Nashville. They represented their constituents well and fought hard against the odds. Many Lady Vols backers feel Dave Hart is insensitive to women’s issues. He is not from Tennessee and has little understanding of East Tennessee. Many feel he will return to Alabama on retirement. There is evidence to back this up. Hart’s decisions on several female employees have cost the

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Victor Ashe

UT athletic program over $1.5 million in settlement fees for four separate lawsuits dealing with gender discrimination. While UT claims this is not taxpayers’ money, it is still money from gifts not intended to cover bad management decisions with female employees. Clearly Hart does not get the message when it comes to women’s concerns and issues but the board and administration seem unwilling to challenge him. ■ Another piece of bad news for UT is Margie Nichols’ retirement as vice chancellor for communications right after being placed in charge of Nichols the Internet postings from the Office of Diversity, led by the embattled Rickey Hall. This assignment poses all sorts of issues. She actually knows Knoxville and our culture. There is speculation that she has had enough in not being listened to by UT and wanted out. She would not say that nor would management acknowledge it, but the feeling is there. For the record, she says she wants to spend time with her husband, John Gill, who now works only a few days a week at the District Attorney General’s office. Nichols is 62 and Gill is 73. She is expected to stay at UT until May. Furthermore, who will replace her? Will it be someone from Tennessee or will we once again go out of state? This will be a critical decision for UT in terms of how UT is presented to the total community. ■ Justice Scalia: Joan and I recall vividly that Justice Scalia was our last house guest at our Residence in Poland in September 2009 prior to our return to Knoxville. He was there to accept an award from the Polish government. Literally we were packing out during the two nights he stayed with us, but he was a warm and engaging guest with the many Polish jurists he met and he represented the USA well.

6 • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • 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.

Residents Peggy Huber and Meriam Fox greet other residents watching the parade throughout the hallway.

Register for: Living Well with Diabetes, free six-week workshop begins 9:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 22; RSVP by Feb. 19. AARP Taxaide free income tax preparation and electronic filing available Mondays through April 14; appointment: 521-5569. ■ South Knox Community Center

Fat Tuesday at Sherrill Hills Sherrill Hills maintenance person Dave Peretta pushes a patriotic float with resident R.J. Seale riding in a historical costume, greeting other residents by raising his cane high in the air.

522 Old Maryville Pike 573-3575 Monday-Friday Hours vary ■ John T. O’Connor Senior Center 611 Winona St. 523-1135 knoxseniors.org/oconnor. html Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Offerings include: Card games, billiards, senior fitness, computer classes, bingo, blood pressure checks 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday. Free tax preparation available 9 a.m. Wednesdays through April 13. Pancake Fest, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, March 4. Register for: Lunch and Learn: “Essential Oils for Health,” noon Monday, Feb. 22; RSVP by Thursday, Feb. 18, for lunch. Seniors for Creative Learning BBQ, 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25; $40/$55 couple; register by Friday, Feb. 19.

By Sara Barrett Sherrill Hills brought New Orleans to its residents Feb. 9 during its second annual Mardi Gras celebration. Residents, their family members and facility staff dressed in their festive best. A colorful parade of handmade floats traveled up and down the main hallway, its arrival announced by a trio of horn players at the front of the line. Float themes included The Little Mermaid, The Kentucky Derby, a pirate ship and a tiki bar. Parade

participants handed beads, masks, candy and other treats to spectators on both sides of the hall. After the parade, residents were treated to Happy Hour with drinks and hors d’oeuvres while a jazz band played on stage. A traditional Cajun dinner was served to top off the event. Plans are already underway for a St. Patrick’s Day party coming up in March. Sherrill Hills is located at 271 Moss Grove Boulevard. Info: sherrillhillsretirement. com

Home Instead Senior Care owner Amy Hull and employees Sherry McDonie, Linda Vineyard, Di- Gentleman Widowers Club members Jim Bergin, Hank Albert xie Morton, Herbanna Dickinson and Delane McCandless hand beaded necklaces to residents and Don Olson dance along behind one of the floats in Sherrill from their parade float. Hills’ Mardi Gras parade. Photos by S. Barrett

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17 Books Sandwiched In: “Cool It! The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming” by Bjørn Lomborg, noon, East Tennessee History Center auditorium, 601 S. Gay St. Presented by Renée Hoyos, Executive Director of Tennessee Clean Water Network. “Financial Planning for Artists” professional development seminar, noon-1 p.m., the Emporium, 100 S. Gay St. Cost: free for members of Arts & Culture Alliance/$5 nonmembers. Info/registration: 523-7543; sc@ knoxalliance.com.

THROUGH MONDAY, FEB. 29

THURSDAY, FEB. 18

Knoxville Watercolor Society exhibit at the Blount County Public Library, 508 N. Cusick St., Maryville. Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 1-5:30 p.m. Sundays. Info: 982-0981.

AAA Driver Improvement Course, 5:30-9:30 p.m., AAA Maryville office, 715 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville. 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, 8629254, or Stephanie, 862-9252. Lecture by Appalachian photographer Rob Amberg, 2 p.m., Pellissippi State Community College Goins Building Auditorium, 10915 Hardin Valley Road. Free and open to the community. Exhibit of Amberg’s art will be on display in the Educational Resources Center’s first floor through Feb. 29. Info: pstcc.edu or 694-6400. Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter for Seniors, 1-3 p.m., Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive. Presented by Social Media 4 Seniors. Cost: $30. Registration/payment deadline: Thursday, Feb. 18. Info/ registration: 218-3375; townoffarragut.org/register; in person at Town Hall.

SATURDAYS THROUGH FEB. 27 Sign-ups for spring league baseball and softball for ages 4-14u, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at Holston Ball Park, 5900 Asheville Highway. League fees: $60. Teams will play at several locations around Knoxville. Info: Julie Townsend, 659-6989; Randy Geames, 525-5275.

MONDAYS THROUGH FEB. 29 QED Experimental Comedy Lab, 7:30-9:30 p.m., The Pilot Light, 106 E. Jackson Ave. Free weekly comedy show blending stand-up, improv, sketch and other performance styles. Donations accepted.

Family Fun Day, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive. Free and open to the public. Includes art stations, demos, face painting, entertainment and more. Info: knoxart.org. Father-daughter hike, 9 a.m., UT Arboretum parking lot, 901 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge. Hike: 1-1.5 hours. Led by forester Jeff Holt. Refreshments served before the hike. Free; donations welcome. Info: utarboretumsociety.org or 483-3571. Kitten and cat adoption fair, noon-6 p.m., West Town PetSmart adoption center, 214 Morrell Road. Sponsored by Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee. Info: www.feralfelinefriends.org. “Planning Drip Irrigation,” 1-2 p.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Presented by Master Gardener Jan Gangwer. Free event. Info: 4707033 or knoxlib.org. Saturday Stories and Songs: Georgi Schmitt, 11 a.m., Lawson McGhee Library, 500 W. Church Ave. Info: 215-8750. Saturday Stories and Songs: Kindermusik, 11 a.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Ages birth to 5 years. Info: 470-7033. “Tanasi 1796,” 7 p.m., Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre, Clayton Center for the Performing Arts, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Maryville. Fundraiser to benefit the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Info/ tickets: 981-8590.

SUNDAY, FEB. 21 Big Read: “Say It Loud!,” 2 p.m., UT’s John C. Hodges Library Auditorium, 1015 Volunteer Blvd. lib.utk.edu, knoxlib.org.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY, FEB. 18-20

MONDAY, FEB. 22

THROUGH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2

“37 Postcards,” 7:30 p.m., Tellico Community Playhouse, 304 Lakeside Plaza, Loudon. Info/reservations: tellicocommunityplayhouse.org.

“Bud Albers Art Recollections: Works from Life and Travels” exhibition, Museum of East Tennessee History, 601 S. Gay St. Info: 215-8824; eths@ eastTNhistory.org; easttnhistory.org.

FRIDAY, FEB. 19

Big Read book discussion: “A Lesson Before Dying,” 10 a.m., Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golfclub Road. Hosted by the West Knoxville Book Club. Facilitated by Ross Jackson. Info: 588-8813, knoxlib.org. “Planning Drip Irrigation,” 1-2 p.m., Davis Family YMCA, 12133 S. Northshore Drive. Presented by Master Gardener Jan Gangwer. Free event. Info: 7779622 or knoxlib.org.

“Selma,” 7 p.m., Princess Theatre in downtown Harriman, Presented by Roane State Community College’s Arts and Lectures Committee. Free and open to the public; donations requested to support future Arts and “Painted Paper Baskets” exhibit, lobby of the Lectures events. Info: Casey Cobb, cobbcc@roanestate. Bagwell Center for Media and Art, 10915 Hardin Valley edu or 481-2000, ext. 2205. Road. Admission is free; hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays. Info: pstcc.edu or 694-6400.

THROUGH FRIDAY, MARCH 4

THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 15 Selected works by artist Kay List on exhibit, Envision Art Gallery, 4050 Sutherland Ave. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday. Info: kaylistart.com; envisionartgallery.com; 438-4154.

SATURDAY, FEB. 20

AAA Driver Improvement Course, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., AAA Maryville office, 715 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville. 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, 8629254, or Stephanie, 862-9252.

TUESDAY, FEB. 23 Big Read book discussion: “A Lesson Before Dying,” 6 p.m., South Knoxville Elementary, 801 Sevier Ave. A two-part discussion. Light dinner will be served. Facilitated by Lorie Matthews. Info/RSVP: 577-7976. Community Leaders Forum, 4 p.m., Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St. Info: knoxlib.org. Computer Workshops: Word Basics, 5:30-7:45 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Requires “Introducing the Computer” or equivalent skills. Info/registration: 215-8700.

faith

SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • 7

Stillness Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10 NRSV) Nothing is often a good thing to do, and always a clever thing to say. (Will Durant) We Christians are good at praying. We have quite a lot to say to God. However, we are not so good at listening. God says, “Be still!” In other words, be quiet, and listen! God wants to hear from us, like any parent. God is pleased when we pray. However, God wants to be in relationship with us, and that relationship is a two-way street. God should not have to do all the listening. We must listen, too. How do we hear the voice of God? Our best source, of course, is the Bible, God’s Word for us. We need to read, study, understand, Congregations from Colo- service. Participants col- Graystone preached the have on our foreheads re- and take it to heart. One can nial Heights United Method- lected an offering for Fam- sermon titled, “Sound the minds us of our need for God do that alone, certainly, but ist, Lake Forest Presbyterian ily Promise Ministry, which Alarm.” and God’s longing to lead us it is also profitable to study and Graystone Presbyterian helps local homeless famiThe Rev. Daniel Ogle of back to Him. it with others; our fellow churches joined Feb. 10 for lies. Colonial Heights said, “The “May we all experience a Christians can help us learn a combined Ash Wednesday The Rev. Jim Lunde of mark of the cross that we holy Lent.” and understand. I have immense respect for the Quakers, who know

South churches join for Ash Wednesday

Taylor Lawhorn wears the mark of the cross. At left, Katie and Scott Montgomery

By Carol Z. Shane

Adam Montgomery and son Finley, taking an incoming call.

FAITH NOTES ments or the church office. The church is located at 6513 Chapman Highway. Info: 865577-6617. ■ West Haven Baptist Church, 5651 Matlock Drive, will host

VBS FunShop, a VBS training and networking event, Saturday, March 5. Group Publishing VBS expert will provide hands-on training on its “Cave Quest VBS.” Registra-

Celebrating an event? Share your family’s milestones with us! Send announcements to news@ShopperNewsNow.com

Lynn Pitts

how to be silent and listen for the word in worship. As I write, we are waiting for snow. I look forward to the stillness, the hush, the quiet, the cessation of activity that snow brings. I think God smiles when the snow blankets the world and slows us down. I read years ago about the night Niagara Falls froze. The cessation of the roar of the falls created a hush, a silence so loud that it woke the people who lived in the area. So, if it snows, take it as a gift from God, an invitation, as it were, to be still and know that God is God, to spend some time with Him.

Holston Conference UMC plans special weekend

Congregations from Lake Forest and Graystone Presbyterian churches and Colonial Heights UMC observe Ash Wednesday.

■ Meredian Baptist Church will host Baptist Women’s Day Sunday, Feb. 28, with breakfast for $1 at 7:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased in the Sunday School depart-

Cross Currents

tion: group.com/vbsfunshop. Info: Elizabeth, 237-4090. ■ Send announcements to News@ShopperNewsNow. com

The United Methodist Women of the Holston Conference are gearing up for a very special weekend. On March 12 and 13, they’ll be attending a “Sisters in Service” c ontemp o rary worship retreat in Sevierville. The theme is Beth Green “Service with a Smile: Experiencing Joy in the Midst of the ‘Everyday.’ ” “Happiness is an outside job. Joy is an inside job,” states the brochure for the event. “You probably learned that a long time ago. But there are questions: How do you and I live a life of joy and service when ‘life’ gets in the way? Am I expected to serve God daily when my life seems like a series of cartwheels, trapezes and the balance beam with no net below to catch me when I fall/fail?” Special guest for the weekend will be Beth Green of Kingsport, author of the blog “Life in the ‘Greenhouse.’” A United Methodist minister’s wife, she is known as an inspirational

singer, songwriter and comedian. “She plays the guitar and is so flexible in terms of what we want,” says Peggy Dalton, the UMW conference membership nurture and outreach chair. “We will have a good time. It’s going to be ‘wow!’ ” In addition to inspirational songs and stories, there will be “hands-on” time for activities such as making prayer bracelets, shopping or just getting to know new friends. Dalton says that though the event features topics of interest to the young working woman, “it’s intergenerational. We take people from 13 to 103.” According to the brochure, anyone “young and young at heart” will experience “a marvelous time for women of every generation to find joy in the company of each other while hearing from Beth how to experience joy in everyday life.” And “you don’t have to be a Methodist to come,” adds Dalton. Interested women are invited to contact Dalton at 423-581-4743 or hpdalton@musfiber.com “Let’s come together and find out how God expects us to experience joy in everyday life,” says the brochure. “It can happen!”

kids

8 • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news

Staying healthy at South Knox Elementary The Healthy Kids Club at South Knoxville Elementary School is funded through East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Physical education teacher Kara Monk meets with students once a week for 12 weeks as the club’s leader.

Sara Barrett

Monk said she feels fortunate to be able to have gym class with her students twice a week, something South Knoxville Elementary School physical education teacher many PE teachers in Knox and Healthy Kids Club leader Kara Monk explains a carrot craft County cannot do because of student population. to club members. “But there is still not enough time in the day to teach them everything I want to,� adds Monk. “Healthy Kids Club gives the students the opportunity to learn more about making healthy choices and ways to be active on their own. We’re very thankful Children’s Hospital was able to provide this opportunity to our school this semester.� During club meetings, members participate in a physical activity and have a nutrition lesson that includes a healthy snack and a related activity. At a recent meet, students played Red Light,

Ra’Shya Lee and other Healthy Kids Club members hold soccer balls in place while playing a game of Red Light, Green Light. Green Light while kicking a soccer ball through the gym. Afterward, they learned the health benefits of eating carrots before creating a carrot from a paper plate, gift wrapping tissue and pipe cleaners. For a snack, students tried hummus on cucumbers and red peppers, some for the first time.“My students look forward to the program,� says Monk. “Even though we only have it once a week, every time they see me near the end of the day they ask if we have HKC af- Nigel Asaolu tries a red pepper dipped in hummus as his buddy Kaben Tapp waits anxiously for his reaction. Photos by S. Barrett ter school.�

Family Fun Day at the Knoxville Museum of Art is fun for all ages. Photo submitted

A family day of art The Knoxville Museum of Art’s Family Fun Day will be held 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, for all ages. Festivities will include art-making stations, artist demonstrations, face painting, continuous live entertainment, magic shows and gallery tours. Snacks will be available for purchase from the Soup Kitchen. All art activities will relate to the “Knoxville 7� exhibit currently on display. The ongoing exhibition focuses on a group of progressive artists who influenced East Tennessee’s arts scene from 1955-1965. Admission to Family Fun Day is free, and family members of all ages are encouraged to come along. Info: knoxart.org

Jervece Steele conducts a meeting of the Community School Steering Committee.

‘Legends and Legacy’ at Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy By Sandra Clark

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Sarah Moore Green Magnet Academy will host Legends and Legacy Day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, with programming that includes school tours, a museum walk with light refreshments and a reception from 4-5 p.m. for former and current staff. The tours are available from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The school was named for the late Sarah Moore Greene, who served on the old K nox v ille s c h o o l board and was a leader in the NAACP. From 5-6 Moore Greene p.m. all are invited for a special presentation in the school’s gym. It will include music, a time capsule and the unveiling of a traveling exhibit by the Beck Cultural Center. The school is located at 3001 Brooks Avenue. The school is undergoing a resurgence under the leadership of principal Susan Espiritu. One reason is the dynamic after-school program labeled Community School. It’s headed by Jervece Steele of the Great Schools Partnership and Terreka Holloway, who works with ProjectGrad. Steele is more visible, organizing the program based

on her long-time connection to the community. “My degree is in education, but I’ve always been in the ‘community’ part of it,� she says. She started at Sarah Moore Greene when Belinza Davis was p r i n c i pal. “She brought me on,� says Steele. But her ties are even stronger. Steele’s f a t h e r, Steele E dw a r d Skaggs, was supervisor of custodians for the old city system. Steele says she’s never had a problem recruiting community members for her steering committee – which has nine parents and nine church or business leaders. Community School participants get supper every day, as well as an afterschool snack. “They can stay and eat or their parents can pick them up,� she says. Bus transportation is available after dinner for participants. The after-school day is divided into two blocks, one of which is tutoring or enrichment. An office worker and a school resource officer are on duty while kids are present. “We have over 100 partners,� said Steele. “We’re doing a lot.�

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Shopper news • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • 9

Jennifer Higdon: Hometown By Carol Z. Shane In 1982, as a young pianist fresh out of grad school living in Maryville, I got a call from a Heritage High School s e n i o r wanting to know if I’d accompany her flute recital. S h e ’ d Higdon taught herself the instrument, starting in her freshman year. “And she’s already playing Bach sonatas?” I thought, looking over the program. It was clear that this was no ordinary music student. She’d also programmed an original composition – a solo flute piece called “Night Creatures.” I liked it so much that I asked for a copy of the sheet music. I also hung on to the program, fortunately. The young musician, who has since gone way beyond playing flute recitals, was Jennifer Hig-

don – now one of the world’s most acclaimed living composers. Her violin concerto won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010 –the same year her percussion concerto won a Grammy. She’s received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Koussevitzky Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and ASCAP, among others. In August of 2015, her opera, “Cold Mountain,” based on the book by Charles Frazier, was premiered to all-sold-out performances in Santa Fe, N.M. This month marks its East Coast premiere in Philadelphia, where Higdon has lived and worked for the last 30 years. I was thrilled to be at the Feb. 5 opening night at the Philadelphia Academy of Music. Higdon is the type of person who maintains warm relationships with her old friends, and you’d never know there was a genius in the room unless someone pointed her out. “This is go-

ing to be soooo cool!” she texted earlier in the week. It was a heady night and a real triumph for Higdon in many ways. As a 20-something student working on her Artist Diploma in Composition at that city’s Curtis Institute, she marched to her own drummer. Not everyone “got” her music, and not everyone encouraged her. Now she holds the Milton L. Rock Chair in Composition Studies there. “Cold Mountain” has created a buzz in the opera world and earned the blessing of Charles Frazier himself, who was also at the Philadelphia premiere. She has her own publishing company, run by her wife, Cheryl Lawson, who’s been by her side since high school. Higdon makes her living from commissions. Everyone, it seems, wants to perform her music. And this week, when the KSO performs her 1999 composition “Blue Cathe-

genius

dral” under the baton of conductor candidate Eckart Preu, she’ll be here. Also on the program are Richard Strauss’ virtuosic tone poem “Don Juan,” the “Piano Concerto No. 20” by Mozart performed by guest artist Alan Goldstein, and selections from the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” by Sergei Prokofiev. But the star of the evening for me will be our hometown gal, Jennifer Higdon. And she’ll undoubtedly be sporting her famous smile and having a great time with everyone. Because that’s just the way she is. The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra presents “Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20,” part of the Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series, at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday and Friday, Feb. 18 and 19, at the Tennessee Theatre on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Tickets/info: knoxvillesymphony.com or 523-1178

‘Son of Saul’ searches for hope By Betsy Pickle Redemption is no simple matter in “Son of Saul.” In a world defined by evil, the protagonist has been an accomplice to some of the vilest acts imaginable – not by choice, exactly, but as the price for survival. When he sees the chance to atone, he takes it, seemingly not by choice, either, but out of obsession. Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign-Language Film, this intense Hungarian drama is set in 1944 at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, where Jews and other targets of Nazi contempt are being brought for extermination. Shepherding them to the gas chambers are the Sonderkommandos, Jewish prisoners kept alive to load the bodies into the ovens of the crematoria, gather and sort personal effects and clean the blood out of the “showers” so the next group won’t panic prematurely. Numbly moving through the madness is Saul Auslander (Geza Rohrig), a Hungarian Sonderkommando surrounded by men of other nationalities. Speaking only Hungarian and a smattering of German, Saul is – as his name Auslander translates – a foreigner, an outsider. As the men remove the corpses after one gassing, they find a boy who has survived, though not for long. He was with a group from Hungary, and seeing him breaks Saul out of his usual fog. When the body is ordered to the autopsy room so a doctor can assess why

bers. He also based some of the plot on the same source material as was used for director Tim Blake Nelson’s 2001 film “The Grey Zone,” which focused more on the doctor and the insurrection. As with “The Grey Zone,” “Son of Saul” looks for a glimmer of decency amid the horrors of the Holocaust, a small act of humanity in the face of overwhelming evil. Though the approaches are radically different, they Saul (Geza Rohrig) puts aside his safety and that of other mem- are both gripping films that bers of the Sonderkommando in Auschwitz-Birkenau as he make powerful bookends. “Son of Saul” lets viewers single-mindedly pursues a sort of redemption in “Son of Saul,” resolve the issue of whether opening Friday at Downtown West. the boy is in fact the son of Saul or just a symbol of the boy didn’t die from the stand, making viewers feel hope. It really doesn’t matgas, Saul begs the doctor as helpless and paranoid as ter. The connection Saul makes and the journey it (Sandor Zsoter) not to cut he does. him open. First-time director Lasz- starts is the human factor Claiming the boy as his lo Nemes, who co-wrote that Nemes counts on to son, Saul wants to bury him the script with Ciara Royer, cross cultural and language according to Jewish custom. was inspired by the book barriers. Rated R for disturbing His frantic search to find a “The Scrolls of Auschwitz,” rabbi to say Kaddish coin- a collection of testimonies violent content, and some cides with the Germans’ by Sonderkommando mem- graphic nudity. acceleration of extermination efforts and plans for a rebellion by members of the Sonderkommando. Shot with shallow depth of field by cinematographer Matyas Erdely, the film stays with Saul almost exclusively, seeing what he sees – the endless piles of bodies, the cruelty and casualness of the German officers, the warped pecking order of the Sonderkommando. It also hears what he hears – the Babel of voices, the bark of gunshots, the screams of prisoners. The U.S. track star Jesse Owens (Stephan James) thwarts Hitler’s film has subtitles for Hun- propaganda machine at the 1936 Olympics in “Race,” opengarian but not for any dia- ing Friday. With Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons and William Hurt. logue Saul doesn’t under- Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and language.

Telling Jesse Owens’ story

Rescued and waiting for a home!

weekender KSO gets Getty grant

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is one of 22 American orchestras selected by the League of American Orchestras to receive a Getty Education and Community Investment Grant. The $20,000 gift will continue development of the orchestra’s Music & Wellness program. “The Getty Grant has allowed the KSO to hire a certified music therapist, has increased technology to better accommodate patients, has allowed KSO musicians to become certified music practitioners through specialized training and this year will expand the program to serve patients with mental health and orthopedic needs,” said Rachel Ford, KSO executive director. The KSO Music & Wellness program provides live musical performances that enhance the healing process and benefit patients, visitors and staff in healthcare settings. The KSO partners with the UT Medical Center and Covenant Health, providing 100 performances in health care settings each season, reaching approximately 3,600 people.

‘Titus Andronicus’ is masterful By Sandra Clark UT’s Clarence Brown Theatre has delivered a production of “Titus Andronicus” that makes us proud. Shows continue through Feb. 28 for this must-see experience. Director John Stipes says the play’s central idea is that when justice and rule of law are subverted by a pursuit of revenge, individuals are capable of unspeakable violence. “Even the most principled and civilized man (like Titus) can become barbaric.” Kurt Rhoads, visiting professional actor, carries the title role with a blend of pathos and bravado. He’s violent and even cruel in carrying out what he believes are the duties of a good Roman, while the Rome he has known and fought for has eroded in his absence. Adding to the general depravity of his homeland, Titus Andronicus brings home five captives including Tamora, queen of the Goths, her three sons and Aaron, her Moorish lover. These barbarians play by different rules – no rules – and Aaron is the most evil of all. As he brags at the play’s end, his hand was present in every evil deed. And there were plenty: you have murder, rape and beheading; you have chesthigh burial until starvation and bodies thrown to the angry beasts; you have tongues ripped out and hands chopped off; and there’s even a bit of cannibalism. With only two real roles for women, Broadway actor Carol Halstead (Tamora) and UT grad student Lindsay Nance (Lavinia) provide unforgettable performances. My favorite character is Charles Pasternak, the Emperor Saturninus, who plays Ted Cruz to a “T.”

Kurt Rhoads

Pasternak has the bird-like beak and all the zany emotions and self righteousness you could want.

For those who can overcome his recent role as the demented elf in “Santaland,” the crowd favorite was professor David Brian Alley, who plays Titus’ only survivor – and that’s saying a lot for a guy with 25 or so kids – and the final emperor of Rome. It’s a new day ... or is it? And that’s what’s neat about Shakespeare. Sure, the clothes are different. The haircuts are odd. The language is often stilted. But the sharp characters he draws are with us today even as they existed 400 years ago. The play is a downer, but the players prevailed to earn a standing ovation on Saturday. Here’s a final shout out to the behind-the-scenes creative team of Bill Black (costume design), Kenton Yeager (lighting), Joe Payne (sound), Tannis Kappel (projection/media) and Christopher Pickart (scenic design). The stark set was perfect. Shows continue through Feb. 28 with a “talk-back” with actors on Sunday, Feb. 21, following the 2 p.m. matinee. The open-captioned performance is Sunday, Feb. 28, again at 2. The production is for mature audiences (although a neat kid, Jonathan Tilson, played young Lucius). You’ve got to bring along the kids, after all, for how else can you teach them family values? And this play is surely full of those.

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10 • FEBRUARY 17, 2016 • Shopper news

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