SOUTH KNOX VOL. 2 NO. O 115
IN THIS ISSUE
River Rescue
The 25th annual River Rescue spearheaded by Ijams Nature Center drew hundreds of volunteers to local shorelines for a big day of spring cleaning. At press time, the total amount of trash collected during the event on Saturday, April 5, had not been tallied, but tons of human-generated debris were gathered from about 40 sites along the Tennessee River and related creeks and streams.
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April July 29, 14, 2013 2014
Higher ground
Artist gets inspiration from nature around him
Read Betsy Pickle on page 3
School board predictions District 9 incumbent Pam Trainor, a strong McIntyre supporter, has drawn only a single challenger (albeit an exceptionally vigorous one), so this race will be decided in the primary.
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Read Betty Bean on page 4
City salaries: Bet you didn’t know ... The city of Knoxville is essentially a service provider. It’s a people business. As such, wages and related fringe benefits make up the largest part of the city’s $183 million operating budget.
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Read Nick Della Volpe on page 5
Marvin West talks basketball My mentor ... said “basketball is such a simple game, even you can teach it.” All you have to do is control time and space – and don’t give up the baseline. He explained that effort and positioning are key ingredients of defense and rebounding. He said shooting was a bit more complicated, that even the best players rarely made half their shots. He recommended getting as close to the basket as possible before “putting it up.”
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Read more from Marvin on page 5
Kindergarden round-up There weren’t any critters, but there was a little bit of wrangling at the Mount Olive Elementary School Kindergarten Roundup last week. The Mount Olive library bustled with a mix of parents filling out paperwork and kids “helping” them. Eager older siblings encouraged the proceedings, while younger siblings seemed puzzled by the lack of attention they were getting.
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See school news on page 6
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Kelly Brown adjusts the antlers on the frame of a moose that will be layered with sticks. Photos by Betsy Pickle
Kelly Brown turned a regular playhouse into a fairy fort for his children, Tanner and Zoey.
inspiration because Brown creates sculptures of iron and sticks that are whimBy Betsy Pickle sical yet bound to nature, Kelly Brown is on top of the timeless yet impermanent. world. Some of them look like they That is, he is when he’s in his could be pieces from a game board carport studio at his South Knox- used by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Ents. ville home, just up the hill from Others are more figurative, but Ijams Nature Center. throughout one can glimpse a kinThe air up there must be full of ship with Middle-earth.
Fortunately, one doesn’t have to travel to another world to enjoy Brown’s works. In this month, particularly, when folks from around the country are descending upon the Knoxville area to enjoy the arts, Brown is all over the place, with claims staked by years of hard work, passion and creativity. He created the bicycle arch at the Hill Avenue entrance to Out-
door Knoxville. He installed decorative screens in a space adjacent to developer David Dewhirst’s offices off Jackson Avenue. He has a piece at the Knoxville Zoo. He recently created a cedar sphere, painted a dramatic red, for a homeowner on Gibbs Drive in Fountain City. He also has built To page 3
Lay, McMillan are GOP candidates to replace Swann Another frequent complaint is his overreliance on Orders of ProThe swan takes flight. After 32 years on the bench, 4th tection. At one time, Knox County’s Circuit Court Judge Bill Swann 4th Circuit Court issued more OPs announced his retirement last than Davidson, Hamilton, Shelby year, shortly after lawyer Greg and Sullivan counties combined. He also has a stable of lawyers McMillan said he would seek the who work as his “special masters.” job whether Swann ran or not. These lawyers have their own robes, dockets and nameplates. When they’re not wielding a gavel, they are practicing in his court, raising Swann is Knox County’s most the question of how these individucontroversial judge; lawyers and lit- als can be agents of the judge one igants either love or hate him. Many day and come before him the next? Candidate Patti Jane Lay is one just bypass his court entirely, filing in Chancery Court and putting a of these, and Swann has endorsed her to succeed him. burden on that court’s caseload. These practices have caused The biggest complaint against Judge Swann is his overreliance on Chancery Court dockets to bepsychologists, with several working come overloaded with divorce cases. Swann’s critics say he has in his court, pushing up costs. The state requires that divorc- made the process of getting a diing couples undergo one media- vorce in Knox County expensive, tion session; Swann requires four. cumbersome and protracted. The candidates: Two lawThe state requires four hours of Parent Education Seminars; yers seek to replace Judge Swann, a race that will be decided in the Swann requires 12. It is difficult to get a trial date May 6 Republican Primary. The because he has trial “manage- winner will face the winner of the ments,” which require litigants to Democratic Primary, either Danspend yet another day sitting in iel Kidd or David Valone, in the the courtroom with their lawyers general election. Patti Jane Lay and Greg McMilso that progress toward settlelan are campaigning hard – both ment can be “measured.”
By Jake Mabe
Analysis
in the shadow of Bill Swann. Lay grew up in Fountain City and Bearden, graduating from Webb School of Knoxville. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Emory University in Atlanta and a law degree at UT. She and her husband, Tom Baugh, live in Bearden and have three chilLay dren. McMillan says he declared his intentions to run in 2006. He graduated from Bearden High before earning a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from UT. He and his wife, Summer, have five children. He is special counsel with the Lewis Thomason law firm. McMillan says he got into the race because, “the court hasn’t been working well for the people of Knox County for several years.” He says he will: ■ Do a better job screening orders of protection, granting them not at the initial stage by special masters, but by the court of record. “It eliminates appeals.” ■ Ensure better coordination between law enforcement and the court, making orders of protection
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simplified, clear and typed rather than written. ■ Change the way the docket is handled. Says most cases are filed in Chancery Court because of Swann’s “biases,” which has created a logjam. ■ Change Swann’s snow day policy, opening court even if Knox County governMcMillan ment is closed for those who can safely make it to court. On the civil side, McMillan says he will change the current policy of a required 12-hour parenting class to the state-required four-hour class. Also will look at offering online classes. Says when a parent is going through a divorce, their children need them more than ever. “The court needs to work better for the people of Knox County. There’s going to be a change (in judges). But it needs to be the right change.” Lay did not return our call for comment. Candidate bios can be found at their respective websites, w w w.pattijanelay forjudge.com and http://mcmillanforjudge.com. Betty Bean contributed to this report.