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NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Windrock Coal Miners Memorial The Windrock Coal Miners Memorial dedication ceremony has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17, with refreshments being served in the Union Valley Baptist Church fellowship hall. The church is located at the end of Windrock Road in Oliver Springs. Descendants of Windrock coal miners, retired miners and numerous others have worked together raising money to build a red brick and granite wall. The names of over 1,000 Windrock coal miners have been engraved into the granite. Everyone is invited to attend the dedication celebration.
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May July 12, 29, 2013 2014
Teacher appreciation comes from the heart
IN THIS ISSUE
He’s back!
I’m happy to say the reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated. That’s not to say there weren’t days I thought I was dead, but it turns out I was just in Eighty Four, Pa.
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Read Larry Van Guilder on page 4
New ministry open house New life and hope are coming to Vestal United Methodist Church. The Beacon of Hope ministry has started a partnership at Vestal UMC, 115 Ogle Ave., and is operating several programs using the church’s facilities. An open house will be offered at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 18.
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Read Betsy Pickle on page 3
Magic of music The new Digitrax Entertainment facility at 6520 Chapman Highway is something special. Digitrax’s array of services can be summed up simply: Amazing music products. Talented personnel include musicians, songwriters and artists who keep creativity flowing like an electrical current throughout the studios.
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Read Nancy Whittaker on page 7
Kids learn Internet safety Anyone old enough to remember the “three R’s” knows that schools moved beyond teaching just “reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic” years ago. Even so, it was eyeopening to sit in on a special program officers from the Knoxville Police Department held for Dogwood Elementary School’s fifth-graders about Internet safety.
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Read more on page 6
Teachers Hunter Watson, Belinda Hill and Ethan Pignataro model the T-shirts New Hopewell Elementary School principal Patricia Moore gave all her faculty members for Teacher Appreciation Week. Photo by Betsy Pickle
By Betsy Pickle Knox County teachers have had a tough year, no question. Between issues with evaluations and questions over testing, they have experienced frustration and worry. They’ve “revolted” in red on the local level and sued on the state level. But throughout the tumult, they’ve had parents and administrators supporting them. And nowhere was that more apparent than in South Knox schools last week – generally celebrated as Teacher Appreciation Week. “I make a very big deal out of Teacher Appreciation Week,” says Patricia Moore, principal at New Hopewell Elementary School. “First, I make sure the teachers and staff have breakfast and lunch each day – most of which
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Other principals had their own strategies for showing appreciation. Principal Muncie Harbin at South Knox Elementary says they had a special lunch each day. At Mooreland Heights Elementary, principal Roy Miller was host at a PTA faculty luncheon on Friday. Because of testing schedules, principal Lana Shelton-Lowe at Dogwood Elementary organized the appreciation efforts the week before, and principal Linda Norris of Bonny Kate Elementary planned hers for this week, which will coincide with the school’s Spirit Week. One week may not seem like much in the context of an entire school year, especially a tumultuous one like this one, but the principals in South Knox proved that there’s a lot of love for teachers in this part of the county.
Deadline nears for conservation easements USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is now accepting applications for its new Agricultural Conservation Easements Program (ACEP). Up to $366 million is available nationwide for the purchase of conservation easements on eligible agricultural lands and wetlands. “This is an exciting new opportunity for even more people to get involved in conserving natu-
ral resources,” said Kevin Brown, state conservationist. “We encourage state and local governments, non-governmental organizations and private landowners to contact their local NRCS office to find out how to apply.” The ACEP, created through the 2014 Farm Bill, funds easements for agricultural lands and wetland reserves. Approved agricultural easements would prevent pro-
ductive working lands from being converted to non-agricultural uses and maximize protection of land devoted to food production. Cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland and nonindustrial private forestland are eligible. Wetlands reserve easements would restore and enhance wetlands and improve habitat. Eligible lands include farmed or converted wetlands that can be successfully
and cost-effectively restored. Applications for wetlands reserve easements will be rated according to the easement’s potential for protecting and enhancing habitat for migratory birds, fish and other wildlife. Applications must be submitted to Tennessee NRCS by June 6, 2014. Applications are available at local USDA Service Center and at www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted/.
Momentum swings detected by early voting By Sandra Clark There’s not much to be said for early voting. It’s expensive for both taxpayers and candidates. Last week’s primary brought out about 10 percent of registered voters. It’s amazing that elections that mean so much draw so little interest.
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I cook for them. I post a menu the week before. “Then, I call out several teachers’ names for door prizes each morning. Next, I put candy with a note in each staff member’s mailbox each day.” Moore surprised them at a brief after-school meeting last Tuesday with neon-green T-shirts featuring a cool cat and the slogan, “Education is Groovy.” She had other gifts for the teachers through the week. She also enlisted the students to help show teachers thanks by asking them to bring a gift each day: a flower on Monday, a snack on Tuesday, a soft drink or water on Wednesday, a homemade card on Thursday and “a great BIG hug” on Friday.
Early voting distorts the normal campaign rhythm. All the handbooks say to build a campaign calendar backward, designing advertising and general momentum to peak on Election Day. It’s hard to sustain any level of enthusiasm over 25 days. But early voting does enable
political junkies to detect momentum swings. In the Republican Primary for sheriff, Jimmy “J.J.” Jones won handily, but early voting shows him ahead of Bobby Waggoner 60 to 32 percent. That lead slimmed to 54 to 38 percent on Election Day, indicating that Waggoner’s campaign was gaining momentum. Contrast that with the race for Criminal Court clerk where the percentages stayed virtually identical for winner Mike Hammond, Jason Hunnicutt and Steve Williams. In the close race to replace retiring Judge Bill Swann, early voting made the difference. Patti Jane Lay actually won on Election Day (50.82 to 49.18 percent), but
Greg McMillan topped her in early voting (51.6 percent to 49.18). He won overall, 10,489 to 10,276. In the South Knox school board race, the numbers were consistent. But in West Knox, board chair Lynne Fugate was leaking momentum. Sally Absher gained 4 points, from 32 to 36 percent from early voting to Election Day, while Fugate dropped from 56 to 52.8 percent. Fugate still won, but Absher was gaining. In West Knox County, frontrunner Terry Hill stayed flat with 46 percent. But second-place finisher Sandra Rowcliffe was gaining rapidly, going from 20.8 percent in early voting to 25.5 percent on Election Day. Reckon
it was the (www.facebook.com/ sandrarowcliffe?fref=ts) song? Her gains came at the expense of third-place finisher Bradley Buchanan, who dropped from 21 percent in early voting to only 16 percent on Election Day. By Tennessee law, early voting begins 20 days before and stops five days before each election. That could easily be halved, but who’s got the political will to propose it? After all, it’s your money they’re spending, and no politician wants to be seen as anti-voting. My old friend Scott Frith says it best: “That change would save money, but it probably won’t happen. That’s the trouble with elections. They’re so darn political!”
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