SOUTH KNOX VOL. 32 NO. 21 1
BUZZ Officially yours The polar vortex surely won’t be an issue this time. The South Knoxville Community Forum with SoKno’s elected officials originally planned for Feb. 26 has been rescheduled. Vice Mayor and City Council member Nick Pavlis, County Commissioner Mike Brown and Board of Education member Amber Rountree will meet with and update SoKno residents on issues and answer questions. The forum will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 4, at Ijams Nature Center. It is open to all residents of South Knoxville/South Knox County.
South High Choir returns Since reuniting three years ago to honor former choir director Harold Mays, alumni members of the South High School choir have continued to perform at various events. Now, at the request of Mays, they’re putting on another show. They will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 28, at SouthDoyle Middle School.
Neighborhood grant winners Two SoKno neighborhoods have been chosen to receive grants from the city of Knoxville’s Neighborhood Small Grants Program. The grants are for neighborhood-improvement projects that also build community and strengthen the organizations that serve them. In all, 12 groups were selected to receive a total of $22,900, contingent upon a City Council vote May 26 (after the Shopper press deadline). Lindbergh Forest Neighborhood Association will receive $400 to defray expenses related to the startup costs of the newly formed group. To page 3
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Go climb a Crag By Betsy Pickle The newest feature of Ijams Nature Center is officially open to the public. Dignitaries and climbing enthusiasts joined to celebrate the ribbon cutting, which turned out to be a bit different from the norm. Rope took the place of ribbon as a couple of climbers rappelled down the rock face to do the honors late Friday afternoon. The outdoor climbing area in a remote part of Mead’s Quarry offers a variety of climbing routes, ranging from easy to difficult. Benjy Darnell, Kelly Brown, Robbie Blackwell, Sam Adams and Charley Van Anda have led the endeavor to create Ijams Crag and are still working on some routes. Support has come from Rivers Sports Outfitters, Patagonia, Lowe’s and the city of Knoxville.
More pictures on page 3
Beware of seasonal scams, says KPD By Wendy Smith Last month, West Hills Community Association president Ashley Williams was alerted to the regular presence of a man selling security systems door-todoor. The man was taking pictures of houses and asking residents who already had security systems which doors and windows were monitored. He would then ask to put a sign in the yard. At least one neighbor had a break-in a few days after speaking with the man. Williams approached the salesperson on the street and asked to see his license. He presented an application rather than an actual license. Williams then contacted the company, and was passed to an attorney. After Williams spoke to law enforcement, the attorney said the company would no longer work in the neighborhood. But Williams
has visited the company’s West Knox office, and salespeople, primarily driving cars with Utah license plates, are still working in the area, he says. He hopes other neighborhoods can benefit from what his neighbors have learned. “A legal solicitor’s permit should be notarized and should have a permit number on it. If they don’t have it, say you’re not interested and call the police dispatch number. You have the right to say ‘Get off my property.’ Don’t feel obligated to listen to a pitch.” Darrell DeBusk, public information officer for the Knoxville Police Department, says late spring and early summer are prime time for a variety of doorto-door scams. That’s when scammers who spend the winter in the south head north. Many are selling services like driveway paving, painting and
roofing, and they appeal to homeowners hoping to save money. But DeBusk warns against using service providers who shows up on your doorstep. Instead, homeowners should contact local providers who are licensed and bonded and have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau. A request for payment up front should be a red flag, he says. A common scam is linoleum sales. Accomplices enter the home while homeowners are looking at samples. Those selling magazine subscriptions may be legitimate, but salespeople often have criminal records, he says. Neighborhoods, as a whole, cannot prohibit solicitors if they have public roads. But individual property owners can prohibit solicitors on their property with a clearly visible sign, says Ron Mills of the city law department. Gated neighborhoods or those with pri-
vate roads can prohibit solicitors. Knox County requires a license to sell goods and services door-todoor. Knox County Commissioner John Schoonmaker says his neighbors in Tan Rara subdivision typically ask to see a solicitor’s license. If none is presented, they give the solicitor five minutes to leave the neighborhood before calling the sheriff’s office’s non-emergency number. “I have seen solicitors being escorted out of our neighborhood in the back seat of the sheriff’s cruiser. The word gets around to other solicitors that our neighborhood doesn’t like solicitors,” he says. In April, county commission approved an ordinance that gives the Knox County Clerk the authority to withhold a solicitor license from someone who has an outstanding warrant or has been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude in the last 10 years.
No meeting of the minds at budget talks By Betty Bean
City Council secretary Susan Wilson plans to pass on her rubber band ball when she retires later this year.
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Read Wendy Smith on page 4
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The only clear consensus reached at the joint school board/ county commission meeting last week came when district members of each body promised to get together with their counterparts and talk about school needs before the county budget comes up for a vote next month. This came at the conclusion of a dinner and discussion get-together at the East Tennessee History Center. The board members, commissioners and Dr. James McIntyre were seated around a horseshoe-shaped table in the middle of the room to facilitate conversation. The most powerful player in the budget discussions, Mayor Tim Burchett, who has veto power over any commission vote (it would take eight votes to override him) was seated in the audience and was not asked for
his opinion, perhaps because his views are well known. He’s not going to go for anything that requires raising taxes. Things went the way they usually do this time of the year, with most (but not all) school board members pleading for increased funding and most (but not all) commissioners advising them to shut up and live within their means. There was majority agreement on an issue Knox County Schools has been pushing this year – the balanced calendar commonly (but not quite accurately) called yearround school: It’s too expensive to talk about at a time when the county is struggling to find a way to pay for long-overdue teachers’ raises and communities are clamoring for new school buildings. Commission chair Brad Anders repeated his warning that the county has been living off the pro-
ceeds of a 1999 property tax increase and has no more fat to cut. School board member Terry Hill, who represents the Hardin Valley area, which is hoping for a new middle school, implored members of County Commission to think about doing something to raise money to build new schools. “More people than you might think would be willing to pay their fair share,” she said. Commissioner Ed Brantley said his hands are tied because of his no-new-taxes campaign promise, but he recommended that his colleagues consider approving a referendum vote on a half-cent sales tax increase. He objected to the superintendent’s recommendation to build a new north-central elementary school: “Do you have to build three schools? This elementary school showed up on the list out of no-
where.” McIntyre corrected Brantley and said the elementary school had been in the system’s 2012 plan. Commissioner Charles Busler won the most jaw-dropping statement of the night when he said he went 43 years on his job without a raise and chided the schools for not returning good results for the county’s investment. McIntyre challenged him to compare and contrast recent student outcomes and graduation rates with those of the past. Board member Karen Carson said the county needs to give teachers a minimum of a four percent raise. “It’s a slap in the face to say every other (county) employee gets a 3 percent and tell the schools to find the money for teachers to get one.”
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Life-saving treatment Grainger County man given second chance James Mills was sitting on the floor of his home in Mascot on Feb. 7, helping his girlfriend, Kim Severs, assemble a spice rack. It was a simple task, and not strenuous, at all. “Something popped in my head,” Mills remembers. Mills told Severs that he felt funny. She asked him what was wrong. Mills was only able to reply with two words. “My head …,” he uttered. He says when the pain came, he also lost control over the left side of his body. Severs remembers the moment in detail. “His whole left side just went dead all at once – face, hand, arm, leg – all of it,” Severs says. “He was trying to talk, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying.” Having worked as a nurse at a nursing home in the past, Severs knew immediately what was happening as she watched her boyfriend seemingly melt on one side. “I got him up into a chair and then shouted at the neighbor to call 911, because he was having a stroke,” Severs says. Minutes matter in stroke treatment, so the ambulance rushed Mills from his home to a location where he could be picked up by a helicopter. He was flown to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “I was terrified,” Severs says, “because I thought it would be permanent, to be quite honest.” Mills says the clot was the result of another problem that he had been dealing with for quite some time. “I have an afib heart,” Mills explains, “and my doctor had taken me off of my blood thinner.” Atrial fibrillation starts with an irregular heart rate that’s sometimes also rapid and can commonly cause poor blood flow to the body. During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two upper chambers (the atria) beat out of sync and out of coordination with the two lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart. This can result in blood clots, and if a clot is pumped down to the bottom of the heart, it can be pumped out to the rest of the body. In about 40 percent of cases, the clot goes to the brain, often resulting in a stroke. That’s what happened to Mills. Patients with atrial fibrillation are at a higher risk for stroke. While Mills was being flown to the hospital, Severs was rushing to meet him on the ground. She was filled with fear and anxiety. When time
idea to turn right around and put him through another procedure? “I asked Dr. Woodward what he would do if it was a member of his family,” Severs says. “He said he would order the clot retrieval, so that’s what we did.” Mills is back at home going about his daily life, and most people would never guess what happened to him in February. “I didn’t lose any of my motor skills, and I can pretty much still do what I did before the stroke,” says Mills. He’s experiencing some short term memory loss, but doctors say his memory will mostly likely be restored in good time. “So I reckon I’m in good shape.” Asked if he was afraid during the experience, Mills says he wasn’t, because he knew he was in good hands with the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional. “They got me in and out, got me straightened up, they got me back home,” Mills says. “I thank God I’m OK, but I also thank God for giving The Interventional Radiology team within the Comprehensive Stroke Center of Fort Sanders Re- them the knowledge to do what they did for me.” “I was really impressed with Fort Sanders,” gional provides fast, life-saving treatment to hundreds of stroke patients each year. Severs adds. “He’s back to his old self, it’s a mircame for her to see Mills after his treatment, she Fort Sanders Regional has a comprehensive acle, he’s great.” Mills says he thinks his girlfriend is pretty was flooded with relief. stroke center where highly trained neurologists “I could tell they had done something to reverse offer stroke treatment that’s fast and effective. great, too. Her knowledge and quick reaction it, because he looked normal, and he was moving Intra-arterial stroke treatment uses a special de- helped him get the treatment he needed in timehis fingers,” Severs says. “I started crying and vice to capture and pull out blood clots lodged in ly manner. “She came through like a trooper,” thanking everybody.” the vessels leading to the brain. Research shows Mills says. For information about the CompreClot busting drugs are given to stroke patients that patients who have both the clot busting through a vein to improve blood flow and mini- medicine and clot retrieval fair better than those hensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional,, visit fsregional.com/stroke or mize potential disabilities. The amount of time it who are treated with just medicine. takes for that to happen at Fort Sanders Regional Clot retrieval is a very specialized procedure, call 865-541-1111. is about 30 minutes faster than the national aver- and it isn’t available age. The difference is significant for anyone, but at every hospital. especially for patients like Mills, who travel from Woodward, a neurooutlying counties for treatment. interventional radiBut the work wasn’t ologist, is one of a finished. Treating the imselect few performmediate effects of a stroke ing the procedure in is one thing. Working to Knoxville. keep the next one from But choices for happening is something comprehensive treatelse. ment are ultimately “Dr. Keith Woodward up to the patients came out and told me that and their loved ones. James had a blood clot in Mills had just been When it comes to stroke, time lost is brain his brain,” Severs recalls. through a harrowing lost, so it’s important to understand the “And said they could go in experience with the and retrieve it.” stroke. Was it a good warning signs and how to reduce your risk. Dr. Keith Woodward
WARNING Signs of Stroke
The region’s first comprehensive stroke center Delivering immediate and excellent care When a stroke happens, timely treatment is critical. The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional is well above the national average in delivering prompt treatment of live saving medication. Clot busting drugs are given to stroke patients through a vein to improve blood flow and minimize potential disabilities. The amount of time it takes for a patient to be brought into a hospital until the moment medications are intravenously administered is referred to as “door to needle time.” While the average door to needle time is a little more than an hour, the door to needle time at Fort Sanders Regional is 45 minutes. That’s 15 minutes fast-
er than the national average. It’s just one of the many advantages a patient has when treated at a comprehensive stroke center. The stroke center exists to provide the highest level of stroke care for complicated stroke cases. “It really exists to provide that next level up from what you can get at your local community hospital,” Dr. Arthur Moore, medical director of the Fort Sanders Regional Stroke Center, says. “Strokes can often be treated at those hospitals, but finding out why the stroke occurred to prevent it from happening again sometimes takes someone who’s done a lot more work in treating stroke.” Moore says finding out the
“why” takes some digging into a patient’s background, and sometimes it’s not as obvious as the main risk factors. “Stroke centers tend to be better and faster at treating stroke just because we see it all the time,” Moore says. “We have doctors who can go up into the brain and pull a clot out, and that’s a really specialized niche. Most hospitals don’t have access to someone who can do that.” The Comprehensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional sees patients from throughout East Tennessee, and even from Kentucky. To learn more, visit fsregional.com/stroke, or call 865-541-1111.
If you or a loved one experience any of these symptoms, call 911. Sudden severe headache with no known cause Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
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SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • MAY 27, 2015 • 3
Climb a Crag From page 1
Instead of cutting the ribbon, Ben Davis and Micah McCrotty rappel down the rock wall to officially open Ijams Crag to the public.
Charley Van Anda, Benjy Darnell, Kelly Brown, Robbie Blackwell and Sam Adams (at rear) talk about how they turned a remote, vegetation-covered rock face from a trespasser’s paradise into an exciting part of Ijams Nature Center. Photos by Justin Acuff
Savannah and Sienna Ellison climb near the base of the crag.
Neighbors in sync at art show Neighbors Rick Alexander and Rand Arnold don’t look to each other for cups of sugar.
Betsy Pickle But they’re happy to supply each other with moral support, encouragement and – in Alexander’s case – occasional computer expertise as they pursue the challenging path of the artist. A joint exhibit of their works opened for Vestival at the Candoro Arts and Heritage Center and runs through the end of the month. Alexander’s three-dimensional works range from bold and semi-industrial to mysterious and whimsical. Arnold is a painter who also mixes drawing, lithography and intaglio into his offbeat and sometimes subtly political art. They live one house apart in Island Home Park, and each has a studio in his basement from which he can walk out into the backyard. They can practically drink their morning coffee together. “We’ll yell to each other across our neighbor’s yard,” says Arnold. There might be something special in that coffee. Island Home Park overflows with residents who are artists; Alexander and Arnold can quickly reel off a list of names. But there’s a special camaraderie between these two. Alexander, who spent the early part of his life in Blount County, has lived in South Knoxville since the early 1970s. He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture from the University of Tennessee. For many years, he worked with Conrad Loy as a company called Joint Effort Productions, creating sets for “television specials or plays, and we did things for band tours. … We got too old and couldn’t do it anymore.” Alexander also spent 32 years working for the state at the Tennessee School for the Deaf “doing computerbased stuff” plus video production and editing, including a series of about 150 30-minute programs to teach sign language. He wasn’t an IT guy but “more like a power user. “I got into computers not from the graphics side but from the computer side,” he said. “Didn’t you design your
Rick Alexander and Rand Arnold at Candoro
own first computer?” asks Arnold. “I built it, but out of prefab parts, not from scratch,” says Alexander. Arnold, from St. Louis, moved to Knoxville from Portland, Ore., in 1999. He earned his bachelor’s from Columbia College in Missouri and his MFA from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion after a stint at the University of Wisconsin. In addition to being an adjunct art professor at Pellissippi State Community College, Arnold works full-time as a cashier at Three Rivers Market, which provides him not only with networking opportunities but also with inspiration for environmentally conscious artworks. He describes his influences as “a hodgepodge,” from Francisco Goya to Red Grooms. Alexander is a big fan of Rembrandt.
Each insists that the other’s works are more interesting. Arnold is even impressed with where Alexander gets his materials. “He’ll say, ‘I found on Craigslist 20 little wheels,’ like ball bearings or industrial objects,” says Arnold. “He’s always seeking them on the Internet.” “Most of the specialty stuff either comes from eBay or Home Depot,” says Alexander. “That’s pretty much it. “I don’t mean to be glib about it; it’s almost not important what the materials are to me. It’s more important what shape the material is or what form it takes and how it combines with other things. That’s much more important than what it is.” On the web: trichardalexander.net (Alexander) and islandhomestudio.com (Arnold).
SoKno award winners Contact person is Kelley DeLuca, 660-4728, kelleydeluca@gmail. com. The group will meet every third Wednesday at Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike. Old Sevier Community Group will be granted $2,400 to create a monarch butterfly waystation on the grounds of South Knoxville
Photo by Betsy Pickle
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From page 1
Elementary School. The project engages the neighborhood and the school’s students and is an important step in rebuilding the beleaguered monarch butterfly population. A new round of grantmaking under the Neighborhood Small Grants Program will be announced this summer.
REUNION NOTES ■ Central High School Class of 1955 will hold its 60th reunion at Beaverbrook Country Club on Friday, June 5. ■ Central High Class of 1965 will host a 50th reunion Friday and Saturday, June 5-6. Central High School Class of 1980 35th reunion, 6-10 p.m. Saturday, June 27, ■ Korean War Veterans reunion luncheon will be held 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25, at Bearden Banquet Hall, 5806 Kingston Pike. All East Tennessee military veterans who served during the Korean War (1950-53) are invited. Cost: $12. Veterans may invite spouses and significant others. RSVP requested. Info/RSVP: Rex Davis, 689-3900.
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4 • MAY 27, 2015 • Shopper news
Tennessee has a little cup problem Dave Hart has said all along that repairing football was his first order of business. Raising millions for salary increases and more and better facilities is obviously the second priority of the athletic director. Two is linked to one. Pumping basketball back up is probably next in line. Rick Barnes brings hope. There is one highlight and half of another. The new TV studio is superb. Dorm construction is on schedule. Money works wonders. The boss appears to be above the fray over what to call Tennessee women athletes but others are in a tizzy. Should he choose to engage, this could be timeconsuming – and maybe bruising.
Marvin West
As busy as he otherwise is, Hart must have noticed the baseball surge. After a miserable season, those Vols gave us a miracle finish, three wins in a row based on finding a foe worse that they were, to qualify for the SEC tournament. Hart’s list of possible interests may include NACDA Directors’ Cup standings, the comparison of performances in all recognized college sports. The bottom line shows how a school is
doing in all-around competition. Last time we looked, Tennessee wasn’t doing very well. Ironic that this evaluation is sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. Hart is part owner. Butch Jones’ football team didn’t shake the ground with the 7-6 record but it earned 45 cup points with the bowl victory. Iowa got 25 for losing. Tennessee’s other fall teams fell somewhere near flat. The Vols didn’t qualify for the NCAA cross-country run. Women’s soccer went 10-10 and didn’t get to play in the NCAA tournament. Volleyball was a not very pretty 8-24. UT does not participate
in men’s soccer, men’s water polo and women’s field hockey, three reasons it cannot keep up with Stanford, UCLA and others who do. Many who care about a well-rounded athletic program believe Tennessee is still in decline. It finished 40th last year, 10th in the SEC, worst in the 20-year history of the cup. I see a glimpse of optimism. Women’s basketball did well, considering injuries, and should grow stronger. Softball exceeded expectations in what was supposed to be a retooling campaign. Tennessee men and women finished fourth in SEC swimming and diving. Mauricio Robles won two of three diving titles.
Pole-vaulter Jake Blankenship cleared 18 feet, 3 inches to win his event at the SEC outdoor track meet. That was only three inches down from his best vault of last season. Here’s a window into the plight of Tennessee track: Drew Kelley ran the best 1500 of his life in the prelims and failed to advance. Brielyn Rogers came through with her best-ever triple jump and placed 12th. Twelfth (next to last in this case) is where the Vols finished in track team standings. They scored 28.5 points. Florida won with 130.5. Vanderbilt didn’t play. UT women scored 15 points, just enough to place last. Arkansas won with 127.5. Measuring stick: Tennessee, once a national power in track and field, finished more than a hun-
dred points behind the SEC winners. Interesting that Beth Alford-Sullivan accepted the challenge of fi xing the problem – without an indoor facility. Tennis, anyone? Seniors Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese are nationally ranked in doubles but the tennis team had a 14-13 record. The women were 11-15 overall and 3-11 against SEC foes. Top golfer Chad Merzbacher tied for 40th in the San Diego regional. The women’s team placed third in their regional, eight strokes off the pace. Tennessee did not make the nationals in rowing but nobody drowned. Tennessee did better in academics than athletics. Alas, classroom scores are not a factor in Directors’ Cup standings. Marvin West invites reader comments. His address is westwest6@netzero.com
Retiring city staffers share memories Not long after beginning her job with Knoxville City Council, secretary Susan Wilson began wrapping rubber bands around a paperweight. Almost 33 years later, the rubber-band ball is the size, and weight, of a medicine ball. It’d be bigger if she didn’t occasionally reuse the rubber bands. She plans to bequeath the ball to another city employee when she retires later this year, along with her long-time officemates. City recorder Cindy Mitchell has held her post for 35 years and auditor Melissa Peters was hired 27 years ago. They’re all looking forward to the next stage of life, but will miss the rapport they’ve built with each other − and some of their bosses. Their bosses are the nine city council members, so they’ve had a lot of bosses.
One of the keys to a long career in the city council office is staying apolitical, Cindy says. Susan said she had to learn to keep her opinions to herself, even when she was asked. They have stories to tell − more than they would ever tell a reporter. But they laugh as they recall funny moments during council meetings. Cindy recalls council member Ed Bailey, a former major league ball player, getting heckled during a meeting. His response: “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You, too. I’ve been booed by thousands.” Melissa remembers city attorney Harold Mills saying, “Stick it in your ear,” when he was heckled. Cell phones added a new dimension to meetings. Texting allowed Cindy and Susan to make comments to
Wendy Smith
each other, and when council members realized that one member never turned off his ringer, they enjoyed calling him during meetings. Council members continue to make casual bets on when meetings will end. Cindy has accused some of stretching out meetings to make it to their estimated time. Some meetings had dark moments. Cindy recalls sitting between two council members who began to threaten each other. They made plans to take the dis-
agreement out to the parking lot. Susan doesn’t attend meetings unless she’s filling in for Cindy, but she remembers a tense meeting in East Knoxville following a series of shootings. This was during Victor Ashe’s administration when meetings were held in each district. There was unrest, but nothing happened, she says. They’ve each taken their share of interesting phone calls. Cindy’s favorite was the man who called to ask if his wife had filed for divorce. Many call to ask if they are scheduled to appear in court, and Susan often tries to help them. Melissa says she’s not as polite as her officemates. When she couldn’t help a man who called to ask if there was a lien on his boat, he got angry, she says. Times have changed
Knoxville City Council staff members Melissa Peters, Cindy Mitchell and Susan Wilson will soon retire after almost a century of combined service. Photo by Wendy Smith since they began their careers. In those days, female staffers were required to wear skirts, hose and heels, Cindy says. Women are generally more respected now. Susan remembers a man coming into the office several years ago, asking to see the city recorder. When Cindy came out, he said, no, he didn’t
want to speak to the “peons.” They’ve come a long way, and will undoubtedly be hard to replace. “We’ve been blessed to be able to work together, and we’ll miss each other,” Cindy says. “We’ve had great leadership over the years. It’s something Knoxville should be proud of.”
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Shopper news • MAY 27, 2015 • 5
‘Make a difference’ for people with disabilities
“I challenge you to go out and make a difference” on employment issues for people with disabilities, state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey told a crowded Market Square audience for the public celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Bill Dockery
“Only 25 percent of people with disabilities are employed,” Massey said. “It’s our job to focus on abilities.” Besides her legislative work, she is executive director of the Sertoma Center, an organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities. Massey was joined by Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero at the event put together by the DisAbility Resource Center, a Knoxville
State Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, Katherine Moore and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero gather after ceremonies on Market Square honoring the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Moore is service coordinator for the DisAbility Resource Center in Knoxville. Photos by Bill Dockery agency that helps people with disabilities live independently. The center sponsored a visit to the city by the ADA Legacy Tour bus, which is traveling the country to raise awareness of the ADA, its history and its promise. “An estimated 20 percent of the population has a disability of some sort,” Rogero said. “Why would any smart business person build something that 20 percent
of the population can’t use?” Rogero reviewed the steps taken by Knoxville city government to promote independence, empowerment and self-advocacy among people with disabilities, including a disabilitymentoring day to increase city workers’ awareness of citizens with disabilities, as well as targeted sidewalk projects that improve access to the city’s bus system. “We are always looking
for ways to increase accessibilities,” she said. At least 35 agencies, advocacy groups and organizations filled the square with displays promoting services and goods for the disability community. Lillian Burch, executive director of the Disability Resource Center, handed out Spirit of the ADA awards to people and organizations who have been leaders in promoting accessibility and inclusion, including law professor Dean Rivkin, lawyer Brenda McGee, and their education practicum for University of Tennessee law students; educator Gary Harmon; U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander; Bravo! Cucina Italiana restaurant; Tony Lawrence, an employee of the restaurant; volunteer Jason Gaul; and service provider Anne Woodle at East Tennessee Children’s Rehabilitation Center. The Knoxville Mayor’s Council on Disability Issues received a special award for its 30th year of service to the city.
GOSSIP AND LIES ■ Knox County Schools can’t afford to wax the floors this summer. ■ And Patti Bounds says somebody from Central Office has been coming around to the schools, collecting the wax that’s on hand. ■ Who needs this wax and why? ■ Tim Burchett – He wants to sell the wax and other assets to build a school at Gibbs. ■ Jim McIntyre – He needs a local match for another Broad Foundation grant. ■ Gloria Johnson – The multiunemployed former state representative who just resigned as a teacher has an idea for a new product: Johnson’s Wax. ■ Greg Isaacs – The lawyer who keeps the wheels of justice greased for his clients.
Gary Harmon, a Knox County English teacher and motivational speaker, shows off his Spirit of the ADA award to his two children: Nathan, who just completed the third grade at Blue Grass Elementary, and Kaitlyn, a rising eight-grader at West Valley Middle School. Harmon, the author of “My Daddy Takes His Legs Off,” is at work on another children’s book and a memoir.
government Cumberland road work harms Patel Construction on the west end of Cumberland Avenue continues to harm businesses. Local media carried stories of the Exxon station at 22nd and Cumberland where business is off 80 percent. Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis, who represents this area, has urged people to do business here to assist struggling businesses. He is right.
Victor Ashe
The station owner, Rakesh Patel, has been especially harmed. The signage to enter his station going eastbound is poor and it’s not great going west. Patel, who has lived in Knoxville 10 years, is from Gujarat state in India, the home state of Gandhi. He is not familiar with the workings of city government so it is easy for officials to ignore him. He is about to lose his livelihood. Hopefully, readers will fill up with gas there while this construction endures. I purchased gas there last week. He is a very nice but worried man. Who can blame him? The final Cumberland Avenue product will filter cars into two lanes of traffic instead of the current four lanes, creating a giant bottleneck in the heart of the city. And $10 million has been taken from Washington Pike to pay for growing costs there. ■ Former Police Chief Phil Keith says he is “flattered at the number of persons” suggesting he run for mayor. “ I will think it over,” he says. Qualify-
ing deadline for mayor, city judge and city council is noon Thursday, June 18. ■ Council member Finbarr Saunders has raised $21,000 for his reelection campaign, he says. He is closely allied with Mayor Rogero. ■ Dr. Katie Stringer, executive director of Blount Mansion, is leaving to take a position teaching history at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C. She will be replaced by David Hearnes, her deputy, as the interim executive director. Hearnes, 36, has bachelor’s degrees in both history and historic preservation. He has been at Blount for a year and lives with his wife, Hallie, in Bearden. Dorothy Stair, mother of council member Marshall Stair, chairs the Blount Mansion board. The new MPC director, Gerald Green, will make $125,000 a year plus $4,800 a year car allowance when he starts work on July 1. This is an increase in pay from Mark Donaldson and Jeff Welch. He will be in the county pension plan. The new contract has not been completed but you will be kept advised once it is executed as it is a public record. ■ Jeff Welch did an effective job for the past six months running MPC and succeeded in removing the controversial Dave Hill which no one else had accomplished. ■ Ron Emery, who moved his 5 and 10 store from Chapman Highway to Pigeon Forge near Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen, says he is doing very well in the first four weeks. The first weekend doubled his expectations in sales. He hopes to have a formal opening this summer.
Sunshine law empowers Burchett in budget talks It’s budget time in Knox County. Mayor Tim Burchett has proposed a budget and county commission will soon decide whether to approve, amend or reject it. Outright rejection is unlikely. Long gone are the days of a strong county commission willing to ignore the county mayor (formerly the county executive) and pass a budget of its own. Why? One reason is Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act (more commonly known as the “sunshine law”) which effectively blocks any communications between county commissioners about
Scott Frith
public business outside of a public meeting. This makes it difficult for any commissioner to pass an alternative budget. (Unless you’re on a reality television show, it’s tough to negotiate with someone in public with the television cameras rolling.) Yet, unlike county commission, Mayor Burchett is
not restricted by the sunshine law in preparing a budget. The mayor and executive staff can meet individually with each commissioner and haggle behind closed doors to prepare a budget that meets both the mayor’s goals and a majority of the commission (whose votes are ultimately required to pass it). There isn’t anything sinister about this, but as you can imagine, the ability to hold private meetings gives the mayor a distinct advantage in budget negotiations. There are folks in this town who act like the sunshine law is the Magna
Carta. It isn’t. Ultimately, the sunshine law doesn’t make local government more open. Instead, the law merely shifts power away from the legislative branch and puts the power in the county mayor’s office. Moreover, in addition to being the chief fiscal officer for the county, there are other reasons Mayor Burchett has a strong hand in budget negotiations. Not too long ago, occasional tax increases were part of the job of passing a budget. Not anymore. It is difficult to overstate the toxicity of raising taxes among the Republicans who
control county government. (In contrast, last year Knoxville City Council passed a property tax increase with little controversy. A similar occurrence is almost unimaginable with the current county commission.) Therefore, without a tax increase, county commissioners end up with a lot less money to argue over. Fewer funds yield tighter margins for compromise and provide greater leverage for the county mayor to manipulate the outcome behind the scenes. Of course, I could be wrong.
This commission could surprise a lot of folks and strike out on its own with the upcoming budget. The proposed Gibbs Middle School is one issue that could gain support among commissioners and they could vote to overrule Mayor Burchett’s recommendation not to fund the new school. However, in order to be successful, any movement to fund a Gibbs Middle School would likely have to emerge from oversized forces in the Gibbs community and not from any individual county commissioner. Scott Frith is a local attorney. You can reach him at scott@pleadthefrith.com.
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6 • MAY 27, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
VBS 2015 Vacation Bible School
LISTINGS Central Baptist Bearden, 6300 Deane Hill Drive. Kick off, 6-7 p.m. Sunday, June 7; VBS, 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Thursday, June 8-11; Family Celebration, noon-12:45 p.m. Thursday; Carnival, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Laurel Church of Christ, 3457 Kingston Pike, “Journey off the Map,” beginning Sunday, 10:30 a.m. and continuing Sundays and Wednesdays, June 7-10, 6-8:15 p.m. Age 3 through fifth grade. Register: laurelcc.org or 524-1122.
Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 800 Northshore Drive, “Son Treasure Island,” 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday-Friday, May 2629, for age 4 through fifth grade. Info: knoxvilleascension.org or 588-0589.
Meridian Baptist Church, 6513 Chapman Highway, 6:15-9 p.m. Sunday through Friday, July 19-24. Info: 577-6617.
Erin Presbyterian Church, 200 Lockett Road, will host “Cross-Culture Thailand Trek,” 9 a.m.noon Monday-Thursday, June 8-11, for ages 3 years old through fifth grade. Preregistration required. Info/to register: 588-5350 or erinpresbyteria.org.
New Beverly Baptist Church, 3320 New Beverly Church Road, “Fun Run,” MondayFriday, June 1-5, 6-9 p.m. Info: newbeverly.org or 546-0001.
Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, 3700 Keowee Ave., “Everest Expedition, June 1-5. Register at church office or call 522-9804.
Sevier Heights Baptist Church, 3232 Alcoa Highway, “Journey off the Map,” 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 1-5; Family Carnival, 5:30-7:30 Sunday, May 30.
Wallace Memorial Baptist Church, “Journey off the Map,” Monday-Friday, June 1-5, 9 a.m. until noon. Info: wmbc.net.
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weekender
Shopper news • MAY 27, 2015 • 7
FRIDAY ■ Knoxville’s Largest Kids’ Party, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., World’s Fair Park. Admission: $5; kids 3 and under free. Train rides, giant gymnastics obstacle course, magic shows and more. ■ Midnight Voyage Live: Mr. Bill, Cosmoore, Psychonaut, 9 p.m., The International, 940 Blackstock Ave.Info/tickets: www.intlknox.com.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY ■ The third annual Rocky Top BBQ Fest, Worlds’ Fair Park, 1060 Worlds’ Fair Park Drive. Presented by the Rotary Club of Bearden. Featuring the Tennessee State Barbecue cook-off. Info: www.rockytopbbq.com.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY ■ Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood, 7:30 p.m., Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets: www.KnoxvilleTickets. com/Garth; 1-844-4GarthB (1-844-442-7842).
SATURDAY
Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino try to survive a massive earthquake in “San Andreas.”
New flicks travel to romantic Hawaii, quaking California
■ Hard Knox Roller Girls Allstars vs. Richland County Regulators of Columbia, S.C. 5 p.m., Knoxville Civic Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Ave. Intraleague bout: Black Bettys vs. Machine Gun Kellys, 7 p.m. Tickets: Coliseum box office, team members and team website. Info: www.hardknoxrollergirls. com; on Facebook.
By Betsy Pickle
■ Old Fashioned Lantern Tours, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Historic Cherokee Caverns on Oak Ridge Highway. Admission: $8, ages 6 and up; 5 and under free. Info: www.cherokeecaverns. com.
Two films debut in theaters for the final weekend of May. “Almost Famous” and “Say Anything” writer-director Cameron Crowe creates a not-so-bizarre love triangle in “Aloha.” The 50th state is the setting as military contractor Bradley Cooper reunites with old flame Rachel McAdams. Things start heating up again in paradise, but meanwhile the contractor finds himself falling for his Air Force watchdog, played by Emma Stone. Decisions, decisions. The cast also includes Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski, Danny McBride and Elizabeth Marvel. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hustles to the rescue in “San Andreas.” After a massive earthquake
■ Ira Glass, 8 p.m. Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Sponsored by WUOT. Info/tickets: all Ticketmaster outlets; the Tennessee Theatre box office; 800-745-3000.
■ The Retropolitan Craft Fair, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Southern Railway Station, 306 W. Depot Ave. ■ TivaWater 5K Run and free barbecue, 10 a.m., World’s Fair Park. Includes: free Dead End BBQ, live music, a state barbecue cook-off, drinks, games and more. Proceeds go to provide clean water for vulnerable families in Uganda. Info/ to register: http://www.tivarace.com.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY ■ Cold Blooded Creatures Warm Hearts at Repticon Knoxville!, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Crowne Plaza, 401 W. Summit Hill Drive. Info/advance tickets: www.repticon.com/knoxville.html.
SUNDAY Bradley Cooper and Rachel McAdams reconnect in “Aloha.” strikes California, Johnson and his ex, Carla Gugino, make a dangerous journey across the state to rescue
their daughter. The cast also includes Alexandra Daddario, Ioan Gruffudd, Paul Giamatti
and Kylie Minogue. Brad Peyton (“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”) directed.
■ St. Vincent Sarah Neufeld (of Arcade Fire) in concert, 8 p.m., Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Info/tickets: all Ticketmaster outlets; the Tennessee Theatre box office; 800745-3000.
Nineteenth-century civility By Carol Shane It seems that, along with all the other usual summer activities such as water fun, hiking, outdoor grilling and the like, East Tennessee is also currently ripe for time travel. Now that may strike you as an odd thing to say, but consider that the East Tennessee Medieval Faire just wrapped up its final weekend. And this coming Saturday, Ramsey House will be presenting a vintage “base ball” game. That’s right: vintage base ball – two separate words in 19th-century parlance – featuring vintage uniforms and equipment. And you can even ride a train to get there, just as old-time batsmen would have done. In fact, some of the current players will be riding along with you, sharing stories and moments from their favorite pastime. The magical event – think “Field of Dreams,” but a century earlier – features two hometown teams, the Knoxville Holstons and the Emmett Machinists, from the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball (TaoVBB.) “Those are actual names of teams that played in 1864,” says Judy LaRose, Ramsey House’s executive director. “And they’ll be playing by 1864 rules.” For instance, instead of an umpire, there’s an arbiter. “The teams call
Nathaniel “The Kid” Cordle will join the rest of the Knoxville Holstons in a vintage “base ball” game this Saturday at Ramsey House. Photo submitted their own plays,” LaRose says. “If they can’t agree on a ruling, they go to the arbiter, and if they still can’t agree, they ask the audience.” Oh, yes, this is an interactive experience. And if it’s a hot day, which is highly probable this time of year, the players may wish to make adjustments to their uniforms, some of which contain wool. “If there are ladies present,” says LaRose, “the players will stop the game and ask their permission to roll up their sleeves.” It all comes under the heading of “recreating the civility of 19th century
base ball,” according to the TaoVBB website. “We promote living history by bringing the 19th century to life through base ball events that use the rules, equipment, costumes and culture of the 1860s. We provide cultural enrichment and education programs and activities to youth and adults that emphasize honor, team play, respectful conduct and community pride. Our goal is to exemplify to youth and adults alike the values that are lacking in modern-day athletic programs, and encourage a sense of belonging regardless of race, gender, religious conviction or
physical ability.” Ramsey House is in its second year of presenting such vintage games. The event is free to the public, and concessions sold will benefit the museum. “We’ll have hot dogs, popcorn and cookies, and we’ve just gotten our beer permit, so there’ll be cold beer,” says LaRose. Now about that train ride. Historic Ramsey House is very proud to be the recipient of the 2015 Tennessee Association of Museums Award of Excellence, which has recognized the museum’s partnership not only with the TaoVBB, but with Three Rivers Railroad. “It was J.G.M. Ramsey himself who brought the rails in to Knoxville,” says LaRose, “so including the train ride in the event is a real family affair.” The whole event has that family-friendly “make a day of it” vibe. It’s a good opportunity to show your kids that everyday life wasn’t always all about iPhones and Instagram, and to enjoy some of that 19th-century civility yourself. The Knoxville Holstons will play the Emmett Machinists at noon this Saturday, May 30, at Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorn Grove Pike. Info: 546-0745 or ramseyhouse.org. Info about vintage base ball: tennesseev intagebaseball.com. To purchase train tickets: visit three riversrambler.com.
Snapper al Limone By Mystery Diner It all started with Mama. Geraldine Ida Altruda was 12 when she left Italy with her family, settling in Plainview Long Island. Paul Meyer, owner of Altruda’s on North Peters Road, is one of her five sons. In the history of the restaurant, which has been a Knoxville staple for 27 years, Meyer says large family dinners were one of his fondest memories, with family traditions centered around the kitchen. Mama taught her children about good food. Meyer plates those lessons daily at the cozy, welcoming restaurant that captures diners as soon as they open the heavy wooden doors with the aroma of garlic rolls! Secret recipes from the home country, fresh ingredients and that Altruda family attention to detail make anything on the menu a good choice. The Snapper al Limone certainly stood up to the taste test. Large fi lets
of red snapper are dipped in egg batter and then sautéed in lemon, butter and white wine. The sauce swims on the plate with the snapper, so you not only get the flavor in the tasty fish, you can dip and swirl your forkful in more of the sauce if you desire. As with most of the entrees at Altruda’s, the Snapper al Limone comes with the signature salad and a side of pasta with marinara sauce. It is so hard not to fill up on the incredibly delicious salad, especially when they deliver those rolls that have been on your mind since you opened the door. The side dish of pasta was perfectly cooked – and I mean textbook perfect. My dining companion and I had to box it up after a few bites to concentrate on our entrees, but we lamented the few minutes it would spend overcooking in the microwave the next day. However, there was no lamenting going on the next day…
8 • MAY 27, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
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Explore Our Urban Wilderness! Saturday, June 13, 10 - 4 pm: Tea & Treasures 2nd Saturday Marketplace Monday, June 15, 6:30 pm: Monthly SKA meeting. Check our website for meeting location
Saturday, June 17, 11 am - noon: Join us for our monthly cleanup of Ft. Dickerson Quarry area. Meet at the Augusta Road parking lot. Gloves, water and trash-picker-uppers are provided. Saturday, June 27, 1 - 11 pm: Meadowlark Festival, Ijams Nature Center To learn more about the South Knoxville Alliance visit www.SouthKnoxvilleAlliance.org
kids
SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • MAY 27, 2015 • 9
Let’s Move
Diego Gomez earned certificates for Spelling Bee alternate and Academic Achievement, Aerionna Verran for Most ImSouth Knoxville Elementary School students find it hard to stay still on Let’s Move Day, but they manage to arrange themselves proved and Dae’Mani Vining for Academic Achievement and to represent a balanced plate. Fifth-graders (in white shirts) divide the fruit, vegetables, grains and protein, with dairy to the side. Reading. Photos submitted
Photo submitted
Well-deserved awards at Dogwood Dogwood Elementary School overflowed with awards last week as the year came to a close. These third-graders display just a sampling of the achievements made by students at the school.
Charity Hart is a certified Awesome Artist, and Adrienne Fife glows with her You’re So Bright award. Hats Off award winners for third through fifth grade include (seated) Delaney McCarley, Ella Farmer, Paige Severson, Taylor Hopson; (standing) Faith Penner, Skyler Shinlever, Landon Galyon and Landon King. Not pictured, Alyssa Gilbert. Photos by Betsy Pickle
Kindergartner Keiarra Matthews is a Rising Eagle.
Mount Olive celebrates students By Betsy Pickle Mount Olive Elementary School had to split its awards presentations to accommodate all the students and their parents last Wednesday. The gymnasium was bursting not only with the families and kids but also with emotions. Certificates were awarded for academic subjects
such as math, science, social studies, reading and writing and special subjects such as art, music and physical education. Students also received awards such as Vulcan Rising Eagle – recognizing the most improved student within each classroom for academics, effort and/or behavior, and Vulcan Hats
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 “Free Your Voice With the Alexander Technique,” 12:45-4:15 p.m., 313 N. Forest Park Blvd. Preregistration required. Info/to register: Lilly Sutton, 387-7600 or www.AlexanderTechniqueKnoxville.com. Preservation & Libations, 5:30-7 p.m., the Underground, The Crown & Goose, 123 S. Central St. Info: 523-8008 or www.knoxheritage.org. Shakespeare for Kids, 2 p.m., Farragut Branch Library, 417 N. Campbell Station Road. Presented by Tennessee Stage Company. Featuring “Macbeth” and “Taming of the Shrew.” For elementary-age kids and older. Info: 777-1750.
THURSDAY, MAY 28 “Savvy Social Security Planning: What Baby Boomers Need to Know to Maximize Retirement Income” noncredit course. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Pellissippi State Community College Hardin Valley campus. Full schedule of class times and locations: www.pstcc.edu/ bcs. Info: 539-7167. Shakespeare for Kids, 11 a.m., Sequoyah Branch Library, 1140 Southgate Road. Presented by Tennessee Stage Company. Featuring “Macbeth” and “Taming of the Shrew.” For elementary-age kids and older. Info: 525-1541.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 28-31 “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” Tellico Community Playhouse, 304 Lakeside Plaza, Loudon. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $15. Info: www.tellicocommunity playhouse.org.
Off Award – recognizing one student from each classroom whose academic grades average E’s and S’s, who has a consistent positive attitude and effort and who has an A average in all behavior grades. Vulcan Materials, Mount Olive’s Partner in Education, sponsored the latter two awards.
Naomi Garner is noted for both Academic Achievement and being a Math Magician, while Xandra Jackson gets acclaim for First Honors, Spelling Bee and Most Musical.
Hats Off award winners for kindergarten through first grade are Veda Farr, Madeline McIntyre, Emma Hogan, Zander Wilkerson, Elin Miller and Natalie Smithers.
FRIDAY, MAY 29
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 30-31
Statehood Day Celebration, 6:30-9 p.m., Blount Mansion Gardens, 200 W. Hill Ave. Info/reservations: 525-2375; info@blountmansion.org; www.blountmansion.org; https://squareup.com/market/blount-mansion.
Tennessee Medieval Faire, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 550 Fiske Road, Harriman. Tickets: $14.95 for ages 13 and up, $7.95 for ages 5-12, free for ages 4 and under. Info: www.TMFaire.com and on Facebook.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 29-31
SUNDAY, MAY 31
Fiction Writing Retreat, Firefly Farms, 195 Tobby Hollow Lane. Hosted by Sundress Academy for the Arts. Cost: $200. Includes instruction, writing supplies, food, drink, transportation to and from the airport, and all on-site amenities. Info: safta@sundresspublications. com, http://www.fireflyfarmstn.com.
Public workshop: “Darkness to Light,” 2-4 p.m., Powell Presbyterian Church, 2910 W Emory Road. Free prevention training program that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Registration required. Info/to register: 938-8311 or revjwarren@gmail.com.
FRIDAY-MONDAY, MAY 29-JUNE 1
MONDAY, JUNE 1
Friends of the Knox County Public Library Used Book Sale, Bearden High School, 8352 Kingston Pike. Friday, members-only preview, 2-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 1-6 p.m.; Monday, $5 Bag Sale, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Info: www.knoxfriends.org.
Dr. Al Hazari brings the wonder of science to kids, 11 a.m., Howard Pinkston Library, 7732 Martin Mill Pike. Info: 573-0436.
SATURDAY, MAY 30 “Discover Bees,” 2 p.m., Farragut Branch Library, 417 N. Campbell Station Road. Presented by Lynda Rizzardi, president of the Knox County Beekeepers Association. Info: 777-1750. Family Search in Detail, 1-3 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Preregistration and a valid email address, as well as good Internet searching capabilities, are required. Bring birth dates and birthplaces of parents and grandparents. Info/to register: 215-8809. Free Family Fun Day, 1-4 p.m., Ancient Egypt gallery, UT’s McClung Museum, 1327 Circle Park Drive. Features activities, tours and a craft for children. Free and open to the public. Info: http://mcclungmuseum. utk.edu. Statehood Day celebration, 9 a.m.-noon, Crescent Bend House & Gardens, 2728 Kingston Pike. Free museum day to the public. Info: 637-3163, www. crescentbend.com. Statehood Day celebration, noon, Ramsey House, 2614 Thorngrove Pike. Includes Vintage Baseball games. Info: 546-0745, www.ramseyhouse.org.
MONDAY-TUESDAY, JUNE 1-30 “Precious, Not Parents” campaign, Young-Williams Animal Center, 3201 Division St. Young-Williams Animal Center Spay/Neuter Solutions will provide $20 spay and neuter surgeries for puppies and kittens under 6 months of age. Available to all East Tennessee residents. Must mention the “Precious, Not Parents” campaign when making the appointment. Info/appointment: www.young-williams.org or 215-6677.
TUESDAY, JUNE 2 “An Evening with Steve Inskeep,” 7 p.m., Bijou Theater, 803 S. Gay St. Sponsored by Friends of the Library, East Tennessee Historical Society and WUOT. Registration required: knoxfriends.org. Knoxville Zoomobile, 2 p.m., North Knoxville Library, 2901 Ocoee Trail. Info: 525-7036. Magician Michael Messing, 2 p.m., Cedar Bluff Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Info: 470-7033. Sparky & Rhonda Rucker show, 2 p.m., Karns Branch Library, 7516 Oak Ridge Highway. Info: 4708663.
business
10 • MAY 27, 2015 • Shopper news
Raby builds support system for trees
trees that have been reloBy Bonny C. Millard Airtech Tools owner cated, as we’re helping with Terry Raby has developed today, they tend to go in dea system for feeding and cline. Those are your urban treating trees that he says trees,” Raby said. “So what we can do in improves the trees’ health and benefits businesses and these very hard soils with the assist of a pneuhomeowners. hammer, The fracturWHERE matic it’ll drop the ing injection the lance into system uses the ground, a Germaneight inches made TTAor so. Then WD power we’ll fracture head to open out horizontally creup the soil in a ating fissures in the way that allows nutrients and water to reach soil. Once we create those the root system more ef- fissures, we’ll pump in a soil fectively. The TTA-WD, or amendment.” Raby was one of a halfTurbo Terra Air Water Distribution, makes the work dozen community leaders who planted a magnolia tree much easier, Raby said. “When trees are un- in Strickland Park adjacent der stress, trees that are to Burlington Branch Liin highly compacted soils, brary. He’s a proud resident
JOBS ARE
Terry Raby after a hard day’s work at Strickland Park in East Knoxville. of East Knoxville and has offices on Marilyn Drive off Magnolia. He posted a YouTube video that demonstrates how the system works. As the fractures are made, the ground can actually be seen moving. “It changes the way trees are taken care of or even trouble areas on turf,” he said. “In the past with tree treatments, they can only get down so deep, but we’re treating the tree from the
surface all the way down to three feet.” The soil amendment can be whatever substance will benefit the tree such as worm castings, sea kelp, micronutrients or biochar, he said. “Typically we’ll base a lot of stuff off the soil report,” Raby said. “We suggest our customers get soil reports to find out what the soil needs.” Raby, who owns Airtech Tools with his wife, started
Photo by S. Clark
four years ago after finding the German company that made the Turbo Digger and the TTA-WD. “They made this tool, but they didn’t really build a system that could support this tool,” he said. Since that time, he’s been developing the injection system to work with the TTA-WD. Airtech Tools is also the only U.S. distributor for the company and its other digging products. His company manufac-
tures the injection system by outsourcing fabrication of the parts, and Raby assembles the systems, which are sold to businesses such as tree care and landscaping companies, golf courses and contractors located in the Southeast. Early on, Raby went to a Biloxi, Miss., golf course owned by MGM Corp. to demonstrate the treatment system. “That was an 18-inch caliper tree that was going to be replaced because it was in such decline, and then we treated the tree as a demonstration. Three years later, it’s still there, and they’re not going to replace the tree. It saved them tens of thousands of dollars.” Raby said he’s involved with studies with different tree companies to further explore and substantiate the system’s benefits to trees. “It’s really going to change the way they do things,” Raby said. “This has the potential to revolutionize the way trees are taken care of.” Info: 865-250-4646 or airtechtools.com.
Rotary honors educators By Bonny C. Millard Fountain City Elementary School teacher Katherine Officer and Hardin Valley Academy teacher John Tilson were named the 2015 Outstanding Teachers of the Year by the Rotary Club of Knoxville. Officer, a fourth grade teacher, and Tilson, a physics teacher, were honored during a recent lunchtime meeting of the downtown club and awarded a plaque, a $250 gift certificate from A&W Office Supply, and a $500 check from Rotary. The club gives an annual award to an elementary/intermediate school teacher and a middle/high school teacher. Fountain City Elementary principal Tina Holt introduced Officer, who has been teaching for eight years.
Officer used a PowerPoint presentation to show some of her classroom activities and lessons. She keeps an incubator in her room for children to watch chicks hatching in the spring. “I do have chicks every year. This is my eighth year. They went back to the barn on Friday.” She takes her kids on a spring hike to learn about wildflowers and the cultural history of the Little Green Briar School House. Hardin Valley Academy principal Sallee Reynolds introduced Tilson, who heads the academy’s robotics program in addition to teaching physics. Under his leadership, the school’s robotics team has gone twice to the world championships, she said. Tilson said during his 12 years of teach-
Outstanding teachers with their principals: Sallee Reynolds, John Tilson, Katherine Officer and Tina Holt. Photo by Bonny Millard ing, he taught math and later integrated it into his physics classes, and he uses robotics to teach physics. Project-based learning that focuses on team and individual efforts helps facilitate the educational process, he said. “I’ve found that students in both settings
Williams promoted at PSCC
NEWS FROM PREMIER SURGICAL
Knoxville Medical Mission: Serving with Surgery
The 2015 Knoxville Medical Mission team.
gall bladder removal, hernia repair, kidney For more than two decades, Dr. Willard removal, prostatectomies, hysterectomies Campbell of Premier Surgical Associates and mastectomies. has been a respected surgeon at Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville. Dr. Campbell “For most people in Guatemala, has cared for and performed general medical care is very difficult and expensive and vascular surgeries on thousands of to get, so many people go without treatpatients in the Knoxville region over the ment,” says Dr. Campbell. “The capital city years. He loves being a surgeon and servis more modern, but you don’t have to step ing the people of East Tennessee. far to see the poverty.” But every year in January, Dr. Dr. Campbell, who got involved in Campbell shares his surgical skills and the mission 12 years ago at the encourageexpertise with the people of Antigua, Guament of Premier surgeon Dr. Lytle Brown, temala. He and a team of other Knoxville says he is always touched by his Guatephysicians and nurses from malan patients. “They are Parkwest Medical Center all very, very grateful. They journey 2,500 miles around never complain – they say the globe for an intensive ‘Thank you! Thank you!” two-week medical mission. Dr. Campbell is proud The group carries with it to have seen the medical donated medical equipment clinic grow over the years. and supplies. “It is extremely clean and “All year long we gathalthough we don’t have the er gloves, drapes, sutures, latest equipment, it funcand any kind of surgical tions at a very high level.” equipment we can use in the Dr. Willard Campbell of Premier He is grateful to be able to operating rooms,” explains Surgical (right) and two nurses contribute to this important operate on a patient in Guatemala. effort. Dr. Campbell. Their destination is Obras Sociales “I enjoy it and whether I’m in Knoxdel Santo Hermano Pedro, a medical clinic ville or Guatemala, I’m in my element that is supported and staffed by volunteer doing surgery. I like that we can provide a medical groups from around the world. valuable service to people who need it.” The clinic draws needy patients from throughout the Central American country. “People may hike or bicycle in. Some take buses for hours to get to the clinic because they need surgery,” says Dr. Campbell. Checks or donations to support the effort Dr. Campbell’s group, Knoxville may be mailed to: Medical Mission, focuses on providing Knoxville Medical Mission Foundation c/o general surgery, urology, and gynecology Dr. Willard Campbell; Premier Surgical services. This year, in just one week the 9430 Parkwest Blvd., team performed 68 surgeries including Suite 310; Knoxville, TN 37923.
have made profound connections between academic instructional content and its real world application.” Tilson was named the 2014 Outstanding Physics Teacher of the Year in Tennessee and will travel to Germany this summer on a Fulbright Scholarship.
Audrey Williams is the new vice president of information services at Pel l i s sippi State Community College. She has worked at Pellissippi State since 1999 Williams and has served as an instructional technology specialist and, most recently, as director of educational technology services. Her goals are to maintain the high standard of service among the three areas she will oversee – educational technology services, networking and technical services, and application pro-
Termites?
gramming support – and increase communications to students and employees about the technological services at Pellissippi State. “My job is to make sure all of our students have the
technology they need to learn, that faculty have all the technology they need to teach, and that everyone who works here has the technology they need to do their jobs,” she said.
UT Law Practicum honored Distinguished Professor of Law Dean Hill Rivkin and community cooperating attorney Brenda McGee, a 1984 graduate of UT Law, along with the education law practicum and its six classes of students, were recently honored by the disABILITY Resource Center with the Advocate Award at the Spirit of ADA Award Celebration in Knoxville. The practicum delivers free services to Knox-area students and families. Pictured are: UT law student Anna Swift, McGee and Rivkin at a 2013 Tennessee Court of Appeals panel. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Memorial University.
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Shopper news • MAY 27, 2015 • 11
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