SOUTH KNOX VOL. 23 NO. 123
BUZZ Gravity trail wins by landslide Knoxville’s Gravity Trail in the Urban Wilderness – aka the Downtown Downhill – won the $100,000 Bell Built trailbuilding grant. Knoxville, East Coast champ, drew 26,619 votes. Duluth, Minn., Central region champ, had 15,646. The California contender was a distant third. Matthew Kellogg, president of the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, sponsor of the trail, credited the landslide victory to “years of dedication and hard work, growing more than bicycle trails.” AMBC grows “multipurpose trails for the community to enjoy.” Past AMBC presidents Randy Conner and Brian Hann “set the club up as trail stewards, not just trail builders.” Kellogg said it was also a community effort. “It’s just the spirit of Knoxville. Everybody took hold.” AMBC got support from around the country, the world and especially East Coast neighbors. They rallied votes from 22 Mid-Atlantic bike clubs by sending the SoKno Limo to a conference in Snowshoe, W. Va., the last week of May. AMBC will start talks shortly with Bell Helmets and the International Mountain Bicycling Association, administrators of the grant, on details. The website downtowndownhill.com will remain open to share updates.
Pool party! Chapman Pool, 608 E. Gov. John Sevier Highway, is hosting the South Knoxville Neighborhood and Business Coalition’s summer social 2-6 p.m. Sunday, June 14. Residents of all neighborhoods belonging to the SKNBC – Colonial Village, Island Home Park, Lake Forest, Old Sevier, South Haven and South Woodlawn – and employees of businesses belonging to the South Knoxville Alliance are invited to the party. Attendees can enjoy the Olympic-sized main pool and kiddie pool, play games on the grounds or just relax in the pavilion. SKNBC will provide watermelon and popsicles. Food is available at the concession stand or may be brought. Info: contact@sknbc.org or 309-4661. Chapman Pool also is having an open house 11 a.m.-7:45 p.m. Saturday, June 13. Cost is $5 per person.
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Let’s Go to the Hop
Four Dots and a Dash – the legendary doo wop group composed of retired Knox County Schools administrators Dr. Fred Patterson, Walter Mencer, Chris Caruthers, Dr. Charles Lindsey and Seldon Valentine – perform together for the first time in eight years at “Let’s Go Back to the Hop,” a fundraiser for the Knox County Museum of Education. More photos on page 3. Photo by Betsy Pickle
SoKno Forum airs concerns, not answers Brown
NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Betsy Pickle ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore Alice Devall | Shannon Carey
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By Betsy Pickle Those expecting to find a roomful of rabble-rousing community activists at the South Knox Forum were disappointed. Last Thursday’s event, featuring Knoxville Vice Mayor and City Council member Nick Pavlis, Knox County Commissioner Mike Brown and Knox County Board of Education member Amber Rountree, stayed a fairly steady 98.6 (internal) degrees throughout its 90-minute length at Ijams Nature Center. (The fever was down the road at the Museum of Education sock-hop fund-
Pavlis
raiser at the Sarah Simpson Center.) Nearly 40 people turned out for the forum, which was a question-and-answer format that zigzagged from one topic to another. Ijams’ assistant executive director, Mary Thom Adams, served as moderator and kept everyone in line – well, as much as anyone can keep colorfully spoken Brown in line. The questions were typical of ones asked constantly at South Knox neighborhood association meetings. The answers were just as typical, with the overriding sense of
“wait and see” informing most of them. That applied to school issues such as the proposed balanced calendar, rerouting the school buses serving South-Doyle Middle to make their journeys safer, and stopping the school system’s freewheeling spending and proliferation of administrators. It applied to traffic matters such as improving safety at the intersection of Stone Road and Chapman Highway; updating the traffic-light pattern at Moody Avenue and James White Parkway; repaving a rough stretch of Island Home Avenue; and redistributing lanes at Moody eastbound at Chapman Highway. Chapman came up in several contexts, including the inability to convince the property owners who own the largest chunks of shuttered businesses to work with buyers or the city on bringing those
properties back to life. Complaints about the influx of check-cashing/ payday-advance/title-loan establishments on Chapman inevitably arose. Pavlis pointed out that the state regulates such businesses, but he is hoping City Council will pass an ordinance that at least decrees a certain distance between them. “I don’t think it bodes well for areas they congregate in,” he said. A question about removing signs from defunct businesses brought a faint ray of hope. Pavlis said the long-awaited sign ordinance from the sign task force would soon come before council and would help with that and other sign issues. The fate of the terminus of the James White Parkway is still on hold. Meanwhile, discussion on the dangerous mix of vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists on the loop of Sevier Av-
enue and Council Place and a related discussion of long-delayed greenway connections from downtown to South Haven spun to an empty finish. Ann Strange of Lake Forest asked if there was any good news and was answered with the fresh announcement of Dogwood Elementary being selected as one of three new community schools. Pavlis pushed the positive – especially business development along Sevier Avenue, the future of the former Baptist Hospital site, the Urban Wilderness, Ijams Nature Center and Fort Dickerson. He noted that there will be a ribbon cutting in July to mark the start of construction on Suttree Landing Park and praised David Dewhirst and Brian Hann for taking on the redevelopment of the Kerns Bakery building. “I don’t know when we’ve had this kind of excitement,” he said.
Parents weigh in on teacher terminations By Betty Bean Copper Ridge Elementary School parents aren’t the only ones protesting the loss of a beloved teacher, and Copper Ridge’s Christina Graham isn’t the only non-tenured Knox County teacher whose spotless record couldn’t save her from an abrupt, unexplained termination because she didn’t “fit the vision” the principal had for her school.
Analysis
– Betsy Pickle
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June July 10, 29, 2015 2013
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Early last month, Mount Olive Elementary School teacher Gloria Ray-Scheberle achieved rock-star status when she helped coach the school’s Destination Imagination to the global finals. No Knox County team had made the global finals in the past five years, and the team had enthusiastic community support. The day before the finals, RayScheberle – a veteran teacher who is a few courses short of a doctorate, is certified in elementary edu-
Members of the audience at the June school board meeting stand in support of Christina Graham. Photo by Betsy Pickle cation and special education and has 12 years’ teaching experience, but has worked in Knox County for only two years and is not yet tenured – found herself out of a job. Mount Olive principal Paula Brown informed Ray-Scheberle on Tuesday afternoon that she did not “fit the school’s vision” and would not be allowed to finish out the week with her students, who were scheduled to begin the com-
petition on Wednesday and had already lost their other sponsor due to illness. The reaction was swift. Kids cried. Parents made phone calls. School board members weighed in and Ray-Scheberle was allowed to stay with her students through the competition. She is reluctant to discuss her situation because she’s hoping to find another job within Knox County Schools, and
she has not initiated any contact with media. One thing she will say is that she loves Mount Olive. “When I started there I told my husband, ‘I hope this is my forever home.’ I figure I’ve got another 10 years to teach, and I wanted it to be at Mount Olive. I love the school, the faculty, the parents and the community,” she said. Mount Olive loves her right back. They showed up in force last week to tell the school board what they think about losing her, and three-time PTA president Holly Child gave them an earful. She said she asked principal Brown to explain her “vision” for the school and she was unable to do so. “We are letting very capable teachers go because they don’t fit a nonexistent vision,” Child said. Then she asked for Brown to be removed from Mount Olive. For nearly two years, Superintendent James McIntyre’s adminTo page 3
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2 • JUNE 10, 2015 • Shopper news
health & lifestyles
If mama ain’t happy … As an OB/GYN with Fort Sanders Women’s Specialists and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Brooke Foulk, MD, treats women who are in every stage of life, from the rst pap smear, through childbearing years into menopause and geriatric care. “You can develop strong relationships with women and their families, and you are there for some of the most exciting, emotional and important times in their lives,” Foulk says. But among all her patients there is one very common denominator. Women have a habit of putting themselves last in line when it comes to health and wellness. “We are the only ones who will look out for our own health and wellbeing,” Foulk says. “Yet, as women, we tend to put everyone and everything above our own needs.” No matter what else a woman may be involved in, she is often a caregiver by default. “A lot of us take care of our husbands, our children or our aging parents,” Foulk says. “We work, we do the laundry, we cook, we clean and we get groceries.” Some women do all of that with little or no support. It’s no wonder most women don’t feel they have time to think about exercise, healthy eating habits, adequate sleep and mental well-being. The irony is that if a woman doesn’t take care of herself, she’s less likely to be able to adequately care for others. As the saying goes, “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” That could be expanded to say, “If mama ain’t healthy, ain’t nobody happy.” “By the time a lot of my patients get around to caring for themselves after their kids are grown and out of the house, it’s almost too late,” Foulk says. “A patient waits un-
Brooke Foulk, MD, moments after helping deliver Guillermo “Mo” Diaz-Ramos. Diaz-Ramos’ mother, Denisse, is one of Foulk’s many patients and a great family friend as well. “You can develop strong relationships with women and their families, and you are there for some of the most exciting, emotional and important times in their lives,” Foulk says.
til she nds a breast mass, which could’ve been picked up two years earlier on a mammogram; she waits until she has a heart attack instead of changing her diet and getting adequate exercise; she waits until she breaks her hip instead of screening her bone density and working to keep her bones healthy.” Yearly checkups are important because a woman’s medical problems can often be detected early and dealt with before they turn into more threatening issues. Most health insurance plans cover the cost of a “well-woman visit,” because it is a preventive service. A well-woman visit helps you get the preventive care you need, including screenings that can nd diseases early, when they are easier to treat. By nding a condition
early in a screening, you may also be able to take action to lower your risk of life threatening events later, such as strokes or heart attacks.
Recommended tests and screenings Tests and screenings are often recommended based on a woman’s age or stage in life. Blood pressure and cholesterol should be checked for women of every age, and every woman should be screened for cervical cancer and diabetes. When a woman is in her 40s, it’s time to talk to a doctor about breast cancer screenings. Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40. Women age 50 and older are also encouraged to have bone mineral density screen-
ings, to check for osteoporosis, and colorectal cancer screenings. Women of every age should consider tests for sexually transmitted diseases.* The Centers for Disease Control reports incidences of syphilis among seniors are up by more than 50 percent, with chlamydia up more than 30 percent. There is no age limit on STDs, and older women are not immune.
Vaccinations The Centers for Disease Control recommends several vaccinations for adults. Women should receive a u vaccine every year and a booster shot for tetanus/diptheria/pertussis every 10 years. At age 60, a vaccination against shingles is recommended (even if you’ve already had shingles).
Doctors also recommend pnuemococcal and meningococcal vaccines for some patients. If you were born in 1957 or later and you haven’t had a shot for measles, mumps and ruebella, that may be recommended, too. Vaccinations for chicken pox, hepatitis A and hepatits B are also available. Gardasil is an immunization that has been shown to prevent cervical cancer in some women. This vaccination is recommended before a woman reaches the age of 30. If it sounds confusing and even overwhelming, it’s all the more reason to schedule an appointment with a doctor who can help you sort out what you need to be at your best. A yearly visit to the doctor’s of ce is also a good time to talk about personal issues that might be affecting your emotional health. A doctor’s of ce is a place where con dentiality is a priority. “Women trust OB/GYNs with the most personal information and interactions you can have with a doctor,” Foulk says. “I love getting to know women and families.” Foulk says women should make health and happiness a priority. “Stay up to date on health screenings, and focus on health and wellbeing,” she says. “Do what you love, and the others around you will be happier and healthier too.” For more information about the services offered by Fort Sanders Women’s Specialists, call 865-541-1122. * Screening guidelines recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a commission of non-federal experts in prevention. USPSTF recommendations are evidencebased. This means that science supports USPSTF screening guidelines. The USPSTF is made up of primary care providers.
Posting perfection You see them every time you click on social media. Moms are online bragging about their children’s accomplishments, from rst steps to potty training, to getting a driver’s license. Social media has become a very public bulletin board for pictures of newborns at the hospital, children on the rst day of school, ballgames, recitals, prom night and graduation. Proud mothers have found a place to continually show evidence of perfect parenting skills. But what if your parenting skills aren’t so perfect? Brooke Foulk, MD, believes social media puts a lot of moms under a tremendous amount of unnecessary pressure. “When women judge and compare themselves to others, which is becoming even more prevalent with social media these days, we continually feel inadequate and imperfect,” Foulk says. Many articles and reports have
been written about protecting the privacy of our children online. There hasn’t been as much about protecting a mom’s sense of selfworth. “I see so many mothers who are worried about being perfect and doing everything right,” Foulk says. She tells them that there is no such thing as perfect parenting or one way of parenting that is always going to be right for every child. “If you love your kids and do your best, then that is what’s right for you and for them,” Foulk says. She tells her patients that “people don’t put pictures on Facebook when they’re having an awful day, when they’re struggling with temper tantrums, when their kids won’t eat healthy food, when they haven’t had time for a shower or when their house is a disaster.” It is often said that “perception is reality,” and if you perceive other parents are having both good days and bad days, it’s a re-
ality you can live with. The pictures and posts on social media often fuel a perception that most kids and their parents are perfect. Not only is that harder to live up to, it’s not reality. “Most parents only post happy times with smiling families in a perfectly clean house with a beautifully prepared, healthy meal,” Foulk says, “which makes mothers who are depressed, grieving or struggling feel even lower.” What’s a mom to do? Foulk likes to quote her 92-yearold grandmother who says, “Do your best. It’s all a mule can do!” Foulk says mothers should be proud of who they are and what they’re doing, even if it doesn’t always turn out perfectly. “You are right if you breastfeed or formula feed; if you work outside the home or are a stay-
Social media often times becomes a public display for perfection in parenting, but Brooke Foulk, MD, tells her patients to focus on what’s best for their families and not worry about what they are seeing on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
at-home mom; if your kids only eat organic or if you have to scramble for fast food because of limited time and funds; if you had a vaginal delivery or a Csection; if your kids go to public school, private school or they are home schooled; if they are gifted or struggle in school,” Foulk says. “You are doing what is right for you, and for your kids and family.” Social media won’t go away anytime soon, and it’s certainly natural to want to post what you’re proud of. But if you feel overwhelmed or even bullied by the virtual perception of perfection online, put away the tablet and the smart phone, close the laptop, and go enjoy some real quality time with your very real family.
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SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • JUNE 10, 2015 • 3
SKES puts pause on library renovations Compared with most of the events that have taken place lately to do with Knox County Schools, this was a tempest in a teacup. But it drew attention.
Betsy Pickle
Amanda Sanders, librarian at South Knoxville Elementary School for 12 years, stood up at the end of the school board’s two-hourplus workshop meeting last week in the open forum to complain that $17,000 of the $25,000 granted to the school by Comcast from Comcast Cares Day was going to be used for an exterior door to the school’s library. The door would not be for the benefit of the students but for community groups that use the library after hours as a meeting space, she said. It was obvious that Sanders had the best interests of the students in mind. She
was worried about their safety. She was discouraged that a hefty grant would do more for adults than for the student body. And she was worried that renovations to the library had the potential to remove 1,000 to 2,000 books. What she didn’t have was all the facts. But by airing her grievances, she may have changed the course of the long-touted library renovations. Tanna Nicely was named principal at South Knoxville Elementary last summer and shortly afterward learned that SKES had been chosen as one of Knox County’s newest community schools. That brought Susan Martin on board as the community school’s site coordinator. Nicely and Martin have campaigned from the start to make the school a center for the whole community, with volunteers from throughout the community helping the students and neighborhood groups using the building for meetings. Nicely says the student council asked for renova-
community
Susan Martin and Tanna Nicely stand next to the tall shelves in the library, which hide the wall where an exterior door has been planned. Photo by Betsy Pickle tions to the library – and updates to its contents – along with other fi xes for the school. Martin says she was the one who came up with the idea of adding the exterior door to the library, possibly with a patio outside. At the time, a small coffee shop was expected to open across the street, and there was a vision of parents and grandparents relaxing with
coffee while reading books from the library with their students. Nicely noted that the tall shelves in the library were inappropriate for the elementary students, and she envisioned replacing them with shorter ones. Sanders says she was not consulted about the plans or even told about them till late in the process, but she started clearing out obso-
lete materials to make the library stock leaner. Nicely says the entire renovation is expected to cost about $17,000, and part of the money – including about $3,800 for a door – would be coming from the Knox County Health Department. After Sanders’ speech at the forum and revisiting the proposed plans – including the safety issues that could
Fun at the Hop
arise from Barber Street (in front of the school) becoming a two-way street as part of the overall South Waterfront redevelopment, Nicely asked that the school board defer considering the renovations until its July meeting. Meanwhile, she intends to solicit input from all the stakeholders – staff, parents and community members. “I want to do what’s best for this school and these kids,” she said. No matter what’s decided, Sanders won’t be around to see it. Nicely “reclassified” the librarian position, and Sanders didn’t apply for it. That’s another story.
Termites?
Nearly 300 people attended “Let’s Go Back to the Hop,” a fundraiser held last Thursday at the Sarah Simpson Call Professional Development Technology Center (formerly Knoxville High School alum Harvey Sproul, Young High alum David LeCoutre, East High grads Margie LeCoutre, Mary Lou Kanipe, South High School). Vincent Kanipe and Sue Campbell, and Jack Campbell (raised in North Carolina) pose at the Doo Wop Diner. The East grads spent TERMITE AND PEST CONTROL The sounds of the 1950s Since 1971 part of the evening discussing plans for last weekend’s East High reunion, which included a mass 70th birthday party. and 1960s predominated with performances by Four Rated A+ Dots and a Dash and the South High Octet. The Mayberry Sheriff’s Office also entertained. Proceeds from the evening – which included a hot dog/ pizza dinner and silent auction – benefited the Knox County Museum of Educafor Birthdays, Graduations, tion, which is housed at the Special Events center.
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Central High grad and Gibbs Elementary teacher Melinda McBride and Gibbs grad Carolyn Everett and East grad Sara Baskin, both retired teachers, wrap up an evening of catch-up. Everett and Baskin have known each other since their early teaching days in 1973.
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“Coupon book lady” Mary Kerr, organizer of the sock hop, pauses with fellow KCS retiree David Armstrong, who’s on a break from mixing the sound at the event. Kerr says that since her retirement last year, she’s poured most of her time and energy into volunteering at the Love Kitchen. Photos by Betsy Pickle
Teacher terminations istration has been fending off what has been dubbed a “teacher’s rebellion,” because teachers have been the most visible, vocal and recognizable critics of what they see as McIntyre’s overreliance on high-stakes testing and draconian teacher evaluations. They made
Dr. Fred Patterson, retired supervisor of visual arts, finally gets to have a bite after Four Dots and a Dash’s last set.
From page 1
headway, but they were easy for McIntyre’s supporters to dismiss as disgruntled whiners. Inevitably, momentum waned and McIntyre claimed victory. But the June board meeting had a different feel. The flurry of dismissals, non-renewals and administrative
transfers has enraged and energized parents. A past PTA president publicly denouncing her principal? Unheard of. Events at the June school board meeting left the strong impression that a bridge has been crossed. It’s not just a teachers’ rebellion anymore.
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The ‘why’ problem Steven Rodgers, SouthDoyle Middle School teacher, makes impassioned statement at last week’s school board meeting: “Knox County doesn’t have a public relations or image problem. It has a ‘why?’ problem. Why was I told it was career suicide to come and sit in the audience? Why is there no ombudsman process? … There are so many good teachers in Knox County.” Photo by Betsy Pickle
Parents question testing at forum By Sandra Clark Cindy Buttry found her voice at a community forum last week on student testing. The former school board member who voluntarily term-limited was a parent representative at the meeting held June 2 at West High School. Speaking for one breakout group, Buttry said Knox County Schools needs transparency in testing. “Teachers, parents and students are entitled to the results of the tests as soon as they are given,” she said. Parents should know why a test is important; should know the cost, both in money and time; and should know whether the kids are being tested on what they are being taught. “Parents need a nonpunitive opt-out policy,” she said. “We need consistency from school to school, and teachers should not be evaluated on test data.” Buttry rarely spoke so strongly or succinctly while on the school board. Laurie Driver, supervisor of assessment, said the past couple of years have been hard on teachers and students.
Laurie Driver
Cindy Buttry
“We’ve had our foot in two different worlds,” using the old TCAP tests while preparing students for the new assessments that are coming. “The new assessments, called TNReady, are much richer, more authentic. They are more than just a multiple-choice test. They are task-driven. “We’ve been ... giving both and that’s part of why it feels like a lot.” Driver said the state will roll out TNReady tests this year in reading and math, and she expects a revamped social studies test the next year. “Hopefully, then we’ll be in a stable place,” she said. Much information is available online at the Tennessee Department of Education’s website. We’ve linked on the
Zachary is candidate Jason Zachary, who ran less than a year ago for Congress, plans on running for the vacant Ryan Haynes seat in the August special election. Zachary carried the Farragut precincts in last year’s congressional primary. Zachary, 37, is moving this month with his wife, Holly, and son, Tyson, 10, to Gates Mill Drive in the Sweetbriar subdivision of Farragut. Tyler is homeschooled. Zachary is a 1995 graduate of Farragut High School and has attended Pellissippi State and the University of Tennessee. He is currently getting a degree in business administration at the Knoxville campus of Tusculum.
Victor Ashe
His family moved to Farragut in 1995 from another part of west Knox County. He owns a telecom brokerage firm called Americomm, located at 11726 Kingston Pike. He is the oldest of three children with a brother and sister. Zachary is a conservative. He favors a state approach over Gov. Haslam’s Insure Tennessee proposal. “I am a state’s rights guy.” He says he will stay on his
Test, test, test As a student, I loved tests and hated grades. Grades are subjective, based on a teacher’s whim. Kids who got the best grades often became teachers – the kinship of those who color within the lines. Tests, on the other hand, are objective declarations of what one knows and how she stacks up against local and national peers. My school had a spelling quiz every Friday and one year-end assessment. I expected to score 100 on every spelling test and beamed proudly when I saw my ranking on the year-end test. Grades didn’t matter. Today that kid would be a basket case, and her parents should darn well pay attention and advocate for her. Here’s why: ■ Taxpayers (especially the big ones) got fed up with school budgets that go only up while student outcomes go mostly down. Politicians reacted. ■ The public education machine had gotten rigid,
they said, with tenure laws that protected bad teachers and dumbed-down tests that lulled us into believing that we had reached the Lake Woebegon state of “every child above average.” ■ Bam! Legislatures blew up tenure and required national test standards. They imposed appointed superintendents and nonpartisan school boards. Foundations jumped in to fund a myriad of businessmodel staff evaluations and student assessments. Any spark of teacher creativity was squelched in favor of standardization, and when teachers protested, they were termed troublemakers who fail to share the vision. We saw 50-some teachers “non-tenured” last spring
and a similar number this year. Non-tenure is careerending, and nobody has to tell the victims why. Last week, Betty Bean wrote about Christina Graham at Copper Ridge. This week she writes about Gloria Ray-Scheberle at Mount Olive. Two very different teachers; both non-tenured. Superintendent Jim McIntyre says Knox County Schools would never retaliate against a teacher for speaking out at a public meeting. I believe that. But what about those teachers who might challenge their principal during the weekly indoctrination benignly called the PLC (professional learning community)? Principals are under tremendous stress to raise test scores. Their own evaluation depends on how successfully they whip the teachers into shape. I’d bet the veteran teacher at Mount Olive was canned for challenging a relatively new and eager-to-please principal; I’d bet the idealis-
tic young teacher at Copper Ridge was just too lively for her more staid principal. The principals had the authority to non-tenure them, but was it fair? Was it good for kids? These are the questions Jim McIntyre must ask. Parents should worry about their kid whose selfesteem depends on outperforming her peers. How does that kid survive in a system of pre-test tests, practice tests, tests and post-test tests? And what about the kid who values good grades and loves school? How does he approach the high-stakes test that could determine his teacher’s continued employment? Excessive testing makes the kids who care anxious while further shutting down the kids who cannot keep pace: special ed, Englishlanguage learners, itinerant, low IQ. Excessive testing is bad for kids; we should make it stop.
Shopper website to a handout Driver gave parents at the community forum. The “assessment landscape” is two pages of tightly typed lists of tests used this past year in Knox County Schools. The school system discontinued SAT-10 testing after teachers argued the tests were developmentally inappropriate. Dr. Jim McIntyre announced on Oct. 28 that he would discontinue the SAT10 test for kindergarten students but he wanted to continue it for first and second graders. On Nov. 3, the school board voted 6-2 to stop SAT10 testing completely. Board members Gloria Deathridge and Karen Carson stuck with McIntyre, while Lynne Fugate was absent.
On March 2, state Education Commissioner Candice McQueen appointed a 17-member task force to identify best practices in testing and whether Tennessee requires too many. Local members are state Rep. Harry Brooks and Virginia Babb, representing the Knox County Council PTA. McQueen expects a report in late summer. But back to last week’s meeting. Megan Morris spoke for the early elementary group. Their priorities: 1. Do not base teacher evaluations on tests. 2. Measure the talents of all children, not just those who are good at standardized testing. 3. Make time for playbased learning and handson activities because kids
are spending too much time drilling for assessments. Katie Smith reported for the elementary group: 1. We are losing a joy of learning from our children and a joy of teaching from our teachers by focusing so much on testing. 2. Too much emphasis on testing and the timed computerized tests are anxietyproducing with a little clock showing time remaining. 3. Infrastructure: We lack computers in some schools and have limited Internet access in others. The tests tie up the school libraries which are used as a testing lab. Mike Smith and David Williams, both graduates of West High School, spoke for the high school group. Smith said his son just finished his freshman year at
West High. Their concerns included: 1. With so many required tests, extracurricular activities and related arts suffer. 2. There’s a big mystery about mandated tests. Teachers can’t review the test; can’t find out what students missed, etc. 3. Test anxiety 4. Loss of instructional time Parents of kids with special needs are concerned that KCS gathers information on skill levels and abilities that do not show true abilities because of standardized tests. There appears to be a conflict-of-interest with teachers, whose bonuses are affected by test outcomes, deciding on a child’s IEP (individualized education program), they said.
own health insurance and not use the state plan if elected. He adds that “it is very debatable whether health insurance for le g i sl ator s should last Jason Zachary for life.” He favors allowing citizens to carry guns in parks. He says the people should have a voice in choosing the Knox County Schools superintendent and the state attorney general. “The attorney general should have to express his views before he is elected,” he says. Gov. Haslam “seems to have done a good job from an economic standpoint and improvements in education,” he responded to a question.
He says if elected he would anticipate running for the full two-year term in November 2016. He will likely face primary opposition from school board member Karen Carson. Others may jump in too. Health insurance: While much media attention is focused on health insurance benefits state lawmakers are receiving, little to no notice is made of local lawmakers or part-time board members. The Knox County Election Commission, for example, has five members who meet 7-8 times a year. They are paid a few hundred dollars a month and must be on hand when an election is held. It is not a time-consuming position. Several members receive county health insurance at
the reduced group rate for full-time county employees. The new GOP member, Hannah Parker, has chosen not to take it. However, Michael Grider, the county’s communications manager, said he is unable to find a legal basis for election commissioners to receive county health insurance even though it has gone on for decades. No one seems to know how it started or why it is justified for such a part-time position. If the Election Commissioner members qualify for this nice perk which county taxpayers subsidize, then why not make MPC members eligible as they meet more often and longer than the Election Commission and are unpaid. What about other bodies in county government like the 911 Board? Should
their civilian members be eligible? Where does this end? City council members are also eligible to buy city health insurance but it is not so popular there as five members (a majority) of the current council do not accept it. The four who do purchase it are Brenda Palmer, who buys it only for herself; Duane Grieve and Nick Della Volpe, who acquire it for themselves and their spouses; and Mark Campen, who has family coverage. The amount paid varies on type of plan acquired. Future city council members will not be eligible to join the city pension system as their two 4-year terms is less than the mandated 10 years to be vested in the city pension plan. Previously vesting was five years.
Sandra Clark
government
Shopper news • JUNE 10, 2015 • 5
No more hurt feelings for Briggs After serving six years on Knox County Commission and one year as a state senator, Richard Briggs isn’t bothered by those who disagree with him.
Homeowners last week. He compared his legislative experience with his time on County Commission. One difference is being able to talk freely with fellow legislators. Open meeting law prohibits discussion of county business outside of formal meetings, Wendy which slows the process Smith down. Plans for a new fire station at Choto Road took 16 months longer because he couldn’t speak directly Instead, he’s adopted the with fellow commissioner attitude of Knox County Ed Shouse, Briggs said. But the Legislature that Mayor Tim Burchett, who, after meeting with Briggs at required transparency from Wright’s Cafeteria, would oc- others exempted itself from casionally say, “You’re wrong, the open meetings law. Being able to speak with fellow but we’re still friends.” “My feelings don’t get hurt legislators Martin Daniel, anymore,” Briggs told the Ryan Haynes and Becky Council of West Knox County Massey enabled them to
work together to restore Scenic Highway designation to Middlebrook Pike after it was removed for a new Tennova hospital. “I’m proud that we could get that done,” he said. Something that surprised Briggs during his first senate term was the ease of orchestrating compromise. He could bring two disagreeing parties together in his office and almost always work out a win-win situation. The Tennessee Senate is traditionally collegial, and its 33 members would never intentionally embarrass each other on the floor. The House of Representatives, however, is a blood war, he said. He compared it to the blood war he witnessed during his early days on County
change the nature of a bill. While 1,800 bills were filed this session, fewer than 300 became law. It’s a good process, he said, because each legislative branch can correct the mistakes of the other. While laws regarding guns and abortion got the most ink this year, Briggs was more concerned about legislation that makes life better for his constituents. State Sen. Richard Briggs He supported a $5 fee for speaks to the Council of West convicted felons that will Knox County Homeowners. help defray the cost of orPhoto by Wendy Smith ders of protection. There is no charge for orders of protection, which account for Commission. He reviewed the process two-thirds of the work in of creating new laws in Ten- the 4th Circuit Court. Common Core standards nessee. He learned to wait until the last minute to put were “rebranded” as Tenneshis name on a bill because see standards. While some of amendments can completely the standards are the same,
Homegrown and proud of it Kyler Kerbyson and Brett Kendrick are poster people for Knoxville high school football. They project as two-fifths of Tennessee’s much improved offensive line – which means thousands will overlook their craftsmanship but celebrate the results. Todd Kelly Junior is after somebody’s job in the secondary. He, too, is homegrown and proud of it. Josh Smith is in the receiver rotation. He might be the best bet to catch a pass and take off for a touchdown. Kyler’s roots run back to Catholic High. Brett and Josh prepped at Christian Academy of Knoxville. Todd is a Webb School product. They could have gone to college almost anywhere. That they didn’t is good for me and this story.
Marvin West
It is very good for the University of Tennessee when local talent meets all the requirements and chooses to stay home. Think about the reductions in recruiting costs – a 10- or 15-minute drive and free parking instead of cross-country flights, four-star hotels and fancy dining. Consider the boost in ticket sales. All Knoxville players have relatives and friends. Some want to see the Volunteers at play. Our high school coaches get bonus credibility points, perhaps enough to create
the illusion that they are every bit as smart as coaches in Georgia, New York and Kansas. Here is a prediction: Because Kerbyson is very versatile, because Kendrick has worked tirelessly to improve, because Smith is faster than most and because Kelly is near enough to an Eric Berry natural, these men will help Tennessee win games. Here is another prediction, more guarded: One may eventually join the list of all-time Knox greats. Among homegrown former Volunteers, the most famous is Bob Suffridge of Central High, legendary two-way guard, College Hall of Fame honoree, the only three-time UT all-American. I recall how General Robert R. Neyland would
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flinch when asked to name his best-ever players. He imposed several qualifiers but always got around to saying “Bob Suffridge was the greatest lineman I ever saw.” Suffridge played in 193840, a terrific time at Tennessee, 31-2 record, unscored on for 15 consecutive games. Bob really wasn’t big enough (5-11 and 185) to do what he did but he had amazing quickness and explosion and the fierce disposition of a junkyard dog. Bob, as a senior, won the Knute Rockne Award as most valuable lineman in America. The Vanderbilt Commodores named him to all 11 positions on their allopponents team. Tennessee claims to have had 72 all-Americans. Eight grew up in Knoxville. Linebacker Jackie Walker and
punter Ron Widby played at Fulton High, halfback Bob Foxx, end Bud Sherrod and end Buddy Cruze played at old Knoxville High. Cruze finished at East. Punters Jimmy and Dustin Colquitt were at Bearden. All-SEC Craig Colquitt kicked at South. Johnny Butler, Knoxville High, unraveled one of the unforgettable runs in Tennessee history. On Oct. 21, 1939, the then sophomore tailback behind the secondteam line swept from left to right to left on a dramatic 56-yard run that might have been 100 if measured along the snaky route. Alabama couldn’t hem him up. Great writer Grantland Rice was dazzled. Two academic allAmericans, Tim Irwin and Mack Gentry, came from Central, along with some other names you might recognize: Ray Graves, Todd Helton, the Lowe brothers, Buster Stephens and Char-
the name change made everyone happy, he said. He lauded new legislation that will crack down on pill mills. Prescription-drug abuse, which killed 1,300 Tennesseans last year, is one of the state’s biggest problems, he said. The other is the lack of funding for roads. Revenues from gas taxes fund road improvements, and fuelefficient cars have reduced the number of gallons sold. The state can’t afford to build new roads or maintain existing roads, so a new solution needs to be found. He stopped short of suggesting a tax increase. Briggs said he considered every day he spent in Nashville to be an “absolute privilege.”
lie Severance. Richard Pickens and Jim McDonald were Young High’s top representatives. Bill Bates and Neil Clabo put Farragut on the list. John Bruhin and Daryl Smith were best from Powell. The McKenzie twins and Joey Clinkscales came from Austin-East. Mike Cofer and Frank Foxx represented Rule. Bill Young and Steve Chancey were South High products. Tim Townes was plenty big enough at Bearden. Billy Arbo, Chip Howard and Hank Walter came from Webb, Robbie Franklin and Ronnie Drummonds from Holston, J.J. McCleskey and Harold Stancell from Karns. As Tennessee regains respectability, a Volunteer or two will receive national recognition. Cross your fingers. One might be from Knoxville. Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com
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interns
6 • JUNE 10, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
Dale
Gaines
Hamilton
Murphy
Nicholson
Ogle
Meet the Shopper interns!
Interns Maddie Murphy, Emma Dale and Lauren Gaines participate in a reflex game with Einstein Simplified members Paul Simmons and Aaron Littleton. Photo by R. White
Free your mind with Einstein Simplified By Shannon Carey Shopper-News interns were treated to some unique icebreaking activities with Einstein Simplified, an improvisational comedy troupe based in Knoxville. Paul Simmons, who has been with the troupe since its start in 1994, and Aaron Littleton, who has been with the troupe for five years, led the interns (and chaperones) in games and exercises that had everyone laughing out loud. Einstein Simplified started as an eight-week class. Then, the group performed at open mic night at Manhattan’s, where Boyd’s Jig and Reel is today. Now, they perform regularly at Scruffy City Hall with a 90-minute show and no script. That’s right, no script at all. “It’s rather freeing to have no script at times,”
said Simmons. “One of the things I like to do is to make people laugh. It releases stress, worry and concern. Laughter and comedy are very important.” Simmons and Littleton said the cardinal rule of improv is “Yes, and,” meaning that if someone introduces an element to the scene, the other performers have to accept and build on it. It’s also important to open yourself to the experience, not just your mind, but your body language as well. “If your arms are crossed, you’re closing yourself off, protecting yourself,” said Littleton. “There’s nothing to be scared of when you’re doing improv. There are no wrong choices.” The interns enjoyed classic improv exercises “Five Things,” “First Line/ Last Line,” and “Fill in the Blank.”
Simmons suggested that the interns check out the many books on improvisational comedy if they are interested in the subject. Info: einsteinsimplified. com or search Einstein Simplified on Facebook. ■ Next week the interns will visit Clinton for a tour of the Green McAdoo Museum, lunch at Ray Varner Ford and a special visit with a granddaughter of the founder of Hammer’s.
Summer kicks off another fun time with the Shopper-News interns. Each Tuesday, the group will head out for a day of learning and adventure as they learn photography and writing skills. Returning for a second summer is Charlie Hamilton, a rising sophomore at Union County High School. Charlie enjoys cars, brushing up on historical facts and writing. When he graduates from high school, he would like to be an engineer or a journalist. If Charlie could have lunch with one person, it would be Andrew Jackson. Emma Dale is a rising junior at Catholic High School. She enjoys reading, writing, watching Netflix and coming up with different names for her sister’s dog. In the future, Emma would like to write something so beautiful that hipsters get it tattooed on their collarbones. She would also like to own a cat named
Moriarty and travel to every country. If Emma could have lunch with anyone in the world, she would pick Emperor Augustus or Oscar Wilde. Lauren Gaines will be an eighth grade student at Halls Middle in the fall. She loves photography, writing (mainly fantasy and sci-fi) and swimming. She would love to be a photojournalist or an author in the future. If she could eat lunch with anyone in the world, Lauren would select her favorite actor, Dylan O’Brien. Maddie Murphy will be in the ninth grade at Hardin Valley Academy in the fall. She likes to read, play the violin and watch television. When she gets out of high school, Maddie would like to be a PA in the cardiac unit of a hospital. Her dad is a PA and she “wants to be just as smart as him.” If she could have lunch with anyone, she would pick her grandfather who passed away a few years ago. She
said that she has a lot she would like to tell him. Abi Nicholson attends Whittle Springs Middle School where she will be in the seventh grade in the fall. She enjoys singing, acting and coloring. Her future plans include attending college and getting a degree. If she could have lunch with actor Sofia Vegara, Abi would be thrilled because she thinks Vegara is an amazing woman. Maddie Ogle will be a rising seventh grader at Gresham Middle School. She likes to read, write, draw, swim, run, bike, hike and sing. “I guess I’m wellrounded,” she said. In the future she would like to take photographs and write for a newspaper. If she could eat lunch with anyone in the world, she would pick Jesus because “that would be just plain awesome” and she wouldn’t have to wait until she gets to Heaven to talk with him.
Fencing excitement with the interns By Charlie Hamilton Well, I have had an exciting first day as an intern for the Shopper-News! Have you ever thought about fencing as a hobby? Well, it is one of the safest sports out there. Knoxville Academy of the Blade has “A passion for excellence in sport and historic fencing.” The sport of fencing has been
around for many years, and has been an Olympic sport since the first modern Olympic games in 1896. The academy also teaches many different historic fighting styles and weapons such as the medieval German longsword, dueling saber, foil, the Italian Renaissance rapier and many more. Fencing is a great exercise, pro-
motes self-discipline and leadership, and just about anybody at any age can learn and have fun with this sport. Thank you Tom and John Farmer for the excellent demonstration. Anyone that is interested in this sport can contact Knoxville Academy of the Blade at 865-321-1214, or at www.KnoxvilleAcademyOfTheBlade. com.
business Recession aftershocks linger By Bonny C. Millard This year’s harsh winter had a negative impact on the country’s first quarter economic performance, but economist Matt Murray said overall, the nation’s financial health continues to improve. Murray, director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, spoke to the Rotary Club of Farragut about how the economy has rebounded since the “great recession.” Murray, a nationally respected economist, provides the annual economic report to the governor. “There’re some fundamental transformations taking place in the economy today. Recessions tend to lead to a cleaning out of the economy.” The first quarter economic performance was predicted to have a “pretty healthy pace,” he said. That didn’t happen because the frigid winter and heavier than normal snowfall dampened car sales and the housing sector. “It kept people home instead of out shopping and spending,” Murray said. The first quarter’s underperformance also might be the result of “the fact that households did not spend much of the savings they had realized with reduced gasoline prices.” Traditionally when gas prices decrease, consumers use that extra dispos-
Rotarian Doug McKamey helps President-Elect Sandy Martin unveil the new plaque. Photo by Bonny Millard
Rotary Club of Knoxville gets a plaque By Bonny C. Millard
Matt Murray able income to buy other goods. However, that didn’t happen this time because people saved the money and paid off debt instead, he said. “That’s good for household finances long term, but in the near term that reduced spending had a negative consequence,” he said. The recession, which started in December 2007 and ended a year-and-a-half later, has had a long-term impact on national and state economies and has been a “real gamechanger,” he said. “The Great Recession was unprecedented in its depth and length and also in terms of the aftershocks,” Murray said. “The recession ended in 2009, and it is only last year that we saw employment for the national economy and employment here in Tennessee recover to the levels of employment that prevailed before the recession started.”
A bronze plaque commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the Rotary Club of Knoxville was unveiled recently at the site of the first meeting. President-elect Sandy Martin along with Rotarian Doug McKamey spoke during a short ceremony about the founding of the club on June 3, 1915. Knoxville business own-
er David C. Chapman, for whom Chapman Highway is named, and nine other men met at the Grill Room of the Cumberland Club, then located in a building at the corner of Walnut Street and Clinch Avenue. The site is now the location of the Hilton Hotel Garage, where the plaque hangs on the outside wall along Walnut Street. The club was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bir-
mingham, Ala. The Knoxville club has since been involved in the sponsorship of more than 30 clubs in East Tennessee. “We’re real proud of the fact of how many clubs have spun off from us,” Martin said. The plaque features an image of the former building and a brief description of the club. “It was the 108th Rotary Club to be chartered inter-
nationally and the fourth in Tennessee,” McKamey read from the plaque. “Today there are over 34,000 Rotary Clubs in over 200 countries around the world.” The club plans to celebrate the anniversary at the end of August, leading up to Sept. 1, when the club received its official charter in 1915 from what is now known as Rotary International.
UT building projects with a purpose By Anne Hart Those huge construction cranes dotting the skyline at the University of Tennessee point to changes that the school’s administration hopes will increase enrollment, thus attracting muchneeded funds. Fran West, a civil engineer who works with special projects at UT, discussed the massive amount of building now underway, with still more planned for the future, at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Bearden. West said that when all of the projects now in progress and those on the drawing board for the future are
completed, more than a billion dollars will have been spent. “It’s part of our journey to be in the top 25 public research universities and to improve freshFran West men retention.” West said there are now some 21,000 undergraduates at UT. The goal is to reach 27,000 by 2025. Current capital projects include a new student union, part of which is
scheduled to open this year. It will have many components, chief among them new and improved student dining facilities, including vendors from name-brand eateries. There will be new residence halls, including a cluster of them on the west campus, new science buildings, new research and lab facilities and others. The basic style is what is being called “Collegiate Gothic.” In addition, West said there is renewed emphasis on beautification projects campus wide, including Torchbearer Plaza and Cir-
cle Park. She said that part of the work will be completed by Aug. 14, the first day of classes for the fall quarter. Some $25 million will be spent to convert the school’s steam plant from coal to gas as a way of off-setting some of the university’s monthly $1 million KUB bill. The move to build new dormitories and remodel others is an important one, West explained. “We need to get kids to live on our campus so UT gets the money” that is now going to private, off-campus housing.
weekender
Shopper news • JUNE 10, 2015 • 7
Take the (Oak Ridge) highway
FRIDAY
By Carol Shane This coming weekend brings Oak Ridge’s Secret City Festival, so-named for the town’s role in the topsecret development of the atomic bomb during the latter days of World War II. Now in its 13th year, the festival includes a variety of activities, historical presentations and internationally known headliners. “Join us,” says the website, “as we honor the men and women who built this community and helped end the greatest war mankind has ever known.” If you were anywhere near high-school age in the 1970s, especially in the South, chances are you were a Marshall Tucker Band fan. They’ll be appearing Friday night on the main stage. Be ready to hear hits like “Take the Highway,” “Can’t You See” and “Heard It in a Love Song.” The following evening brings Three Dog Night. This band had so many hits, it’s dizzying to list them all. “One,” “Eli’s Coming,” “Joy to the World” – we all know that Jeremiah was a bullfrog, right? There’ll be plenty of games and entertainment for kids, toddler age and up. “TN Creates,” a juried art and craft fair featuring 40 of the area’s finest artisans, will be held in the Shep Lauder Gym at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. In addition to demonstrations including Raku pottery firing, there will be a hold/pick-up service for purchasers’ convenience. Of special interest this year is the re-enactment in Bissell Park of the 1944 Normandy Invasion, in which WWII Allied forces landed on the beaches of France and pressed inland, eventually defeating the German army. “We anticipate participants, vehicle owners and collectors from more than
■ Knoxville Area Transit Scavenger Hunt, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 309 Conference Center Building. After party on the Market Square stage, 5-8 p.m. Food and live music for participants. Info: Danielle Everett, 974-1816 or deveret4@vols.utk.edu. ■ Kukuly and the Gypsy Fuego in concert, 7 p.m., Fountain City Casual Pint, 4842 Harvest Mill Way. Info: 240-4589 or www.fountain-city.thecasualpint.com. ■ Midnight Voyage LIVE: Aero Chord, 9 p.m., The International, 940 Blackstock Ave. Info/tickets: www.intlknox.com.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY ■ “Les Misérables,” Carousel Theater, 1714 Andy Holt Ave. Presented by the Tennessee Valley Players. Performances: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Info/tickets: 201-5913, www.tennesseevalleyplayers.org. ■ “Steel Magnolias,” Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 319 N. Gay St. Performances: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Info/tickets: 544-1999, info@theatreknoxville.com, www.theatreknoxville.com. ■ “The Hobbit” presented by the Knoxville Children’s Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Ave. Performances: 7 p.m. Friday; 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Info/tickets: 208-3677, knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com, info@childrenstheatreknoxville.com. ■ Tennessee Tennis Association Adult 18 & Over Championships, Knoxville Racquet Club, 5535 Lonas Road. Info: city of Knoxville Parks & Recreation, 215-4311.
SATURDAY Shown here in a photo from a 2014 re-enactment on the shores of Lake Erie in Conneaut, Ohio, this fully live firing German “Flak 88” anti-aircraft, anti-artillery gun will be used in a WWII reenactment this weekend at the Secret City Festival. Photo submitted eight states,” says the primary re-enactment organizer Brian Keith Rutherford, who created the event with Joe Valentino of the Convention Visitors’ Bureau in 2002. According to Rutherford, participants in the re-enactment are members of at least six independent groups based throughout the South. His own group, the Five Oh First, has approximately 35 members in five Southern states. The reenactment is their largest unit event of the year. Rutherford and his fellow enthusiasts are dedicated to preserving and displaying the highest level of unit authenticity and historical accuracy. This year, that includes the use of the only existing live-firing
“Flak 88” – a German antiaircraft, anti-tank artillery gun – in the U.S. “Combine this with the American anti-tank pieces and armored halftracks in attendance, and you have one of the best groupings of period vehicles anywhere, all in action,” says Rutherford. You may be wondering how a beach landing is going to be re-enacted in a city park, but Rutherford is quick to point out that “the beach landings were only on day one. The Normandy campaign lasted almost 30 days, as German resistance was significant. Our battle scenario is actually D-Day plus two. By this time the beaches were secure and the press inland had begun. The Germans had pulled their lines back and begun to re-
■ Big Kahuna Wing Festival, noon-8 p.m., World’s Fair Park, 1060 World’s Fair Park Drive. Featuring: more than 8,000 pounds of wings, wing-eating competition, wing-cooking competition, live music, kids corner and entertainment, silent auction, and more.
inforce with troops moving up from all over France. ■ Hard Knox Roller Girls Brawlers vs. Soul City Sirens, 5 Allied forces had begun p.m., Knoxville Civic Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Ave. Intraleague bout: Black Bettys vs. Lolitas Locas, 7 p.m. Tickets: probing the new German Coliseum box office, team members and team website. Info: positions and adjusting the www.hardknoxrollergirls.com; on Facebook. invasion plan accordingly. Things were very fluid for ■ Jazzspirations LIVE: Knoxville’s Smooth Jazz Concert Series, 7-9 p.m., Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park, 525 Henley St. several weeks.” Special guest: Kirk Whalum. Info/tickets: www.jazzspirationWhy do the re-enactslive.com. ment? Rutherford says it’s all about the vets. “These ■ Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala Reception, 6:30 p.m., Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay men and women saved the St. Info/tickets: 633-9000 or www.tennesseetheatre.com. world and then came home and built America into the greatest power for freedom on earth. Their stories and characteristic humility de■ Hot Brunch and Cool Jazz, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Downtown fined an entire generation.” Grill & Brewery, 424 S. Gay St. Info: 633-8111. The Secret City Festival takes place beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, June 12, and 10 a.m. Saturday, June 13, in Oak Ridge. Admission for the festival is free. Headlin- and can be purchased at or by calling 382-2857. Info: er concerts begin at 7 p.m. the Oak Ridge Civic Center w w w. s e c r e tc it y fe s t iv a l. daily; tickets are $20 each (1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike) com/.
SUNDAY
History hopes to repeat with ‘Jurassic World’ By Betsy Pickle There are two schools of thought at work in “Jurassic World,” debuting in theaters Thursday night. The first has to do with financial reality. When you have a film (“Jurassic Park”) whose $900 million worldwide take unseats “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” as alltime box-office champ, and its two sequels, though critically derided, earn $618 million and $368 million, respectively, another sequel is pretty much a given, even if it has to spend a decade in development hell. The second has to do with the plot – as well as, perhaps, financial reality: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana In “Jurassic World,” the dinosaur theme park envisioned by the late John Ham-
mond is finally up and running. Everything’s great until a new hybrid dino is introduced to raise attendance figures. The hybrid goes on a rampage, and it’s up to a Guardian of the Galaxy – that is, a dinosaur trainer played by Chris Pratt – and the park’s operations manager (Bryce Dallas Howard) to stop the madness. The cast includes Vincent D’Onofrio, Irrfan Khan, BD Wong, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson and Omar Sy. Colin Trevorrow (“Safety Not Guaranteed”) directed. No other films are opening in wide release this weekend. Who’s afraid of the big, g bad dino? Owen (Chris Pratt), with Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) in the background, goes after a violent hybrid dinosaur in “Jurassic World.”
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8 • JUNE 10, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
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Accepting new inventory Tuesday through Thursday 3913 Chapman Hwy
337-5958 • Tues-Sat 10-6
Ranked the #2 Staffing Agency in the area by the Greater Knoxville Business Journal. For more information call 865-247-4957 • 2623 Chapman Hwy.
20% OFF with this coupon
Boutique 865-540-6947 4560 Chapman Highway In Big Lots Shopping Center
THIS YEAR’S FASHIONS at last year’s prices! Name brands at near outlet prices. $25 gift cards for only $20! Now through June 20 PLUS SIZES ALSO AVAILABLE! Open Monday – Saturday 10am - 7pm
Luxury You Can Afford • Free WiFi • Microwave/Refrigerator in all rooms • Less than 1 mile from downtown & 1.5 miles from UT 3400 Chapman Highway • Knoxville, TN 37920 Toll Free: 1-866-496-4496 • www.executive-inn.net
KING-SIZE BED GREAT RATES! Mon - Thurs