SOUTH KNOX VOL. 2 NO. 38 1
www.ShopperNewsNow.com |
September July 24, 29, 2013 2014
S-D Singers travel (not) so far … to sing with Foreigner
IN THIS ISSUE
Derailing Mike Betty Bean looks at efforts to derail Mike McMillan’s run to be school board chair.
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Read Bean’s analysis on page 4
NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
Alzheimer’s pansies on sale Stanley’s Greenhouses turned purple and orange Tuesday for the kickoff of the Alzheimer’s Pansy Project benefiting the Pat Summitt Foundation. Mayor Madeline Rogero, Joan Cronan and foundation representatives were expected at the kickoff. For the third year, purple and orange Panola pansies will be sold to raise funds for the Summitt Foundation and awareness for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. “Nearly everyone has someone in their life who has been touched by this,” said Monte Stanley. Stanley’s Greenhouses, 3029 Davenport Road, and Stanley’s Secret Garden, 305 S. Northshore Drive, will have flats of the specially grown pansies for $17 through October or “while supplies last,” said Lisa Stanley. – Betsy Pickle
Seth Maples rehearses the South-Doyle Singers for the Foreigner concert. Photo by Betsy Pickle
By Betsy Pickle Last Saturday’s Foreigner concert at the Tennessee Theatre featured not only the venerable rock band but also some of South Knoxville’s potential “juke box heroes.” The South-Doyle Singers got to perform with Foreigner on “I Want To Know What Love Is” – the legendary band’s iconic and only No. 1 hit – thanks to a contest held by Foreigner and 103.5 WIMZ. To say that the mid-’80s smash
is probably not on many highschoolers’ playlists is probably overstating. “A bunch of people in the class were like, ‘Who’s Foreigner?’” said Zoee Lyle, a senior in the SouthDoyle Singers. But there are these things called “parents,” and for some of them, Foreigner was a big part of their teen (or younger) years. “Our parents loved Foreigner, so when we told them this was a possibility, they were like, ‘Oh my
gosh, that’s so cool! Do we get to go?!’ They were so excited,” said Madison Curry. Rachel Cormack says her dad is a big Foreigner fan. “He educated me in all classic rock,” said Rachel. As soon as fathers and other WIMZ listeners heard about the contest at the beginning of the school year, they let the Singers know. The young vocalists, in turn, lobbied their new director, Seth Maples, to let them enter the contest.
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To page 3
Mayor on board
Smith for Congress? Members of a large Fulton High School alumni group were startled earlier this month when a group member’s rant about President Obama led to an email from former County Commissioner R. Larry Smith hinting that that he’s gearing up for a run for U.S. Congress. Smith wrote: “So would this group support R. Larry for Congress?????? – R. Larry” Smith didn’t attend Fulton but has been hanging around the group since being invited to speak a year ago, a source said. When asked if he is considering a run against incumbent Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., who has held the Second District seat since 1988, Smith, who was term limited out of his County Commission seat Sept. 1, said that he is. “I’m very dissatisfied with what’s happening in Washington,” he said. “And I’ve got the fire in my heart to run.” – Betty Bean
“The more I researched it, it sounded like a great idea and a great way to start our year off,” said Maples. They had until Sept. 12 to submit a video of the Singers performing a Foreigner song. Maples arranged an a cappella medley – “Hot-Blooded,” “Juke Box Hero” and “Feels Like the First Time” – and they started rehearsing. When it became clear “Juke Box
By Ruth White Mayor Madeline Rogero hopped aboard a trolley outside the City County Building and rode down to KAT’s John J. Duncan Jr. Knoxville Station Transit Center, where she purchased a ticket for the Broadway 22. Riders quickly recognized the mayor as she made her way down the aisle and took a seat. Several individuals asked her and city director of transit Dawn Distler questions regarding specific routes and City director of transit, Dawn Distler, shows Bill Lyons, Duane Grieve and expansion of routes, for which they Mayor Madeline Rogero a display inside the bus terminal. Photo by R. White
received prompt answers. The ride was the first of many and part of Rogero’s initiative to ride the buses, talking with drivers and passengers. The KAT system currently carries close to 3.6 million passengers a year and is a convenient and reliable mode of transportation. The mayor says the system is underutilized and hopes that by talking to everyone involved, the public transportation system in Knoxville can become more efficient and possibly expand.
Dissection of an intersection By Wendy Smith The city of Knoxville is embarking on a $7 million upgrade for traffic signal synchronization on Broadway and Kingston Pike. Last week I met two city employees who are directly involved. We met at the intersection of Cedar Bluff and Peters Road, probably the city’s most congested intersection. When Ernie Pierce gets caught in a traffic backup, he’s not frustrated by the delay. He’s frustrated by the unsolved problem. “Your congestion is my congestion,” he says. Pierce is to traffic signals what the Colonel is to fried chicken. The signal engineer has been tinkering with Knoxville’s intersections since 1989. Nobody could do a better job, says the city’s chief traffic engineer, Jeff Branham. At the Cedar Bluff intersection, others see a cacophony of vehicles;
Pierce sees a finely-tuned orchestration. The signals have six phases and the intersection is equipped with radar detection that monitors the percent of traffic coming from each direction. The timing of each phase changes based on the information received by the radar. The intersection’s first priority is the left turn lanes from Cedar Bluff to Peters because those lanes could potentially back up to the lights at I-40, which would be dangerous. “Safety is our first priority, not convenience,” says Branham. Two upcoming state projects should help with congestion on Cedar Bluff. Reconfiguring of lanes will give a continuous green light to one lane from southbound Cedar Bluff to westbound I-40, and a second turn lane from Knoxville signal engineer Ernie Pierce and chief traffic engineer Jeff Bransouthbound Cedar Bluff to North ham examine the traffic signal controller at the intersection of Cedar Bluff Road and Peters Road. Peters/Parkside will be added.
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2 • SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 • Shopper news
health & lifestyles
Second opinion gives Tellico man right treatment About three years ago, Kim Frasch of Tellico, now 65, had pain in both of his calves. Over time, it moved upward and became more intense. “As it got worse, it went into my thighs and glutes. And finally I began to lean to the left as an involuntary effort to gain some relief,” Frasch said. “My wife was worried I couldn’t stand up straight. I had sharp, stabbing pains in my legs, and standing was intolerable. I could only walk for a short period of time.” Frasch had spinal stenosis, a fairly common condition in which the spinal canal narrows. The bones of the vertebrae compress the spine and surrounding nerves, typically in the lower back. This creates pain, numbness and weakness in the legs and feet. Spinal stenosis typically comes on slowly and gets worse over time, most often affecting people over the age of 50. “Apparently, I had it for years. This is a very slow process,” said Frasch. “They said I’d had it for years and years, but it just never manifested itself.” Frasch is a business consultant in the medical field, so he did plenty of Internet research about the condition to find an area physician who could help him. Frasch consulted one surgeon, but didn’t quite feel comfortable. He then went for a second opinion to Dr. Patrick Bolt of Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. He liked what he experienced. “The people are upbeat and work well together there,” Frasch said. “I have visited practices and other health care entities all over the country. I can walk into a business and tell if it is working well or needs better management. It’s one thing to entrust your care to the surgeon, but
niques, making four smaller incisions instead of one larger one. As soon as he woke up, Mr. Frasch said he immediately felt relief. “I came out of surgery after five hours, and they said, ‘Would you like to get up?’ And I said, ‘You bet.’ I got up and walked, and I was literally freely stepping, no leg pain whatsoever, tears of joy running down my face!” Frasch said he was home in two days and has walked every day since then for therapy. “Today I’m wearing my brace, and yes, I do have site pain, but it’s not such that I need to take any medication for it.” Frasch said he would recommend Dr. Bolt, Fort Sanders and their support staff to anyone facing back surgery. “You’ve got to do the work, but if you do it, your results can be stellar. I gave my caregivers five stars,” Frasch said of Fort Sanders. “When I pushed my button Kim Frasch of Tellico suffered spinal stenosis before finding relief from his pain thanks to a proand needed something, I got it, from the cedure by Dr. Patrick Bolt at Fort Sanders Regional Medica l Center. day I arrived right through discharge.” “This is what we’re striving for in his staff has to be happy and supportive. vertebrae, and then fused the two togeth- health care in this country, and I can’t say I’m very happy to say Dr. Bolt was the er using a bone graft and screws. Dr. Bolt enough good about Dr. Bolt’s team. I was did all that with minimally invasive tech- cared for properly. I got my life back.” right choice.” At first, Dr. Bolt recommended the first-line treatments of physical therapy and steroid injections on Mr. Frasch, but those gave little relief from the pain. At that point, Dr. Bolt recommended the only permanent solution – surgery to widen and stabilize the spinal canal. Frasch underwent corrective spine ■ Stop smoking. Not only is the nicotine bad for your spine, but if you surgery at Fort Sanders Regional on have back surgery, smoking also makes it more difficult to recover. March 11. During the procedure, Dr. Bolt re■ Maintain a healthy weight. moved arthritis and bone spurs from in■ Stay active and exercise every day. The couch is the worst place for side Mr. Frasch’s fourth and fifth lumbar
Tips for better spine health
your back.
When is back surgery right for you? Spinal stenosis is one of the most common causes of severe back and leg pain, and also one of the most effectively treated conditions with surgery. Stenosis means “narrowing,” and it’s when the bones of the spinal column narrow from arthritis, bone spurs or other diseases. The bones then press on the spinal column or surrounding nerves, causing pain. “This is probably one of the most common surgeries that I do; it’s a very common problem. Stenosis manifests itself as back and leg pain that gets worse with walking. It’s relieved by sitting,” explained Dr. Patrick Bolt, an orthopedic surgeon at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. While medication and physical therapy can ease the symptoms of stenosis and instability, the only permanent fix is surgery to widen the spinal canal space and stabilize misaligned vertebrae together. While most people don’t relish the idea of spinal surgery, Dr. Bolt said modern, minimally invasive techniques offer the chance for an otherwise healthy patient to be up and walking again quickly. Minimally invasive surgery involves several small incisions instead of one larger one, with computer-assisted imaging and microscopes used during surgery. The incisions are so small that most otherwise healthy patients can go home in about three days, Bolt said. What’s more, the pain of recovering from surgery is typically less than the pain of spinal stenosis. “I think the public has a negative view
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Dr. Patrick Bolt of spinal surgery, but much of that is from techniques that were used in the past,” said Bolt. “Today there are many conditions that surgery can be very beneficial for, such as spinal stenosis. Minimally invasive techniques can accomplish the goal with smaller incisions and a quicker recovery for the patient. You can have a great outcome.” For more information about spinal procedures at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, call 865-673-FORT (3678).
The Fort Sanders “Med Minder” card helps you keep a list of your current medications, dosages and drug allergies in one convenient place. Having this information with you can help medical professionals provide the best treatment for you in the event of an emergency.
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SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 • 3
Tree guys Tom Simpson and David Vandergriff
The new board of the South Knoxville Alliance includes (front) Aimee Pehrson, Sharon Davis, Debra Bradshaw, Janice Tocher; (back) Alan Smith, Patrick Michael and Monte Stanley. Photos by Betsy Pickle
Onward, upward for SKA featuring food, retail and activities. The stage hosted five hours of music and other entertainment, with a brief pause for a wedding on the grounds. The K-Town Races divvied up $450 in cash prizes, plus gift certificates from Shoney’s. SKA chair Rebecca Husain thanked the organizers enthusiastically before moving on to the elections to replace herself and longBetsy time secretary Bobbye EdPickle wards. Husain has been at the helm for most of SKA’s existence, and Edwards has been a key figure as well. Bradshaw was unaniSaturday South was mously elected as the new deemed a winner, thanks chair, and Sharon Davis was to hard work by all – es- elected secretary. pecially events committee chair Debra Bradshaw and ■ Dogwood visitors co-chair Antoinette Fritz. engage SKNBC The event, based at Ijams Dogwood Trails chair Nature Center, and its accompanying K-Town Races, Lloyd King and Chapman held at businesses around Highway Dogwood Trail South Knoxville, provided a co-chair Molly Gilbert were day of fun for all ages. special guests at the South There were 25 booths Knoxville Neighborhood
On the heels of the successful launch of its quarterly Saturday South community get-together, the South Knoxville Alliance applauded the key organizers and said farewell to a longtime leader at its September meeting at LaborExchange.
and Business Coalition’s September meeting. Chapman Highway is the 2015 Featured Dogwood Trail. Residents from the trail’s two sections – Lake Forest and Colonial Village – have been considering making suggestions for some alterations to the trails, and inclusion of Lindbergh Forest as a garden byway has also been proposed. At the SKNBC meeting at Woodlawn Christian Church, Gilbert and King encouraged them to submit their ideas to the Trails Advisory Committee quickly so they can be considered at that group’s October meeting. Any changes also have to be approved by the city. Maps for the Dogwood trails must be locked down by January. Gilbert announced that city Urban Forester Kasey Krouse will be leading a Dogwood trail cleanup day the morning of Nov. 15 in Lake Forest. Krouse will oversee the planting of sev-
S-D Singers Hero” didn’t fit in the mix, Cormack asked if she could arrange “Cold as Ice” for use as the middle song. That’s when the medley clicked, but the Singers had less than two weeks to learn it. “Every day we’d come into class and hammer it down as good as we could,” said Lyle. “’Til it was perfection,” added Curry. (The video, made by SDHS alum Andy Vinson, is on YouTube under “South Doyle Singers Foreigner Mashup.”) The concert took place after the Shopper’s story dead-
HEALTH NOTES ■ Healing Through Art: Creative Play with Mixed Media, 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, Cancer Support Community, 2230 Sutherland Ave. Info: 546-4661. ■ Exploring Music for Health, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, Cancer Support Community, 2230 Sutherland Ave. With Knoxville Symphony Orchestra violinist Sara Matayoshi. Info: 546-4661.
■ UT Hospice conducts ongoing orientation sessions for adults interested in becoming volunteers with its program. No medical experience required; training provided. Info: Kirby Vineyard, 5446284. ■ Flu shot clinic, 10 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Oct. 7, Faith UMC, 1120 Dry Gap Pike. Hosted by Covenant Health, East Tennessee Personal Care Service and Clinton Drug Store. No
■
More tree talk
The September meeting of the city of Knoxville’s Tree Board, not surprisingly, put the focus on trees. (The surprise for most readers is, Knoxville has a Tree Board? Yes, it does, and an active one at that. David Vandergriff is the chair.) University of Tennessee urban forestry students Chloe Poole and Siera Darnell gave a presentation on their study of trees and other growth in Marie My-
line, but the students were expecting to meet the band. “If not, I believe a bunch of us are going to be disappointed,” said Lyle. They also were able to take the full group. The maximum allowed in the video audition was 25, but the Singers squeaked in because three members weren’t able to record that day. The contest organizers allowed all 27 to take part in the concert. “We really wanted everybody to be part of the experience,” said Curry. “We didn’t feel right them not being there.”
Foreigner gave the Singers $500 for performing on stage with them. The South-Doyle students also were asked to sell Foreigner CDs before and after the show, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Grammy Foundation to help fund music programs at schools where budgets have been cut. The Singers were excited about the $500, but they were more excited about performing. “We wanted to win, and we thought we had a chance, but when it happened it was just unbelievable to all of us,” said Lyle.
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■ Asa’s EB awareness 5K walk/run, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, Victor Ashe Park. Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a devastating rare skin disease for which there is no cure or treatment. All proceeds will go to the DEBRA organization for EB awareness and research. To register: http://debra.kintera. org/2014knoxville5k.
■ Abundant Life, a Free Weight Management Program incorporating diet, exercise and group support, 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, North Knoxville Seventh-day Adventist Church fellowship hall, 6530 Fountain City Road. Info/ to register: 314-8204 www. KnoxvilleInstep.com.
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ers Park and William Hastie Park Natural Area, both in South Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. Their report included some suggestions for improvements, which they passed on to city Urban Forester Kasey Krouse. Tom Simpson announced that the city had received the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program grant for which it had applied. Simpson is the East Tennessee Regional Urban Forester for the Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry. The grant, which must be cash-matched by the municipality applying, is worth about $20,000. “The city of Knoxville already has a budget for planting trees on an annual
basis,” Simpson said. “With this grant, they can almost double the number of trees they put out with the same amount of money.” The trees, which must be purchased from a Tennessee supplier, will be planted this fall. Krouse will attend the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council meeting in November in Nashville and will report on a new champion tree discovered in South Knoxville. The tree is an American hophornbeam. It is on the Alcoa Highway greenway behind the marina at the U.S. Naval and Marine Reserve Base. Send story suggestions to betsypickle@ yahoo.com.
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Molly Gilbert and Lloyd King visit the South Knoxville Neighborhood and Business Coalition.
35th Annual
From page 1
■ Mindfulness in Everyday Life: Seeing Clearly, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Sept. 27, Cancer Support Community, 2230 Sutherland Ave. Info: 546-4661. ■ Lymphedema, noon-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, Cancer Support Community, 2230 Sutherland Ave. Light lunch provided. Info: 546-4661.
eral exotic dogwood trees donated by the Knoxville Botanical Garden. There will also be demonstrations on pruning and other tactics to improve residential properties in preparation for the Dogwood Trail. Monte Stanley reported that the South Knoxville Alliance’s beautification committee would have a $1,200 grant from Lowe’s. They plan to use the funds to help landscape the entrances to the trail.
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government No common ground on Common Core MetroPulse columnist or how I can help them masFrank Cagle is an expert on ter those state politics. Last week he problems. boldly predicted the demise “If parof Common Core state stanents ask me dards when the Legislature why their reconvenes. student p er for me d poorly on a state test, I don’t have Beth Brown an answer Sandra because I am prohibited Clark from reviewing the questions after the test. This is frustrating for teachers and parents, but the ones “If you didn’t see that who truly suffer are the stucoming, you are willfully dents.” blind,” he wrote of last Brown said state funding year’s near-death. “Some of was mentioned only once at us could see it coming sit- the four-hour summit, yet ting on a porch in Strawber- “Mississippi invests more per student than Tennesry Plains.” Ever the optimist, Gov. see.” When the Legislature Bill Haslam convened a summit last week to reboot reconvenes, expect a battle his education reforms, in- among Tennessee’s three cluding Common Core. political parties: the dwinBeth Brown, vice presi- dling Democrats, who gendent of the Tennessee Edu- erally back TEA, want better cation Association, said the funding and resist reforms; real experts weren’t invited. the corporate Republicans, Most there had “zero class- including Haslam and local room experience.” legislators, who want naBrown said testing is tional standards and teachparamount for reformers, er accountability; and the yet teachers never see the red-meat Republicans, who results. “A list of student call the standards “Obamscores does not tell me what acore” and want more guns questions students missed and fewer taxes.
TEA gets a win By Sandra Clark A local case with statewide implications was overturned by the state Court of Appeals in late August, and the Union County Board of Education voted Sept. 18 not to appeal that decision. Chancellor Andrew Tillman had ruled in favor of Union County Public Schools in a case involving a teacher who wanted his Union County Education Association representative with him when he was questioned by a supervisor about student allegations of misconduct. The supervisor refused. Director of Schools Jimmy Carter later took no action on the charges, which led Tillman to opine that the UCEA’s lawsuit was without merit since the teacher had suffered no damage. The teacher’s name was redacted in all documents. Chief Judge Charles Susano delivered the appellate court’s decision: The employee had a right under the state’s 2011 Collaborative Conferencing Act to have an organizational representative present “at an investigative interview where the
employee reasonably believes the investigation may result in disciplinary action against him or her.” Also, “the Association has organizational standing to pursue this action on behalf of its members,” Susano wrote. The court vacated the judgment of the trial court and remanded the case. Costs on appeal were assessed to the Union County Board of Education. The board amended its agenda to add the item and passed vice chair Brad Griffey’s motion to drop the appeal without debate. We contacted the Tennessee Education Association on Friday, and a representative confirmed the organization would notify its members and put out a general press release. TEA had been awaiting a possible appeal to the state Supreme Court. It’s a big win for the TEA since many assumed the Collaborative Conferencing Act had negated members’ right to representation. Of course, the organization should not crow too loudly. Legislators can always tighten the law in January.
4 • SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 • Shopper news
Why the secrecy by MPC? One would think the Metropolitan Planning Commission would have enjoyed all the controversy it wanted over the past few months with the strong neighborhood criticism of Director Mark Donaldson and his controversial hiring of Dave Hill, but on Sept. 11 MPC adopted by stealth the $101,000 separation agreement for Donaldson without any public discussion or reasonable notice, thereby triggering more attention. This comes on top of Mayors Burchett and Rogero seeking and getting Donaldson’s early retirement. How did this happen? When MPC met for its regular meeting, chair Rebecca Longmire quickly asked that the consent calendar be amended to add the separation agreement. Commissioner Clancy immediately seconded it and before anyone knew what was afoot it was adopted. Even veteran MPC member Jack Sharp did not know the agreement had passed when contacted by this writer four days later. The agreement was not on the published agenda or explained at the public meeting. Media have failed to report this. Clearly, Longmire and others on the MPC executive committee did not want the public or even fellow commissioners to know its contents or debate it. By hiding it, they have directed even more attention to its contents and undermined further already weakened public confidence in MPC commissioners who orchestrated this charade. Why the secrecy by MPC?
Victor Ashe
The separation agreement was obtained through an open-records request. Donaldson’s current contract, going back to 2005, pays him one-month salary (which is $9,186.58) plus accrued sick leave (which is 772 hours or $43,641.16) plus accrued annual leave (which is 327 hours, which equal $18,485.36) for a total of $71,313.05. Then MPC voluntarily added two months’ salary for $18,373.16 and 80 percent of his health-care premiums for one year at $11,888 for a total of $30,261.16 for a combined total of $101,574.21 in order to keep him around until his successor is installed. This is on top of the salary he will be paid for the time he continues working. This second part was optional and not mandated by contract. The public still does not know what will happen to Dave Hill, whose hiring instigated much of this. In their defense, Steve Wise, MPC attorney, explains that the recommendations of the executive committee usually go on the consent calendar and are not discussed at the full MPC meeting. This practice should be dropped when it includes such a large price tag. What were commissioners thinking when they failed to discuss it in public? No one would ever ask? The
media would miss it? This is public money and merits public scrutiny. The commissioners are not used to public review of their actions on internal issues. They would do well to consult with Jack Sharp, who has forgotten more than most current younger commissioners know, for advice on public relations and local politics. There is some positive news from MPC, however. Notices of all future meetings and committee meetings will now be posted on the MPC website, which has not occurred for the powerful executive committee meeting. This is due to the intervention of Wise, who deserves praise for this. ■ GOP legislative nominee Eddie Smith, opposing incumbent Rep. Gloria Johnson, met with Gov. Bill Haslam for over 20 minutes Sept. 17 when Haslam was in Knoxville to promote passage of Amendment 2 on the judicial selection process. Smith wants Bill and Crissy Haslam to campaign for him. Apparently that may occur. This is most contested race in Knox County on Nov. 4. Mayor Rogero will be strongly backing Johnson and Cheri Siler for state senator, which will place her in direct opposition to the governor on these two candidates. Johnson is favored, but Smith is a credible candidate. ■ U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Richard Stair Jr. is retiring after a distinguished 28-year career in the federal judiciary, and a reception is being
held in his honor this Friday, Sept. 26, at the Howard Baker federal courthouse. ■ Veteran GOP activist Phyllis Severance is helping the Alexander for U.S. Senate office in Knox County – a substantial boost to the Alexander effort. ■ It is ironic that the Tennessee Supreme Court, which has a female majority, did not have a single woman apply to be the state attorney general. Nor was there a concerted effort to encourage women or African-Americans to apply. It would seem the three female members of the court would have encouraged female attorneys or judges to apply for that eight-year term, but apparently it did not happen. Women in today’s world often make up a significant portion of graduating classes from law schools. Tennessee has never had a woman or African-American serve as state AG. They will have to wait another eight years to even be considered. Knox County elected its first female DA (Charme Knight Allen) last month. Shelby County has had a female DA for several years. Popular election produces faster results in this area than appointments made behind closed doors. ■ Gov. Bill Haslam will join New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon at a reception at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, this Sunday, Sept. 28, according to an invitation sent to personnel at the Embassy.
The effort to derail McMillan Week before last, reports trickled out that establishment types (meaning the usual Chamber of Commerce/corporate education reform crowd) were getting desperate to find a way to derail Mike McMillan’s campaign to become chair of the Board of Education, a powerful position that automatically confers a spot on the board’s two-person executive committee (along with the superintendent) and the ability to set the board’s meeting agendas. McMillan has been a consistent critic of Superintendent James McIntyre since taking the Eighth District seat in 2010, and he often finds himself on the short end of 8-1 votes. The proMcIntyre majority had little to fear from him, and a year ago, nobody could have predicted that he’d emerge as the senior member of a burgeoning 5-4 majority.
Betty Bean But he may well be. When Lynne Fugate announced that she was tired of being perceived as divisive and would not seek re-election as chair, the McIntyre-supporting former majority lined up behind Third District board member Doug Harris, but he could muster only four votes, including his own. Same went for McMillan, who got his own vote plus votes from new members Amber Rountree, Terry Hill and interim member John Fugate. When it became obvious that the two sides would never untangle the deadlock, everyone agreed to come back next month and vote again when new Seventh District board member Patti Bounds
is present. Bounds, who was off on a Mediterranean cruise that was planned and paid for long before she ran for office, has become the focus of intense speculation. Meanwhile, public relations guy Mike Cohen didn’t like the way things appeared to be headed but said he was acting on his own in his efforts to find a way to block McMillan from being named chair. His basic argument is that Knox County will be less likely to find suitable candidates for McIntyre’s replacement with McMillan at the helm. His solution for breaking the deadlock? Terry Hill, the new Sixth District board member, who is a retired school psychologist, mother of a former board member (Cindy Buttry) and wife of another (Steve Hill). She scored the most resounding Election
Day win of any of the newbies and was a polished candidate who appeared to be less dug into her positions than many of her colleagues. Plus, Cohen, a former KCS public information officer, said he just likes her. “Personally I’d love Terry to serve. I actually wrote her that a couple of days after the election. I knew her when I was the schools’ PR guy. I was a fan of hers then and I am a fan of hers now,” he said. He also said he doesn’t think the options should be limited to Harris or McMillan. But there’s a glitch – Hill (who had likely noticed that several of Cohen’s friends, including Doug Harris, gave considerable sums of money to her major opponent) doesn’t want the job. “I have no interest in running for chair at this time,” she said.
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Meet Doc! Doc has been at Horse Haven since May 2014. He is a 2-year-old, soon to be gelded, POA stud (Pony of the Americas). He is 12h tall. Because he has only recently been released in a court case, he has not been evaluated yet. He is current on vaccinations, farrier work and deworming. He will be gelded prior to adoption.
Doc
Horse Haven of Tennessee
Horse Haven of Tennessee’s facility is located at 2417 Reagan Road in Knoxville. Donations will be accepted to help HHT in its mission to care for abused and neglected equine. P.O. Box 22841 • Knoxville, TN 37933
Please visit our website: www.horsehaventn.org to see other adoptable horses or to fill out an application for adoption.
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Shopper news • SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 • 5
High-turnout elections favor big-spending candidates There’s an old joke that only three things matter in politics: Money, money and money. Money pays for media advertising, yard signs, billboards and direct mail to voters. It allows a candidate to get his or her message out and reach folks who rarely pay attention to politics. Yet, money isn’t usually as important in local campaigns because so few peo-
Scott Frith
ple vote. A campaign doesn’t need a lot of money when you can fit all the district’s voters into a high school gymnasium. For example, only 3,249 votes were
cast in the Sixth District’s (Northwest Knox County) school board primary election in May. In the Ninth District (South Knox), only 2,494 votes were cast. Low-turnout, local elections give more influence to members of special-interest groups such as teachers and neighborhood organizations because these folks vote in higher numbers. Unsurprisingly, candidates
Great White spotted in Fort Loudoun? Now there’s a headline broadcasts. That it didn’t you can sink your teeth into. failed to deter readers who tweeted, “This is why I don’t ride roller coasters” and similar sentiments for days Larry after the article appeared. The expansion of Internet Van access with its vast stores of Guilder knowledge at the disposal of anyone with a computer and a cable connection was supposed to usher in a Second The question mark is Enlightenment. Instead, life the first hint it’s not true. imitating art, we’re daily The second is sharks’ well- reminded that “Dumb and known dislike of freshwater. Dumber” are just a mouse Topping this week’s “who click away. Print publications like knew?” list is a website calling itself “NY Meta” where the National Enquirer and items as dubious as this fish Globe have long made a livstory are passed off as fac- ing with Elvis sightings and encounters with aliens. But tual. A few weeks ago NY Meta word of mouth was about published “news,” accompa- the only way to propagate nied by video, of a terrifying their stories. Now, Facebook and Youincident. According to the story, a roller-coaster car Tube claim more than a bilflew off the tracks at Coney lion users, and about 250 Island injuring eight people. million of us gossip on TwitIt was completely fab- ter. If only 1 percent of Facericated, yet thousands of book users are contenders social-media users bought for a Darwin* award, there into it. New York’s Econom- are potentially 10 million ic Development Corporation people out there who believe demanded the publisher the cream they ordered will take the story down, and NY melt belly fat and Republicans have an alternative Meta complied. The story, if true, would national health insurance have made headlines in le- plan. How gullible are we? gitimate newspapers and local and national news Would Orson Welles’ “War
of the Worlds” radio play spark panic today? If posted on YouTube and Facebook, the answer is it probably would. For millions, if it’s on the Internet it must be true. The dumbing down of America seems to accelerate at a pace consistent with the increase in bandwidth. You can get a lot of misinformation a lot faster at 12 megabytes per second than you could in my misspent youth when 2400 baud was smoking hot. The other day I heard a comedian tell of a 20-something woman who aspired to a career as a volunteer – but she wanted to get paid for it. The word she was looking for, the comic said, was “employee.” Stupid is as stupid surfs. But if you do spot a shark in Fort Loudoun, let us be the first to know. * The mythical Darwin is awarded for cleansing the gene pool. Recent recipients include the 43-year-old man who took a swig of golden liquid from a salsa jar thinking it was a cocktail. It was gasoline, which he immediately spit out. To soothe his nerves he lit a cigarette. He died the next day at a burn center.
Cancer survivor uses artistic talent to benefit others As the owner of the “Up the Creek Gifts & Designs” shop in Knoxville, Celeste Reedy was always busy creating custom baskets and gifts for customers and running her own business. But her active life took a sudden detour when Reedy was sidelined by a double cancer diagnosis in April of 2013.
“It was the week of Palm Sunday,” remembers Reedy. “I couldn’t breathe, so I went to the Emergency Room. A scan showed a lymphoma wrapped around my throat and thyroid. It was cancer.” Because the growth was cutting off Reedy’s airway, the mass was removed during an emergency surgery. But, Reedy’s troubles weren’t over. “While I was still recovering in Critical Care, the doctors discovered a small but very aggressive spot of breast cancer.” Reedy spent the next several months undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. “The chemo and radiation for lymphoma was similar to what’s used for breast cancer, so I had treatment for both cancers at the same time,” explains Reedy. Reedy adjusted to life full of doctors’ appointments and treatments. “I’ve always been so healthy and active, it’s mindboggling how everything can turn around,” says Reedy. To pass time while as she waited in doctors’ offices, Reedy began sketching. “I’d draw flowers and things I was familiar with. I’d get lost in drawing, it was therapeutic for me.” Reedy was surprised when nurse Mary Krogh of Premier Surgical Associates at Parkwest, noticed her artwork and asked if Celeste would design a t-
long history of community involvement and is a model candidate for a low-turnout, local election for school board or City Council. Yet, the upcoming November election will feature far more voters than a typical school board race. For example, in the May 2014 election, 27,969 votes were cast countywide. In August, 60,744 votes were cast countywide. Expect more than 100,000 votes to be cast this November. A higher turnout favors the candidate who spends more money. Tracie Sanger is not only an educator, but a proven fundraiser widelypraised for her work raising money for the Shannondale Elementary School Foundation. Sanger will have little trouble raising money and is expected to run a strong, community-based campaign. While Rowe might have had the advantage if the election were held in an-
other election cycle, Sanger may defy expectations and win in November’s highturnout special election. High-turnout elections favor big-spending candidates. Expect Sanger to spend a lot of money. Scott Frith is a local attorney. You can reach him at scott@pleadthefrith.com.
GOV NOTES ■ 3rd/4th District Democrats meeting, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road. Guest speakers: Becky Harmon, Emily Gregg and George Shields. ■ Truman Day Dinner, 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, The Foundry, 747 World’s Fair Park Drive. Tickets: $60; $70 after Sept. 28. Info/tickets: https://secure. actblue.com/contribute/ page/trumanday2014; info@ knoxvilledemocrats.org; 540-4001. ■ Democratic Women’s Club meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 14, Shoney’s on Western Avenue. Info: 742-8234.
Bearden resident is state’s new AG Tennessee is in great hands with Herbert Slatery III as state attorney general, says Steve Mc Sween, president of Egerton, McAfee, Armistead & Davis P.C. Herb Slatery Slatery and McSween worked together for 26 years before Slatery took up his previous post as chief legal counsel to Gov. Bill Haslam in 2011. They were also next-door neighbors in the Bearden area. Slatery is fair, hardworking and a great man-
Wendy Smith
ager, McSween says, which will come in handy as he manages a very, very large law firm. While at Egerton, McAfee, Slatery specialized in finance, corporate governance, capital formation, real estate, and sales and acquisitions of businesses. He was president of the firm from 1998 to 2007, and chair from 2008 to 2011. “He’s a lawyer’s lawyer.
Other attorneys go to him for advice,” says McSween. Slatery served as chair, director and general counsel of the Public Building Authority of Knox County and Knoxville, and was a lawyer for the county’s Industrial Development Board. He grew up here and is a huge supporter of Knoxville, McSween says. He was very active at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, and his two grown children live here. Slatery will be just the second Republican attorney general in state history. Tennessee is the only state where the Supreme Court names the attorney general. It’s an eight-year term.
Let
NEWS FROM PREMIER SURGICAL
Cancer patient Celeste Reedy designed an inspirational t-shirt that a physicians’ office is selling to benefit the Knoxville Komen Race for the Cure.
favored by these groups often win local elections because their voters make up a larger percentage of the electorate. But a high-turnout election changes everything. In a high-turnout election, teachers and neighborhood organizations have less influence because they comprise a smaller percentage of voters. Also, when there are more voters, money plays an increased role because a campaign can reach out to unaffiliated voters who may not follow local politics every day. This brings us to the upcoming special election for school board. In the Second District, Indya Kincannon has resigned, and there are three candidates running to replace her in November: Charlotte Dorsey, Jamie Rowe and Tracie Sanger. The conventional wisdom is that Jamie Rowe is favored to win. Rowe has a
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FREE water heater shirt to sell for the office’s annual Komen Race for the Cure fundraiser. Krogh says Premier Surgical and the Parkwest office have long been involved in the Knoxville Komen race. “The cancer fundraiser is a way we honor our families, friends and patients affected by breast cancer,” explains Krogh. “It’s very special to have a patient like Celeste design our shirt.” Reedy says she’s honored to be a part of the office’s effort. “The Premier Surgical staff and physicians have become my friends. I actually look forward to coming to my appointments here,” says Reedy. “I’m excited to do something that could possibly make a difference for other cancer patients.” Reedy’s t-shirt design incorporates colorful flowers with the words “Faith”, “Hope”, “Love”, and “Life”. “I’m very appreciative of life and no longer take lot of things for granted,” says Reedy. Orders for the shirts are being accepted at the Premier Surgical office at Parkwest Medical Center. Proceeds will benefit the Komen Knoxville Race for the Cure.
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kids
6 • SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
Special Day at Dogwood Dogwood Elementary School celebrated family recently with a Grandparents Day Luncheon that was attended by up to four generations. Billie Spires, Karen Talley and Whitney Talley join Madalynne Mathis for the event. Karen went to Giffin School before it became part of Dogwood; Whitney was a Dogwood Dolphin, and Madalynne is a current Dolphin.
Seen at the Fair
South-Doyle High School artists exhibited work at the recent Tennessee Valley Fair student art show. From left are Jakob Harper and Nick Yuhas with their teacher, Ron Hickman, and Jonathan Casas, teacher Carol Vinson, Juli Daughtery and Abby Butler. Photo
submitted
SPORTS NOTES ■ Annual golf tournament to benefit the Central High School softball program will be Saturday, Oct. 18, at Whittle Springs Golf Course. Format: four-man scramble. Registration fee: $240 per team of four, which includes green fee, cart and catered lunch. Registration: 7:30 a.m.; shotgun start: 8:30 a.m. Info: Brent Walker, 237-6507.
Beverly Payne and daughter Alyssa Payne enjoy the special luncheon.
■ Players/teams needed for H3 Hoops, a youth basketball team league. Leagues: 6U, 7U, 8U, 9U, 10, 11U, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, High School JV, High School Varsity. Info: chris@whitfieldsports.com or 389-5998.
Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge receives grant Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge has received a grant for $137,108 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The funds will be used to develop a new “Kids in Action!” healthyliving exhibit and programs to support healthy nutrition, healthy activity, STEM education and community wellness. The museum will partner with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Oak Ridge Associated Universities and the University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension to
offer a human-body exhibit and “Peppy Pepper,” a fitness trail mascot, to raise awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. “Our grants are highly competitive,” said institute director Susan H. Hildreth. “(IMLS) enlists hundreds of library and museum professionals throughout the United States to review grant applications and make recommendations on projects most worthy of funding. Receiving a grant from IMLS is a significant achievement, and we con-
Showdown in Corryton
Gibbs, Oak Ridge enter red-hot in key district clash
Tayliee Carver gets to spend time with grandmother Stacey Kurtz. Photos submitted
South-Doyle athletes in the news South-Doyle High School alumnus Bryce Brentz was called up from the minors by the Boston Red Sox last week. He hit a double in his first major-league at-bat. Brentz, 25, pinch-hit for pitcher Clay Buchholz in the fifth inning. Unfortunately, his big break came during a 9-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates last Wednesday. Drafted by the Red Sox in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft
in 2010, the outfielder also played for Middle Tennessee State University. ■ Current Cherokee senior Joc Bruce, a Tennessee commit, also got some media buzz last week. As of press time, a video showing him tackling a Hardin Valley Academy receiver so hard his opponent’s helmet popped off had had 498,266 views on YouTube. The video also was picked up by espn.com.
Oak Ridge comes in unbeaten after rolling big at McMinn County last week. Gibbs is hot, too, the Eagles winning for the first time – ever – at Halls last week. The Wildcats, who overwhelmed McMinn County 35-0 with a relentless ground game last week, pulled away to win this one fairly handily last season, but Gibbs will come to play. Much will depend on how the Eagles fare at slowing the Oak Ridge running game. Last season: Gibbs (32, 1-2 4AAA), Oak Ridge (40, 2-0) Last meeting: 2013 – Oak Ridge 57, Gibbs 28 The offenses: The Eagles run the triple option, and they’re very good at it. The Wildcats attack out of the spread. The defenses: Gibbs
Best trip to Georgia Athens, Ga., is a good place to play football – genuine college town, enthusiastic fans, significant history, sideline hedges that make the arena unique. My favorite football trip to Georgia was 45 years ago, last day of October, first of November 1969. The Volunteers arrived 5-0 and No. 3 in the country. Whipping up on Alabama in Birmingham the Saturday before had influenced poll voters. Tennessee jumped four places. Georgia was ranked 11th. Vince Dooley thought his team deserved better. Could be he was right. The Bulldogs had won 16 in a row at home. The defense was great, permitting only 86 yards a game.
Marvin West
Tickets were tight. Standing-room-only was sold out. Excitement was peaking. The university newspaper declared this the game of the decade. A radio station kept interrupting songs and commentary with somebody yelling, “Go you hairy Dogs!” I suppose this was what Southeastern Conference competition was supposed to be. I had watched four days
of Tennessee preparation. Doug Dickey had a good idea. Bobby Scott was going to throw to Lester McClain and Gary Kreis and Ken DeLong and maybe swing it out to tailback Don McLeary in the flat. Sophomore fullback Curt Watson was going to keep the Bulldogs honest with inside yardage behind Chip Kell, Don Denbo and Mike Bevins. I didn’t ask, but I am confident the Vols were confident. They had a really good team. You’ve heard about the best-laid plans of mice and men – well, cold rain came to town on Friday and didn’t go away. You could almost hear Ray Charles or Brook Benton doing “Rainy Night in Georgia.”
tailors the defense to that week’s opponent. Oak Ridge defends from a 3-4 loaded with linebackers. The Breakdown: Oak Ridge has plenty of weapons on offense, and Wildcat quarterback Logan Fadnek hasn’t been stingy when it comes to spreading the ball around. Fadnek’s stable of receiving options starts with sophomore tight end Tee Higgins. At 6-foot-4, he’s hard to miss. Senior wide outs Ted Mitchell, Brandon Bonds and Jemiah Hall are also dangerous. On the ground, Isaiah Jones and
junior Jaylen Nickerson, a Maryville transfer, have both had big nights so far this season. While Oak Ridge won going away last season, Gibbs did put four touchdowns in the Wildcat defense, and much of the running game that did it is back. Senior quarterback Preston Booth spurs the Eagles offense. He ran for better than 800 yards and 16 touchdowns last season and is on an even better pace this fall. Fullback Silas Joiner and slot back Brendan Wilson, both seniors, combined for more than 1,300 yards in a 2013 campaign that saw Gibbs get hot down the stretch and make the playoffs. On defense, the Eagles will have one of the best players on the field on either side of the ball in 6-3,
It was really wet on Saturday. Dickey and offensive coordinator Jimmy Dunn met with Scott to discuss the switch from Plan A to Plan B, if weather became a factor. It did. The day would have been really bad if it hadn’t been so good. Tennessee endured an early hiccup. Midway through the first quarter, Watson lost the wet ball in a tight situation. Georgia recovered at the UT 5. Bulldog fans were delirious. Tennessee’s defensive front dug in. Three plays gained one yard. Georgia kicked a field goal. For the first time that season, Tennessee was behind. Watson responded. Home guys couldn’t handle him. Piston legs and slick nylon pants led to missed tackles and hurt feelings – and shoulders and heads. Curt ran over a few obsta-
cles. He turned the lovely turf, nurtured with tender, loving care, into his very own muddy loblolly. He gained 197 yards on 19 carries and wanted more. Georgia fans did not suffer in silence. Some threw oranges. Denbo peeled one and ate it. Watson noticed the commotion, raised his eyebrows and smiled. Gotcha. Scott, the quarterback, explained the mismatch: “Curt was a great back. He was very difficult to bring down under normal conditions. He was a powerful man with exceptional balance. He took a lot of hits and kept on going.” Off the field: Wife Sarah sat through a first-half soaking and retreated to our car. She would tolerate Larry Munson’s broadcast of excuses in the dry. Alas, the car battery ran down. Sarah hiked across the
Stefan Cooper
gratulate Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge for being among the 2014 IMLS museum grantees.” “We are excited to begin the project and look forward to forming new partnerships in the community to work with us in this effort,” said the museum’s executive director, Mary Ann Damos. “I am very grateful to the Institute of Museum and Library Services for this grant award and for all of the work they do for museums and libraries across the nation.”
250-pound senior defensive end Hunter Lane, an AllState selection last fall. Why this one intrigues: A win puts Gibbs right in the thick of the district race with Oak Ridge and frontrunner Anderson County (5-0, 2-0), thirdplace Campbell County (4-1, 2-1) and Knox Central (31, 2-1). With an Oak Ridge win, the Wildcats and Mavericks could begin to pull away from the field. As good as Oak Ridge has looked so far this season, paired with last season’s win at Blankenship Field, the Wildcats enter the favorite, but don’t sell Gibbs short. With the Eagles still flying high from their win at Halls last week, all bets are off for this year’s clash with the Wildcats in Corryton. If Oak Ridge has any trouble getting a handle on the Eagles’ option offense, it could get really, really interesting. You’ll know a lot after the first couple of times Gibbs has the ball.
sloppy parking lot, found a service truck, got a quick recharge and was ready to roll when my three stories were written. Her shoes gave her away. She told me about the dilemma. Her winning rally raised my forever respect. I awarded all-American honors. Curt was second team. For both, it was a signature game. Almost forgot: Tennessee won, 17-3. As usual, linebackers Steve Kiner, Jack Reynolds and Jackie Walker got most of the defensive credit. Tim Priest and Bill Young discouraged desperation bombs. As wet games go, it was an unforgettable adventure. Going to Georgia may never be so fine. There are many such stories in Marvin West’s first book, “Tales of the Tennessee Vols,” now a possible collector’s item. Purchase information available at westwest6@netzero.com.
SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 • 7
Giving furry friends a second chance One thing’s for sure: James Liford and Corrie McKinney care deeply about animals. Determined to create awareness about furry friends needing forever homes, the engaged couple have opened Second Chance Pet Rescue in Knoxville Center Mall.
Massey urges inclusion, jobs for disabled By Sandra Clark
Nancy Whittaker
Partnering with Blount County Animal Center, their goal is to find loving homes for animals that might otherwise be euthanized. Cats and dogs, kittens and puppies, rabbits and ferrets – many animals will be delivered to Second Chance by Blount County Animal Center. All shots will be up to date, and all animals will have been spayed or neutered and checked out to make sure they are healthy and adoptable. Potential adoptive families are given an application form to determine which pet best suits their needs. Those adopting a large dog are required to have a fenced-in yard. Prospective owners enjoy a climate-controlled viewing area to select their pet. In most cases, pets can be taken home the same day.
Holtz joins Health Department Michael Holtz has joined the Knox County Health Department as director of community assessment and health promotion. He comes to KCHD after 12 years with the American Cancer
business
Owners Corrie McKinney and James Liford, along with manager Christy Ryder and assistant manager Brandi Cook, prepare to open Second Chance Pet Rescue at Knoxville Center Mall. Photo by Nancy Whittaker
Adoption fees vary but start as low as $40, and proceeds help the efforts of Blount County Animal Center. Pet supplies are available in all price ranges, but Second Chance specializes in affordable items for the new “family member.” Second Chance is also working with Blount County Animal Center to find new homes for pets whose current owners can no longer care for them. Liford and McKinney want Second Chance to benefit the community. They already have two devoted volunteers. Manager Christy Ryder and assistant manager Brandi Cook are both enSociety and its Cancer Action Network’s 14-state Southern region. Holtz will oversee adolescent pregnancy prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, teen health promotion, violence and unintentional injury prevention, TENNderCARE, and the epidemiology program.
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THROUGH MONDAY, OCT. 27 Deadline for membership application, Knoxville Watercolor Society. Applications for jurying process: www.knxvillewatercolorsociety.com. Info: Kate McCullough, 604-1406 or kateswaterart@gmail.com.
THROUGH SATURDAY, OCT. 18 Reservations open for Hoot ’N Holler Autumn Express steam trains events. Schedule: 9:45 a.m., 1 p.m., 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18; 1 and 4:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19. Departure: new depot, 2560 University Commons Way, in the University Commons Plaza. Info/reservations: www.ThreeRiversRambler.com.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24 “Weston Fulton Changed the World,” a Brown Bag Lecture by Dewaine Speaks, noon, East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Info: 215-8700. Computer Workshops: Word 2007 II, 2 p.m., East Tennessee History Center. Requires “Word 2007 Basics” or equivalent skills. Info/to register: 215-8700.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 25 Cruise Night, 6-9 p.m., 6215 Riverview Crossing Drive in front of old Food Lion at Asheville Highway. All makes, models, years and clubs welcome. No charge. Door prizes. Knox County Veterans Services Outreach, 9-10 a.m., South Knoxville Senior Center, 6729 Martel Lane. One-on-one assistance to veterans and family members. Info: 215-5645, veterans@knoxcounty.org. Faculty lecture: “From Mary Poppins to Maleficent: Professorial Persona and Student Perception” by Pellissippi State assistant professor Anne Pharr, 12:30 p.m., Goins Building Auditorium, 10915 Hardin Valley Road. Free and open to the public. Info: 694-6400 or www.pstcc.edu/arts.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY, SEPT. 25-26 AAA Safe Driving for Mature Operators, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. both days, Strang Senior Center, 109 Lovell
thusiastic and dedicated to the cause. There is no doubt that these four will succeed. Additional volunteers and sponsors are needed. Sponsors can donate food, toys, blankets or other needed items. Sponsors can also select a pet or two each month and pre-pay their adoption fee. Several sponsors have already signed up, including Wayward Arts, a new neighboring business at the mall, and Sears. Everyone is invited to the grand opening 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. Door prizes, refreshments and pet adoptions will be available. Second Chance is on the upper level of KnoxHoltz earned his master’s in communications from the University of Tennessee in Michael Holtz 1998, and his bachelor’s in mass communica-
ville Center Mall near Sears. Check them out on Facebook or call 556-7896. ■
Justin’s surprise
The East Towne Area Business and Professional Association will meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the New Harvest Park Community Center. President Justin Sterling plans a big announcement for the group. Carolyn Pointer Neil, president of Elder Advocates, will speak. Sterling invites all businesses along the East Towne corridor to attend, and come a little early and join the group for breakfast! tion from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in 1992. He and wife Sarah live in Knoxville with their rescue dog, Marley. Holtz replaces Dr. Kathleen Brown, who recently accepted a position with the University of Tennessee’s Department of Public Health.
Heights Road. Cost: $10. Info/to register: 670-6693. AARP Driver Safety class, 1-5 p.m., Asbury Place, 2648 Sevierville Road, Maryville. Info/to register: Carolyn Rambo at 584-9964.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26 Deadline to register for Senior Appreciation Picnic hosted by Mayor Tim Burchett, to be held 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 3, John Tarleton Park, 3201 Division St. Includes lunch, live music and a vendor expo. Free to all Knox County seniors. RSVP: 215-4007. Midnight in Savannah, 7 p.m.-midnight, Club LeConte, 2700 Plaza Tower, 800 S. Gay St. Cost: $50 per person. All proceeds benefit the Scarecrow Foundation, ALS Therapy Development Institute’s Augie’s Quest and the Employee Partners Care Foundation. Info/to register: www.clubleconte.com.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27 Jack Herranen & the Little Red Band, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Admission: $12; some discounts available. Info/tickets: www.jubileearts.org. Saturday Stories and Songs: Georgi Schmitt, 11 a.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Info: 470-7033. Life 101: Free Classes for Teens, 2 p.m., Lawson McGhee Library. Topic: Nutrition Basics for Teens. Instructor: Shannon Reynolds, MPH Corporate Wellness Manager, UT Medical Center. Info: Bess, 215-8754. Golf tournament for Freedom Christian Academy, Three Ridges Golf Course. Shotgun start, 8:30 p.m. Fee: $300/team of four. Info: Kara Robertson, 525-7807. Free Flu Shot Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon, AustinEast, Carter, Farragut, Halls and West high schools and South-Doyle Middle School. Donations accepted to benefit Empty Stocking Fund. Orquesta D’Jimmy Bonilla with the Music City Salsa dancers, 7 p.m., Market Square. Kickoff celebration for HoLa Festival. Free. Info: www.holafestival.org. Family Fun Day, 1-4 p.m., McClung Museum, 1327 Circle Park Drive. Explore new exhibit “Birds, Bugs, and Blooms: Natural History Illustration from the 1500s– 1800s.” Free. Info: http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu. Fall plant sale, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., UT Gardens located just off Neyland Drive behind the UT Veterinary Medical Center. Info: utgardens.tennessee.edu.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28 Ribbon cutting for the town of Farragut’s new Outdoor Classroom, 1 p.m., Campbell Station Road at the entrance to Farragut High School. Info: 966-7057. Green Earth, Blue Skies – A National Public Lands Day Event, 1:30-4:30 p.m., Founders Park at Campbell Station. Schedule of events: www. townoffarragut.org/publiclandsday. Info: Jason Scott, jason.scott@townoffarragut.org; Lauren Cox, lauren. cox@townoffarragut.org; 966-7057.
You can hear her daddy when state Sen. Becky Massey speaks. She absolutely blew me away with her testimony before a congressional committee last week. It was a spur-of-themoment invitation. Massey had been working with Halls residents to extend the TDOT greenway grant set to expire Sept. 30. When Mayor Tim Burchett decided to go ahead and break ground, I phoned Massey’s office with details on the Thursday ceremony. “She can’t come,” said her assistant, Debbie Gazzaway. “She’s presenting to Congress.” Seems Sen. Lamar Alexander had asked her to talk about barriers faced by people with disabilities. She gave the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (did they mean for the acronym to be HELP?) an earful. Her presentation was so strong that we can’t do it justice here. Read the full text at www. help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Massey1. “A meaningful job can make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities just as it does for all citizens. Every person, regardless of hardship, disability and prejudice, can excel if given the opportunity,” she said. “For them a job means more than just a paycheck. It means truly being part of the community.” The presentation was tightly organized and ended with 14 specific solutions within the reach of Congress. Massey has worked
Tennessee state Sen. Becky Massey advocates in Washington for people with disabilities. 21 years as a disability provider and is currently executive director of the Sertoma Center. Hers was not a bleedingheart call for more welfare. Instead, it was a thoughtful plan to get physically and mentally challenged individuals specific job training in high school coupled with incentives for businesses that hire them. Massey wants to eliminate the “cultural mindset of low expectations” that implies the disabled are unable to work. Wow. In a poisonous atmosphere of political gotcha, Becky Duncan Massey presented a plan for action based on her life’s work in the private sector. It’s not enough to be against most everything. Citizens pay taxes and deserve a government that works. Last Thursday’s testimony shows why we ought to send Becky Massey to Washington more frequently … and perhaps full time.
Autism Family Day, 1-5 p.m., The Muse in Chilhowee Park. Sensory-friendly planetarium shows: 2, 3 and 4 p.m. Activities supervised by Artistic Spectrum; refreshments by the Autism Society of East Tennessee. Reduced admission: $3 per person, ages 2 and up; under 2, free. Info: www.asaetc.org. “Stories in Every Jar,” free storytelling by members of the Smoky Mountain Storytellers, 3-5 p.m., Back Porch, 805 Parkway, Gatlinburg. Info: 429-1783 or www. smokymountaintellers.org. Lantern and Carriage Tour, 4-7 p.m., Old Gray Cemetery, 543 N. Broadway. Cost: Adults, $10; students, $5; carriage, $5. Re-enactors, carriage rides and more. Info: 522-1424; info@oldgraycemetery.org. HoLa Festival, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Market Square. A celebration of Hispanic culture with music, dance, arts, crafts, food and family entertainment. Free. Info/schedule: www.holafestival.org. Motorcycle ride with Knoxville Harley-Davidson, 11 a.m. Part of “Gator Hator Week” events. Recommended donation: $20; $5 each extra rider. Proceeds benefit The Love Kitchen. Presented by the Scarecrow Foundation. Info: www.gatorhator.com. “Children in the Arts,” 2:30 p.m., Amphitheatre at World’s Fair Park. Presented by Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble as a part of the Penny for the Arts series. Adult tickets: $7, children/student tickets: one penny. Info: Irena Linn, 584-9636, silverdancer21@gmail.com.
MONDAY, SEPT. 29 Gator Hator Golf Classic, 11 a.m., Beaver Brook Country Club, 6800 Beaver Brook Drive. $125 per player. Part of “Gator Hator Week” events. Proceeds benefit the Love Kitchen. Presented by the Scarecrow Foundation. Info: www.gatorhator.com. Deadline to purchase tickets for Knoxville’s Founders Day Luncheon and Benefit, to be held noon Friday, Oct. 3, The Foundry, 747 World’s Fair Park Drive. Featured speaker: U.S. Rep. John J Duncan Jr. Proceeds to Historic Homes of Knoxville. Info: www.KnoxTIX. com or 523-7543 Classes in Olympic fencing, Medieval longsword, Renaissance rapier, and Victorian military saber are held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the Arnstein Jewish Community Center, 6800 Deane Hill Drive. Visitors welcome; first lesson free. Info: 321-1214, email academyoftheblade@gmail.com, or drop in.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 30 Gator Hator Poker Classic, part of “Gator Hator Week” events. Must qualify to enter: Buckethead Tavern, Doc’s, Downtown Grill & Brewery, Latitude 35, Twisted Mike’s. Proceeds benefit The Love Kitchen. Info: www. gatorhator.com. Information session for LMU’s Caylor School of Nursing, 3-7 p.m., Cedar Bluff extended learning site, 421 Park 40 North Blvd. No preregistration required. Info: 800-325-0900, ext. 6324; or email rebekkah.pullen02@ LMUnet.edu or sherry.pearman@LMUnet.edu.
8 • SEPTEMBER 24, 2014 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
LOCAL Businesses
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SKA Alliance The South Knoxville Alliance is a group of active business, civic and organization leaders who have joined to strengthen the area by promoting our many assets to fellow Knoxvillians, visitors and guests. You are invited to attend our monthly meetings at
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