SOUTH KNOX VOL. 2 NO. 51 1 NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ
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December July 24, 29, 2013 2014
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Improve your health with Tai Chi By Betsy Pickle
Christmas greetings! In this drawing by Carol Chilton of Greeneville, Bill and Wanda Williams say it best. “Straight from the heart.”
Lights fantastic at Chilhowee Park Tour Chilhowee Park by car after dark to see the citysponsored forest of lighted trees floating on the lake. The exhibit will continue to Jan. 1.
Festival of Lights Walk around Concord Park to see the Knox County Festival of Lights, running from 6-9 p.m. through Dec. 30. It’s sponsored by the county’s Parks and Recreation Department. Come for a Dam Road Ride Saturday, Dec. 27, at 9 a.m. as the Knoxville Bicycle Company sponsors the Saturday Dam Road Ride. Meet at 10657 Hardin Valley Road. Info: www. Legacyparks.org/.
IN THIS ISSUE Marvin West Money trumps tradition. How else can you explain changing the name of the historic Gator Bowl to TaxSlayer Bowl? The online tax prep people started paying the price in 2011. Naming rights were finalized this year.
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See story on page 9
Wendy Smith Judging at Tour de Lights was a challenge. In the end, there were 1,023 riders, most of whom sported lights, tinsel or costumes. It was nothing short of magical to watch them depart for a tour of the Fourth & Gill neighborhood, even though my toes were numb.
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See story on page 5
Betsy Pickle Christmas is a huge day for movies, and Shopper-News previews two of the best ones: “Into the Woods” and “The Imitation Game.”
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See previews on page 6
7049 Maynardville Pike 37918 (865) 922-4136 NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Betsy Pickle ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Shannon Carey Jim Brannon | Tony Cranmore Patty Fecco | Wendy O’Dell
Don Parsley first studied Tai Chi 30 years ago when he was living in Utah. “My son was learning kung fu, and the master there was teaching Tai Chi,” he recalls. “Within a year we kind of drifted away from it.” But six years ago, he and his wife, Joann, took a Tai Chi course at the Carter Senior Center. Parsley was thinking about retiring, and he wanted something to do with his time. He enjoyed the class so much that he decided to further his training and become an instructor. He marked his fifth anniversary of teaching in October. On Jan. 6, he will begin a new round of Tai Chi for Arthritis at the South Knoxville Senior Center. Beginner classes will be at 11 a.m. and advanced at 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday for 10 weeks. Cost is $2 per session. “This was the first place I started teaching,” Parsley says during an informational open house at Tai Chi instructor Don Parsley and several of his frequent students demonstrate some of the movements he teaches the South Knoxville center. “The at the South Knoxville Senior Center. With Parsley are, front row, Elysse Myers, Joann Parsley, Margaret Whaley; back first class that I advertised here in row, Jim Myers, Valarie Johnson, Barbara Lillard and Pat Morehead. Photo by Betsy Pickle To page 3
City crews planting 600 trees across Knoxville It’s ttree-planting It’ l ti season, and d the city’s tree experts will be analyzing soil and growing conditions in choosing from 45 different species of trees for plantings in public places – in parks, along greenways and in rights-of-way – between now and March. Kasey Krouse, the city’s first urban forester, has selected sites where new trees will be placed. Together with the city’s arborist, Jeff McCarter, Krouse and his six employees will oversee the planting of more than 600 trees around town his season. Since his hiring in 2012, Krouse has ended the approach of planting primarily monoculture stands of trees. His goal is a diverse variety of trees. He considers the makeup of the soil as well as the environment in which the trees will be growing.
“Planting native works “Pl “P l tii tii trees t k iiff you’ve got the native soil. If you don’t have that, exotic trees like the zelkova and ginkgo are a better option because they will do well in poor soil,” Krouse said. Much of the land Krouse is planting trees on has been misused at some point over the past couple of centuries, leaving little if any virgin soil. “Planting these trees is rewarding work,” Krouse said. “It’s satisfying to know that, if we do our research correctly, our children and their children will be playing under these tree canopies many decades from now. “More immediately, neighborhood leaders and park users will notice the wider variety of tree foliage and fall colors, as well as the thickening numbers of trees on public properties in the city.”
A crew with AvaLawn Lawn and Landscaping plants a tree in Tyson Park.
Blasius is new director of design center By Wendy Smith Wayne Blasius, who began his new job as executive director of the East Tennessee Community Design Center this week, remembers having coffee with Annette Anderson back in 1977. Anderson was executive director of the design cenWayne Blasius ter from 1973 to 1995. She was one of the first people Blasius met when he arrived in Knoxville to begin graduate work in urban planning. They talked about the importance of getting involved in the community, and the conversation stoked his enthusiasm for civic engagement. In the years since, Blasius has volunteered for the design center,
Knox Heritage, Leadership Knoxville, the Central Business Improvement District and the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, along with other organizations. “I strongly believe in giving back, that our community is only as good as the work its citizens are willing to put into it.” He grew up in the Chicago area and didn’t intend to stay in Knoxville. But the South grew on him − especially the warm winters. After Blasius finished his degree, he was hired as a planner for the Metropolitan Planning Commission. He worked on the downtown master plan that ultimately led to that area’s renaissance. His firm, InSite Development, also contributed to downtown’s revitalization with the redevelopment of the Phoenix and the Mast General Store/Gallery Lofts.
Knoxville has an incredible historic building stock, he says. “If you look down Gay Street, there are not many missing teeth.” The area has remained intact because businesses had little economic incentive to be there during the 1960s and 1970s, he says. If downtown had been booming, some of the buildings would have been torn down and replaced with modern equivalents. When it comes to good design, there’s always room for improvement, and he hopes the design center will continue to be a player in that. Blasius took the reins from interim executive director Mary Linda Schwarzbart, whom he commends for her leadership. He also praises the design center’s staff and volunteer board. He thinks his ability to envision a new future for downtown’s
big, empty buildings will help him lead the design center, though its scope goes far beyond the city center. Knoxville and its outlying communities depend on each other, and good design is beneficial to everybody, he says. The ETCDC, which serves a 16-county region, provides professional design and planning services to communities and nonprofit organizations that would not otherwise be able to afford such services. Conceptual designs for projects, which are chosen based on service to the public, help organizations focus their vision and seek funding. The design center was founded in 1969 by renowned Knoxville architect Bruce McCarty. Staff is composed of three full-time and two part-time employees. Funding for the nonprofit comes from grants and donations.
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2 • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • Shopper news
health & lifestyles
Local entrepreneur receives ‘excellent care’ during two hip surgeries As an interior designer of professional office spaces, Amy Taylor of Knoxville knows how to make her clients comfortable at work. But several years ago Taylor became very uncomfortable herself, whether sitting or standing. She had severe pain in her back and hips that made it difficult to bend and walk. “I had a lot of lower back pain and leg pain. It progressed to hip pain, deep pain, in my back and lower legs. At night, I couldn’t sleep on my side. I’d wake up with a lot of hip pain,” she said. “It got to the point where I came home and went straight to the recliner and put my legs up, because that was the most comfortable position. I used to walk daily, but all of that stopped – going to the park or going outdoors. It definitely affected my level of exercise and activity.” Taylor was diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI, of the hip. It’s a condition in which the ball of the femur (thigh) bone isn’t perfectly round and with activity patients can experience pinching, tearing and premature wear. This can damage the cartilage of the both the ball and socket and, ultimately, lead to bone-onbone arthritis. “But not everyone needs a hip replacement,” said Dr. Paul Yau, an orthopedic surgeon at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “Caught early enough, tears can be repaired, the hip can be made round and balance can be restored to the joint. With modern techniques in hip arthroscopy, we can accomplish a lot of work through three tiny incisions. “Hips are much like tires. If they’re not round, they’ll wear out sooner,” said Yau. “A lot of what I do is similar to being a mechanic. If your tires are out of balance, you balance them to help them run smoother and last longer. If there is a hole or a tear, repair it. But if your treads are completely worn, it makes the most sense to replace the whole tire.”
Amy Taylor, pictured here on vacation with her son, Bryce, came to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center earlier this year due to crippling hip, leg and back pain. Now, she’s back on her feet thanks to Dr. Yau and the team at the Joint Center of Fort Sanders Regional.
Taylor tried steroid injections to calm the pain, without success. So she went to see Dr. Yau. Even though Taylor is only 42 years old, Yau suggested replacing both of her hips with artificial joints. “Yes, it is quite unusual to be that young and need replacement surgery. I certainly spend a lot of time repairing and saving hip joints when possible. However, past a certain point, replacement surgery has a much better chance of providing decades of pain relief. Recent data show the average age of hip replacement patients has dropped below age 50 and Amy’s not far from that,” said Yau.
Taylor had her hips replaced one at a time, one side in late August 2014 and the second two months later. Both were done at Fort Sanders, with Taylor staying just one night in the hospital each time. Taylor was able to go home so quickly because Yau used a minimally invasive technique called direct anterior hip replacement. It requires only a 4-inch incision, and the muscles and tendons are spread apart to make room for the new hip joint instead of cutting them. This leads to a quicker recovery. Yau does a high volume of direct anterior hip replacements each year.
A closer look at direct anterior hip replacement Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is among only 15 percent of U.S. hospitals with the staff and facilities available to perform the latest approach in hip replacement surgery, called direct anterior hip replacement. In this procedure, the surgeon goes through the front (anterior) portion of the hip, instead of the side or back. This allows the surgery to separate important muscles and tendons instead of cutting through them to position a new hip joint implant. “When I first started doing hip replacement surgery Paul Yau, MD this way, I thought it was just another option to access the joint, but people have done amazingly well with this approach,” said Dr. Paul Yau, an orthopedic surgeon with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “With traditional hip replacements, we have to cut muscles or tendons, which prolongs the recovery process and may require limitations on hip motion,” said Yau. “It
is common to hear patients being told not to bend at the hip more than 90 degrees, squat, reach to the floor or cross your legs after hip replacement because it would risk a dislocation. “With the anterior approach, none of these typical ligaments are cut, which means all of these common activities are safe, immediately after surgery,” Yau explained. The anterior approach does require a specialized surgical table and intraoperative X-rays. “The specialized table allows for safe leg placement not possible with a traditional surgical table,” said Yau. “This unique table improves access to the hip joint and permits the use of intraoperative X-rays to ensure accurate implant position. “Traditionally, leg length discrepancies are a well-known complication after total hip replacement. The use of live, real-time imaging during surgery allows the surgeon to make both legs balanced and symmetric in length,” he said. “This means the implant will last longer. I no longer say you have to be a certain age to get a hip replacement.” With the anterior approach, the patient
should expect usually one or two nights in the hospital. “Some people even go home the same day,” said Yau. “People recover so much faster, it’s unbelievable.” Yau said he began doing the anterior surgery routinely about a year ago and uses it today for about 95 percent of his hip replacement and repair surgeries. “It does require special facilities and a trained staff, which we have at Fort Sanders. There are a lot of moving parts to the surgery and they all need to be coordinated or you’ll have problems,” he said. Studies have backed up Yau’s opinion of anterior hip replacement. “You know how progress tends to happen in increments?” he asked. “I want to say this is a giant leap instead of an incremental one in orthopedic surgery. I haven’t seen anything this dramatically improve people’s outcome from surgery, ever.” For more information on direct anterior hip replacement, call 673-FORT or visit our website at www.fsregional.com/orthopaedics.
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center wishes you and your family a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year. fsregional.com • (865) 673-FORT
“This is a much easier way for patients to recover from hip replacement surgery,” said Yau. “I have some patients where I did one hip the old way and then we did the other one the new (anterior) way, and patient feedback reports the new way is about 70 to 80 percent easier.” Taylor said in both surgeries, she felt dramatically better quickly. “In both cases by the third week I felt so much better and was off all my pain meds,” she said. She is going through physical therapy to strengthen her muscles again after years of not exercising. “I still have some back pain; I have a limp in my gait,” she said. “Dr. Yau recommended I go to some physical therapy because my muscles are weak because I haven’t used them for two years. The pain in my hips is gone, and right now I just have muscle related pain.” Taylor said she would recommend Fort Sanders to anyone facing hip surgery. “Dr. Yau is so personable,” said Taylor. “He talks to you, listens to you. He talked to my husband. He called me after the surgery and stayed in touch. “Dr. Yau and Fort Sanders did a great job. The care at Fort Sanders was outstanding,” said Taylor. “They were very attentive to any needs I had, all very knowledgeable, with excellent care. I’ve already recommended them to about three of my friends.”
Tips on how to avoid joint injuries ■ Avoid doing too much, too soon. Never increase the length of your workouts by more than 10 percent from one week to the next, and never increase both the length and intensity of your workout at the same time. ■ Maintain strength in the muscles surrounding the joint area. To strengthen the knees, do calf raises, lunges, squats and leg lifts. ■ Train smart by cross-training. Repetitive-motion injuries caused by doing just one sport or workout are some of the most common. You can prevent them by doing different sports or activities that work different muscles. ■ Never skip your warm-up or cool down. Tight or stiff muscles around a joint will make the area more prone to injury. ■ Always use proper technique and body mechanics when playing sports involving repetitive motion, such as tennis and golf. Taking lessons from a certified coach or trainer every once in a while can help you learn and stick with proper form, which can reduce your injury risk substantially. ■ Keep in shape. A high cardiovascular fitness level is crucial to avoid joint injuries. Otherwise, as you tire your form can fail and your joints carry unbalanced weight. ■ Be sure to wear proper shoes that provide adequate support during exercise.
SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • 3
All quiet on the southern (water)front
community
After the fireworks of the October city Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, the December meeting – which revisited Blanchard & Calhoun Commercial’s requests for variances on the development of the former Baptist Hospital site – raised barely a spark of controversy.
Betsy Pickle Mother-daughter flutists Carla Manley Brown and Bethany Brown entertain Candoro guests. Mark Senn, Blanchard & Calhoun president, told the board that he and his architects had met with the public and discussed their reasons for requesting the variances. The company dropped its request for a variance on ground-floor glazing (windows) even before the public meetings, rethinking its design approach and the aesthetics. Senn said there had been little opposition to the other variance requests – concerning setback requirements, lot size and permeable-material parking decks. He was correct in saying that there hadn’t been much vocal objection at the meeting at Flenniken Landing, though one at South Knoxville Elementary School hosted by the Old Sevier Neighborhood Association was somewhat livelier. But two South Knoxvillians spoke out at the BZA meeting, refusing to let the board believe South Knoxvillians were all in lockstep on the variances. The most thorough presentation came from Old Sevier resident Jacqueline Arthur, who read her prepared statement, eloquently citing possible pitfalls as a result of granting the variances, and citing support only for the parking variance. In the end, the BZA sided with Blanchard & Calhoun, approving the variances as a package deal. ■
Sharon Davis and April Burt, right, who organized the open house, give elf Brad Selph the squeeze.
Festive Candoro
High spirits reigned at the Candoro Marble building during the last holiday open house before the Aslan Foundation, which owns the building, begins renovations next year. A blue-and-green pea-
Candoro board member Evelyn Gill and husband Michael Gill get ready to sample the food offerings.
Tai Chi Friends and community leaders Janice Tocher, Debra Bradshaw and Debbie Sharp take a break from volunteering to visit during the Candoro party.
cock theme provided a spin on the usual holiday colors. Candoro board members April Burt and Sharon Davis brought the building to life with their décor, and Burt’s spread of delectable foods put everyone in a good mood. Sean McCollough earned heavy applause as Trudy Monaco named him volunteer of the year for his invaluable contributions in organizing the music for the annual Vestival event. Aside from music by new board chief Paula Johnson and her piano students and mother-daughter flutists Carla Manley Brown and Bethany Brown, the main entertainment was the raffle presided over by Davis. Many guests walked away with prizes, but – thanks to the generosity of local businesses – the raffle turned into something like a
South Knoxville, I had 60 people show up.” He now averages 20 to 30 people per class. Parsley teaches the sun style of Tai Chi as developed by Dr. Paul Lam, an Australian physician who has taught Tai Chi since 1976 and emphasizes its contributions to good health. Parsley, who also offers classes at the Halls and Carter senior centers, says the sun style is perfect for people suffering from arthritis. “It’s more upright,” he says. “You don’t get way down touching the floor; you’re not reaching up in the sky; you’re not overextendHelen Caldwell’s reindeer cookies were a crowd-pleaser at the ing your joints.” VCO holiday party. While Lam’s version is approved worldwide by the Arthritis Foundation, Parsley doesn’t work through the comic marathon. Homemade goodies and foundation. light conversation were the “I spent a good part of my ■ Vestal timeout only things on the agenda. life in the Army, and I did not Regular meetings are Members of the Vestal want to go through a bureauCommunity Organization held at 6 p.m. each second cracy again,” he says. Instead, set business aside to enjoy a Monday at the South Knox- Parsley gets his certification holiday party in December. ville Community Center. every two years through Lam’s organization and can schedule classes on his own. Knox County residents age 50 and above are eligible to attend county senior centers, and Parsley, 70, has taught all ages – including people in wheelchairs and others who need to sit for the classes. “I’ve had people in their mid-90s in this class,” he says. “I have one in her late 80s over at Carter who would
From page 1 put a lot of people to shame.” Parsley grew up in the tiny town of Cotton Plant, Ark. He joined the U.S. Army straight out of high school, serving for more than 25 years before retiring in 1987. He worked in retail management for a while before starting a new career as a corporate trainer. The Parsleys were living in Dallas and hating the hectic lifestyle there when they decided to move to Knoxville. They have been here nearly 20 years and love their home near Chilhowee Intermediate School. Between training people in both the corporate world and the Army, Parsley knows how to teach. But Tai Chi requires a different mindset of him. “It’s basically a totally different way of teaching, especially teaching so many seniors,” he says. “Seniors are not going to put up with what a teenager would put up with. If you’re not responsive to their needs, they’re going to leave. “It’s sometimes a challenge, but you have to integrate the whole class. That’s the key to teaching this kind of class so people go, ‘This is for me.’ ” Would you like to start a NEW CAREER? Come to the American Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training information sessions every Wednesday at 10am! 6921 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxvillle, TN 37909 No obligation & scholarships available to those who qualify.
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Loyal members of the Vestal Community Organization gather for fellowship. Photos by Betsy Pickle
COMMUNITY NOTES
Group provides stroke survivor support
■ Colonial Village Neighborhood Association. Info: Terry Caruthers, 579-5702, t_caruthers@hotmail.com.
The Knoxville Stroke Group welcomes stroke survivors and their caregivers. It meets the second Tuesday of each month at Tennova’s Shamrock Room (next to Fulton High School). The group offers help to stroke survivors with education as well as emotional, social and recreational support as they go through the recovery process. At the January meeting, the group will have a speaker from the Disability Law Center. February is the annual bingo night and chili dinner. Info: Kerry Jones, familykjones@juno.com.
■ Knoxville Tri-County Lions Club meets 7 p.m. each second and fourth Monday, Connie’s Kitchen, 10231 Chapman Highway, Seymour. Info: https://www.facebook.com/TriCountyLions/info. ■ Lake Forest Neighborhood Association. Info: Molly Gilbert, 209-1820 or mollygilbert@yahoo.com ■ South of the River Democrats (9th District) meets 6:30 p.m. each third Monday, South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike. Info: Jim Sessions, jim.sessions@comcast.net or 573-0655. ■ South Haven Neighborhood Association meets 10 a.m. each third Saturday, Hillcrest UMC, 1615 Price Ave. Info: Pat Harmon, 591-3958. ■ South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association. Info: Shelley Conklin, 686-6789. ■ Vestal Community Organization meets 6 p.m. each second Monday, South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Old Maryville Pike. Info: Newman Seay, 577-4593.
HEALTH NOTE ■ Enrollment assistance for the Affordable Healthcare and Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): 3-7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, South Knox Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, Mount Calvary Baptist Church, 1807 Dandridge Ave.; 3-7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12, Montgomery Village, 4530 Joe Lewis Road. Info: www. healthcare.gov.
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4 • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • Shopper news
The first Martha Ashe Forty years ago, in 1974, the first woman to represent Knox County in the state Senate was elected in November. Her name was Martha Ashe, and there is quite a story as to how it all happened in an unplanned way. She was this writer’s mother, and the reader needs to be 60 to have much current memory of the fall campaign in 1974 in Knox County. In fact, the full story will take up much of two columns, so this story will be continued on Dec. 31. Martha Ashe was also the first Republican woman ever elected statewide to the Senate. Since then three more women (Jamie Woodson, Becky Massey and, briefly, Sue Atchley) have represented Knox County in the state Senate, and many more have served other parts of the state. At the start of 1974, I was completing my third term in the state House and decided to run for the state Senate that year. Tennessee’s Constitution requires that a state senator be 30 years old. In 1974, I was 29 and would turn 30 on Jan. 1, 1975. Since the Senate would not convene until the second Tuesday of January in 1975, I would then be 30. I sought and secured a state Attorney General’s opinion that said I was eligible to run and the Senate would determine the qualifications of its own members. The state Constitution also provides that the term of office begins with the day of election in November.
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Victor Ashe
There is not a lame-duck period for state legislators. My mother at that time had no inkling she might seek the Senate seat but was a vital supporter in my campaigns. I declared my candidacy in the GOP primary and won the nomination over longtime Sheriff Bernard Waggoner in August. In addition to the Democratic candidate, Betty Cathey, there was an independent candidate, former state Rep. Jack Comer, whom I had defeated two years earlier for state representative in the GOP primary after redistricting. Comer was irate over his loss. He filed as an independent candidate to gain legal standing to sue over my eligibility. The lawsuit is styled Comer v. Ashe and was first heard in Chancery Court by the late Len Broughton, who ruled in my favor, holding that the Senate alone would decide the eligibility of its members. Since the Senate would not convene until January, when I would be 30, the issue would be moot. However, Comer quickly appealed the decision and asked that the state Supreme Court hear the case, bypassing the appellate court. The Supreme Court agreed to hear it.
I was ably represented by Jack Draper and the late Robert Ritchie, father of former state Rep. Wayne Ritchie. To my dismay, the court quickly ruled that I was not eligible to run since I would not be 30 the day of the election and ordered my name removed from the ballot. There were less than seven weeks to the November election and now no Republican nominee. The public reaction was mostly in my favor and against the court, which was seen by many as an arm of the Democratic Party. The story continues in next week’s column with the battle to name a GOP nominee and the five-week campaign to election day. ■Gov. Bill Haslam has made an outstanding choice in Randy Boyd as commissioner of Economic Development. Boyd previously helped Haslam on education issues as an unpaid assistant for one year. Boyd, founder of PetSafe, has been a community leader. He follows another Knoxvillian, Bill Baxter, who served in this position under Gov. Don Sundquist from 1998 to 2000, and Alex Fisher, who lived in Knoxville then but has now moved to Columbus, Ohio. ■Former Knoxville Mayor Kyle Testerman, 80, and retired city Fire Chief Eddie Cureton, 77, are recovering well from accidents and were patients recently in adjacent rooms at NHC in Farragut. Best wishes to them as they get back on their feet and become more mobile.
Jacksons celebrate Christmas Knox County General Sessions Court judge Andy Jackson and his wife, Janet (at right), celebrate with daughters Rachel and Rebecca at the family’s annual Christmas party at their home in Solway. Judge Jackson is a descendant of President Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States. Photo by A. Hart
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To arms, to arms, the #DanishAreComing
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Last week, after President Obama announced we would normalize relations with Cuba, I tuned in to a local radio station’s daily talk show anticipating wing-nut hysterics at the news. I came away gratified. One caller expressed his displeasure at trading with any Communist nation by asking rhetorically, “Why are we (trading) with Vietnam, anyway? They killed 55,000 of our men.� Then, for emphasis: “We shoulda nuked ’em back to the Stone Age.� For that fellow, nothing exudes Christmas cheer like a glowing, radioactive crater. Although Obama’s most recent treasonous action was enough in itself to curl his toenails, it turned out the caller was equally outraged over the origin of his jockey shorts: made in Vietnam. After East Tennessee’s version of Gen. Jack D. Ripper (of “Dr. Strangelove� fame) hung up, I tried to empathize with him. My jockey shorts are “immigrants� as well, made in Honduras, but we haven’t had a war with Honduras lately. If we had, I might feel differently. Then I considered what
Larry Van Guilder this country would look like today if we had “nukedâ€? Vietnam: probably a lot like Vietnam but without the jungle. But our actions would also have precipitated World War III, and we would have been nuked in turn by the Soviet Union and Red China. (Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers ‌â€? As opposed to “peacekeepers,â€? now-retired ICBMs once deployed by the United States.) However, fair-minded individual that I am, I conceded that the caller might be on to something. Vietnam is the wrong target, especially now that it produces serviceable underwear. But there are people, places and things that could do with a good Christmas nuking, so I made this list and checked it twice. Denmark. Peaceful little Denmark, you say? Ha! Danes, with their well-paid McDonald’s workers and their cream-cheese pastries may seem to be the last people on earth who deserve in-
dustrial-grade irradiation, but read on. Denmark has decided to lay claim to part of the Arctic surrounding the North Pole. Because the continental shelf running under Greenland stretches to the pole and Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the pushy Danes think they can just grab territory like it was formerly part of Mexico. Anyone who writes or says anything preceded by a hashtag (#). If you’re like me, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to restrain the impulse to strangle the next person who uses a hashtag to communicate feelings, as in, “I feel #blue today,â€? or opinions like “#DanesAreNuts.â€? Nuking on this scale would mean the end of Twitter, a sweet collateral benefit. The National Football League. The conduct of pro football players makes a strong argument for nuking. I’ll exclude Peyton Manning if he agrees to stop making Papa John’s commercials. The next politician who says, “I’m not a scientist, but ‌â€? We’ve been hearing a lot of this from climate-change deniers in recent years. We know you’re not scientists; we only wish you would listen to them.
government
Shopper news • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • 5
Lunching in the sunshine News gets hard to come by during the holidays, which made this announcement from Knox County Schools’ prolific public information office enticing: “PUBLIC NOTICE: (14173) Please note that two or more Board of Education members may meet on Monday, Dec. 15, at 11:30 a.m. at Panera Bread, 2000 Cumberland Avenue. Education issues will be discussed and minutes will be taken. All board members are welcome to attend and will pay for their own meals.” So it was no surprise that two reporters played Cumberland Avenue parkingspot roulette and showed up
Betty Bean
at the popular campus café. No telling what they were going to be talking about, right? But there was no news broken at the meeting, which was attended by board members Patti Bounds, Amber Rountree, Terry Hill and Doug Harris, as well as assistant superintendent Elizabeth Alves (who got stuck taking notes). Also present were
Knox County Education Association president Tanya T. Coats and Rountree’s 3-month-old son, Teddy, for whose affections Hill and Bounds competed as they discussed problems finding substitute teachers. Afterward, Bounds was a little embarrassed about the announcement. Turns out that she, Hill and Rountree, who regularly attend Bible study together, just wanted to have lunch. In an abundance of caution, they reported it to KCS spokesperson Melissa Ogden, who “sunshined” the meeting, i.e., sent out a formal notice in compliance with the state’s sunshine law.
“We were just going to get together and have lunch. … Our intent was to convey that business ‘may be discussed,’ but it was really just some people wanting to get together and have lunch, but not wanting our conversation to be limited to small talk. I’m surprised we didn’t have cameras rolling,” Bounds said, barely stifling a laugh. This abundance of caution is typical of Knox County elected officials, who are still smarting from the aftermath of “Black Wednesday,” when County Commission got itself into a world of trouble by appointing spouses, kinfolk
and drinking buddies to seats they were being forced to vacate after the state Supreme Court forced Knox County to abide by termlimits laws, thumbing their collective noses at Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act in the process. Even though school board members weren’t the offenders, they are extremely careful about such things, unlike some of their colleagues across the state. Take the Metro Nashville school board, for example, which recently attempted to choose a new superintendent by secret ballot. Astonishingly unaware of
Tour de Lights is holiday magic
My favorite Christmas memory isn’t really a memory at all. It’s a feeling. It’s the excitement I experienced when I walked out of my grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve knowing Christmas was the next day. My brother and I couldn’t stop grinning during the car ride home. “Can you believe it? Tomorrow, when we wake up, it will be Christmas!” we’d say, and five minutes later, we’d say it again. It was sheer bliss knowing that something magical was going to happen, and no matter what we found under the tree, it was going to be good. Each Christmas, I try to find something − twinkling lights, a delicious smell or a beautiful carol − that makes me feel like a kid again. This year, it was the eighth annual Tour de Lights. This was the first year the annual bike ride was part of Knoxville’s Christmas in the City, and I was honored
Wendy Smith
to be asked to help judge the event’s costume contest. When I arrived at Market Square, I was handed a clipboard and asked to mingle with the hundred or so costumed participants. The categories included best costume, best helmet, best group, best bike and best overall. I met a man wearing a top hat made out of a coffee can and adorned with a candle. I met Mayor Tim Burchett’s cousin, P.J., who restored the 1950s bike ridden by his wife, Beaumont Elementary art teacher Cheryl Burchett, as well as his own 1930s-era bicycle, which he found leaning against a tree in the woods.
Lindsay Lee, Angela Wampler, Stephanie Lee and Pam Lee, also known as the Snowflakes, don’t mind the chilly weather at the 2014 Tour de Lights. Photo by Wendy Smith He had to cut the bike out of the tree, which had grown around it. I met the Three Wise Men, two of whom were women. They followed a star that hung from a pole attached to one of the bikes.
Saul Young, my favorite News Sentinel photographer, looked more like Alice from “The Brady Bunch” than a wise man in his ruffled bath robe. I met Steve McGhee, who had so many lights on
his bike and helmet that I thought he must be an engineer. He turned out to be a pharmacist. My job would’ve been easy if not for the continuous stream of entrants. I thought I’d picked my favor-
the state’s open-meetings law, they were publicly humiliated when Jeff Woods of the alt-weekly The Nashville Scene pointed out that state law is pretty clear: “No secret votes, or secret ballots, or secret roll calls shall be allowed.” A do-over followed. Sometimes scoop-hungry local media get a little aggravated by investing time covering meetings that produce no fireworks. But those of us who’ve been around long enough to remember the bad old days can’t help but appreciate the transparency that has become a way of doing business.
ites until I met David Stair, with a shiny, red present on his helmet, and his wife, Debbie, who wore a Christmas tree costume made of real hemlock branches. I also ran into my friend from the Dogwood Knitters, Lyndsay Crawford, who was dressed as the Doctor from Dr. Who. In the end, there were 1,023 riders, most of whom sported lights, tinsel or costumes. It was nothing short of magical to watch them depart for a tour of the Fourth & Gill neighborhood, even though my toes were numb. Judging was a challenge, given our absurdly creative community, but it was a pleasure to whittle down the finalists with my fellow judge, Erin Donovan of Visit Knoxville. It was even more fun to watch the winners, most of whom were grownups, grin as they accepted their prizes. Perhaps the key to finding childlike Christmas bliss is forgetting that you’re a grown-up − just for a little while.
Rejoice! With exceeding great joy, we wish you and your family much peace, love and harmony this Christmas season.
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6 • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • Shopper news
Turing film explores depths of humans, machines pects him of being a spy. There are several flashbacks to Alan as a youth (played by the appealing Alex Lawther) at school, but the bulk of the screen time is devoted to the adult Turing’s work on building a machine to decode Enigma at Bletchley Park. Director Morten Tyldum, working from Graham Moore’s screenplay, based
By Betsy Pickle Two intense stories are at work in “The Imitation Game.” The first is Britain’s race to unravel the mysteries of Nazi Germany’s Enigma coding machine during World War II. The second is the lifelong emotional and sometimes physical assault on mathematical genius Alan Turing, who took the lead on breaking Enigma but suffered greatly as a gay man because of his country’s laws against homosexuality. The movie jumps around in time, framed by an interrogation of Alan (Benedict Cumberbatch) after the war, when his home has been burglarized but nothing seems to be missing. A zealous police detective, Robert Nock (Rory Kinnear), becomes suspicious when he is unable to learn what Alan did during the war and sus-
Keira Knightley is surprisingly good as a bright mathematician stymied by the male-dominated world she inhabits, and Mark Strong is deliciously manipulative as MI6 chief Stewart Menzies. The weight of the movie is on Cumberbatch, however, and he carries it brilliantly. He uses Alan’s struggles – with relationships, working with those who are far from
his intellectual equal and creating his early computer – to move the film forward as well as to make Alan sympathetic. A quote from childhood friend Christopher Morcom (Jack Bannon) is the light that shines on and through Alan throughout his life. It, and the film, testify to the complexity and potential of all human beings.
Sturdy ‘Woods’ slyly twists fairy tales By Betsy Pickle
Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) works on a machine that will break the Nazis’ Enigma in “The Imitation Game.”
Early presents Five of the six films hitting town this week – “Big Eyes,” “The Gambler,” “The Imitation Game,” “Into the Woods” and “Unbroken” – will play once or twice tonight (Dec. 24). “Foxcatcher” arrives Christmas Day. ■ In “Big Eyes,” Amy Adams plays painter Margaret Keane and Christoph Waltz her husband, Walter, who tries to take credit for her work. Tim Burton directed. ■ A literature professor borrows money from his mother and a loan shark to pay off a debt in “The Gambler.” Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, Brie Larson and John Goodman star in a film adapted from the like-titled 1974 film starring James Caan.
on the biography by Andrew Hodges, tends to overdo the friction between Alan and his boss, Commander Denniston (Charles Dance), and between Alan and his colleagues, led by chess champion Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode). But aside from that two-dimensional bent, the characters and plot twists are absorbing and suspenseful.
■ “Unbroken” tells the story of Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini, who enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces before the attack on Pearl Harbor and survived for 47 days at sea after a search plane he was on crashed in the ocean, only to be captured by the Japanese, who mistreated and tortured him in a POW camp. ■ “Foxcatcher” stars Steve Carell as eccentric multimillionaire John du Pont, who recruits goldmedal-winning wrestler Mark Schultz and his wrestling-coach brother, David, to train to compete in the Seoul Olympics. Bennett Miller (“Moneyball”) directed. – Betsy Pickle
Before the novel and stage smash “Wicked,” before the TV fantasies “Once Upon a Time” and “Grimm,” theater had “Into the Woods,” a dark fairy-tale mash-up that united characters from “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Rapunzel” into one bewitching story. The musical’s colorful, often-doomed characters and sly lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim won over critics and audiences. Now, 28 years after the stage debut, comes director Rob Marshall’s fi lm version of “Into the Woods,” with terrific singing and acting by stars such as Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Christine Baranski and Tracey Ullman and a host of lesserknowns. While it deserves to find a strong following – much more so than the recent “Les
The baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) get instructions from the witch (Meryl Streep) that will help them undo a curse in “Into the Woods.”
Miserables” or Marshall’s own “Chicago” – “Into the Woods” lacks a true showstopping tune to act as a defining siren song, which may hinder its popularity with short-attention-span moviegoers. James Lapine adapted the screenplay from his book for the musical, and with Sondheim’s words and
music the film is a tantalizing spin on familiar stories. The plight of a childless baker (James Corden) and his wife (Blunt) cursed by a witch neighbor (Streep) weaves the classic tales together. Everyone has some kind of dilemma, and some of the twists and turns are indeed Grimm (and unsuited
for little ones). Though there isn’t a “hit” among the songs, the lyrics are wonderful examples of Sondheim’s clever word-smithing and build to an emotional wallop with “No One Is Alone.” It’s always a joy to hear talented actors like Streep, Blunt and Kendrick show off their pipes, but it’s also fun to discover breakthrough performers like James Corden (the baker) and Billy Magnussen (Rapunzel’s prince) and youngsters like Lilla Crawford (Red Riding Hood) and Daniel Huttlestone (Jack) who can sing as well as act. “Into the Woods” takes viewers on an engaging journey through atmospheric sets and timeless questions. It’s a reminder that “happily ever after” does not come smoothly – or predictably.
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Shopper news • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • 7
Christmas lights and little kids Here at the ShopperNews, we’re all counting our blessings this week.
Carol Shane
Among mine, I count the fact that I can claim as my hometown not one but two picturesque, charming North Carolina towns. One of them – Waynesville – is now a real tourist destination, though it had little more than a drugstore and a five-and-dime when I moved there as an adolescent in the late ’60s. But my little-kid years were spent in the sweet hamlet of Shelby, where there’s still a courthouse in the town square. I took a friend there a few years ago. “It’s Mayberry,” she said. Shelby has done well; it’s on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places and has experienced a renaissance, thanks to several downtown preservation groups. It was a wonderful place for a child. And the best time of all was Christmas. Downtown became a fairyland. The lights strung across the streets were the prettiest I’ve ever seen. I’ve tried to Google them; no luck. So they’re stored only
The Cleveland County Courthouse in Shelby, N.C.
Photo sub-
mitted
in my admittedly rose-colored memory. But they really were special: red, gold and green curlicues culminating in a spectacular crown in the center. The most anticipated night for me during Christmastime was my family’s tour of lights. Mama, Daddy and I would bundle up and pile into the Dodge station wagon armed with a thermos of hot chocolate. And we’d drive all over town looking at the lights. As an only child, all I had to do was sit, look, wonder and thrill. Some of the more modern-minded decorators in those “mad men” days favored pastel-colored wheels and artificial silver trees, or monochromatic color schemes. Though I appreciate them now, at the time I didn’t care for them. They didn’t “speak”
to a 5-year-old. For me, the only decorations that mattered were bright lights of red, green, gold and white. Maybe a little blue. I could spot them as we started down a street and couldn’t wait until we were in front of the vivid, glowing colors. My parents were egalitarian and wanted me to see how everyone lived, so we didn’t just confine ourselves to the “better neighborhoods.” But it didn’t matter to me if those lights were sparkling on a majestic fir in front of a threestory colonial or gleaming dimly behind a sheet of plastic taped to a cracked window in a wooden shanty. I loved them all. To this day, though my neighbors in my 100-yearold Fountain City neighborhood favor elegant allwhite light displays, I still put up colors for the little kids whose parents might
be driving by. They’ll be in an SUV, not a station wagon, and they’ll probably be glued to a CGIsaturated adventure on the overhanging DVD screen, or immersed in an adrenaline-pumping computer game. But I hope they glance up, at least for a few seconds. I hope they get a glimmer of that sweeter, gentler kind of thrill. You can view some Christmas lights yourself this weekend at the Concord Park Holiday Festival of Lights presented by the Knox County Parks and Recreation. Every evening except Christmas, from 6 to 9 p.m., visitors can walk a .75-mile greenway trail to view the spectacular display of several hundred thousand lights. The park staff at The Cove did all the decorating – including a series of lights coordinated to music – and they’ve even provided bonfires for roasting marshmallows. What a wonderful place to take your family and friends! Pets on leashes are welcome, too. The event runs through Dec. 30. It’s free, but please bring a nonperishable food item for the Love Kitchen, which provides meals and other types of aid to those in need. Info: 215-6600 or www.knoxcounty.org/ parks.
THROUGH WEDNESDAY, DEC. 24 ■ Christmas in Old Appalachia at the Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Highway. Info/schedule of events: 4947680 or www.museumofappalachia.org.
FRIDAY, DEC. 26 ■ Movie & Popcorn: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 10 a.m.-noon, Humana Guidance Center, 640 Plaza, 4438 Western Ave. Free. Info: 329-8892, TTY: 711.
THROUGH SATURDAY, JAN. 3 ■ The Knoxville Watercolor Society exhibit at the Rose Center, 442 W. Second North St., Morristown. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Thursday until 7:30 p.m. Info: www.knxvillewatercolorsociety.com.
THROUGH SUNDAY, JAN. 4 ■ Holidays on Ice presented by Home Federal Bank, on Market Square. Hours: 1-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 1-9 p.m. Sundays. Info: www. knoxvillesholidaysonice.com.
THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 10 ■ Tickets available for Rhythm N’ Blooms music festival, on stages set exclusively along downtown Knoxville’s historic Jackson Avenue. Features first-timers, chart-climbers and highly lauded acts from varied musical backgrounds. Info/ tickets: www.rhythmnbloomsfest.com.
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Slamdot founder and CEO Sean Christman and chief operating officer Daniel Monday get a visit from Rocky Top Air owner and Slamdot client Gerald Allison, dressed as Santa Claus.
Plate it
Panera Bread
Santa will probably leave a little something extra in your stocking if you treat him to a Mitten Cookie from Panera Bread. Throw in a Candy Cookie and some hot chocolate, and you might just jump from the naughty to the nice list!
In May 1999, all Au Bon Pain Co. businesses were sold, and the company was renamed Panera Bread. Panera is now a bakery/café with homemade soups, salads and sandwichMystery es on the menu. Diner Fresh bakery items range from bagels to muffins to coffee cakes and Panera is the bakery that the specialty cookies. The grew. The company began in Mitten Cookie is replaced 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co., lo- each season with a “new” cated primarily on the East seasonal shaped cookie Coast. The purchase of the – Easter eggs, jack-o-lanSt. Louis Bread Company in terns, spring flowers. 1993 added 20 bakeries and The Mitten Cookie is a a change in growth plans. shortbread cookie with a
Slamdot relocates By Sara Barrett
Slamdot has officially opened its new location in Northshore Village at 2053 Thunderhead Road. The web design and hosting group was founded in 2005 and has about 900 clients, ranging from mom and pop stores to large corporations. Rocky Top Air owner and Slamdot client Gerald Allison attended the ribboncutting and had nothing but praise for the folks who built his website. Allison exSanta won’t be disappointed with a plate of pected several meetings and Panera Bread cookies and some hot chocoa long, involved process, but late. Photo by Mystery Diner said he met with the folks at Slamdot one time for an initial consultation, and everything afterward was done online. He said his business crunchy-sweet icing. Pane- regular and gourmet – is has benefitted from Slamra’s hot chocolate – both the perfect accompaniment. dot’s ongoing support and
training in “Slamcamps,” which are customized training sessions in small group settings. Originally based in downtown Knoxville, the company moved westward “for a number of reasons,” said web consultant Wade McLemore. “We’re a growing company, so we need more space. This is convenient to downtown and also has a small-town feel,” he said. While CEO Sean Christmas prefers to work behind the scenes, COO Daniel Monday has a large personal footprint. He has served as an officer for several business groups and is active in both the Knoxville and Farragut West Knox chambers. Info: 238-5600 or www.slamdot.com.
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8 • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
Dogwood teacher Lisa McCoy, right, and daughter Mariann give a hoot about their costumes.
Manning promotes student success Former UT quarterback and Denver Broncos standout Peyton Manning knows how to give back. Through his PeyBack Foundation, Manning helps promote the future success of disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities. While at UT, Manning would visit classrooms at Beaumont Magnet Academy and work with students. Since his graduation, he has given back to the community and now has expanded his generosity through Knox County Schools. Last week, the foundation donated $15,000 in gas cards to area schools, and the staff at each school will distribute the cards to families in need. “In the past we have put one card each with our school Angel Tree recipients’ gifts,” said social worker Mimi Jackson from Dogwood Elementary. “Parents knew that they were getting gifts for their children, but when they saw the gas card, many were moved to tears.” Schools splitting the do-
Dogwood Elementary’ s instructional assistants wish everyone “Mele Kalikimaka” – “Merry Christmas” in Hawaiian. From left, front, are Nikki Tilson, Rita Barrick, Kayla Griggs, Remola Turner, Terry Kaas; second row, Debra Hudson, Erma Doolan, Susan Ferguson, Christine Hill, Wendy Benjamin; third row, Eric Long, Jessica Newport, Santa (Jeff Hood) and Robin Herbert. Photos
A couple of Grinches help Angie Lamon celebrate.
by Betsy Pickle
Dogwood struts holiday stuff By Betsy Pickle
Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy assistant principal Dexter Murphy shows the bundle of gas cards his school received thanks to Peyton Manning’s Peyback Foundation. Photo by R. White
nation included Beaumont Magnet Academy, Belle Morris, Christenberry, Dogwood, Green Magnet Academy, Inskip, Lonsdale, Maynard, Norwood, Pond Gap, Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy, Spring Hill, South Knox and West View. – Ruth White
You never know what you’re going to see at Dogwood Elementary on the last day of school before winter break. The faculty tacky-sweater contest has expanded into a fabulous indoor parade with lots of laughs and music. Students often join to support their teachers. The school’s instructional assistants made the biggest impression this year with well-coordinated Hawaiian attire and their message of “Mele Kalikimaka.” Principal Lana Shelton-Lowe says they’ll get their reward when school resumes in The Dogwood administration suits up for the event. From left are Rebecca Headrick, principal January. Lana Shelton-Lowe, Denise Gordon and Aaron Maddox.
PeyBack Foundation brightens holidays for South Knox families By Betsy Pickle
Two South Knoxville schools were among 14 Knox County schools selected by Peyton Manning’s PeyBack Foundation to receive gas assistance for their families during the holidays. Dogwood Elementary and South Knoxville Elementary each received about 30 gas cards at a presentation last Wednesday at Beaumont Magnet Academy. The total donation to KCS families was valued at about $15,000. Gap Creek Elementary third-grader Tyson Kimbler picks up The schools distributed some presents he bought at the PTA’s Secret Santa Shop. Stu- the $25 Pilot gas cards dents were able to purchase gifts – all under $5 – for family and to deserving families last friends and have them wrapped by PTA members such as Chris week. South Knoxville has Fisher, right. Photo by Betsy Pickle a weekend food backpack
With help from PTA elves
program, and the cards were added to the backpacks on Friday. Dogwood selected families that were already due to receive Angel Tree gifts. SKES principal Tanna Nicely said the gas cards would help families with above-normal transportation needs. “I feel like it’s an opportunity for them to possibly visit family members for Christmas and the holidays,” she said. And with gas prices dropping this month, “for most vehicles, this will just about fill up a tank,” she added. Dogwood principal Lana Shelton-Lowe said PeyBack
has provided holiday-time assistance for several years, usually in the form of grocery-store or gas gift cards. “Our parents come to pick up the Angel Tree stuff here, and some of them can’t even afford to (drive to the school to) do that,” she said. Alison King, who organizes Dogwood’s Angel Tree program, said parents are grateful for the gas cards. “They appreciate the (Angel Tree) Christmas assistance, but the fact that they don’t have to worry about their next tank of gas, they’re just very thankful.” King said that the school
had about 70 Angel Tree families this year. “We’re able to serve about 10 percent of our population,” she said. “I wish we could give more, but we just don’t have the resources.” Support for Dogwood’s Angel Tree program came from First, Graystone and Lake Forest Presbyterian churches, Tennessee State Bank and the Knoxville Volleyball League. Staff members and their families also contributed. “We are very fortunate to have such a giving staff,” said King. “We had a record number of staff members ask this year to adopt kids.”
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SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • DECEMBER 24, 2014 • 9
Money trumps tradition
The Rotary Club of Knoxville 2015-16 board of directors: (front) Allen Pannell, Sandra T. Martin, Roy King; (back) Brent Midyett, Tiffany Walker, Ed Anderson, Jennifer Sepaniak, Ginny Weatherstone, Bill MacGrath, Jody Mullins and Jim Decker. Not pictured is Don Hasson. Photo submitted
Rotary Club selects new board The Rotary Club of Knoxville has elected its 2015-16 board of directors, which will be led by president Sandy Martin, retired president of Corporate Interiors Inc., when the board begins its term July 1. Allen Pannell, owner of Allen Pannell LLC, is president-elect and membership director. Edwin A. Anderson of Cannon & Anderson, Attorneys, is vice president and communications director.
Bill MacGrath, senior vice president and financial adviser with Pinnacle Financial Partners, is secretary. Jennifer A. Sepaniak, chief financial officer for Schaad Companies, is treasurer and chair of the Financial and Audit Committee. Outgoing president Roy King, M.D., a dermapathologist with Dermapathology Partners PC, will represent
past presidents. Other directors are: Jim Decker, chief executive director of Medic Regional Blood Center; Don Hasson, president of House-Hasson Hardware; Jody Mullins, senior district manager for Takeda Pharmaceutical USA Inc.; Brent Midyett, vice president of DFA/@home audio-video; Tiffany Walker, vice president of Elite Service Mortgage; and Ginny Weather-
stone, retiring CEO of the Volunteer Ministry Center. Founded in 1915, the Rotary Club of Knoxville is among the oldest and largest Rotary Clubs in Tennessee. The club was instrumental in the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sponsor of several park projects. It is also the creator and steward of The Rotary Foundation of Knoxville, which provides college scholarships and special projects.
McNabb builds home for eight vets Federal Home Loan Bank, partners, eight homeless By Ruth White Thanks to Helen Ross the Veterans Administra- veterans will have a place to McNabb, Mayor Tim Bur- tion and a host of donors, call home by Christmas. Pat Polis, pastor of Washchett, KCDC, United Way, volunteers and community
ington Pike United Methodist Church, blessed the event and the home, saying “today we are making a difference.” Jerry Vagnier, president and CEO of Helen Ross McNabb, added that he and his staff were “honored to deliver this kind of care to veterans.” The new home is located in the Inskip community at 4821 Coster Road.
UT NOTES ■ Kathy Kidd, associate director of the Early Learning Center for Research and Practice, offers these suggestions for helping children learn to be thankful and cheerful in the midst of the holiday rush: ■ Normalize routines. Provide consistency and predictability for children during the hectic holiday season. ■ Be a role model. “If you would like to see thankfulness and graciousness in your child, the first thing you have to do is live thankfully and graciously yourself.” ■ Limit lists. Children are often encouraged to make a list of everything they want. When everything on the list is purchased, children can start to associate the holidays with “it’s all about me getting everything I want.”
Present at the ribbon-cutting are Randy Boyd, Helen Ross McNabb president and CEO Jerry Vagnier, HRM board chair Susan Conway, assistant director of housing and support services Jana Morgan and Mayor Tim Burchett. Photo
by R. White
Exterior of the new veterans’ home located in the Inskip community
■ Give open-ended gifts. “Include open-ended materials such as blocks and large fabric pieces that push the child to think creatively and expand play time.” ■ Nurture openness. When children open a gift they may not
Shopper Ve n t s enews
Center Council for the Arts, 442 W. Second North St., Morristown. Featuring the Al Curtis Orchestra. Tickets: $35. Info/tickets: 423-581-4330 or info@ rosecenter.org. New Year’s on the Square, beginning 11 p.m., Market Square. Ball drop and fireworks at midnight. Holidays on Ice skating rink open 1 p.m.-midnight. Info: www.cityofknoxville.org/Christmas.
FRIDAY, DEC. 26
Opening reception for Art Market Gallery featured artists for January: Eun-Sook Kim of Oak Ridge and Harriet Smith Howell of Rutledge, 5:30 p.m., Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St. Info: 525-5265, artmarketgallery.net or facebook.com/Art.Market. Gallery.
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Knitting Caps for the Homeless, noon-1:30 p.m., Humana Guidance Center, 640 Plaza, 4438 Western Ave. Free. Info: 329-8892, TTY: 711.
TUESDAY, DEC. 30 Family Movie Night: “Frozen,” 3 p.m., Lawson McGhee Library, 500 W. Church Ave. Info: 215-8750. Senior Tai Chi, 3-4 p.m., Humana Guidance Center, 640 Plaza, 4438 Western Ave. Info: 329-8892, TTY: 711.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31 New Year’s Eve Celebration, 9 p.m., the Rose
FRIDAY, JAN. 2
SUNDAY, JAN. 4 Open house and beginning Taoist Tai Chi class, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive. Classes last three months. Info: 482-7761 or www.taoist.org. Winter Princess Sk8, 4-6 p.m., Cool Sports, 110 S. Watt Road. Pictures with Princess Elsa and Anna available. Info: www.coolsportstn.com, generalinfo@ coolsportstn.com, 218-4500.
Money trumps tradition. How else can you explain changing the name of the historic Gator Bowl to TaxSlayer Bowl? The online tax prep people started paying the price in 2011. Naming rights were finalized this year. There is a bonus. Because TaxSlayer has invested in NASCAR, because Dale Earnhardt Jr., once drove a TaxSlayer car at Bristol, he’ll be at the bowl to toss the coin. Don’t miss it. If you are going to Jacksonville, you might enjoy the $75 coaches’ luncheon on Dec. 31. Rivals will brag on each other. You can sign up for a 5k run or attend the UT pep rally or watch the parade of bands. The big tailgate party costs $50. Nothing like that happened when I was there. Long-ago Gator Bowl stuff probably doesn’t matter too much to current Volunteers. Even with Butch Jones conducting history class, there can’t be much interest in that great 3-0 Tennessee victory over Texas A&M in 1957 dampness and muck. Bobby Gordon gained more yards (60) than Heisman Trophy winner John David Crow (46) but Crow is in the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame on his name. Maybe Sammy Burklow should be. He kicked the winning field goal, a 17-yarder, only one of his Tennessee career. Coach Bowden Wyatt prepared Sammy for the winning moment. “There’s nothing to it. It’s just like an extra point.” You need to know that ex-Vol Burklow, from Hazard, Ky., became Dr. Sam Burklow, practicing internal medicine in Fresno, Calif. More history? Bear Bryant was the Texas A&M coach, his last game with the Aggies. Best yarn from that trip was the post-game kicking exhibition in the fashionable Ponte Vedra Club suite of Robert R. Neyland, then athletic director at Tennessee. The General had the game ball as a trophy. He and friends, after several glasses of lemonade, decided to recreate the moment want and react negatively, engage them in conversation about their reaction rather than scold them. ■ Manage your own expectations. “We as caregivers all can be guilty of putting higher expectations on our own children. We want to take our own knowledge and assume that our child got that from birth.” ■ Thomas Papenbrock, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has
Marvin West
of triumph. A somewhat famous guest, Scrappy Moore, Chattanooga coach, delivered a mighty kick and broke a big mirror. His second try took out a bay window. Gus Manning retrieved the football from the beach. Weeks later, the University of Tennessee received a bill for room damages. Neyland was very unhappy. He wanted to know who the heck did what to tear up the place. Gus reminded him of the indoor field-goal exhibition. The General said: “Well, there ain’t a damned thing wrong with that. Pay the people.” Tennessee 18, Syracuse 12 in 1966 was a bit more conventional. Dewey Warren threw for 244 yards with touchdowns to Richmond Flowers and Austin Denney. Floyd Little rushed for 216 yards and Larry Csonka gained 114. The play I remember best was Paul Naumoff tackling Csonka near the goal to preserve the victory. Tennessee lost to Florida, 14-13, in 1969 in Doug Dickey’s last game as coach of the Volunteers. Don’t get me started on that. Tennessee routed Virginia Tech, 45-23, in 1994. James Stewart scored three touchdowns. Peyton Manning completed several passes. Back when the Gator Bowl was the Gator Bowl, there were other landmarks. Ohio State coach Woody Hayes threw a forearm at a Clemson receiver and got fired the next morning. Bobby Bowden coached his final game for Florida State at the old arena. That was before EverBank Field and TaxSlayer. I suppose money makes things better. Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com.
been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society, the leading organization of physicists. Papenbrock was named for his Papenbrock “innovative theoretical approaches to the nuclear many-body problem and other finite quantum systems.” ■ Info: http://elc.utk.edu.
MONDAY, JAN. 5 Open house and beginning Taoist Tai Chi class, 7-8:30 p.m., Peace Lutheran Church, 621 N. Cedar Bluff Road. Classes last three months. Info: 4827761 or www.taoist.org.
TUESDAY, JAN. 6 Computer Workshops: Library Online, 5:30 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Info/ to register: 215-8700.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7 AAA Driver Improvement Course, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Knoxville AAA Office, 100 W. Fifth Ave. Cost: $30 members; $35 nonmembers. Must preregister. Info/to register: Kate, 862-9254, or Don, 862-9250.
THURSDAY, JAN. 8 Knoxville Choral Society auditions for all voice parts, 6-8 p.m. To schedule an audition time: 312-2440 or membership@knoxvillechoralsociety.org. Once a time is set, location and other details will be provided. Info/ audition form: www.knoxvillechoralsociety.org.
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