South Knox Shopper-News 032316

SOUTH KNOX VOL. 42 NO. 12 1

BUZZ Good neighbor, Monte Stanley Except during his stint in the U.S. Army, Monte Stanley has lived in South Knoxville all his life.

If you looked up “good neighbor� in the dictionary, you would likely see his picture. So it was no surprise that he was nominated for the second year in a row for the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award at the city’s recent Neighborhood Awards & Networking Luncheon at the Knoxville Convention Center.

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Read Pickle’s story on page 3

New Hopewell art New Hopewell Elementary School put a lot of energy into its Night of the Arts.

The walls of the hallways were overflowing with eyecatching student artwork. Just down from the entrance, a living wax museum featured such notables as Alexander Graham Bell, Sojourner Truth, Clara Barton, Abe Lincoln and Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow.

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See pictures on page 8

Egg Hunts

â– Bells Campground Baptist Church Easter Event, 10 a.m.noon Saturday, March 26, 7816 Bells Campground Road. Includes: skits, singing, craft, an egg hunt for ages 0-fifth grade, refreshments and door prizes. Info: 947-6254. â– Big Ridge State Park Easter egg hunt, Saturday, March 26. Rain or shine. Schedule: 10 a.m., 2 years old and younger; 10:30 a.m., 3-4 years old; 1 p.m. 5-7 years old; 1:30 p.m., 8-10 years old. Bring your basket. Prizes; Easter Bunny.

Meet at the Park office. Info: 992-5523. ■Children’s Easter party, 10 a.m.

Saturday, March 26, sponsored by Trentville UMC and Pleasant Hill UMC. Info: 933-5041. â– Community Easter egg hunt, 11:30 a.m. Sunday, March 27, Powell Presbyterian Church, 2910 W. Emory Road. Info: 938-8311; www. powellpcusa.org. â– Easter Eggstravaganza, 10 a.m.noon Saturday, March 26, Bells Campground Baptist Church, 7815 Bell Campground Road. Activities include: puppets, skits, a craft and an egg hunt for children through 5th grade, followed by a hot dog lunch. â– Easter Eggstravaganza, 11 a.m.

Saturday, March 26, Union Baptist Church, 6701 Washington Pike, for kids pre-K through 5th grade.

Info: DiscoverUnion.org. â– Pancake Breakfast and Easter egg hunt, Saturday, March 26, Beaver Ridge UMC, 7753 Oak Ridge Highway. Breakfast, activities, pictures with Easter Bunny, 9-10 a.m.; egg hunt for ages 0-fifth grade, 10 a.m. Bring basket.

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March July 23, 29, 2013 2016

New park I.C. King’s prominence may mark end of

By Betsy Pickle Knox County set up two public meetings this week on a new 70-acre park development on Maryville Pike that adjoins I.C. King Park, which has two entrances on Alcoa Highway.

The first was on Monday at the City County Building, and the second will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Mount Olive Elementary School, 2507 Maryville Pike.

The county hopes to receive a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Local Parks and Recreation Fund Grant that could provide up to $500,000 for development of the new land.

The proposal includes parking, a picnic shelter, a children’s play area, restrooms, shared-use trails and a dog park.

Together, the two parks would cover 219 acres and would have an entrance that’s much safer than the Alcoa Highway entrances.

It would make sense to combine them as one park, and so the county is considering a new name for the single park.

County parks and recreation director Doug Bataille says they’re “not really pushing� for a new name, though he envisions that the park will become “a bigger part of the community.� He says they’re not looking to remove the name of a distinguished county

Louise King Haws, Elizabeth King Parnell, Stella King Anderson, Sue Annette King, Inslee Columbus King Jr., William Taylor King and Roe “Rody� Monday King.

(Annie’s father had 13 children, but by three different wives!)

A businessman and a politician, I.C. King owned a grocery store on Sevier Avenue and also dealt in real estate. Politics seemed to be his passion.

He ran for and won the office of register of deeds when he was 32.

He was appointed a U.S. Marshal and served during the terms of presidents Warren Harding, CalWill I.C. King’s grave marker at Woodlawn Cemetery be the last bit of land vin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.

He became a stalwart of local Rebearing his name? Photo by Betsy Pickle publican politics, serving as county welfare director and a county forebear.

According to a newspaper clip- squire (the precursor to county But who is I.C. King? ping, I.C. King “was born and commissioner).

Inslee Columbus King was born reared near the river about four His accomplishments were imJuly 5, 1877, and died Dec. 23, miles south of Knoxville.� The un- pressive, especially considering he 1952. He was the son of Benjamin dated, unsourced article was pub- went to school only through eighth F. and Elizabeth Monday King. lished when I.C. and Annie had grade.

His father was a blacksmith and been married for about 25 years.

King’s descendants include the died when I.C. was 16 years old.

It was included in the book “Gifts present owners of Ye Olde SteakOn Aug. 10, 1897, I.C. King mar- From Mama King,� a collection of house: Nancy Ayres, Cheryl Wilried Annie B. Jones, daughter of Annie King’s poems, other writ- son and David King, whose father, Jack (aka Jackie) and Sarah Mat- ings and news clippings compiled Burnett “Bunt� King launched thews Jones. Annie’s father owned by Meridee Nelson Underwood, a the restaurant in 1968. Some of the majority of South Knoxville King descendant, in 1996. the eatery’s decorations include from the Tennessee River, where I.C. and Annie had 12 children: framed photos of I.C. and Annie the new South Waterfront is be- Frank “Sonny� Jones King, Jack King, a copy of I.C.’s open letter to ing developed, to Woodlawn Cem- Arnold King, Charles McGee King, etery.

Helen King Byrd, Irene King Rose, To page 3

Richard Yoakley: A school of second chances

By Ruth White When you hear about Richard Yoakley School, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Do you think it’s where Knox County sends the worst, most unruly middle and high school students? Those who can’t be in a regular school setting? To principal Seth Smith, in his first year at the school, it’s a school of second chances.

Richard Yoakley is an alternative school for students in grades 6-12. The students are at the school for disciplinary reasons, and the RYS staff works to prepare them academically and socially Richard Yoakley School principal Seth Smith reflects on his first year at the for a regular school experience.

In addition to regular studalternative school. Photo by R. White

ies and preparing for hurdles like TNReady and helping the students prepare for college and career, staff members work on behavior management, interaction with others and goal-setting – all while fostering a nurturing environment.

Smith began his teaching career at Fulton High School back in 1997 and later went on to become assistant principal/athletic director at Carter High. He moved to Farragut High as assistant principal in 2011 and then to Central High for the 2014-2015 school year. He believes that his work in those different demographic To page 3

Feel the ‘Buzz’ for next schools super

By Betty Bean

In February, school board member Terry Hill’s colleagues tasked her with vetting candidates for interim schools superintendent and reporting back April 4 with a recommendation for her colleagues. There are several candiBuzz Thomas dates, but almost nobody is talking about anyone but Great Schools Partnership president Oliver “Buzz� Thomas for the job.

Thomas gained frontrunner status because he is intimately fa-

resign in July, citing the political reality that after the August elections, his supporters will no longer dominate the new school board.

The interim superintendent will take over when McIntyre departs.

The initial list of nominated candidates included Knox County Finance Director Chris Caldwell, Human Capital Strategy Director Rodney Russell, Secondary Schools Supervisor Danny Trent, Assistant Superintendent Bob Thomas, retired administrator Ed Hedgepeth and perennial candidate George Hamilton.

Caldwell wasted no time saying thanks but no thanks. Sources say Russell and Hedgepeth have now done the same, leaving Buzz

Thomas, Bob Thomas (who was strongly considered for the superintendent’s job in 2008 when McIntyre was selected) and Trent as the remaining viable candidates.

But the smart money is on Buzz Thomas. “Buzz has that vision and the ability to sell that dream. He believes in what he does so deeply that people want to be a part of it.

That’s a unique personality,� said board member Patti Bounds. “The first time I met Buzz, I sat there in his office and thought to myself, ‘Why did we go all the way to Boston to get Dr. McIntyre when Buzz is so highly qualified?’ To page 3

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miliar with the workings of Knox County Schools, well liked and, in many respects, highly qualified.

Board chair Doug Harris kicked that perception up a notch when he undercut Hill by declaring Thomas the best choice before the vetting process had begun. Harris is not running for re-election and is the de facto leader of the fivemember majority that will control the board until new members are seated in September. Hill, who is not a member of the majority coalition, declined to comment on the process.

The search for an interim leader became necessary when Superintendent James McIntyre announced in January that he will

2 • MARCH 23, 2016 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

Time’s awastin’

Relief comes quickly for active Maryville outdoorswoman Marilla Cable had suffered long enough. After years of on-again, off-again bouts of sciatica, spinal injections and physical therapy, she was ready to take the proverbial bull by the horns.

“I had done everything, but none of it was working,” said Cable.

“So finally, I just stood on my doctor’s toes and said, ‘We’re doing an X-ray today because I refuse to live like this another day.’

“I had to get this fixed – I had a life to live,” said Cable, whose job as dispatcher at a Louisville-based charter company is to make sure the buses and limos run on time. “I have Girl Scouts I work with every week, I have three grandchildren. I don’t have time to be down.”

Without hesitation, her primary care doctor ordered the X-ray and didn’t like what he saw. After ordering an MRI, he wanted to refer her to a new neurosurgeon in town. Cable, however, knew who she wanted – Dr. Joel E. Norman, a neurosurgeon at the Fort Sanders Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and the long-time partner of the recently retired Dr. William Reid.

“They said, ‘You’ll never get in there,’ but they called and I got in at his Maryville office the next day – the very next day!” said Cable.

“We try to make sure that patients are seen in our office usually within a week of calling,” said Dr. Norman. “We use nurse practitioners (NPs) to perform initial patient evaluations on people who have not already undergone the imaging procedures necessary for us, as physicians, to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

My partner (Dr. Barrett Brown) and I are each in the office at some point four days a week and our NPs see patients every day. We do not require a referral to be seen.”

“We often open up additional patient appointment slots in order to take care of our patients in a timely manner. I certainly wouldn’t want to spend a month in agony waiting for a doctor’s appointment, and I try to keep our patients from going through that as well.”

“In this case, we were even able to place Ms. Cable on the surgery schedule within two weeks of her initial evaluation,” Dr. Norman added. “We are committed to providing prompt care for our patients in all aspects of their neurosurgical care.”

If Cable thought that getting an appointment was fast, she was even more startled when Dr. Norman scheduled her surgery on June 30, just 11 days later.

According to Dr. Norman, Cable’s clinical history and neurological exam strongly suggested a radicular component to her pain, meaning it was likely originating from a spinal nerve compression. Follow-up Xrays of her lower back confirmed that there was significant instability at the L4-5 disc space, and the L4 bone was clearly seen to slide forward on L5 when she bent over.

A review of her MRI confirmed the diagnosis of a spondylolisthesis, or slippage, of the L4 vertebrae over the L5. “This significant instability led to the formation of a synovial cyst, or ‘outpouching’ of the material providing the cushioning of the joints in the spine,” said Dr. Norman. “This cyst was compress-

there was no longer ing the nerve roots any compression leaving her spine of those nerves. He and running into her leg.” also passed a probe While Cable exalong the course of pressed some reserthe nerve to confirm no compression was vations about surevident, even outside gery, Dr. Norman his field of view. The said she had “reached disc between L4 and a point where her pain was no longer L5 was then completely removed on tolerable.” both sides. Dr. NorWhile the traman then placed a ditional, open ap“cage” or spacer into proach would require a large midline the disc space to help incision in the back, hold that space open, and put material in stripping muscle tisthe cage to help the sue away from the patient to grow new bone and placement bone across this disc of large retractors, Dr. Norman offered space and form a solid fusion. a minimally invasive “Her surgery went surgery known as very well,” said Dr. TLIF (transforamiNorman. “I was able nal lumbar interbody fusion). The minimally invasive apMarilla Cable is back to hiking, kayaking proach from Cable’s and loving an active life after finding releft side used small lief at the Center for Minimally Invasive incisions around the center Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional of the spine and state-ofMedical Center. the-art intraoperative image guidance to allow for less tisto completely decompress the neusue damage and retraction.

During the 3-to-3.5 hour surgery ral compression. In her case, I was at Fort Sanders Regional Medical even able to bring the vertebral bodCenter, Dr. Norman placed pedicle ies back into normal alignment.”

Cable was in the hospital only screws into the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies on both sides. He then overnight, but it was long enough removed the diseased facet joint that she was impressed by the hospifrom the left, and removed the sy- tal staff. “When I was in holding and novial cyst. This allowed him to beginning to get woozy I asked them, directly visualize the nerves as they ‘Could you please pray with me?’ And leave the spine and ensure that they did,” she said. “They were just

incredible. They took care of my every need before I needed it. I was very well pleased with everyone there. I was very impressed. Everyone was very nice, very accommodating.

They knew I was a little apprehensive – they had me in there and put a little heater blanket on me, and they’d come by and talk to me and they were just really, really good.”

By the time of her one-month follow-up visit with Dr. Norman, Cable was already feeling better.

At her two-month follow-up, she realized that she had been hurting even worse than she first thought.

“When I went back for my threemonth visit, Dr. Norman asked what all I had been doing. “I said, ‘Oh, a little mountain hiking, a little kayaking, a little paddling my boat and playing leap frog with my granddaughter.’ He said, ‘You were playing leap frog?! I don’t even play leap frog!’

“I said, ‘All I know is I can walk, I can sit, I can cross my legs and it doesn’t hurt.’

“I recommended Fort Sanders and Dr. Norman to a friend of mine a couple months ago,” Cable added.

“I told her that she has to go see Dr. Norman, and she said, ‘I’ll never get in there.’ I said, ‘As soon as I hang up the phone, please call because I’ve been praying about this and it will happen.’ She picked up the phone and she got in to see him the very next day, and she had surgery two weeks later. It was amazing.”

For more information about the Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional, call 865541-2835 or visit fsregional. com/minimallyinvasive.

Meet Dr. Joel Norman – local neurosurgeon and Seymour native Dr. Joel Norman is a native who returned to East Tennessee after medical school and now cares for patients in the place he calls “home.” He recently talked about his journey from local boy to well-educated neurosurgeon, Dr. Joel Norman and the minimally invasive spine surgery that is changing the lives of his patients.

Tell us your story – where did you go to school, and how did you decide to become a neurosurgeon?

I was born in Knoxville, and raised in Seymour. After I graduated from Seymour High School, I went to college at MTSU in Murfreesboro, then moved to Johnson City to attend ETSU Quillen College of Medicine. I completed neurosurgery residency in Lexington, Ky., at the University of Kentucky.

I’ve always had a keen interest in the sciences. I found neuroscience intriguing and challenging.

Once I found my way into the op-

erating room, I knew I had found my calling. Combining my love of neuroscience with my love of the operating room, neurosurgery was a natural extension.

What do you like about this area? In other words, why are you still here, instead of in a larger city?

East Tennessee is my home. I love the scenery here, the people here, and the opportunity to give back to the community that raised me.

I appreciate the hometown feel here and the value that word-ofmouth retains in this community.

The greatest compliment I receive is when someone tells me they heard about me from one of my patients.

What are some common problems your patients have, and how do you help them?

We treat an expansive variety of patients from brain tumors to herniated discs. Many of my spine patients have seen several different medical providers and some have undergone several different treatments for their back and leg pain before they arrive in my office.

Most have complaints of back pain coupled with sciatica or nerve pain, typically running down the back of their legs. These patients benefit from the minimally invasive approaches to lumbar discectomies and spinal fusions.

Which patients might be candidates for the surgery?

The ideal candidate for minimally invasive spinal fusion is someone suffering from back and leg pain due to a spondylolisthesis, or slippage, of the lumbar vertebrae. This is a condition sometimes missed on an initial workup as it often requires specialized X-rays with the patients bending forward or backward to clearly visualize.

Often, patients are pain-free while lying on their back, such as during their MRI scans, but upon standing their pain returns.

Can you explain how it works? What are the benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery?

Minimally invasive spine surgery uses specialized technology within the operating room to allow for smaller incisions and more precise placement of instrumenta-

tion. We are able to actually obtain a CT scan of the patient while they are asleep on the operating room table and customize our surgical approach to the individual patient, in real-time.

This allows for much smaller incisions and less damage to the tissues surrounding the spine. Ultimately, this approach gets people back on their feet sooner than is generally necessary for a more traditional, open approach to the spine.

What makes the Center for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center the best choice for this surgery?

Fort Sanders Regional has demonstrated a true commitment to excellence in spine surgery, and especially minimally invasive neurosurgery. The hospital has been instrumental in purchasing stateof-the-art intraoperative image guidance that allows minimally invasive surgery to be possible.

We have a dedicated team of nurses and technicians in the operating room who are experienced and specially trained to as-

sist in these minimally invasive procedures. Post-operatively, our nurses are also hand-picked and specially trained in the management of our patients who have undergone minimally invasive spinal procedures, and we have a dedicated floor of the hospital reserved for neuroscience, and especially spine patients.

What’s it like to also practice medicine in the place where you grew up?

Many of my friends and family still live nearby and it’s been great to reconnect with people I hadn’t had the opportunity to see in the years I was away for training. It’s also been an honor and a humbling experience to take care of people who watched me grow up in a small town. I’ve taken care of my school teachers, old friends and family members of friends who knew me in high school.

I have a relatively unique experience in that I graduated high school with many of the same people I started kindergarten with.

I’m honored that those people who watched me grow up trust me now with their health.

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SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • MARCH 23, 2016 • 3

For Stanley, helping neighborhood

community

comes naturally

Except during his stint in the U U.S. S Army Army, Monte Stan Stanley has lived in South Knoxville all his life.

Betsy Pickle

If you looked up “good neighbor� in the dictionary, you would likely see his picture. So it was no surprise that he was nominated for the second year in a row for the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award at the city’s recent Neighborhood Awards & Networking Luncheon at the Knoxville Convention Center.

He didn’t win the top honor, but the nomination was a thrill, he says. “Whether you win or not,

Richard Yoakley groups helped prepare him for his job at Yoakley. “We get kids from all over Knox County here, and my experiences have helped me be able to deal with all types of kids and communities.�

Smith credits his former principals Cheryl Hickman from Carter and Mike Reynolds (Farragut and Central) for help in guiding him. “Cheryl was a great, dynamic leader and just a great person,â€? he says. “Mike Reynolds ‌ I have so much respect for him. He’s a great man and I learned a lot from him, from them both. They both showed me how to treat people.â€?

Growing up, many teachers and coaches invested in Smith and inspired him to want to make a difference in kids’ lives. He also coaches basketball during the season.

His first year at Yoakley (formerly Alice Bell Elemen-

Award posthumously. She served as president of the Old Sevier Community Group and was a friend of Monte and Whitney Stanley.

But Monte Stanley didn’t need a neighborhood group to encourage him to do good things in his part of the world. For starters, he declared war on litter long ago, and he can often be seen in the Davenport /Lippencott area picking up trash. “I hate litter, and I go out and get two to three bags a week on average,� he says. “I don’t understand people throwing stuff out their car windows as they’re driving along. “It’s proven that whenevMayor Madeline Rogero and Monte Stanley pose at the Neighborhood Awards & Networking er there’s litter on site peoLuncheon. Photo by Betsy Pickle ple assume that the property’s not very well taken care of, so that just adds to the I felt like I was still a win- tary School) nominated me knows how much his fa- problem.� ner just to be nominated be- last year. What made it so ther gives not only in his He has been an enthucause it’s just such an honor special this year was my son work but also to all of South siastic participant in Old that people would think of nominated me, so that made Knoxville, especially the Sevier’s creation of butteryou in those terms,� Stanley it extra special.�

Old Sevier Community. fly gardens and neighborsays.

Son Bill Stanley is also Conn, for whom the hood plantings, lending “Tanna Nicely (principal part of the family business, award was named, received his expertise and physical of South Knoxville Elemen- Stanley’s Greenhouse, and the first Good Neighbor strength in addition to do-

From page 1 tary School) has been great.

Smith credits the phenomenal staff and is thankful to them for helping make the transition go smoothly.

During an average year, the school has close to 600 students. Some stay a semester before returning to a regular school setting, while others end up staying an entire school year.

To Smith, Yoakley is truly a family. “The ideal school is a great team where everyone pulls together,� he says.

He believes that RYS has the best people on staff to help the students grow and be better prepared to go back to their base school. “The kids we have here are some great kids who have made a mistake. We don’t want them defined by their mistake; we want them to be successful.�

As Smith points out, each student is ultimately

Feel the ‘Buzz’ “One of his most amazing qualities is his ability to make everyone feel valued, regardless of their position in life. I have observed this on multiple occasions. I’ve seen him with school cafeteria workers, taking the time to go to each individual and thank them. It doesn’t matter what their position is. That’s just Buzz. He’s a visionary and has brought innovative programs to Knox County.�

In the minus column, Bounds wonders how the Great Schools Partnership will raise money without Thomas, and although Thomas is a nationally known author, public speaker, ordained minister and an attorney with four

New park voters of Knox County when he was running for register of deeds, and a newel post from the old King home place on Davenport Road.

Ayres, who worked at the steakhouse until a couple of years ago, has only a vague recollection of her greatgrandfather. “He was kind of a grufflooking old man,� says Ayres, who was 6 when King died.

Ben Byrd, retired sports editor of the old Knoxville Journal, remembers his grandfather as “just a good old guy.� “I used to sit on the front porch and talk with him,�

â– Knoxville Chapter of the Tennessee Firearms Association meets 6 p.m. each first Tuesday, Gondolier Italian Restaurant, Chapman Highway, 7644 Mountain Grove Drive.

The public is invited. Info: Liston Matthews, 316-6486. ■Knoxville Tri-County Lions Club meets 7 p.m. each second and fourth Monday, Connie’s Kitchen, 10231 Chapman Highway, Seymour. Info: facebook. com/TriCountyLions/info. ■Lake Forest Neighborhood Association. Info: Molly Gilbert, 209-1820 or molly gilbert@yahoo.com. ■Lindbergh Forest Neighborhood Association meets 6:30 p.m. each third Wednesday, Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike.

Info: Kelley DeLuca, 660-4728,

he says of “Papa knew of him. “I.C. King King,� who died was a big man when Byrd in Knoxwas a teenville, in his ager. “He time,� Lyle was a big says. “The R epubl ipark was can, you know.� named in his honor Betty for a reaL y l e , son, and w h o s e changing late husit would reband was Byrd’s mothquire another good reaer’s nephson. ew, never Inslee Columbus King, circa “ I met King 1909 d o n ’ t but definitely want to

responsible for his/her actions. His hope is that the life and social skills they receive at Richard Yoakley will help them get on the right path for a bright future.

see that in that job description at all. I’m thinking, ‘Wait a minute!’�

She says she likes Thomas, but “He would not be my first choice.�

As a member of the minority faction, however, she said the votes for the Great Schools chief are probably there.

Finally, McIntyre’s major nemesis, Mayor Tim Burchett, lobbed a warning shot across Thomas’s bow: “He’s very personable. I like him, but he’s going to have to make some changes if he’s going to be successful.� When pressed, Burchett said that the public is demanding administrative reductions.

COMMUNITY NOTES â– Colonial Village Neighborhood Association.

Info: Terry Caruthers, 579-5702, t_caruthers@hotmail.com.

From page 1

kelleydeluca@gmail.com.

ley Conklin, 686-6789.

â– Old Sevier Community Group meets 7 p.m. each third Thursday, South Knoxville Elementary School library, 801 Sevier Ave. Info: Gary E. Deitsch, 573-7355 or garyedeitsch@bellsouth.net.

â– South-Doyle Neighborhood Association meets 7 p.m. each first Tuesday, Stock Creek Baptist Church fellowship hall, 8106 Martin Mill Pike. Info: Mark Mugford, 609-9226 or marksidea@aol.com.

â– South Haven Neighborhood Association meets 10 a.m. each third Saturday, Hillcrest UMC, 1615 Price Ave. Info: Pat Harmon, 591-3958.

â– Vestal Community Organization meets 6 p.m. each second Monday, South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike. Info: Katherine Johnson, 566-1198.

â– South Knox Republican Club meets 7 p.m. each third Thursday, South Knox Optimist Club, 6135 Moore Road. Kevin Teeters, kevinteeters018@gmail.com. â– South of the River Democrats (9th District) meet 6:30 p.m. each third Monday, South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike. Info: Debbie Helsley, 789-8875, or Brandon Hamilton, 809-3685. â– South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association. Info: Shel-

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change it just to be changing it,� she says.

The old King grocery store on Sevier Avenue was bought by Peggy Pickens and her late husband, Jack, in 1981, and they rented the building to a couple who operated the Laundromat there for about 20 years.

In an odd twist, that building is now the home of Alliance Brewing Co. and Three Bears Coffee, part of the leading edge of Sevier Avenue development. So, in a way, I.C. King is an important part not only of South Knoxville’s past, but also of its future.

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From page 1 college degrees who habitually graduated at the top of his class and once chaired the Maryville school board, his lack of classroom teaching experience at the K-12 level concerns her.

She also worries about his support of SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education), a think tank that supports the high stakes testing regime that she and many other teachers detest.

Finally, Bounds finds Thomas’s offer to be involved in the search for a new superintendent somewhat offensive. “While I would welcome his input, I don’t remember anybody asking him. I don’t

nating plants and materials.

He’s planted daffodils at the entrance to Stanley Lippencott Park on his own time.

He also helps out with the monthly trash pickups at Fort Dickerson Park organized by Carl Hensley and the South Knoxville Alliance. And any South Knoxville event featuring a raffle usually has a prize from Stanley’s Greenhouse.

Stanley is happy about the new direction South Knoxville is taking with its development of the South Waterfront and the Urban Wilderness. He’ll continue to do his part, but he encourages others to get involved. “We have some really good neighborhood groups established now all over the city, especially in South Knoxville,� he says. “We need more people to go to the meetings and get involved. Every neighborhood has issues, and if we all work together we can accomplish a whole lot more.�

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4 • MARCH 23, 2016 • Shopper news

Confusing season, proud finish Before you ask, I still don’t know why this Tennessee basketball season was so strange. Sorry, but I cannot explain the Volunteers’ split personality. I do salute the team for never giving up.

Sometimes the Vols played better than they were. Nipping Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament was an example. Sometimes, had they just been pitching pennies, they could not have hit the ground.

This unusual team was confusing. Some might call it maddening. It often won one half but not the other.

It stunned Kentucky. It defeated South Carolina. In the first game without Kevin Punter, it shocked me and LSU. The last four games of the

Marvin West

regular season were miserable.

From beginning to end, Tennessee was consistently inconsistent. It played well in spurts but was totally unpredictable. Sometimes the team was creative in finding ways to lose. It fell with a thud at Missouri, losing to a worse team by missing 10 free throws and getting killed on the backboards.

Strangely enough, on other occasions, the Vols won rebounding battles in

total defiance of the laws of size and strength. Armani Moore, in pursuit of the ball, went where some feared to venture. Armani Moore is a warrior. Tip your cap.

Because it had no inside game, Tennessee threw up far too many three-point shots. When that didn’t work, it dumped the scoring burden on Punter. He responded with the heart of a champion. We really realized his value when he was lost to the foot fracture.

Punter’s output stirred memories of Allan Houston.

KP was no match in style points but his accuracy and average were comparable.

To Kevin’s credit, his weakest outing was much better than Allan’s disaster of 1993, his final game in or-

Players carried the coach off the court. Sines admitted later that he feared a fumble. “We had never practiced that.�

The early 1960s were a transition period, from bad basketball to awful to terrible. Two Vols were linked to a point-shaving scandal.

Sines’ final team went 4-19. I was there. I recall a Stokely Center game with fewer than 500 fans. I wanted to put their names in the newspaper as the “faithful few.�

The late, great Tom Siler saved me from myself. He said I would undoubtedly misspell a name or three and we’d be publishing corrections for a week. He did permit a “crowd� photograph, attorney G. Edward Friar alone in an end section, high above the goal, surrounded by hundreds of

ange, SEC tournament, one for 15 from the floor. The Vols lost to Kentucky, 10140. The Vols had 30 turnovers.

This Tennessee team was not good. It lost 19 times.

Want to talk about bad, just for comparisons?

Houston’s dad, Wade, has protected a generation of Tennessee basketball from the “worst� label. The year after Allan went pro, Coach Houston produced a 5-22 record. Three-fifths of the success came at the expense of UT-Martin, Mercer and Tennessee Tech.

Long, long ago, John Sines was Tennessee coach.

He didn’t have much to work with and it showed in results. Like this team, that 1960 team upset Kentucky.

empty seats.

Into that setting marched Ray Mears. Good times followed.

Through the years, Tennessee has had basketball ups and downs. Considering the circumstances, the down part of this year was understandable. The ending was an up. Seniors enhanced their image with the rout of Auburn, the victory over Vanderbilt and the effort against LSU. They cared. They never stopped caring.

Robert Hubbs and Detrick Mostella changed their image. They are now part of the future.

If Rick Barnes really has a point guard and can find a center and somebody to replace Punter and Moore, good times are again possible. Keep the faith. Don’t ever give up.

Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com

Lucky 13? State House campaigns warming up Gloria Johnson is running for the Legislature again. Johnson, a oneterm Democrat who represented District 13, was defeated in 2014 by Republican Eddie Smith.

Now Smith is running for re-election and (so far) is the only Republican seeking the seat. The filing deadline is April 7 at noon.

Interestingly, Johnson may have a democratic opponent. According to the election commission, Don Daugherty, a former county Democratic Party chair, has picked up a petition to run as both a democrat and an independent. He can’t run as both. Instead, Daugherty will have to choose to run as a democrat, independent or not at all.

Of course, there’s precedent for Daugherty to run as an independent candidate. In 2010, Daugherty

to seek re-election after Republicans in the Legislature redrew the 13th district to include more Republican Scott voters from west Knoxville.

Frith The result was a wideopen seat with no favored candidate. That November, ran as an independent Johnson faced Republican against democratic county Gary Loe and independent commissioner Amy Broyles. candidate Nick Cazana.

(Daugherty lost to Broyles, Johnson defeated Loe by 58 percent to 41 percent.) less than 300 votes and was While few observers believe almost certainly assisted by Daugherty would defeat the more than 1,000 votes Johnson in a democratic for Cazana’s independent primary this year, an inde- campaign.

Why? pendent run by Daugherty Many observers believe would almost certainly ensure Rep. Eddie Smith’s re- that candidate Nick Cazana benefited from having the election.

It would be a cruel irony same name as prominent local developer and Repubfor Gloria Johnson.

Johnson first ran for the lican donor Nick Cazana.

That’s right. Two differDistrict 13 seat in 2012. The district had been repre- ent guys. Same name.

Bottom line, in 2012, Glosented by Democrat Harry Tindell for more than a de- ria Johnson likely won becade, but Tindell chose not cause a lot of voters believed

she was running against two Republicans – and they split enough of the vote to allow Johnson to win. Then four years later, in a turn of events only fitting of Shakespeare or local politics, Eddie Smith may win easily because he’d be running against two Democrats.

Regardless, there will be grumbling among Democrats if Johnson fails to defeat Smith this year. District 13 is a winnable district for state democrats – a rarity in East Tennessee – and there is no shortage of strong democratic candidates waiting in the wings.

Current county Democratic Party chair Cameron Brooks is young, ambitious and well-liked. Former city council member Charlie Thomas has strong district ties and would make a great candidate for any office.

Neither would run

against Gloria Johnson.

Democrats shouldn’t wait too long. After 2016, there are only two more election cycles before the next legislative redistricting. Last time around, state Republi-

cans didn’t put enough Republican voters in the 13th district.

They won’t make the same mistake again.

Scott Frith is a local attorney. You can visit his website at pleadthefrith.com

City officials ponder election changes In a tabloid with the solitary word “sex� two inches high on the cover, Joe Sullivan pontificated about Knoxville’s election cycle.

He made bold claims about Mayor Rogero’s position on a possible charter amendment, but his column lacked actual quotes from Rogero.

In a March 15 email to City Council, Deputy Mayor Bill Lyons warned of Sullivan’s column and admitted he was the source. “I also let him know that we wanted to make Council aware of our thinking prior to publication. ...

“Late this morning Joe (said) he had changed his publication date to tomorrow.

This email is to make sure you are not taken by surprise.�

Lyons wants to extend Mark Campen’s term by two years (until 2021) to move District 5 into cycle with other district races. He wants to retain non-partisan elections on odd-numbered years, forcing city taxpayers to bear the full cost of two elections including early voting.

That’s a lot of change.

Thanks for sharing, Bill. – S. Clark

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SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • MARCH 23, 2016 • 5

Speculating on Cheek’s retirement White Lightning with former Bearden High School players noted: (top) McKayla Choate, Kelsey DeVoti, Bekah Copas, Kaylor Susong (Bearden), Elena Schusterick (Bearden), Cassidy Heemsoth (Bearden), Kat Glass( (Bearden); (bottom) Soriya Gast (Bearden), Sadie Coons (Bearden), Cameran McKenry (Bearden), Maiya Hilsinger (Bearden).

Former Bearden stars playing in North Georgia;

Ethics complaint pending

Last season, they were Bulldogs. This season they are Tennessee White Lightning, playing teams along North Georgia’s I-75 corridor from Dalton down to Marietta.

The team is composed primarily of former Bearden High School student athletes who resigned from school’s softball team after their coach was summarily fired last year. This year, they are playing travel ball with the North Georgia ASA under former Bearden coach Leonard Sams and assistant coach Adam McKenry. So far, their record is 5-1-1 against tough competition.

Principal John Bartlett and athletic director Nathan Lynn announced that Sams’ departure was by mutual decision, with no further public explanation.

Sams said he believes that the administration was influenced by the complaints of two sets of disgruntled parents.

The mass departure left Bearden with just two returning players. Sams’ replacement wasn’t hired until late July, when Lynn announced that he’d hired Angelica Wade McClerkin, a teacher’s aide who played in college and served a single

Betty Bean season as Sams’ assistant.

The school got a TSSAA waiver from the requirement that head coaches must be teachers or have five years’ experience as an assistant. The team reportedly has not fared well in pre-season practice games.

Eight of the White Lightning’s 11 players would have been on the Bearden team this year, including six who would have been starters.

Another is an incoming freshman transfer from Sevier County who wanted to play for Sams, who had transformed Bearden from cellar-dweller to powerhouse. Last year Sams was named district Coach of the Year and selected to coach the 2016 USA Softball Under-18 team in Spain. The USA team will represent their country in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona.

Sams and McKenry said the players, many of whom are college prospects, are enjoying playing against the elevated competition in North Georgia, but miss the experience of representing their

school. Two seniors who quit playing softball altogether may join the White Lightning for spring league play.

Meanwhile, McKenry and team parent/booster Randy Susong, who are stuck with a $40,000 note for a new indoor practice building, have filed an ethics complaint against Lynn, Bartlett, Supervisor of Facilities Management Doug Dillingham and Superintendent James McIntyre. The complaint says the booster club members intended to build the facility in stages, but Lynn and Bartlett informed them that Knox County would not allow for phased construction, so the club voted to secure a loan that McKenry and Susong would guarantee.

“This was not a gift from Randy or Adam but a booster club loan that was designed to be repaid over the next season or two.”

The complaint charges improprieties in the bidding process and construction glitches that drove up the cost.

“Randy Susong and the team did fundraising, parents/players volunteered labor. Coach Sams paid for labor out of his own pocket, and funds from the school account were used to pay for

the $30,000 overage in construction.”

Sams’ firing shattered the boosters club and obliterated its fundraising ability, leaving Susong and McKenry liable for a $750 monthly note. The complaint charges that Bartlett, Lane, Dillingham and McIntyre “intentionally lied and blatantly violated rules, procedure and protocol. …

In short, two Bearden High parents are responsible for paying a loan on a facility that should never have been constructed…”

Meanwhile, softball season is starting this week.

Here’s a statement from Bartlett issued via Knox County Schools: “Coach McClerkin and the Bearden High School softball team are well prepared for a great season.

Sixteen talented and dedicated young women will take the field to kick off the regular season on Monday night and we are extremely excited to see what kind of success they find this year. (signed) Principal John Bartlett, Bearden High School” Sadly, this is wrong.

Bearden softball’s first game was 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, at Grace Christian Academy.

A tough man who loves a tough job We’ve said this before, but Judge Tim Irwin is exactly the right person for the job he holds. The judge of Juvenile Court handles cases ranging from horrendous to heart-breaking.

His dad, Eddie, was a city police officer. Tim played football for Central High School, UT and in the NFL for 14 years, mostly with the Minnesota Vikings. In the off seasons, he attended law school.

Speaking last week to the Halls Business and Professional Association at Beaver Brook Country Club, Irwin said a key to raising good

Sandra Clark

kids is spending time with them.

“Children understand when you make a sacrificial gift of time for them.

They understand if they are loved.

“It’s nice if there’s a mom and dad (at home), but there can be just one person – one who will be disappointed if the kid screws up.”

Irwin supports the Boys and Girls Club with an annual bass tournament with Food City, but he says all the youth groups are good: Scouts, Emerald Youth, Big Brothers.

“Anything that places a loving, caring person with a child is good.”

Irwin collects stuffed animals to distribute to children in his court. He gathered some 40 in Halls.

He and seven magistrates handled 28,000 cases last year, he said, but he loves his job. It’s a chance to show love, even tough love, to some kids who need it most.

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Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin carries a box of stuffed animals donated by businesses in Halls.

With impending retirements of two key aides, speculation on campus is that UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek may himself retire this year and announce it concurrent with the summer UT Board of Trustees meeting in June.

Provost Jimmy Cheek Susan Martin is stepping down, and Margie Nichols, who handles communications for Cheek, has announced her retirement.

Cheek turns 70 this year and may be ready to let someone fight the numerous battles UT faces in the Legislature. When contacted for a comment, Nichols said Cheek had not mentioned retirement to her. However, that is not a denial.

Cheek has been an active chancellor. He and his wife have been involved in the Knoxville community including strong support for the Knoxville Botanical Gardens. In many ways, he has had a positive impact on UT. However, when Cheek does retire, can Dave Hart be far behind? Also, it will be interesting to see how long Rickey Hall, vice chancellor for diversity, remains.

■ Tank Strickland, who was a top aide for four mayors (including me) for over 18 years, “retired” from the city in January.

However, it seems the retirement probably was not voluntary. No one is talking which is a statement of sorts in itself. But if more definite information is forthcoming or can be uncovered, it will be covered here.

Strickland, who was also chair of Knox County Commission, is well-known and popular in the AfricanAmerican community and respected across the county. He has a keen knowledge of public opinion and his departure from the city is a loss to any mayor, especially one facing issues on Magnolia Avenue.

Strickland did not support Rogero when she ran for mayor in 2003 against Bill Haslam. He backed Haslam. It is unclear whether that was a factor in Strickland’s departure, but many think it was.

Rogero also did not assist Sam Anderson in remaining on the civil service board when a residency

Victor Ashe

issue was raised. Anderson had also backed Haslam in 2003. If Rogero, in fact, engineered Strickland’s departure she owes the public an explanation and an apology for being less than candid. Strickland deserved better.

■ Knoxville attorney Caesar Stair IV, older brother of council member Marshall Stair, has been elected president of the Great Smoky Mountains Association which assists in research on plant and animal life in the park.

■ Council member Finbarr Saunders has closed his campaign account after four campaigns, two for county commission and two for city council. He won three. He spent most of his account defeating Paul Bonovich last November.

Only $2,271 was left and his wife, Ellen Bebb, wrote an email saying it has been dissolved by giving $1,000 to Dogwood Elementary and the remaining $1,271.89 to Pond Gap Elementary.

This would indicate Saunders does not plan to run for another public office as he is now term-limited on city council. Bebb has been his diligent and effective political adviser these past few years. Future candidates would be well advised to enlist her help.

■ Tom Ingram, political operative who lives in Knoxville, has become an adviser to the John Kasich campaign after working for the Jeb Bush campaign. In 2012 he backed Jon Huntsman. He was a key adviser to Gov. Haslam in his first term as governor.

■ Dr. David Northington’s final concert as a faculty member at the UT School of Music was March 6. He concludes an active and distinguished career at UT. He visited Poland while I was ambassador there and performed in several cities in addition to Warsaw where he played in front of the Chopin Monument as well as at the Ambassador’s Residence.

Northington has been a great asset to the university and Knoxville. He will continue to be active in the community despite having retired from UTK.

6 • MARCH 23, 2016 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news

SENIOR NOTES â– All Senior Centers will be closed Friday, March 25. â– South Knox Senior Center 6729 Martel Lane 573-5843 knoxcounty.org/seniors Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Offerings include: dulcimer and guitar lessons; arts and crafts classes; dance classes; exercise programs; Tai Chi; card games; Joymakers practice; free swim 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Senior Meals program noon each Wednesday and Friday.

AARP Taxaide free income tax preparation and electronic filing available Mondays through April 14; appointment: 521-5569.

South Knox Opry Easter Bonnet Day, 9 a.m. Thursday, March 24.

Getting your ‘house in order’

By Carol Z. Shane At the beginning of her “House in Order� seminar on end-of-life issues at Turkey Creek Medical Center, facilitator Becky Dodson asked the group of around 60 participants to close their eyes and imagine the details of their own passing. “What will the room look like?� she asked. “Who will be around you?�

Just then, a cell phone went off. The ring tone was the theme song from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.� “OK,� said Dodson, “so we’re in the wild west.� The room erupted in laughter.

Such laughter and such a large group indicate a change in the way people are thinking about end-oflife care. “I’ve been talking about advance directives

for 15 years,� says Dodson. “Groups usually number 30 to 40 people. We had 83 preregistered for today. People are becoming more willing to address this topic.�

Members of the crowd listened and asked questions as Dodson took them through a booklet prepared

by Tennova Health Care titled “House in Order Planning Guide.�

When asked about her motivation for attending the seminar, Lorene Battle of West Knoxville, who is in her 70s, said, “I don’t want anything out of order by the time we get to heaven! I don’t want our kids to have to take care of anything.�

Lucinda Turbeville, 55, echoed that statement. “I have one son living in Middle Tennessee. This isn’t for

me – this is for him.�

Dodson says that aging Baby Boomers “want to be in control� of their own final choices. “Many of them have watched their parents’ declines and they don’t want that to happen to them.�

Also helping to facilitate the event were Barbara Wright, Tennova’s director of volunteer services, and the Rev. Will Runyon, chaplain.

Dodson was pleased with the turnout. “It’s a hard conversation to have, but it’s going to be hard sooner or later,� she told the group. “Coming today is an act of love for your loved ones.�

Dodson, now a vice president at Tennova, was formerly a social worker specializing in geriatrics.

Send story suggestions to news@shoppernewsnow.com.

Barbara Wright, Tennova’s director of volunteer services, and Becky Dodson, Tennova vice president. Photo by Carol Z. Shane

Co-ed softball teams forming at Caswell Knox Senior Softball (women 55+ and men 60+) will meet to organize 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, at Caswell Park. Games will be each Tuesday and Thursday at 9 and 11:30 a.m. April through October. Bring your glove and come to play in a non-competitive league for fun and exercise. $10 fee for city insurance. Info: Bobby Rice at 865-573-2189.

Register for: AARP Smart Driver class 7:45 a.m.3:45 p.m. Monday, April 11; Cost: $15 members/$20 nonmembers; RSVP by Thursday, April 7.

Karns resident Jessica Whaley supports the youth of Beaver Ridge UMC by purchasing household treasures from Lisa Howard, director of youth ministries and communications for the church.

■South Knox Community Center 522 Old Maryville Pike 573-3575 Monday-Friday Hours vary Offerings include a variety of senior programs. ■John T. O’Connor Senior Center 611 Winona St. 523-1135 knoxseniors.org/oconnor. html Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Offerings include: Card games, billiards, senior fitness, computer classes, bingo, blood pressure checks 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Monday-Friday. Free tax preparation available 9 a.m. Wednesdays through April 13.

Draw on, Charlie

From Picasso prints to plants to exercise equipment to clothes, vendors like Kim McCall had it all at Beaver Ridge United. Photos by Nancy Anderson

Cartoonist Charlie Daniel of Powell and Edith Williams of South Knoxville at Charlie’s 86th birthday party, Dec. 14, 2015. Edith is two days younger than Charlie.

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Space donated by Shopper-News.

faith

SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • MARCH 23, 2016 • 7

Tenebrae with a

By Carol Z. Shane Easter is this weekend, and having observed Palm Sunday last week, Christians will be gathering to mark Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the eventual celebration on Easter Sunday morning.

At Church of the Savior United Church of Christ on Weisgarber Road, the Rev. John Gill and choir director Alex Engle are planning to observe Good Friday with the traditional service known as “Tenebrae,� from the Latin word for “darkness.� Except that this, according to Gill, will be “Tenebrae with a twist.� “We’re going to have a kind of ‘Reader’s Theater,’� says Gill. On one side of the church’s altar table, the Passion story will be told. On the other side, interspersed with passages from the Bible, will be a monologue from the writings of Roberta Bondi, Professor Emerita of Church History at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and author of the book “Memories of God,� from which the monologue is taken.

The Bondi piece deals with the author’s struggle to accept the meaning of the Crucifi xion after years of struggling with it “as a scholar and a woman.� “In this Tenebrae service,� says Gill, “her journey to discover new meaning in the old story will serve as an entry point to think about the Passion of Christ in new ways.�

The two readings, says Engle, evolve very differently. “The Bondi story starts in absolute chaos and moves into calmness and resolution. The story from scripture starts relatively calmly, with Jesus’ final supper with his disciples, and quickly becomes chaotic.� Engle says that when she and Gill were building the service, she wanted to think of ways in which the musical selections could enhance the two narratives.

The result is “a Russian nesting doll� of musical selections, Engle says, each revealing further steps in opposite directions.

Tenebrae is a collaborative service in which each congregant holds a lit candle. One by one, the candles are extinguished until the room is in darkness. Gill and Engle invite anyone to take part, especially those who may have questions of their own. “It’s okay to struggle,� he says. Of the featured Bondi monologue, the author herself says, “I wrote it to help others with their issues, too. Many blessings!�

The Church of the Savior United Church of Christ invites all to their observances of Holy Week, including Tenebrae at 7 p.m. on Good Friday, March 25. The church is located at 934 N. Weisgarber Road in Knoxville. Info: 584 7531 or http://www.cos-ucc.org.

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puts twinkle in participants’ eyes

By C B Carolyn l Evans E It’s prom season. Girls are getting dresses. Guys are getting tuxes.

Where’s the biggest prom in town? It might be the Prom of Stars at the Convention Center on April 9. The place will be full-to-bursting with 1,200 attendees. “They’ll dance!� says Jason Warden, senior pastor at Farragut Christian Church. “They’ll dance so hard that the floor will shake.�

Warden is a veteran of the Prom of the Stars. He planted the seed for the event, a prom for teens through adults in the special needs community. And the pastor says he’s delighted with the whole thing. He has been going since the first prom in 2003.

Warden came home from a church conference in Lexington, Ky., in 2003 and shared with one of his church elders, Jim Riner, the idea of a prom for special needs teens and adults that he had heard about there. Riner, who died suddenly in 2008, had already organized a soccer program for kids with disabilities.

The story of stories A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second and third stories shalt thou make it.

(Genesis 6: 16 KJV) It’s funny: you know a word all your life, and suddenly one day you think to wonder: how in the world did the levels of a building come to be known as stories?

I looked on the Internet (fount of all knowledge!) and discovered that there is an interesting story behind stories.

Noah himself would never have called his ark a three-storied ship because many-storied buildings hadn’t been thought up yet. (The illfated Tower of Babel came later.) And we know that it was centuries before any of these events were recorded on scrolls of parchment.

The “stories� mentioned in the King James Version of Noah’s ark story were a product of the seventeenth century, the period when the KJV was translated.

It was the late Middle Ages, and humans were once again building large buildings to the glory of God. They added stained

Cross Currents

Lynn Pitts

glass windows to the churches, windows that depicted stories from the Bible as teaching tools for a largely illiterate population who couldn’t read a Bible, even if they had one.

And Bibles were not common; they were the product of a lot of work, including translating the texts and copying them by hand with quill and ink (that had to be made!) onto parchment that also had to be created in a laborious process.

So it was that the different levels of a church’s building came to be known as stories! And later, any building with more than one level was a two- or three- or fourstoried building!

A scene from a previous Prom of the Stars in Knoxville. “I told Jim about it that spring,�

Warden says, “thinking it might be something he’d be interested in.

He never said anything else about it until he was well into planning. Then he told me the first prom would be in the fall.�

Riner made a vital friend that first year: the Knoxville Convention Center. Management there agreed to donate the space for the prom. “They’ve graciously provided

the space for us every year,â€? says Warden. “The first year, we were in the 300s ‌ right now we’re at 1,200. There have been several years we’ve had to turn people away.â€?

Warden says the local special needs community anticipates the prom all year.

In mid-December, registration forms are mailed out to those who have participated in the past. One participant begins to call the church office every January.

“After the first of the year, he calls about every day,�

Warden says. “His family gets a room at the Holiday Inn, so they make it a whole weekend for him.�

Farragut Christian goes to great lengths to make the prom happen, with preparation starting months in advance. The congregation raises about $20,000 to pay for the dinner and the sound equipment. Volunteers collect donated prom dresses

Church secretary Dena Cunningham looks at some of the donated prom dresses. Photo by Carolyn Evans and tuxes, then make alterations to be sure everyone has a special outfit. Flowers for each of the 100 tables are donated from local businesses. Once the attendees arrive, each is given a glow necklace, and church members, serving as photogra-

phers, take their pictures. “We do a prom because we think this is what Jesus would want us to do,� Warden says. “He was in the business of throwing parties and having celebrations during his time on earth. We want to show that kind of love.�

Riches for Richmond

By Nancy Anderson An early morning downpour did little to dampen the spirits of diehard yard sale enthusiasts last Saturday when Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church held its annual spring yard sale to help fund a major youth mission trip scheduled for July. “We’ve done pretty well so far,� said director of youth ministries Lisa Howard. “The rain kept maybe two vendors away, but not the shoppers. We’ve made oodles so far! “We’re so thankful God gave us sunshine a little while ago. The kids are set on going to Impact Richmond again this year, and the price per kid has gone up to $300. So we’re working hard, but we’re having fun doing it.�

Impact Richmond is a missions organization in Richmond, Va. that welcomes Christian youth

groups for a week every July to help repair the homes of those in need.

While the youth group calendar is packed with activities, trips, and service opportunities throughout the year, the annual Impact Richmond trip is a major event the kids work toward all year. “We’ve asked the kids if they’d like to do something else this summer, but they were all very clear. They want to do Impact Richmond. It’s always been a special trip for them as they get the opportunity to go out and help someone hands on. They meet someone, see their need, and help fulfill that need. It’s very special. “Last year, some of the kids reinstalled a front door for a 97-year-old woman whose door would not close and lock. Now she’s safe and it just means the world that we were able to do that for her. The kids are still talk-

FAITH NOTES ■Easter Sunrise Mountain Top Service, 6:30 a.m. Sunday, March 27, Ober Gatlinburg. Led by local pastors of the Gatlinburg Ministerial Association. The offering collected during the service will be used by the Association in assisting those in need. A breakfast buffet will be available at Ober Gatlinburg’s Seasons of Ober Restaurant, 7:15-10:30 a.m. Info: 436-5423; fun@obergatlinburg. com; obergatlinurg.com.

ing about it. “We’ll be taking 12 to 15 kids ranging from grade six to grade 12, and there’s something for all of them to do. “It doesn’t matter your age or your size, you can be used for God’s grace ‌ would you like to buy a treasure from the youth booth? Anthony Damiano, 13, the Rev. Larry Dial and Austin HouseThere’s still a lot to choose wright, 14, are working hard to sell an upholstered chair to raise money for a youth mission trip scheduled for July. from.â€?

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8 • MARCH 23, 2016 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news

New Hopewell has fun with the arts

By Betsy Pickle New Hopewell Elementary School put a lot of energy into its Night of the Arts.

The walls of the hallways were overflowing with eyecatching student artwork.

Just down from the entrance, a living wax museum featured such notables as Alexander Graham Bell, Sojourner Truth, Clara Barton, Abe Lincoln and Confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow.

The event was capped by

a performance of African percussion and dancing by the second- and fourthgraders. Musical artist Kofi Mawuko, who is originally from Ghana, West Africa, had taught the students and led them in concert.

For the final number, Mawuko invited the faculty to join the young dancers.

Principal Patricia Moore and her teachers threw themselves into the music, to the delight of all the guests.

Bella Jorgensen, kindergarten, stands next to her self-portrait.

Aidan Breeden, first grade, poses with his mixed-media flower.

Second-graders Autumn Chapin, Macie Blair and Brinkley Wright and fourth-graders Lexi Sparks, Josie Fitzpatrick, Katelyn Ott, Braelyn Read and Jacob Trumpore get in some last-minute practice before the music and dance program.

Fourth-graders Reagan Holsapple, Ferryn Wright, Alisa Severiano, Crystal Severiano and Zoie Rudder wait to perform, while in the background music teacher Ellen Carnes helps their schoolmates get in costume.

At the living wax museum, Alexander Graham Bell (Alexis Pacheco) shares his story with Ferryn Wright and Reagan Holsapple. Photos by Betsy Pickle

Norwegian wood

South Knoxville Elementary School fourth-graders gazed into the future – in the dirt – when financial advisor Alan R. Smith of Edward Jones brought Norway spruce seedlings for them to plant. Smith, secretary of the South Knoxville Alliance, was inspired by all the gardening activity at SKES and provided a seedling for each class member to take home as well as four to plant at the school. He explained that it would take several decades for the trees to reach their full height. Here, Smith plants a seedling as Christopher Summerour stands by with water and Cory Manuel with more soil, while Katelyn Hubbard takes her turn digging a hole for a seedling. Jenny Arthur of the Old Sevier Community Group, which has adopted the school, was on hand to see where the baby trees went in “so we don’t accidentally dig them up.” The trees will be relocated when they outgrow their nursery space. Photos by Betsy Pickle

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THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 15 Selected works by artist Kay List on exhibit, Envision Art Gallery, 4050 Sutherland Ave. Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Friday. Info: kaylistart.com; envisionartgallery.com; 438-4154.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter for seniors, 1-3 p.m., Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive. Presented by Social Media 4 seniors. Cost: $30.

Registration/payment deadline: Wednesday, March 23. Info/registration: 218-3375; townoffarragut.org/ register; in person at Town Hall.

FRIDAY, MARCH 25 2014 Medal of Honor Quilt on display, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Info: 215-8824; eths@eastTNhistory.org; easttnhistory.org.

Alive After Five: Mac Arnold & Plateful O’Blues, 6-8:30 p.m., Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive. Admission: general, $15; museum members and students, $10. Info: knoxart.org.

Bill and the Belles in concert, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Tickets: $14, some discounts available. Info/tickets: www.jubileearts.org.

SATURDAY, MARCH 26 Bijou Theatre Jubilee, 8 p.m., Bijou Theater, 803 S. Gay St. Featuring Drew Holcomb. Proceeds support the Bijou Theatre. Tickets: Tennessee Theatre box office, 684-1200, Ticketmaster outlets, KnoxBijou.com. Info: KnoxBijou.com/Jubilee-2016.

Dry Branch Fire Squad in concert, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Tickets: $14, some discounts available. Info/tickets: www.jubileearts.org.

Kitten and cat adoption fair, noon-6 p.m., West Town PetSmart adoption center, 214 Morrell Road.

Sponsored by Feral Feline Friends of East Tennessee.

Info: www.feralfelinefriends.org.

Saturday Stories and Songs: Kindermusik, 11 a.m., Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Age’s birth to 5 years old. Info: 470-7033.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 26-27 East Tennessee Daffodil flower show, 1-5 p.m., Ellington Plant sciences Building Auditorium, UT Ag. Campus. Free to the public. Info: 591 6774.

MONDAY, MARCH 28 Computer Workshops: “Word II,” 5:30 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Requires “Word 2007 Basics” or equivalent skills. Info/registration: 215-8700.

MONDAY-TUESDAY, MARCH 28-29 Samsung Galaxy Phone/Tablet Basics for Seniors, 1-3 p.m., Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive. Presented by Social Media 4 seniors. Cost: $45. Registration/payment deadline: Monday, March 28. Info/registration: 218-3375; townoffarragut.org/ register; in person at Town Hall.

TUESDAY, MARCH 29 Computer Workshops: “Excel,” 5:30-7:45 p.m., East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St. Requires “Word Basics” or equivalent skills. Info/registration: 215-8700.

Happy Travelers Lunch and Gathering, 10:30 a.m., North Acres Baptist Church, 5803 Millertown Pike. Cost: $7. Entertainment: Fredda Valentine. Reservation deadline: Saturday, March 26. Info/reservations: Derrell Frye, 938-8884 or 254-8884.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 Line dancing, noon-1 p.m., Humana Guidance Center, 640 Plaza, 4438 Western Ave. Free and open to the public. Info: 329-8892, TTY: 711.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 31-APRIL 2 Big Ears festival, various venues. Info/tickets/ schedule: bigearsfestival.com.

FRIDAY, APRIL 1 First Friday Comedy, 7-9 p.m., Saw Works brewing, 708 E. Depot Ave. Free comedy showcase featuring Atlanta comedians Ian Aber and Hayley Ellman.

First Friday Knoxville “The Next Level!!!” 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Jubilee Banquet Facility, 6700 Jubilee Center Way. Adult party featuring multiple DJs. Advance tickets: $10, 1stfridayknoxville-tnl.eventbrite.com; Simply 10, 2043 N. Broadway; Gams’ Hair Fashions, 1524 University Ave; 615-995-9093.

Opening reception for exhibit by Owen Weston, 5-9 p.m. Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 N. Broadway. Exhibit on display through April 30. Info: BroadwayStudiosAndGalley.com.

Opening reception for Art Market Gallery’s April featured artist exhibit: ceramic artist Lisa Kurtz and photographer Dennis Sabo, 5:30 p.m., Art Market Gallery, 422 South Gay St. Complimentary refreshments and music performed by Matt Tillery. Exhibit on display March 29-April 30. Info: 525-5265; artmarketgallery. net; on Facebook.

Vendor application deadline for Tennessee Medieval Faire, to be held May 14-15, 21-22, 28-30, 550 Fiske Road, Harriman. Vendors must make and sell their own wares, and all work will be juried. Info/applications: TMFaire.com.

weekender

Shopper news • MARCH 23, 2016 • 9

Good clean fun

By Carol Z. Shane

Kids find lots to do in downtown Chattanooga.

Chattanooga is kid-friendly short trip

By Sandra Clark Got kids 12 or younger?

Look no farther than Chattanooga for a fascinating one- or two-day adventure.

Sleeping: Splurge on a hotel downtown. Look at the Hampton Inn & Suites.

Located just off I-27, it’s within walking distance of the Tennessee Aquarium and IMAX theater, the Bluff View Art District and the Creative Discovery Museum. Other hotels are strategically spotted around the attractions as well.

The Hampton itself is fun with an indoor/outdoor pool and warm towels, a workout gym and a no-charge breakfast buffet. Guest rooms have free WiFi, a 37-inch HDTV, mini-fridge and microwave.

The inn has an on-site manager, eager to assist, and 134 guest rooms and suites.

Parking is $8/day. Park and walk to restaurants, attractions and even the Tennessee River.

Eating: After that wholesome Hampton breakfast, pocket a banana or a muffin for a mid-morning snack.

For lunch, look at Puckett’s Grocery. It’s a Tennessee original, founded in the 1950s with restaurants now in Nashville, Franklin and Columbia. In 2015, Puckett’s moved into the huge TGI Friday’s spot and hasn’t missed a beat.

Lunch specials include a meat and three or cherrywood smoked barbecue, the house specialty. Lunch clientele is a mix of tourists and downtown office workers. Servers seem to handle just four or five tables, keeping things moving. Puckett’s offers live music at night.

Check the blog or Facebook page for details.

For an afternoon pickme-up, visit Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream parlor just a halfblock away. There’s a Rita’s Italian Ice close-by, too, but save room for dinner.

For a fancy, sit-down experience, choose Alleia Restaurant on E. Main Street.

With Italian and seafood specialties, Alleia garners rave reviews. Just watch for feathers on that grilled duck wings appetizer.

Less expensive alternatives for a taste of Chattanooga are Lupi’s Pizza Pies on Broad Street, Campy’s Famous Fried Chicken on Martin Luther King Blvd. and the Bluegrass Grill, E. Main Street.

And for dessert, head over to The Hot Chocolatier on Market Street. Gourmet fi xings with coffee or tea.

Ahhhhh.

Playing: You can’t beat the Creative Discovery Museum, especially for kids as young as 3. Open 10 to 5, seven days a week, the

museum features a special exhibit, “Hot and Seoul, Growing up in Korea� through May 15. Korean War veterans especially will be amazed at the detail in this exhibit.

Museum highlights include a kite-flying experiment with torn paper and a jet of air; the bubble pond on the top floor; the hike up the lookout tower; and the acoustical adventures with musical instruments.

Kids literally race from room to room. This museum is one giant “Wow!�

This is STEM at its hands-on best. Kids can experience the power of mechanics with gears, pulleys and levers. Or they can see plants growing, producing strawberries and more, with bee hives on-site.

A fun exhibit for little kids is a life-sized beehive.

The kids put on a bee suit labeled queen, worker or drone and then climb into a honey-comb cubby. Every adult in the museum is smiling – well, except perhaps for that woman who chases away anyone who ignores the sign to tap on the glass

while she feeds crickets to a lizard. Not sure if she’s avoiding excitement for the cricket or the lizard.

IMAX 3-D Theatre has three features with discounted ticket prices if you watch more than one. We chose “Under the Sea,� a well-crafted visual treat.

Forty-five minutes is long enough, though, to keep quiet a kid whose idea of underwater adventure is “Octonauts.�

The Tennessee Aquarium is the granddaddy of attractions, recently expanded to include colorful salt-water creatures.

The River Journey is home to the most diverse gathering of freshwater animals in the country, says the website. A highlight is the playful river otters.

Ocean Journey, housed in a separate building, includes sharks, jellyfish and penguins. And the gift shop will send you home with T-shirts, books, mugs and mementoes of your Chattanooga visit.

You can do this trip, folks, in 24 hours, start to finish from Knoxville. Including the drive.

This is the time of year that East Tennesseeans bless their home. With spring bursting, blooming and breezing all around us, we’re all looking for opportunities to get outside.

And what better way for families to enjoy the beauty together this special weekend than a good old-fashioned Easter egg hunt?

This Friday and Saturday, RiverView Family Farms, located on Fort Loudoun Lake in Farragut, will be hosting such an event on a gigantic scale. As in over 4,000 brightly colored plastic eggs to find. Both afternoons, all afternoon, continuously. “When I was a child my mother would open up the farm to schoolkids,� says Rachel Williams Samulski, who traces her family’s ownership of the working cattle farm back to 1801. “We love to see kids come out, play, get dirty.�

Though eager to share the farm experience with everyone, Samulski is especially interested in young folks who, in this age of high-tech gadgetry, are losing their connection to the land. And she values the intergenerational ties that the farm experience can foster. “In every family,� she says, “someone’s got a connection to a farm – a father, a brother, an uncle.�

There’s plenty for everyone to do. There will be live

animals to view, hay bales to climb, a “calf wobble� activity, which Samulski describes as “running like a hamster on a wheel,� craft stations, face painting, live music and hayrides. There will be food available for purchase. “Sometimes grandparents come and sit by the river and play checkers,� says Samulski. “It’s all on the water, so it’s very relaxing.�

As for that epic egg hunt, the kids can redeem their baskets of booty for prizes.

Those who find rare, special golden eggs will receive a T-shirt that proclaims, “I found the golden egg at Riverview Farm!�

This is the fifth year that Samulski and her family have hosted the Easter event. “It’s starting to become a tradition with families,� she notes, and not only year-to-year. In conversation with one family at last year’s event, she mentioned that they looked familiar. “We were here yesterday!� the father replied. “It’s just good clean fun,� says Samulski. “Spring Time – Easter Event on the Farm� happens from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, March 25-26, at RiverView Family Farm, 12130 Prater Lane in Knoxville. Admission for ages 2 and up is $9. Info: riverviewfamilyfarm.com or 603 9347.

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Hall, 5806 Kingston Pike.

Cost: $20; $25 after April 11.

Info: Wayne, 696-9858; Sara, 588-6098.

REUNION NOTES â– Halls High classes of 2005 and 2006 combined reunion, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, Knoxville Hilton. Tickets: Eventbrite.com. â– Knoxville High School Alumni Association will host the Classes of 19101951, 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 30, Bearden Banquet

â– Powell High Alumni Reunion, 4:45 p.m. Saturday, April 2, Jubilee Banquet Facility, 6700 Jubilee Center Way. Guest speaker: Dr. Chad Smith, PHS principal and PHS graduate. Info: Lynette Brown, 947-7371 or LBrown8042@ aol.com.

Great advice from a kindred spirit

By Sandra Clark Poet and Knoxville native Nikki Giovanni dazzled an overflow crowd last week, speaking here as part of Pellissippi State’s Beyond the Common Book Club and Common Academic Experience. She is now a distinguished professor at Virginia Tech University.

She read two poems and talked about coming-of-age as a black woman in Knoxville. But her wise one-liners drew laughter and respect. Try these: ■Get rid of people that make you crazy. ■Don’t put pressure on yourself to change the whole damn world. Just do what

you can do. ■Quit letting the haters determine how you look at yourself. ■Do the things that make sense to you. ■The answer is yes – always yes.

In fact, tear out this advice and post it on your wall.

Giovanni understand Appalachia and its people.

She said it’s better to have car trouble in “some holler� around here than in some city up North. “I’m no fool,� she said.

Things were not peaches and cream in Knoxville. Now 72, she recalled when black kids were not allowed in Chilhowee Park. “I can’t stand

amusement parks to this day!� Black citizens could not eat at lunch counters downtown or attend movies. “I remember walking up those steps (to the balcony for blacks) at the Bijou.�

But she saluted the spirit of those East Tennesseans who stood with the Union during the Civil War. She nodded at the white families who “would not send people back to be enslaved.�

She saluted the West Virginians who said, “We will not send our sons to die so Shenandoah can have slaves.�

And she acknowledged teachers from Austin High School, Ms. Emma Stokes (French) and Ms. Alfredda

Delaney (English) as great influences. Her grandfather, John Brown Watson, was a longtime Latin teacher at Austin High. According to her biography, her grandmother Louvenia “cheerfully volunteered her granddaughter Nikki� to protest segregated dining facilities at Rich’s department store (now the UT Conference Center) on Henley Street. “It’s a wonderful thing to be black. I recommend it,� she said at Pellissippi State.

She took questions as well.

Her advice to aspiring writers: Do not write every day. “Nobody has that much to say.� Instead, read every

day. “Take something in.�

Unemployment? “There are so many things to be done.� For instance, figure out how to take wine into space. That needs to be done.

Regrets? She watches “Jeopardy� most days and would enjoy being a contestant. “I was a wrong answer once.�

At its core, her message was an affirmation of black women, women in general and the people present.

Don’t worry about “mistakes,� she said. Those were just learning experiences and many were actually fun at the time.

Let’s all say, “Yes!�

Nikki Giovanni speaks to an overflow crowd at Pellissippi State’s Magnolia Avenue campus. Photo by PSCC And a huge thanks to Pellissippi State Community College, its president Anthony Wise, and its Magnolia Avenue campus dean Rosalyn Tillman.

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business

10 • MARCH 23, 2016 • Shopper news clothes closets and maintaining in-house food and clothing pantry shelves).

Dorothy Hahn has been a customer since the business opened. She is one of many regulars with whom Dawn is on a first name basis.

“We get a lot of hugs here,” Dawn said.

“I will go to no other,” Hahn said.

But A-1 Laundry still struggles, primarily because of location. Although its street address is 4883 N. Broadway, the laudromat is tucked away in a strip mall dominated by Big Lots and Food City (behind Panera Bread), and is not visible from the street.

“We have a Broadway address, but we’re not on Broadway,” Dawn said.

“People would go down Broadway looking for us and find our competition with our paid advertisement – so now, we don’t put Broadway on ads. We say ‘behind Kathy Dawn says running a business is hard, but she’s not giv- Panera Bead,’ or ‘next to Big ing up.

Lots.’”

A-1 Laundry is allowed a free book and magazine vice projects (washing and a small sign on the mall’s shelf) and community ser- folding clothes for PTA directory, and Dawn and

Small business struggles with regulations

By Betty Bean In 2013, the ShopperNews told the story of A-1 Laundry, a mom-and-son Fountain City business struggling to get off the ground under new ownership while facing an array of problems, the foremost of which was an audacious late-night thief who was robbing the change machine and even using pilfered quarters to buy snacks. Issues with government fees and regulations weren’t making matters any easier, either.

Day manager Kathy Dawn and her son, owner Ricky Whitener, caught the offender using the old “$20bill on a string” trick with a

surveillance camera, identified him via Facebook and turned him over to police, who arrested and prosecuted The resulting story, “Say hello to Jake,” recounted their remarkable detective work.

We checked back with them last week and learned that “Jake” has paid some restitution money (not nearly as much as he stole), and that their business, which Dawn refers to as “the mat,” has drawn a solid base of regular customers, thanks to its friendly, Mayberryesque atmosphere and some unique promotions (Dollar Day Every Day for top loading machines and

Whitener are convinced that a freestanding sign would help their business.

But they are only allowed a temporary banner 60 days a year, and that’s gotten more expensive under the new ordinance – $328 for two months, up from $52 under the old ordinance.

Director of Building Inspections Peter Ahrens said City Council considered cutting back the length of time the banners could be used, but instead left it at 60 days divided into four 15-day periods.

“It’s tough when you’re just part of a directory sign and you’re not visible from the street,” Ahrens said.

“But the intent (of the ordinance) is that they are to be used when there’s a sale going on, versus having them out there for the entire month.”

Dawn said running their own business has been hard for her and her son.

“But we’re not giving up.

We’ve met so many nice people, and what we provide is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.”

News from the Rotary Guy

World Rotary Day in Knoxville is a George Wehrmaker production

By Tom King Meet George Wehrmaker, a 15-year member of the Rotary Club of Bearden, a quiet man who does what he does because he Tom King loves Rotary and our community. He is a key figure – perhaps the key figure – in the annual World Rotary Day project that involves Knoxville’s seven Rotary clubs.

World Rotary Day is celebrated annually on Feb. 23, marking the anniversary of Rotary International’s founding in 1905 in Chicago. Rotary clubs celebrate this anniversary by participating in an array of service projects.

Knoxville’s clubs embraced a project that began in 2008 by “adopting” a local school or facility that needed a little help – be it installing new playground equipment, mulch for playgrounds, planting new trees and shrubs, doing general

landscape work, or building steps or painting classrooms and refurbishing old pavilions.

Each year the presidents of the local clubs identify a worthy project. In all but one year the work has been done at a school. In 2015 Rotarians worked at the Cerebral Palsy Group Home in Fountain City on a chilly February Saturday.

Here’s where the work has been done each year: 2008-09 – Sarah Moore Green Elementary 2010 – Tennessee School

for the Deaf 2011 – South Knoxville Elementary 2012 – Belle Morris Elementary 2013 – Pond Gap Elementary 2014 – Ball Camp Elementary 2015 – Cerebral Palsy Group Home 2016 – Ridgedale Alternative School Wehrmaker is a natural for this work since he owns Brightside Landscape, a company he started in 1998 and today serves more than 90 commercial and residential clients in Knox, Anderson, Roane, Blount and Sevier counties. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy (soils) in 1990 from Texas A&M. So how did Wehrmaker become involved in this project? “I was working with the group at a school one Saturday when this all began and it was a little bit disorganized, so I started organizing teams to do this and do that and it all worked OK,” he said. “Then someone asked me to coordinate this project and in Rotary you’re not supposed to say no when you’re asked to do something.”

Bearden Rotarian George Wehrmaker is presented with his Paul Harris Fellow pin by District 6780 assistant governor coordinator Patty Daughtrey in 2014.

He donates his time and expertise in planning each year’s project, visiting the sites, meeting with school principals and the Rotary clubs to outline the project and buying what’s needed.

At the sites he coordinates the volunteers.

In 2014, he was presented with a prestigious Paul Harris Fellow in honor of his work on this project.

“That really meant a lot to me and it really surprised me,” he says.

For the past three years the Knoxville Breakfast Rotary Club has had workdays

at Blue Grass Elementary School similar to World Rotary Day projects. Wehrmaker, of course, was asked to help with these and, of course, he said yes.

“I really love doing it. I love Rotary and I know that we do a lot of international work, but I love working on the close-to-home stuff and making a difference,” he explained. “And how much closer can we get than helping the schools that need the help here in town?”

Tom King is a retired newspaper editor, a Rotarian for 28 years and past president of the Rotary Club of Farragut. He can be reached at tking535@gmail.com

BIZ NOTES ■ Dr. Jack Lacey, senior vice president and chief medical officer at UT Medical Center, retires from his role on March 31 after nearly 40 years of service. In 1991, he earned recognition by then-Gov. Ned McWherter as the recipient of the Tennessee Outstanding Achievement Award. Lacey received a 2015 Tennessee Hospital Association Award of Excellence for devoting his career to improving health care in the community, region and state.

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■ ORNL Federal Credit Union has announced promotions for two employees: Derek Saidak is the chief loan officer and Tom Wright is now chief marketing officer. Saidak will oversee the credit union’s lending strategy including business, consumer and mortgage lending and collections.

Wright will oversee branding, marketing and communications as well as enhancement and growth of the ORNL FCU brand.

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■ Kim Pouncey has started a business to train and certify wine vendors. TopShelf will help store owners prepare for the sale of wine in grocery stores starting July 1.

“Employees and managers at each location – anyone who rings up the sale of alcohol – will be required to complete a Responsible Wine Vendor clerk certification class,” she says. “Grocery stores

Dr. Lacey

Hackney

Kim Pouncey

John Rhea

Derek Saidak

Tom Wright

in Tennessee will have the same level of responsibility as bars and restaurants when it comes to preventing underage drinking.”

■ SunTrust Mortgage is honoring mortgage loan officers Suzy Schierbaum and Karen Hackney for being Silver Award recipients and producing sales manager John Rhea Schierbaum for being a Bronze Award recipient from the Knoxville Mortgage Bankers Association. This award is

presented to mortgage loan officers who have achieved a high number of volume and units for the year 2015.

■ Priority Ambulance will host a facility open house and job fair at the company’s East Tennessee headquarters at 910 Callahan Drive, Suite 101, on Thursday, March 31, from noon to 4 p.m. to hire paramedics and EMTs. Priority is offering signing bonuses and full- and part-time work schedules.

■ KUB raised a record $54,837 for Project Help in January through collections at Food City stores and Home Federal banks.

Shopper news • MARCH 23, 2016 • 11

12 • MARCH 23, 2016 • Shopper news

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