South Knox Shopper-News 110916

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VOL. 42 NO. 45 1

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July 29, November 9, 2013 2016

No denying playground rules

BUZZ Carson Dailey sets resident meeting Knox County Commissioner Carson Dailey will host an “Ask the Commissioner” meeting 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, at G&D Deli, 612 Tipton Station Road. All are invited.

Parade is Friday

Scruffy City Orchestra to host Veterans Day concert Scruffy City Orchestra will offer free admission to all military veterans 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11 at First Baptist Church on Main Street. The program, “Veterans Day Concert: A Musical Celebration in Honor of our Heroes,” will feature local radio personality and “Anything is Possible” host Hallerin Hilton Hill performing the narration to Aaron Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait.” The concert will include performances of “Armed Forces Salute,” “Ashokan Farewell” (from Ken Burns’ Civil War series) and other selections to honor veterans. All veterans of the Armed Forces will receive complimentary admission to the performance with military identification. First Baptist Church of Knoxville is at 510 W. Main Street. Admission is $5 at the door. Debit and credit cards will be accepted.

(865) 922-4136 NEWS (865) 661-8777 news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Betsy Pickle ADVERTISING SALES (865) 342-6084 ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Amy Lutheran | Patty Fecco Beverly Holland CIRCULATION (865) 342-6200 shoppercirc@ShopperNewsNow.com

After making quick work of the official “ribbon cutting,” kids hightail it for the new play area at Baker Creek Preserve. Photos by Betsy Pickle

By Betsy Pickle Here’s the thing about ribbon cuttings: Attendees stand, respectful and sometimes bored, and listen as politicians, business people and community leaders talk about the new building or office or statue or bridge or park, and then a bunch of folks in nice clothes smile for the cameras as they cut a ceremonial ribbon.

For a twist, Legacy Parks Foundation usually includes speakers in T-shirts and boots in its presentations. But even Legacy Parks couldn’t control the force of nature that exploded at last week’s ribbon cutting for the new kids’ adventure play area at Baker Creek Preserve: Children. Yes, as a parade of admirable

Children catch some air at the new pump track. Designed for beginning mountain bikers, the track apparently is as much fun on foot as it would be on wheels.

and well-intentioned speakers stepped up to the lectern and adults absorbed their facts and figures, the kids who’d been enStanding in the meadow frontcouraged to attend ignored them ing the new play area, Yassin and the string of bright green Terou holds daughter Shaam, paper balls on posts and slipped who isn’t quite ready to run on over to the enticing new play spot her own. and started playing. Eventually, parents and handlers lured them back so they could run through the playful ribbon for a photo op. Mayor Madeline Rogero gave them instructions, and the kids half-listened before they trampled over the string and returned to their fun. And why wouldn’t they? The new play area has several features created by SoKno artist Kelly Brown. There’s a small rock-climbing wall, a giant bamboo wind chime that kids can move through to make music, a net to scramble over, log rounds on which to practice balance and built-in slides, all on a hillside with stone and dirt tiers. To page 3

Where’s the outrage when Jones hires Holt? By Sandra Clark Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones poked 1,000 jailers, patrol officers and support staff in the eye last week. Where’s the outrage?

Analysis The sheriff left another 1,200 citizens on all-day lockdown because he’s short-staffed at the detention center. Outrage, anyone? The term-limited sheriff holds office until September 2018, yet he’s seen more often on the golf course than in his office. Outrage? The facts: Tim Burchett requested and accepted the resignation of his purchasing director after an internal investigation showed a pattern of harassment toward a subordinate. What Hugh Holt did was wrong, and he put the county at risk in a potential lawsuit. Burchett said essentially:

We Offer:

Lee Tramel

“I love you, Hugh. You’re gone.” But Holt found a soft landing and even a $500 annual raise from Sheriff Jones, an elected official who does not report to the county mayor. Within three days, Jones had created a position of procurement officer in the sheriff’s office. Without posting or advertising, he hired Holt. And he’s paying him $137,000 a year to do a portion of the work he was doing before. Jones won’t talk to us. He doesn’t have to. He’s term-limited.

“Come on, Lee. $137,000 is too much. It’s probably more than you make. How much do you make, Lee?” After a pause, Tramel said, “You’ll have to ask my wife.” Tom Spangler, former chief deputy, said the position is not needed since the county has always handled purchasing. He said an administrative position is not under the Merit Council and therefore Jones was within his right to hire Holt without posting the job. But Spangler said if the office has a surplus $137,000, he would prefer to see it divided among employees. “Some say that’s just $137 each, but I say it’s $137 they didn’t have before. “Nothing against Hugh, but his hiring was (an affront) to every employee up there.” To page 3

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But two men are campaigning hard to replace Jones, even though neither has announced his candidacy. We asked Tom Spangler and Lee Tramel if they supported the sheriff’s decision to hire Holt. Does the sheriff’s office need its own purchasing agent? Is $137,000 a fair salary? Lee Tramel, chief administrative officer for Jones, said this: “I’m not a candidate yet. … It’s the Sheriff’s call. It’s not my position to comment. Look at Hugh’s record six or eight months from now. Has he saved the office money? That will tell the tale.” We pushed Tramel on the salary. At $137,000, Holt will make more than at least three who will outrank him: Tramel ($110,155), Chief Deputy Eddie Biggs ($110,310) and the office’s finance director, Allison Rogers, ($126,400).

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Knoxville will honor the service of its U.S. military veterans with the city’s 91st annual Veterans Day Parade on Friday, Nov. 11. The parade will line up in the eastbound lanes of Howard H. Baker Jr. Avenue, with the step-off at 10:45 a.m. in front of the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. The parade participants will head up Howard Baker Avenue to Church Avenue, then turn right and follow Gay Street to Depot Avenue. At 11 a.m., all parade participants will halt and face west to honor all wartime veterans. The parade is sponsored by the city of Knoxville and American Legion Post 2. In addition, the decorative deck lights on the Henley Bridge will be changed to red, white and blue on the night of Nov. 11, in honor of the service of U.S. military veterans.


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