SOUTH KNOX VOL. 32 NO. 31
www.ShopperNewsNow.com |
Personal connections make difference at
IN THIS ISSUE
Saying good-bye
Montgomery Village
South Knox community reporter Betsy Pickle says good-bye to three community leaders: Dr. Gerry Ballard, Edith P. Swann Justice and Dr. Richard Emmert.
➤
Read her story on page 3
Bear and owl visit South Knox Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl turned out to be very popular with youngsters at the community school at South Knox Elementary School.
➤
See Betsy Pickle’s report on page 8
Abernathy sons play UT football Ralph David Abernathy IV and his brother, Micah, are playing football for coach Butch Jones at UT. They are the great-grandsons of the best friend and closest ally of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
➤
By Betsy Pickle No matter where you live, a strong neighborhood association can make your community a better place to live. Making Knoxville’s neighborhoods stronger is one focus of the biennial Neighborhood Conference on March 7. Among the panelists speaking that day will be Ronnie Thompson, president of the Montgomery Village Resident Association. Thompson, who took office last March, will speak at a session about concerns in public housing, but the concerns of Montgomery President Ronnie Thompson, secretary Tricia Melton and treasurer Tonja Warren help keep the Montgomery Village ResiTo page 3 dent Association running strong. Not pictured are assistant secretary Sandra Kessler and vice president Tiffany Willett. Photo by Betsy Pickle
Work underway at Botanical Garden
Read Marvin West on page 4
Ashe supports raise for mayors Former Mayor Victor Ashe is endorsing the proposal by Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis to increase the mayor’s salary to $142,500, effective with the next election.
➤
Read his reasons on page 5
ServPro is named ‘Rising Star’ A local disaster-cleanup franchise has won the Tennessee Small Business Development Center’s Rising Star award for 2014. ServPro of Rocky Hill, Sequoyah Hills and South Knoxville is owned by John and Kristina Greenway. Their office is at 2444 Sutherland Ave.
➤ Read Sandra Clark’s story on page 9
Movies, movies Betsy Pickle looks ahead at three new movies: “Mortdecai,” starring Johnny Depp, is based on the character Charlie Mortdecai created by English author Kyril Bonfiglioli in a trilogy of novels in the 1970s. George Lucas came up with the story for “Strange Magic,” which features elves, fairies, imps and goblins – no Ewoks or Wookiees. Jennifer Lopez returns to what feels like familiar territory with “The Boy Next Door. Lopez plays a teacher who unwisely has a one-night stand with a much-younger neighbor.
➤
Read Betsy Pickle on page 6
7049 Maynardville Pike 37918 (865) 922-4136 NEWS news@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark | Betsy Pickle ADVERTISING SALES ads@ShopperNewsNow.com Patty Fecco | Tony Cranmore Wendy O’Dell | Sara Whittle
January July 29, 21, 2015 2013
www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow
The new Knoxville Botanical Garden visitors center
(Image courtesy of De Leon & Primmer Architecture
Workshop)
By Betty Bean It was a leap of faith, breaking ground for the new entrance and visitors center at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum before having the entire $1.45 million estimated cost in hand. But the board of directors voted to proceed, banking
on the belief that potential donors will step up as they see the impressive new project coming out of the ground, complementing the stacked-stone walls and ancient trees of the former Howell Nursery property. Board chair Joan Ashe is optimistic.
“We’re getting close. To date, we have raised approximately $1.2 million, and we’re hoping that we are showing the community that we are good stewards, progressing and staying true to the mission of what this place is supposed to be.” The new visitors center
will be an expansion and retrofit of the block house Joe Howell built in the 1960s. Architects De Leon & Primmer Work shop from Louisville, Ky., designed a plan to add g la ss-a ndsteel wings and wrap the old building in a rippled wire mesh for a shimmering, translucent look. “There’s no building in Knoxville like it,” Ashe said. “Lighting will give it a whole different feel: modern, yet somehow rustic. Using the existing building cuts down on the expense. Our goal is to be finished by Aug. 1. We chose these architects because they developed Yew Dell Gardens in Louisville on property that was an old nursery, like this one. De
Leon and Primmer loves working with nonprofits, taking what you have and showing how you can use what you have and make the most of it. And what we have here are these gorgeous stone walls.” The Knoxville Botanical Garden and ArboJoan Ashe retum encompasses 47 acres of what was once a massive, 2,000-acre property granted to a Howell ancestor for his Revolutionary War service. “At one time it was the largest nursery in the U.S. and started before Knoxville became a city,” Ashe said. Joan Ashe and her husband, Victor, became interested in the gardens while To page 3
The difficult task of regulating signs By Wendy Smith It took three years of meetings for the eightmember Sign Ordinance Task Force to finish its work on a new ordinance that will now go to City Council for consideration. It’s been difficult work, but Duane Grieve, council member and committee chair, commended the dedication of task force members who rarely missed meetings and worked together in spite of differing opinions. If you can’t imagine how a group could spend three years talking about signs, here are just a few examples of signs that are addressed by the new or-
Sign Ordinance Task Force members Joyce Feld, Jim Nixon, George Wallace and Duane Grieve listen as a city official discusses abandoned signs. Photo by Wendy Smith dinance: bulletin board signs (those used in front of schools or churches to announce meetings), directory signs, historic signs, menu boards, electronic message center signs, monument signs,
pole signs, sidewalk signs and window signs. In addition to sign height, the ordinance addresses sign placement, sign landscaping, illumination and abandoned signs, among other things.
If you can’t imagine how people could disagree over anything other than the height of pole signs, here’s an example from last week’s meeting. Current city standards do not define, regulate or require
a permit for window signs. The proposed ordinance prohibited window signs − defined as any sign within a window facing the street for the purpose of adver-
We Offer: • Complete inspections, maintenance & repairs for all air conditioning & heating equipment • Money-saving high-efficiency system upgrades! • FREE ESTIMATES on new equipment • FINANCING through E-Score programs
• Maintenance plans available.
“Cantrell’s Cares” SALES • SERVICE • MAINTENANCE 5715 Old Tazewell Pike • 687-2520 Over O ve 20 years experience
A+ RATING WITH
Heating & Air Conditioning
LASTS AND LASTS AND LASTS.™
To page 3
2 • JANUARY 21, 2015 • Shopper news
health & lifestyles
Ignored hypertension ‘a shot across bow’ for young outdoorsman Outdoorsman. Policeman. Landscaper. Athlete. Except for that troublesome left knee he’d had since his linebacker days under coach Johnny Majors, Jim Lambert was the proverbial picture of health. Or so he thought. But on the morning of Nov. 6, the 42-year-old Oliver Springs man learned otherwise. That was when Lambert, his speech slurred and numb in his left hand and leg, was airlifted from Roane Medical Center in Harriman to the Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. “I didn’t believe it was stroke,” Lambert says today. “I thought, ‘No way! No way! I am always on the go.’ I didn’t think that’s what it was. I thought it was something else.” But Dr. James Hora, the neurohospitalist who examined him, says Lambert, a former police officer who now operates his own landscape business when he’s not out deer hunting, was only fooling himself. In fact, an MRI revealed that James Hora, Lambert had preMD viously suffered four small strokes. “I think there was an element of denial there,” said Dr. Hora, adding that Lambert had been warned by others about his hypertension before one of his five arthroscopic knee surgeries. “His blood pressure was through the roof – 248 over 180.” The day had begun like any other with Lambert cooking breakfast, but not without some difficulty. “I bumped into the refrigerator, then
Recognize the signs of a stroke FAST! The early symptoms of stroke are often overlooked or ignored. If you suspect that you or a loved one is having a stroke, think FAST: F – FACE: Look at your face. Is one side sagging? A – ARMS: Hold out your arms. Is one arm lower than the other or harder to hold in place? S – SPEECH: Is your speech slurred or garbled? T – TIME: Time is critical when trying to minimize the effects of stroke. Call 911 and get to a hospital as quickly as possible. And be sure your hospital is a stroke-ready, Comprehensive Stroke Center, like Fort Sanders Regional.
Jim Lambert, pictured with his fiancée, Bambi Akers, survived a stroke thanks to the treatment he received at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. Now nearly three months later, he’ll walk down the aisle at his wedding to Akers. into the counter and then I hit the door frame as I was going down the step into the bedroom,” said Lambert. “It had rained a little that morning, and we really didn’t think it was anything more than arthritis,” said Lambert’s fiancée, Bambi Akers. After she left for work at a local day care at 9 a.m., Lambert fed his dog and “got in the car and also drove off for work, not knowing anything.” Enroute to the garage where his mowers are stored, he stopped at a gas station for a coffee, even asking the clerk, “ ‘Could you carry this out for me? My knee’s bothering me this morning and I’m afraid I’m going to drop it.’ He said, ‘Sure no problem.’ He walked with me out to my car, we talked just a minute and I left.” By the time he arrived, however, Lambert knew something wasn’t right and called his fiancée.
“From the time I went to work until the time that he called was less than 30 minutes,” said Akers. “So, it progressively got worse really fast. When I got to him in the car, he was slumped over in the seat and could hardly talk.” She rushed him to Roane Medical Center three miles away. After a thorough evaluation, staff at Roane determined that Lambert needed to be transferred to the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Fort Sanders Regional for treatment. With Roane and Regional both in the Covenant Health network, their staffs work seamlessly together to assure patients receive prompt, excellent care for conditions such as stroke. “A stroke program such as ours is a truly multi-disciplinary program,” said Dr. Hora. “We’ve got neurologists, internal medicine specialists, extensive therapy support, dietary expertise, rehab medi-
cine expertise. So there are a lot of people involved in each stroke case. It is a coordinated effort, and everybody at a center like ours knows immediately what their role is.” It’s that team approach that has earned Fort Sanders’ Stroke Center recognition by the Joint Commission, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association as an industry leader in complex stroke care. The team certainly gets plenty of practice. On a recent afternoon, Dr. Hora reviewed the hospital’s census. “Five North has 34 patients up there, and I bet you a third of those are stroke,” he said. “Then, this morning, we had eight beds in our Neuro Intensive Care Unit, and I am involved with seven of those patients. Of those seven, six were strokes. It’s there! That’s why they call the Southeast the Stroke Belt.” Lambert’s NIH Stroke Scale (a numerical measure of the neurologic examination) was down to a 3 by the time his dangerously high blood pressure was brought under control – a combination of factors that caused Dr. Hora to decide that using the well-known clot-busting drug tPA was “not a good idea” because of a bleeding risk. “Twenty years ago when I first got into this business, we would give people an aspirin, send ’em home and say, ‘Good luck!’ ” said Dr. Hora. “Now, we’ve learned enough about preventing another stroke that people are literally going home with a cocktail – aspirin, blood pressure, cholesterol. We’re sending them out after having seen one of our nutritionists for diet and exercise, diabetes control. We get them seeing our therapists for therapy and exercise.” After two weeks, Lambert went
home. With the help of his fiancée and a physical therapist closer to home, he is convinced that he’ll make a complete recovery. “I didn’t have 100 percent use of my leg to start with, but I don’t see why I won’t fully recover,” said Lambert. “I’m shooting for 110 percent – if I can only get 100, I’ll settle for that.” Thanks to the “great care” they received at Fort Sanders, Akers believes her soon-to-be-husband will be ready to walk down the wedding aisle as planned Jan. 24 and honeymoon in Florida. “He was treated with so much dignity,” Akers said. “They knew that his being an athlete, a hunter, a policeman, that he needed that extra encouragement to get up and go. If he did get hateful or snippy, the nurse was OK with it. She said, ‘I’ve got thick skin, you can tell me this but you’re still going to get up, you’re still going to walk across the room … the care was great, even for me because I stayed in there the whole time too. If I needed anything, they would do whatever to help. All the nurses and doctors were great.” What’s more, she says Lambert has become an evangelist of sorts, warning everyone he sees to get checked. “He’s telling everybody, all his buddies, ‘Go to the hospital. Go to the doctor. Check your blood pressure.’ He’s lecturing everyone. He’s stubborn, but he’s saying, ‘Don’t be like me – get checked!’ ” “I think he saw the light after seeing all of us,” said Dr. Hora. “In the end, the important thing with Mr. Lambert is that he is a young guy and this was a shot across the bow basically telling him that if he wanted to become an old guy, he needed to make some serious changes in his approach to his health.”
The first Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center in East Tennessee When it comes to treating strokes, no other hospital in the Knoxville area offers a more advanced level of care than Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. Fort Sanders was the first in the area to earn an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification by The Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 20,500 health care programs in the United States. This “gold-seal” advanced certification means that Fort Sanders is recognized as having the most advanced and effective treatments available for stroke today. Certification through The Joint Commission involves extensive training for the staff, documentation of effectiveness and inspection of the hospital by The Joint Commission. Part of certification is having a team of “neurohospitalists” on staff. These physicians treat only
stroke and neurological cases in the hospital, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Instead of waiting for a doctor to have time from his or her private practice, Fort Sanders has neurologists on hand. “It makes access to specialArthur Moore, ized neurologists MD easier,” said Dr. James Hora, one of the neurohospitalists at Fort Sanders. “We have 24/7 coverage, and this provides rapid access to a neurologist for acute neurologic problems.” Dr. Arthur Moore was hired in July 2014 as medical director for the center. “With our Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Certification, we offer the highest level of care for all patients. Whether they’re able to have surgery or not,
we’re there to give their bodies the best chance to heal and recover,” he explained. Some stroke patients can be treated with minimally invasive surgical options. Using brain angioplasty, stents and aneurysm surgery, Fort Sanders surgeons can remove tiny clots, stop brain bleeds and insert tiny stents to hold open delicate arteries. “Using a catheter, we thread a tiny wire into the artery in the groin and up to the brain,” explained Keith Woodward, M.D., a neuro-interventional radiologist at Fort Sanders. “Then we can use a special device to pull the clot out, or sometimes we can inject it with medicine and dissolve it while we’re in there.” Most stroke patients need follow-up care after the initial event, and patients at Fort Sanders have access to the Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, an award win-
ning rehabilitation center. About one-third of the Patricia Rehabilitation Neal Center’s patients are stroke patients, according to the center’s medical director, Mary E. Dillon, M.D. “Our specialists begin determining as soon as possible what level of care the patient will need,” said Dr. Dillon. “Patients have access to rehab services from time they arrive in the emergency department, throughout their care here, and through all the postacute levels of care.” Having everything – speedy emergency care, advanced surgical techniques and the best in rehabilitation – makes Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center the smart choice for stroke care. “We’re equipped to handle all stroke cases, from the most complex to the least,” said Dr. Dillon. “Our patients don’t have to go anywhere else to find help.”
COMPREHENSIVE STROKE CENTER:
FORT SANDERS REGIONAL Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is the only facility in our region to hold a Comprehensive 6WURNH &HQWHU FHUWL¿ FDWLRQ IURP 7KH -RLQW Commission, as well as multiple CARF* Accreditations for stroke rehabilitation. Comprehensive stroke care ~ from diagnosis to treatment to rehabiliation. That’s Regional Excellence!
www.fsregional.com * Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
community
SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • JANUARY 21, 2015 • 3
In passing:
Ballard ‘broke the mold’ Usually, this space is full of news about groups in South Knoxville, but today is a little different.
Betsy Pickle
While many of our civic groups have been taking January off, Father Time has not. So instead of covering meetings, I’ve been going to funerals, including ones for folks who had a big impact on South Knoxville. Gerry Ballard was a family friend I’d known since I was a little girl. I didn’t actually associate him with South Knox; I knew him as the minister of music/choir director/organist at First Baptist Church, where he served for 13 years and was a member for 60-plus years.
Dr. Gerald Ballard and Mary Eleanor Pickle entertain guests at a 2012 gathering. Photo by Betsy Pickle He and my mom, Mary Eleanor Pickle – who played organ at First Baptist before Gerry and returned some years after his tenure – were great chums. I became friends with Gerry myself in recent years
Montgomery Village
From page 1
Village residents are more similar to those of other neighborhoods than they are different. Every neighborhood association in South Knoxville struggles to get residents to participate and worries about keeping its streets safe and clean. Thompson doesn’t have a secret formula for getting people to take part in a neighborhood group, but he’s learned where to start. “It’s just getting to know your neighbors well enough to get them involved in it,” says Thompson, who has lived in South Knoxville most of his life and Montgomery Village for seven years. “That’s what we depend on is cooperation and participation in what we have going. “Without their point of view and knowing what they need, it’s null.” The Montgomery Village Resident Association, with help from the University of Tennessee College of Social
Work, surveyed tenants to learn what issues or amenities were important to them. Debbie Sharp of the Office of Neighborhoods says that’s one of the reasons they asked Thompson to speak at the conference. The association’s officers went door to door over three Saturdays to get residents to fill out the survey. “They got a great response, and from that they actually got people to come to the meetings,” says Sharp. “They grew their neighborhood association quite well.” Perseverance was one reason for the success. Incentive was another. “We had a $50 Walmart gift card sponsored by Ben Epperson of the (Knox County) health department,” which was awarded to a person who took the survey, says Thompson. Attendance at the monthly meetings is still erratic, he says. However, Alvin Nance, president and chief execu-
Botanical Garden
From page 1
they were living in Warsaw during Victor’s stint as U.S. Ambassador to Poland, after founding board member Jim McDonough sold them on the idea. They became active supporters when they returned to the States in 2009. The Martha H. Ashe Garden was dedicated in 2010 and is named for Victor Ashe’s mother, who was active in local gardening and beautification efforts including helping to found the Dogwood Arts Festival. “Victor had already given a sizable donation to the garden while we were in Poland, and having semi-grown up here, I remember what it was like before Victor took office, when we didn’t have any of these parks – no Lakeshore Park, no Ashe Park, very few greenways – so supporting the garden seemed like a logical continuation of that,” she said. Joan Ashe has chaired the KBGA board since 2011, and although she is stepping down as chair later this year, she’ll remain on the board until 2016. An Indiana native who had family here, spent childhood summers in Knoxville and moved here to live full time in 1978, she remembers visiting the nurseries with her grandfather, J.R. Moody. Her aunt is former County Commissioner Wanda Moody. “I remember coming out here with my grandpa and coming in from Boyd’s Bridge Pike. I loved the stone walls with the little
round houses at the end; I always thought that’s where the princesses lived. That’s how we want it to be, with an allée of trees up to the new visitors center,” Ashe said. “It will welcome people the way they used to come to the garden years ago.”
through celebrating holidays with him at the home of our mutual friends Chris and (the late) Dexter Christenberry. Gerry was a part of that family, the audacious uncle full of adventurous tales of travels around the
tive officer of Knoxville’s Community Development Department, which administers the city’s public housing and rental assistance programs, says the survey was a good start, and it demonstrated the residents’ willingness to address problems on their own. KCDC does not run the residents’ associations at its properties, Nance says. It’s there for guidance and support. One of the problems KCDC is trying to help Montgomery Village resolve is getting bus service from KAT after 6 p.m. Not only was transportation listed as a key issue on the association’s survey, but a KAT survey found there were “over 150 individuals who had turned down employment because of not having dependable transportation,” Nance says. Jobs and education are two of the main things Montgomery Village residents want, says Thompson, who notes that a GED class will be starting in April. “With the education, if they had day-care, they’d be able to go out and find a job that they were looking for and naturally transition out of here,” he says. The Neighborhood Conference starts at 7:30 a.m. March 7 at the Knoxville Convention Center, with more than 30 workshops and panels targeted to leaders and members of neighborhood groups. Registration will open next week: www.cityofknoxville.org.
world – “everywhere but North Korea.” It’s impossible to believe he was 83, as his obituary claimed after he passed away at home on Jan. 4. Gerry was ageless, timeless. He had more energy than four 20-year-olds put together, and he was the most entertaining soul you’d ever meet. And he was greatly beloved by students at South High School, where he served as choral director before being tapped to serve as superintendent of music for all of Knoxville’s city schools. One of those students, Donald Rackard, served as eulogist at Gerry’s memorial service last Thursday and talked about his intelligence, sophistication and pursuit of excellence. Comments on his online guestbook called him “a wonderful influence on music education,” “a fabulous musician, an inspiring people person and a true gift to Knoxville” and “the best and most passionate music teacher anyone could ask for.” Dave Ward, now minister of pastoral care and senior adults at First Baptist, knew Gerry from the early 1960s until his death.
had family members over on Sunday. She apparently locked herself out of her house Monday morning while waiting for a son to pick her up. She was conscious and communicated with the ambulance team but passed away after arriving at the hospital. Sylvia told me that her mother enjoyed life and ■ A beloved mother “was always laughing and Sometimes things are cutting up.” A longtime not as first reported by me- member of Sevier Heights dia outlets. One such story Baptist Church, she is surgained attention when se- vived by numerous chilnior citi- dren, grandchildren, greatzen Edith grandchildren and friends. P. Swann Deepest sympathies to Justice was them all. found lying in the ■ One more loss front yard Condolences also to our of her South friends at Mount Olive BapK n o x v i l l e tist Church on the passing home in the of Dr. Richard Emmert, who Edith Justice cold and died Jan. 5. rain last Monday, Jan. 12. The longtime senior Despite the sensational pastor at Manley Baptist initial coverage, this was Church in Morristown, Emnot a case of elder neglect. mert served recently as inIt is, however, a loss for a terim pastor at Mount Olive. large and loving family and A Carter High School and South Knoxville as a whole. Carson-Newman College Two of her daughters, Sylvia graduate, he also served Woods and Sharon Davis, as pastor at First Baptist are often mentioned in these Church of Seymour early in pages for their activities in his ministry, after receivsupport of South Knoxville ing his doctor of divinity community groups. degree from Southern BapMrs. Justice, who would tist Theological Seminary in have been 95 next month, Louisville, Ky. “He was truly an original,” Dave said following the memorial service. “After they made him they broke the mold.” Dr. Ballard asked that any memorials be made to the Tennessee PTA (Gerald Ballard Fine Arts Fund), 1905 Acklen Ave., Nashville, TN 37212.
Regulating signs
From page 1
tising, composed of letters, symbols or lighting − that exceed 25 percent of the window area or 20 square feet. Grieve said he didn’t mind regulating signs outside of businesses but wasn’t comfortable with regulating signs inside of businesses, even if they faced outside. He preferred not to address window signs. Joyce Feld, a board member of Scenic Knoxville, said that if you can see it from a public right-of-way, it’s a sign, and one of the group’s purposes was to improve the aesthetics of the public right-of-way. Gary Hayes pointed out that it would be hard to separate permanent signs from periodical signs in windows. After two motions failed − one limiting window signs to 25 percent of window area and one limiting them to 40 percent − a motion to exempt window signs from regulation passed, five to three. If the ordinance is approved, it will face another significant hurdle − enforcement. Peter Ahrens,
the city’s director of building inspections, says that while the department has historically been reactive, the goal is to get to a level of proactive enforcement of the sign ordinance. He is examining ways to strengthen his department, possibly by collaborating with other departments, like neighborhood codes enforcement. He’d like to be able to address problem signs before there is a public outcry. Ahrens hopes to have the structure to tackle sign enforcement by the end of this year, and he’s not concerned about the complexity of the sign ordinance. When City Council approves it, his department will dive in, he says. But he acknowledges that it’s a moving target. Once the new ordinance is adopted, the sign community will begin pushing the envelope. “People will come with proposals for things that have not been specifically addressed. You can’t address everything with one ordinance.” The Sign Ordinance Task Force deserves credit for
its hard work. The hardest part was surely working together. “Trying to reach an equitable position is a difficult thing to do,” said member Don Parnell.
SOUTH NOTES ■ Colonial Village Neighborhood Association. Info: Terry Caruthers, 579-5702, t_caruthers@hotmail.com. ■ Knoxville Tri-County Lions Club meets 7 p.m. each second and fourth Monday, Connie’s Kitchen, 10231 Chapman Highway, Seymour. Info on Facebook. ■ Lake Forest Neighborhood Association. Info: Molly Gilbert, 209-1820 or mollygilbert@yahoo.com ■ South of the River Democrats meet 6:30 p.m. each third Monday, 522 Maryville Pike. Info: jim.sessions@comcast.net or 573-0655. ■ South Haven Neighborhood Association meets 10 a.m. each third Saturday, 1615 Price Ave. Info: 591-3958. ■ South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association. Info: Shelley Conklin, 686-6789. ■ Vestal Community Organization meets 6 p.m. each second Monday, 522 Old Maryville Pike. Info: 577-4593.
Knox County Elementary Magnet Schools Find out about free and unique programming made available to all Knox County students
Now accepting transfer applications for 2015-16 school year
BEAUMONT MAGNET ACADEMY Visual, Fine Arts, and Museum Theme Program Highlights: • K – 5 Honors Classes • Museum Partnerships • Learning Expeditions • Instrumental Music • Dance Classes • After School Clubs
GREEN MAGNET ACADEMY Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math Program Highlights: • Design Lab • iPads for K - 2 Students • Laptops for 3 - 5 Students • Enrichment Classes • Community Schools Program • After School Clubs
SARAH MOORE GREENE Media and Communications Theme Program Highlights: • Production Studio • iPad Labs • Computer Lab • Community Schools Program • Media and Communications Clubs
Open House: January 22 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Open House: January 24 10:00am – 12:00am
Open House: February 12 4:30pm – 6:00pm
www.knoxschools.org/beaumont Casey Robison, Magnet Facilitator Casey.robison@knoxschools.org
www.knoxschools.org/greenma Sandy Morris, Magnet Facilitator Sandra.morris@knoxschools.org
www.knoxschools.org/greenema April Lamb, Magnet Facilitator April.lamb@knoxschools.org
4 • JANUARY 21, 2015 • Shopper news up-and-up. The then-Cincinnati coach did what he said he would do for the first son. The sales talk was easVolunteers-to-be. ier the second time around. If you expect Todd Kelly Micah, 6-1 and 182, Micah grew up as a runJunior and Dillon Bates to from Norcross, Ga., out of ning back. He remained one be as good as or better than their fathers … Greater Atlanta Christian last season. He had some Marvin School, is ranked among the large numbers in playoff If you believe in footWest ball bloodlines, the Majors top prep cornerbacks in the games, 194 yards rushing family, the DeLongs, the country. He chose Tennes- and three touchdowns in Colquitts, the Berrys, the see over Georgia and offers one, 260 total yards in anCanales, the Reveiz clan, from Ohio State, Oregon, other. the Johnson brothers from David Abernathy III and the Penn State and a few dozen His coach, Tim Hardy, Cleveland, the Lowe broth- grandson of the best friend others. says Micah is a home-run ers from Fountain City … and closest ally of Dr. MarRalph David IV is a re- hitter who gets into the If you think there might tin Luther King Jr. cent graduate of Cincinnati. secondary and goodbye, he be meaningful hand-meThe Abernathy fam- He has a remaining year of is gone. Very big-play guy. down connections between ily background is in civil eligibility and decided to Game changer. The coach generations, in football, in rights. Micah and older play for the coach who origi- says his future is defenacademics, in life, you could brother Ralph David IV nally recruited him. sive back. Quick reactions. Several years ago Butch Smart. Sees and interprets. be interested in Micah Ab- have created a new direcernathy. tion. They are football play- Jones convinced the Aber- Still learning. He is the son of Dr. Ralph ers. They run fast. They are nathy family he was on the Ralph David was part
running back, part slot receiver and kick returner for the Bearcats. His career highlight was a 90-yard touchdown return against Vanderbilt in the 2011 Liberty Bowl. He played better for Jones than he did for Tommy Tuberville. In fact, he didn’t do much this past season. He had injuries. He sort of faded away. Of course Ralph David and the familiarity with Jones and his staff were factors in the recruitment of Micah. Both Abernathys know the coaches as real people, away from the arena. They’ve seen them as husbands and fathers. “Great guys,” said Micah. Dr. Abernathy says his
boys are OK guys, too. He says they have been raised the right way, in a Christian home. He says they will bring integrity. He says they will play the game as it is meant to be played. The history of the Abernathy family is the struggle, the hurt, a few arrests, some ridicule and a few n-words. Dr. Abernathy says his sons don’t see color. They do recognize racism. But, if they are around people who don’t care about black and white, they are comfortable. The father sounds as if he is filled with joy that Ralph David IV and Micah chose Tennessee. He has been quoted as saying “We couldn’t be prouder.”
executed the homos like God recommends.” It’s another matter when brutality in the name of religion is state-sponsored. Saudi Arabia’s public flogging of a “liberal” (whatever that means on the Arabian Peninsula) blogger is the latest example. Sharia law is the template for Saudi governance. The Quran is what passes for a constitution for this U.S. ally. Murder and savagery cannot hide behind “cultural relativism.” I don’t need to form an opinion within the context of Muslim society to understand that executing journalists is an abomination, that the suicide-bombing of innocents is a vile, cowardly act, or that subjugating women is wrong. A debate familiar to anthropology students concerns the Incan practice of sacrificing children to their gods. Although we can’t understand such cultural values,
we do understand that the concept of human rights has evolved since the 16th century – for most of us. Those who kill and punish under the guise of religion would drag all humanity back half
a millennium or more. In the U.S. we devise “humane” ways to kill people who kill people. Maybe that’s crazy, too. But there’s no doubt about the sanity of these Sharia activists.
Do you believe in bloodlines?
You might be crazy if … So, what can we say about A journalist will occasionally write something the slaughter of cartoonists that someone finds offen- and others in Paris? The murderers were desive. Sometimes his pen is sharp enough to offend en- ranged. Crazy. There are offenses for tire groups. which capital punishment can seem justified, like white people singing Otis Larry Redding songs at a karaoke bar, being tailgated at 70 Van Guilder miles per hour or the entire NBA. But this is a serious issue, so let’s get serious. An Al Qaeda branch based in Yemen has claimed Editorial cartoonists are responsibility for the Paris journalists no less than key- atrocity. As an offshoot board commandos. Most of mainstream Islam, the often their cartoons are in- group enforces a strict, littended to cause the guilty to eralist interpretation of squirm and the rest of us to Sharia law among its followthink. ers. Local cartoonist Charlie According to Al Qaeda’s Daniel has skewered scores interpretation of Sharia law: of politicians and miscreThe punishment for a ants over his long career, thief is amputation of the but I’d wager few of the of- right hand. fended contemplated murCriticizing the Quran, der in retaliation. the Muslim holy book, is
punishable by death. Converting a Muslim to another religion earns a death sentence for both parties. Husbands may beat wives for disobedience. Adulterers shall be stoned to death. And there are many more “laws” too numerous to list. The people who engineered and carried out the Paris killings are murderous psychopaths, and if you live by and promote the expansion of the laws above, you can’t live too far removed from me. It’s one thing for a splinter religious movement to advocate violence for behavior that offends its peculiar moral standards. We see similar insanity in the U.S., especially among fundamentalist religious sects. Only a few weeks ago an Arizona pastor said AIDS could be eliminated “if you
LOCAL
Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is westwest6@netzero.com.
McNally heads finance With the retirement of state Sen. Douglas Henry, Sen. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) is now the senior Senate member. He was sworn in last week for his eighth four-year term. He also served eight years in the House. McNally represents the Powell area of Knox County and portions of Anderson and Loudon counties. Speaker Ron Ramsey reappointed McNally to chair the Finance, Ways and Means committee. He serves on the Rules, Health and Welfare, and TransportaMcNally tion committees. Sen. Becky Massey will chair the Calendar Committee while serving on the Transportation and Health and Welfare committees. First-year Sen. Richard Briggs, who defeated a Ramsey favorite, Stacey Campfield, was appointed to the State and Local Government committee. – S. Clark
Mike Davis, Agent • 637-8616 5336 Millertown Pike www.mikedavisagency.com
Businesses
When I say “good” You say neighbor State Farm, Corporate Office, Bloomington, IL
Take chargee of your
We make weddings a piece of cake!
The cake pictured is $250 and serves 100
Your South Knoxville Choice
Aches & Pains Naturally Foothills Physical Therapy Offers
FREE CONSULTATIONS!
If you have muscle or joint pain, give us a call and schedule a FREE PT CONSULTATION.
865-573-6458
6202 Chapman Highway 577-9616 Mon - Fri 9-5 • Sat 8-2
4011 Chapman Hwy., #J
www.foothillspt.us
Self-Service or we will do your Luxury You Can Afford • Free WiFi • Microwave/Refrigerator in all rooms • Less than 1 mile from downtown & 1.5 miles from UT 3400 Chapman Highway • Knoxville, TN 37920 Toll Free: 1-866-496-4496 • www.executive-inn.net
KING-SIZE BED
$39.95 Mon - Thurs
laundry for you! • BRING YOUR COMFORTERS TO US! • 20-100 Pound Washers • Attendants always on duty • We offer pick up & delivery for commercial accounts! Call for details Open 7am - 10pm • Free Wi-Fi • High Def TVs 3721 N. Broadway • 247-6230 • www.bluewaterlaundromat.com
government
Shopper news • JANUARY 21, 2015 • 5
Ronnie Nease, Knox County director of environmental health Photo by Wendy Smith
Knoxville mayor: Worth every penny
U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville was one of only four House Democrats not to vote for Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker, but he voted for Colin Powell to be Speaker, as he did in 2013. House rules provide that a non-member may serve as Speaker. However, no House Speaker has ever not been a member at the same time. Powell is considered to be a moderate Republican. He endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008 and 2012. An ordinance by Vice Mayor Nick Pavlis will increase Mayor Rogero’s salary to $142,500 and also increase her pension by $2,000 a year the rest of her life, with an annual 3 percent escalator starting when she leaves office and for her beneficiary, if adopted by City Council. This represents the first increase in the mayor’s salary since 2003 and is merited. Five city employees – Janet Wright, Charles Swanson, Bill Lyons, David Rausch and Christy Branscom – make more than Rogero makes now, and four of them will still make more if this pay raise goes through. Daniel Brown was paid $130,000 a year for the 11 months he served in 2011. When I became mayor in 1988 the salary was $50,000 a year. When Randy Tyree was first elected
mayor he earned $25,000 a year. During my tenure several city employees were paid more than the mayor. Frankly, the raise of $12,500 is very small compared to what it ought to be. $155,000 is comparable to the county mayor. Seems strange it is being brought up at this time and by someone who himself is mentioned as a mayoral candidate in 2019, or before, should Rogero not complete her second term. Four city employees making more than Rogero also receive a $4,000 annual car allowance on top of their salary, although in the case of Lyons, he lives four blocks from his office and walks to work. Hard to explain why he needs a car allowance when he does not drive to work. On the other hand, the argument that a higher salary is needed to attract more qualified persons to run for mayor is bogus. I cannot think of anyone serving as mayor – going back to George Dempster – for whom the salary prevented their candidacy. The salary should be an amount that is consistent with the duties of the office. The salary will not be what the private sector pays nor should it be. In fact, Rogero’s salary is more than she has ever made in any previous employment. As mayor she earns it and should be paid more than this ordinance provides. ■ John Gill, former U.S. attorney and longtime attorney with the Knox DA office, has had double knee replacements and is recovering well here in Knoxville. ■ Former Knoxville Mayor Randy Tyree turned 75 on Jan. 20. Happy Birthday. He is the second-oldest living former mayor, with Kyle Testerman at 80 the oldest. Including the current mayor, there are six living persons who have held the office in the city’s 224-year history.
watch list and given an electronic alarm to call for help. One young beat cop made it his business to look out for her, but he couldn’t be there 24-7. Ultimately, in an odd twist, the stalker was killed by his would-be victim. The young cop who did more than he had to was Jeff Stiles. Over the years, I’d see his name in the news and was always glad to see good things happening for him.
Last week, it made me sad to see that he has been stricken with multiple myeloma and is fighting for his life in Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Next week, MEDIC and KPD are sponsoring a replacement blood drive for him. Please consider giving a pint for a good cop, Thursday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., third floor Civic Coliseum Ballroom. He’d do it for you.
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais was the only Republican House member from Tennessee to oppose House Speaker John Boehner’s re-election. DesJarlais barely won renomination by 38 votes last August after the House leadership privately suggested he not seek another term.
New food code means healthier diners, higher health scores Knox County residents who eat out, and pay attention, may have noticed that restaurant health scores have risen over the past year. The bad news is that higher scores didn’t come about through a sudden adherence to rules. But the good news is that the state’s updated food code puts a greater emphasis on keeping patrons healthy and less emphasis on structural issues. In 2013, the Tennessee General Assembly made the first significant change in how the state inspects retail food establishments in 30 years by adopting the 2009 FDA Food Code. The new code has changed inspections, which will now focus on problems that typically make people sick, says Knox County Director of Environmental Health Ronnie Nease. The state’s food industry worked together to bring about the changes. The biggest issues addressed by the new code are safe cooking temperatures, safe holding
Wendy Smith
temperatures, sanitization of utensils and equipment, personal hygiene of employees, and employee health policies that ensure the removal of sick employees from the establishment. The Knox County Health Department has 11 inspectors and one supervisor, and they like the new code better because they know that marking violations for problems with walls, floors and ceilings doesn’t keep people from getting sick, Nease says. They prefer talking to owners about food safety. “They feel like they’re doing public health.” The new code officially takes effect July 1, but over the past year, Knox County health inspectors have been getting additional education and passing it on to owners.
Inspections are now less about penalizing owners for violations than about educating them. The goal is for inspectors to address the process as well as the problem, he says. In the past, each restaurant was inspected twice a year. But the new code calls for the number of annual inspections to be based on risk. That means that a larger restaurant with a more complex menu will be inspected more often than a smaller food-service operation. Education extends beyond inspections. Classes for food handlers are offered once a month at the health department, and onsite education, which Nease likes because it allows for inspectors to address restaurant-specific issues, is also available. Inspectors are busier than ever. While the number of permits issued for foodservice operations leveled out during the recession, it is climbing again. There are currently approximately
Victor Ashe
3,600 permitted facilities that require inspection. In addition to food-service operations, the list includes schools, day-care centers, convenience and grocery stores, tattoo parlors and the county’s 600 public swimming pools. Health scores have never been very meaningful to Nease, who began his Knox County career as an inspector. He’s seen restaurants with high scores where he wouldn’t want to eat, and restaurants with low scores where he’d be happy to eat. But the inspection process ensures that restaurants adhere to a high standard. “We are not as concerned about a score as we are about what can make people sick,” he says. An inspection history of every restaurant in the state is available at www.knoxcounty/health. Choose Environmental Health. Under Food Protection, click on the Restaurant Inspections link.
Hopson challenges Coats for KCEA prez It’s election time for some 2,000 members of the Knox County Education Association.
Betty Bean In the past, this announcement would have generated a big fat yawn from anybody but KCEA members, but that could change this year. Lauren Hopson, the unofficial leader of the teachers’ rebellion, is challenging incumbent KCEA president Tanya T. Coats, who is seeking a second two-year term. The nomination process was completed in October, and elections (there are sev-
eral offices to be filled) start Jan. 26. The voting process will last until Friday, Feb. 6, at 5 p.m. A n y KCEA member in good standing is eligible to vote (there Coats are some 2,000 of them, representing about half of Knox County’s teachers). Coats expressed surprise at hearing from a reporter and was reluctant to campaign via this column. “It’s new for us to have an article in the paper,” she said. “We work hard to try to make sure we (the teachers) are doing right by our kids and are being treated as professionals. We should
have been treated as professionals before.” Hopson was less reticent: “ Te a c h ers need to feel like their association is actively advocating for Hopson them and their students, not just waiting in the wings until something really goes wrong.” Sunshine: Apparently there’s something about open government that second-term school board member Gloria Deathridge just doesn’t get. She was heavily criticized a year ago for saying that the public “doesn’t know what goes on behind closed doors” when the board
evaluates the superintendent. Then, at the January school board meeting, she chided a couple of new board members for asking questions about the yet-tobe-revealed pay to be drawn by former KCS chief of staff Russ Oaks in his new position as chief operating officer: “That is not what we do,” she said. “That is private.” Deathridge remained visibly skeptical even after board chair Mike McMillan and Superintendent James McIntyre told her that taxpayer-funded salaries are public information. Officer Stiles: Twentysome years ago, a young woman who lived in Walter P. Taylor Homes was being stalked by a former boyfriend intent on killing her. She was put on a special
Adopt a pet today! Yo ur new best friend is waiting at Young-Williams Animal Center.
MEN'S
KNOX RAIL SALVAGE VISIT KNOXRAILSALVAGE.COM FOR FREE KITCHEN LAYOUT & QUOTE
Visit our two Knoxville locations to find a dog, cat or other furry friend in need of a loving home. Adoption fee includes spay/neuter surgery, vet exam and much more.
RAILROAD TIES
7.95
Bundle lots of 12
6400 Kingston Pike
3201 Division Street
On Bearden Hill
Just off Sutherland Avenue
Open every day from noon-6 p.m.
Already have a furry family member? Spay or neuter your pet today! Young-Williams offers low-cost spay/neuter surgeries at $70 for dogs and $45 for cats. Additional discounts are available to those who qualify. Help us end animal homelessness in Knoxville.
Call (865) 215-6599 to request an appointment! www.young-williams.org
STARTING AT
$
CARPET
EACH
LAMINATE
DOOR SLABS $
FLOORING
STARTING AT
NO-WAX VINYL FLOORING $ SQ.YD
WALL PAPER
99¢ PULLS 49¢ 59¢ CABINET & KNOBS 3.95
& UP
38"x 56" VINYL WINDOWS $
ONLY
69.95
NEW CONSTRUCTION
EACH
& UP
GRANITE VANITY TOPS 4 COLORS TO CHOOSE FROM
ALL WOOD KITCHEN CABINETS
19.95
ROLL
STARTING AT
SF.
& UP
6' X 6' WHITE VINYL PRIVACY FENCE$
3.99
SQ. YD. & UP
INTERIOR
19
$
In-Stock. Assembled. Ready to take home today!
www.KnoxRailSalvage.com Follow us on Twitter & Facebook
Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. • Sat. 8 a.m. - Noon 400 E. Jackson Ave. • 524-8242 • 200 E. Magnolia Ave. • 524-8000 Mike Frazier
Join the conversation at
www.ShopperNewsNow.com
6 • JANUARY 21, 2015 • Shopper news
Paul Bettany gives Johnny Depp a lift in “Mortdecai.”
Love makes the world go ’round for some, but not all, in “Strange Magic.”
Depp, fairies and J-Lo hope for
box-office magic
GRAND GARDENS
It’s unlikely that any of with her philandering fianthis week’s new movies will cé even as her younger sister knock “American Sniper” grows more enchanted with out of the top spot at the box the idea of being in love. Betsy office, but you have to give Strange things are hapPickle them props for imagination. pening in their world, No. 1 in that department thanks to a disgruntled Bog could be “Mortdecai,” starKing who hates the very idea of love, going back to ring Johnny Depp. Based on the character Charlie Mortdecai created by some miscalculations by a bumbling Sugar English author Kyril Bonfiglioli in a trilogy Plum Fairy. In the style of “Moulin Rouge” – which of novels in the 1970s, the film takes aristocratic art dealer Charlie around the globe boasted the same music director, Marius de Vries – in a race to “Strange find a paintMagic” has ing that the characcontains the ters singing secret to rea variety trieving a of classics lost stash of and modern Nazi gold. tunes. They T h e include hits “Mortdecai” from everybooks have one from become cult Elvis Presfavorites, ley to Lady and there’s Gaga. no denying The voice that Depp Jennifer Lopez has a hard time convincing Ryan Guzman that cast includes has become she’s not interested in “The Boy Next Door.” Evan Rachel the biggestbox-office cult movie star of the modern Wood, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, era. From Ed Wood to Raoul Duke to Jack Elijah Kelley, Sam Palladio, Maya Rudolph, Sparrow to Tonto, Depp has had his way Alfred Molina and Peter Stormare. Jennifer Lopez returns to what feels with more offbeat characters than Willy Wonka has chocolates. Sometimes he hits like familiar territory with “The Boy Next his mark; sometimes he misses. Fingers Door.” Seems like just yesterday Lopez was crossed on this one. “Mortdecai” has a great supporting fighting off obsessed ex Billy Campbell in cast that includes Paul Bettany, Ewan Mc- “Enough,” but holy moly, that was almost Gregor, Jeff Goldblum, Gwyneth Paltrow 13 years ago. In “The Boy Next Door,” and Olivia Munn. David Koepp, the screen- Lopez plays a teacher (to call her “hot” writer and sometime director (he adapted seems extraneous) who unwisely has a the script and directed Depp in “Secret one-night stand with a much-younger neighbor. Window”), directed the action comedy. The hunky young man can’t seem to get George Lucas came up with the story for “Strange Magic,” which features elves, fair- the message that it was just a fling, and Loies, imps and goblins – no Ewoks or Wook- pez has to show some muscle (among other iees. Seven-time Oscar-winning sound things) to get rid of him. Ryan Guzman of “Pretty Little Liars” designer and sound editor Gary Rydstrom and “Step Up Revolution” plays the boy toy. directed. An animated fairy tale set in a magical The cast also includes Kristin Chenoweth world, “Strange Magic” tells an original sto- (busy lady) and John Corbett. Rob Cohen ry about a fairy princess who calls it quits (“The Fast and the Furious”) directed.
Celebrating an event? Share your family’s milestones with us! Send announcements to news@ShopperNewsNow.com
Shopper news • JANUARY 21, 2015 • 7
‘Harvey’ is a timeless work Ah, friendship. How many times in your life has a friend helped you through a rough spot? Negotiating life’s challenges can be a heck of a lot easier when you have that one special pal to talk to.
FRIDAY ■ Miranda Lambert in concert with Justin Moore, 7:30 p.m., Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets: $34.75 and $54.75. Info/tickets: 656-4444; Toll free 877-995-9961; www. knoxvilletickets.com; Thompson-Boling Arena box office. ■ Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, performed by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and a part of the Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series, 7:30 p.m., Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Tickets start at $15. Info/tickets: 291-3310 or www. knoxvillesymphony.com. ■ Theatre Knoxville presents “Daddy’s Dyin’: Who’s Got the Will?” by Del Shores, a play about a Texas family reunited to await the passing of their patriarch when they experience a rebirth of the spirit of the family unit. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 23 and 24, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25. Tickets are $15 Thursday through Saturday, $13 Sunday. Info: www.theaterknoxville.com
Carol Shane
In most cases, though – and I’m just guessing here – it’s usually not a 6-foot-tall invisible white rabbit. There’s only one of those, and his name is Harvey. And Harvey’s best friend is a gentle soul named Elwood P. Dowd. If you’d like to know more about this unusual pair, as well as garner a few laughs for yourself and have a glass of good, locally made wine, check out the Tennessee Stage Company’s production of Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic comedy, “Harvey.” It’s part of the stage company’s “Timeless Works” series, celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary. You probably know that Jimmy Stewart played Dowd in the movie of the same name. This production features Tennessee Stage Company’s founding artistic director Tom Parkhill in the role. He’s not new to it – Parkhill says he’s “sort of made a career out of playing Elwood P. Dowd,” having done it “five or six times.” But, he says, each production brings with it new casts and new ideas. And, he admits, “Every time I do
weekender
Tom Parkhill, center, as Elwood P. Dowd, tries to make a point to his sister, Veta, left, played by Eileen Conway, as her daughter, Myrtle Mae, played by Marlee Simmons, hopes for the best in the Tennessee Stage Company’s production of “Harvey.” Photo by Caitlin Corbitt
this show, it makes me want to be more like Elwood.” And no wonder. The character is an affable, charming eccentric, comfortable with himself and friendly with everyone he encounters. “I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I’m with,” he declares. He’s the epitome of a kind, well-adjusted person. Except, of course, for that rabbit. Dowd introduces Harvey to everyone he meets, which causes complications for his scheming sister, Veta, who’s trying desperately to find a socially impressive husband for her daughter, Myrtle Mae. When the family tries to have Dowd committed to a sanitarium, hilarious complications ensue, and the outcome is probably not what you’d expect. The play’s director, Caitlin Corbitt, is a Nashville transplant who has worked with several Knoxville theater companies and who is on the board of Tiger Lily
Theatre, Knoxville’s only women’s theater company. She’s thrilled with her cast. “They really throw you for a loop,” she says. “I’ve just tried to stay out of their way! The play will be presented in the round at the newly refurbished Historic Southern Railway Station. Corbitt raves about the space, saying, “You immediately feel like you’ve walked into a mansion.” According to its website, the station, designed by architect Frank P. Milburn and built during 1903-1904, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been honored with various preservation awards. The building contains office and event spaces and offers tours Tuesdays through Sundays, including self-guided tours of several historic rail cars. The station also houses the Blue Slip Winery, “Knoxville’s first winery and Tennessee’s first urban
winery,” according to the website. “Our homegrown and handcrafted wines are made from Tennessee grapes and fruit. All wines are processed, bottled and sold on-site.” And the wine bar will be open during the run of “Harvey.” All in all, a wonderful experience awaits you the next two weekends. To quote one of Parkhill’s favorite lines from Elwood P. Dowd, “In this world you can be oh-sosmart, or oh-so-kind. For years I was smart. “I recommend kind.” The Tennessee Stage Company’s production of “Harvey” will be presented at 8 p.m. ThursdaySaturday, Jan. 22, 23 and 24; 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 25; 8 p.m. ThursdaySaturday, Jan. 29, 30 and 31; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1. For tickets and more info, call 865-546-4280 or visit the website at www. tennesseestage.com. Send story suggestions to news@ shoppernewsnow.com.
■ “Huckleberry Finn” presented by Knoxville Children’s Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Ave. Performances: 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays through Feb. 1; 1 and 5 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Info: 208-3677, knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com or info@childrenstheatreknoxville.com. ■ Knoxville Ice Bears hockey team will face off against the Columbus Cottonmouths, 7:30 p.m. at Knoxville Coliseum. Tonight’s game is sponsored by Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. First 750 fans get a rally towel. Ticket info: knoxvilleicebears.com or 656-4444.
SATURDAY ■ Yonder Mountain String Band with Horse Feathers, 8 p.m., Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay St. Tickets: $25 advance/$30 day of show plus applicable service fees. Info/tickets: www. knoxbijou.com. ■ UT Gardens will host a Black and White Conifers drawing class 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at the gardens. Attendees will focus on the forms, textures and mass of conifers. Cost is $30 for members, $40 for nonmembers per class. Info or to register: 974-7151 or dstowell@utk.edu. ■ The Knoxville Swing Dance Association will present a brand new small combo swing band, the Acorn Stompers, 8-11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, upstairs at the Flynn Square Dance Center, 828 Tulip Avenue Northwest. A beginner dance lesson is available at 7:15 p.m. at no extra cost. No partner or previous dance experience required. Cost is $10. Info: www.swingknoxville.org.
SUNDAY ■ Tedeschi Trucks Band, 7:30 p.m., Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St. Tickets: all Ticketmaster locations, www. tennesseetheatre.com, Tennessee Theatre box office. ■ Lark in the Morn English Country Dance hosts 17th-18th Century social dancing with live music Sundays, 8 p.m., at Jubilee Community Arts, 1538 Laurel Avenue. This is a performance group, and newcomers are welcome. No partner necessary. The event is free. Info: 546-8442.
Plate it
The Original Louis’ Drive-In Restaurant Maybe the most important thing that comes with the combination platter at Louis’ Original Drive-In Restaurant is the take-home box. The platter promises Louis’ specialties, and it doesn’t fail to deliver. Well, I guess you could add a slice of pizza, but it would just mean you would need two take-home boxes. The combination platter is overflowing with spaghetti, a huge meatball and beefstuffed ravioli, all covered – and I do mean covered –
glasses were refilled. The Original Louis’ Restaurant can point to more Mystery than 50 years of history Diner serving food in North Knoxville. The Mystery Diner even remembers when there were two Louis’ restaurants in the same block, both in Louis’ famous meat sauce claiming to be the “origiand sprinkled with parme- nal.” In its present location at 4661 Old Broadway since san cheese. You also get a salad, 2000, this Louis’ has stood which arrives before you the test of time, and few arsee the portion size of the gue its “original” claim anyplatter. We asked for a take- more. The spaghetti sauce, home box before the iced tea
meatballs and ravioli are homemade, as is the blue cheese salad dressing. The whole ensemble was delicious, with a special nod to the ravioli. Go easy on adding extra parmesan for this is not the “sprinkle from the can” type. It’s strong, and they add just enough in the kitchen. The garlic bread didn’t have enough buttery garlic for me, but I’m a vampire chaser when it comes to garlic bread, so pay that no nevermind. They encourage a taste of
The combination platter at Louis’ keeps hungry patrons from having to make a choice. On the plate are spaghetti, a meatball and beef-filled ravioli, all covered in Louis’ rich meat sauce. Photo by Mystery Diner
their famous hand-breaded onion rings, but that has to be for another day. Mystery Diner, who is always looking for good ways NOT to cook, did take a long look at the restaurant’s bulk
pack menu. Reasonable prices, if the portions inside the restaurant are any indication. Now, where’s that takehome box …
Neyland Stadium =
102,455 PEOPLE Shopper News =
142,000 HOMES North office: 7049 Maynardville Pike • Knoxville, TN 37918 • (865) 922-4136 • Fax: 922-5275 West office: 10512 Lexington Drive, Suite 500 • Knoxville, TN 37932 • (865) 218-WEST (9378) • Fax: 342-6628
www.ShopperNewsNow.com wsNow.com Now.com ow.com w.com .com com m
kids
8 • JANUARY 21, 2015 • SOUTH KNOX Shopper news
Demiyah Swanson and Ra’Shya Lee (left) and Douglas Chambers (right) admire James Mason’s first draft. Photo by Betsy Pickle
Sara Barrett is a school beat reporter for Shopper-News.
The W’s meet Padlet By Sandra Clark
The Shopper-sponsored newspaper club at Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy is taking a break from guest speakers to develop solid skills among the reporters. We probably should have done this first. During January, we’re drilling the reporters on the basics of newsgathering and the computer skills associated with producing a newspaper. First we discussed the W’s – who, what, where, when, why. “If you don’t know why you’re writing a story, you can bet the readers won’t know why they’re reading it – or will just stop reading,” said I. Sara Barrett described how she obtained a press pass to attend President Obama’s visit to Pellissippi State. (She contacted the White House directly and so persistently that her name was circled on the final list of credentialed media.) Kids now take notes and five pictures each on an iPad. They then scan a QR
code and upload their stuff on a internet site called Padlet. Carol Springer grabs it for the next newsletter. April Lamb will talk next Wednesday. She’s the school’s magnet coordinator and was one of six teachers who recently won TeacherPreneur awards. Hers was for $6,000 for more tech equipment, which she says is already ordered. Our goal: By year’s end the kids will conduct each session, introducing the guests. Reporters will take notes, shoot pictures, upload content and design their own newsletter. Teachers at SMG can contact sponsor Kaitlin Boling and request a reporter to cover a guest speaker or special program in their class. And we will have moved from a chaotic after-school experience to a legitimate newspaper team. (Apologies to our initial guests.) Hey, this is what teachers do all day, every day. We do it for two hours once a week with nobody evaluating us. And it’s wearing us out.
SKES ready for kindness challenge By Betsy Pickle To be … kind, or not to be kind? That really shouldn’t be a question. But South Knoxville Elementary School plans to answer resoundingly by taking part in the Great Kindness Challenge next week. School counselor Patricia Lutu-Mayes has scheduled a different activity for each day to highlight or illustrate a daily theme: Monday: Wear different colored socks or shoes to “Kick into gear and help somebody near.” Tuesday: Wear crazy hair to show you’re “Crazy for kindness.” Wednesday: Wear sports attire and “Score points by helping others.” Thursday: Wear pajamas and “Dream of kindness.”
Friday: Wear school colors or a South Knoxville T-shirt to show that “South Knox Kids Are Kind Kids.” Students will be given a checklist with 50 acts of kindness that they will be challenged to complete during the week. The school also will create a “kindness chain,” and students recognized as being kind will be given “kindness coins” that they will be encouraged to pass on to others – at school or in the community – whom they recognize as being kind. Sounds like a great challenge for kids of all ages – next week and every week. In the timeless words of Jackie DeShannon, “I hope when you decide/Kindness will be your guide.”
Shopper s t n e V enews
Send items to news@ShopperNewsNow.com
THROUGH SATURDAY, FEB. 28 “Buy One, Get One Free” admission tickets available for Knoxville Zoo. Tickets can be purchased at the zoo ticket window during regular zoo hours. Info: 637-5331, ext. 300 or knoxvillezoo.org.
THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 8 Call for entries for the next “Arts in the Airport,” a juried exhibition to run April 16 to Oct. 7 at McGhee Tyson Airport. Info/applications: www.knoxalliance. com/airport_entry.html or send an SASE to Suzanne Cada, Arts & Culture Alliance, P.O. Box 2506, Knoxville, TN 37901.
Verniyah Hodge, Ashlyn Lawson and Drake Mayes wrap up a practice ses- Chapman Highway Garden Club president Dianne Forry looks over Isahia Rich’s design. Photo submitted sion for their posters. Photo by Betsy Pickle
Smokey and Woodsy Kids learn about environmental icons for poster contest By Betsy Pickle A 71-year-old and his 43-year-old colleague have caught the attention of kids at the South Knoxville Community School. Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl turned out to be very popular with youngsters at the community school when they were introduced last Wednesday by Dianne Forry, president of the Chapman Highway Garden Club. Forry helped the kids get started on posters to be entered in a national poster contest, sponsored statewide by
the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs Inc. Some of the children were already familiar with the iconic characters. Forry explained what they stood for and shared their slogans. People of a certain age might not realize that Smokey’s message is no longer “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires” but has been changed to “Only you can prevent wildfires.” Woodsy’s mantra also has taken on a broader ecological message: It’s “Lend a hand – care for the land!” in-
stead of just “Give a hoot – don’t pollute!” Forry got the children to think about the environmental messages before they started on preliminary designs for their posters. They talked about how to put out campfires and about proper disposal of various kinds of trash and recyclables. For the posters, the kids chose to feature either Smokey or Woodsy. They were to have a few days to practice before turning in their final effort.
Experience the elementary magnet Three elementary magnet schools have scheduled open houses to showcase their programs. All are accepting applications for the 2015-16 school year. Beaumont Magnet Academy offers a unique learning experience in areas including vocal music, theatre, art studio, dance and museum. Open house is 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at 1211 Beaumont Ave. The magnet facilitator is Casey Robison. Green STEAM Magnet Academy has designed
a program around science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Open house is 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 24, at 801 Town View Drive. Magnet facilitator is Sandra Morris. Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy has a media and communications theme with a variety of after-school clubs, a computer lab and production studio. Open house is 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at 3001 Brooks Ave. Magnet facilitator is April Lamb. Beverly Lockhead and Sarah Johnson show student work at Beaumont Magnet Academy.
THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 10 Tickets available for Rhythm N’ Blooms music festival, on stages set exclusively along downtown Knoxville’s Jackson Avenue. Features first-timers, chartclimbers and highly lauded acts from varied musical backgrounds. Info/tickets: www.rhythmnbloomsfest. com.
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY, JAN. 21-22 AARP Driver Safety class, noon-4 p.m., O’Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona St. Info/to register: Carolyn Rambo, 382-5822.
THURSDAY, JAN. 22 Free preview screening of “A Path Appears” (Episode 1) and panel discussion, 6 p.m., Scruffy City Hall in Market Square. Three-part series. Info: http://www.easttennesseepbs.org/news-and-events/ community-cinema/.
FRIDAY, JAN. 23 Beginner crochet class, 4-7 p.m., Hobby Lobby classroom, 6580 Clinton Highway. Cost: $24. Info: Monica Schmidt, 406-3971, monicaschmidt.tn@gmail. com or myquiltplace.com/profile/monicaschmidt.
Cafe Mortel, 2:30-4 p.m., Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road. Cafe Mortel is a discussion group dealing with end-of-life issues and how your experience with death impacts how you live your life. Everyone welcome. Info: 588-8813.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JAN. 23-24 Unwanted medicine collection and a used mercury thermometer exchange, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Healthy Living Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St. Residents turning in medications or thermometers will receive one free entry to the Healthy Living Expo.
SATURDAY, JAN. 24 The Dismembered Tennesseans in concert, 8 p.m., Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave. Tickets: $12, some discounts available. Info/tickets: www.jubileearts. org. Knoxville Opera Goes to Church … A Celebration of Talent!, 5 p.m., Greater Warner Tabernacle AME Zion Church, 3800 Martin Luther King Jr Ave. Free admission. Features Knoxville Opera Gospel Choir and local soloists. “La Femme Bohème,” an all-female cast of Puccini’s opera “La Bohème,” 7:30 p.m., NV nightclub, 125 E Jackson Ave. Presented by the Marble City Opera. Admission: adults, $20; students, $10. Tickets: knoxtix. com or at the door.
SOUTH KNOX Shopper news • JANUARY 21, 2015 • 9
Greenways’ ServPro is ‘rising star’ A local disaster-cleanup franchise has won the Tennessee Small Business Development Center’s Rising Star award for 2014.
Historian tells stories By Sandra Clark
Sandra Clark
ServPro of Rocky Hill, Sequoyah Hills and South Knoxville is owned by John and Kristina Greenway. Their office is at 2444 Sutherland Ave. “John and Kristina Greenway have expanded their business from 1,900 square feet in 2009 to more than 16,000 square feet and 23 employees today,” said Larry Rossini, director of the Knoxville TSBDC, a division of Pellissippi State Community College. Kristina was a homebased entrepreneur and John was district manager for a pharmaceutical firm that downsized. After a bumpy start, they have exceeded expectations.
Kristina and John Greenway earn the Rising Star award from Pellissippi State Community College. Photo by Shannon Carey ServPro recognized their franchise for best practices at its 2013 national convention. “Without Larry Rossini and the TSBDC there would have been no ServPro at Rocky Hill, said John. “I needed someone to steer me in the right direction, and
Larry was that guy.” Kristina said, “We were totally overwhelmed with work for the first eight months. We had a tough time keeping up as we taught ourselves what we desperately needed to know.” ServPro handles cleanup
for both residential and commercial property following fire, flood or storm damage. It handles mold remediation and general cleaning with the goal of making it “look like it never even happened.” Info: www.ServPro.com or 865-862-8907.
News from Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC)
MLK basketball weekend extends well beyond court By Alvin Nance KCDC
welcomed 130 basketball players and their coaches from public housing agencies across the region for the Martin Luther King Nance Jr. Basketball Challenge, an enrichment event that has been held for two decades. The basketball tournament does more than provide a chance for tremendous athletes from across the Southeast to compete. It also impacts the lives of youths residing in public housing by offering a weekend of cultural experiences and educational opportunities. The Southeastern Regional Council-National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (SERC-NAHRO) established the basketball tournament, and Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation and the Emerald Youth Foundation helped to host the teams. “It’s a real privilege to work with KCDC on the tournament,” said John Crooks, Emerald Youth
business
Foundation marketing and communications director. “Sports like basketball allow us to connect with kids and help them grow as leaders who give back to their neighborhoods and communities. It was a tremendous experience for these young people from across the Southeast to see what Knoxville and East Tennessee have to offer.” The Emerald Youth Foundation provided space for the tournament. The teams included The Bobcats of Bowling Green, Ky.; Eufala Housing of Eufala, Ala.; Showtymers of Bessemer, Ala.; Statesville Eagles of Statesville, N.C.; Alex City Lakers of Alexander City, Ala.; LHA Thunder of Laurel, Miss.; Hard Flight of Birmingham, Ala.; and Opp Bobcats of Opp, Ala. The teams were divided into three age categories, and tournament-style elimination games took place Jan. 17 with championship contests for each age group on Jan. 18 at the Emerald Youth Foundation gym. In addition to playing basketball, the Emerald Youth Foundation arranged for the teams to enjoy cultural and educational activities throughout the weekend. The players had the
opportunity to tour Haley Farm, the historic home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alex Haley and site of the Children’s Defense Fund; and Green McAdoo Cultural Center, which commemorates the desegregation of Clinton High School. The basketball teams also
Retired UT professor Bruce Wheeler says history is about stories, not dates, so he proceeded to tell some nice ones to the North K nox v ille Rotary Club last week at Dr. Wheeler Litton’s. The funniest was from Robert Lewis Dabney (whose son Charles was later president of UT), a Civil War chaplain and Gen. Stonewall Jackson’s biographer. Dabney told of Georgia Sen. Robert Toombs who was confronted by a woman just prior to the war. “Can we beat them Yankees?” she asked. “We can beat them with cornstalks,” he answered. After Appomattox, the woman reminded him of his prediction. Toombs replied: “Madam, the SOBs would not fight with cornstalks.” Wheeler now lives in Wears Valley. This story was told by a fiddle player sitting on his front porch: Seems the man’s parents had been Christian missionaries in Tibet prior to the communist takeover. He was born there but left when
the family was given the choice to leave or be killed. Decades later the man and his wife journeyed back to his birthplace. The church and school had been destroyed. The village was gone. Even the gravestones had been dug up and thrown over a cliff. He was devastated. Was his parents’ work in vain? They saw people walking toward them, going about their daily life. As they drew closer, Wheeler’s guest recognized their song. It was “Amazing Grace.” One more for MLK Day: Wheeler’s colleague Dr. Cynthia Fleming took students to Selma and Montgomery. There is a big star on the floor of the Alabama Capitol entry. On that star Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederacy. Some 100 years later Gov. George Wallace stood there to declare, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” The UT students watched a school bus discharge a class of elementary schoolaged children, all black. The teacher collected their chewing gum and they marched up the steps, walking over that star as they entered their Capitol.
UT MBA program to host open house
were invited to participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission Annual MLK March Parade on Jan. 19. Although we had some great competition, this weekend was about so much more than basketball.
The University of Tennessee full-time Master of Business Administration program will host an open house for prospective candidates 6-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, in Room 203 of the Haslam Business Building, 1000 Volunteer Blvd. Registration begins at 5:45 p.m.
Representatives from the 17-month program will present information on the structure of its integrated team-based curriculum, the application and admissions process, financial aid and career opportunities. Info: 974-5033 or mba@ utk.edu.
We believe you deserve exceptional care.
Greene gets AIMIS recognition Dr. Greene has expertise in all general surgery techniques with an emphasis on minimally invasive abdom i na l su r ger y, breast surDr. Greene gery and thyroid surgery. She has advanced training in roboticassisted surgery, including single-incision cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) and colon resection.
Worden joins KUB board of commissioners John Worden is a new KUB commissioner, appointed to a nine-year term. He succeeds Joel Connell, who completed his term on the board in December. Worden joins fellow KUB commissioners Bruce Anderson, Kathy Hamilton, Celeste Herbert, Sara
Hedstrom Pinnell, Nikitia Thompson and Eston Williams. In other business, the board elected new officers. Thompson was elected chair; Hamilton was elected vice chair; and KUB senior VP Mark Walker was elected as secretary to the board.
That’s why we commit to excellence – every patient, every time. And strive to achieve the highest level of quality service in primary care. We’ve coupled our clinical expertise with the strength of one of the nation’s highest performing health networks, Covenant Health. What does this partnership mean to you? Access to an extensive network of specialists, the latest medicines, the newest technologies and advanced treatments.
Now accepting new patients. Call for your appointment ointment today. oday.
(865) 632-5885 2-5885 885 7564 Mountain Grove ove D Drive rive Knoxville, TN N 37920 37920 CLAIBORNE MEDICAL CENTER | CUMBERLAND MEDICAL CENTER | FORT LOUDOUN MEDICAL CENTER FORT SANDERS REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER | LECONTE MEDICAL CENTER | METHODIST MEDICAL CENTER MORRISTOWN-HAMBLEN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM | PARKWEST MEDICAL CENTER PENINSULA, A DIVISION OF PARKWEST MEDICAL CENTER | ROANE MEDICAL CENTER
00-0579 0
The American Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery (AIMIS) recently inducted its first general surgeon into “The 300 Club,” which recognizes physicians who demonstrate an approach to surgery that offers patients the best cosmetic results. Marcella Greene, M.D., a general surgeon with Premier Surgical Associates at Physicians Regional Medical Center and North Knoxville Medical Center, joins the nation’s top 300 minimally invasive women’s health surgery specialists.
10 • JANUARY 21, 2015 • Shopper news
Great
18+ locations.
80 years. Over 140,000 members and growing.
One goal: Help Members Grow Financially. We are small enough to know you and large enough to serve you. Thank you for trusting us to care for all your financial needs.
Thank you for a great 2014 as we look forward to growing with you in the years to come.
TVACREDITUNION.COM • (865) 544-5400