GOVERNMENT/POLITICS A4 | FEATURES A6 | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS A9-10 | HEALTH & LIFESTYLES SECTION B
A great community newspaper.
bearden
VOL. 5, NO. 37
SEPTEMBER 12, 2011
INSIDE www.ShopperNewsNow.com
|
www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow
|
twitter.com/shoppernewsnow
Celebrating 50 years rapidly, along with the neighborhood, says church historian Shirley Mynatt. West Knoxville was a different place at the time. Winston Road wasn’t paved when the church was dedicated. West Hills Baptist was also a different kind of church. Jack Prince felt strongly that the church should serve the community, and many organizations have used its facilities, including the nearby YMCA, Alcoholics Anonymous and the Boy Scouts. From its earliest days, it had a reputation as being a friendly place, says Rule. Sadly, Jack Prince never got to see his son as a pastor. He retired in 1992 and passed away in 1993. Before being called to the ministry, Drew Prince was in pharmaceutical sales. He also taught high school for seven years. “It took me that long to get paid back for all the things I did as a student,” he says. He doesn’t regret the wandering path he’s taken to get where he is today, for his experiences have made him a better teacher. “I’m a storyteller at heart. That has definitely been part of my ministry and my preaching style.” At 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, West Hills Baptist will host a historical display and dinner. Call 693-9272 for reservations before Sept. 21. At 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, Bill Self of John’s Creek Baptist Church in Alpharetta, Ga., will preach.
New pastor bears a familiar name By Wendy Smith
Takin’ it to the streets Madeline Rogero hits the road in search of votes See page A-4
New gallery for old Hanson site A new and expanded art gallery and design business is coming to the former location of Hanson Gallery in Bearden See Anne Hart’s story on page A-7
IN THIS ISSUE New York to Knoxville
ONLINE
DO YOU
LIKE? TELL US! The Shopper-News is now on Facebook! Check us out for updates, photos and more! www.facebook.com/ ShopperNewsNow
10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378) news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Larry Van Guilder lvgknox@mindspring.com ADVERTISING SALES Darlene Hacker hackerd@ShopperNewsNow.com Debbie Moss mossd@ShopperNewsNow.com Shopper-News is a member of KNS Media Group, published weekly at 10512 Lexington Drive, Suite 500, Knoxville, TN, and distributed to 24,267 homes in Bearden.
When the ground was broken for West Hills Baptist Church, the Rev. Jack Prince was pastor. He served the congregation for 32 years and was known for his outreach to the community and his relationships with people of all faiths. As the church celebrates its 50th anniversary, another Prince is in the pulpit. The Rev. Drew Prince, Jack’s fourth child, stepped into his father’s shoes in June. In spite of Drew’s free-wheeling days as a teenager, Jack Prince predicted there would be big changes in Drew’s life at age 35. “He was wrong. It was 36,” laughs Drew. His return to the congregation makes the church’s anniversary even sweeter. Longtime member Mary Frances Rule remembers some of his pranks as a high school student, and she’s enjoyed watching him evolve into the role of a spiritual leader. She recalls the time he set off a stink bomb in the teachers’ lounge at Bearden High School. Drew’s mother, longtime West Hills Elementary School teacher Frances Corlew, insisted that he take flowers, as well as a personal note from her, to his teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day. Drew politely passed on the note, then placed the flowers, along with the hidden stink bomb, on the far side of the room – so he could get away before the deed was discovered. West Hills was a brand new subdivision when 20 members of First Baptist Church began meeting in the home of J.O. and Leola Archer in 1959. Their goal was to start a church in what was then considered the far reaches of West Knoxville. The new congregation was soon meeting at West Hills Elementary. West Hills Baptist Church, located at 409 North Winston Road, was dedicated in October of 1961 with 177 charter members. It grew
The Rev. Drew Prince is the current pastor of West Hills Baptist Church. His father, the Rev. Jack Prince, was pastor when the church was founded 50 years ago. Photo by Wendy Smith
West Hills Baptist Church near the time of its dedication in October of 1961. Photo submitted
Fed bucks feed county government By Larry Van Guilder For fiscal year 2011, Knox County’s budget topped $647 million. According to the county’s chief financial officer, the federal government supplied about 8.5 percent of that amount. John Troyer says the federal contribution to the county last fiscal year was about $55 million, with roughly $41 million going to schools and another $14 million dollars spread around various county departments. With budgetcutting running at a fever pitch in Washington, what do county residents stand to lose if the federal well runs dry? Grant Rosenberg heads Community Development for the county. Rosenberg’s department funds local grant programs through two sources of federal money, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). HUD funds were reduced by 12 percent this
program year, and CDBG were cut more than 16 percent. Rosenberg anticipates more cuts next year in the range of 10-15 percent. The federal money funds a laundry list of programs and services, including money for renovating or building housing for seniors and low to moderate income families. Currently, Rosenberg says, money has been set aside to replace a roof at the YWCA and renovate the Pleasant Tree apartments managed by Child and Family Tennessee. Other recipients include the Volunteer Ministry Center dental clinic, the Helen Ross McNabb Center and the Public Defender Community Law Office. Rosenberg notes that the housing programs provide an additional benefit. When the KnoxvilleKnox County Community Action Committee contracts for construction services, jobs are created or maintained.
Continuing cuts in federal funds will be felt across the board, but arguably hit housing hardest. “It limits affordable housing for seniors,” Rosenberg says, just as the baby boomer generation is hitting retirement age. The school budget is already strained, and the future looks grim enough without additional cuts in federal funds. The current budget includes a one-time boost of $8 million from the Education Jobs Program. The money primarily is used to fund teacher salaries and benefits. According to the line item detail in the school budget, $6.8 million of those funds are directly tied to teacher compensation. To maintain the same level of instruction next year would require an 8-cent property tax increase. The Knox County Health Department received nearly half of the $14 million disbursed to the “rest” of the county apart from schools. Dr. Martha Buchanan
SALES S ALES • SERVICE SERVICE • MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE
manages a $24 million budget, and federal dollars supply about 25 percent of the department’s operating costs. Federal money goes to programs for “everything from TB to STDs to immunizations,” Buchanan says, but she expresses confidence in her department’s ability to carry on even if the spigot is turned off tomorrow. “We’ve got a great team at the health department,” she says, and it may need to “work smarter.” “Fortunately, we’ve had some ‘heads ups’ from our state partners (about possible cuts),” Buchanan adds, and if necessary the department will reorganize and restructure. Every department head in Knox County may not share Buchanan’s confidence, but her forward thinking outlook is a must. Federal funding of state and local programs is in a downward spiral and the bottom is nowhere in sight.
Keep Your Memories SAFE! Preserve those old Pr reels, slides & vhs tapes today!
Family Fami Fa mily mi lyy Bus B Business u in us ines esss Se es Serv Serving r in rv ng Yo Y You u ffo for or Ov Over ver 1 15 5 Ye Years ear as 5715 5715 Old Old d Tazewell T ll Pike Pik Pi k • 687-2520 687 252 5 0
Cantrell’s Cares Financing available through TVA Energy Right program* *Restrictions May Apply
Bring your VHS, slides, film and more into the digital age.
$25 OFF $100 Purchase *Cannot be combined with any other discounts.
Audio & Video Conversion
Expires 9/17/11 SN091211
686-5756
www.DigitizeItNow.com 12752 Kingston Pike, Renaissance Farragut, Ste 103, Bldg E