GOVERNMENT/POLITICS A4 | OUR COLUMNISTS A6-7 | YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS A10-11 | HEALTH & LIFESTYLES SECTION B
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VOL. 5, NO. 42
OCTOBER 17, 2011
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Oh, baloney! Jim Golden sports a Cas shirt with a Padgett badge as Howard Phillips throws one of his famous lunches for mayoral candidate Mark Padgett.
James Coffin on latest Honor Air flight
See page A-5
He earned it!
Grab some culture
Farragut Intermediate 4th grader Josh Thompson, who sold the most coupon books in his class, pies his teacher, Catherin O’Donnell. Each class’s top seller pied either the class’s teacher or a principal last week as a reward for the top sellers. Photo by N. Lester
The Farragut High School drama department is staging “Cyrano de Bergerac” this week.
Farragut Business Alliance names new executive director
Suzanne Foree Neal has the story on page A-10
By Natalie Lester The Farragut Business Alliance has filled the executive director position funded by a $44,000 community grant from the town of Farragut. Loudon County native Allison Sousa began as the executive director last Monday. Her salary will use $32,000 of the grant. The remainder will go toward the Shop Farragut campaign and other events and marketing efforts. Sousa said she spent most of her first week listening. “I have been picking a lot of community members’ brains and learning what they like and dislike about the FBA and what we can do for them,” Sousa said. “I anticipate this will continue for a while, but I also want to hit the ground running with the Shop Farragut campaign and upcoming events.” Sousa brings a variety of experience to the FBA position. She presided over the Loudon County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, during which time she helped found the stand-alone Edu-
How’s your business etiquette? Farragut Rotarian Ashley Lawrence says business etiquette “should be a habit.” See Natalie Lester’s column on page A2
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Allison Sousa cation Foundation and designed and implemented the community’s first adult leadership program. Her education includes a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration. “I have managed nonprofits, been involved in community and economic development, and have an extensive marketing background,” she said. “This job is a perfect fit, and the tool kit I bring to the table
marries perfectly to what the board was looking for.” Sousa said she will bring an “outof the box” and fresh perspective to the organization. “I hope I can help build consensus with the business and community,” she said. “I’m fairly personable and diplomatic. I hope we can make some progress in a win-win way for businesses and the town.” In 2010, Sousa started her own marketing and public relations company, WordsOut! She had been freelancing the work for a while, but decided to formalize it last year. Sousa does not think this work will conflict with her FBA position. “I am not looking to grow my business,” she said. “But, I will maintain what I have now. The skills are transferable, but I must keep them separate, and my FBA job will be my main focus. When I am wearing that hat, I will be focused on that job.” Before choosing Sousa, the FBA board considered more than 58 resumes for the position and inter-
Little conflict on redistricting
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Public hearing today By Larry Van Guilder
10512 Lexington Dr., Ste. 500 37932 (865) 218-WEST (9378)
So far, the redistricting necessitated by the 2010 U.S. census has drawn little attention from the public. That could change today at the conclusion of County Commission’s work session when a public hearing on the plans is scheduled to begin in the Main Assembly room of the City County Building. First reading to approve a redistricting plan (or plans) is scheduled for commission’s regular monthly meeting on Oct. 24. Commission has the final say on the plans, and could recommend separate plans for the school board and legisla-
news@ShopperNewsNow.com ads@ShopperNewsNow.com EDITOR Larry Van Guilder lvgknox@mindspring.com ADVERTISING SALES Sydney McLean mcleans@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 33,237 homes in Farragut, Karns and Hardin Valley.
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Sharon Spezia accompanied Farragut resident and veteran James Coffin on the HonorAir trip last week. HonorAir takes World War II and Korean veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials built to honor their sacrifices. Last week’s trip was the 11th flight from East Tennessee. More than 1,200 East Tennessee veterans have visited the nation’s capital on HonorAir flights. Photo submitted
tive districts. All the plans considered by the redistricting committee, composed of commissioners and school board members, had to meet basic criteria: ■ Ensure new boundaries could hold up to a legal challenge. ■ Keep at least one high school in each district ■ Minimize the population shift. ■ Keep communities together if possible. Plans designated as 2A and 4A were endorsed by the committee. The school board favors plan 3A. Plan 2A shifts the fewest number
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nities together if possible. On the downside, plan 2A does move the most people from one district to another district.” From the legislative side, 5th District Commissioner Richard Briggs said, “I think the priority is to keep communities with common interests together, regardless of the precinct. “It would be really nice if we could have the school board districts match the commission districts,” Briggs continued, “but if that’s not possible I would not vote to force a commission plan on the school board.” Briggs added that it’s important that Farragut stays together as a community. To view all the plans, go to w w w.k noxcount y.org/election/ redistricting/data_maps.php.
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of residents among districts, a little more than 32,000. Farragut Town Administrator David Smoak says both 2A and 3A are “very viable plans.” “Each keeps the current corporate boundaries of the town in the same voting district (District 5 for 2A and District 6 for 3A) which was a concern of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Having to narrow it down to one plan, I did however vote for plan 2A at the redistricting committee meeting because it did keep the larger Farragut community more aligned and that was one of several goals the committee had when it started, which was to try and keep commu-
viewed a set of finalists. “We had several very well-qualified candidates,” said board chair David Purvis. “The decision boiled down to a person with the skill set and personality the board felt could hit the ground running to grow the organization and understand the value that provides its members.” Until now the organization, which offers free membership to any Farragut business, has been comprised of volunteers. “We felt it was critical to hire dedicated staff in order to bring the organization to the next level in supporting and growing the businesses in Farragut.” Sousa is definitely up for the challenge. “I like taking a vision and executing it,” she said. “In the short-term, I will focus on what Shop Farragut needs to get going and expanding. I really want to help brand the town, and this is one small step toward that. Ideally, the whole thought is to be a support mechanism for the Farragut businesses that are already here.”
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