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Miracle Maker There are two amazing things about Knox County Elementary Teacher of the Year Kitty Menhinick. One is that she absolutely knew what she wanted to be – a special education teacher – at the age of 14. The other is that she was able to achieve her goal in spite of her own difficulties with school. “I was an information overload kid,” she says. “School was a mighty struggle.”
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Judge Leibowitz The hardest thing a judge ever has to do is sentence a human being to die. Even though the life-ordeath decision is up to the jury, it is the judge’s responsibility to look the defendant in the eye and deliver the verdict. Mary Beth Leibowitz has been the Division 3 Criminal Court judge in Knox County since February 1989, when Gov. Ned McWherter swore her in. She was a pioneer, and now she plans to retire. Betty Bean caught up with the judge for a profi le.
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Marvin West Talks sports including a salute to the UT track teams which, at least, saved the athletic department money.
Lynn Hutton Says public opinion is a funny thing. “Nowadays we have pollsters and news anchors and pundits to let us know what we, the people are thinking.”
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VOL. 7 NO. 12
IN THIS ISSUE
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March 25, 2013
Lotts class wins tech makeover By Sara Barrett Students in Karla Fultz’s fifth grade math and science classes at A.L. Lotts Elementary School are leaving quite a legacy: a $25,000 legacy. Fultz received a check March 19 from Oak Ridge Associated Universities as the winner of the ORAU Extreme Classroom Makeover competition. She won after submitting a video. This was her third time entering the competition. Two years ago, Fultz won the Viewer’s Choice award and was given a $1,000. Fultz said winning the Viewer’s Choice made her that much more determined to win the grand prize. However, she told her students, “Win or lose, we have learned so much, and you will remember this experience forever.” Fultz worked with the students after school to create the technology-based video. Students performed the “Gangnam Style” dance made popular by South Korean artist Psy and rapped a message highlighting the classroom’s need for technology: “Technology. We really need it. It’s our time, to really shine.” And “I want to use the tools of my generation. Connecting to the world will provide acceleration.” The students said they had a blast making the video, with danc-
A.L. Lotts Elementary School 5th graders Ivan Chan, Drew Patterson, Alyssa Lewis, Blake Julian and Abby Breedlove hold “the big check” with their teacher, Karla Fultz. All five students had speaking parts in the video Fultz submitted for her entry in ORAU’s Extreme Classroom Makeover competition. ing by far everyone’s favorite part. ORAU president and CEO Andy Page said presenting the award each year is the best part of his job. “This is our 5th year (to host the competition),” he said, “and it gets better every single year. $25,000 can go a long way. As technology gets cheaper, money doesn’t.” ORAU helps each winner get the biggest bang for their bucks, and the current winner is put in touch with past winners to find
Ivan Chan (at left) shows ORAU president and CEO Andy Page how to do the “Gangnam Style” dance.
out what has worked for them and what equipment they recommend. Next the school purchases and installs the new technology. Later in the summer, ORAU will unveil the redesigned classroom in a special event for students and their parents. Fultz said she is proud of her students’ work. “Kids are capable of doing so much when given the opportunity,” she said. “I hope other teachers will take advantage of this
competition. There are so many opportunities out there if you just look.” The competition is for teachers of math or science in a public school located within 50 miles of Oak Ridge. A teacher must submit a short video illustrating the classroom’s need and explaining how the technologies would be used to energize and enhance learning. Info: www.orau.org/.
Executive delivery: Mayors help Mobile Meals volunteers By Suzanne Foree Neal Mobile Meals loves its volunteers – the lifeblood of the organization. On March 20, the Knox County Community Action Committee asked three mayors to join their volunteers to get an up-close look at the program. It was “Mayors for Meals Day,” with Farragut Mayor Ralph McGill, county Mayor Tim Burchett and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero riding along to deliver hot meals. “This is one of the most giving places,” McGill said, surveying the volunteers who were filling coolers at the Mobile Meals kitchen at 1747 Reynolds St. This is McGill’s second year to participate in the program, riding along this year with volunteer Barbara Butler on her Farragut route. Every Wednesday, Butler delivers 10 meals. Another volunteer covers 10 more Farragut residents. Jennifer Oakes with the Office on Aging says the need here grew to the point where the route had to be halved, with one volunteer working Campbell Station Road to Pellissippi Parkway and the other Campbell Station Road to Loudon County. By the end of January, Mobile Meals already had a waiting list of 63, Oakes said. “Every day we need volunteers for at least 60 routes. CAC vans cover another seven routes.” To page A-3
Frances Anders, center, gets a hug from Mobile Meals volunteer Barbara Butler and a visit from Farragut Mayor Ralph McGill. McGill joined in as part of Mayors for Meals Day, delivering flowers and a hot meal to all the clients on Butler’s Mobile Meals list. Photos by Suzanne Foree Neal
The Duncan strategy After listing the savings he’s achieved during three years as trustee, Duncan alluded to the scandal that’s plagued his tenure. “Some people want to focus on a program that I didn’t manage well and that caused embarrassment to me and my family.” Duncan said delinquent tax collections were 43 percent higher last year than the year before he took office. With collections this Flanked by his mom, his wife high, the delinquent tax attorney and his dad’s chief of staff (Bob would have been paid $600,000 Griffitts), Duncan enjoyed a polite under the program used by previand even pleasant reception at the ous trustees. Instead, Duncan brought the job Halls Republican Club – his first speaking engagement since two in-house for about $100,000. Now, key staffers resigned after guilty with Chad Tindell gone, Duncan has outsourced it to the county’s law pleas in Criminal Court.
By Sandra Clark
The crown prince of the Duncan Dynasty gave a glimpse of his re-election strategy last week. Knox County Trustee John Duncan believes he, like a football coach, should be judged by his body of work.
Analysis
More on A-3 John Duncan with wife Jennifer at Halls Republican Club Photo by S. Clark department where “we’re getting nine attorneys for (the cost of) one.” Duncan said he will take bids on state-mandated advertising, currently about $100,000 a year to the News Sentinel. He’s reduced travel expenses, resulting in a $5,400 pay cut to some staff. He’s opening satellite offices only
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during tax season, saving another $100,000 annually. Duncan said the county’s investments have “improved by 19 percent” on his watch. His office now has 34 full-time employees, down from 59 at one time. “We’ve returned $13 million to the general fund to date, and I hope to add another $6 million at the end of this fiscal year,” he said. If Duncan can avoid indictment (a judgment call by Attorney General Randy Nichols to present to the grand jury), he may coast to re-election. The Duncan strategy: run for the most bloated office in town. Cut expenses. Increase collections. Hire grown-ups (at least the second time around). And trust the team, led by Mama Lynn. After all, you’ll never get beat if no one runs against you.
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