Farragut shopper news 071515

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VOL. 9 NO. 28

BUZZ

www.ShopperNewsNow.com |

July 15, 2015

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Ready to run

Rennich family trains for marathon

By Carolyn Evans

Rick Briggs

Karen Carson

Briggs to join Carson at event Karen Carson has attracted several well-known Farragutarea residents to host an upcoming fundraiser. State Sen. Richard Briggs is a special guest at the event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at the home of Sherri Lee. Carson is opposed by Jason Zachary in the Aug. 12 Republican Primary election to replace state Rep. Ryan Haynes. Hosts are Virginia and Ned Babb, Jenny Boyd, Sabrina and Joe Childs, Kim and Thomas Deakins, Candace and Tod Evans, Elizabeth and Celso Ferreira-Alves, John Griess, Keath Goodwin, Terri and Tom Hale, Carla and Doug Harris, Anne Haston, Ron Honken, Kirk Huddleston, Diane and Jim Jablonski, Emily and Jerry Lenn, Bob Petrone, Sharon M. Pryse, David Purvis, Linda and Culver Schmid, Mitch Steenrod and Liz and Wes Stowers. Info: VoteKarenCarson@ gmail.com or 865-300-6443.

Most teenagers dream of sleeping in and watching television over summer vacation. For the Rennich kids, however, dreams of goofing off have been cut a little short, thanks to Mom. Kim Rennich is a mother of five: Sydney and Erika, age 15; Max, 13; Jessie, 12; and Monika, 8. Kim’s dream for the summer didn’t involve sleeping. Since May 28, she and her four oldest children have been rolling out of bed at 6:30 a.m. and lacing up their running shoes. They are training for a half-marathon in Roswell, Ga., on Aug. 22, a 13.1 mile event. Kim and her husband, Jason, are Farragut residents and own Pro Pools Inc. Kim oversees the office while Jason works in the field. The family has always been active, she said. They have run a few 5ks together, but training for a half-marathon is quite different.

Sydney, Kim, Max, Erika and Jessie on an early morning run “A half-marathon is a lot harder,” Kim said. “Running is so mental. A lot of people can physically

do it, but it’s about perseverance. You have to prove to yourself that you can do it. When your legs

are tired, and you’re out of breath or your side is cramping, everything tells you to stop. You have to

push through.” The last few weeks have been a learning experience for all of them. “Mornings are all about getting them out of bed,” said Kim. “We get our shoes on and hit the road. We drive to different places in Farragut to run.” They don’t run every morning. On Mondays and Wednesdays, they do three to six miles, and on Saturday, they do a long run that will eventually be 13.5 miles. (They’re currently up to just over six miles.) On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they do strength training, and on Friday, yoga. The children give full credit for the idea to their mother. “It was definitely me,” Kim said. “Usually the summers are really crazy. I figured this was probably one of the last summers I could persuade them to To page A-3

New Village Green pool voted down By Wendy Smith

Superhero 5k, fun run is Saturday TNT Superhero 5k and 1-mile fun run to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 18, at West High School, 3300 Sutherland Ave. Registration opens at 6:30 a.m. Age categories range from first grade to senior adults. Superhero costumes are encouraged but not required. Preregistration: https://runsignup. com/Race/TN/Knoxville/Tn TSuperHero5kandfunrunwalk. Info: 556-5385; or Sofie Bell, sofienbell@yahoo.com.

Red Gate Rodeo The annual Red Gate Festival and Rodeo will be held Friday and Saturday, July 17-18, at Red Gate Farm in Maynardville. Carnival starts at 5 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday. Rodeo starts at 8 p.m. each day. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for kids 4-10 years old, and free for kids age 3 and under. Info: www.redgaterodeo. com or 992-3303.

Swimming pools are a popular amenity for family-oriented neighborhoods, but who foots the bill when aging pools need to be replaced? Residents of Village Green subdivision still don’t know after they voted down plans for a $1.1 million pool project that would have been funded through a $3,200 assessment on each household. There are 468 homes or lots in Village Green. Resident Kathleen Bloom loves coming home and seeing mature trees, unique homes and kids riding bikes. “When I drive in, I’m always so happy that I live here. I hope to keep it this way,” she says. She thinks the neighborhood’s two pools are an important ameTo page A-3

Village Green residents gather outside the clubhouse to vote on a new $1.1 million pool that would have required a $3,200 per-household assessment.

What’s next for teacher incentive pay? gave the board a choice – pay the earned bonuses (about $3.2 million) or use that money instead to fund a pay raise for all teachers. Angst ensued. Mayor Tim Burchett agreed to take $3 million from the county’s fund balance to pay the bonuses one time as part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) adopted by the school board and County Commission. One time. Background: When school Based on the MOU, the quesstarted last fall, teachers were tions above should be answered given their evaluation criteria No and No. (rubric) and the chance to earn Issue I: Why was money extra compensation for those who earned in FY15 being paid in FY16? jumped through the hoops approMcIntyre offered no explanapriately. tion, but this was in his March 11 But when the school board memo to board members: “This started forming its 2015- 2016 budget recommendation elimibudget (called FY16) this spring, nates $3.2 million in APEX paySuperintendent Jim McIntyre outs in FY16 … were slated to be

By Sandra Clark

This didn’t start as a trick question. Q: Will teachers be eligible for incentive bonuses for the upcoming school year? And is the money budgeted to pay them? A: To be determined.

Analysis

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paid in November, but would have been fully earned by the end of the current school year.” OK. So the money earned in FY15 was “slated to be paid” in FY16 – a budget not yet adopted by either the school board or County Commission. My math education was at Halls High School, but this looks like deficient spending of $3.2 million. No harm, no foul though, when Burchett rolled out his one-time $3 million. Issue II: So what about this year? McIntyre, again in his March 11 memo to the board, wrote, “We have committed to undertake a complete redesign of the APEX strategic compensation program this spring that would take effect in the 2015-16 school year.”

But wait! The state Department of Education requires a board-approved strategic compensation plan for the upcoming year from each school district by June 30. The plan must state how many teachers are eligible and the cost. Knox County has submitted a plan that looks suspiciously like the FY15 plan without even discussion by the school board. Melissa Ogden, director of public affairs for KCS, explains: “Knox County Schools was required by the Tennessee Department of Education to submit a differentiated pay plan by June 30, 2015. Board of Education members have been informed about what was submitted, and To page A-3

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