North/East Shopper-News 082014

IN THIS ISSUE

VOL. 2 NO. 33 August 20, 2014www.ShopperNewsNow.com | www.facebook.com/ShopperNewsNow

7049 Maynardville Pike 37918(865) 922-4136

NEWS

[email protected] Clark | Patricia Williams

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By Betty Bean“You’re at the airport with

your wife and kids, getting ready to board a plane to Disney World. But when you get to the gate for the fl ight to Orlando, there’s an election, and a guy who’s never fl own before is elected pilot and citizens are com-pelled to get on

that plane …”This is how one Knoxville at-

torney described having pending cases in Chancery Court, Division II, where the newly elected and little-known Republican Clarence “Eddie” Pridemore will preside come Sept. 1.

Pridemore’s victory over re-spected incumbent Daryl Fansler, a Democrat, was a product of the GOP’s “Red to the Roots” project

and sent shockwaves through the local legal community.

“You hear it from every lawyer of every stripe who practices here, throughout the courthouse and out on the street and everywhere – ‘Oh, my gosh! What’re we going to do now?’ ” said David Buuck, Knox County’s chief deputy law director.

The city of Knoxville is await-ing several decisions in impor-tant cases pending in Division II, including Lamar v Knoxville, which challenges the city’s right to regulate billboards; Anderson and Wood ridge v Knoxville, an appeal of the city’s closure of Ben Atchley Street in Bearden; and Royal Properties Inc. v Knoxville, dealing with the fate of the Pryor Brown parking garage.

Arthur Seymour Jr. represents the Northshore Town Center de-veloper who intervened in a case fi led by county residents opposing a large mixed-use development

project inside the city.“All I know to do is forge

ahead,” Seymour said. “He says he’s going to judge’s school, so there’s that.”

At “Baby Judges’ College,” oper-ated by the Administrative Offi ces of the Courts in Nashville, Pride-more will have fi ve days of semi-nars, sign up for his $175,000-per-year paycheck and get fi tted for his robe (a standard choir robe will suffi ce). When he returns, Pride-more will immediately face Mo-tion Day, where dozens of lawyers present a wide variety of cases.

“If Eddie has half a lick of sense, he’ll sit there like a stone, nod his head and take cases un-der advisement. The problem with that is he’ll have to write opin-ions and will get swamped pretty quickly. His cases will drag, and complaints will start coming in,” said one very experienced attor-ney, speaking anonymously.

Most worry less about Pride-more than about those who will stand before him.

“I have cases where clients will be in front of a judge with no Chancery Court experience who engaged in the political process and had some issues regarding his personal fi nances. Without being critical of the chancellor-elect, it raises signifi cant questions about the manner and method by which we elect judges in Knox County,” said Greg Isaacs, who represents Lamar Outdoor Advertising.

Attorneys speaking anony-mously had less tactful takes:

“There needs to be a prelimi-nary threshold for who gets to be a judge. … You’re going to wonder why your children got taken away or why you lost your inheritance. … A chimpanzee could have won if it had an R behind its name. … An incompetent buffoon ran a stealth campaign a nd got elected.”

Pridemore

Pridemore faces trial by fi re; lawyers worry

By Patricia WilliamsWe all scream for free

ice cream, and that in-cludes members of Town Hall East, who recently hosted the annual ice cream meet and greet at Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park, 4618 Asheville High-way, next to the Burlington Branch Library.

“We want to make this the most friendly and liv-able place in Knoxville,” said Eston Williams, Town Hall president. This year marks the fourth anniver-sary of the park the group helped to establish in the epicenter of Holston Hills, Chilhowee Hills and the Burlington communities. Members of Town Hall are also active in the ongoing maintenance and upgrades

Ice cream in the park

Brenda Brooks, board mem-

ber of Town Hall East, orga-

nized the ice cream social. Photos submitted

Kids twirl on the new

tire swing, donated

by Town Hall East.To page 3

Happy Holler joins National

Register of Historic PlacesBy Sandra Clark

Country crooner Con Hun-ley got his start at The Corner Lounge in Happy Holler. Now the entire district will earn na-tional attention as one of fi ve sites just added to the National Register of Historic Places.

So here’s what the state says about Knoxville’s treasure:

“Situated around North Cen-tral Street and East and West Anderson Avenues in Knoxville, the 14-building Happy Holler Historic District is a good ex-ample of a neighborhood shop-ping district that formed where trolley lines had stops.

“The trolleys provided transportation between de-veloping suburban areas, the downtown and the manufac-turing and railroad districts. Most of the district is com-posed of one-story masonry retail buildings built between 1909 and 1945.

“The name Happy Holler comes from the Prohibition Era when alcohol could be pur-chased in the alleys behind the stores. Happy Holler is one of seven existing community-based shopping areas centered on the streetcar trolley routes in Knoxville.

“Until the close of nearby Brookside Mills in 1961, the district was a small, thriv-ing neighborhood commercial area. There has been a resur-gence of activity in the area due, in part, to Façade Im-provement Grants through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

Rustic cabins in Norris Dam State Park also were listed on the National Historic Register. Built as a New Deal project be-tween 1934 and 1937, the dis-trict includes the historic “tea room,” ranger residences, a linen house and amphitheater.

Deathridge earns second termBy Patricia Williams

The voters have spoken and the end is as the beginning – Gloria

Deathridge retained her position as Knox County Board of Ed-ucation representa-tive for District 1.

In her fi rst race, Deathridge was unopposed and did not have to com-pete for the posi-tion. But with all

the controversy that has engulfed the operations of the school system, from the top down, many of those up for re-election faced opposition.

Deathridge overcame two chal-lengers in the May primary that left Marshall Walker, a retired Knox County Schools social worker and coach, defeating Robert Boyd, an English professor at Pellissippi State Magnolia campus. Since Deathridge did not poll 50 percent, she and Walker faced a run-off in August.

“I’m glad it’s over. It was an en-lightening experience, and I learned a lot about people,” said Deathridge.

She recognized the support of her husband, Mark, her campaign team and the District 1 family for

their faith and confi dence to re-elect her to a second term.

“I invited (Marshall) to work to-gether on things he wants to see hap-pen to move Knox County forward,” said Deathridge, re-ferring to the “after the results are in” phone calls between her and Walker.

M e a n w h i l e , Walker is prepar-

ing for a sabbatical in Memphis, a city he says he likes to visit.

“I won in two ways,” said Walker. He feels the race did more than elect a candidate. The process engaged the voters and challenged school board members to admit the wheel is broken, in Walker’s opinion.

“When I was a coach, I planned around the players, rather than putting the players around the plan,” he said. “That has to stop.”

Walker also expressed the pride and appreciation he has for his vol-unteers.

“I have worked to better educate children most of my life, and I will continue to do so. Education is nev-er over,” said Walker.

WalkerDeathridge

Looking at Steve Hall’s defeat

It has been 20 years since a Knox County state representa-tive lost a party primary, but Martin Daniel made history when he upset incumbent Rep. Steve Hall by 157 votes.

The last time that happened was in 1994 when Tim Bur-chett defeated then-incumbent Rep. Maria Peroulas in the same district.

How did Daniel do it?

➤ Read Victor Ashe on page 4

Churches sponsor back-to-school

For the last weekend of summer, the East Knoxville community came out in force to excite and equip children for the new school year that start-ed Aug. 11. Within walking distance of each other I found three back-to-school celebra-tions and a church barbecue.

➤ Read Patricia Williams on page 3

Arthur John StupkaThe Smoky Mountains

National Park’s fi rst natural-ist helped lay out the 800-mile trail system in the park. He also added hundreds of observations to the journal he started at age 15.

Eventually, those observa-tions would number 18,000 and are now computerized as a part of the park archives for use by scientists in un-derstanding the long-term changes in its fl ora and fauna.

➤ Read Jim Tumblin on page 5

Back- to- school at Sarah Moore Greene

To echo former Vol Sterling Henton, Sarah Moore Greene probably had the best-ever back-to-school welcome in Knox County. Henton greeted kids as staff members rolled out the red carpet and treated students like superstars as they entered the building.

➤ Read Ruth White on page 6

Prosser Road set to re-open soon

The warehouse district of Magnolia Avenue is due atten-tion, with $500,000 in façade grants to upgrade the area around Pellissippi State’s Mag-nolia Avenue campus. Work is underway to alleviate fl ood-ing on Prosser Road. with two lanes to open by Sept. 1, Mayor Madeline Rogero told the North Knoxville Rotary Club.

➤ Read Sandra Clark on page 7

2 • AUGUST 20, 2014 • Shopper news

health & lifestyles

FORT SANDERS CENTER FOR DIGESTIVE HEALTH

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FORT SANDERSCENTER FORDIGESTIVE HEALTH (865) 541-4280

fsregional.com

‘Candy Lady’ fi nds help for swallowing problemsWhen Dorothy Robbins of

Sevierville visits Fort Sand-ers Regional Medical Center, she usually brings a box of fresh peanut brittle or assort-ed fl avors of taffi es with her.

“They call me the Candy Lady,” said Robbins, 73. “I’ve worked 40 years at the candy shop (Ole Smokey Candy Kitchen) in Gatlin-burg. So I make a variety and take it to them. Dr. Jackson loves peanut brittle, so I always take him some.”

Robbins tells a funny but harrowing story about the time in October 2011 when a 200-pound bear broke into the shop at night. Robbins and a coworker found him in the morning.

“There was a hole in the glass door and pecans every-where,” Robbins recalled.

The women called the po-lice, who chased the bear out of the shop and right past Robbins. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency offi cials tried to trap him in the days

following, with no success. The incident made the news and can still be seen on You-Tube.

“I said we have the sweet-est bear in town!” said Rob-bins. “He was the smartest, too – he picked our candy shop! And they never did catch him.”

But that wasn’t the fi rst frightening experience for Robbins. In 1989, she suc-cessfully battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma, undergoing 40 radiation treatments at Fort Sanders Regional.

The treatments elimi-nated the cancer, but sub-sequent scarring from chest radiation narrowed her esophagus to the point where she couldn’t eat without food getting caught. A narrowed esophagus can also be the result of acid refl ux disease, a common ailment.

“It’s very frightening,” Robbins said. “People who have not had it happen to them don’t know.”

Any food could get stuck in Robbins’ esophagus for days, especially foods like chicken or beef, she said. “I couldn’t swallow anything else either, even saliva,” she added. “It’s a scary thought when nothing will go down.”

Robbins lived with the condition for many years. But about fi ve years ago, she was referred to Dr. Mark Jackson, a gastroenterolo-gist with Fort Sanders Re-gional. Jackson told Robbins he could “stretch” her esophagus to help her swallow better.

With Robbins under anesthesia, Jackson inserted an endoscope – a tiny lighted video camera – down her throat. He then used slender instruments to expand and stretch the nar-row places.

The procedure made a dif-ference immediately, Rob-bins said, and she now has the treatment on a regular

basis. At fi rst she went every month, and now sees Jack-son several times each year.

Her procedure is done at the Cen-ter for Diges-tive Health at Fort Sanders Regional and takes about 15-20 minutes. “I’m

d o w n and back in a day,” said Robbins, noting that she eats softer foods immediately following the procedure.

“Dr. Jackson is a wonder-

ful doctor. That whole group, they’re great – so wonderful and caring.”

Sweet words from the Can-dy Lady, who can more easilyswallow the foods she enjoys.

Body’s digestive train can be derailedWhen your co-worker phones the offi ce

saying he or she has “stomach fl u,” don’t believe it. That’s because the vomiting and

diarrhea associated with the condition probably has nothing to do with the fl u – it’s more likely to be gastroenteritis, one of the more common ailments that can go wrong with the super-sophisticated human plumbing we call the digestive sys-tem.

The mouth, esophagus, stomach, large and small intes-

tines, and anus are all part of the digestive system, with the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver and gallbladder also pitching in. Even nerves and blood play a major role in the digestive process.

With so many body parts working to-gether just to process that sausage biscuit you had for breakfast, it isn’t surprising that sometimes things go wrong. In fact, an es-timated 60 to 70 million Americans are af-fected by one digestive disease or another each year, resulting in 48.3 million visits to the doctor, 21.7 million hospitalizations and almost a quarter million deaths.

Here are a few common conditions: ■ Gastroenteritis – Often called

“stomach fl u,” it’s infl ammation of the small intestine caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites.

■ Gastroesophageal Refl ux Dis-ease (GERD) – More commonly known as heartburn, symptoms occur when the stomach contents back up into the esopha-gus.

Occasional GERD doesn’t usually in-dicate a problem. “But if it’s persistent, if you have diffi culty or if you have weight loss, it needs to be evaluated,” said Dr. Mu-

hammed Iqbal, gastroenterologist with Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center. GERD can sometimes be a symptom of other con-ditions such as asthma, esophageal cancer or a precancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus.

■ Constipation – Americans spend $725 million a year on laxatives, trying to facilitate a bowel movement.

■ Diarrhea – Constipation’s “evil twin” causes repeated trips to the bathroom. Usu-ally diarrhea is brought on by mild infec-tions of the colon or small intestine.

■ Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) – IBS is an intestinal disorder that causes abdominal pain, cramping or bloating and diarrhea or constipation.

■ Infl ammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) – Another name for either Crohn’s disease or ulcertative colitis. The disease stems from infl ammation of the colon.

■ Diverticular disease –The co-lon becomes weakened and pouches form along its surface. The pouches can collect food and become infected, resulting in pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen.

■ Colorectal cancer – The diges-tive system is home to more cancers and causes more cancer mortalities than any other organ system in the body. Colon can-cer affects more than 100,000 Americans each year. The good news is that most co-lon cancer is preventable through regular screening.

“Colon cancer deaths have decreased be-cause there is effective screening and better treatments. Pre-cancerous polyps (growths that can be precursors to colon cancer) can be completely and safely removed during colonoscopy,” Iqbal says, adding that the most important thing to remember is that “colonoscopy saves lives.”

If you have digestive discomfort or diffi culties, or symptoms that may be caused by the conditions listed above, call 865-541-4280 or go to www.fsregional.com/gi

Time for ‘gut check’? Tests can be life savers

Tummy trouble? It may be time for a “gut check.” A variety of tests are available to help gas-

troenterologists (specialists in digestive disorders) di-agnose and treat the cause of “GI blues.”

The Fort Sanders Cen-ter for Digestive Health has gastroenterologists Richard Cohn, MD; Jeffrey Brown, MD; Mark Jackson, MD; Muhammed Iqbal, MD; and Robert Pollack, MD, who offer a variety of diagnostic procedures, in-cluding the following:

ColonoscopyColonoscopy is the examination of the entire

colon (large intestine) to look for early signs of colon cancer (polyps). Usually an outpatient procedure, colonoscopy is performed by in-serting a fl exible lighted tube into the rectum. It requires intravenous sedation and adequate preparation to clean the colon. The exam will take about 20 minutes but can save your life.

Colonoscopy screening is recommended for everyone at age 50 and every 10 years after that if the test is normal. People with a family histo-ry of colon cancer, infl ammatory bowel disease or ulcerative colitis need to have the procedure at a younger age and more frequently.

“Colon cancer can be managed, treated and cured if found early,” says Dr. Jackson. “The thing I’ve learned over the past 25 years is the impor-tance of getting people past the fear and embar-rassment of having to go through colonoscopy. The more people we can get screened the better.”

Capsule endoscopy (“PillCam”)This high-tech procedure uses a pill-sized

video camera to view images of the small intes-tine, which cannot be viewed with traditional upper endoscopy or colonoscopy. The camera

takes multiple pictures of the small intestine asit passes through the bowel. The most commonuse is to search for causes of bleeding from the small intestine. It can also be used to test forCrohn’s disease and small bowel tumors.

On the day prior to the procedure a laxativesolution is given to cleanse the small intestine. The PillCam is then swallowed and passes through the digestive tract while transmittingvideo images to a recorder worn on the pa-tient’s belt. The test takes about eight hours.

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)Upper GI endoscopy, sometimes called EGD,

helps in diagnosing and treating esophagitis,heartburn, ulcers and bleeding. The procedureis the visual examination of the upper gastroin-testinal tract using a lighted fl exible endoscope. Itis performed in an outpatient setting and utilizesintravenous sedation to relax the patient. The en-doscope is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the smallintestine. The exam takes about 5-10 minutes.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

ERCP enables the physician to diagnose problems that involve the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas. In this procedure a fl exible lighted tube is passed through themouth and into the stomach and upper intes-tine to visualize the opening to ducts from the liver and pancreas. Once identifi ed, a narrowplastic tube is passed through the scope into the duct, where a dye is injected and X-raysare taken. If the exam shows a gallstone or nar-rowing of the ducts, specialized equipment canbe used to remove the stones or relieve the ob-struction. The exam takes 30-60 minutes.

For more information aboutgastroenterology services at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center orassistance in fi nding a physician, call865-541-4280.

Dr. Muhammed Iqbal, Gastroenter-ologist

Dr. Mark Jackson, Gastroenterologist

NORTH/EAST Shopper news • AUGUST 20, 2014 • 3

Patricia Williams

Was anyone at home?For the last weekend of

summer, the East Knox-ville community came out in force to excite and equip children for the new school year that started Aug. 11. Within walking distance of each other I found three back-to-school celebrations and a church barbecue.

Saturday started early with “Shoes for School,” sponsored by the Knox-ville Area Urban League at Caswell Park behind the Cansler Y. An estimated 4,000 people attended to get free supplies including notebooks, paper, composi-tion books, pencils, mark-ers, backpacks, books and, of course, shoes.

An estimated 22 agencies donated and more than 300 volunteers from sororities, businesses and community organizations volunteered to assist in the distribution, according to Phyllis Nich-ols, president of the Urban League.

More than 1,200 pairs of shoes for children between the ages of 5 and 12 were distributed. The shoes were pre-ordered in May by agen-cies that work with chil-dren. School supplies were available to all present.

There is still an opportu-nity to get shoes for school-children by contacting the Urban League at 1514 E. Fifth Ave. or 524-5511.

Just a few blocks away, Pastor Michael McNair and

Children at First AME Zion Church cool off in the spray from a Knoxville Fire Depart-ment truck.

Representatives from the Home Depot helped

future do-it-yourselfers complete projects.

Pastor Dexter Mims of St. Paul Baptist Church has a diff erent sermon for those wanting to dunk him at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Photos by Patricia Williams

Children who attended Tabernacle Baptist Church’s back-to-school party were treated to a petting zoo with llamas, goats and rabbits.

The prayer tower of the new Overcoming Believers Church can be seen in the background from the parking lot where a bar-becue was held.

congregants of First AME Zion Church, 1900 McCalla Ave., had a back-to-school celebration with bouncy houses and lots of goodies for children to enjoy. Rep-resentatives from the Home Depot assisted future do-it-yourselfers in assembling pre-cut kits to make pencil holders and bird and bug houses, and then to paint their prized projects.

The city of Knoxville brought a Fire Department truck, giving a refreshing spray of water for the chil-dren to enjoy, with no reper-cussions from their parents for getting wet. And you could also cool off with ice cream from Hardee’s fast-food restaurant.

Members of the Knox-ville Police Department showed their kid-friendly

side as they enjoyed the children’s fascination with the bomb squad’s electroni-cally controlled robot.

Meanwhile, Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2137 Mar-tin Luther King Jr. Ave., where Chris Battles is pas-tor, held its fi rst back-to-school celebration. Churc h members went the extra mile, starting at 8 a.m. with free haircuts and manicures for children donated by lo-cal technicians, a petting zoo and a dunking booth where pastors of neighbor-ing churches volunteered to get wet.

With activities too nu-merous to name, Tabernacle church culminated with an evening mini-concert by Darwin Hobbs, a national gospel recording artist. Proceeds raised from the celebration will go the Love Kitchen.

New to the neighborhood is the Overcoming Believ-ers Church at its brand new home at 211 Harriet Tubman St., formerly the Literacy Imperative and the Book Warehouse. Pastor Daryl Arnold and the OBC family hosted a “Welcome Home OBC” citywide picnic ca-tered by Smokin J’s B-B-Q on Rutledge Pike. The fi rst service in their new home was the next day, Sunday, Aug. 10. Reach Patricia Williams at [email protected].

Eastside neighbors enjoy ice cream at the Tank Strickland Park on Asheville Highway.

Ice cream in the park From page 1

to Strickland Park.Just this year, two up-

grades were added: a swing built to seat three and an enclosed bocce ball court.

“It’s wonderful to live in such a vibrant and diverse neighborhood with younger families moving in,” said Judy Roy, THE vice president and a second-generation resi-dent of the community.

The social is also an op-portunity for neighbors to get to know each other and

to share their expertise and concerns. Sharon Davis is THE treasurer, and Desiree Folger is secretary.

The event gave Sherry Hensley, the new principal of Chilhowee Intermediate School, just a few blocks away, an opportunity to in-troduce herself and meet parents, grandparents and local leaders.

Thomas “Tank” Strick-land Park is named for a longtime community resi-

dent and assistant to Mayor Madeline Rogero. Strick-land has served on the Knox County Commission and was the fi rst African-Amer-ican commission chair.

Town Hall East meets fi ve times annually, on the second Tuesday of Septem-ber, November, January, March and May at 7 p.m. at Eastminster Presbyte-rian Church, 4904 Asheville Highway. Info: Town Hall East on Facebook.

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Dr. Fred Hurst often asks: What do you call the guy who fi nished last in his class in medical school?

Answer: “Doctor.”Pundits are worried

about newly elected chan-cellor Clarence “Eddie” Pridemore. And we agree he has a high bar to maintain customary Knox County standards.

Pridemore just cannot pay out bonuses for courses not taken; and he must not spend county money to buy a Blu-ray player and discs for his “downtime.”

He must never use a county P-Card at JJ’s Mega Wigs on Gay Street and then, when caught, claim it was for gasoline.

No, no, Eddie. You can-not talk to John Valliant on a cell phone from the bench

4 • AUGUST 20, 2014 • Shopper news government

Betty Bean

Sandra Clark

Sorry, Stephen King. Move over, Edgar Allan Poe.

The horrors that sprang from those fertile imagina-tions have been eclipsed by real life: The “voting dead” are at large in Knox County.

What else explains the brain-dead decision made by more than 30,000 of our fellow citizens to vote for the manifestly unqualifi ed Clar-ence Pridemore Jr. over Da-ryl Fansler for Chancellor on Aug. 7?

Frankly, I’ve owned cats with more impressive re-sumes than Pridemore’s few years in retail and real-es-tate sales.

The litmus test for voting in this contest was as simple as it gets: Are you capable of tying your shoes with only minimal assistance? Then you voted for Fansler with-out hesitation.

On the other hand, if your frontal cortex teemed with the logic-devouring virus of

High bar for Clarence Eddie

and then, when caught, claim it was about rental property.

And you must never, ever coerce probationers into sex for prescription drugs.

Yep. The bar is high for Clarence Eddie.

But think about it. In some ways the guy’s a ge-nius. How many of his crit-ics are making $175,000 a year for eight years guaran-teed, plus a pension?

Night of the ‘voting dead’“Democracy is the theory that the common people

know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.”

– H.L. Mencken

LarryVan

Guilder

party-line voting, you pulled the lever for Mr. Least Likely To Succeed.

Historically, the Voting Dead cast their mindless ballots about equally for Re-publicans and Democrats:

Despite being nailed by the FBI with $90,000 cash in a freezer in 2005, U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat, won re-election

in 2006. He’s now serving a 13-year prison term.

The late Sen. Ted Kenne-dy, shining Democratic star, drove off a bridge in 1969, killing his passenger, and didn’t report the incident until the following day. Mas-sachusetts voters continued to re-elect him until he died in 2009.

Hypocrite and incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais has apparently won his Re-publican primary contest for Tennessee’s 4th Congressio-nal District.

In our own backyard, starting in 2004 Republican state Sen. Stacey Campfi eld held offi ce for a decade until even the Voting Dead were undone by his lunacy.

If Clarence Pridemore

www.ShopperNewsNow.comNorth offi ce: 7049 Maynardville Pike • Knoxville, TN 37918 • (865) 922-4136 • Fax: 922-5275

West offi ce: 10512 Lexington Drive, Suite 500 • Knoxville, TN 37932 • (865) 218-WEST (9378) • Fax: 342-6628 wsNow.comNow.commow.comw.com.comcom

102,455PEOPLE

Neyland Stadium =

142,000HOMES

Shopper News =

has taken a bribe, driven off a bridge, talked out of both sides of his mouth about abortion or trashed gays there’s no record of it. And if the media attention he’s drawn since the election seems like beating a dead horse, it’s because this horse never should have left the paddock.

Pridemore himself may be suffering from partial brain death, as demonstrated by this on his campaign web-site, www.pridemore2014.com: “I hope to make Knox County proud to have me as it’s next Chancellor.”

Do we want a Chancellor who doesn’t know the differ-ence between “it’s” and “its”? Can Knox County afford a copy editor to clean up his

written decisions?Pridemore’s recent bank-

ruptcy doesn’t inspire confi -dence. Now the voting dead have handed him authority over the affairs of an untold number of others for eight years.

Where will the new Chan-cellor stow the “conservative Republican” label that he wore during the campaign when his court opens for business?

Does conservative Re-publican justice differ from run-of-the-mill Republican justice? From Democratic justice?

“Better Dead than Red” was a popular slogan way back when. For the “voting dead” in this race, they’re one and the same.

Judging by the media speculation about 2nd Dis-trict school board candi-date Jamie Rowe, the casual reader might think she was:

A. A political juggernaut. B. A political unknown.C. An Indya Kincannon

wannabe.D. Somebody’s puppet.The “juggernaut” specu-

lation grew out of a pub-lished report that Rowe has a 250-name host committee list. The air of mystery has been promoted by report-ers attempting to suss out which side of the essential James McIntyre argument she’s on by checking out her Facebook friends. The Kincannon mention comes from an assumption that the former board member’s positions refl ect those of her district. And the “puppet” suspicion? See item B.

Underlying the questions is the fact that the election could fl ip the balance on a board that has been 8-1 pro-McIntyre to a 5-4 split the

Jamie Rowe: fast out of the gate

other way.Rowe, long active in lo-

cal politics and schools, has never run for offi ce before, understands the specula-tion, but has been too busy to address it.

Last Friday, three days before Kincannon offi cially vacated her school board seat, Rowe planted a couple of green-and-white Jamie Rowe for school board signs in front of her Tazewell Pike home and sat down to talk.

She moves fast but not fast enough to have signed up 250 public supporters (she claims 180-something on the list so far).

Here’s a sample of who’s on there: former City Coun-cil members Carlene Malone and Jack Sharp, Alice Bell Spring Hill Neighborhood

Association leaders Ronnie Collins, Katie and Bev Gooch, City Council members Mark Campen and Nick Della Vol-pe, retired art teachers Betty Maloy (Central) and Chris-tine Harness (Gresham);

Retired TVA executive Nan Scott, former County Commissioners Mark Har-mon and Billy Tindell, long-time Central teacher (and Tommy Schumpert cam-paign mastermind) Jean Payne, Fountain City activist Barbara Ray and numerous members of the extended Helton family, long active in Fountain City athletics and community life.

Who’s not there?Any member of the

school board.Rowe, who has voted in

both Republican and Demo-cratic primaries, was active in Kincannon’s fi rst (and only contested) campaign. Did she ask for Kincannon’s endorsement?”

“No, I did not. I called her as a courtesy, but I’m

running for s c h o o l board, and I’m confi -dent enough in my own beliefs that I won’t be copy-ing anyone else.”

Would she have voted to extend Superintendent James McIntyre’s contract?

“No. There was no logical reason to commit $222,000 more taxpayer dollars (for a fourth year). To me, that’s not fi scally responsible. I want to see resources used wisely.”

Space doesn’t allow list-ing much of her resume, but here are some highlights:

2004 Fountain City Woman of the Year, 1991 Bicentennial Gold Medal Award Winner (for envi-ronmental education work at Gresham Middle School), founder of the Shannondale Walkathon.

Jamie Rowe

VictorAshe

Mayors Burchett and Rogero will appoint a com-mittee under a new state law to choose a new MPC director as Mark Donald-son has decided to move on. However, it is unclear how many members will serve on it, their qualifi cations, who will chair it, who will fund it, who will staff it and its timetable. Meetings and records of this committee must be subject to public re-view and attendance.

Neighborhood groups worry that Rogero’s deputy Bill Lyons will overly infl u-ence her choices for this committee as Lyons has recently clashed with the Fort Sanders Neighborhood by having excluded Fort Sanders from the World’s Fair Park review commit-tee membership. They feel Lyons is unfavorable to his-

toric neighborhoods if big businesses are involved.

This column fi rst report-ed the hiring of Dave Hill at MPC in May, which trig-gered a fi restorm of criti-cism leading to the Donald-son departure.

It is amazing that MPC chair Rebecca Longmire defended the Hill hiring, saying it was in compliance with the MPC bylaws. Even if the bylaws were followed, it is clear the bylaws need to be changed to assure fair-ness in hiring.

Both Rogero and Bur-chett issued statements on Donaldson leaving. Rog-ero’s was lengthy and full of praise. Burchett’s was two sentences long with a single “thank you.”

Martin Daniel: It has been 20 years since a Knox County state representative

lost a party primary, but businessman Martin Daniel made history when he upset incumbent Steve Hall by 157 votes on Aug. 7. It was 1994 when Tim Burchett defeat-ed then-incumbent Rep. Maria Peroulas in the same district.

Conditions were ripe for Hall to lose, but it required a combination of circum-stances. Had any of those circumstances been miss-ing, Hall might have pre-vailed as Daniel’s initial polling showed Hall was 40 points ahead.

First, Daniel invested $85,000 of his own money into his campaign, which allowed him to do the mail-ings, yard signs and phone calls needed to win.

This money only matched what Hall had accumulated in PAC donations over four years.

Second, Daniel commit-ted his personal time go-ing door to door for more than 60 consecutive days, becoming known to voters during the hot summer.

Hall had others going door to door for him.

Third, Hall did not realize the aggressive force coming onto the fi eld against him until early voting was well underway. He was caught fl at-footed.

Fourth, Hall handed Daniel three issues that only Hall could have cre-

Steve Hall, Mark Donaldson moving on ated and caused voters to abandon Hall.

Those issues included legislation to sell Lakeshore Park, which is the most used park in the city.

Hall also sponsored leg-islation to allow Tennova to build a high-rise hospital on Middlebrook Pike without checking with the neighbor-hood as to their views while accepting signifi cant cam-paign donations from the Tennova PAC.

Hall then endorsed Sta-cey Campfi eld for state sen-ate on TV when Campfi eld was politically toxic.

Fifth, the two appear-ances Hall and Daniel made together on TV assisted Daniel, whose performance was more polished and informed while Hall was clearly on the defensive and visibly distressed in front of the camera.

Sixth, the margin of vic-tory for Daniel came from

the Rocky Hill county pre-cinct and Deane Hill Recre-ation city ward.

Both are adjacent to Lakeshore Park, which Hall tried to sell.

Hall had lobbied to have those precincts placed in his district to maintain a 70 percent GOP fl avor to the district.

It never occurred to Hall that he might lose in a pri-mary to a resident of these new precincts. Daniel lives in Rocky Hill.

Future and current leg-islative incumbents might take note that people do watch the legislation you introduce and it can become an issue. Also, clever redis-tricting may work against you, not for you. Be careful whom you endorse, espe-cially if he is losing by an overwhelming margin. Talk to voters before introduc-ing legislation that impacts them.

Sandra Clark is publisher of Shopper-

News. [email protected] or-661-8777.

Shopper news • AUGUST 20, 2014 • 5

Marvin West

Tennessee football is so much fun when the Volun-teers win.

The religious devotion, old-fashioned faith, is again justifi ed. Joy is contagious. Strangers laugh and ex-change high fi ves. Costs of tickets and parking and hot dogs no longer seem exorbi-tant.

There is a buzz as the thousands depart, replaying highlights. Some move on to next week and guess what the score will be and wonder if it is fi nally our turn against Alabama and who will make all-American. All is right with the world. Well, almost.

Excitement carries over to dinner parties and late-night snacks and even Sun-day school. I once heard a preacher weave a Vol victory

It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol

into a sermon.Tennessee football is

so much pain and anguish and indigestion when the Volunteers lose. It hurts to say they’ve been doing a lot of that lately and by some rather ugly scores. Our ter-rifi c freshmen Butch Jones brought in were 11 or 12 the last time Tennessee was rel-evant.

Losing generates so many negatives and very feeble excuses. The coach called the wrong play. We should

try the other quarterback. How can all those offi cials miss that obvious holding foul? Our team is so young and inexperienced and the ball was wet.

Offended fans take los-ing personally. Coffee is lukewarm and breakfast is tasteless. Traffi c is terrible, the computer is slow and it looks like more rain.

Losing lasts through Tuesday and sometimes Wednesday if Florida did it. Business suffers. No kid-ding. Losing dulls ordinary discussions.

Eventually, a trace of optimism breaks through, suffering subsides and be-lievers come back to life and start counting again. Can the Vols still qualify for a

bowl game?I am reminded of a little

essay I did years ago: What is Tennessee football?

Some think of it as the greatest show on Earth, high drama, gladiatorial theater, pomp and circum-stance, played out in front of huge audiences, soon to be bigger with the new SEC Network.

Faces change and even that forever jersey turns gray but the story line stays the same, us against them, pas-sion and glory or confusion, turnovers and heartbreak. Been there and seen it all.

For sure, Tennessee foot-ball is money, multimillion-dollar budget, low or no reserve fund, greedy amuse-ment taxes, astronomical

debt service, Butch’s salary plus a bonus for players’ ac-ademic success.

OK, I know you are won-dering. Dave Hart is paid $817,250 to be athletic di-rector – unless I missed a recent raise.

Tennessee football rises above it all.

Some said my best line from that years-ago sum-mation was this: “Tennes-see football is an ensemble of very special people, a col-lection of remarkable snap-shots, moments inextricably linked by blood, sweat and tears, always orange.”

To me, Tennessee foot-ball will remain the mem-ory of George Cafego, the epitome of a Volunteer. It is Doug Atkins and Reggie White getting bigger and better through the years. It is Larry Seivers and Dick Williams and Curt Watson

and Bill Young and others who required no recruiting. Tennessee had always been their team.

Tennessee football is that season of destiny, the ’98 national championship. It is the Arkansas fumble and Al Wilson refusing to lose.

Tennessee football is checkerboards and the Vol Walk and the Neyland statue. It is Dewey Warren’s one-yard run in Memphis and Peyton Manning lead-ing the band and staying for his senior season.

Tennessee football is the exhilaration of walking away a winner and the futility of fi nal seconds ticking away when the Vols are behind and can’t do anything about it. You feel like crying and maybe you do – until some-body starts the chant, “It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol.”Marvin West invites reader reaction. His address is [email protected].

JimTumblin

Arthur John Stupka was born on Oct. 24, 1905, the oldest of four children of Louis and Mary Stupka, both natives of Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. Louis owned a meat and produce market in Cleve-land, Ohio, on the southern shore of Lake Erie. That is where Arthur fi rst experi-enced the great outdoors.

Arthur J. Stupka (1905-1999). This 1946 portrait was taken at the height of Ranger Stupka’s 25-year career as chief naturalist of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Photo courtesy of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Neg. #12946

Naturalist and party on conducted trip. A typical group of tourists gath-ered beside the trail for the indoctri-nation talk by Ranger Stupka. Photo courtesy of the GSMNP, Neg. #5600

Arthur Stupka: Archivist of the Smokies

He graduated from Ohio State University, where he also earned his master’s degree in zoology, and then joined the National Park Service at Yellowstone as a ranger-naturalist in 1931.

The following year he was

transferred to Acadia Na-tional Park near Bar Harbor, Maine, as chief naturalist.

He came to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1935, just one year after the park was created.

J. Ross Eakin, the park’s fi rst superintendent, told him, “I don’t need a natu-ralist because I don’t want any more visitors (until con-struction is fi nished).” Eakin advised him to get acquaint-ed with the park by hiking, observing and recording. He also was charged with establishing a natural his-tory collection and making connections with the scien-tists who could help develop the park’s resources.

He spent the next four years doing just that and working closely with the Ci-vilian Conservation Corps to lay out the 800-mile trail system in the park, one of Stupka’s proudest achieve-ments. He also added hun-

dreds of observations to his journals, which he had begun when he was only 15. Eventually, those observa-tions would number 18,000 and are now computerized as a part of the park ar-chives for use by scientists in understanding the long-term changes in its fl ora and fauna.

He documented the di-sastrous year of 1946 when the American chestnut had already disappeared and the acorn crop was very poor. It was estimated that between one-third and one-half of the black bear population left the park’s sanctuary that year in search of food. Gray squirrels had a mor-tality of up to 90 percent in some watersheds.

There possibly were spe-cialists who knew more than Stupka about birdlife in the Smokies, and prob-ably some knew more about mushrooms, herbs, shrubs

and trees. Others may have known more about animals and reptiles. However, Ar-thur Stupka probably knew far more about all of those things as a group than any other in-dividual. His inter-national reputation infl uenced special-ists like Roger Tory Peterson to provide expertise in the park’s planning and development.

In 1961, after 25 years as park naturalist, when he was within two years of re-tirement, he was offered the opportunity to use the large attic in park headquarters as his study. There he pro-duced this series of books and pamphlets summariz-ing his knowledge of the fl ora and fauna of the park.

After his retirement, Ar-thur J. Stupka remained in Gatlinburg, continued his observations and record-

keeping and added to the journals in the park’s ar-chives. He passed away April 12, 1999, at age 93, survived by his wife, Grace G. Stupka, two daughters, four grandchildren and sev-en great-grandchildren. Af-ter private services, he was

interred in Sevier Coun-ty’s Walnut Grove Cem-etery near the Great Smoky Mountains that he loved.

Thanks to park archivist Michael Aday and Martha Rosson of the McClung His-torical Collection for their assistance with the photographs and text.

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6 • AUGUST 20, 2014 • NORTH/EAST Shopper news kids

By Ruth WhiteTo echo former Vol Ster-

ling Henton, Sarah Moore Greene probably had the best-ever back-to-school welcome in Knox County. Henton greeted kids as staff members rolled out the red carpet and treated students like superstars as they en-

tered the building.On the carpet, many hugs

were given out, smiles were shared and some students even danced their way to the front doors. The kickoff was the staff’s way of showing the students that they are special and creating a good start to the year.

Antione Humphrey and Brooklyn Tuggle were the fi rst stu-

dents to walk down the red carpet at Sarah Moore Greene

Magnet Academy on the fi rst day of school. Photos by R. White

Carter quarterback Jonathan Freeman looks for a target to launch

the ball to during the Kickoff Classic. The Hornets will host the Gibbs

Eagles during the fi rst game of the season, 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21.

Fulton senior cheerleader Elicia Faulkner gets the crowd

pumped up for football season.

Fulton quarterback Adam

Diggs hands the ball off to a

teammate during last week’s

Kickoff Classic. The Falcons

will host Powell in the season

opener, Friday, Aug. 22. Photos by R. White

Sarah Moore Greene

assistant principal Dex-

ter Murphy welcomes

students back to class with

high fi ves for everyone.

The Falcons head to the fi eld for the Kickoff Classic, hosted by

Central High. Leading the team onto the fi eld are Tripp Carver,

James Davis, Kentel Williams and Arshon Geter.

Rolling out the red carpet

Former Vol Sterling “Sterl the Pearl”

Henton was on hand to play dance

hits at the red-carpet event.

The Carter High cheerleaders are all smiles as football season offi cially began last week. Pic-

tured are: (front) Jessi Chollman, Hunter Chollman, Alyssa Obregon, Makayla Chollman, Macy

Meredith; (back) Sydney Rayho, Alyssa Dutton, Leanna Luttrell, Kelsey Pollard, Lacey Russell,

Gemma Pierce and Madison Stallings. Not pictured is Caroline Allen.

Meeting Judge ReevesShopper-News interns Zoe Risley, Julia Grant and Sydnie Seay were pleased to meet the Hon.

Pamela L. Reeves, the fi rst female U.S. District Court judge in the district, at a naturalization

ceremony. Photos by R. White

Omjoma Sanadi and her daughter, Deanna Aian, watch as

Sanadi’s son Nater Luka is sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

The last event for the Shopper-News interns was a naturalization ceremony held Aug. 8 at the Knoxville City County Building. It is safe to say there wasn’t a dry eye in the main assembly room as more than 160 im-migrants became American citizens. Interns Zoe Risley and Julia Grant, plus Syd-nie Seay, a friend of Julia, attended.

Welcoming new citizens is last assignment for interns

Sara Barrett

The ceremony began with opening remarks by both Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. U.S. District Judge Pamela

Reeves presided over the ceremony and welcomed America’s newest citizens with metaphorical open arms. This was Reeves’ fi rst naturalization ceremony since being appointed in March.

Reeves talked about her upbringing and how her early circumstances did not keep her from becoming the fi rst female judge appointed to the bench in this district of federal court.

“I came from a small house by a creek, with an outhouse and no running water. The great thing about this country is that you can become the person you want to be. It is not based on where you were born,” said Reeves.

Sudan native Omjoma Sanadi and her 6-year-old daughter, Deanna Aian, sat next to our group as they waited for Sanadi’s 23-year-old son, Nader Luka, to re-

ceive his citizenship. Sanadi is beginning the lengthy testing portion of the citi-zenship process and says she is pleased to make the effort. She talks about the violence in Sudan and how she fl ed with her children in hopes of living a safer and happier life. As to what she enjoys most about being in America, Sanadi said sim-ply, “Freedom.”

It takes each person ap-proximately 10 minutes to

walk to the podium and re-ceive his or her certifi cate of citizenship. The importance of the moment can be seen in many ways. One recipi-ent takes longer than most to climb the few steps to the judge because he is on crutches. He had just bro-ken his leg but wanted to complete his long journey to citizenship.

Family members in the balcony cheer and proudly videotape their loved ones

shaking hands with thejudge and receiving a smallAmerican fl ag. Each newcitizen’s name is announcedas he or she receives the cer-tifi cate.

“It is an honor for me tostand here as you completeyour journey,” said Rog-ero during her welcomingremarks. “No matter whatbrought you here, bloomwhere you are planted.And exercise your right tovote.”

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Nature’s Cove director of maintenance Kenny Manis reads a book from the Imagination Library shelf to Maddi Dillon.

By Alvin NanceMaddi Dillon is 3 years

old, and she loves books.

She and older sister S a v a n n a h Dillon are two of about 70 chil-dren who live at the KCDC prop-

erty called Nature’s Cove. They’re also two of the hundreds of children who live with their families at Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation properties throughout our community.

Thanks to an investment from Dolly Parton’s Imagi-nation Library, Maddi will have access to even more books to enjoy.

The Imagination Library has partnered with KCDC to place a shelf full of new books at each KCDC proper-ty where children live. The kids will be able to select books seven days a week, courtesy of the new shelf in the community room on the property.

Maddi’s mother, Amanda Dillon, said, “When the new books come to the mailbox, she wants to open them right then and there, so she is going to love walking over

to borrow these. They’re not books we already have at home.”

In addition to her moth-er, one of the most fre-quently present adults in Maddi’s life is “Mr. Kenny.” Kenny Manis is director of maintenance at Nature’s Cove, but though his shirt is embroidered with the word “maintenance,” he does much more for the commu-nity where he works. Manis voluntarily monitors other activities on the property, such as the bus drop-off in the afternoon, and now the new bookshelf from Imagi-nation Library.

“This is really going to be something that our neigh-borhood kids get a lot of use out of,” Manis said. “Even for the older ones, because they can read to the younger ones. It helps everybody.”

Partnerships like the new one with Imagination Li-brary are just one of many ways we work to offer our residents not just a great place to live, but also an en-hanced quality of life. We are grateful for individuals like Kenny who go well be-yond the call of duty to help implement and make these programs available for resi-dents across our city. Alvin Nance is executive director and CEO of KCDC.

Imagination Library brings joy of reading

Nance

News from Knoxville’s CommunityDevelopment Corporation (KCDC)

Dragonfl y Aerial Arts Studio began almost three years ago with six talented people in its core company. Their love of fi tness and performing was the begin-ning of a studio like no other in Knoxville.

Watching Lissa McLeod, Jake Weinstein and David Stewart warm up and dem-onstrate their skills is fas-cinating. So what does this studio offer and why is it so different?

McLeod describes Drag-onfl y as a place that “allows people to try things they didn’t think they could do.” Others explore their body’s limits. Still others come to get over a fear of heights.

Instruction is on trapeze and aerial silks, and partici-pation is not limited by age or fi tness level.

“Our goal is not so much to teach someone to do tricks but to teach the whole person,” McLeod says. “We try to make the experience of being in the air acces-sible to everybody. We want everyone to be successful, have fun and learn about themselves in the process.”

Lissa McLeod demonstrates her skills at Dragonfl y Aerial Arts Studio. Photo submitted

D fl AAA i l A t

Dragonfl y off ers fi tness, funNancy

Whittaker

Kids 6 and older (there’s no top limit) can take circus classes. “Try Me” classes are a basic fi rst lesson on trapeze and aerial silks. McLeod and Weinstein are extremely proud of a stu-dent who was recently ac-cepted in Frequent Flyers, a nine-month professional aerial training program in Boulder, Colo.

Performances at the Dogwood Arts Festival plus benefi t shows offer oppor-tunities for the public to witness the grace, skill and strength of these perform-ers. Dragonfl y Aerial Arts Studio will perform at the Hola Festival on Market Square in September.

Birthday parties and showers can be scheduled. Parents can take classes with their kids. The studio

is conveniently located at 1805 Maryville Pike just three miles from down-town. Look for the Break-through Corporation sign.

Info: www.dragonfl yaer-ialartsstu dio.com or 609-2012.

REUNIONS ■ Central High Class of ’59, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 22-23, Beaver

Brook Country Club. Info: Judy Edenfi eld Hodge, 531-4837 or [email protected]; or Harold Knott, 947-3486 or [email protected].

■ Central High Class of ’74, Sept. 12-13. Friday: tailgate 6 p.m. in the CHS parking lot; bring a picnic and lawn chair. Football game 7:30. Saturday: reunion party 6 p.m. at Calhoun’s on the River. Cost: $40 per person. Info: 584-9469 or [email protected].

■ Halls High Class of ’59, Friday, Aug. 29, Beaver Brook Country Club. Info: Dickie George, 922-7145.

■ Halls High Classes of 1976-1980 will hold a reunion 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at Red Gate Farm, 2353 Maynardville Highway. Admission is $10 ($15 couples). Food vendors will be onsite, but classmates are asked to bring their own drinks and lawn chairs. The Kincaid Band will perform. Info and RSVP: 214-7020 or email [email protected].

Knoxville Mayor Mad-eline Rogero starts every speech by saying, “I love my job.” And she means it. Last week Rogero demonstrated her mastery of that job at the North Knoxville Rotary Club.

Rogero moves city forward

Sandra Clark

“We deal with diverse opinions to form consensus to move the city forward,” she said, urging the busi-ness audience to get their staff “out of silos” and work-ing together.

Rogero’s administration is continuing the redevelop-ment program launched by Mayor Bill Haslam, start-ing with the center city and moving outward. Down-town is vibrant, and now the city is running out of parking. The new Walnut Street parking garage will add 1,060 spaces with free night and weekend park-ing. Daytime parking will serve TVA Towers and the Langley Building (formerly Kimberly-Clark), she said.

The city uses public mon-ey strategically to leverage private investment with projects underway all over town. Here are highlights:

North: Façade grants and installation of bike routes on North Central led to a resurgence of restau-rants and bars. Last week Happy Holler was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and we learned Baxter Properties has bought several tracts for future development.

The city budget includes $250,000 for upgrades to Fountain City Lake, with the initial contract on the Aug. 19 council agenda.

The lake will be drained and the leak in the earthen berm repaired, starting next month, with spring wa-ter to start refi lling by the end of October.

Rogero promised con-sultation with an engineer toward long-term solutions.

South: The old Baptist Hospital is coming down to make way for private-sector apartments and a plaza. The Urban Wilderness is coming along; the city is realign-ing a road to create better access to Fort Dickerson; and a small donation drew more dollars and led to the

development of the South Knoxville Alliance, an ad-vertising co-operative that promotes businesses and artists.

East: The warehouse district of Magnolia Av-enue is due attention, with $500,000 in façade grants to upgrade the area around Pellissippi State’s Magnolia Avenue campus. Work is un-derway to alleviate fl ooding on Prosser Road. with two lanes to open by Sept. 1.

West: The Cumberland Avenue streetscape (start-ing after football season) will redefi ne the city’s im-age to visitors at UT. The street will be two lanes with a center turn lane, and KUB is moving utility lines to the back alley. Rogero praised the $62 million “very mod-ern, urban design” Walmart and Publix complex just opened on the site of the old Fulton Bellows brownfi eld.

With a master’s degree in planning and a can-do attitude, Rogero is moving Knoxville forward. And did we mention, she absolutely loves her job.

■ Advertising boosts Penney’sFortune Magazine writ-

er Phil Wahba reports the turnaround for J.C. Pen-ney is working, fueled by increased advertising and sales events and expanded in-house brands.

“Penney ... chased away customers when it unsuc-cessfully tried in 2012 ... to get fancier and ditch cou-pons and sales events,” he wrote.

Now Penney is winning back market share as “the premier shopping destina-tion for the moderate con-sumer,” said CEO Mike Ull-man.

■ Academy Sports plans warehouseGov. Bill Haslam said

Academy Sports + Outdoors will build a new 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center on more than 200 acres in Cookeville to sup-port continued company growth. Academy will in-vest $100 million and create approximately 700 new jobs in Putnam County over the next fi ve years.

■ Quotable“Reality is just a crutch

for people who can’t cope with drugs.”

– Robin Williams

The businesses and com-munity groups around the East Towne-area Exit 8 on I-640 are one step closer to having the ability to lease space on offi cial logo signs leading up to their exit.

The East Towne Area BPA was formed to address access and visibility issues, like better interchange de-sign, better collective busi-ness identity, group adver-tising and action.

More than 100 busi-nesses are hidden from interstate travelers by the overgrown vegetation and sunken roadway, just be-yond the earthen berms erected when I-640 was built. The berms allowed clearance for several cross-over bridges over I-640.

Until recently, Tennessee Department of Transporta-tion rules prohibited those traveler service signs on interstate exits within cit-ies of more than 100,000 population. The blanket rule doesn’t quite work here, where traveler views are ob-structed by the road design.

So the 70,000 daily trav-elers heading north or south on I-640 see only an exit

Logo signs closer at East Towne exit

NickDella Volpe

sign identifying road names – hardly a wakeup call to the opportunities lying just beyond Exit 8.

Beginning on Oct. 29, the revised logo sign rule will allow the governing body in larger cities to seek TDOT approval to allow logo signs that don’t meet the TDOT requirements. This matter will soon be presented for action to Knoxville’s mayor and City Council. Final ap-proval rests with TDOT.

If granted, qualifying businesses will be allowed to apply for rental space on those standard blue inter-state signs leading up to the exit. Those general notices are followed by directional signs as you travel down the ramp. The goal is to advise the busy traveler, moving at interstate speed, where to get off to take care of their current needs. Such signs

are modest in size, uni-form in design, tasteful and straight to the point. Only six businesses per sign are allowed, with preference given to those closest to the interstate. It’s not advertis-ing, it’s traveler advice.

This good news came from the efforts of business and neighborhood groups and local government offi -cials. Listening ears includ-ed state Sen. Becky Massey and Rep. Bill Dunn, several City Council members in-cluding this writer, county commissioners, city and county leaders, and TDOT regional manager Steve Borden – all invited guests at the ETABPA monthly meetings.

Meanwhile, these busi-nesses vow to continue working to improve condi-tions there. Thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in property tax and sales tax revenues are at stake, as well as the success of the hard-working businessmen and -women who invest and work there.

You can contact the ETABPA on Facebook. The group meets at 8 a.m. each

fi rst Wednesday at the New Harvest Park meeting hall just off Washington Pike.

8 • AUGUST 20, 2014 • NORTH/EAST Shopper news

THROUGH SATURDAY, AUG. 23Registration open for Lakeside of the Smok-

ies Triathlon: 1.5k open water swim on Douglas Lake, 40k bike ride on rolling rural roads and 10k run on rolling roads. Info/to register: 250-3618 or http://racedayevents.net/events/lakeside-of-the-smokies-triathlon/.

THROUGH MONDAY, SEPT 1Seeking crafters to purchase table at Dante

Church of God’ annual fall sale, to be held Sept. 20. Table: $25. Info/ application: [email protected].

THROUGH SATURDAY, SEPT. 20Deadline for vendor registration, “Son” Fest,

to be held 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, New Hope Baptist Church, 7602 Bud Hawkins Road. Booth rental: $25. Info; Tammy Lamb, 604-7634.

THURSDAY, AUG. 21Cruise Night, 6-9 p.m., 6215 Riverview Crossing

Drive in front of old Food Lion at Asheville Highway. All makes, models, years and clubs welcome. No charge. Door prizes.

FRIDAY, AUG. 22Farm Fresh Fridays: Union County Farmers

Market, 4-7 p.m., downtown Maynardville. Info: 992-8038.

Softball at Big Ridge State Park, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Big Ridge State Park, 1015 Big Ridge Park Road. Fun, family orientated softball games. Info: 992-5523.

Golf tournament to benefi t North Side Y annual campaign, Three Ridges Golf Course, 6101 Wise Springs Road. Lunch served 11:30 a.m. Shot gun start, 1 p.m. Cost: $75 per player; $300 per team. Info: 922-9622.

SATURDAY, AUG. 23Kayak and paddleboard demo day, 10 a.m.-1

p.m., Hickory Star Marina, 1360 Hickory Star Road. Free event. Sponsored by Union County Chamber of Commerce. Info: 992-2811.

Thunder Road Gospel Jubilee, 7 p.m., 1388 Main Street. All gospel singers welcome. Info: Joe, 201-5748.

Lakeside of the Smokies Triathlon: 1.5k open water swim on Douglas Lake, 40k bike ride on roll-ing rural roads and 10k run on rolling roads. Info/to register: 250-3618 or http://racedayevents.net/events/lakeside-of-the-smokies-triathlon/.

Yoga, 9-10:15 a.m., Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road., Washburn. Bring yoga/Pilates mat, towel, water. No fee; donations ac-cepted. Info: Mitzi Wood-Von Mizener, 497-3603 or www.narrowridge.org.

Movie on the lawn, St Paul UMC, 4014 Garden Drive. Hot dogs, popcorn, lemonade, 7:30 p.m.; movie at dusk. Community welcome. Bring blanket/lawn chair. If rain, will move inside.

Cades Cove tour with Bill Landry, 9 a.m., departing from the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend. Tickets: $50 per person; in-cludes light snacks and a cold beverage. Reservations required: 448-8838.

Community potluck and fi lm night, 6-9 p.m., Mac Smith Resource Center building, Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Wash-burn. Info: Mitzi Wood-Von Mizener, 497-3603 or [email protected].

Senior Ballroom Dance, 7-9 p.m., Halls Senior Center, 4405 Crippen Road. Live music by Nigel Boul-ton Band. Admission: $5 per person. Info: 922-0416.

“Cool Down in the Cave” 10 a.m.-4 p.m., His-toric Cherokee Caverns, 8524 Oak Ridge Highway. Admission: $8 per person; kids 6 and under are free. Info/map: www.cherokeecaverns.com.

SUNDAY-TUESDAY, AUG. 24-26 “The Universe Story” seminar with Dr. Larry

Edwards of Genesis Farm, 1-8 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Info/reservation: Mitzi Wood-Von Mizener, 497-3603 or [email protected].

MONDAY, AUG. 25Ice Cream Social fundraiser, 5-8 p.m., Sonic

Drive-In, 7816 Oak Ridge Highway. 10% of sales to benefi t Shine, Diamonds All-Stars’ senior coed level three competitive cheer team.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 27Computer Workshops: Internet and Email

Basics, 2 p.m., Burlington Branch Library, 4614 Ashe-

ville Highway. Requires “Introducing the Computer” or equivalent skills. Info/to register: 525-5431.

THURSDAY, AUG. 28Cruise Night, 6-9 p.m., 6215 Riverview Crossing


Halls Book Discussion Group, 1-2 p.m., Halls Branch Library, 4518 E. Emory Road. Book selection: “The All Girls Filling Station” by Fannie Flagg. Info: 922-2552.

FRIDAY, AUG. 29Farm Fresh Fridays: Union County Farmers Mar-

ket, 4-7 p.m., downtown Maynardville. Info: 992-8038.Softball at Big Ridge State Park, 5:30-7:30 p.m.,

Big Ridge State Park, 1015 Big Ridge Park Road. Fun, family orientated softball games. Info: 992-5523.

SATURDAY, AUG. 30Charity Carnival for Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Building Fund, 3-8 p.m., on the church property across from the high school. Theme basket auction, 6 p.m. All welcome.


Yoga, 9-10:15 a.m., Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road., Washburn. Bring yoga/Pilates mat, towel, water. No fee; donations accepted. Info: Mitzi Wood-Von Mizener, 497-3603 or www.narrowridge.org.

Boomsday, Bluegrass and Barbecue celebra-tion, 6 p.m., Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Ave. Dinner, 7:30. Tickets: $60 per adult; children under 12 are free. Info/advance tickets: www.mabryhazen.com or 522-8661.

Local Authors Reading Round-Up, 2:30-5 p.m., Powell Branch Library, 330 West Emory Road. David Hunter, Beverly Connor and Charles Connor will discuss their works. Book signing to follow. Info: 947-6210.

“Pitch In And Pitch A Tent For The Home-less” benefit, 7 p.m., Mount Harmony Baptist Church, 819 Raccoon Valley Road. Featuring Spoken For Praise Team. Love offerings may be sent to: P.O. Box 478, Heiskell, TN 37754. Info: Michael Parsley: 257-8419.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 2UT Hospice Adult Grief Support Group meet-

ing, 5-6:30 p.m., UT Hospice offi ce, 2270 Sutherland Ave. A light supper is served. Info/reservation: Brenda Fletcher, 544-6277.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4Cruise Night, 6-9 p.m., 6215 Riverview Crossing


Pajama-rama Storytime, 6:30 p.m., Powell Branch Library, 330 West Emory Road. Info: 947-6210.

Vintage Fashion Show and Sale to benefi t Goodwill Industries-Knoxville Inc., 6 p.m., Downtown Knoxville Hilton. Tickets: $40 each or $375 for a table of 10; must be ordered in advance. For tickets: 588-8567.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5Farm Fresh Fridays: Union County Farmers Mar-

ket, 4-7 p.m., downtown Maynardville. Info: 992-8038.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6Cades Cove tour with Bill Landry, 9 a.m.,

departing from the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend. Tickets: $50 per person; includes light snacks and a cold beverage. Reservations required: 448-8838.



Walk A Thon and Memorial Balloon Launch, 11 a.m., Lil’ Jo’s Barbeque, 2805 Maynardville Highway. Hosted by Senior Citizens Home Assistance Services. Live music, noon-2 p.m. Info/walking forms/ memorial balloon cards: Kim Partin, 964-5367, or Joanne Rosen-balm, 423-259-1108.

Celebrity Waiter Dinner, 6:30 p.m., hosted by the American Cancer Society, 205 Main in Clinton. Info: Kelly Lenz, 457-1649 or [email protected].

Friends Mini Used Book Sale, 1-4 p.m., Burl-ington Branch Library, 4614 Asheville Highway. Info: 525-5431.

SATURDAYS, SEPT. 6, 20, 27, OCT. 4, 11

Pottery on the Wheel class, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Appalachian Arts Craft Center, 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris. Instructor: Katie Cottrell. Registration deadline: Aug. 30. Info: 494-9854 or www.appalachianarts.net.

MONDAY, SEPT. 8American Legion meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran

St., Maynardville. All veterans are invited. Info: 387-

5522. Deadline for craft and food vendor applica-

tions for Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival, to be held 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, Cove Lake State Park in Caryville. Info/craft vendor application: http://louie-bluie.org/vendor-application/; food vendor application: http://louiebluie.org/louie-bluie-food-vendor-applic/.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 11VFW meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynard-

ville. All veterans are invited. Info: 278-3784.Cruise Night, 6-9 p.m., 6215 Riverview Crossing


Fall festival, 4-6 p.m., Morning Pointe of Powell, 7700 Dannaher Drive. Classic car show, food, entertain-ment, bounce house for kids. All free; public invited. Info: 686-5771 or www.morningpointe.com.



SATURDAY, SEPT. 13Thunder Road Gospel Jubilee, 7 p.m., 1388 Main

Street. All gospel singers welcome. Info: Joe, 201-5748.Yoga, 9-10:15 a.m., Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy

Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Bring yoga/Pilates mat, towel, water. No fee; donations accepted. Info: Mitzi Wood-Von Mizener, 497-3603 or www.narrowridge.org.

Wheel Throwing: One Bag/ One Day class, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Appalachian Arts Craft Center, 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris. Instructor: Sandra McEntire. Registration deadline: Sept. 6. Info: 494-9854 or www.appalachianarts.net.

Hogskin History Day Celebration, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, 1936 Liberty Hill Road, Washburn. Celebration of the history, music and culture of the Hogskin Valley and surrounding Ap-palachian communities. Admission/parking free. Info: Mitzi, 497-3603, [email protected].

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, SEPT. 13-14Country Market fundraiser, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Saturday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorn Grove Pike. Vendors, food, plants, music. Admission: $5 per person; children under 10 free; house tours: $5. Info: [email protected]; [email protected]; 546-0745.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 16UT Hospice Adult Grief Support Group meet-

ing, 5-6:30 p.m., UT Hospice offi ce, 2270 Sutherland Ave. A light supper is served. Info/reservation: Brenda Fletcher, 544-6277.

Honor Guard meeting, 7 p.m., 140 Veteran St., Maynardville. All veterans invited. Info: 256-5415.

Market Basket class, 6-9 p.m., Appalachian Arts Craft Center, 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris. Instructor: Sheri Burns. Registration deadline: Sept. 9. Info: 494-9854 or www.appalachianarts.net.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18Cruise Night, 6-9 p.m., 6215 Riverview Crossing




SATURDAY, SEPT. 20Luttrell Bluegrass Festival and Cruise In, 10

a.m.-6 p.m., Luttrell Community Park. Food venders, crafters and bluegrass music. Free event. No registration fee for car show. Car show info: Lee Carver, 606-335-5165 or [email protected].

Hard Knox Roller Girls in roller derby double-header, 6 p.m., Knoxville Civic Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Ave. Brawlers vs Lehigh Valley Special Vixen Unit; All Stars vs Lehigh Valley Rollergirls. Tickets: $12 at the door, $10 in advance. Tickets available at Coliseum box offi ce, team members and team website. Info: www.hardknoxrollergirls.com.



Old Fashioned Gospel Singing, 7:30 p.m., Rid-geview Heights Baptist Church, 7809 Ridgeview Road in Corryton. Everyone invited. Info/directions: 712-1835.

“Dent the Debt” fundraiser dinner and silent/live auction with a band, 5-9 p.m., Beaver Ridge UMC family life center, 7735 Oak Ridge Highway. Barbecue dinner, 6-7:30 p.m.; live auction, 7:30-9 p.m.

Annual fall sale, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Dante Church of God, 410 Dante School Road. Info: 617-9013.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21Earring Extravaganza, 2-5 p.m., Appalachian Arts

Craft Center, 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris. Instructor: Kathy King. . Registration deadline: Sept. 17. Info: 494-9854 or www.appalachianarts.net.

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North/East Shopper-News 082014

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